Tag: <span>FABRICATION AND MACHINING</span>

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The term printed circuit board assembly refers to the process of attaching various electronic components to a printed circuit board to develop and complete a fully functional printed circuit assembly. Basically, there are two types of construction utilized in this process, one is the surface-mount construction, and the other is the through-hole construction. Both these methods have individual benefits when put to use. The surface mount technique takes up less space, while through-hole mounting provides strength for any component that is likely to endure physical stress in the unit. Nonetheless, both these methods have their own advantages and disadvantages in the integral process of assembly.

Assembly: In Brief

PCBs are used to mechanically connect and support various electronic components by using different conductive pathways, methods, tracks and traces. These components are effectively etched from laminated sheets of copper onto a non-conductive substrate. Furthermore, once the overall PCB process is completed then electronic components are attached to produce these assembly. The component leads are carefully inserted through the holes in the PCB and the surface mount construction, and the electronic components are placed on the external pads of the printed circuit board. Lastly, the component leads in both types of this construction are mechanically fixed to the PCB with the help of soft metal molten solder.

The assembly process involves several kinds of techniques for attaching the components to this. If a high volume production is needed, it is mainly produced by bulk wave soldering, machine placement or with the help of reflow ovens. Even a mechanical assembly service expert creates the assembly unit using the above discussed methods and materials.

In this modern electronic and technological world, printed circuit board assembly services are the most important part of the electronics sector because of the utility and efficiency they offer. A printed circuit board is an electronic unit that is used to connect electrical elements into various appliances and machinery. These devices are generally found in most of the electrical devices like games, computers, i-Pods, consoles, televisions and so on. However, for the production of large scale electronic devices, electronic manufacturers often hire professional assemblers from authorized PCB assembly services to do the job.

What is the Significance of PCB Assembly?

These units are very important because they can upgrade any electronic device or gadget without any hassle.

The term prototype PCB assembly refers to the process of attaching various electronic components to a printed circuit board to develop and complete a fully functional printed circuit assembly. Basically, there are two types of construction utilized in the process of PCB assembly, one is the surface-mount construction, and the other is the through-hole construction.

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Source by Joseph M Desouza

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If you are considering the option of building your own foam RC airplane, then you will want to weigh the options of which material to build it from. These two materials, EPS-Depron and EPP, are the most commonly used foams for just such a task.

EPS (expanded polystyrene), comes in several forms, depending on the application, however, Depron is the form used commonly for RC airplane fabrication. Depron is stiff and brittle, yet easily painted if using the correct type of paint. This foam is easy to cut, and moderately easy to sand to the desired contour. Standard Cyanoacrylate glue (CA or superglue) will dissolve this type of foam, as well as some spray adhesives and spray paints. There is no greater disappointment than to spend your valuable time, money, and effort building a beautiful model, bring out the spray paint and watch all your craftsmanship dissolve into nothing but a pile of goo! So, take special care to select a friendly adhesive and paint. Low temperature hot glue works great, and water-based paints are preferred. Experienced modelers are most likely to select EPS-Depron to build an RC airplane from scratch because of its stiffness and ease of contouring.

EPP (expanded polypropylene) is soft and pliable; and because of it’s softness is able to withstand moderate impacts. This foam is difficult to cut and nearly impossible to sand. Contouring can be accomplished, however, with a rasp tool. Cutting can be done with a very sharp knife, box cutter, or a hot wire cutter. Adhesives work fine on EPP including CA, low temperature hot glue, and many others. Painting onto EPP can be accomplished without worry of destruction by dissolving. Beginning RC pilots will be happier with their EPP construction because the RC airplane will be able to withstand crash after crash during the learning curve and still fly.

Construction of an RC airplane from either EPS-Depron or EPP is basically the same, with the exception of the slight differences in technique because of the material softness or brittleness. In both cases, you can use low temperature hot glue, a hot wire cutter, a jigsaw, and a box cutter. The main construction differences come in the areas of the aircraft that need extra support. The softness of EPP allows it to flex. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you add carbon rods in critical areas by cutting a groove into the material where you want the reinforcement, place the carbon rod in place, and fill in the groove with hot glue. Also, additional reinforcement of large areas can be accomplished using fiberglass mesh and epoxy, or by using duct tape. Control horns should be reinforced locally on both sides of the foam, and engine mounts should be doubly secured so as to not rely solely on just glue by cross pinning the mount through the airplane body. Then the body of the foam plane can be painted, covered with colorized shrink wrap, tape stripes and stickers of your choice. Add electronics, control rods, and an engine, then let the excitement begin!

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Source by Jeffrey Lawson

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According to an article published in the Australian Journal of Mining, wear plate is the product of choice when it comes to sliding abrasion in the mining industry. In particular, steel wear plate offers superior wear and impact resistance compared to other abrasion-resistant products.

The hard rock that is involved in mining applications is what necessitates a durable material like steel wear plate. As this rock comes in contact with equipment and machinery, it is highly abrasive. As the mining journal points out, “it is not surprising (then) that abrasive wear accounts for a substantial proportion of maintenance costs in the mining industry.”

