Contract Manufacturing and Fabrication Reference Materials
Reference Articles 1001 - 1100 of 1310
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High-Temp Tooling Foam and Machining Services Help Aerospace Innovator Compress its Research and Development Cycle
Description: BLR Aerospace used General Plastics' FR-4700 high-temperature tooling board for its stability, uniformity, and excellent machinability for tight tolerances. ...
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Metal Stampings Can Impact Your Bottom Line: 13 Critical Steps to Ensure Metal Stamping Success
Description: Manufacturers can benefit from lower costs and higher quality by following 13 steps to success when developing new products with precision metal stampings ...
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What To Look For At Site Visits To Metal Stamping Companies
Description: Manufacturers who are considering adding or replacing a supplier of precision metal stamping face a daunting task of evaluation. Often, the process requires site visits to one or more metal stamping ...
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Environmental Impact of the Materials Used in Blow Molded Plastic Products
From: Custom-Pak, Inc.Description: Plastics often get a bad rap when it comes to being environmentally friendly. In many ways, this is a misperception. This article takes a closer look at the environmental impact of the resins commonly ...
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Major Types of Blow Molding
From: Custom-Pak, Inc.Description: There are several types of blow molding processes. Your product needs and specifications will determine which type of blow molding is best for you. ...
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What Makes a Great Plastics Supply Chain
From: Custom-Pak, Inc.Description: A healthy supply chain is the circulatory system of a strong business. You rely on it as much as your body relies on your heart, and without it, the lifeblood of your company would cease flowing. In ...
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Where Can You Find Current Resin Prices?
From: Custom-Pak, Inc.Description: Keeping an eye on resin prices can help you determine if your supplier's pricing is fair, or if it's time to look for a new supplier. As you research resin prices, be aware that there is no one ...
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Material Characteristics Guide
From: Top Seiko Co., Ltd.Description: In this section, we describe characteristics of these and also show properties of other commonly used materials for comparison. ...
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Material Replacement Examples
From: Top Seiko Co., Ltd.Description: Solve your problems related to material deformation, thermal resistance, corrosion resistance, and more. ...
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Progressive Stamping vs. Fine Blanking: Three Questions OEMs Should Ask
Description: Manufacturers should consider part specs, secondary ops and total cost when evaluating progressive stamping as a cost-saving option to fine blanking. ...
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Utilizing Dfx Methodologies With New Product Introduction Manufacturing
From: IEC Electronics Corp.Description: Application of Design for Excellence (DfX) methodologies are critical for a successful new product introduction into a manufacturing environment. Two methodologies, Design for Manufacturability (DFM) ...
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Avoid These Common Blow Molding Design Mistakes
From: Custom-Pak, Inc.Description: This article will help you understand how to effectively design your products using blow molded plastic manufacturing. ...
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Injection Molding vs. Blow Molding: What Is Right For You?
From: Custom-Pak, Inc.Description: Injection molding and blow molding are the two most popular ways to produce high quality, cost-effective plastic parts and products, but both are used for different applications and have different ...
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New Pretreatments and Non-Chromated Chemfilm for Magnesium Alloys
Description: A new environmentally friendly non-chromated chemfilm with different pretreatments was studied as a replacement to conventional hexavalent chromium-based chemfilm technologies for magnesium alloys. ...
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5 Blow Molding Facts You Need to Know
From: Custom-Pak, Inc.Description: Blow molded parts are more than just a great value. They are easily customizable, visually striking, and very durable. Whether you've sourced blow molded parts in the past or are just beginning your ...
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9 Steps to Designing, Building and Sustaining a Blow Molded Part
From: Custom-Pak, Inc.Description: Blow molding is an elaborate multi-step process that requires collaboration from many different highly-trained professionals. This article briefly explains the 9 steps to designing a blow molded ...
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Application Notes: Glass Machining Q&A - It's What We Do
From: Abrisa TechnologiesDescription: A question and answer session anout the various types of optical machining services offered by Abrisa Technologies. ...
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Durable, Front Surface Hard Optical Coatings For Replacing Laminated Soft Coatings
From: Alluxa, Inc.Description: Alluxa's proprietary high speed plasma deposition technology for the first time delivers the optical performance and durability of hard coated optical filters at laminated soft coating pricing. ...
