Showing posts with label Prima parts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Prima parts. Show all posts

Monday, January 18, 2021

Fiber Laser Cutting - Features, Advantages, and Components

Fiber laser cutting is the heat cutting process that makes use of a focused laser beam to light up the material. This causes the materials to melt, evaporate, and cut out.

Fiber lasers are a limb of the family called ‘Solid State lasers.’ The laser beam is generated by a solid medium in the solid-state lasers. Fiber laser falls into the small category. 

This technology is perfect with the high power fiber lasers in the recent past, as it constantly improves.

Fiber laser cutting has become the hot spot of industry research and development as it has many features and advantages. Let’s discuss them below:

Features of Laser cutting 

  • Fine Quality Cutting

Laser Cutting has the power to deliver fine cutting due to its high energy and quick cutting speed.

The laser beam focuses on the small point of light with high power density. The hole is formed into a fine and clean narrow slit. 

  • High Cutting Efficiency

The laser cutting machines generally come up with CNC machines to perform the cutting process.

While operating, you only need the CNC program to apply various shapes.

  • Speedy Cutting Process

Slitting a 2mm carbon sheet with the fiber laser machine, the speed can hit up to 600cm/min with the power of 1200w. While slitting 5mm polypropylene resin, the speed can hit up to 1200cm/min.

  • Applicable to Many Types of Materials

Many materials can be slit using laser cutting machines. Structural steel, stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, copper, and brass are some of them.

But, the cutting speed may differ based on different material properties and thickness. 

  • Flexible and Adaptable

Laser cutting is a more adaptable method compared to other methods. 

Firstly other methods can’t work on small areas like the laser beam, due to which deformation occurs.

Secondly, other methods can’t slit non-metals as laser cutting can.

Advantages of Fiber Laser Cutting

  • No heat Damage to the Objects

The laser discharged through the fiber laser cutting machine is robust, which is why it can slit sturdy materials like steel. Also, the fiber laser is so precise that the beam doesn’t cause any damage to the surrounding material on which they are working.

This technology is apt in the electronics industry, where the beam needs to work at the small parts without impairing them.

  • Better Performance

The fiber laser offers superior performance over many counterparts. With a highly focused beam and high power densities, it can deliver accurate levels of precision. 

  • Less Expensive

Probably the most valuable advantage of fiber laser cutting is its price. For beginners, it doesn’t need expensive optical mirrors as compared with the other laser technology. 

The focusing lens comes sealed with the cutting head. Due to this, one can maintain the focusing lens properly instead of getting impaired.

  • Boost in Cutting Speed

Another benefit of using fiber laser cutting is that it enhances the speed of cutting. While cutting 1mm thick material, the fiber laser can cut three times quicker than other traditional processes.

  • Cutting Reflective Material

Slitting reflective material was one of the major challenges with traditional cutting methods. There was a probability; the laser can bounce off the reflective material, which can damage the equipment.

This is no longer an issue with the fiber laser method, which allows you to cut these materials.

Components Of Fiber Lasers Machines

Fiber laser cutting is a widely used technology in various industries. After buying the right fiber laser machine, the components come next. One should take care of these components and change them as and when required. Below are some core components of this technology.

  • Machine Body
  • Laser Source
  • Lenses
  • Laser cutting head
  • CNC (Computer Numerical Control) System
  • Operating Table
  • Cold Water Unit
  • Gas cylinder
  • Air Cooling Filter
  • Other auxiliary components like slag discharging machine, stabilizer power supply
  • Wear-out dust collector

The above component remains the same in every fiber laser machine, including the Mazak parts and Prima parts. Mazak parts and Prima parts are good quality parts for fiber laser machines and durable.

End Words

We hope this article has given you fruitful insights regarding fiber lasers, their advantages when someone uses them, and their components.

Source: https://altpartsinc.wixsite.com/altpartsinc/single-post/fiber-laser-cutting-features-advantages-and-components

Monday, October 26, 2020

Applications of Laser Engraving Machine is Fabric Industry

 Laser engraving and cutting has a lot of applications in the apparel, fabric, textile, garment, and leather industry.