These ‘costs’ encompass the obvious, like wear and tear on expensive equipment that requires more frequent replacement. But they also include “indirect costs such as inventory costs and production losses due to machine unavailability.” With steel wear plate protecting their equipment, those in the mining industry can substantially increase their overall mine profitability.

This plate gets its name from its ability to wear well under high abrasion situations like those encountered when rocks scrape against mining equipment. Two of the material’s main advantages are that it can cover large surface areas without a huge financial outlay and its “combination of hardness, yield strength and fracture toughness” that permits it to be used as a lightweight structural element with “integral wear-resistant function.”

What areas of mining can benefit? The Australian Journal of Mining lists the following as applications for the product: liners and structural elements for buckets, skips, transfer chutes, bins, truck trays, etc.

The case for using it in the mining industry is pretty overwhelming but not all wear plate is created equal. How can you determine what type is best for the given circumstances? The mining journal stresses, “One of the important quality issues in martensitic steel wear plate is the through-thickness hardness profile.”

AR500 steel better resists impact, abrasion and wear than the competition, thereby increasing the mining equipment lifetime. AR500 is an abrasion resistant steel plate that offers outstanding wear and impact resistance along with fatigue and corrosion resistance.

Mining industrialists who are seeking a manufacturer to protect their equipment and machinery should be on the lookout for a few specific things. First, they should seek out a provider of mining equipment steel wear plate who pays the highest attention to meeting and exceeding the mining industry’s most stringent standards. A steel company that backs up that commitment by standing behind its industrial wear resistant steel products is a hallmark of distinction. Second, individuals in the mining industry will also want to single out a dependable steel overlay plate from a customer-oriented manufacturer who will work one-on-one with them throughout the entire purchasing process. Such a partner can help them design the wear resistant steel plate solution that is right for their specific mining needs.

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Source by C. Meyman

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If you are planning to open an espresso bar/coffee shop, then developing an efficient store design and layout will be one of the most important factors in positioning your business for success.

Speed of service is critical to the profitability of a coffee business. An efficient ergonomic store design will allow you to maximize your sales by serving as many customers as possible during peak business periods. Even though your business may be open 12 to 16 hours a day, in reality, 80% of your sales will probably occur during 20% of those hours. Coffee is primarily a morning beverage, so your busy times of day (those times when you are most likely to have a line of waiting customers), may be from 6:30AM to 8:30AM, and then again around lunchtime. If you have a poor store layout, that does not provide a logical and efficient flow for customers and employees, then the speed of customer service and product preparation will be impaired.

Think of it like this; if someone pulls open the front door of your store, and they see 5 people are waiting in line to order, there’s a good chance they’ll come in, wait in line, and make a purchase. But, if they see that 20 people are waiting in line, there is a high probability that they may determine that the wait will be too long, and they will simply get coffee somewhere else. This is money that just escaped your cash register! And, if they come to your store multiple times, and frequently find a long line of waiting customers, they may decide you are not a viable option for coffee, and will probably never return. Poor design slows down the entire service process, resulting in a longer line of waiting customers, and lost sales. So in reality, your daily business income will be dependent upon how many customers you can serve during peak business periods, and good store design will be essential to achieving that objective!

The financial impact of a poor store design can be significant. For the sake of this example, let’s say the average customer transaction for your coffee business will be $3.75. If you have a line of waiting customers each morning between 7:00 AM and 8:30 AM, this means you have 90 minutes of crunch time, in which you must drive through as many customers as possible. If you can service a customer every 45 seconds, you will serve 120 customers during this 90 minutes. But, if it takes you 1 minute 15 seconds to service each customer, then you will only be able to serve 72 customers. 120 customers x $3.75 = $450.00 x 30 business days per month = $13,500. 72 customers x $3.75 = $270.00 x 30 business days per month = $8,100. This represents a difference of $5,400 in sales per month ($64,800 per year), coming from just 90-minutes of business activity each day!

So how should you go about designing your coffee bar? First, understand that putting together a good design is like assembling a puzzle. You have to fit all the pieces in the proper relationship to each other to end up with the desired picture. This may require some trial and error to get things right. I’ve designed hundreds of coffee bar over the past 15 years, and I can truthfully tell you from experience, it still usually takes me a couple of attempts to produce an optimal design.

The design process begins by determining your menu and other desired store features. If you plan to do in-store baking, then obviously you’ll need to include in your plan an oven, exhaust hood, sheet pan rack, a large prep table, and perhaps a mixer. If you plan to have a private meeting room for large groups, then an extra 200 sq. ft. or more will need to be designed-in, in addition to the square footage you are already allocating for normal customer seating.

Your intended menu and other business features should also drive decisions about the size of location you select. How many square feet will be required to fit in all the necessary equipment, fixtures, and other features, along with your desired seating capacity?