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Designing the Metal Stamping Strip to Minimize the Use of Precious Metals
Description: Metal stamping engineers invest time upfront to determine the optimal metal stamping strip layout to minimize the use and waste of precious metals in new part designs. ...
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How Metal Stamping Simulation Software Saves Money
Description: Metal stamping simulation software is a powerful tool in new product development, enabling metal stamping firms to help manufacturers design new parts for manufacturability, saving money and cycle ...
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Metal Stamping Sensors Boost Efficiency, Quality
Description: Metal stamping sensor technology is advancing, resulting in fewer defects, production delays, and costly die crashes. ...
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Metal Stampings Have Limitations - Keep Them in Mind when Designing Your Part
Description: Computer-aided design (CAD) is a wonderful technology that can lead product engineers and designers to think that anything is possible. After all, you can draw a complex part on the screen to ...
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Steel Market Impacts Metal Stamping Lead Times and Prices
Description: U.S. manufacturers who use steel in metal stamping components can benefit from lower prices and shorter lead times in global steel markets, although markets remain volatile. ...
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Using Multiple-Up Dies for Metal Stamping to Save Money and Boost Volume
Description: Multiple-up dies for metal stamping can produce parts at significantly lower costs, when high-volume production is a necessity. ...
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Accuflect® Reflector Design Notes
From: Accuratus CorporationDescription: Accuflect® design for manufacturability. ...
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Ceramic Forming Dies for Metals
From: Accuratus CorporationDescription: Staking aluminum captured fasteners on an automated staking press. ...
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Custom Ceramic Component Manufacturing Standards
From: Accuratus CorporationDescription: When tolerances are not explicitly identified on a drawing, there is no supporting customer manufacturing specification and no specific notes appear on a quotation, the following tolerances will be ...
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Tube Mill Ceramic Rolls - New Roll Manufacture
From: Accuratus CorporationDescription: Forming non-ferrous tubing on a state of the art high production tube mill. ...
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A Case Study in Precision Cut Off vs. Stamping
Description: When a stamped spacer is just not good enough. ...
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Find Out How Default Tolerances Can Lead to a Blame Game
Description: Looking at the fundamentals of small parts sourcing and how to make more informed decisions about specifications. ...
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Mills Products Hydroforms Custom Truck Grab Handle for Paccar
Description: Tennessee-based metal fabricator Mills Products Incorporated has begun producing a hydroformed truck grab handle for Paccar, manufacturer of light-, medium-, and heavy-duty trucks under the Kenworth, ...
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Mills Products Introduces Automated Stamping Process to the Appliance Industry
Description: Mills Products has partnered with GE Appliances to produce dishwasher handles for the latest generation of GE Profile series kitchen appliances. ...
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Mills Products Manufactures Distinctive Desk Legs for Steelcase
Description: Tennessee-based metal fabricator Mills Products Incorporated has been contracted to manufacture hydroformed desk legs for office furniture brand Steelcase, a global, publicly traded company based in ...
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Ask an Expert: How material feedrate control affects size reduction, mill effectiveness
Description: Material feedrate is one of the most important controls that can influence a mill's effectiveness to achieve the desired particle size for various types of size reduction equipment. Feedrate control ...
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How to get your idea turned into a prototype
From: Protomatic, Inc.Description: Outline of how to produce your first prototype. ...
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Materials Trends in 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing
From: Stratasys, Ltd.Description: Commercial/industrial 3D printing is emerging from established roles in rapid prototyping and the production of sacrificial molds, jigs and fixtures. While not likely to replace most traditional ...
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Leverage your cooling power
Description: Cooling power is a resource worthy of conservation, just the same as resin, colorant, packaging, and the like. In this article we will offer some ideas how to stretch your cooling power and add to ...
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Effect of Chemical Exposure On Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
From: Preferred Plastics, Inc.Description: The ratings are to be used as a guide in selecting the most suitable product for a specific extrusion application at a standard temperature and pressure. Most powders, in general, present very little ...
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Why Plastic Bags Shouldn't be Banned
From: Preferred Plastics, Inc.Description: Whether in a supermarket, department store, or restaurant, when it comes to carrying items, there has been one constant staple over the years: plastic bags. Recently, plastic bags have received a lot ...
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Why PVC For Your Next Extrusion
From: Preferred Plastics, Inc.Description: Polyvinyl chloride (also known as vinyl or PVC) is a very versatile thermoplastic that is utilized in the production of lots of products that consumers encounter in everyday life and many more that ...