Here, we are going to discuss the applications of laser engraving/cutting machines in the fabric industry.

1. Fabric Fault Detection:

When we receive a fabric at the garment production unit, you can detect the faults using morphological image processing. It uses laser based optical fourier transform analysis for fault detection. It detects by repeating patterns at regular intervals.

The fabric focuses on a laser and receives diffraction gratings. they are from periodicity of longitudinal and traverse threads in fabric.

It uses a fourier lens /to produce a diffraction pattern of the fabric. Whereas, the second fourier lens has the same focal length, and magnifies and inverts the test sample image. Try to use laser machines which have Trumpf eco nozzle and Prima parts.

A charge coupled device camera captures the image, transfers and stores it in a computer. The computer program compares the images with existing ones and converts them in binary mode.

It reports a fault when the measured parameter deviates from the standard. Remember, the severity of the fault depends on the amount of deviation.

2. Laser Cutting:

The fashion designers are currently adopting laser cutting in garment manufacturing. In synthetic fabrics laser cutting produces well finished edges as the laser melts and fuses the edge. This avoids the problem of fraying produced by conventional knife cutters. Laser cutting increases use for leather due to the precision of cut components. In the jewelry industry laser cutting is useful to produce new and unusual designs. It produces a fusion of apparel design and jewelry style.

In laser cutting it uses lasers to cut the fabric into your desired shapes. A very fine laser focuses on the fabric surface, it increases the temperature, and cutting takes place due to vaporization.

The gas lasers are useful for cutting of fabric. The cutting machine contains a source of laser. A cutting head fits with mirrors and reflects the laser beam to the cutting line. It utilizes a computer to control the entire system and a suitable means for removing the cut parts.

The application of inert gases during cutting prevents the burn and removes debris and smoke. The mechanical cutting devices of a laser beam do not become blunt and need sharpening.

Automatic single laser cutters are faster than automatic many knife cutters. While cutting many plies, knife cutters are faster per garment cut and also cheaper.

The limitation of laser cutting is the number of lays of the fabric which can be useful to cut by the beam. Best result happens with cutting a single or a few layers. But, the accuracy and precision obtains with several plies.

There are chances of the cut edges to fuss together especially in case of synthetics. Often the edges of cut patterns and sewn garment are essential and prevent fraying.

3. Mass Customization:

Mass customization is useful when custom fit garments depend on the body dimensions and individual’s choice. The first thing to mass customize garments is the accurate measurement of a person. Laser scanning technology is one of the major techniques useful for measurement.

Laser scanning technology uses one or many thin and sharp stripe lasers to measure body size. Cameras are useful to get the scene and assist the laser scanner. To avoid the harm of the beam, it uses only eye safe lasers. It uses optical devices like mirrors which can be useful to assist a single laser beam.

Laser scanning unit consists of light sensors and optical systems. Numerous light sensors and optical systems can defer. Trying using laser machines which have Trumpf eco nozzle and Prima parts as they are easy to replace.

Conclusion:

There are many applications of laser engraving in the field of fashion industry. Today most of the people in the fashion industry use laser machines to make sure their designs speak volumes. It completely changed the way we look and fashion today.

Source: https://altpartsinc.wixsite.com/altpartsinc/single-post/applications-of-laser-engraving-machine-is-fabric-industry

Friday, August 21, 2020

Laser Cutting: Tips and Practical Processes that Work!

Laser cutting is becoming popular in the manufacturing industry. It has even paved its way in industries such as medical, aerospace, electronics, automotive, etc. Its uses and benefits even caught the attention of the education sector and small business enterprises apart from the industrial sector.

Laser cutting has its various advantages to offer like higher edge quality, faster speed, less noise of the equipment and so on. The laser machinery by manufacturers like Prima Optics Laser, Fanuc Parts, etc. provides a comprehensive product range with all these advantages.

It is necessary to keep a check on the efficiency of the cutting process to avail these benefits to the highest extent.