Typically, just the space required for the front of the house service area, (cash register, brewing & espresso equipment, pastry case, blenders, etc.), back of the house (storage, prep, dishwashing and office areas), and 2-ADA restrooms, will consume about 800 sq. ft. If space for extensive food prep, baking, coffee roasting, or cooking will be required, this square footage may increase to 1,000 to 1,200, or more. What ever is left over within your space after that, will become your seating area.

So, a typical 1,000 sq. ft coffee bar, serving beverages and simple pastries only, will probably allow for the seating of 15 to 20 customers – max! Increase that square footage to 1,200 sq. ft., and seating should increase to 30, or 35. If you plan to prepare sandwiches, salads, and some other food items on site, 1,400 to 1,600 sq. ft. should provide enough space to seat 35 to 50, respectively.

Next, you will have to determine the tasks that will be performed by each employee position, so that the equipment and fixtures necessary to accomplish those tasks can be located in the appropriate places.

Normally, your cashier will operate the cash register, brew and serve drip coffee, and serve pastries and desserts. Your barista will make all your espresso-based beverages, tea, chai, hot chocolate, Italian sodas, as well as all the blender beverages. If you’ll be preparing sandwiches, panini, wraps, salads, snacks and appetizers, or will be baking on-site, then a person dedicated to food prep will be necessary. And, if you anticipate high volume, and will be serving in or on ceramics, a bus-person/dishwasher may be a necessity.

After you have determined what you will be serving, the space you will be leasing, and what each employee will be responsible for, you will then be ready to begin your design process. I usually start my design work from the back door of the space and work my way forward. You’ll need to design in all of the features that will be necessary to satisfy your bureaucracies and facilitate your menu, before you make plans for the customer seating area.

Your back door will most likely have to serve as an emergency fire exit, so you’ll need a hallway connecting it with your dining room. Locating your 2-ADA restrooms off of this hallway would make good sense. And, because delivery of products will also probably occur through your back door, having access to your back of the house storage area would also be convenient.

In the back of the house, at minimum, you will need to include a water heater, water purification system, dry storage area, back-up refrigerator and freezer storage, ice maker, an office, 3-compartment ware washing sink, rack for washed wares, mop bucket sink, and a hand washing sink. Do any food prep, and the addition of a food prep sink and prep table will be necessary. If doing baking, gelato making, full cooking, or coffee roasting, all the equipment necessary for those functions will also need to be added.

After all the features have been designed into the back of the house, you will then be ready to start your design work on the front of the house service and beverage preparation area. This area will probably include a pastry case, cash register(s), drip coffee brewer and grinder(s), espresso machine and grinders, a dipper well, possibly a granita machine, blenders, ice holding bin, blender rinse sink, hand washing sink, under counter refrigeration (under espresso machine and blenders), and a microwave oven.

If serving food beyond simple pastries and desserts, you may need to add a panini toaster grill, a refrigerated sandwich/salad preparation table, soup cooker/warmer, a bread toaster, etc. If you plan to serve pre made, ready to serve sandwiches, wraps, and salads, along with a selection of bottled beverages, an open-front, reach-in merchandising refrigerator should be considered. Serving ice cream or gelato? If the answer is yes, then an ice cream or gelato dipping cabinet will be necessary along with an additional dipper well.

Finally, when all the working areas of the bar have been designed, the customer seating area can be laid out. This will, of course, include your cafe tables and chairs, couches and comfortable upholstered chairs, coffee tables, and perhaps a window or stand-up bar with bar stools. Impulse-buy and retail merchandise shelves should be established, and a condiment bar should be located close to where customers will pick-up their beverages.

A quick word about couches, large upholstered chairs, and coffee tables. Living room type furniture takes up a lot of space. If you plan to be opening evenings, and will perhaps serve beer and wine, and having comfortable seating will be important for creating a relaxing ambiance, then by all means do it. But if you have limited seating space, and are not trying to encourage people to relax and stay for long periods of time, then stick with cafe tables and chairs. The more people you can seat, the greater your income potential!

Features from the front door to the condiment bar should be arranged in a logical, sequential order. As your customers enter the front door, their travel path should take them past your impulse-buy merchandise display, and the pastry case, before they arrive at the point of order (where your cashier, cash register, and menu-board will be located). Exposing customers to your impulse items and pastries, before they order, will greatly increase their sales. Then, after the order and payment has been taken, they should proceed down-line away from the cash register to pick-up their beverage, and finally, the condiment bar should be located beyond that point. Be sure to separate your point of order from the point of product pick-up by at least six feet, otherwise customers waiting for their beverage may begin to intrude into the space of those ordering.

Don’t make the mistakes that many inexperienced designers commonly make. They arrange these features in a haphazard way, so that customers have to change direction, and cut back through the line of awaiting customers to proceed to their next destination in the service sequence. Or, wanting to make their espresso machine a focal point to those entering the store, they place it before the cashier along the customer’s path of travel. Customers inevitably end up trying to order from the barista before they are informed that they need to proceed to the cashier first. If this happens dozens of times each day, confusion and slowed beverage production will be the result.

