COMPLETE SOLUTIONS FOR TOOLING AND MOULDING

"GTMA (Gauge and Tool Makers’ Association)"

2006-03-14T01:45:00.000-08:00

We see from your search that you're looking for information on the term "GTMA (Gauge and Tool Makers’ Association)", and we have a large number of manufacturers' news releases and technical articles here on Manufacturingtalk which will be of interest. Let me be your guide. Start with the news release Prestige pattern maker joins GTMA from GTMA, which we summarised at the time by saying "Midas Pattern Company, which successfully integrates advanced tool making techniques with traditional pattern and mould making skills, has become an associate member of GTMA.". Earlier in the week, we featured the news release Trends in mould and die making reviewed from Mike Page - editor's feature articles: "Surviving European mould makers are investing in CAD/CAM and unmanned machining to reduce labour costs, shorten delivery times and meet overseas competition, writes Mike Page.". In December 2005, we covered the news from Delcam concerning its CAD/CAM software - take a look at Latest CAD/CAM covers complex products which says: "Among a range of product development software at the UK's Southern Manufacturing exhibition will be the latest CAD/CAM developments aimed at advanced product design and manufacture.". Take a look also at the news release from GTMA, GTMA launches moulding tool-leasing programme, as well as Web site tools for members from GTMA, and Supply chain involvement wins new members from GTMA.

Surface Finish.

2006-03-14T01:44:00.000-08:00

We see from your search that you're looking for information on the term "Surface Finish", and we have a large number of manufacturers' news releases and technical articles here on Manufacturingtalk which will be of interest. Let me be your guide. Start with the news release Test rig analyses gas springs in-depth from Industrial Gas Springs, which we summarised at the time by saying "A custom-engineered test rig, designed and manufactured entirely in-house by Industrial Gas Springs, providesx fast and accurate analysis of all types of gas spring.". The day before, we featured the news release Wire EDM turns and machines complex parts from Hirschmann Engineering UK: "High speed rotary spindle wire-EDM machines parts down to a diameter of 10 micron accurately and cost effectively and produces difficult or complex shapes, or very small parts.". In January 2006, we covered the news from Mike Page - editor's feature articles concerning its Mould and die making trends - take a look at Trends in mould and die making reviewed which says: "Surviving European mould makers are investing in CAD/CAM and unmanned machining to reduce labour costs, shorten delivery times and meet overseas competition, writes Mike Page.". Take a look also at the news release from Engis (UK), Cleaning system cleans micro tooling, as well as Milling development cuts machining costs by 50% from WNT (UK), and Y-axis feed gives CNC lathe more flexibility from NC Engineering.

Lubricants.

2006-03-14T01:42:00.000-08:00

We see from your search that you're looking for information on the term "Lubricants", and we have a large number of manufacturers' news releases and technical articles here on Manufacturingtalk which will be of interest. Let me be your guide. Start with the news release Ongoing lubricants improvements saves costs from Castrol UK, which we summarised at the time by saying "In spite of higher energy costs and oil price increases, ongoing lubricant supply improvements have helped an automotive systems manufacturer maintain the same internal cost structure.". Earlier in the week, we featured the news release Valve dispenses precise beads or shots from Sealant Equipment and Engineering: "Material-dispense valve delivers precise beads and exact shots when precision dispensing low- to high-viscosity flowable materials, or used in high-speed stitching or repetitive on-off applications.". In January 2006, we covered the news from Shell Lubricants concerning its Shell Stamina 0511 high temperature grease - take a look at Grease offers high performance under heat which says: "Polyurea grease,is designed to offer excellent performance in heavy industry bearings and provide operators with reduced maintenance levels, improved bearing life and increased uptime.". Take a look also at the news release from Sealant Equipment and Engineering, Valve catalogue includes design hints, as well as Maximise productivity and plant uptime from SKF UK, and Choosing the right gas compressor lubricating oil from Kluber Lubrication GB.

Gearbox.

2006-03-14T01:41:00.000-08:00

We see from your search that you're looking for information on the term "Gearbox", and we have a large number of manufacturers' news releases and technical articles here on Manufacturingtalk which will be of interest. Let me be your guide. Start with the news release Heavy-duty gearboxes are made to measure from Renold Gears, which we summarised at the time by saying "A bespoke design and manufacturing service for the installation of large gearboxes driving heavy plant and machinery avoids on-site re-engineering to modify the gearbox's mountings.". Earlier in the week, we featured the news release Pump resists 10 years' constant usage from Mono Pumps: "When maintenance became necessary inside a spray system protecting a historic warship, after ten years of constant service it was found that only a stator of a pump needed replacing.". In January 2006, we covered the news from Parker Electromechanical Automation USA concerning its PV Series gearboxes - take a look at Gearbox combines power with versatility which says: "Using a full complement of precision-needle bearings a gearbox offers a wide assortment of output face options along with high radial load and output torque performance.". Take a look also at the news release from Kemppi (UK), Digitisation speeds up MIG/MAG welding, as well as Integrated drives raise motion control flexibility from Aerotech, and Motors used in demanding motion control from Aerotech.

Rapid Prototyping.

2006-03-14T01:40:00.000-08:00

We see from your search that you're looking for information on the term "Rapid Prototyping", and we have a large number of manufacturers' news releases and technical articles here on Manufacturingtalk which will be of interest. Let me be your guide. Start with the news release Direct manufacturing technology order awarded from HK Technologies, which we summarised at the time by saying "CalRAM, USA, has placed an order for an Arcam CAD-to-metals system, which will be used for directly manufacturing high performance titanium parts for the aerospace industry.". Earlier in the week, we featured the news release Stereolithography dispute resolved from DSM Somos: "DSM Somos,has reached an agreement in principle to settle the patent litigation currently pending between the two companies in Germany and to cross-license patents relating to SLA materials.". In January 2006, we covered the news from Mike Page - editor's feature articles concerning its Mould and die making trends - take a look at Trends in mould and die making reviewed which says: "Surviving European mould makers are investing in CAD/CAM and unmanned machining to reduce labour costs, shorten delivery times and meet overseas competition, writes Mike Page.". Take a look also at the news release from Alphacam, CAD/CAM speeds architectural stone machining, as well as Rapid injection moulding speeds low volumes from Protomold UK, and Design service customises displays from Global Display Solutions.

DRO combines camera and edge detection.

2006-03-14T01:34:00.000-08:00

The integration of a live video monitor for direct camera feed and additional measuring routines means Metronics' new Quadra-Chek QC 300 from ACI (UK) offers an innovative yet cost-effective and simplistic approach to gauge and inspection routines by combining camera feed and a crosshair generator or video edge detection with improved geometric functionality in a digital readout with a colour touch screen display. With powerful yet easy-to-use functionality - 'if you can use a crosshair you can use the QC 300' - the new DRO competes with PC-based systems in terms of both cost and capability but without the associated training and support issues. Targeted for use on the shopfloor and at goods-in areas, and for measurements in the X, Y and Z planes, the QC 300 not only embraces Metronics' familiar DRO functionality such as advanced geometric constructions, but it also incorporates: * A new multi-point tool for automatically locating a number of points to 'remove operator subjectivity'.* New functionality for measuring rectangular and circular slots.The QC 300's DRO mode provides icons indicating operations such as in/out-of-tolerance alert.It also contains many other features such as unit switches including settings of inch/metric, absolute/incremental, decimal degrees/degrees, as well as minutes and seconds.Part programs can also be stored within the display.With USB ports for increased connectivity, and Ethernet for networking, as well as serial and printer ports, the QC 300 has a large memory capacity of up to 99 programs and can accommodate memory sticks for fast and simple updating and transfer of data to PCs.System software can be easily retrofitted.QC 300 will be making its public debut on the ACI (UK) stand at MACH 2006 (stand 5009, hall 5), and on several other manufacturer's stands, along with a comprehensive selection of Acu-Rite and Anilam DRO and CNC systems, including new market-leading additions to the metalcutting/metalworking DRO portfolios.* ACI (UK) at MACH 2006, NEC, Birmingham, UK, May 15-19, Hall 5, Stand 5009.

Guide prepares for gaskets/packings legislation

2006-03-14T01:33:00.000-08:00

Ahead of the imminent changes in fugitive emission legislation driven by the EU Regulations IPPC 96/61/EU, packings and static seals specialist, Beldam Burgmann, has launched a new guide aimed at helping engineers and equipment specifiers to familiarise themselves with use of 'Best Available Techniques' (BAT) and general compliance for gaskets and packings. In the absence of any relevant British Standards tests, the Wolverhampton, UK-based company is using the German Clean Air Act (TA-Luft) as a probable benchmark. Managing director, Peter Childs, explained: 'TA-Luft is recognised as a vigorous piece of legislation and one which includes a number of stringent fugitive emission test procedures for gaskets and valve packings.We strongly believe that these tests will become the accepted benchmark for gaskets and valve packings in the UK.' Childs said: 'When the new legislation takes effect in October 2007, very few existing gaskets currently in use in the UK will meet these requirements.With that in mind, we have taken the decision to launch a guide that will help engineers and decision makers across the various relevant sectors become more informed about both the legislation itself and the type of products they will have to use in order to comply.' The six-page full colour guide gives salient advice on an issue that is sure to become more and more topical as 2006 progresses.Apart from generic guidance, the guide looks at a number of products and their properties, clearly outlining their key features and application parameters.Childs added: 'At this stage, it is all about growing awareness across a number of sectors including chemical, petro-chemical and pharmaceutical, in advance of what will be large scale changes to their working practice.
At Beldam Burgmann, we feel a distinct responsibility to our industry and are always happy to offer our advice.To that end, we have appointed two fugitive emissions specialists in Clive Burkinshaw and Jamie Hill and anybody wishing to obtain a free copy of the guide should contact either Clive (North of England and Scotland) or Jamie (South of England and Wales).' Childs concluded: 'Both Clive and Jamie have considerable industry experience and their knowledge of the subject is second to none.I am sure that in conjunction with our guide, they will be able to offer any interested party the appropriate objective advice.'

5-axis CAD/CAM enables complex part machining

2006-03-14T01:22:00.000-08:00

Cimatron, a leading provider of integrated CAD/CAM solutions for the tooling and manufacturing industry, today announced the availability of a new powerful 5-Axis NC package for production of complex parts. The new 5-Axis Production package is designed to machine parts in demanding industries, such as aerospace, defence, and heavy machinery. 5-axis machining allows for the accurate production of complex shapes, and is used in advanced manufacturing fields for the production of impellers and turbine blades, ports and inlets, cutting tools, rubber moulds, patterns and models.Now, Cimatron dedicated software for 5-Axis Production gives experts productive tools they need to create highly-efficient, gouge-free toolpaths that produce complex parts with high surface quality.It enables 5-Axis NC manufacturers to gain greater efficiency and achieve shorter delivery time.
CimatronE 5-Axis Production contains a rich set of 5-axis roughing and finishing strategies, complete with tool and holder collision check.Powerful material removal and machine simulation complete the package.'We are very excited to introduce the new CimatronE 5-Axis Production product,' said Danny Haran, Cimatron's president and CEO.'It complements our family of high-end 3-axis and 5-axis NC products, and will allow Cimatron to offer best-of-breed solution to a wide range of NC specialists.It demonstrates our commitment to the NC market, with a full suite of solutions for tool makers and discrete production manufacturers.' Loris Pilani, technical manager at manufacturer CAM Srl, Bologna, Italy, said: 'With the new 5-Axis Production, we can handle every kind of geometry with optimised machining strategies.The flexibility and power of this new tool allow us to quickly produce the most complex toolpaths while improving our productivity.'.* About Cimatron - Cimatron is the leading provider of integrated CAD/CAM solutions for the manufacturing and tooling industry.Cimatron is committed to providing manufacturers and toolmakers with comprehensive, cost-effective solutions that streamline manufacturing cycles, enable collaboration with outside vendors, and ultimately shorten product delivery time.Worldwide, more than 8,500 customers, with installations in the automotive, consumer plastics, and electronics industries, employ Cimatron's cutting-edge CAD/CAM solutions for manufacturing.Founded in 1982, Cimatron is publicly traded on the NASDAQ exchange under the symbol CIMT.Cimatron's subsidiaries and extensive distribution network are located in over 35 countries to serve customers worldwide with complete pre- and post-sales support.