Discover the tips to improve laser cutting efficiency.

Reduce the Cutting Head Lift

Generally, after working on one profile, the machine will lift to a certain height and then move to the next profile. This prevents the collision with the cut pieces. By optimizing the cutting path, you will be able to reduce the cutting head lift and this, in turn, will increase the efficiency of the laser. 

Use Quality Materials

Earlier it was difficult to cut thick material in a consistently smooth edge. Today, with the help of technology, it is easy to cut thick materials. But sometimes the edge quality gets compromised. To deal with this problem, using laser-quality, mill-scale materials is advisable. Quality materials will help to process thicker materials.

Use the Right File Format

In laser cutting .dxf or .dwg files are common. Hence, it is necessary to choose the correct file for better efficiency. Many software and applications are available that will help you. With the help of those you can convert PDF, .eps, .svg, and other file formats into .dxf or .dwg files.

Keep a Check on Spacing

When cutting multiple parts on the same metal sheet, spacing plays a significant role. If the parts are too close or you cut the features too thin then there is a risk of the burning down the material. Therefore, it is advisable to keep the appropriate spacing. 

Better Nozzles

For machines to effectively cut thicker materials it is necessary to make advancements in cutting nozzles. For this, popular technologies like oxygen cutting, and nitrogen cutting are available. They have a high-powered ability to cut at high speeds in thin materials.

If you need help in increasing the efficiency of your machines, you can search for manufactures online. Manufacturers like Prima Optics and Fanuc parts use functions and methods that help to improve laser-cutting efficiency. 

Updating to New Technology

Over the years the laser beam quality has improved thanks to new technology. One of the recent developments is a fiber laser. It has a lower maintenance cost, simple operation, and can cut the metal at a higher speed. By adopting such technologies, you can make the cutting process simpler and quicker. 

Now let’s discuss a few practical processes that increase the efficiency of laser-cutting.

Automatic focusing

The first step in metal cutting is to set the focus on the surface of the sheet. The laser focus varies depending on the material. Earlier manual focusing method was used which was replaced by auto-focusing due to advancement in technology. By using an auto-focusing function, machines can adjust the focus to a suitable position. You can even adjust it according to material type and thickness. This, in turn, increases the laser-cutting efficiency.

Concentrated Perforation

It is the processing technique of the laser-cutting machine. The cutting process using traditional perforation technology includes 2 stages:

• Perforation and cutting contour 1

• Perforation and cutting contour 2

While the concentrated perforation process aims at completing the perforation of all contours and then moving forward to the cutting process.

This method increases the length of the machine’s trajectory, avoids burning and adds up to the effectiveness of laser cutting.

Common Edge Cutting

When two parts have a common edge, you can separate them with the help of a single cut. This is known as common edge cutting. It offers the following benefits:

• Reduce the number of perforations

• Reduce the length of the cut 

• Minimize material waste

• Save cutting gas

• This can significantly improve efficiency.

Automatic Edge Finding

With the help of automatic edge finding function, the machine can sense the angle of the sheet and the cutting process automatically adjusts itself to suit the position of the sheet. This will reduce work intensity; time consumed and improve the laser-cutting function.

Conclusion:

Efficient laser-cutting saves material, reduces waste and provides economic benefits as well. Technological advancements in the laser industry have given rise to methods and functions that help increase the competence of laser-cutting. 

If you are an enterprise dealing in this space and require assistance, solutions by brands that offer Prima Optics, Fanuc Parts and other leading manufacturers can be fruitful.

Source: https://altpartsinc.wixsite.com/altpartsinc/single-post/2020/08/21/Laser-Cutting-Tips-and-Practical-Processes-that-Work

Wednesday, April 1, 2020

Top Ten Advantages of Having Hydraulic Press Brake Machine

For almost 30 years hydraulic presses have been a leading trend for fabricators. The hydraulic press machines became trending products in the U.S. press market and are popular in European countries as well.