On the employee’s side of the counter, work and product flow are even more important. Any unnecessary steps or wasted movements that result from a less than optimal design will slow down employee production. All products should flow seamlesly in one direction towards the ultimate point of pick-up. For example, if preparing a particular item is a 3-step process, then placement of equipment should allow for the 3 steps to occur in order, in one linear direction, with the final step occurring closest to the point where customers will be served.

Equipment should be grouped together so that it is in the immediate proximity of the employee(s) who will be using it. Beyond the actual equipment, empty spaces must be left on the counter top to store ingredients and small wares (tools) used in product preparation. Counter top space will also be needed where menu items will actually be assembled. Think of the grouping of equipment for different job functions as stations. Try to keep different stations compact and in close working proximity to each other, but make sure that there is enough space between each so that employee working-paths don’t cross, which could contribute to employee collisions.

Creating defined work stations will allow you to put multiple employees behind the counter when needed. When it is busy, you may need to have 2 cashiers, another person just bagging pastries and brewing coffee, 2 baristas behind the espresso machine, a maybe even a dedicated person working the blenders. If you’re preparing sandwiches and salads to order, then another person may need to be added to handle that task. Keeping your stations in close proximity to each other will allow one employee to easily access all equipment during very slow periods of business, thus saving you valuable labor dollars.

When you arrange equipment in relationship to each other, keep in mind that most people are right handed. Stepping to the right of the espresso machine to access the espresso grinder will feel more comfortable than having to move to the left. Likewise, place your ice storage bin to the right of your blenders, so when you scoop ice, you can hold the cup or blender pitcher in your left hand, and scoop with your right.

As you create your store layout, the equipment you select should fit your space and the needs of your anticipated business volume. A busy location will most likely require a dual or twin, air pot, drip coffee brewer (one that can brew 2 pots at the same time), as opposed to a single brewer. If you anticipate selling a lot of blended and ice drinks, then an under counter ice maker, one that can only produce 100 pounds of ice or less per day, will not be sufficient. You should instead locate a high-capacity ice maker (one that can make 400 or 500 lbs. per day) in the back of the house, and transport ice to an ice holding bin up front. Plan to bring in frozen desserts and ice cream? Then a 1 door reach-in freezer in the back of he house will probably be inadequate for you storage needs, so you’ll need to consider a 2 or 3 door. I always recommend a 3-group espresso machine for any location that may generate 150 drinks per day or more. And, I can tell you from experience, you can never have too much dry or refrigerated storage space!

Make sure that any equipment you select will be acceptable with your local bureaucracy before your purchase and take delivery of it. All equipment will typically need to be NSF & UL approved, or have a similar, acceptable, foreign certification equivalent. Your bureaucracy will most likely want to see manufacturer specification sheets on all equipment to verify this fact, before they’ll approve your plans.

ADA (American’s with Disabilities Act) compliance will also come into play when you are designing your coffee bar. In some areas of the country, this will only apply to those areas of your store that will be used by customers. However, other bureaucracies may require your entire store to be ADA compliant. Following are some of the basic requirements of compliance with the code:

• All hallways and isle ways must be 5 feet wide (minimum).

• All countertop working heights must be 34 inches high (instead of normal 36 inch height).

• 18 inches of free wall space must be provided on the strike-side of all doors (the side with the door knob).

• All hand-washing sinks must be ADA friendly.

• All bathrooms must be ADA compliant (5 foot space for wheelchair turnaround, handrails at toilet, acceptable clearance around toilet and hand washing sink, etc.).

• No steps allowed, ramps are OK with the proper slope.

• If your space has multiple levels, then no feature may exist on a level where handicapped access has not been provided, if that same feature does not exist on a level where it will be accessible.

You can find the complete regulations for ADA compliance at the following website:

http://www.access-board.gov/adaag/html/adaag.htm

Beyond the basic Equipment Floor Plan, showing new partitions, cabinets, equipment, fixtures, and furnishings, you’ll need to produce some additional drawings to guide your contractors and satisfy the bureaucracies.

Electrical Plan

An electrical plan will be necessary to show the location of all outlets needed to operate equipment. Information such as voltage, amperage, phase, hertz, special instructions (like, “requires a dedicated circuit”), and the horizontal and vertical location of each outlet, should all be specified.

A small, basic coffee shop might get away with a 200 amp service, but typically 400 amps will be required if your equipment package will include items like an electric water heater, high-temperature dishwasher, or cooking equipment (ovens, panini grill, etc.).

In addition to the electrical work required for your coffee business-specific equipment, you may need to adjust existing electrical for additional or reconfigured lighting, HVAC, general-purpose convenience outlets, and exterior signs. Also, have your electrician run any needed speaker wires, TV/internet cables, and cash register remote receipt printer cables at the same time they are installing electrical wires. Finally, make sure your electrician makes provisions for lighted exit signs, and a battery-powered emergency evacuation lighting system, if needed.

