A critical area of importance on any conveyor system is the splice, and in most aggregate operations, there are two preferred types of splicing methods: mechanical splicing, the process of joining belt ends by metal hinges or plates, and vulcanized splicing, the process of joining belt ends through heat and/or chemicals. Understanding the pros and cons of each splicing method is extremely important when making an educated decision on which splicing method to use.
Choosing a hose assembly that is safe and cost-effective for your application may seem intimidating. STAMPED is an acronym that the hose industry standardized on to include all the aspects of the hose selection process.
S.T.A.M.P.E.D.
S Size
T Temperature
A Application
M Material being conveyed
P Pressure
E Ends
D Delivery
Click here to learn more about Binkelman’s full industrial hose assembly capabilities.
When making a drive conversion or designing a new power transmission system, maintenance managers and design engineers have three broad options: roller chain drives, V-belt drives and synchronous belt drives.
Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, along with cost considerations that may not be immediately apparent.
One of the most important tasks in implementing a motor-management program is making the business case for the investment. But motor management involves preventive and predictive maintenance, activities top management historically has been hesitant to support. Top management’s skepticism will be particularly tough when it comes to spending money to test operational motors that show no visual or audible clues of problems. Managers do not help their case when they underestimate the impact and cost of failure, both on maintenance and operations.
The key to success in selling the program is showing the impact a motor failure can have on facility operations related to a critical application. If a motor supporting such an application has failed recently, use it as the example. Managers must demonstrate the differences between a planned and an emergency repair. Underestimating any of these elements only makes the task of selling the program more difficult.
Using vacuum to handle products such as paper sheets, small
packages, and small food products is straightforward enough.
However, vacuum is often used in the pick-up and transfer of
heavy products such as marble slabs, sheet metal for automotive
manufacturing, concrete formed products, wooden door
panels, and other large items.
These types of applications require a safety consideration. The
worst thing that could happen when lifting something heavy is
to drop it. Obvious enough, but rarely is this event accommodated
for in vacuum lifting systems.
Bearings fall into two main categories – naked or mounted.
While both types require similar thought processes for proper
selection, installation and maintenance, there are enough
differences that it’s best to approach them separately.
A belt conveyor is essentially a giant rubber band, stretched tight and threaded through a maze of obstructions and pinch points. This band is then burdened with a heavy load and then pulled at high speed. The forces applied are significant and potentially dangerous. These forces create risks to personnel who are working on or in the vicinity of belt conveyors. Part of the problem is that conveyors have become “part of the landscape.” They are not seen as a hazard, but rather a fact of life, like driving a car or using a phone. The average employee does not see the risks inherent in the conveyor, because they have not been trained to see (and avoid) the risks.
In the linked white-paper, Martin Engineering’s Larry Goldbeck looks at the safety record of conveyors and discusses the proper training to improve this record. He will review the general topics to be included in conveyor training and discuss the site-specific analysis required. He will show how this training can provide a double benefit by improving worker safety while boosting an operation’s overall efficiency.
In recent years, manufacturing plants have recognized the importance of improving compressed air system efficiencies. Two key points for plant engineers and energy conservation champions to focus on are to eliminate leaks and to reduce air compressor operating pressure to the lowest set-point possible.
Leaks and pressure drops can occur anywhere, both on the supply side and demand side. These two wasteful energy consumers are typically most prevalent within the final 30 ft between the main distribution headers and the operating equipment, commonly referred to as the “Dirty 30.” This includes pipe runs and associated items such as valves, pressure regulators, filters, lubricators, quick disconnects, hoses, and flexible connections.
Contact Binkelmman Corporation Fluid Power Product Specialist, Mike Thomas, mike.thomas@binkelman.local or 419.537.9333 to schedule an appointment to discuss air loss and to conduct a survey at your facility.
The simatherm IH 025 VOLCANO marks the start of a new
era in the field of portable induction heaters. The patented technology
enables outstanding heating performance from an extremely
light structure. You can use it to heat roller bearings with an
inner diameter as small as 20 mm (0.79 in) up to on outer diameter
of 160 mm (6.30 in) and a weight of up to 10 kg (22 lbs).
To do this, simply place the workpiece onto the VOLCANO’s cone
shaped heating surface.
FEATURES
Portable, compact and very light (7.7 lbs)
A bearing weighing 11 lbs can be heated to 230°F in under four minutes
Silent operation – No support yoke required – simply place the workpiece on the device
Predictive temperature control (PTC) software for automatic temperature monitoring
SEE VOLCANO IN ACTION:
Making the right choice when it comes to soft starters and drives in your motor starting applications will save you money. This video walks you through how to find the right balance between performance and budget limitations by explaining the differences in soft starters and drives, and the applications on when to use them.