Hydraulic press brakes provide bending and folding more efficiently. For fabricators, they are the number one choice for special sheet metal work and continuous production applications. In the last decade, technology has gone through constant change. With improvements in seals, efficient pumps, stronger hoses and couplings they virtually eliminated leaks and minimized the required maintenance.

Let's look at its other advantages and how it can help your bending business:
  • Pressure Control:
Hydraulic presses contain pressure relief valves. Hence, you can insert whatever pressure you require and the Press brake machine will repeat the preset pressure continuously.
  • Lifting and Pressing:
Most of the press brake machines have double-acting cylinders. This means that you can have a lifting force and pressing force.
  • Adaptability:
The Hydraulic press brake is useful in increasing the adaptability of your applications. Here are some of the common adaptations you can include: traversing work heads, pressure control, dual palm buttons, and many more.
  • Simple Design:
Hydraulic press brake machines have a simple design and easy to operate interface. If you operate it as prescribed and maintain it on a regular base then you can use them for years without any trouble. You would require very few moving parts in a press brake and its maintenance costs are low as well.
  • Pressure Tonnage:
The tonnage of the press brake machine will be the same, be it electric powered pump, air-powered or manual operation. Electric and air-operated models will make the process of reaching till tonnage faster and easier. Whereas, the manual operation might not give you the exact results.
  • Choosing the right machine:
It can be difficult to decide which type of press brake machine you should be using for your material.
But, this task can be easy if you know the answer to three simple questions i.e. size, pressure, and speed.

The size of the press brake is an important part of any machine. It decides the opening of the machine. Its pressure determines the amount of the required operation. The experts recommend that you should use the tonnage twice than required. This is for safety purposes and to maintain the long life of the press brake machine. The speed determines how often you should be cycling the press brake machine parts like prima parts for your product. After getting your answer to these questions, it will be easier for you to select your press brake machine. You can find these products and their parts online when you search using Amada press brake for sale, Prima parts etc.

finger-stop
  • Low Cost:
Hydraulic press brake machines are of low cost and simple to use. There are fewer moving parts with grease in the flow of pressurized oil. The breakdown time is also less in comparison to mechanical press brake machines.

The replacement of hydraulic press brake products is simple and inexpensive in comparison to mechanical press brake machines. The best part of replacing the parts in a hydraulic machine is that you don’t need to open the whole machine while replacing the parts. This means low maintenance costs and more up-time. You can find suitable parts like prima parts for hydraulic press brake machines online from the suppliers.
  • More Capacity:
Typically, stroke lengths of 12, 18 and 24 inches are common but if you need then you can increase it. That means more bending capacity to work on metal sheets.
  • Makes less noise:
As Hydraulic press brake does not have moving parts and flywheels, it reduces the noise level of the press brake machine. There are properly sized and mounted pumping units that exceed the federal standards of noise.
You can also control the noise level because you can control each phase of the ram movement. This makes it easy for you to finish the work with lesser stress and more efficiency.
  • Safety:
Both the types of press brake machines, hydraulic as well as mechanical are safe if you can follow their application instructions properly. If you not then the machines may become less efficient with results not as per expectations.

With hydraulic press brake machines, you still get safety because you can control the ram movements easily. Also, you can interlock guard, as well as other safety devices that are present in hydraulic press brake machines. You can find your machine part online by searching the Amada press brake for sale.

Final words:

Over the years, press brake machines have evolved in terms of capacity and results. From using CNC punches, mechanical press brake machines to using hydraulic press brake machines today, this technology is bringing everything that fabricators would require.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

How to Select Laser Cutter for Signage Business

Fabricators use laser machines for cutting or engraving their materials. But have you ever heard about using them in sign boards business?

When it comes to laser engraving or cutting, using it on sign boards will be no exception as all. They are one of the simplest and most used ways to share information and advertise. We often see them on the roads, our surroundings, outside of restaurants or shops, etc.

Their major aim is to provide people with the information they need to know. It costs a lot of hard work and efforts. To expand their capabilities, you can consider customizing them with Laser engraving machines. They can help sign board businesses in making creative and unique boards that yield results.