Plumbing Plan

A plan showing all plumbing features will be necessary. At minimum, this should show stub-in locations for all needed water sources (hot & cold), drains, your water heater, water purifications system, grease interceptor (if required), bathroom fixtures, etc.

While a typical P-trap drain should be acceptable for most fixtures and equipment, some will require an air-gap drain. An air gap drain does not go through the “S”-shaped twists of the P-trap. Instead, the drain line comes straight down from the piece of equipment or fixture, and terminates 2 inches above the rim of a porcelain floor sink drain. This porcelain drain basin is usually installed directly into the floor. The air gap between the drain line from your equipment or fixture, and the bottom of the basin, prevents any bacteria in the sewer pipe from migrating into the equipment or fixture. I drain the following pieces of equipment to a floor sink drain when creating a plumbing plan:

• espresso machine

• dipper wells

• ice maker

• ice holding bin

• food prep sink

• soft drink dispensing equipment

To save on the life of your water filtration system, only your espresso machine and coffee brewer should be supplied by with treated water. Coffee is 98% to 99% water, so good water quality is essential. Your ice maker should only require a simple particle filter on the incoming line (unless your water quality is terrible). There is no need to filter water that will be used for hand and dish washing, cleaning mops, flushing toilets, and washing floors!

Be aware that many bureaucracies are now requiring a grease interceptor on the drain line from your 3-compartment ware washing sinks and automatic dishwasher. A grease interceptor is basically a box containing baffles that traps the grease before it can enter the public sewer system.

Also understand that a typical retail space will not come equipped with a water heater with enough capacity to handle your needs. Unless your space was previously some type of a food service operation, you will probably need to replace it with a larger one.

If cutting trenches in the floor will be necessary to install porcelain floor sinks, a grease interceptor, and run drain lines, then establishing a few general purpose floor drains at this same time behind the counter, and in the back of the house, will prove useful. Floor drains will allow you to squeegee liquids away when spills occur, and when washing floors.

Finally, if you added some new walls during your remodel, you may need to have the fire sprinkler system for your space adjusted or reconfigured.

Cabinet Elevations

Drawing cabinet elevations, (the view you would have if you were standing in front of your cabinets), will be necessary for your cabinet maker to understand all the features they will need to incorporate into your cabinet designs.

These elevations are not meant to be shop fabrication drawings for your cabinetmaker, but merely serve a reference, showing needed features and desired configuration. Where do you want drawers, and under counter storage space; and, where do you want cabinet doors on that under counter storage? Where should open space be left for the placement of under counter refrigeration and trashcans? Will cup dispensers be installed in the cabinet face under the counter top? These elevations will provide your cabinetmaker with a clear understanding of all these features.

While your kitchen base cabinets at home are typically 24 inches deep, for commercial applications they should be 30 inches deep, and 33 inches if an under counter refrigerator is to be inserted. Also, when specifying the size of an open bay to accommodate under counter refrigeration, be sure to allow a couple of inches more than the physical dimensions of the equipment, so that it can be easily inserted and removed for daily cleaning.

Dimensions Plan

You will need to create a floor plan showing all the critical dimensions for new partitions, doors, cabinets, and fixtures. This will, of course, help make sure that everything ends up where it is suppose to be, and will be the right size.

A final thought about design; unless the space you will be designing is a clean vanilla shell (meaning, nothing currently exists in the space, except perhaps one ADA restroom), you will have to make sure that all the features that you are considering keeping, will be acceptable with your local bureaucracy. Many older buildings were not designed to present codes. If the business type remains the same (your space was occupied by a food service establishment before you), then some times any non compliant features will be grandfathered-in, meaning you don’t have to bring them up to current requirements. But don’t count on this! You need to check with your bureaucracies to make sure. More and more I see bureaucracies requiring new business owners to remodel, so that all features are compliant with codes. This means you may have to rip-out bathrooms and hallways, add fire sprinkler systems, and provide ramps where there are steps. Better you know all these things before you begin your store design!

I always tell my consulting clients, that if I produce a perfect design and layout for them, they will never notice… because everything will be exactly where you would expect it to be. Unfortunately, if you create a less than optimal design for your coffee bar, you probably won’t realize it until you start working in it. Changing design mistakes or inadequacies after the fact, can be extremely expensive. Not correcting those mistakes may even cost you more in lost potential sales. For this reason, I strongly suggest using an experienced coffee business space designer to create your layout for you, or at very least, to review the design you have created. Doing so will payoff with dividends.

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Source by Ed Arvidson

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Repair work was never this easy! The HTS-2000 and HTS-528 high-strength brazing rods can repair wheels for cars, trucks, Rvs, trailers and other aluminum and steel wheels in no time. It’s easy, quick and long-lasting.

You must have seen those alloy wheels that lend a ride that swanky, sporty look. Much as these large diameter alloy wheels look good and improve performance, over time speed and road conditions cause a lot of wear and tear. The cyclical stress is high and the ventilation, disk attachment holes, the flange as well as the rim take a toll. The result? Cracks, dents, bends and scratches all start to show.