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New Breed of Release Coatings Withstand Extreme Temperatures, Increase Production Rates
Description: Despite several decades of advances in materials science and coating formulations, engineers are still searching for release coatings able to withstand temperatures above 500° F and finding that ...
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Spyraflo Triples Life of Crimping Tool with Magnagold Coating
Description: Understanding the consequences of machinery failure is a given for Spyraflo,a bearings manufacturer based out of Atlanta, GA, that develops custom bearing solutions designed to deliver ...
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Make It or Buy It? Part 1: Manufacturing Overhead Costs
From: Elasto Proxy Inc.Description: What types of products does your company make? No matter what your industry, manufactured goods have two types of costs: direct and indirect. Direct costs, such as labor and materials, are expenses ...
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Make It or Buy It? Part 2: Opportunity Costs
From: Elasto Proxy Inc.Description: In Part 1 of this blog series, we considered manufacturing overhead (MOH) costs and how failing to account for them can cause companies to produce parts in-house even when outsourcing is more ...
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Adding High Velocity to High Pressure Gas Quenching
From: Solar Atmospheres, Inc.Description: Despite the widespread commercial use of hydrogen, not all of the flammability limits of the gas are known. Experiments were done to determine hydrogen reaction limits in a partial pressure vacuum to ...
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Annealing bolt shafts [PFS]
Description: A three turn helical coil is used to heat the shaft of the bolts for 10 to 12 seconds on the large bolts and 18 to 20 seconds on the smaller bolts using the same coil... ...
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Curing plastisol adhesive on both ends of a filter assembly [CSFS]
Description: Induction heating provides improved distribution of heat, much faster cure time than heat plates previously used, much faster production rate and hands-free heating that involves no operator skill for ...
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Material Requirements: Part 1-Aluminum
Description: Estes knows that it is important to identify from the beginning what material for which the part will run. In most cases, our customers know clearly which type of material they would like us to use. ...
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Material Requirements: Part 2-Stainless Steel
Description: As we mentioned in our Material Requirements: Part 1 post on aluminum, identifying what material to use from the beginning is extremely important to Estes. We know in many cases that customers have ...
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Material Requirements: Part 3-Carbon Steel
Description: As we mentioned in our earlier Material Requirements posts on aluminum and stainless steel, Estes focuses on identifying which material to use from the beginning. Often, customers have already clearly ...
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Understanding the Difference: Carbon Steel, Stainless Steel, and Aluminum
Description: Sheet metal comes with a variety of specified benefits attained from the material used in fabrication and forming. Estes Design & Manufacturing utilizes stainless and carbon steels and aluminum in its ...
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Braze an end plug on a stainless steel car grill [PFS]
Description: A three turn square shaped helical coil is used to heat the end of the grill. End plugs are inserted into the grill and the assembly is inserted into the coil for 30 seconds. ...
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Annealing ammunition casings [PFS]
Description: Induction offers the same result every time, while a torch often delivers variation and there is no open flame with induction... ...
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Brazing a steel and copper strip to carbide [PFS]
Description: Heating took less than 30 seconds, is highly repeatable and there is no open flame, clear benefits over flame heating.It is a safer method of heating than torch heating... ...
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Annealing zinc wire prior to forming pellets for air rifles [PFS]
Description: A fourteen-turn coil is used to heat 3.9" (100mm) of zinc wire. The wire is placed in the coil for 5 seconds to reach the desired condition just prior to the forming process... ...
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Heating stainless steel inserts for an insertion application [MFPS]
Description: Induction offers dramatically faster heating compared to ultrasonics which means dramatically increased production rates. Induction is highly repeatable and easy-to-integrate into manufacturing ...
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Assessing Work-Basket Alloys for Vacuum Furnaces
From: Solar Atmospheres, Inc.Description: A commercial heat treating company draws on its experience and test results to determine which high-temperature alloys to use for vacuum furnace baskets. ...
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De-bonding a magnetic steel paint can lid [MPFS]
Description: The goal of the process is to quickly and cleanly remove the can lid and to pour out paint to reformulate. Induction enabled rapid removal of the paint can lids... ...
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Soldering windows to time indicator housings [PFS]
Description: Soldering soda lime glass metal edged windows to steel time indicator housings ... ...
