Articles

Two Story Modular Offices A modular office is a fast, easy, and versatile way to add an individual workspace to your facility. Whether you operate out of a warehouse, manufacturing plant, or other industrial space, modular offices are a perfect solution. They offer numerou...

Vespel® is a family of durable, high-performance, composite plastic materials developed, patented, and manufactured by DuPont. These specialized polymers are formulated to provide heat resistance, lubricity, dimensional stability, and chemical and creep resistance, and are sp...

Founded in 2011, Asset Liquidity International (ALI) works alongside financial institutions to facilitate the repossession and end-of-lease of capital equipment and assist end users in the purchase, marketing, and selling of their equipment. Asset Liquidity’s founders have ...

You probably know what wire management systems are necessary to keep cables in server farms and data centers organized. But they are also necessary for making sure that cables inside electronic assemblies are routed correctly and stay in place.  Cable management systems m...

Vespel® is a tough but versatile and easy-to-work-with composite plastic material, manufactured by DuPont™. Parts and components manufactured from Vespel® deliver consistently high performance in tough physical environments where other materials often fail. DuPont&t...

Tampering and theft are expensive problems. A fire extinguisher that has been messed with won't do its job when a real fire starts. Reactive chemicals that go missing can be extremely dangerous. Hospitals need to prevent tampering to protect their patients. Security seals he...

Photo etched electrical contacts are integral parts of a wide range of electronic devices, like laptops and smartphones. Because these parts are often microscopic, photo etching is the only manufacturing process capable of producing them with accuracy and precision. Noti...

When you're dusting your deviled eggs with paprika, do you ever stop to wonder where those tiny red flakes come from? Yes, they come from dried chili peppers, but how do they end up in those little bottles that you store in the spice rack above the sink? Bulk material handlin...

Many people see "EDM" and think of thumping music and glow sticks. (That's "Electric Dance Music" in case you're unfamiliar.) But for manufacturers of complex parts, EDM stands for something very different: Electric Discharge Machining. EDM is extremel...

Photo credit: jimabeles via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND Every successful product starts out with a prototype. In fact, according to Wikipedia, the word "prototype" comes from the Greek "prototypon" which means "primitive form." There is no sales-read...

The Importance of Doing Your Homework Photo credit: myukewie via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND Your new design for a product includes a part you can't make in-house. So now you need a manufacturing partner. Choosing one involves a lot of risk. How can you be sure that you'...

Pneumatic conveying is a fast and efficient method of transporting small, bulk materials throughout a facility. It can be used in manufacturing processes, loading and unloading, and numerous other applications. Essentially, pneumatic conveying is achieved by creating a pressure d...

Micro- and nano-sized electrical and electromechanical devices are everywhere, from the smartphones in our pockets to the credit card swipers in retail stores to various systems in cars and airplanes. Because these devices are so small, they require incredibly small parts—p...

Industrial pump systems are vulnerable to a wide range of hazards, not the least of which is cavitation. One of the most common problems pumps to face, it can damage components throughout the pump. Cavitation can be extremely difficult to repair, and so, as is the case in many si...

Inefficient pumps are a drain on your system, as they can increase energy costs, CO2 emissions, and overall life cycle costs. There are many fixes for pump efficiency problems, but one of the simplest and most effective methods is to reduce the pump’s running clearance by r...

Electromagnetic interference. It's a real pain, am I right? EMI is perfectly awesome when it comes in the forms of thunderstorms or the Northern Lights. But when you're building an electronic assembly, EMI can cause problems. Fortunately, EMI is easy to reduce. Photo ...

Vespel® Pump Wear Rings help improve pump efficiency. Inefficient pumps can slow down the works. That's true for just about every industry. What are the signs of an inefficient pump? Increased energy costs: Are your energy costs going up? It could be because ...

Commonly used in power inductors, power converters, chokes, and other RF energy devices, a flat wire coil is a very useful device, but one that’s not easy to manufacture. Coil winding in and of itself is a difficult process, one that requires extensive know-how, specialized...

ATACO Steel Products Corporation has been a leader in deep drawn stamping, CNC machining, and other types of custom metal fabrication since 1946. Their extensive skills and experience enable them to deliver metal parts with unusual shapes, tight tolerances, and other challenging ...

RC Fasteners is pleased to announce that as of October 13th, 2015, the company will have ISO9001:2008 certification. What is ISO9001:2008?  ISO 9000 standards help businesses ensure that they are meeting the needs of "customers and other stakeholders while mee...