Trouble is, replacing these wheels by the dealer and work shops can be an expensive affair. The answer has come in the form of several niche repair shops that employ our hi-tech, state-of-the-art brazing rods. The repair is of superior quality, and the result is durable and tough.

Experts recommend our HTS-2000 for aluminum alloy wheel repair. It has high tensile strength, can easily penetrate past impurities, has better elongation and a low melting temperature. What’s more, with this no flux rod, you won’t need any machine. Plus you get a tougher weld than even the base metal. All you’ll need is a heat source (propane, butane, mapp or oxy-acetylene) and you’re good to go.

For steel alloy wheel repair, the HTS-528 is your best bet. With built-in flux, this rod works well on steel, copper, nickel, cast iron, brass, bronze. It’s great when it comes to melding two different metals. That’s why shop owners say, ‘Thanks to these brazing rods, I’ve never had to turn a customer down’.

The HTS-2000 brazing rod makes gas welding a breeze. Little wonder then that machine repair shops have moved to using these rods instead of the conventional Tig welding and heli-arc machines.

Traditionally, the welding of metals like aluminum require to be covered in flux to keep out oxygen from the hot metal, so there is no formation of oxides that decrease the strength of the weld. The great thing is that the HTS-2000 doesn’t need any flux for gas welding.

What’s more, since this rod doesn’t require the use of a welding machine, it offers you the freedom of mobility. You can carry the gas welding tank out into the field, or even on a truck or a trailer. You won’t even need an electrical outlet. Plus the equipment is self-sufficient and doesn’t cost you much at all.

With the help of a gas welding torch, this rod gives the weld more tensile strength, elongation, low melting temperature and even the ability to get past impurities like corrosion, anti-freeze and oil. In the end, the welding area will actually become tougher than even the base metal.

Plus, this second-generation brazing rod can even be put to use in the fabrication of diesel engines, automobiles, bikes, aero planes, boats, trucks, tractors, rivets, awnings, ladders and gutters.

To begin the welding, direct the flame on the thicker element so it can absorb more heat. Shield the thinner element from the heat by inserting the high-strength brazing rod as required. The rate of the deposition of the filter metal can be controlled by pushing or pulling the rod from the tip of the gas flame.

So steel or aluminum, your wheels will love this duo of brazing rods.

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Source by Robert Jik Hill

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How can you give a handmade baby quilt for a baby shower gift and still make it affordable?

When you’re going to a baby shower for someone special in your life, you want to choose the perfect present to convey your affection and admiration, but you have to keep your budget in mind. Those two desires sometimes seem like they will never mesh. You’ve rejected the cliche outfits that will soon be outgrown and the nursery paraphernalia that has as much sentimental value as a diaper pack.

What’s thrumming your heartstrings are those handmade baby quilts for sale on-line. And who can blame you? Each one has a different design that is irresistibly cute. Here is a gift that will comfort the newborn from his very first day in the crib to his playpen adventures and later to his playtimes on the floors of homes he visits.

Since talented quilters have translated their ideas into adorable homemade gifts for girls and boys, you have the ability to select one that will have personal meaning for the family. You’ve seen the baby quilts with little sailboats that would please your friends who have a boat, and you’ve loved the cars and trains motif that is perfect for the family that loves to travel, or the one whose dad is in transportation.

As you check out these quilts to buy, you’re impressed that the fine soft flannels and sturdy construction techniques used by quilters create unusual gifts that can withstand the rumble-tumble of babyhood and will survive as precious keepsakes that babies who come later can enjoy.

Now you realize that each has been thoughtfully designed and lovingly handcrafted for years of use and pleasure cannot be had for a bargain basement price. These are not like some pile of mass-produced quilts with the same design, dubious fabrication quality and no personal connection to the new baby’s family. When you buy unique crafts, you’re buying from the person who usually spends weeks making sure each one is sturdily made and marvelous to see.

So how can you make sure that a favorite mom-to-be and her family will get to own this most precious and practical of baby gifts without putting a pain in your pocketbook? The secret is sharing the cost.

Grandma might propose that her other daughters get together with her on a special gift. Or the aunts could chip in together for a collective presentation. If the expectant mom is a co-worker, the baby quilt could come from several members of the crew.

Anyone can find a modest, ho-hum budget-friendly gift, but its duration in use and memory is almost sure to be limited. You want to express how you feel about the newborn and her family in a more meaningful, lasting way. By making the baby shower gift a group gift with others who feel as you do, you can afford to provide a spectacular present that will be a joy to the baby and her family for years to come.