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Glossary of Technical Terms
From: Pivot Point, Inc.Description: Glossary of terms related to steels. ...
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Annealing stainless steel tubes [PFS]
Description: The client's parts were heated to the desired temperature in less than three seconds. Their gas oven required twice as much heating time as the induction process. Induction is more energy-efficient ...
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Casse Study: a high-spec natural rubber ball for the hydraulic engine mounts
From: DP Seals LtdDescription: The component in question is a high-spec natural rubber ball that DP Seals produce for the hydraulic engine mounts made by DTR VMS Ltd. In the past year alone, well over five million have been ...
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Brazing two aluminum pipes to aluminum evaporator core [PFS]
Description: The customer is replacing a flame process which can burn away the thin flange at the joint area and create scrap parts. By switching to induction for this application the customer is decreasing their ...
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Brazing automotive tube assemblies [MFPS]
Description: A four turn split helical coil is used to heat the steel assembly to 1400ºF (760ºC) for 85 seconds. The coil design allows for the steel fitting to expand away from the steel tube which allows braze ...
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Shrink fit a steel gear onto a steel gear motor shaft [PFS]
Description: A four-turn helical internal coil is used to heat the gear bore. The coil is inserted into the gear bore and power is applied for 90 seconds to reach the required 400 ºF (204 ºC) and expand the gear ...
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Brazing a rectangular steel part [PFS]
Description: Heating took 30 seconds (or less), which can't be matched when using a torch. This client was using an old induction system from another vendor, and the Ambrell system provided considerably faster ...
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Hardening steel screw threads [PFS]
Description: A five turn helical coil is used heat the screw threads. The screw is placed in the coil, heat is applied for 8 seconds to achieve a 2" long zone at the required hardness... ...
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Brazing brass bellow assemblies for pneumatic regulators [PFS]
Description: Customer is replacing flame with induction to braze/solder these parts. While they are not looking to increase their production, they are looking for a repeatable and reliable process... ...
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Shrink-fitting aluminum pulley to insert inner bearing [PFS]
Description: A three turn helical coil is used to heat the aluminum pulley. The pulley is heated to 464 ºF (240 ºC) in 20 seconds to expand the inner diameter and then the inner bearing is inserted to form the ...
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Heating a steel grenade for a disposing application [PFS]
Description: The grenade was then placed inside the coil and power was turned on. After just two seconds the painted indicated, meaning the part achieved 800 °F (427 °C)... ...
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Tempering an audio speaker screen [PFS]
Description: The speaker screen was placed over the induction coil and the power was turned on. The screen heated to the desired temperature within just one second... ...
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Preheating steel garden tools for press stamping [PFS]
Description: Induction heating provides hands-free heating that involves no operator skill for manufacturing, configurable heating profiles, faster process times and even distribution of heating... ...
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Soldering an LED assembly to an aluminum spotlight housing [PFS]
Description: A multi turn pancake coil is used to heat the bottom of the aluminum spotlight housing. The LED housing was not available so this application is done with temperature sensing paint to determine the ...
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Shrink-fitting auto turbo charger impeller blades onto an aluminum shaft [PFS]
Description: Induction heating provides repeatable results, reduced cycle time, lower consumables cost and even distribution of heating... ...
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Soldering Fiber Optic Cable to Fiber Ferrule with Glass Preform [PFS]
Description: Induction heating provides rapid localized heat only where needed, repeatable, consistent results with clean, controllable joints... ...
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Bonding a stainless steel sheet to a soundproofing mat [CSFS]
Description: The part was assembled with the mat in contact with the stainless steel sheet. The part was set on non-conductive material, and placed inside the coil... ...
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Brazing a carbide to a stainless steel shaft for a digger used in mining [PFS]
Description: A three turn helical coil is used to braze the carbide to the shaft. The steel shaft is fluxed and the braze shim placed on top. The carbide tip is fluxed and placed on top of the shim, lining up the ...
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Brazing a copper tube [PFS]
Description: The client had been using a torch, which took 50 seconds instead of 30; induction increased repeatability and in turn boosted part quality. Also, there is no open flame which makes it a safer method ...
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Shrink fitting an aluminum hub to enable a steel bushing to be inserted [PFS]
Description: The client currently uses an electric oven and the heating time is two hours, so at 60 seconds, the time savings with induction is very significant... ...