Centrifugal Casting

2006-03-14T01:11:00.000-08:00

Centrifugal Casting: In centrifugal casting, a permanent mold is rotated about its axis at high speeds (300 to 3000 rpm) as the molten metal is poured. The molten metal is centrifugally thrown towards the inside mold wall, where it solidifies after cooling. The casting is usually a fine grain casting with a very fine-grained outer diameter, which is resistant to atmospheric corrosion, a typical situation with pipes. The inside diameter has more impurities and inclusions, which can be machined away.
Only cylindrical shapes can be produced with this process. Size limits are upto 3 m (10 feet) diameter and 15 m (50 feet) length. Wall thickness can be 2.5 mm to 125 mm (0.1 - 5.0 in). The tolerances that can be held on the OD can be as good as 2.5 mm (0.1 in) and on the ID can be 3.8 mm (0.15 in). The surface finish ranges from 2.5 mm to 12.5 mm (0.1 - 0.5 in) rms.
Typical materials that can be cast with this process are iron, steel, stainless steels, and alloys of aluminum, copper and nickel. Two materials can be cast by introducing a second material during the process. Typical parts made by this process are pipes, boilers, pressure vessels, flywheels, cylinder liners and other parts that are axi-symmetric.
Semi-Centrifugal Casting: The molds used can be permanent or expendable, can be stacked as necessary. The rotational speeds are lower than those used in centrifugal casting. The center axis of the part has inclusion defects as well as porosity and thus is suitable only for parts where this can be machined away. This process is used for making wheels, nozzles and similar parts where the axis of the part is removed by subsequent machining.
Centrifuging: Centrifuging is used for forcing metal from a central axis of the equipment into individual mold cavities that are placed on the circumference. This provides a means of increasing the filling pressure within each mold and allows for reproduction of intricate details. This method is often used for the pouring of investment casting pattern.

STAINLESS STEEL

2006-03-11T21:45:00.000-08:00

Stainless steel is a durable, eco-friendly, and low-maintenance material that can be used for building, tools, cutlery, sculpture, and any other number of things. It is an alloy that is made with at least 10.5% chromium content. It is called stainless because of its natural resistance to rust and corrosion. What Are the Types of Stainless Steel? Stainless Steel comes in five main types. Ferritic stainless steels are generally the least expensive, but don't have as broad an application. Martensitic stainless steels can be hardened by quenching and tempering and are used mainly in cutlery, general engineering, and aerospace. When hardened, they can become brittle, and so are not hardened all the way or are not used in general construction. Austenitic stainless steels are the most widely used; they are the most corrosion-resistant. Duplex stainless steels are a mixture of ferritic and austenitic to enhance strength and corrosion-resistance. The final type is precipitation hardening stainless steels. They, too, can be strengthened by heat treatment.

Latest CAM knocks two weeks off mould lead-times

2006-03-11T21:43:00.000-08:00

At Southend-based plastic injection mouldings specialist, Essex Injection, the addition of Open Mind's hyperMILL computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software for autodesk mechanical desktop has greatly increased the company's capabilities and reduced turn-around time. Whereas lead-time from receipt of customer's CAD model to production of first-off mouldings used to be 10 to 12 weeks, this has been cut by at least two weeks, even though the complexity of the mouldings produced has increased significantly and both surface finish and accuracy have improved. Essex Injection was established 15 years ago by ex-Lesney toolmaker, Eddie Edwards.
From the start, Edwards set out to offer an integrated service for tool development and first-off production under the same roof.
With time the company has evolved to the point where, as well as tool manufacture and prove-out, it also undertakes production moulding of customers' components using a range of plastic injection moulding machines from 250 to 2500kN capacity.
'Customers appreciate the one-stop shop approach,' Mr Edwards confirmed.
'In many cases we work very closely with our clients, providing product development services that can result in very worthwhile savings on costs.
We are committed to invest in facilities to improve the service that we can provide.
We moved into CNC machining in the mid-1990s and for a time used an outside agency to provide CNC programs.
However we always intended to have our own facility.' Essex Injection works for a wide variety of mainstream principals including medical, hi-fi and automotive suppliers.
In addition, it provides tool and product development services for specialist markets such as model railways and pest control, alongside production of around 100,000 bingo counters per day! The company's toolroom is staffed by six fully skilled toolmakers.
Key CNC machining resources are a Bridgeport machining centre and a Charmilles EDM die sinking machine.
The company also operates a variety of manual equipment.
Almost all of the tooling produced is fully hardened and produced by the classic soft machine/harden/finish route.
John King, the toolroom manager, commented, 'We use the machining centre to rough out cavities and to machine electrodes.
A high proportion of our tooling has built-up inserts to improve venting.
The nature of the work we do means a lot of the tools are fairly complicated, with sliding cores to allow certain features to be produced.
In addition we produce quite a lot of components with metal inserts moulded in; these are usually manually loaded into the tool so we have to consider the loading/fixturing requirement as part of the tool design.' When the time came to purchase its own CAD/CAM facility, hyperMILL for Mechanical Desktop had a head start on alternatives as this was the system used by the agency that had been supplying programs to Essex Injection.
However, Edwards pointed out that, although the company was familiar with the output, there was nobody within the company with hands-on experience of CAD/CAM.
He said, 'We knew what we wanted the system to do but were looking for ease of use as well.
As a result we examined quite a few systems.
One factor very much in favour of hyperMILL was the local supplier, Trionics, and in particular their sales engineer Len Newman who has given us a lot of technical and applications support.
Because he is also a toolmaker he understands what we want and can lead us through the process of getting there.
'Experience with the system has allowed the company to develop a high level of expertise with hyperMILL.
One of the benefits has been that it no longer needs to commission patterns.
In many cases, however, the job would be almost impossible to complete without availability of a CAD-based system.
'A high proportion of our customers supply CAD models which allows them to incorporate more features into their products,' King commented.
'A good example is a job we have done for a model railway track component supplier where the bolt heads on the chairs and the wedges for securing the track have been incorporated into the model.
Because we had hyperMILL, it was a moderately straightforward exercise to divide the model up into its constituent features, produce a set of electrodes to generate the mould cavity and produce a pin-type insert to generate the inner form of the chair during moulding.
Without the software and CNC machining we couldn't have done the job at an acceptable cost.' Almost all of Essex Injection's electrodes are machined from graphite, using cutter diameters down to 0.25mm to achieve the necessary levels of detail.
As a rule, the machine is set up to run overnight.
The company has noted that this normally provides enough time to complete the machining process.
Use of the Erowa location system on both machining centre and EDM machine means alignment accuracy is maintained throughout the cavity machining cycle.
King has a high level of confidence in the system.
'Provided that we get the machine set-up correctly, the component that comes off is exactly as we expect.
There is plenty of in-built capability to inspect cutter paths and simulate the machining process but we rarely need to use them now.
The good thing about hyperMILL is that you get out of it what you put into it,' he said.
'If you have the correct CAD information, use the right shrinkage factor and specify the draft angle properly, then the tool will work.' The view is confirmed by Eddie Edwards: 'The machining strategies available with hyperMILL provide us with excellent finish in a very acceptable time frame.
When I think back to when I worked on the bench as a toolmaker, I certainly wish it had been available then.'

Toolroom scheduling software released.

2006-03-11T21:32:00.000-08:00

The EU funded FASTOOL Project, led by GTMA, has resulted in the development of toolroom scheduling software which is being made available to project participants - giving them a competitive head-start. The latest version of the software has been tested and refined to accommodate users' requirements, obtained through the feed-back process, The scheduling software enables users to input detailed information about the items being produced and the resources required, including any NC code, and the software then automatically schedules the job to make the most efficient use of available high speed milling machines, electrode EDM machines and other resources. Different levels of user are defined in the software, from 'Administrator' through 'Designer' and 'Planner' to 'Operator' and each level is assigned its own range of permissions and access rights.
Thus, the Administrator has full control over user accounts, including creating and amending them, the Designer defines the jobs and enters them into the schedule, while the Operator can only view the Current Work Schedule and print out desired schedule records.
The FASTOOL Toolroom Scheduling software is usable as a stand-alone product and provides a user-friendly interface for allocating jobs and resources while schedules are represented in a GANTT chart representation.
Other special features provided by the new software include: * Full control over resource allocation (machines, personnel etc).
* Fully customisable working hours for each resource used.
* Full control over machine tool capacities and scheduling constraints.
* Automatic rescheduling of jobs for the optimum machine tool utilisation.
* Manual override and rescheduling facility through a drag and drop interface.
* Virtually unlimited job capacity The FASTOOL Toolroom Scheduler will form the heart of a demonstration facility being created at CRDM Research, within Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College in High Wycombe.
This facility will be used to promote the benefits of toolroom automation, as part of the European FASTOOL Collaborative Project, which, in addition to GTMA, also involves CRDM Research (UK), Metaalunie and TNO (The Netherlands), NCG and Faunhofer-IPT (Germany) and ASCAMM and Fatronik (Spain).

Mould Flow Software a real mould designer partner.

2006-03-11T20:59:00.000-08:00

Gets parts to automotive market quicker
Moldflow predicted a customer part would not fill properly or a short shot would occur (inset). Gating in the centre hub area was not an option, so an alternative had to be found (main plot).Aar-Kel Moulds Ltd. of Wallaceburg, ON (aarkel.com), produces high pressure plastic injection molds, thermoset compression molds, lost core molds, aluminum die cast dies and magnesium die cast dies for OEMs and Tier One suppliers in the automotive industry.Its customers include Magna/Decoma for automotive exterior body parts, Delphi HTS for automotive HVAC and Lear for automotive interior trim.Ken Kusalik, Aar-Kel’s mold flow analyst, assists in the early stages of mold and die case designs. He uses Moldflow Plastic Insight (MPI) software from Moldflow Corp. (moldflow.com) to determine part gating, runner systems, drop locations, cooling and troubleshooting.“A majority of our tooling uses hot manifolds,” said Kusalik. “We can also determine the minimal number of drops needed to fill a part with the best possible quality. Fewer drops mean lower tool costs.” Besides using MPI software during the design cycle, Kusalik and his team also use Unigraphics, CATIA, Cimatron and Cadkey software packages for design and manufacturing.
Air Trap: An Aar-Kel customer had problems with an air trap on a part side wall that could not be removed through normal processing. Moldflow assisted in duplicating the problem and a solution was found.The team recently faced a project in which MPI was used to predict a short shot part (inset below). “Due to the part design and customer needs, areas to gate were very limited. Using MPI, we were able to predict that the part would not fill based on the customer’s design. We were able to offer solutions prior to tryout. On this same part, MPI also predicted there would be an air trap issue (above right). Again, due to part design and customer needs, conventional methods could not be used to solve this problem. “MPI was used to help in another case in which a customer had concerns with holding dimensional tolerances on a particular part. “A prototype part warped excessively. Using MPI, we were able to predict the amount and direction of warpage and incorporate the appropriate changes to correct the issue. As a result, dimensions were held within the tolerances allowed.”He said that the company saved a significant amount of time as a result of using Moldflow software and his team’s expertise. In addition, the company saved time in terms of updating the 3D parting line data showing flow runners, extra setup on the machine to cut parts, drilling of extra vent pins, additional polishing and extra tryout time in order to obtain good parts.“Aar-Kel considers Moldflow in these cases to create good quality parts at the first tryout,” said Kusalik. “This, in turn, will not only save time and costs, but the customer will be much happier having parts with which to test and obtain dimensions.”Kusalik says that project deadlines are critical. “The ability to design and build a quality tool is very important. Utilizing MPI in-house allows us to eliminate any guesswork. It allows us to try new ideas before the tool is actually run. Out-sourcing this type of work is costly and the time loss waiting for information can hinder tool design and try out timelines.“As we progress in the future, timeframes for building molds and manifolds will be reduced considerably. We do not have the time for material suppliers to run an iteration in a few weeks, only to find that a particular location can’t be used, or, that a gate needs to be moved to improve a weld line. MPI affords us the ability to select realistic locations, and eliminate impractical options such as near deep ribbing to make boring clearances for nozzles. “Many times, material suppliers run scenarios that are impractical to incorporate because of a variety of issues. In addition, they seldom consider the fact that the tool shops require a few days so that manifolds can be ordered.” He added that having MPI in-house affords Aar-Kel the opportunity to have control of exacting locations and running numerous iterations, based on previous results – within a quick turnaround.This article was provided by Moldflow Corp.

The power of pneumatics and hydraulics.

2006-03-11T20:44:00.000-08:00

Large bore pneumatic cylinders are too often overlooked by design engineers, who rush into the unnecessary cost and complexity of hydraulic solutions for their actuation requirements. Mark Prew of Hoerbiger-Origa gives us an overview of the technology.
Try this little mental test on yourself. Imagine you are at a fairground or theme park and contemplating a go on one of the scarier rides, one that whizzes you around and hurls you up into the air and drops you to within inches of the ground, then does it all again: into what technology are you most likely to be entrusting your life?
Most engineers assume its hydraulics; some will even see the cylinders and nod sagely to themselves. And there is every chance that they'd be wrong! The actuating cylinders could equally be large bore pneumatic actuators.
Pneumatics has always been a popular choice with ride builders, for reasons of cost, convenience, reliability and dynamic performance. Indeed engineers and machine builders in many diverse fields have made the transition from hydraulics as the advantages of pneumatics have become more widely appreciated.
The main reason for using hydraulics is often the need for a high power output; but this can come at the cost of being highly priced, slow in operation and with the need to accommodate a bulky power pack. A large bore pneumatic cylinder will provide more than enough power for a great many applications and compared to hydraulics can be a fraction of the price to purchase, simpler and cheaper to install and maintain, faster in operation and offer other application-specific advantages too.

Pro-E a perfect 3d design software.

