From the first real time cinematic car chase in the movie Bullitt to the numerous Bond cars drooled over nearly as often as the Bond girls, Hollywood has banked on one key fact: fast, sleek cars sell tickets. NASCAR, Formula One and numerous other racing organizations no doubt confirm this notion. As a result, millions if not billions of dollars have been poured into the creation of the latest greatest technology in producing spectacular cars for the track and the screen. Specialized materials and engines aside, it’s a matter of aerodynamics; the smoother and less angular the car the better. While the shape of a vehicle is decided by the design team prior to manufacturing, the smoothness of each feature is often dependent upon machinery used at the end of production, deburring equipment. [Continue Reading Article]

The heat index today is supposed to reach 100° Fahrenheit or higher here in muggy Michigan. Sitting in a cool office with the AC on full blast, a glance at the climbing mercury inspires the thought that the thermometer must be off somehow. A step outside, however, offers a blast of heat to verify that the readout is 100% accurate and inspires a quick retreat indoors where the thermostat, set at a much lower temperature is thankfully also accurate. This is because, like so many thermal, as well as pressure, measurement, weighing and many other instruments, calibration services are performed regularly in the facilities where they are produced to ensure quality and performance at work, at home and everywhere in between. [Continue Reading Article]

Recently, on a trip to the top of the long dormant Teide volcano in the Canary Islands, I noticed something quite remarkable. Standing there, 12,198 feet above sea-level, I was overwhelmed not only by the tremendous view, but even more so by the breath I took of what I am sure is the freshest air ever to fill my lungs. The crisp cool air was almost intoxicating and definitively rejuvenating. Despite my fondness for the clean mountain air I soon returned to Michigan to find the air a bit less miraculous. Especially now, months later as I breathe in the muggy hot air of summer I miss the clear air atop the non-industrialized peak. Here and in much of the world air pollution is reaching alarming levels. Regulatory organizations, however, continue to combat this problem and recreate the clean air of the mountains with various types of air pollution control. [Continue Reading Article]

If anything, Michigan summers are hot, humid and brief. During the few months sans cold and snow most here and in neighboring states relish the use of fans and air conditioners as opposed to the near continuous operation of household furnaces needed in the winter. While this period of heater dormancy is welcomed by many consumers, furnaces continue to play an important role in day to day life, finding use in a number of industrial applications throughout the year. These uses require not household appliances, but industrial furnaces. Large or small, these are carefully calibrated mechanisms which allow for the study, creation and manipulation of materials and components in summer, fall, winter or spring. [Continue Reading Article]

Often times the phrase ‘modular building’ conjures up images of stark white, windowless boxes thrown down seemingly haphazardly at a construction site near a row of portable toilets. Unbeknownst to many, however, the world of pre-engineered building has drastically expanded its parameters to include some rather spectacular structures. While some applications still require only those small steel buildings which closely resemble the boxcars of a cargo train, modular manufacturers have attracted a much larger clientele. Building everything from guard houses to modular mansions, the industry of prefabricated construction continues to boast significant savings in time and money as compared to traditional on-site building, but is now also infused with a bit of style and an air of class. [Continue Reading Article]

The phrase ‘cooling tower’ often conjures up iconic images of the grandiose hyperbolic cooling towers most closely associated with nuclear power plants. While this may seem to be the opposite of environmental friendliness, cooling towers are actually used in a number of industries and provide enormous possibilities for green processing. Also known as heat rejection devices, water flowing through any given tower may encounter several different kinds of harmful chemicals before being exhausted into the atmosphere or even nearby lakes and streams. Fewer chemicals, better design and hardier material construction are all simple changes that reduce the environmental impact of these often large cooling systems. Going green, however, is not just about reducing harmful emissions; it’s about improving efficiency, the bottom line for most industry. [Continue Reading Article]

Last Friday the space shuttle Atlantis launched into its final mission. After almost 25 years and 115 million miles logged, NASA is decommissioning the shuttle as it reorganizes and re-prioritizes. As engineers work to design the new generation of shuttles, researchers turn to a centuries-old device for continued understanding of the effects of gravity and the lack thereof. The centrifuge has been used for decades to test the limits of pilots and astronauts alike. The mechanism creates powerful g-forces, similar to those experienced during liftoff or extremely fast flight, by rotating people and objects at high speed around a central axis in a high speed centrifuge. While these human centrifuges may be the most adrenaline inducing application of the invention, the devices are actually used in the everyday operations of a number of industries. [Continue Reading Article]