The sign shop owners aim to provide something unique to their customers. And Laser engraving machines can make it possible. Let’s see how it can help sign shop owners in growing their business and provide better customer service.


Being the sign shop owner, the first question pops up is that why you need laser in your business shop?

Here is a list of some of the amazing applications of signage shop:
  • Custom wooden signage
  • Indoor and outdoor signage
  • Dog labels
  • Office door signage
  • Warning signs
  • Product display signs
  • Badges and plaques
  • Acrylic signs
These are just a few of the applications of using the laser cutting machines. Let’s look over the advantages of using these machines.

1. Precision:

Laser machines are very well known for their precision. Laser’s narrow width cut makes it possible to cut the corners of any material of your sign boards.

2. Engrave Detailed Artwork:

The laser machines have the ability to engrave the material at 600dpi. This makes it possible to engrave the artwork with correct precision and make it look more real.

3. Polished Edges:

Laser machines produce fine-tuned polished edges. You do not need any other second process after this and did I tell you the best part, you do not need to face headache of cleaning the material after the completion of process.

4. Speed:

Laser machines cut down 50% of your time compared to old machines or other labor work. It becomes easy to cut multiple materials with the same file again.

Here are some of the things you must consider while purchasing a laser machine for the sign shop.

1. Size of Laser Machine:

Before starting a laser, engraving or cutting business it is necessary to know which type or size of material you are going to use. To know it more deeply, study the market and customer requirements. When there are a variety of machines available in the market knowing your requirements can solve half of your buying hurdles.

2. Customer Support:

It is extremely important to know which company provides better customer services. While purchasing the laser machine you need to consider this feature as you are a beginner in this field and you need someone to guide you with understanding the details of machine and using it. So, it is a smart choice to purchase a laser machine from the company which is in this business for a long time.

3. Laser Machine Accuracy:

Accuracy is one of the most important factors when purchasing laser machines. It includes quality of laser parts from different brands like Prima Parts and LVD strippit parts as well. Working with laser cutting or engraving you need to check the accuracy of the machine as this will be necessary even while engraving or cutting the materials.

Wrapping Up

These are the basic guidelines we ask our customers to follow while purchasing a laser machine. Did this article encourage you to use laser machines in your sign shop? Make sure to invest in quality laser parts like Prima Parts or LVD strippit parts for better results. Especially LVD strippit parts can come as a major benefit as this machine can provide your customers a unique experience. This helps you not only to showcase your creativity but also increase your customer base and leave a lasting impression of your brand.

Friday, November 1, 2019

High-Powered Fiber Lasers: Are they Right for You?

For processing laser cuts with 0.25-inch to 4-kW laser, it can be a hurdle-less task for fabricators. Now when it comes to 12-kW or 15kW, they need high-powered fiber lasers.

And there are choices available in the market, but if you as a fabricator want to focus on thick metal cutting, only high-powered lasers are not the right choice. The 15-kW machines can do more tasks than cutting the thick material.

Overall, the major motive behind this laser technology is about decreasing process time in laser cutting. Let’s explore what these fiber lasers can do for a fabrication shop.

A Little Throwback to History

During the mid-2000s, high-powered laser cutting machines were a necessary tool for quick and efficient armor kits for US troop vehicles. After a few years with the debut of fiber laser technology, these giant machines were not in the trend anymore.

Why Fiber Laser Technology is a Hero

Fiber lasers produce a beam wavelength which is about 10 times shorter than the 10-micron beam wavelength with a CO2 resonator. It produces a higher power density which you add to the higher absorption rate will create a great cutting speed. This cutting speed outpaces that of a CO2 laser in less than 0.25 in.

It becomes easy for manufacturers to increase the power of these machine tools with the additional laser-producing modules, Amada laser parts, and Prima parts. That is the reason for the sudden surge in wattages. In fact, these systems can exceed 100KW in some instances.