2006-03-11T20:33:00.000-08:00

ProE is a software used to design products with help of computers. CAD (Computer Aided Designing) designers often use ProE to design many of their products. Technically speaking, ProE is a feature based , parametric solid modeler. By modeling in solids, ProE enables users to create virtual prototypes complete with dimensions, parameters, surface area, and mass properties.
In the past, ProE was used primarily by mechanical engineering departments within the automotive and aerospace industries. Since then, different modules for the basic ProE package have been developed. Currently, ProE serves more industries ranging from electrical engineering of cabling systems to hydraulics and piping to sheetmetal finite element analysis and beyond. With its many great advancements, Pro E is no longer just for mechanical engineering.
ProE services means designing machines using ProE. There are many companies providing ProE services nowadays which you can also avail for service. These companies cater to many clients worldwide. They are experts in the use of the ProE tool set and can provide you with the knowledge boost required to get the products to market - fast. They offer a variety of Pro/E related services ranging from simple functions such as drafting and modelling to more complex tasks such as surfacing, and design automation. And if you have recently purchased ProE, they can also help convert old CAD data for use in future designs using ProE. They can help you customise your ProE environment and automate common design tasks specific to your company. Moreover, they can also provide you with customised training classes that specifically relate to your type of products. An exhaustive list of services, but at a price, of course!!ProE & Design Services are:
Detailing, Drawing Revisions, & Drawing Format Creation
Part Design & Modelling (All types including plastic & castings)
Sheet Metal Design & Modelling
Cabling Design & Modelling
Assembly Design & Modelling
Surfacing
Analysis (Mechanical, Mechanism, & Thermal)
Legacy Data Conversion
Reverse Engineering
Automated Equipment & Machine Design
Fixture & Jig Design
Photo Rendering All in all, we can safely say that ProE is a vital and easy-to-use tool for machine design that has revolutionised computer aided designing
http://www.axisitt.com
Article Source: Article Hub

Mould maker gets to grips with tool holding

2006-03-08T06:08:00.000-08:00

ONE of the UK's largest installations of Sandvik Coromant's recently introduced CoroGrip tool holding solution is proving its value at the Aylesbury operations of Beaubury Precision Moulds Limited - a company specialising in the design and manufacture of blow moulds for cosmetic containers, household products and automotive parts.The tool carousel on the DMG contains 60 toolholders, 43 of which are CoroGrip.Corogrip was introduced at the MACH 2000 exhibition and is a high precision hydro-mechanical power chuck with a performance claimed to be superior to any conventional system on the market.CoroGrip provides a clamping force comparable to that of 'shrink fit' tool holders and three times higher than hydraulic chucks. Its precision matches that of shrink fit holders and the system is suitable for all applications from super finishing to heavy roughing.Prior to investing in a new DMG 60P 5 axis machine the production team at Beaubury had experienced a number of problems with the tool holding on other machines - run out was a big issue with collet wear and cracking also being experienced. For their new investment they were anxious to ensure the toolholding solution overcame these problems."We had previous positive experience with Coromant Capto modular tooling and called in Graham Manning from Coromant Local Services to ascertain if this system or some other Coromant products could provide the solution for the DMG," Beaubury senior programmer Paul Matthews explained."This was just prior to the official launch of CoroGrip but Graham arranged for project specialist Tony Godden to undertake a demonstration and we were highly impressed. We not only saw the opportunity to overcome our immediate problems but at 20 seconds a set up with guaranteed accuracy, we could contemplate some significant time savings in tool setting."The DMG operates at 18,000rpm, usually cutting Dural aluminium alloy at feeds of 12 metres a minute. The tool carousel features 60 toolholders in total, 43 of which are CoroGrip. Most of the work undertaken on the machine ranges from 2 ½D multi-face machining right through to full 5 axis.The primary competitor to CoroGrip is the technique of heat shrink clamping but Beaubury had an unfavourable experience when trialing this concept and found Coromant's balanced-by-design cold clamping concept easy to use and totally predictable.The clamping force of CoroGrip is to H tolerance 6 with a consistent accuracy of 4 micron."The clamping force and accuracy is exceptional and is highlighted in one area where we drill waterways in the mould using gun drills," Paul Matthews explained."Using CoroGrip we pre-drill with a solid carbide drill and then machine to a depth of 235mm from each side with a Coromant gun drill, achieving perfect concentricity. Previously that operation would have involved a lengthy pecking cycle."Finally, a further testimony to the strength of grip and sustained accuracy of CoroGrip is offered by Paul Matthews."The DMG machine is equipped with an automatic tool setter which checks the tool after every operation. Since equipping the machine with CoroGrip tool holders we have not had a single instance of tool run-out." The CoroGrip clamping unit is positioned adjacent to the DMG and features foot operation with a clamping force of 700bar. One unit accommodates the entire CoroGrip range (12mm-42mm) and with its guarantee of accuracy, eliminates lengthy tool setting operations.CoroGrip chucks are manufactured with close tolerances resulting in a maximum run out at the cutting edge of only 0.002 to 0.006mm - measured at a length of three times the tool diameter. The run out is consistently maintained throughout the machining operation, enhancing tool life and workpiece quality.

Die pipe plug water diverters install easily

2006-03-08T05:59:00.000-08:00

The pipe plugs are pre-assembled to the stainless steel rods and swivel to provide positive installation and removal. The rods are easy to install, requiring no special tools - simply lock the diverters in position on the stainless rod and install into the cooling channel. The rod stays in the centre of the cooling channel, allowing the maximum heat transfer to the coolant.In addition to their ease of installation, an additional benefit of the pipe plug diverters is that, should a blockage occur in the cooling channel, the rod and plugs can be removed complete and then, after the blockage is removed, the rod and plugs can be reinstalled Manufactured from brass and stainless steels, the units will not rust.The plugs are manufactured to the BSPT standard in 1/8in, 1/4in and 3/8in sizes and the plugs are manufactured as metric sizes, 8mm, 10mm and 12mm.Rods are available in a variety of sizes, and appropriate diverters - including locking screws - can be ordered in any quantity.

Precision scanning meets toolmaker's needs in Prototyping

2006-03-08T05:54:00.000-08:00

UK based Games Workshop Tooling sells a large range of incredibly detailed miniature figures worldwide. It has recently transformed its tooling development by changing from proven traditional pantographs to Renishaw's Cyclone scanning system. Cyclone rapidly scans prototypes, providing the data required to machine the moulds from which the highly detailed figures are moulded.
As its name implies, Games Workshop Tooling designs and manufactures injection mould sets for the mass production of the company's highly sought-after war-game figures, such as the hugely successful 'Warhammer' series.
With long-term planning up to five years ahead of the launch of products, it is vital for the group to keep designs confidential.
Keeping as much work as possible in-house and with a close vertical integration of the different arms of the group, it is easier to maintain the required level of confidentiality.
Initial concepts, sketches and drawings are sculpted by craftsmen into 3D figures, usually three times larger than the final product, from which it has been customary to produce resin patterns.
The traditional pantograph techniques previously used were slow, labour intensive and involved much work by highly skilled patternmakers.
The process was, however, well-proven and could be guaranteed to provide the superb detail expected by the discerning gamers, who are always eagerly awaiting release of the latest product.
* New technology - with the challenge of meeting and exceeding this quality of work, Renishaw engineers set about proving that Renishaw's Cyclone scanning system was indeed up to the job, by producing sample die sets.
This initial work was backed up by arranging visits for Games Workshop Tooling's managing director, Terry Ardener, to meet key Renishaw Cyclone users so he could satisfy himself on the suitability of such a system, when working in conjunction with modern CNC machine tools.
Suitably impressed, Ardener has invested heavily in a state-of-the-art, automated mould production shop.
This includes a full computer-editing suite, linked to the two Renishaw Cyclone systems, as well as DNC links to four new Bridgeport CNC vertical machining centres and four Lang Impala CNC machines.
* Automation - with the very small data intervals involved (due to the very high level of detail), the scanning of a typical four-piece mould can take up to 48h.
This is even at a scanning speed of 700mm/s and a data capture rate of up to 400 points/s.
Once set into operation, however, there is no need for any further human involvement, the Cyclones can be left running without supervision.
With the amount of different figures Games Workshop now develop, both are in use 24h/day, seven days a week.
Analogue 3-axis probes with 0.5mm diameter styli balls are fitted to the Cyclone machines, which constantly maintain contact with the surface scanned, and are proving to be perfectly suited to the fine detail of the prototypes.
Games Workshop is also considering the use of Renishaw's non-contact laser scanning option for its next two systems.
The Cyclone systems are controlled during data capture with Renishaw's own Tracecut software, allowing subsequent 3D data manipulation and the generation of machining programs for the Heidenhain TNC 426 CNC control system fitted to Games Workshop's new Bridgeport machines.
Typically, the steel production moulds manufactured on these machines are made with up to eight 'inserts' per mould from the programs directly downloaded from the editing suite.
Again, this requires very little human intervention during machining.
Games Workshop Tooling can now look forward, secure in the knowledge that future fantasy figures can be made with significant productivity savings in time, material, labour costs and reliability, thanks to their major investment in new technology. Request a free brochure from Renishaw....

Tunnel gate insert avoids gate vestiges

2006-03-08T05:51:00.000-08:00

DMS-Diemould is bringing an innovative new tunnel gate insert designed and manufactured by EXAflow, to UK toolmakers, providing reduced costs and improved quality. The Ringelflow which was premiered at Euromold, reduces the time and cost necessary to design and build injection moulds for parts, which must be absolutely free of gate vestiges on visible external surfaces and which therefore need to be gated on the rear or interior surface. It is an innovative single-part gate insert which deflects the melt by 270 deg, the gating point can thus be placed above the parting plane inside the moulding.
This provides four significant benefits: * Firstly, on mouldings required to have a sealing surface or 'light edge', the Ringelflow insert allows gating points to be placed high above the parting line on the inside wall of the moulding, so that an absolutely smooth and level exterior product finish is achieved.
* Secondly, at the gating point, the melt will strike the opposite moulding wall as desired.
It then passes into the cavity by a frontal laminar flow and any risk of jetting, such as may occur with gating points on the moulding edge, is reliably prevented.
* Thirdly, on two-component mouldings it is possible to inject the second component from within the moulding via a Ringelflow gate insert.
A smooth and entirely unblemished external moulding contour will thus obtained without any need for sophisticated mouldmaking technology.
* Fourthly, toys for children can be produced with an absolutely smooth exterior.
The gate vestige is located inside the moulding, outside the child's reach where it cannot cause injuries.

Advantages Of Metal Railings

2006-03-08T05:29:00.000-08:00

The article gives the advantage of metal railing over the other materials and the different types of metals in which the railings can be made. Metal railings have inherent advantages over other materials like PVC, wood glass etc. The advantages can be enumerated as follows.
Small and lightweight sections can be made to suit purpose. No rot or splintering like wood railingsDesigns can be personalized with relative ease. Can be made from casting or flat product to suit your style and budgetThey are more durable than the wood or PVC even in out door conditionsOnce given a coat of powder-coated paint, it becomes long lasting and life in excess of 25 to 30 years can be achieved.
Requires no maintenance other than wiping off with a wet cloth
The Metals in Common Use In RailingsMany metals are used in making railings. The common materials used are,
Stainless Steel: Stainless steel is the most commonly use material in railing. This is because of its large weight to strength ratio and the ability to retail luster for long time with no maintenance and also due the fact that it does not corrode. The workability of stainless steel is high and it can pass through power presses without damage. It gives a modern look to the building
Wrought iron: Another common material used in railing is wrought iron. This material gives a period look to the building. The weight of the railings made out of wrought iron is high. The maintenance requirements are almost nil. A coat of paint applied properly, will make look as new and no further care other than cleaning is required. If there is a breakage, it is difficult to weld and has to be replaces. The replacement may not be available in the same design
Aluminum: Lightweight and durable, aluminum is suitable for straight lines and square shapes. The workability of aluminum is low and where lines are curved, aluminum is generally not preferred. Maintenance requirements are the same as stainless steel and aluminum has a long life
Brass used to be a favored material for the rich and famous in the medieval times. This material has lost its place in the railing industry and now it is rarely used except as a covering for railing. The covering is maintenance prone in the sense that it requires to be polished frequently to make it look new.
Therefore, out of the four materials mentioned above, only stainless steel finds extensive use in modern buildings.
Adam Peters is a freelance author who contributes adding interesting articles to a deck and porch railings website. Adam publishes ideas for railing plans and designs at http://www.deck-porch-railings.com . Reach more articles on modern metal railing designs at http://www.deck-porch-railings.com/metal-deck-railing.html

Magnets - and it uses

2006-03-08T05:27:00.000-08:00

Magnets - Attractive Little Things!
Magnets can be made by placing a magnetic material such asiron or steel, in a strong magnetic field. Permanent,temporary and electromagnets can be made in this manner.
That's the boring technical information.
But for everyone else, magnets and magnetism have an almostmagical quality. They make heavy metal objects dance andwiggle. They have an attractive force that's invisible,almost otherworldly. Weird stuff, but compelling too.
There are many legends accounting for the discovery ofmagnets. One of the most common, is that of an elderlyshepherd named Magnes, who was herding his sheep in an areaof Northern Greece called Magnesia, about 4,000 years ago.
It is said that both the nails in his shoes and the metaltip of his staff became firmly stuck to the large, blackrock on which he was standing. This type of rock wassubsequently named magnetite, after either Magnesia orMagnes himself.
Stories of magnetism date back to the first century B.C inthe writings of Lucretius, and the magical powers ofmagnetite are mentioned in the writings of Pliny the Elder.
For many years following its discovery, magnetite wassurrounded in superstition and was considered to possessmagical powers, such as the ability to heal the sick,frighten away evil spirits and attract and dissolve shipsmade of iron!
People soon realized that magnetite not only attractedobjects made of iron, but when made into the shape of aneedle and floated on water, magnetite always pointed in anorth-south direction creating a primitive compass.
So next time you pick up a magnet, think about its weirdnature. And I'll bet you also move it towards something madeof ferris metal. That's steel or iron to you - the stuffthat magnets simply love!
----------------------------Nick Grains has a healthy obsession for things that act funny - like magnets! You can find out more at his site dedicated to all things magnets at: http://www.hot-magnets.info/
Article Source: Article Hub

What is the difference between a MIG weld And A TIG weld?