On those hot, muggy summer nights, when even a sheet is too heavy and pajamas are out of the question, there is only one thing that can bring you comfort. If you’re like me, and live in an old house without any air conditioning, a fan, sometimes called a blower, is the only thing that provides any relief and allows me to sleep. They are simple in design and easy to operate—with a flip of the switch, an electrically powered axial fan with parallel propellers starts revolving at high speeds, forcing air flow with high volume and low pressure. They are one of the oldest mechanical means of climate control and still the most effective cooling method if air conditioning isn’t readily available. While not well known, fans and blowers are used in a wide range of applications, especially in the industrial sector. Besides cooling and air circulation, industrial fans are used all over a manufacturing facility or plant for things like ventilation, riding an area of foul air, drying newly fabricated products, roasting in food processing and in a kiln when producing ceramics, among many others. [Continue Reading Article]

Vibratory feeders are relatively simple devices that play a large role in modern manufacturing. From legos to ball screws and even coins, these parts feeders are used in a plethora of applications. Far from the only type of conveying available, vibration methods compete with several other techniques designed to move and orient materials. Despite contest from pneumatic, screw and other conveyors, vibratory feeders continue to be used in a broad array of industries. These devices have long been lauded for superior material handling in many applications, but their advantages do not end with the transport of delicate, sticky and friable items. Instead, the many benefits translate into improved product quality and increased productivity. [Continue Reading Article]

Aside from raw talent, the most essential element of a painter’s toolbox is a plethora of brushes. While many see just a brush, the artist knows that each utensil has a different shape, size, material, weight and even a ‘feeling.’ Masters like Picasso, Monet and Rembrandt were keenly aware of even the slightest variations and how seemingly minuscule adjustments to the artist brush can create the vastly complex lines, dashes, dots and swirls used in the composition of every masterpiece. A brush in the hands of a skilled artist seems to come to life. This is the quintessential image, the essence of any brush based media. Or so it would seem. [Continue Reading Article]

These days, the average product manufacturer’s main concern is saving money. That means cutting costs where necessary. What parts of the manufacturing process are expendable? Unfortunately, some might say comprehensive product testing during research and development is an unnecessary process that can be shelved while sales are down, that merely meeting industry standards is enough. The test chambers are expensive and it’s a lengthy process that requires a lot of skilled labor and equipment. In this tough economy, many manufacturers just don’t seem to have the resources for extensive environmental product testing. Well I’m here to tell you: this just is not true. If anything is important during a recession, it’s the quality of your product that will keep sales going—that compromising product value to save money is never the answer. [Continue Reading Article]

Automated guided vehicles have re-invented the manufacturing industry as we know it. Before 1950, all indoor vehicles used to transport loads in factories and plants were operated by workers, who were prone to human error. The first unmanned vehicle was introduced over half a century ago in the hometown of IQS—Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was a tow truck that followed the path of a wire, which guided it through a manufacturing facility. Next came AGVs that followed an electromagnetic wire buried in the facility floor. This was the main method of controlling automated vehicles until 10 years ago. Since then, nearly all AGVs have been guided by lasers—which don’t take up space or require ripping up the floor to install. They are faster, more efficient and greatly reduce labor costs for any industry. [Continue Reading Article]

Ever heard of Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation? It may sound unfamiliar, but it’s the technical name for a laser, one of the most important inventions of the last century. They have been around for about 50 years and make our lives easier in so many ways. Lasers remove scars, correct vision, scan bar codes and provide hours of endless entertainment for my kitten. Without them, CD players, printers and check-out line scanners would not exist. In the medical and manufacturing industries, lasers are slowly taking the place of cutting materials with scalpels, saws, blades and stamps because they are more reliable, offer higher accuracy and continuous operation. Lasers are able to penetrate through any material, from the hardest metals to human skin and a single layer of tissue in your eye. [Continue Reading Article]

Air conditioners are probably the most necessary of all luxury and comfort items, especially if you inhabit a warm climate. I live in Michigan, which yes, in the winter months is unbelievably cold, but in July and August, 90 degrees and humid isn’t that uncommon. I’ve also never lived in a house with central air conditioning; so I know—a hot, sunny, humid day without AC is almost torture…until you get your energy bill, that is. Standard air conditioning systems have been the established method of cooling residential and commercial buildings since they first appeared in the 60 because are so effective. Put on full blast, walking into your house is like walking into the Arctic Circle. However, they suck up energy and are probably the most un-green system in your house. During peak summer months, AC is responsible for about 100 million tons of carbon emission each year. [Continue Reading Article]

In 1821, Thomas Johann Seebeck discovered thermo-electricity and developed the preliminary design for thermocouples. At this time, the idea of electricity in every home was a stretch and the NASA space program was a complete work of fiction. Nearly two hundred years later, thermocouples can be found in virtually every industrial, commercial and residetherntial building. Simple in design, thermocouples are constructed of two distinct metal wires joined together. If the temperatures changes, the voltage readout also changes and alerts users to the difference. In some ways these devices are like common thermostats, but for electronics rather than room temperature. They have become such an integral element of temperature sensory that researchers at the NASA Glenn Research Center continue to expand upon Seebeck’s original idea for both space and earthbound applications. Research conducted there and independently by manufacturers allows for innovative thermocouple technology that can be applied in the home, in the workplace and in outer space. [Continue Reading Article]