Beam delivery systems cannot handle the power of 100-KW systems on their shop floors. Hence, each laser cutting system manufacturer is looking to produce a reliable cutting head which can deliver the fiber laser beam for an extended amount of time.

Recently, these machine tool developers are stepping into the production of cutting head optics which can modulate the beam size during cutting. Its development propelled fiber laser cutting machines from being a tool just for cutting thin sheet metal. When the cutting material gets thick, you need a wider beam to create kerf to remove the molten metal.

It is important for a company to look at the typical thickness range which makes up 80 percent of its work. Also, to make sure that your lasers are working fine, you need to install Amada laser parts and prima parts.

Here are the general rules to cut common metal such as steel, stainless steel, or aluminum with nitrogen:
  • Up to 9 gauge—6 to 8 kW
  • 0.25 to 0.75 in.—8 to 10 kW
  • Over 0.75 in.—8 to 15 kW
Utilize the Material Exchange

The processing time on a fiber laser cutting machine is tied with the system’s ability to load sheets, unload cut parts, and skeletons. A fabricator does not gain any cycle time advantage if it has to wait for several times for the material movement. A lot of pallet changers are designed with CO2 lasers. It cuts slower rates compared to fiber lasers. They use hydraulics and can take 35 to 50 seconds to exchange a sheet.



The modern pallet changers rely on servo-driven technology. Here the automation is critical. When it comes to selecting pallet changer technology, fabricators should select one which can handle the thickest material they process.

Is High-powered Laser the right choice for you?

No, if your shop’s laser cutting workload is not expecting continuous growth. If it consumes only half of work shift, paying for a powerful laser to reduce the workload to a quarter of a shift won’t deliver a good return on investment.

If metal fabricators are maximizing their current laser cutting capacity, adding another shift, they can look at high-powered lasers. It is true when they use older laser technology. They can invest in a fast and efficient laser to reduce the number of laser operators needed.

Fiber laser cutting machines will grow in power if the cutting head and material handling can complement the power. You as a fabricator can take advantage of the power if you can feed these cutting machines for proper maintenance.

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Glass vs. Metal CO2 Laser Tubes: Which one to Choose?

When looking to buy a CO2 laser machine, it is important to consider a number of primary attributes. One of the primary attributes that bifurcate the type of laser tube which machine uses is its laser source.  There are major two options including water-cooled glass tubes and air-cooled metal tubes. Let’s look at the differences between glass and metal laser tubes. 

Metal Laser Tubes

Metal laser tubes use radio frequency to fire a fast pulsing laser with quick repeatability. Most of the metal tubes use air cooling system excluding higher wattages. They perform the engraving process with ultra-fine detail as they have a smaller laser spot size. They have a longer life span of 10-12 years, given they have premium parts like bystronic parts or prima spare parts, before the need for the refurbishing of gas arises. Its turnaround time in some cases can be quite long.

Glass Laser Tubes

Glass laser tubes come at a lower cost. They produce laser with the direct current. It produces good-quality beams which work well for laser cutting. However, here are some of its drawbacks.

There are some safety issues as it operates with a water-cooling system. The DC power supply excite the CO2 gas in a glass laser tube. It needs high voltages for the operations. And combining such levels of voltage with a water-cooling system, it might create some safety hazards.

Glass tubes need water-cooled temperatures as it is a poor thermal conductor. Hence, in order to remove the heat from the system, it is important to keep water circulating. If there is no water-cooling system in place, a glass laser tube would overheat and become inoperable. It might increase your production cost. It also introduces other points which can come as your maintenance cost.



The DC process limits the rate at which the laser tube can work. While the laser engraving process is running in progress, it doesn’t fire in one continuous burst. Rather, it “pulses” while moving and working across the material. When DC-excited laser tubes work on the piece, they tend to pulsate less. It significantly reduces engraving speeds and lowers quality.

Plus, there will be concerns over the lifetime of DC-excited glass tubes if they don’t have premium parts like bystronic parts or prima spare parts. Glass is naturally a fragile element. After a period of time, DC-excitation process can bombard a tube’s optics and electrodes with ions. It increases the chance of deterioration over time. Most of them come with a 6-month warranty. At the time of system failures, you will have to purchase a brand-new laser tube, which will increase your costs and waste. 