2006-03-04T01:35:00.000-08:00

A MIG welder and a TIG welder can be used during welding, which is the process involving the fusing together of metals by melting the metal where they meet and will be joined. In many cases, pressure and / or filler material is used to aid in the fusion process.
Both MIG and TIG welds are types of arc welding, which utilizes the concentrated heat of an electric arc to join together metals by fusion of the parent metal by a consumable electrode. Depending on the material to be welded and the electrode used, the process utilizes either direct or alternating current for the welding arc.
The MIG weld process, or Metal Inert Gas weld, fuses the metal by heating with an arc. With this type of weld, the arc is placed between the filler metal electrode and the work piece. Shielding is provided by outwardly supplied gas or gas mixtures. A TIG weld or Tungsten Inert Gas, on the other hand, functions by joining metals through the process of heating with tungsten electrodes that do not become part of the completed weld. The process utilizes argon or other inert gas mixtures as shielding and filler metals are rarely used.
Some of the basic differences between the two types of welds are that MIG welding is faster than using TIG welding, as utilizing TIG welding requires more skill that MIG welding. A solid wire is used in the MIG Flux Cored Arc Welding-Gas Shield (FCAW-G) while TIG uses a flux cored electrode.
Another obvious difference is that TIG uses Tungsten to carry the arc, and a user of a TIG welder needs to have sufficient experience in the craft of welding. A MIG weld user, meanwhile, can carry on working despite being a novice welder.
Overall, while both MIG and TIG are gas shielded arc welding processes, the primary difference lies in the way the filler metal is added to produce the weld. With the TIG process, the arc is created between a tungsten electrode mounted in a hand-held torch and the work piece to be welded. The welder initiates the arc by means of a switch. The filler metal, in the form of a hand held rod, is then added to the weld puddle by the welder as the torch is manipulated along the joint which is to be welded. The MIG process uses a filler metal which is the electrode and the arc is created when the filler metal comes into contact with the work surface.
To Discover more about learning how to weld please goto www.startwelding.com
Article Source: Article Hub

Quality Process Overhead - Myth or Reality?

2006-03-04T01:23:00.000-08:00

Let us take a real-life example.The AC in a car is an overhead. It eats into the petrol that is used to run the car. However the benefits and pleasure that the owner of the car derives from the AC far outweighs the additional expenditure in his perspective. His wife may still scold him that AC need not be switched on in the car during the evenings. Thus an overhead is mostly a matter of perception.Here, when the projects are executed in an organizational environment, we have to consider one more factor -- long- term vs. short-term benefits. Having the code in CVS and taking on the overhead of CM; or the overhead of adding comments to the code have now become second habit to us so maybe we do not see them as overheads. We have burnt our fingers or seen others suffer when this overhead was flouted so we are now avid exponents of using CM on our projects -- the same goes for good comments in the code.In time-critical projects there is a tendency is looking at meetings as an overhead. This is again a perception problem. The problem lies in the fact that we are not good meeting organizers and therefore we waste a lot of time in meetings -- that does not mean that meetings are a waste of time.Good meetings need just 10 to 15 minutes of the team's time. The onus is on the manager to find out the individual status before-hand -- maybe even circulate it to the team and then just have a "standing meeting" for 10 to 15 minutes where the team arrives at a consensus as to how the problems and issues can be sorted out. Further discussions could be the Action Items emerging from the meeting. This is a practice advocated by the Agile processes.Consider "the work is not completed until the paperwork is done". This overhead is what we owe to our fellow colleagues and to the organization. Since the customer comes first, sometimes a manager has to make a decision as to how much of such overhead he will tolerate. Here also the emphasis should be on getting the new tools required to automate the repetitive tasks, rather than not keeping the records. Here the long-term requirements of the organization and what it gains from the project has to be kept in mind before doing away with any of this paperwork.When you love something and are passionate about it, you do not mind spending extra hours and days to complete that work e.g. when we enter the Testing stage we see the team members staying late nights because they want to fix the bug. We may also see team members spend more than half an hour for a lunch-break or even keeping in touch with friends through email. I am not saying these are bad. What I am saying is that when you see value and love to get together with your friends you will do it -- no matter what the overhead to you is in terms of time and effort. You don't call it overhead in the first place: you feel that they are your rights. Similarly you owe it to the organization to keep records.We should look at these processes not so much as QUALITY but as enablers, which allow us to excel at what we do. If we have a passion for excellence, we will naturally move towards doing all our activities with perfection so that customer does not crib when he gets a deliverable. With a passion for excellence driving us, and a desire to give the best of ourselves to the work at hand, we will naturally move towards Software Quality Management and Six Sigma principles. In case we find that the existing Software Quality Management is coming in the way of our productivity we will speak to Quality Team and define a better process or template.Some activities become an overhead when they are piled up & delayed too much. Take the case of code review. In most projects this is not done properly since at the end of coding we go into code review. Instead look at what Agile process advises and how it was applied in a project. Every day 3 people would code and 1 would review all code produced the previous day. The code review comments were circulated to the team and it was expected that these same comments would not appear in the rest of the code produced for the remaining of the coding phase. The team appreciated this "overhead" since it achieved the purpose of reducing defects early. It allowed them to do a better job.It is now up to each and every engineer and manager in the engineering departments to ensure that overheads are manipulated to become the icing on the cake. The icing is not a necessary feature of the cake but it enhances the value of the product. The processes and constraints of Software Quality Management have to be perceived in the same way. If they are not the icing on the cake today, what is it that we engineering staff need to do to transform the processes: this Quality Team or Top Management cannot tell us! It is the grass roots who now how to transform overheads and unpleasant activities into the icing on the cake.Copyright @ 2003, Project Dioxide Consultants (P) Ltd. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^About the AuthorNaseem Mariam is the editor of "Management that Soars" Newsletter & author of "Project Serenity - How to gain happiness and peace". Her writings draw life from her 18 years experience as software Project Manager. Let her guide you towards Faster All Round Success and a Stress Free, Joyous Life. Her free ebook and Newsletter tell You How. Subscribe with mailto:projectdioxide@sendfree.com Visit her at http://www.123projectmanagement.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Article Source: Article Hub

Your Guide To Plastic Molding

2006-03-04T01:22:00.000-08:00

Plastics are synthetically produced non-metallic compounds. It can be molded into various forms and hardened for commercial use. Plastic molding products can be seen everywhere. Examples are jars, protective caps, plastic tubes, grips, toys, bottles, cases, accessories, kitchen utensils and a lot more.Even the keyboard and the mouse that you use are made through plastic molding. Even the plastic parts of the chair that you are sitting on are created this way.The basic idea in plastic molding is inserting molten liquid plastic into a ready shaped mold, for example the mold of a bottle. It will then be allowed to cool, then the mold will be removed to reveal the plastic bottle.Plastic molding can also custom-mold a wide variety of plastic products including: garden pots, cabinets, office trays and boxes, barriers, barricades and traffic signage and displays for product and marketing promotions.If you are planning to go into a plastic molding business, you should first know the different processes. Choose from a plastic molding process that fits your budget, your expertise, and your resources. Here are basic definitions of various methods of plastic molding.The Plastic Molding Processes:1. Injection MoldingIn Injection Molding, melted plastic is forced into a mold cavity. Once cooled, the mold can be removed. This plastic molding process is commonly used in mass-production or prototyping of a product. Injection molding machines were made in the 1930s. This can be used to mass produce toys, kitchen utensils, bottle caps, and cell phone stands to name a few.2. Blow MoldingBlow molding is like injection molding except that hot liquid plastic pours out of a barrel vertically in a molten tube. The mold closes on it and forces it outward to conform to the inside shape of the mold. When it is cooled, the hollow part is formed. Examples of blow molding products are bottles, tubes and containers.Equipments needed in setting-up a blow molding business are relatively higher than injection molding.3. Compression MoldingIn this type of plastic molding, a slug of hard plastic is pressed between two heated mold halves. Compression molding usually uses vertical presses instead of the horizontal presses used for injection and blow molding. The parts formed are then air-cooled. Prices of equipments used for compression molding are moderate.4. Film Insert MoldingThis plastic molding technique imbeds an image beneath the surface of a molded part. A material like film or fabric is inserted into a mold. Plastic is then injected.5. Gas Assist MoldingAlso called gas injection molding is used to create plastic parts with hollow interiors. Partial shot of plastic is then followed by high-pressure gas to fill the mold cavity with plastic.6. Rotational MoldingHollow molds packed with powdered plastic are secured to pipe-like spokes that extend from a central hub. The molds rotate on separate axes at once. The hub swings the whole mold to a closed furnace room causing the powder to melt and stick to the insides of the tools. As the molds turn slowly, the tools move into a cooling room. Here, sprayed water causes the plastic to harden into a hollow part. In this type of plastic molding, tooling costs are low and piece prices are high. Cycle time takes about 40-45 minutes.7. Structural Foam MoldingStructural foam molding is a process of plastic molding usually used for parts that require thicker walls than standard injection molding. Inserting a small amount of nitrogen or chemical blow agent into the plastic material makes the walls thicker. Foaming happens as the melted plastic material enters the mold cavity. A thin plastic skin forms and solidifies in the mold wall. This type of plastic molding can be used with any thermoplastic that can be injection molded.8. ThermoformingIn this plastic molding process, sheets of pre-extruded rigid plastics are horizontally heated and sucked down into hollow one-piece tools. When the hot plastic solidifies, its shape conforms to that of the mold.Tooling costs are usually low and piece prices vary on the machinery.Plastic molding is a very technical process. It needs experts in this type of manufacturing business for it to be competitive in the market. Therefore, a very scientific and systematic study should be first made before going into this endeavor.For more great plastic molding info and advice check out: http://www.plastics-hq.comArticle Source: Article Hub

DISC BRAKES AND ITS ADVANTAGES

2006-03-04T01:20:00.000-08:00

Whether you drive a Mercedes, a motorbike or a pickup truck, you probably have disc brakes on your vehicle. And even though you probably never think about their function, they are the single most important function on your vehicle. Though there are several types of motor brakes, the drum and the disk, the disk brakes are more commonly used. Disc brakes are far better than drum brakes because of their powerful stopping ability. Disc brakes handle substantially better in wet weather conditions. Why chance anything but the best?What are Disc Brakes?Put simply, disc brakes consist of two pads that grasp a rotating disk. The disk, or rotor, connects to the wheels by an axle. You control the grasping power. When you pull on the brake, the clamps come together on the disk, forcing it to stop spinning and causing your vehicle to slow down and eventually stop.How Do You Control Disk Breaks?In a car, controlling your disk brakes is as simple as pressing the brake pedal or pulling up on the emergency brake. For motorbikes, however, there are two ways to slow it down. You can use the right hand lever or the rear left foot lever. They actually work better when you use them together to better the efficiency and lengthen the life of the disc brakes and pads.How To Maintain Disk Brakes?Regardless of the type of vehicle you drive, you will probably need to consider break maintenance or replacement at some point. It is important to check the thickness of your brake pads. If these pads are bare they can cause pricey damage to your disc brakes.You should also keep an eye on your vehicles brake fluid. Your vehicle will run more efficiently with the occasional dose of fresh break fluid.Replacing the break pads and the disc brakes fairly easily on your own. Dont hesitate to get help if you are unsure though. A simple mistake like a poorly fitted brake pad can cause scarring to your disk brake.What Type of Damage is Possible To Your Disc Brakes?There are several ways your break disks can show damage. They can warp, scar or crack. Its best if you can catch these signs of damage early on and repair them as quickly as possible to limit further damage to your disk breaks. Unfortunately, once they crack, the disc brakes are not repairable. It also helps to get the help of a certified professional when it comes to making repairs to your disc brakes.How Are Disc Brakes Designed?These days, the designs of the disc brakes vary greatly. Some are made in classic solid steel, but others have special hallowed out sections that allow the extra built up heat to escape. These slotted steel wheels may help prolong the life of the discs because they reduce built-up heat and cut back on the possibility of warping. The creative designs are endless and each design has a different effect on the performance of your braking system.The latest work of Elli Potrelli can be found at: http://www.brakesweb.com/Article Source: Article Hub