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Source by Sharon Camp

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There are more welding processes out there then I have fingers and toes! Let’s face it, if you pick up the classifieds, and look for welding jobs, there are going to be four types of welders that are in demand! That is the reason these four welding processes are the most commonly used:

1. Stick welding
2. MIG welding
3. TIG welding
4. Flux Cored Arc Welding

Stick welding is one of the oldest welding processes used today. It is a very practical when it comes to being able to weld on the job site, in a shop, or even at home. The most common metals Stick welded are steel and stainless steel. Even though Stick welding is capable of welding many other metals these are the ones time has proven to be the most practical.

MIG welding is what is considered a semi-automatic welding process. Its main appeal is fast production and ease of use. MIG welding is typically used in factories, fabrication shops, and automotive manufacturing. The equipment can be complicated to set-up, but once things are in place, it is a breeze to operate. The most commonly MIG welded metals are steel, stainless steel, and aluminum.

TIG welding is known for the weld quality it produces. It is also the most difficult process to operate and requires a lot of skill. The main attraction of TIG welding is it can weld any known metal. More commonly this welding process is used in places that require extremely high quality welds or on exotic metals like titanium.

Flux cored arc welding it is not really another welding process. This process is nothing more than a different filler metal or wire used in a MIG welding machine. It is the fastest of the most common welding processes used today. For that reason it is typically used anyplace that needs massive amounts of welds like in shipyards. The metal that it welds best is steel. There are current developments for other alloys and metals but steel is the most widely welded metal with this process.

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Source by David Zielinski

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For those involved in product development, engineering, and other form-giving applications, rapid prototyping (RP) technology can offer an excellent deliverable for various applications. Prototyping can be used for concept generation, ergonomic testing, test fitting, functional testing and even small-batch production.

There are various rapid prototyping technologies available for use including Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), Stereolithography (STL), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), and 3D Printing. Each of these technologies has advantages and disadvantages.

Fused Deposition Modeling technology is marketed commercially by Stratasys, which also holds a trademark on the term. Like most other RP processes FDM works on an “additive” principle by laying down material in layers. A plastic filament or metal wire is unwound from a coil and supplies material to an extrusion nozzle which can turn on and off the flow. The nozzle is heated to melt the material and can be moved in both horizontal and vertical directions by a numerically controlled mechanism, directly controlled by a computer-aided design software package. In a similar manner to stereolithography, the model is built up from layers as the material hardens immediately after extrusion from the nozzle.

Stereolithography is an additive fabrication process utilizing a vat of liquid UV-curable photopolymer “resin” and a UV laser to build parts a layer at a time. On each layer, the laser beam traces a part cross-section pattern on the surface of the liquid resin. Exposure to the UV laser light cures, or, solidifies the pattern traced on the resin and adheres it to the layer below.

Selective laser sintering is an additive rapid manufacturing technique that uses a high power laser to fuse small particles of plastic, metal, ceramic, or glass powders into a mass representing a desired 3D object. The laser selectively fuses powdered material by scanning cross-sections generated from a 3D digital description of the part on the surface of a powder bed. After each cross-section is scanned, the powder bed is lowered by one layer thickness, a new layer of material is applied on top, and the process is repeated until the part is completed.

3D printing is a unique form of prototype creation that is rooted in traditional rapid printing technology. A three dimensional object is created by layering and connecting successive cross sections of material. 3D printers are generally faster, more affordable and easier to use than other additive fabrication technologies. While prototyping dominates current uses, 3D printing offers tremendous potential for retail consumer uses, especially because the cost of production is less than other methods, and the part build time is minimal. In the latest incarnations, 3D color printing is also available. This means that a part can be printed to represent the colors of the finished product, to show label concepts or requirements, or to indicate the results of stress analysis or other failure mode effects (FME) analysis.

For the most part, all rapid prototype systems require a 3D computer model to start the process. In most cases a significant amount of file preparation must be undertaken to get a file to generate a correct rapid prototype model.

As part of the innovation process, some companies may employ one or several rapid prototyping technologies in-house. However, being a new “cutting-edge” technology, many firms can make use of service bureaus to provide their rapid prototyping as the need becomes evident. Most service bureaus have detailed websites to market and serve their customers.

A handful of service bureaus are fairly large companies with numerous employees and locations. Many provide related services and technologies, such as tooling, industrial design, molding and production. However, service bureaus are typically small companies, and while they may be small, many of them are vertically integrated and can provide services from concept models to finished functional parts.

Service bureaus tend to specialize in one or more areas such injection molding, casting, etc. Examine a company’s portfolio or case histories on their web pages, or discuss previous projects with the company to try to better understand areas of particular expertise. Sculptors have also used the technology to produce complex shapes for fine arts exhibitions.

In the near future, rapid prototype technology will become more widespread and pervade even to the home. For now though, for timely and expert delivery, the use of a service bureau is the best way for most innovative companies, individuals and organizations.

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Source by Geoffrey Brennan

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You may think that pipe bending is a rare necessity, but it is way more common than you think. Whether you are looking under your car hood, at a child’s playground, or even the safety railing at a shopping centre you will send evidence of pipe bending. But in order to shape these strong metals into various shapes and patterns will require the use of tools and a little know how. The most commonly used tool, of course, is a pipe bender. With this tool you can more easily bend and craft the metal into your desired shape.