An empty container that leaks is defective. To prevent defective containers from "leaking" onto retailers' shelves, manufacturers rely on leak testing equipment. Air Power Logic Systems has developed a range of leak testing systems. Manufacturers in industries like ...

What do aerosol cans, blister packages, and glass vials have in common? Leaks. That is, unless, they are properly tested. Air Power Logic Systems has developed a range of leak detectors that can test everything mentioned above and more. Leak detection is essential for preventing ...

CTS Sentinel BlackBelt Leak Tester[/caption] Gas leaks are not to be taken lightly, so it's important to invest in leak testing systems that deliver reliable, repeatable results. Cincinnati Test Systems offers a range of leak testers. How do you choose the one that's ...

Remember this? (The relevant part starts at the 5:00 mark.) In this old episode of Home Improvement, Tim accidentally blows up his friend Benny's house after fixing a leaky furnace. Why? Because there's another gas leak -- in the stove -- that Tim doesn't know about. ...

What's one thing that can significantly shorten the life of a pump? Vibration. Vibration is a part of any process that involves a pump. However, excessive vibration can wear out the parts and end the life of the pump much sooner than anticipated. Fortunately, it is possible t...

Troy Technologies Travel Wheelchair Travel can be difficult for senior citizens with limited mobility. But it doesn't have to be impossible. In fact, with the right wheelchair, seniors can go anywhere their heart desires! Troy Technologies specializes in wheelchairs for t...

Since 1976, Convaid has been focused on helping children with special needs and their families. They design and manufacture custom manual wheelchairs engineered to provide the best combination of corrective positioning, comfort, durability, and user safety. All of their lightweig...

If you’re washing your car in the driveway, a garden hose and a bucket of soapy water are all you need. But if you’ve got a tough cleaning job, like construction equipment caked in dirt and dust or manufacturing machinery coated in grease and grime, you need a powerfu...

Copper is a powerful antimicrobial material with intrinsic hygienic benefits that provides broad-spectrum efficacy against bacteria and viruses. Peer-reviewed, published data from laboratory studies conducted by Professor Bill Keevil at the UK’s University of Southampton sh...

Photo credit: CIMMYT / Foter / CC BY-NC-SA Combustible dust can be a major safety hazard in industrial settings. Nearly any dry bulk material will create a certain amount of combustible dust, and some materials, particularly those with particle sizes less than 40 mesh—s...

  The question should be: what is not so great about E-Z Lok threaded inserts? When you need to repair threaded holes, E-Z Lok threaded inserts make it fast and easy to do so, without any special tools. Some of the other benefits of E-Z Lok threaded inserts include: ...

Learn all about the fascinating history of forging in this video. The video is a little bit out of date -- the car shown at the 3:44 mark has fins -- but the information is nevertheless accurate, and the video is interesting. By watching it, you'll learn the difference betwee...

Submitted by our client, Crescent Plastics When choosing extruded lenses for your lighting application, consider acrylic lenses. Acrylic lenses provide excellent light diffusion and are easy to customize. When deciding whether to choose acrylic over other types of lenses, here ...

DuPont™ Vespel® CR-6100 is a one-of-a-kind composite material designed for use in working environments where harsh chemicals are common. Low creep and high thermal resistance make Vespel CR-6100 an especially well-suited material for the construction of seals, wear ring...

Doctors' offices, clinics, and hospitals need computers with very specific features. For instance, they need touch screens that can operate even when the user is wearing latex gloves. Computers that are going to be used in clean rooms need to be fanless since PCs with fan...

Fanless PCs for Transportation Vehicles ranging from commuter trains to trucks to marine vehicles rely on computers for a range of purposes. However, vehicles need computers that are far more rugged than the average office desktop computer. That is why Total Control Solutions of...

In your day-to-day life, you probably don't think much about coils. But coils are everywhere -- in planes, cars, medical devices and even smartphones. Companies like HBR Industries specialize in coil bending. HBR Industires serves clients in a range of industries, including A...

For years, Syagrus Systems has been a leading provider of backend silicon wafer processing for the worldwide semiconductor industry. Their ongoing success can be attributed, in part, to their use of the 3M Wafer Support System in wafer grinding and post-grinding operations. The 3...

When it comes to fasteners, metal is not the only game in town. Ancient shipbuilders used wooden treenails to bind wooden ship parts together. Many modern manufacturers use nylon fasteners when they are looking to keep costs low. However, for most applications, metal fasteners ar...

When you've made the decision to find an offshore manufacturing partner, the next step is to find one that you can trust. However, this process presents significant challenges: cultural differences, language barriers and competing priorities can lead to a lot of confusion and...