USE OF GRAPHITE AND DIAMOND TOOL MAKING

2006-03-04T01:19:00.001-08:00

Graphite is a polymorph of the element carbon. diamond is another polymorph. The two share the same chemistry, carbon, but have very different structures and very different properties.Diamond is hardest mineral known to man, Graphite is one of the softest.Diamond is an excellent electrical insulator, Graphite is a good conductor of electricity.Diamond is the ultimate abrasive, Graphite is a very good lubricant.Diamond is usually transparent, Graphite is opaque.Diamond crystallizes in the Isometric system and graphite crystallizes in the hexagonal system.Somewhat of a surprise is that at surface temperatures and pressures, Graphite is the stable form of carbon. In fact, all diamonds at or near the surface of the Earth are currently undergoing a transformation into Graphite. This reaction, fortunately, is extremely slow.All of the differences between graphite and diamond are the result of the difference in their respective structures. Graphite has a sheet like structure where the atoms all lie in a plane and are only weakly bonded to the graphite sheets above and below. Diamond has a framework structure where the carbon atoms are bonded to other carbon atoms in three dimensions as opposed to two in graphite. The carbon-carbon bonds in both minerals are actually quite strong, but it is the application of those bonds that make the difference.Graphite can only be confused with the mineral molybdenite which is metallic bluish silver in color. However, molybdenite is much denser and has a silver blue streak.Most graphite is produced through the metamorphism of organic material in rocks. Even coal is occassionally metamorphosed into graphite. Some graphite is found in igneous rocks and also as nodules inside of iron meteorites.Graphite is also used as electode in EDM sparking process due to its excelent in electric conductivity.very easy to do machining on graphite.

HOT RUNNER SYSTEMS IN PLASTIC MOULDING

2006-03-04T01:19:00.000-08:00

Hot runners are widely used in the global plastics industry. More and more businesses are deploying them for a diverse range of injection molding applications. It's easy to see why.
Hot runners offer substantial benefits in terms of overall cost savings, product quality and production efficiency...
They produce a more consistent part with less molded-in stress, resulting in improved part appearance and quality
Faster cycle time, mainly due to the cooling cycle (cycle time reductions as high as 30-40%)
No material waste from the sprue and runner system
No runners to separate from the molded parts, and therefore regrinding and reprocessing plastic no longer required
The need for runner removal using robotics is eliminated
Reduced time required to run the job and therefore extra available capacity to run other parts
Hot drops transfer consistent heat at processing temperature directly into the cavity
Shot size is reduced by the runner weight
Overall greater efficiency and productivity

CARBIDE

2006-03-04T01:17:00.001-08:00

Tungsten carbide, often referred to as the hardest metal, has a compressive strength much greater than any metal or alloy, including steel. Because it is highly resistant to abrasion, it is ideal for use in a variety of wear applications.Traditionally, tungsten carbide components have been used in metalworking applications where tooling stresses are great. However, there are numerous non-metal uses, such as crushing/pulverizing stone, where tungsten carbide's strength and wear characteristics offer a cost-effective solution.It is widely used in our CNC milling cutters,CNC wire edm wire guides.In totality Carbide is very productive and mantainace free material in in Tooling Industries and non Metalic Industries.

ALUMINIUM A NEED IN TODAY'S INDUSTRIES

2006-03-04T01:17:00.000-08:00

Alcoa is a global one-stop-shop for all of your aluminium extrusion requirements, including automotive or aerospace applications, commercial transportation profiles, building & construction systems, heat sinks for electronic components, micro extrusions, and industrial products or other. Alcoa, the world's largest aluminium manufacturer, is known for delivering value, quality and customer service.We operate as a global integrated aluminium extrusion company with locations throughout Europe, Asia and the Americas. We deliver product per your requirements and specifications - from any of our global production plants - assuring that we will persistently meet your precise needs.

PLASMA IN MODERN TOOL MAKING

2006-03-04T01:16:00.000-08:00

Surface TreatmentThe chemical species generated by the plasma quickly modify the surface of polymers, composites and other materials. Oxygen plasmas are especially effective for improving adhesion. This effect is evident upon checking the wettability after a short exposure to the Atomflo™ atmospheric plasma. Beforehand, water droplets bead up on the plastic surface, whereas after exposure, the droplets spread out flat. We have measured the surface energy of many plastics after plasma treating them, including polyethylene (LDPE and HDPE), polystyrene, polycarbonate, polypropylene, polyetheretherketone, nylon and silicone rubber. After a 1/4 second treatment, the average surface energy increased by more than 25 dynes/cm. Much faster treatments are achieved by heating the plasma gas. If you have a bonding problem, the Atomflo™ is very likely the most cost effective solution you can find.Plasma CoatingPlasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) is widely used to coat thin films onto other materials. These films serve many purposes. Silicon dioxide and silicon nitride layers are essential components of integrated circuits. Diamond-like coatings increase the wear and corrosion resistance of metal parts. Nanocoatings of glass on plastic sheet prevent oxygen and moisture penetration, and improve packaging. Thicker glass coatings may be used for scratch protection on structural plastics.Our plasma sources are configured for PECVD by integrating a proprietary precursor distributor into the applicator. In addition, a delivery system is provided for the controlled introduction of the precursor to the gas stream. Many different chemicals are available, depending on the material you wish to deposit. For example, hexamethyldisilazane may be combined with an oxygen plasma to generate glass coatings, or with a nitrogen plasma to produce silicon nitride. The beauty of our product is that you can coat 3D objects of any size or shape.Plasma coating is a domain of excellence for Surfx Technologies. We have developed many novel processes and will support new applications as needed for our customers.Plasma CleaningThe Atomflo™ oxygen plasma produces a stream of O atoms that quickly strips organic films from surfaces. The reaction byproducts are carbon dioxide and water. The organic films can be etched away at rates approaching several microns per second, and with exceptional uniformity across the surface!Atmospheric plasma cleaning may be combined with water rinsing to achieve critical cleans that do not generate hazardous waste disposal problems.Viruses and bacteria are organic materials, and are quickly destroyed on contact with an oxygen plasma. Thus, our products may be used for sterilization and decontamination.Plasma Etching

LASER CUTTING LASER ETCHING AND MARKING

2006-03-04T01:15:00.000-08:00

Laser cutting is an further step in tool making industries.Used to cut the sheet metal strips and blanking in the whatever size we design.Laser cutting machines can accurately produce complex exterior contours. The laser beam is typically 0.2 mm (0.008 in) diameter at the cutting surface with a power of 1000 to 2000 watts. Laser cutting can be complementary to the CNC/Turret process. The CNC/Turret process can produce internal features such as holes readily whereas the laser cutting process can produce external complex features easily. Laser cutting takes direct input in the form of electronic data from a CAD drawing to produce flat form parts of great complexity. With 3-axis control, the laser cutting process can profile parts after they have been formed on the CNC/Turret process. Lasers work best on materials such as carbon steel or stainless steels. Metals such as aluminum and copper alloys are more difficult to cut due to their ability to reflect the light as well as absorb and conduct heat. This requires lasers that are more powerful.

HONING AND SUPER FINISHING OPERATION

2006-03-04T01:14:00.000-08:00

Honing is a final finishing operation conducted on a surface, typically of an inside cylinder, such as of an automotive engine block. Abrasive stones are used to remove minute amounts of material in order to tighten the tolerance on cylindricity. Honing is a surface finish operation, not a gross geometry-modifying operation. Hones can be of the multiple pedal type (pictured below) or the brush type. Either type applies a slight, uniform pressure to a light abrasive that wipes over the entire surface.

CADILLAC MEANS QUALITY

2006-03-04T01:12:00.000-08:00

Cadillac Means Quality by: Joe ThompsonPart of the General Motors Corporation, and produced and mostly sold in the United States, the Cadillac is a brand of luxury automobiles. And in the United States, this brand name of luxury automobiles has become a synonym for “high quality”. Certainly, because of this, it has been used in certain lingo and phrases like “the Cadillac of clocks”. Cadillac was formed from the Henry Ford Company, and the automobile was named after the 17th century French explorer Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac, who was the founder of Detroit, Michigan in 1701.One of the vehicles running under the Cadillac name is the Cadillac Escalade. This vehicle is a luxury spin-off of the large Chevrolet/GMC SUVs, and is made available in three trim levels – the base SUV wagon, the longer Escalade ESV wagon, and the Escalade EXT pickup truck. The first two versions are sport utility vehicle wagons that has three rows of seats and can take in a capacity of seven passengers. The Cadillac Escalade EXT, on the other hand is a crew-cab pickup truck that has four doors. It is similar to the Chevrolet Avalanche, has a “midgate” wall between the cab and the cargo bed.All the versions of the Cadillac Escalade feature an all-wheel drive and a 6.0 liter V8. The base wagon also comes as a 2WD model. All have automatic transmission, front side airbags, ABS, antiskid/traction control, tire-pressure monitor, and Cadillac’s automatic-adjusting Road Sensing Suspension. Also standard features for all trim levels of the Cadillac Escalade include a trailering package, power-adjustable gas and brake pedals, a rear obstacle detection, and OnStar assistance. The Escalade ESV Platinum Edition includes features like a navigation system, rear DVD entertainment, specific appearance touches, and 20-inch chrome alloy wheels instead of the usual standard 17-inch alloy wheels of the Escalade.Acceleration for this vehicle is found to be ample despite occasional transmission delays in full-throttle downshifts. It has towing capacities of 7,400 lbs. for 2WD Escalades, 8,100 lbs. for AWD models, and 7,300 for EXT versions. It has an averaged 13.7-15.6 mpg in city or highway driving. The vehicle could get quite staggering at times. It is also very truck-like. The Cadillac Escalade ESV models have a longer wheelbase that provides a smoother feel on rough roads. As per the vehicle’s steering and handling, it is generally ponderous and has a slow response to steering inputs. It has light and vague steering that demands continuous attention on the highway. Also, it has a rear-leveling suspension that is standard and improves control with a heavy load. The brakes, however, feel soft but have adequate power. It provides a fine isolation from the wind, road, and engine noise. It also offers plenty of head and leg room and a vast shoulder width. Plush seats with fold-down armrests complete the interior. Commanding road view is given to drivers, and added in is a helpful audio/visual rear-obstacle-detection system that warns of the unseen when backing up.

FINE BLANKING

2006-03-04T01:11:00.000-08:00

Fine blanking is a sheet metal Stamping technology. It allows manufacturing ready-to-use functional components thanks to high-precision, perfectly and smoothly cut surfaces.The process is based on the combination of triple-acting presses, special materials and dies. This offers several advantages, such as low flatness values, hardening of blanked surfaces and high angular precision.Furthermore, this technology allows blanking of very thick (1 to 15 mm) metals, bending, sizing, drawing and shaping of other three-dimensional geometric forms as well as other complex profiles, with high accuracy. This technology can therefore be applied to many fields, where there is a need to mass-produce high-performance metal components.Foe examples the product of fine blankings are the Gears in our watch,the the ratchet of our car, the door locking hinges of the vehicles, gears of high precision machinaries.