Here’s the one-on-one comparison between two:

Cost: DC laser tubes are cheaper than metal tubes. This cost difference is a result of lower technology and manufacturing cost.

Cutting Performance: To be realistic, both laser tubes are appropriate at their place. However, because the RF lasers work on a pulse base, these materials show a slightly rough edge. With that difference, the quality of the final results is hardly noticeable to most of the users. 

Performance: Metal laser tubes generate a smaller spot size out of the output window of the laser. For high precision engraving, this smaller spot size would make a difference. There are various applications where this advantage would be clearly visible. 

Longevity: RF lasers last 4-5 times longer compared to DC lasers. Its longevity can help offset the initial higher cost of the RF laser. Due to its capacity of refilling, the process can be more expensive than the replacement cost of a new DC laser.

Comparing the overall results, both of these tubes are perfect at their own place. Understand their use cases, their making, their parts like bystronic parts, and choose which is more perfect for your business model.

Tuesday, July 9, 2019

How to Maintain Machinery Parts for Longer Shelf Life

Heavy machinery where parts including Fanuc parts or Prima parts are present, constant maintenance is important for longer shelf life. Poorly managed equipment might perform less efficiently. Here is how you can maintain any type of large category machine and keep it in good condition.
  1. Make sure to train large machinery operator
In the large machinery plants, there are multiple operators working on different checkpoints. Out of all the points of inspections, it is important to check if the equipment is working properly.

Whenever you purchase a piece of large machinery, it is important to inspect it. And even if you trained the operators in the beginning, it is important to keep training them at regular intervals in the right way. Otherwise, it could lead your process to breakdowns.

Make sure to educate them with the revised manuals for the specific work situation. And those manual should get updated from time to time whenever the machinery goes through some changes. In a digital work environment, management needs to make sure that operators are using the current version of each manual.

On another note, when you identify the best machine practices, you can apply the same to your other facilities.


  1. Never Forget Lubricants
Lubricating is one of the most important aspects when it comes to maintenance checks. They reduce friction around any moving parts. If you keep a regular schedule of good lubrication, it would extend the life of large machinery equipment and parts. The key here is to look for the signs of excess oil or grease on the pistons. Make sure to check for leaks around these oil seals.

On the other hand, it is important to use the right lubricant. There is a variety of grease or oil available for every component. In this case, check for the manufacturer’s recommendations. Also, it is important to check lubricants at regular time intervals. Because sometimes, there are chances that experts might find particles in the oil. This way,  you can diagnose problems with large machinery. 
  1. Look out for the Signs of Wear
When it comes to heavy machinery, it shows through different signs like vibration, shock, high temperatures, friction, etc. These all indicate the problem in the machinery. Here are some of the possible causes:
  • Vibration comes from out of alignment gears and belts.
  • If there is an accident or poor operator technique, shocks can come from the machinery.
  • Problems like extended use, friction, worn parts, etc. can cause a rise in the temperatures of the machine.
  • Age is a major factor which might affect the machine components. After some years the machine may stop working as required. In such cases, keep monitoring the machinery and get it repaired or replaced if needed.
  • In robotics machinery, it is important to consider looking for the parts. You can try searching “Fanuc parts” or “Prima Parts” to find a replacement for your robotic or metal sheet machinery.
  1. Maintain Cleanliness
It is important to inspect the machinery parts regularly and clean them whenever needed. Important parts like filters, breathers should be cleaned to avoid creating a vacuum in the cab. It might suck contaminants into the cab. For instance, electronics in the can are vulnerable if contaminated. To maintain the cleanliness, it is advisable to store large machinery in a shed or other building if possible. It should not be in contact with wind and weather as it can lead to rust and rot. Also, it is important to run machinery periodically if not in use.