In a perfect world, food manufactured in plants would never come into contact with anything that wasn't meant for human consumption. In reality, conveyor belts need lubricants to operate smoothly, and those lubricants may make 'incidental contact' with the food. T...

Hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking", is on the rise. In fact, up to 70% of natural gas development in North America will soon be reliant on fracking. Fracking may be an effective technique for extracting natural gas and oil, but it can have some unpleasant environmental...

Submitted by our client, Total Control Solutions Many equipment manufacturers integrate touchscreen computers, panel pcs, HMIs, and LCD displays into and onto their equipment.  There are many factors to consider when selecting a touchscreen panel pc or display (i.e. size...

Many industrial applications such as factory automation, machine vision, and automated test equipment have realized the benefits of fanless industrial PCs.  Aside from the solid-state reliability and rugged dust-proof chassis, advancements in thermal design have now enabled ...

Gas leaks aren't just wasteful. A leak in a gas supply line can put people at serious risk. Gas supply lines can help to prevent gas leaks -- as long as they are designed by engineers who understand the transfer of gasses and how to prevent leaks. When manufactures include ot...

Safety gates are an important part of any industrial factory, warehouse, or manufacturing facility. Given the potential hazards that such workplaces can present, it is important to provide barriers between staff members and machinery, stairs, loading docks, and other possible dan...

The DECC Company has been a leader in industrial coating applications since 1964. Originally specializing in dry film lubricants, the Grand Rapids, Michigan-based company now offers an extensive range of industrial coating services, including dry film lubricants, high temperature...

A non-domestic automotive OEM approached the DECC Company with a unique challenge. The rear lift gates on the automaker’s new, soon-to-be-launched truck line consistently malfunctioned due in cold weather due to ice buildup. Lengthy delays in production would delay the truc...

On May 20, 1955, a souped-up version of the B-45 Tornado bomber took off from Schenectady Airport in upstate New York, lowered a brand new supersonic jet engine installed in the bomb bay into the air stream and streaked away at Mach 2, twice the speed of sound. The flight was a m...

NISKAYUNA, N.Y., Nov 07, 2013 -- A potential "fountain of youth" for metal, GE researchers announced the use of a process called "cold spray," in which metal powders are sprayed at high velocities to build a part or add material to repair an existing part. Col...

For cost, performance, and a host of other reasons, plastic is a material of choice for manufacturing countless products in the modern world. Many of the items you use every day could not and would not exist without plastics of some kind, whether as a material of construction or ...

CMS North America (CMSNA) has over 30 years of experience and expertise in developing innovative CNC machining systems and is one of the industry's premier manufacturers. Their glass-cutting machine technology offers a state-of-the-art solution for high-speed glass produ...

Teflon is the DuPont Company's name-brand version of PTFE, or polytetrafluoroethylene. PTFE is a fluorocarbon solid, a high molecular weight compound comprised of carbon and fluorine. It is well-known for its hydrophobic properties—neither water nor substances containin...

You may not realize it, and may not know these items by name, but chances are good you’ve seen (and maybe even used) cable ties. Also known as zip ties, zip strips, and a plethora of other colloquial monikers, cable ties are disposable fasteners originally intended for bund...

Thermal spray coatings are a type of industrial coating that uses melted or heated materials to create a new outer layer on the surface of treated parts, components, or equipment. A number of different thermal spray coating processes are possible, including HVOF (high-velocity ox...

There are numerous options available when selecting conduit and innerduct for underground utilities applications. As such, it is important to choose the right pipe for your needs. The following is a brief overview of some of the more common and popular conduit and innerduct produ...

Though there are many uses for a quick disconnect fitting for plastic tubing, there are few applications nobler than the brewing of homemade beer. Home brewing is an increasingly popular hobby, and any device that makes the process faster and easier is sure to be welcomed with op...

Plastic is one of the most readily-available and widely used materials in the world today. It is relatively easy to work with and versatile enough to be used in nearly any application. Plastics can be found in kids' toys, smartphones, automobiles, appliances, industrial robot...

This article will help you understand more about QR codes and why you might want to use them on your product labels. What are QR Codes and how can they Round out your Marketing Campaign? Originating in 2004 in Japan, QR codes (Quick Response codes) were developed by Denso W...

Outdoor fire pits refer to preconstructed structures meant to enclose a fire to allow for safe outdoor fire burning. Fire pits are often also decorative acting as part of the patio furniture and enhancing the landscaping. In common usage, fire pits refer specifically to outdo...