FORK LIFT- IT MAKES YOUR WORKING A PLEASURE

2006-02-27T00:57:00.000-08:00

The forklift is a machine that will power you beyond what you can physically do. It offers an ability to lift, to move, and to utilize better the materials that are necessary. Many of the factories, landscaping outfits as well as warehouses of all sorts use these powerful machines to move stuff from one place to another easily. Anyone in the business of selling products most likely will need a forklift of some sort to help them. But, lets take a closer look at what these machines are and what the forklift can do for the average business owner.Realize that the forklift is powerful enough to lift thousands of pounds without much muscle. They look quite similar to a construction vehicle in that they are designed of steel and often have an open air about them. The fork of the forklift is usually positioned in front of the vehicle. It is usually two steel forks that protrude from the front of the forklift. By positioning the forks under the object that needs to be moved, the forklift can be manually positioned and then it will lift the item and move it wherever it is needed. The forklift is easy to use as well. Most of them operate on a simple steering system that is similar to a joystick or a truck.What Makes It Work?The forklift is a heavy duty machine. It needs to be powered powerfully, you would think. But in most cases, gasoline is the commonly used forklift fuel. Other forklifts use propane or even electricity to work. Which is the right choice in forklifts? Well, consider the ability of each type of forklift. Those that are powered by electricity tend to be less expensive to operate since gasoline and other fuels are so much more expensive. But, the electric forklift is less powerful, in most cases than others. It is mainly used indoors as well. On the other hand, gasoline or even propane powered forklifts use these more expensive fuels yet are able to lift more and work harder. They are often used outdoors. The drawback here, though, is that they often require more maintenance than other forklifts.Choosing The Right ForkliftIn order to choose the right forklift for your needs, consider several things. First, consider your budget. Forklifts vary greatly in price. Most of the price difference, though, will be due to the ability of the forklift to lift heavier loads as well as the fuel that it uses. Some of the forklift options you need to consider include maintenance issues, warranty issues, and also the need that you have. Indoor/outdoor needs, ability to lift a specific weight as well as the need for it work to on its own or with human operators are all things to think about in the purchase of a forklift.Proper training of how to use the forklift as well as proper maintenance of it will be the best way to get the most out of the forklift. It is necessary to take proper care of the machine as well as to train individuals properly to handle it. In many cases, it is necessary to obtain a forklift operation license. Properly maintaining the forklift will prolong its life as well as keep people from unnecessary injury.This article was made possible by http://www.forklifttime.info Visit our site for other great information on forklifts.Article Source: Article Hub

LASER WELDING

2006-02-27T00:56:00.000-08:00

Laser machine welding is the joining of two pieces of material, usually metal, but often these days plastics, using a laser beam. A laser is a single phase, or coherent beam of light often seen in science fiction movies, but the development of the laser beam and its application in laser machine welding allows for advancements in precision welding using this high-energy device, which creates heat when it strikes a surface. Laser machine welding is used for steam tracing and inspection, for surface heat treating, cutting with heat and other precision applications.The laser, which stands for light amphlication by stimulated emission of radiation, emits photons in a narrow beam. Laser light usually in monochromatic, meaning that it emits light of a single wavelength. Common light emits incoherent light, which goes in all directions over the spectrum. The first working laser was developed by Hughes labs in 1960, but was descended from work done by Albert Einstein in 1916. However, the laser itself is such a recent development that the use of laser machine welding is a fairly recent technological innovation.Lasers have found applications in many areas since their invention. Modern medicine utilizes lasers for surgery, having realized the ability to perform less invasive surgical procedures than in the past. Also the fine and precise nature of lasers has led surgeons to use them for such delicate operations as eye surgery. In common practice many people today use laser pointers, especially in the classroom. Marksmen use laser sights on rifles. Computer users use laser printers for output rather than old-fashioned methods, and lasers are used for motion detection and security, among many dozens if not hundreds of other applications. Lasers are even used in childrens toys, office photocopiers and in the devices used to lock and unlock car doors. As technology improved lasers worked their way into all aspects of life and it was only natural that applications of lasers to welding technology would occur. The end result of this has been the creation of the laser machine-welding specialty, taking its place next to Mig, Tig, Arc and other welding methods.Uses of laser machine welding are becoming commonplace in the computer and consumer electronics industry, in space and aircraft technology and with defense contractors. Laser machine welding is often used because it can be much more precise than other welding methods. Laser machine welding is often used for micro welds of hyper small dimensions that conventional welding methods could never touch. Laser machine welding is often used in jewelry manufacturing, engraving, in dentistry, and in the tool and die industry where precision is demanded. Laser machine welding is on the cutting edge of technology, and welders trained to use laser machine welding are some of the brightest and most talented welders in the industry.Laser machine welding has also found a home in the highly technical and precise welding needs of plastic welding. While plastic welding is often done with ultrasonic welders, many times laser machine welding is the preferred method.Peter Vermeeren is the owner and webmaster of: http://www.machine-and-tool.com - http://www.kamikaze-portal.com and http://www.airsoft-got.esArticle Source: Article Hub

How To Choose A Tool Box

2006-02-27T00:55:00.000-08:00

Youre working on your car out in the garage. You need a wrench and a Phillips screwdriver. You start to dig through the tools lying on the counter. You browse through the tools scattered on the floor. You wish your tools were organized like a well-oiled machine, but theyre not. You add them to your shopping list of things to buy. Sound familiar?It may be time to invest in a new tool box. Tool boxes come in such a wide variety and price range that it is best to estimate your needs before you shop around.Using Your Tool BoxHow often will you use your tool box? If you will be using it sparingly, a small plastic box may be all you need to keep your tool clean and all in one spot. If you are an amateur mechanic, however, and will be frequently using your tools, purchasing a large steel tool box or case may be necessary.Number of ToolsHow many tools will you needs to house in your tool box? For a basic set of hammer, nails and screwdrivers, you wont need much space. On the other hand, if you have air tools, meters, timing lights, screwdrivers, sockets and wrenches, you will definitely need a tool box large enough to separate and organize all of the different tools.By using a larger tool box with multiple roller bearing drawers and removable trays, you will be able to spend more time working on your repairs than looking for the appropriate tool for the job.Key Locking Tool BoxWhat type of security measures do you require on your tool box? Whether you have small children you need to keep away from your potentially dangerous tools or worry about losing an expensive tool, you should consider how you would keep your tools safe. Older or less expensive tool boxes may require a pad lock. Most small tool boxes, however, come with a lock and key. More expensive tool boxes have self-locking drawers for maximum security.Tool Box StorageWhere will you keep your tool box? Will it be in the basement or a safe corner of your garage? Will you need to transport it often or keep it in the bed of your truck? Answering these questions will help you decide what type of material your tool box should be mad of. Steel construction is heavy duty and long-lasting, but it is going to be exposed to hot and cold temperatures and other weather conditions, polypropylene may be a better choice because it is durable, tough and wont rust.Once you have answered these simple questions its time to start looking at various tool boxes to decide which would best fit your needs. Deciding factors may include what accessories you would like included with your tool box, the color and style of the tool box and the tiered designs available. Do you prefer a baked enamel finish, polished steel or a rugged tough plastic? Do you need your tool box on coaster so you can move it as needed?Ultimately it comes down to buying the tool box that meets the majority of your needs for the least amount of money. Shop around for the best prices and you will enjoy your investment for years to come.The latest work of Naldo can be found at: http://www.boxtool.infoArticle Source: Article Hub

What kind of plastic foams are best for your needs

2006-02-27T00:51:00.000-08:00

Nowadays, when you are thinking about accomplishing your hobbies generally consisting of model building, you couldnt have missed the basic materials for it, which are called foam plastics. They can be used even in boat modeling, yet there are many things you should not forget when thinking about using them because there are several types, each one having different characteristics.We can name three types of these foam plastics: the rigid Styrofoam, the rigid polyurethane foam and the beaded Styrofoam. The rigid Styrofoam and the rigid polyurethane foam have similar properties and can be given many shapes, while the beaded Styrofoam can be used only to shape angled and squared forms. You may recognize it whenever you buy an electrical device as this comes covered in the third type of the foam plastics: the beaded Styrofoam.The second type of the foam plastics, the rigid polyurethane is a material of a light-brown color; it is alike the Rigid Styrofoam ,yet there are two main differences between them: this one will not dissolve whenever coated with polyester resin, and the second difference is that it is impossible to be cut with a hot wire cutter( a specific tool used by modelers in their work).The first type of foam plastics, the rigid Styrofoam presents the opposite characteristics of the rigid polyurethane: it can easily be dissolved when coated with polyester resin and a hot wire cutter can be used to give different forms of this material. Moreover, the beadedStyrofoam cannot be altered by means of carving but a hot wire cutter can be used to obtain carved shapes.There were several doubts regarding the way you find these materials and the purpose of the article is also to clarify this aspect: the rigid polyurethane is generally sold in panels of 4X8 foot sheets; this is the case of the beaded Styrofoam too. The Rigid Styrofoam can be found in pink and blue(the pink type is less dense than the blue one and easier to carve with a hot wire cutter), its thickness being 1 or 2 inches. In what concerns the price of the materials, you should know that Beaded Styrofoam is the cheapest as its properties are limited, while the Beaded Styrofoam is the most expensive(can be found only at commercial plastic suppliers). The rigid Styrofoam has a medium price as it combines the properties of the other two foam plastics: it can be sanded, carved, sawed or cut with the hot wire cutter mentioned above. This tool is similar to a scroll saw consisting of heated nichrome wire replacing the saw blade, enabling you to cut in any direction. All in all, the three materials come in hand when performing your task: both advantageous and easy to work with, these foam plastics represent the key elements of model-building. In addition, the hot wire cutter is an advantage to your work as it can easily deal with the foam plastics and it is accessible to everyone. This way, the satisfaction of your work is guaranteed.For quality hot wire foam cutters, architectural foam, foam coatings, eps foam cutter, styrofoam hotwire manufactured and supported in the U.S.A. just visit http://www.hotwiredirect.comArticle Source: Article Hub

DIE CASTING

2006-02-24T02:46:00.000-08:00

Die casting is the similar process of manufacturing components as in Injection mouldin, In injection moulding the Plastic material is injected where as in Die casting metal is injected in the mould. The principal of the construction of the mould is same as Plastic injection moulding, slightly the core cavity materials may vary because of the high temparature of the metal.The molten metal is injected into the mould under high pressure of 10-210 mpa ( 1,450-30,500)psi this results in a uniform part., generally good surface finish and good dimensional accuracy, as good as 0.2 % of casting dimension. For many parts, post-machining can be totally eliminated, or very light machining may be required to bring dimensions to size.Die-casting can be done using a cold chamber or hot chamber process.In a cold chamber process, the molten metal is ladled into the cold chamber for each shot. There is less time exposure of the melt to the plunger walls or the plunger. This is particularly useful for metals such as Aluminum, and Copper (and its alloys) that alloy easily with Iron at the higher temperatures.In a hot chamber process the pressure chamber is connected to the die cavity is immersed permanently in the molten metal. The inlet port of the pressurizing cylinder is uncovered as the plunger moves to the open (unpressurized) position. This allows a new charge of molten metal to fill the cavity and thus can fill the cavity faster than the cold chamber process. The hot chamber process is used for metals of low melting point and high fluidity such as tin, zinc, and lead that tend not to alloy easily with steel at their melt temperatures.

ROTATIONAL OR ROTOMOULDING

2006-02-24T02:44:00.000-08:00

Basically, rotational molding is a high-temperature manufacturing process that pours plastic resin into a hollow mold, which is then rotated inside an oven until the resin sticks to the inside of the mold. The plastic is then cooled until it solidifies to the desired shape, and is then removed from the mold. Intricate geometric designs and vivid colors can be baked right into the molding plastic. Advantages The improved manufacturing process lowers production tools and material costs, which translates to big savings for consumers. Even more important, products created in the rotational molding process are crack resistant and more durable than steel. Rotational molding produces uniform thickness of “walls” of the plastic, resulting in products with much more flexibility – a big factor in creating contoured or arched pieces and well as angled corner pieces. Roto-molded products are being used today in all sorts of home products that used to be made of fiberglass, concrete or metal. In fact, you're probably already familiar with rotational molding materials: nylon, polyethylene, polycarbonate, polypropylene. These materials have long been used to manufacture other homeowner products you probably already have – such items as mailboxes, flower pots, playground equipment, large storage containers, shelving and many other home accessories.

USE CMM'S IN REVERSE ENGINEERING

2006-02-18T03:17:00.000-08:00

Reverse-engineering is a term that is used for the process of taking apart something to figure out how to use it, basically. In many cases, something new and great has come about from it. In order to understand how it works or to recreate it, engineers will pull it apart and study it. Understanding how it works is one thing. But in order to recreate it, they will have to make it different somehow. This can be challenging but is often necessary. Reverse-engineering is quite a fantastic, but a worrisome way to learn new things.The task that is difficult in reverse-engineering is the task of making what is in such a way that it will no longer be the same. The fear that is involved has to do with the fact that patent information can be quite sensitive. Copying a product that is under a patent is highly illegal. But, if they can figure out how to use it and make it in a different method, it may fall into the gray area. What is important to remember, though, is that the patent is on the functionality of a product, not necessarily on the way it is designed.Reverse-engineering is something that has happened the most often by the military. In this case, the reverse-engineering will be used to copy other nations technology when it comes to military endeavors. In many cases, the information is obtained by intelligence operations. Reverse-engineering was most commonly used in the Cold War and World War II.You will find that reverse engineering also happens as a result of curiosity; seeing if they can do it, so to speak. It is also used as a means of cracking the code of security measures and finding a way to get around the security restrictions that can be found in such things as software and electronics. It is quite possibly quite illegal to do these things though and this needs to be taken into consideration.For more information please see http://www.reverse-engineering-shack.co.uk/Article Source: Article Hub

RADIATOR AND ITS FUNCTIONS.