Pipe benders have been around for a very long time, and through the years they have undergone tweaking and perfecting until there are now several types of pipe benders available on the market. Since there has been a significant amount of development in the pipe and tubing industries, benders are now available in many shapes, sizes, and advancement to cover today’s current demands. Which one of these benders you need will all depend on your project and intended use. Each project will likely require a different approach and perhaps even a different pipe bender depending on its mode of operations, speed of operation, and the effectiveness and reliability of each device.

Materials That Can Be Bent With a Pipe Bender

Generally the metals that are able to be shaped with a bender are aluminium, copper and tin. The heavier and more durable the metal you are trying to bend the more likely you are to need a commercial pipe bender. The most common commercial benders are the hydraulic and mechanical benders. The hydraulic bender is more advanced and technical, and is therefore typically preferred over the mechanical benders. One advantage of a hydraulic machine is that it can perform a wide array of operations and functions that require a larger range of materials.

All benders use one of four methods. Ram bending is the easiest and most affordable method. Pipe benders are controlled at each end and a ram bends the pipe in the middle. This is only used for light weight pipe. Rotary draw bending is the most popular method since it maintains the diameter of the pipe without warping. This method is used in tube bending machines to form exhaust pipes, process pipes, and for any aluminium or stainless steel projects that will not allow for any interior warping. Ring roll bender is used for shaping pipes with a large diameter. There are three rollers, one at the top and two at the bottom.

How Hydraulic Roll Benders Work

The interior of the pipe is supported by a flexible mandrel, which ensures that the interior diameter of the tube is not deformed. As the pipe rolls through, the top roller exerts a downward pressure which bends the pipe. As the outside wall is stretched it becomes thinner while the inside wall becomes thicker due to the compressing of metal. The top roller pressure may be adjusted manually or hydraulically. Also, you can power two or three rollers at a time in order to make round shapes needed for drum barrels, awnings, etc.

When the proportion of pipe diameter to wall thickness is small enough, a pipe can be bent on a small radius without excessive wrinkling or flattening.

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Source by Mack Cameron

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Attention homeowners!

You probably know all about rain gutters and how important they are to the health of your house. Guttering must be kept clean and intact to be able to drain water away, or serious, structural damage could be the result. Now, guttering can be bought ready to install, but you can also make it yourself – with the right tools and a bit of motivation.

Who should make their own guttering?

Well, anyone who wants to! Perhaps you simply like to things yourself, and have the time and the inclination.

Perhaps your home requires a special kind of guttering, difficult to find on the shelves anywhere.

Perhaps you like to fix old houses of your own, or of your friends – maybe even for a living someday?

You will be glad to hear there is not much to it:

The necessary equipment

Guttering is made of sheet metal, so you need sheet metal working equipment.

First of all, you need a sheet metal brake to bend the metal into a gutter-shape.

You also need metal shears to cut the sheet metal to size- these are sometimes integrated with the sheet metal brake.

To make half-round or quarter-round gutters, you will also need roll-forming equipment, but the sheet metal brake is just fine for making square- or box-shaped gutters along with v-shaped gutters, the like of which you might see where two perpendicular roof-surfaces meet.

Guttering materials – pros and cons

Common materials for gutters are metal like copper, steel, aluminum and zinc.

Steel would have to be painted, electroplated with zinc or perhaps coated with vitreous enamel.

Otherwise it would rust rapidly. The other materials mentioned do not tarnish as fast as raw steel, provided certain combinations are not made; like copper gutter held up with steel brackets.

Certain metals, when combined physically, will have a galvanic reaction, and one of them will tarnish faster.

For instance, small amounts of steel (such as rivets or screws) combined with the larger amounts of copper in a copper gutter, will oxidize the steel parts much faster than normally – especially in combination with water.

Obviously a poor choice for guttering and any other part you would demand durability from.

It is common to use the same material for gutters brackets and other fasteners, when installing guttering.

That is the safest way to avoid unwanted galvanic reactions – and it looks better.

If you want to use steel for your gutters, you must protect it against rust. That means painting it, or having it powdercoated or electroplated. You could use stainless steel, but it might prove too expensive, and you could reduce its abilities to stay free of rust if you’re not sure how to work with it.

Overheating it with an electric cutter/grinder is an example of something you shouldn’t do to stainless steel.

Also, using a steel brush or other grind/sanding devices could embed small particles in the stainless steel, which could ruin it.

And never use muriatic acid anywhere near stainless steel either – again, it will be ruined.

The actual work

First of all you need to know more about the shape you are going to make. To reproduce the profile of existing guttering, take down an intact piece of gutter and draw an outline of it on a piece of paper. Then measure the lengths of material between the bends and use those measurements to correct your outline drawing, if necessary.

Now you have the exact dimensions of your guttering, and can get to work with your shears and your sheet metal brake.

Enjoy!

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Source by Christian From