Believe it or not, the manufacturing process that creates plastic products like plugs, handles and caps is one of the oldest known human professions. The ancient art of candle making, which dates back as early as 3,000 BC, used the process of dip coating to make candles out of beeswax and animal fat. Since then, it surprisingly hasn’t changed much. Plastic wasn’t widely used until the 20th century, but soon after it started replacing materials like glass and ivory, manufacturers experimented with melting down thermoplastics like Plastisol. They found that by applying the candle dip coating method to modern day products, melted plastic resins provide a strong, resistant and protective coating that is used in dozens of industries. [Continue Reading Article]

Aren’t we all familiar with that achy pain after getting home from work some days? We feel it in our necks, backs, the soles of our feet or various joints. Whether in an office, commercial, or industrial environment, repetitive motion all day in a standing or sitting position has the tendency to do that. This is why ergonomics is so important in the workplace, and why OSHA has a four-pronged comprehensive approach to ergonomics. Since, in the broadest terms, workstations are used in office, IT, home, school, and manufacturing settings, OSHA has specific workstation guidelines, such as ones for computer workstations. [Continue Reading Article]

In the most general terms, the function of any kind of seal is to block the passage of liquids or gases. Rubber seals can be either static or dynamic. A static seal does not move and simply contains pressure or maintains a vacuum. The purpose of dynamic seals, however, is to reciprocate a give-and-take with mechanical motion, like for pistons and cylinders or rotating shafts. Mechanical seals are essential components of hydraulic and pneumatic systems, in which constantly moving mechanisms can be under extreme stress. Along with preventing leakage and protecting against contaminants, the mechanical seal helps maintain pressure levels in high temperature, pressure and speed applications. [Continue Reading Article]

Due to the advancements in electronic controls, mechanical engineers may have the tendency to bypass the use of gearing, as the robust gears used in machinery of high speed and high power are quite complex in design. However, electronics has a hard time beating gears for such dedicated, high accuracy requirements as in automobile transmissions. For a variety of internal machinery workings, gears are optimum for changing the rate of rotation, the direction of the axis of rotation, and rotary motion to linear motion. The multitude of gear types can be combined in many ways to create larger gear units, such as gear heads, gear boxes, gear reducers and gearmotors – which all fall under the category speed reducers. [Continue Reading Article]

From plastic gears for the smallest wind-up toy to two ton cast iron gears, the capabilities of gear manufacturers amaze me. I mean, being able to machine and cut gears from only a half inch through up to twenty feet in diameter is a pretty incredible range. Plus, being able to provide this kind of gear production all under one roof, turning out completely in-house customized and even emergency jobs – some gear manufacturers can do it all! [Continue Reading Article]

When I hear the word mezzanine, I immediately think of that field trip to an opera version of Romeo and Juliet in ninth grade. All I remember from that experience is sitting in the theater mezzanine wishing that those two star-crossed lovers would stop singing and just die already. But we did have great seats. A mezzanine in a theater is the lowest balcony, a nice elevated position to see all the action. Mezzanines in commercial and industrial settings serve a similar function of creating another level within a building. [Continue Reading Article]

Industrial Quick Search has been selected for the 2009 Best of Grand Rapids Award in the Marketing Consulting Services category by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA). The USCA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community. [Continue Reading Article]

The concept is this: rubber in all its various elastomeric forms and alternatives offers different levels of friction – or, simply put, grip or give – when bonded to a cylindrical core, creating rollers that can take on then apply substances (like ink or hot stamp foils, heat transfers or labels), collect unwanted particles, move objects along a conveyor, or offer necessary movement within various machinery and automated systems. From soft, spongy paint rollers to hard roller skate wheels, the consistency of rubber rollers varies depending on application: Does it need to be smooth or grooved, slick or sticky? [Continue Reading Article]

The full range of today’s hydraulic presses is some of the most powerful and versatile manufacturing equipment. Achieving the highest compressive force of all the power presses, these machines are crucial for the forming and molding of a wide spectrum of materials: metals, plastics and composites, rubber, wood, and laminates. From deep drawing essential parts, such as tanks and fenders, for the production of motorcycles to creating 2,640 plastic credit cards per hour, the manufacturing realm would be lost without hydraulic presses. The scrap metal processing industry also relies on shear hydraulic press force to smash discarded cars and such into compact, manageable squares of reusable material for pop cans, paper clips, etc. [Continue Reading Article]

You can almost hear the grinding and crushing as you say the word pulverizer – the consonants and vowels combine to create hard sounds as you enunciate through the syllables. I enjoy deepening my voice to emphasize the harshness of the word. You try… it’s like a “grr” from the back of your throat. Now, while saying it (and making pounding motions with your fists if you really want to get into it), imagine what it would take to smash stones into powder. The bulk material handling and process industries, including mining, waste recycling, plastics, food & pharmaceuticals, rely on this kind of de-agglomeration controlled at various intensities within pulverizing machines, making materials more useful or reusable. It’s destruction with a purpose; breaking down to make better. Pulverizers take the idea of mortar and pestle to the extreme. [Continue Reading Article]