2006-02-18T03:16:00.001-08:00

Your car radiator is the primary cooling mechanism for your engine. Parts train's Radiators are a simple and elegant solution to the need for engine cooling. Parts train's Radiators are mostly made of aluminum. Light and strong, aluminum is great for making radiators. It is the material of choice for most of todays radiators. Light and intelligently designed, aluminum radiators are standard on many of todays new cars and trucks.A small leak on your Radiator can be indicating a larger problem. A cooling system that runs low too often is less efficient and you can damage your cooling system by letting the coolant level get too low. Too little coolant flow can be bad, but at normal and high operating temperatures, the rate at which coolant moves through the radiator does not change the amount of heat that is dissipated by the cooling cores. The amount of cooling will not be reduced even when the mean temperature of the coolant rises and flows faster.Many cheap coolants do not have the corrosion protection, PH balancing, or sediment prevention that the top-quality coolants do. These low quality coolants do not have the same additives of name brand coolants. To help your engine stay cooler, rev up your engine slightly when you are overheating in traffic to help push more air across the cooling cores and more coolant through the engine.All water-cooled radiators have an automatically controlled electric fan on the radiator. The way the system is supposed to work is that, after the engine is started, the thermostat on the engine stays closed until the coolant temperature at the ENGINE reaches 87C (189F) degrees. It is the responsibility of the Radiator to keep the coolant temperature from running too high. However, if the temperature is too high it is not necessarily the radiator.A poor radiator cap will not last as long or stay properly calibrated, and either open at too low or two high a pressure. Make sure your radiator cap is the proper one for your cooling system. Higher pressure means a higher boiling point, which means more efficient cooling. A new radiator cap is usually all that is required for this (but dont over pressurize your radiator cores and wreck the whole system).Most Radiators' cooling system failures arise from poor radiator maintenance. Many radiator problems can be prevented with regular maintenance and periodic professional inspections of you car radiator and cooling system. The most common radiator problems are: leaky fittings or seams, fin deterioration and bond failure, electrolysis, cracked tank, and fan damage.Parts train's Aftermarket Parts, Replacement Parts and top grade Radiators are reasonably priced and the company makes sure they are durable. Parts train offers Volvo parts focused on reliability, quality, great designs and affordable price. With the Volvo tradition of designing efficient and innovative cars, Parts train has in its stock the widest array as well high standard Volvo Parts, Performance Parts, and Replacement Parts.With only a few clicks, visit http://www.partstrain.com/ShopByVehicle/VOLVO and you will find Parts train's impressive array of highly durable and reliable Volvo Parts to match the equally impressive performance of your Volvo.Article Source: Article Hub

CADSoftTools releases DXF Import .NET for VB.NET and C#.

2006-02-18T03:16:00.000-08:00

DXF Import .NET is an easy-to-use API for reading AutoCAD DXF in C# and VB.NET applications. Download now:http://www.cadsofttools.com/download/dxfimportnet.zipweb-site:http://www.cadsofttools.com/It is completely programmed in C# and supports the following entities
:3dFace, Arc ,Attdef, Block, BlockRecord, Circle, Dimension ,Ellipse, Insert, Layer, Line ,LWPolyline ,MText, TableItem, Polyline ,Solid, Style, Table, Text
and properties:
Extrusion ,LineType, Color 3D rotation and other
The package consists of demos for C# and VB.NET, help and license. Viewer demo shows usage the product for viewing DXF, zooming and exporting to BMP and JPEG. SimpleImport demo explains access to extensive properties of each CAD entity which is supported by DXF Import .NET.
Article Source: Article Hub

The Most Perfect Diamonds In The World And Where They Come From

2006-02-18T03:15:00.000-08:00

Diamonds are allotropes of carbon , whose hardness and high dispersion of light make it useful for industrial applications and jewelry.
Diamond in Greek means "impossible to tame".Diamonds are found mainly in central and southern Africa ,although significant sources of the mineral have been discovered in Canada ,Russia ,Brazil ,and Australia.
There are Synthetic Diamonds and Natural Diamonds.
There is something so special about diamonds, and they are so valuable, that people have been trying to make them for a long time.
Synthetic diamonds were first produced in 1953, in Stockholm ,Sweden by ASEA ,Sweden's major electrical manufacturing company. Pressure was maintained within a device at an estimated 83,000 atmospheres for an hour to produce these diamonds.
It now seems that it is possible to make diamonds in a laboratory so perfect down to the same atomic structure that DeBeers, the world's largest diamond consortium, is running scared.
And you know what, these diamonds can be made and sold at a profit.
Apparently there are in Russia alone 5 laboratories producing synthetic diamonds that have the same atomic structure as natural diamonds but with ONE difference, they are too perfect.They have the same characteristics as real diamonds, the same hardness, same conductivity, the same sparkle.
Different types of Synthetic Diamonds
2 different processes are being used to produce Synthetic Diamonds:
The oldest process uses pressure, lots of it, and carbon.
Since diamonds are carbon, eventually people were able to make diamonds in this manner, but these diamonds were easily distinguishable from natural diamonds.
Originally, the pressure process was developed by GE and, by major manufacturers, on a much larger scale.
There is also a cubic press system.
The newest process actually grows diamonds layer by layer as a chemical process and is called Chemical vapor deposition.This process allows many new uses for diamonds which in the past had previously been either too expensive to implement or too difficult to make.
The most important characteristic of CVD diamond growth is the ability to control the properties of the diamond produced.
Diamonds are now being used to machine tools, especially for non-ferrous alloys. CVD diamond also has applications in electronics. Conductive diamond has been demonstrated as a useful electrode under many circumstances.
Diamonds are also being used as radiation detection devices.Diamonds also have uses as semiconductors because the diamonds can be contaminated with impurities.
Diamond is the ideal material. It can be used in computers to run them at speeds that would melt anything on the market today.
Diamonds can also replace rubies to make lasers of extreme power.
Diamonds can be used as memory storage devices which could be so small as to allow a cellphone to fit into a watch and an iPod to store 20,000 movies.Frank Hague is very interested in diamonds.http://www.diamondzmall.com/http://www.flowers-now.info/http://www.qxt.com/

Why Should You Switch To VoIP?

2006-02-18T03:14:00.000-08:00

Why Should You Switch To VoIP?By now, you've probably heard about the new technology called VoIP, or Voice Over IP. VoIP is a replacement for a standard telephone and phone line. It uses your high-speed internet connection instead of regular phone lines. Millions of people all over the world are embracing this new technology. Should you?Let's take a look at the benefits and features. After all, you should make an educated decision and not just an instant decision. So why is VoIP so great?- Price. VoIP's price, most of the time, will beat standard phone rates. Companies usually offer free long distance and foreign calling so you could call someone on the other side of the world for the same price as a friend down the street. On the other hand, price would not be a huge advantage if you pay per minute with a standard phone and make only 2 short calls a month!- Computer compatibility. You can use your computer as your phone instead of using a regular-style phone. Why would you do this? Well, with some computer software, you can share documents, messages, and videos (think webcam plus audio) with friends that also have VoIP.- More features. VoIP isn't just a normal phone technology. It usually comes with many different features that you would have to pay for or couldn't even get with a regular phone service, like free caller-ID, conference calls, on-hold music, free voicemail, and more.These are just some of the basic new VoIP features. Some companies even offer unique services and bonuses, so be sure to examine what you get so that you can fully compare between companies.If, right now, you are thinking that VoIP is right for you, why not try it? After all, many companies offer a 30-day (or longer) money-back guarantee, so if you decide you're not happy with it, just ask for your money back!Free VoIP Articles on VoIP Services & Solutions:http://www.freevoiptips.com/http://www.freevoiptips.com/Article Source: Article Hub

SIX SIGMA FOR SMALL BUSINESS

2006-02-18T03:13:00.000-08:00

It is not surprising that some people may perceive Six Sigma as being only for large corporations. Major corporations such as Allied Signal, Black & Decker, Dow Chemical, Dupont, Federal Express, General Electric, Johnson and Johnson, Kodak, Motorola, Sony, and Toshiba have all rolled out Six Sigma efforts and achieved outstanding results. Yet, it is incorrect to think that Six Sigma process improvement results can only be achieved by huge organizations. Small businesses can also succeed in implementing Six Sigma and reap the process improvement benefits that Six Sigma provides.Certainly, there are factors that can be disadvantageous for implementing Six Sigma in a small business rather than a large business, such as lack of resources and expertise in change initiatives. However, there are also characteristics inherent in small businesses that can speed up the effective implementation of Six Sigma more than in large businesses, such as flexible process flows, a shorter decision-making chain, and higher visibility of senior management.Six Sigma can work in any size business because the nature of Six Sigma is dependent upon characteristics inherent to any business, not on the size of a business. Six Sigma MAIC (measure, analyze, improve, and control) disciplines work no matter the size of the organization or even the size of the Six Sigma project.Small businesses do have constraints that limit their ability to initiate a large scale Six Sigma implementation. However, there are ways to overcome these limitations. Small businesses don't have large reserves of excess cash to earmark for the massive training programs employed by the large corporations in implementing their Six Sigma programs. Small businesses generally cant afford to have full-time Master Black Belts on staff and may not have the personnel with the skills and expertise to step into the role of Black Belts without extensive training. A certified Six Sigma consultant can act as your Black Belt for the initial projects until you have generated sufficient savings to be able to provide some of those savings for training your own people. Training happens at a slower scale for smaller companies but it still happens. Financially, savings realized from the first set of projects usually justifies the entire cost of the Six Sigma training.Once some members of the organization have been trained as Green Belts, Six Sigma projects proceed with Green Belts executing Six Sigma processes. Incrementally, Green Belts are developed into Black Belts and new Green Belts are trained. Using a more gradual training approach addresses many of the constraints of smaller companies and allows them to implement Six Sigma at a pace a small business can more easily manage.There is a benefit to implementing Six Sigma in a smaller business. Because of the size of a small business, the financial results and cultural transformation that stem from Six Sigma will propagate more quickly through a smaller organization. Focusing the Six Sigma tools at virtually any properly scoped project will drive savings to your bottom line and achieve breakthrough change in your organization.Peter Peterka is the Principal Six Sigma Consultant in practice areas of DMAIC and DFSS. Peter has over 15 years experience in including implementation of Six Sigma for small business with a variety of organizations. For additional information please contact Peter Peterka at Six Sigma us.Article Source: Article Hub

Woodworking tools and their uses

2006-02-18T03:12:00.001-08:00

A sculptor's wood carving tools can be explained and appreciated according to their types and functions. Labeled by the processes used in carving wood, tools are used to measure, cut, shape, and finish a raw material into a fine piece of artwork. This article is a brief introduction to these tools and what they're used for:Measuring (Marking) Wood Carving Tools: Measuring wood carving tools assist with scaling sculptures to an appropriate size and are used at the beginning stage of development. Rulers, tape measures, and protractors are used to mark the increments of a shape's dimensions while perpendicular dimensions are achieved with straightedges, combination squares, or T-squares. If you need an absolute flat area, a plane gauge will help you achieve the perfectly leveled surface. After the proper measurements are put in place, you can use an awl or marking gauge to indent (mark with a slight poke) those measurements for the next stage of development.Cutting Wood Carving Tools: With cutting wood carving tools, artisans move into the second stage of development and start to remove large sections of wood that will not be part of the final piece. For unusual angles (45 - 90 degree angles, back angles, front angles, etc.), you can use a crosscut saw or you can use a circular saw to cut through a large plane of wood. Table saws, on the other hand, enable you to move your wood into a cut shape, rather than move a saw in the direction of a shape.Shaping Wood Carving Tools: Having cut away the wood that you don't need (and moved into stage three of development), shaping wood carving tools allow you to bring your abstract piece into one that begins to resemble the final idea. You can use various types of hand planes to shave off thin layers of wood or use a router and bits to engrave fancy designs onto the wood's surface. A lathe will make a rounded surface for you and a chisel will chip away small bits of wood. If necessary, you can use a gouge to clean out holes.Finishing Wood Carving Tools: At the last stage of development, you'll find these finishing wood carving tools to be essential in bringing your project to a complete fine work of art. Because woodwork at this stage needs only minor adjustments, you can use sandpaper and sandpaper products (belt sander, palm sander, disc sander, and orbital sander) to bring a crude surface to a smooth finish. Files come in handy when you need to remove rough patches while steel or bronze wool will bring your piece to a stained and polished finish

WHAT ARE TELESCOPES ?