When was the last time you cleaned behind your refrigerator? Perhaps never, but for those diligent cleaners out there that have, I bet it wasn’t too difficult to move that 400 pound appliance all by yourself. That may seem like an amazing feat, but really, it was those small wheels attached to the base of the fridge that did all the work. They’re called casters, and these simple devices have revolutionized more than just deep cleaning your house—they can help virtually any piece of furniture move with ease, eliminating the need to lift hundreds of pounds with a light push or pull movement that almost anyone can accomplish easily, even my Grandmother. I’m sure you’ve seen them all over the place. They’re the small black rubber wheels on the bottom of shopping carts, and, since you’re using a computer at this very moment, there’s a good chance they are supporting your weight as you read this. Does your chair move back and fourth with a little push off the desk? If so, look down…casters! They are everywhere. [Continue Reading Article]

There’s a statistic out there that claims we use only 20% of what we own, and when I look around the office and think about my full-to-the-brim closet at home, that sounds about right. I think it’s also true for factories and warehouses, probably more so. The other 80%, whether in your home or workplace, must be stored somehow. And if you want to make your life a whole lot easier, it should be organized. In industrial environments, where large amounts of bulky, heavy boxes and equipment require tough steel shelving, there are tons of different options out there to consider for organizing unused inventory, equipment and supplies. Before you get too overwhelmed and choose the wrong system, peruse these options and decide which best fits your workspace, time and weight capacity. [Continue Reading Article]

A Gantry crane is a type of overhead crane that lifts objects, machinery, materials and parts as high as 30 stories. They come in many different sizes, but the largest are used everyday to help manufacture some huge structures. This type of crane is composed of 2 vertical concrete supports with steel reinforcements and a horizontal beam, which has winches made of extremely strong wire rope that can hold up to 2 thousand tons each. Gantry cranes’ movements are limited to vertical up and down and left and right motions. They cannot shift, rotate or turn, and their supports are not easily moved. [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 your home and on the job, gas leaks are always something to worry about. If gone undetected, leaks of all kinds could do serious harm and put people’s health at risk. Some leaks could result in an explosion or death, while others waste money and create unsafe working conditions. Regardless, a gas leak, whether it be natural gas, Freon, or air, causes all sorts of unwanted problems. But don’t start panicking just yet—instead of putting your family or employees at risk, wasting your money and causing system malfunctions or product damage, there is something you can do to catch leaks as soon as they happen! They’re called leak detectors, and they not only alert inhabitants that a leak has started, but they are able to identify, distinguish and locate exactly where it is happening. [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]

A couple years ago, a high-pressure vessel containing water and air was operating on a much higher psi than its design allowed. After years of too much pressure, a small leak developed. It was caught and welded shut. But a month later, the welding job, which did not adhere with safety codes, failed, causing the vessel to rupture and explode. Pieces of shrapnel metal weighing over a thousand pounds traveled at extremely high speeds up to a half-mile before landing on nearby highways and railways. A large portion of the plant was destroyed, half the state was without phone or electricity, and 3 plant workers were killed. If the contents had been flammable, there would have been an explosion too, making the accident much more devastating. Pretty intense, huh? Unfortunately, pressure vessel incidents like this happen much more than they should. [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]

Those that work in a factory, warehouse, assembly line or mill know—storage racks are a necessary component to an industrial manufacturer. They keep any sized product, part or material organized and easy to find, utilizing all space and increasing efficiency among workers. An organized workspace runs smoothly and easily keeps track of stock. Storage racks are easy to assemble, adjust to the size of different items, and are able to join together. The question is—with so many differently sized parts and products to organize, what kind of storage rack is right for your business? After a quick look at the different options, the next step is choosing the right set-up system for your shelving. Pallet racks are a very popular option when storing products and materials in an industrial setting. These allow storage of large, flat structures that support packaged goods while being lifted by a forklift. The standard pallet racks have many isles between the rows of shelving, which can take up much space, but there are a couple other pallet rack alternatives to consider. If your business has a lot of inventory that shifts on a regular basis, drive-through pallet racks could be a better solution because they have a denser arrangement that uses 80% less space than standard pallet racks. Pushback racks are optimal when space is very limited. They are similar to carton flow racks, because the pallets sit on a tray that rides along a set of rails in the rack frame that are set on an incline. This rack uses gravity to save space and quicken picking time. [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]