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Braze a Stainless steel braided hose to copper elbow for flexible hosing [PFS]
Description: A two turn helical coil is used to heat the braided hose assembly. Braze rings are placed... ...
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Heat steel plates of various thicknesses on the same line [PFS]
Description: This in-line system enables the client to heat plates with significantly different thicknesses, while the feed-rate varies considerably based on the thickness of the part. Induction is the fastest ...
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Soldering a steel funnel to flex spout [IH]
Description: Induction heating delivers non-contact energy-efficient heat without flame, resulting in repeatable and consistent results... ...
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Heating a carbon steel plate with a tin coating for flow-melting [PFS]
Description: A nine turn "Dog Bone" style coil is used for the flow-melting process. The tin coated carbon steel plate is placed in the coil for 1.34 seconds to uniformly reflow the tin coating... ...
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Soldering three brass connectors in a solar panel junction box assembly [PFS]
Description: Solder three brass connectors one at a time in a solar panel junction box without affecting the components in the junction box... ...
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Heating an aluminum-backed circuit board to reflow solder [PFS]
Description: Given the significantly faster heating time, induction improves throughput in this process and is a more efficient heating method than hot plate heating... ...
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Preheating a brass rod for forging [MFPS]
Description: The client wanted to cut the cycle time it was getting from a torch in half, and the Ambrell induction process was able to meet that goal... ...
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Heating a Kovar tube for a glass sealing application [PFS]
Description: The client was using a torch, and operator error was slowing the heating. The repeatability of induction enables improved throughput while in this process it is a more efficient heating method than ...
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Preheating steel rods for forging in a fastener manufacturing process [PFS]
Description: The client targeted an aggressive cycle time, achieve thanks to our process design and the efficiency of induction heating; fast heating means greater manufacturing throughput... ...
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Heat an Inconel tube for a swaging application [PFS]
Description: A need to increase volume and quality of parts production led to the choice of an induction process over flame. Handling is minimized and continuity is assured with the precision delivery of heating ...
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Heating a chromel grid for an oxidization application [PFS]
Description: Induction delivers a dramatic reduction in heating time, enabling a significant increase in production while providing a more energy-efficient heating method than furnace heating... ...
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Pre-heating a steel plate and a carriage roller shaft for a welding application [PFS]
Description: Induction heating achieves the client's targeted speed/production rate and opens up the possibility of preheating while welding... ...
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Pre-heating a steel transaxle tube for a welding application [PFS]
Description: Induction heating achieves an identical result consistently, and is a more efficient heating method, each of which are advantage over torch heating ...
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Annealing the end of a hydraulic motor shaft prior to machining [PFS]
Description: A three-turn helical coil is used for annealing the motor shaft. The end of the motor shaft is placed in the coil and power is applied for 20 seconds to reach 1350 ºF (732 ºC) and turn the steel red ...
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Braze a diamond carbide tip onto band saw blade [MFPS]
Description: A single turn helical coil is used for this brazing process. The saw blade and diamond carbide tip are placed in the coil... ...
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Annealing brass and bronze tubing prior to bending to form handrails [PFS]
Description: A twelve-turn helical coil is used to heat an 8" (20.3cm) area 3" (7.6cm) above the end of the tube. Each of the four tubes require a different heat cycle and time to reach the required temperature... ...
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Braze electrical contacts to brass and copper bus [MFPS]
Description: A five turn split helical coil is used to heat the assembly. The parts are placed 90º to the coil between the top turn and second turn with braze shims and flux... ...
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Brazing a copper block and carbide to create a contact shoe assembly [PFS]
Description: Induction completed the carbide brazing process more rapidly than an oven, delivering heat exactly where it's needed, operating instant on/instant off... ...
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Annealing both ends of copper tubing for refrigeration [PFS]
Description: Induction heating provides controlled application of heat to very specific area, faster process time, increased production and high efficiency, low energy cost... ...
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Heating the joint area of two lead plates for a butt welding application [MFPS]
Description: The client was using a torch, which took five minutes; induction takes just one minute, which means an improved production rate and, unlike a torch, induction heating is precise and repeatable... ...
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Heating brass inserts for metal-to-plastic insertion [PFS]
Description: Innovation: Ambrell's Applications Lab was able to solve a problem that a competitor couldn't solve, which is a key benefit when purchasing induction solutions from Ambrell... ...