Extra Tips
  • Check for the power transmission in moving parts. Make sure to lubricate gearbox in order to avoid lubrication, vibration, and damage to parts.
  • Make sure to inspect parts like Fanuc Parts, friction materials, seals, prima parts, gaskets after replacement. 
  • Keep lubricating bearings often. It would extend machinery performance.
  • Keep torque checks on bolts. They can elongate and creep after some time.
If followed in an appropriate order, these tips can help you extend the machinery life. It can help you with a major return on investment of their costs. The key is to keep performing maintenance tasks to keep your machinery up to date and working in a proper way.

Friday, May 17, 2019

The Best Examples of Laser Cutting in Electronics Projects

Laser cutting is relatively cheaper than 3D printing and injection molding and for engineering projects, it is best to go with the cheaper option. In the field of electronics & engineering, you often require precise cuts to ensure the proper functioning of the prototypes or products. And Laser cutting is known for delivering such accurate results that too at cheaper rates. Moreover, you can also achieve a level of consistency if you are making the cut many times.

And just writing it won't give you a proper idea.

Let's see some of the electronics projects executed using a laser cutter and why did the inventors use laser cutting:

Nixie Clocks

RobG, a leading market leader adopted the laser technology to cut the clear acrylic to mount the nixie components and let all of that electronic design come together. For this use case, the design was easy to achieve with laser cut parts. There are only two simple pieces, a back and a front. No sides. Basically, this is a tabletop clock. Therefore, it does not need much coverage as regular electronics. This leads to fast cutting time which eventually is an important consideration while creating a product to sell.

Nightlights

Jakob Griffith created a set of simple plugin nightlights. He created everything, from the printed circuit design to the artwork attached in the acrylic, and the final assembly. He started the project keeping the laser cutting tech in mind rather the other way around. With the help of laser cutting, he was able to do all the detailed art-work in a few hours which might've taken days with 3D printing and other alternatives.

WITCH-E Emulator

Harwell WITCH is a renowned instrument to teach computing and a milestone in computing history. The WITCH-E project started by Dave Anders studies the engineering characters of the Harwell WITCH and try to extract its educational value. The team has a common motto to accumulate informative materials in a form of videos, writing, and tools such as WITCH-E replica and emulator.

So, when Dave was working on a prototype he used laser cutting in order to make numerous iterations of custom designs in an inexpensive way. It was important to have the proper layout as electronics were to be mounted on it.

Pro Tip: You can also start your very own small project in your basement or garage and for the success make sure you are using quality parts e.g. Mazak Parts, Prima Parts, etc.

Music Devices

Nathan Walker thought of building devices that makes it easy to perform and record music in a better way. After facing hurdles in the initial stage, he started looking for the available options. When he didn't find an appropriate option, he came with a solution. Which was a headless Linux box with a DAW which starts working as soon as you turn it on. You can plug in any type of keyboard with USB or traditional MIDI output. This way, you can instantly access great synths and piano sounds. In this, there are faders and knobs to control anything in DAW. Therefore, it is a kind of dynamic change. While installing the faders, knobs, and buttons, Nathan wanted a lot of fine details. He wanted them to fit perfectly through the holes. To make it possible, he chose the laser cutting rather than an injection mold.

Fri3D Biped Robot

This biped robot is one of the main projects at Fri3D camp located in Belgium. Based on Otto bipedal design, its face is the animal shaped badge given to attendees that perform double duty as the brains for the build. The version is laser cut out of MDF but imagine this cute badge in different acrylic colors.

MeArm Robotic Arm

The MeArm Robots Arm is considered as the world's most accessible learning tool when it comes to engineering with the smallest and coolest robot arm. This robot arm comes as a kit and its parts are given proper shapes using laser cutting. With the help of a screwdriver, you easily gather its scattered parts and build yourself a robotic arm. A great source of information for anyone new in the world of programming, electronics, robotics, and engineering.

You can also embark your engineering journey with a project using laser cutting technology and the ideas mentioned above. It's a cost-effective solution with cutting-edge results. You can try searching Mazak parts, Prima parts to find suitable components for your engineering project!