2006-02-18T03:12:00.000-08:00

Telescopes act as windows to the universe. It is with the help of telescopes that we can study the solar system and view the conjunctions of stars. Not just that, the various planets, galaxies, satellites and asteroids that we get to see only in the books and magazines are made more familiar to us via the telescopes. They act as barrier- breaking instruments between the human beings and the outer space. The universe is no more a mystery to us that exists beyond our reach and we owe it all to the telescopes.The modern day telescopes bring with them a wide array of accessories and it is with the aid of these accessories that it becomes much more easier to successfully put the telescopes into proper use. Let us see what are the important accessories that go well and are a must-have for most telescope users: -Filters- These are very essential for telescope users because they reduce the glare on the eyepiece and scatter the light thereby making it less strenuous for us to view distant objects.Eyepiece- this is a very important piece of equipment and its absence can render a telescope useless. Eyepieces come in a variety of sizes and if you add more than one eyepiece to your telescopes then you can have the pleasure of viewing even the tiniest and distant objects with clarity.Mounts- Mounts are the stands for telescopes. It is a mount on which the telescope rests. Since a telescope wont function favorably in vibrations therefore you should ensure that it is placed on a stable mount.Barlow lens- A Barlow lens helps in the magnification of telescopes. These lenses are available in different sizes and we must be careful in choosing the size that best fits the eyepiece.There are two main types of telescopes, the refractor (Galileo) telescopes and the reflector (Newton) telescopes. The refractor telescope uses an objective lens that bends the light towards the eyepiece. While the reflector telescope uses a mirror, which collects the light and then directs it towards the eyepiece.Though both the refractors as well as the reflector telescopes are easily available in the market we should take the following points into consideration before buying a telescope.Do not get impressed by the magnification of the telescopes. This is because magnification alone is of no use if it just produces large but hazy images.Aperture- This is the most important factor while deciding on a telescope. Aperture is the opening that collects light so its important to choose a telescope with a larger aperture that will ensure a clearer and a more detailed image quality.Resolution- This enables the telescopes to produce a more detailed image. So always opt for a telescope, which has a higher resolution. Moreover since resolution is also determined by the aperture, therefore the larger the aperture the better the resolution.Focal length- The distance between the optical center of the lens or the mirror and the optical center of the eyepiece is known as the focal length. The focal length is what determines the magnification in telescopes. Larger focal lengths imply more magnification.If we are careful about remembering the above points then it wont take us long to choose a telescope the next time we want to buy one for ourselves.Jason Adams for http://www.telescope-information.com/Article Source: Article Hub

OPTICAL TECHNOLOGY

2006-02-18T03:10:00.000-08:00

Optical technology.
There have been some incredible developments in optical technology in recent years. One of the most interesting new products comes from a company called Torrey Pines Logic. It has been developed in partnership with the United States Navy, and it is currently being field tested for use in Iraq and beyond. It is called LightSpeed, and it just might revolutionize battlefield communications.
The new device, developed with funding from the Office of Naval Research, is a short-range communications tool that will allow soldiers to talk on a secure channel up to two miles away, simply by looking at one another. It uses infrared to transmit audio and video data, and connects to a standard pair of binoculars. It employs the use of optical lenses to amplify the audio and video signals.
Soldiers in the field can connect headphones and a microphone to the binoculars to speak to one another, so long as they are both using the same device. The great thing about LightSpeed is that it is considerably more secure than traditional lasers or radio. Furthermore, it is extremely low power. This is important because it is less susceptible to being picked up and monitored by the other side. While it is intended for short range, line-of-sight communications, it has proven to be highly versatile in the field.
One application that has showed incredible promise is during vessel boarding search and seizure. The device can be used to transmit biometric data of passengers back to the ship. It is also ideal as a secondary communications device during radio blackouts. LightSpeed is also being tested for use in communications between submarines and aircraft, explosive ordinance disposal, and unmanned aerial vehicle landings.
Although the technology behind the LightSpeed device has been around for some time, it was not until 2003 that it first came to the attention of the US Navy. It was discovered at a tradeshow by a Navy Commander, and submitted to the Office of Naval Research's Tech Solutions department. ONR's Tech Solutions is a program that allows Sailors and Marines to suggest potential solutions to technology challenges. LightSpeed received research and development funding from the ONR in 2004, and current field testing shows incredible promise

Ball Bearings Are Flat – Another Myth Crushed

2006-02-18T02:51:00.000-08:00

Ball Bearings Are Flat Another Myth CrushedIncredible but unrelated things I learned working on the InternetBy David LeonhardtWhat shape are ball bearings? They are shaped like a ball, as everyone knows, right?The funny thing about what everyone knows is that everyone can be wrong. For instance, everybody thinks that the America's Cup is an ocean-sailing race, and yet the Swiss managed to win the Cup. For those readers who are geographically-challenged, Switzerland is a land-locked country comprised entirely of mountains.What does this have to do with ball bearings. Very little, I suspect, but balls have very little to do with ball bearings, either. Ball bearings look more like hula hoops. But don't try using them for that you will find them inconveniently heavy and painfully small.You can view a picture of a ball bearing in the middle of this ball bearing supplier's page:http://www.gm-exports.com/bearing-supplier.htmlSo what are those stunted metal tube donuts called ball bearings for anyway? Are they used as a spare wheel? Do they hold in evil shop-floor spirits? No, they help things move more efficiently. In an early demonstration of bearing usage, three ladies pulled a locomotive (It was just a demonstration, not a career development).Many bearings look very similar, whether they are ball bearings, roller bearings or other bearings. What?! Other bearings?Ball bearings are formed with an outer ring, an inner ring, a cage or a retainer inside, and a rolling element inside, typically a ball (which is why they are called ball bearings). Roller bearings are formed using a roller instead of a ball, which is why they are called roller bearings (Yes, finally something that makes sense!). Other bearings look just like metal tubes, called plain bearings or bush bearings. They look like sawed off pipe or tube (something my metal tube and pipe bending client would be turning into architecturally glamorous structural supports).The principle of bearings is the same principle behind the wheel: things move better by rolling than by sliding. They are called "bearings" because they bear the weight of the object, such as an inline skate or the head of dentist's drill, allowing the object to glide over them with incredible ease and speed. Unlike wheels, they don't turn on an axel; they turn on themselves.You can see this in action with some great cut-away pictures of bearings at:http://science.howstuffworks.com/bearing3.htmThe balls or rollers spin on themselves inside the bearing, reducing friction for the machine parts attached to them. It's much neater than using a bucket of oil, especially in dental equipment, and significantly more reliable than hampsters on a wheel.Once upon a time, all bearings were metal like a metal tube or pipe with metal balls stuck inside. These days, more and more are made of ceramic or even plastic (like everything else in this world!).If you are still confused about why ball bearings are not shaped like balls, just remember that you drive on a parkway and park on a driveway. And you can even try sailing your sea-craft through the Swiss Alps. But don't try playing a game of one-on one basketbearing.ABOUT THE AUTHORDavid Leonhardt is a freelance writer:http://www.seo-writer.net/He wrote this article for G&M Bearings:http://www.gm-exports.com/Their full product line is available at:http://www.gm-exports.com/products.html

Top Secret Business Marketing Strategies. Explained

2006-02-18T02:48:00.000-08:00

Marketing, Marketing, and Marketing.How well do your market your products and services? How Much do you make a sell out of your marketing efforts? What is your answer? To me, if I do not market products well, I always check my guidelines listed below. I hope those marketing tips work well for your marketing.Encourage your customers or visitors to e-mail you questions about your product or web site. Just include your sig file with your reply. For example, here is a sig file: Jon Blank, Author And Publisher, http://www.----------------.com/Give out free web space on your server. Many of your visitors may want to publish their own web site. Just require that they publish your banner ad. For example, if you gave away 100 free web pages and got only 1 hit a week off each one, that would be an extra 5200 visitors a year!Design web sites for other businesses for free. Just require them to publish your banner or text ad somewhere on their home page. For example, you could create web page templates and graphics for them. Other people will see your work and want to visit your main web site for more information.Make your potential customers forget about the competition. Just tell them to forget with a factual and believable reason why they should. For example, you could say, "You should just forget about doing business with our competition, they don't offer free shipping like we do."Set up a joint venture with your competition if you can't beat them. You could agree to work together to beat the other competition then share the profits. For example, you could create a product together that you both could promote or you both could share advertising costs to promote your businesses together.Visit chat rooms where your potential customers would gather. You can lurk and do market research or mention your product to people. For example, you may read many of the same posts about wanting to learn more about e-book marketing. So, right there would be a good product idea.Make your web site sticky by building a large directory of web sites your visitors would enjoy. It saves them precious time searching for them. For example, if your target audience is interested in online greeting cards, create a web site directory full of links to similar sites.Start a free-to-join business association from your web site. Just ask all members to place your association logo and link on their web site. For example, if you had 1000 members, that would be 1000 people indirectly promoting your web site without paying them affiliate commissions.Make extra revenue by selling advertising space on your web site, in your e-zine, in your free e-books, on your classified ad site, etc. For example, you could have a list of all the spaces your visitors could advertise and the price of each space.Switch your marketing plan when your market dies for your product. Be flexible and redesign your product for a different market. For example, if your e-book is about starting an accounting business, you could rewrite it for a gardening business.Thanks for reading my marketing tips and strategies. I will list more marketing tips on the next issue. Hope those marketing techniques improve your sales and business growth

High Performance Hubcaps turning around on Parts Train

2006-02-18T02:46:00.000-08:00

Hubcaps are used to cover the lug nuts holding the 'hub' of the wheel on the axle. Those hubcaps are usually bolted on and smaller than 6" in diameter. Later designs that covered the completely metal wheel are called "wheel covers." The terms are now interchangeable. In todays usage, hubcap can be used as a more generic term covering everything from center caps (covering only the lug nuts) to wheel covers that hide the whole wheel rim.Parts Train's Hubcaps are either made of plastic or metal. Most customers prefer plastic as it performs better as a wheel cover due to its lighter weight. Metal hubcaps are heavier and tend to come off due to centrifugal force. And they cost a lot more. Mazda custom chrome hubcaps give styled steel or alloy wheels a high-end chrome look and are an inexpensive alternative to chromed alloy wheels that may cost up to 20 times as much.There are Mazda hubcaps that are ABS plastic and triple chrome plated. A major quality of this material is that when it is scratched, it does not degrade further with time and exposure to sun, weather, and salt. Even after some years, the scratch will look the same as it did the first day. Whereas chromed metal, steel or alloy, will react with oxygen and salt, and will rust, pit, scale, or flake after it has been scratched.Hubcaps come off due to broken clips, faulty installation, or damage from contact with a curb. Sometimes the impact from a big pothole or speed bump can knock off a hubcap. Spinning Hubcaps are also available at Partstrain. It is made of a high quality, tough and lightweight, triple-chrome plated ABS plastic with metal retaining clips for a better-fit and superior retention. The rotating outer plate attaches to the inner portion by an encased bearing. Spinning hubcaps look just as good and are much more economical than spinning rims.These hot auto fashion items are commonly called Spinning Hubcaps, spinning wheel covers, spinner hubcaps; spinner wheel covers, spinning rims, spinning wheels, or just "spinners." Spinner hubcaps continue rotating when the wheel has stopped, and they rotate slower than the tire while at road speeds, for tremendous eye-catching effect. Parts Train's Spinning hubcaps are made of a high quality, tough and lightweight, triple-chrome plated ABS plastic with metal retaining clips for a better fit and superior retention. The rotating outer plate attaches to the inner portion by an encased bearing. Spinning hubcaps look just as good and are much more economical than spinning rims.Buy quality Mazda parts and accessories at Partstrain on discount prices. In stock are new, OEM, remanufactured, and quality aftermarket Mazda auto parts at guaranteed lowest prices. Simply browse at http://www.partstrain.com/ShopByVehicle/MAZDA and you have an access to one of the largest Mazda auto parts wholesalers in the United States offering a variety of aftermarket and replacement Mazda car parts including radiators, fog lights, tail lights, air filter, tune up parts, Mazda clutch, belts, hoses, Mazda repair manual, headlights, water pump, fuel pump, Mazda brake pads, Mazda exhaust parts, Mazda catalytic converters, mufflers, Mazda parts, Mazda engine parts and many other Mazda replacement parts.Article Source: Article Hub

CNC MACHINES AND CNC PROGRAMMING

2006-02-18T02:44:00.000-08:00

CNC stands for Computer numerical control. Just about every business that operates a manufacturing machine will usually have a cnc programming service operating it. The basic function of a cnc programming service has a cnc machine running it. The cnc machine is an automatic, precise, and consistent motion control mechanism. In the past, most automated machines needed someone to stand by the machine to make sure it was lined up properly and made sure that it repeated a certain function that is required from the machine. For a better explanation, I'm going to use the example the website I researched for this information used to make things a bit more clear. A drill press is used to machine holes, this is a repetitive motion, however, a person must stand over the machine to line up the drill with the holes and make sure the drill stays lined up. A person is required to do something every step of the way. However, a person can only do so much, and as production grows so will the amount of holes so to speak, and the operator will eventually find it hard to keep up. In order to create more production, a cnc programming service and set up can be added. The cnc machine can do everything that an operator would be required to do. Once the machine is setup and running, it can take the place of the operators, the cnc machine is so easy to run, the operators tend to get bored during lengthy productions.The cnc machine or course can do much more complicated operations that require much higher skill levels. A cnc programming service can improve automation so much that most of the time operator intervention can be reduced or all together eliminated to do other things. The second benefit is that cnc programming services and technology is consistent and accurate and once the program is verified, the machine will run efficiently and consistent, no matter how many work pieces need to be produced. A third benefit offered by most forms of CNC machine tools is flexibility. Since these machines are run from programs, running a different work piece is almost as easy as loading a different program. Once a program has been verified and executed for one production run, it can be easily recalled the next time the work piece is to be run. This leads to yet another benefit, a fast change over. Since these machines are very easy to setup and run, and since programs can be easily loaded, they allow very short setup time. Rather than applying completely mechanical devices to cause motion as is required on most conventional machine tools, CNC machines allow motion control in a revolutionary manner. All forms of CNC equipment have two or more directions of motion, called axes. These axes can be precisely and automatically positioned along their lengths of travel. If you need more information about cnc programming services there is a lot of information about it online.Leeanna is an expert author who writes for http://www.cncprogrammingsoftware.net/Article Source: Article Hub