Mechanical Components Reference Materials

Description: The active coils are what make a spring a spring. We normally refer to the coils that open in an extension spring, the coils that deflect or close in a compression spring and the coils that twist or ...

Description: PV (Pressure & Velocity) is the most common empirical tool to use when comparing and contrasting bearing performance. "P" is related to pressure or pounds per square inch on the projected bearing ...

Description: The Solid Height of a compression spring is the height of the spring when all of the coils are brought together (stacked) by compression (load). Solid Height should only be specified when it is ...

Description: Often spring designs are more expensive and difficult to manufacture due to lack of space. Each type of spring presents its own challenges, however, adequate space for coils and spring diameters can ...

Description: Bearings rarely wear out, yet they do fail. Careful analysis of bearing condition and failure modes can provide insight into the causes of failure and how to correct them. In most cases, lubrication ...

Description: Modulus of Elasticity is the measurement of stiffness and rigidity of spring material, or its elastic ability. The higher the value (modulus), the stiffer the material. Conversely, materials with ...

Description: Simply put, permanent set in a compression spring is a condition where the spring is deflected (compressed) and does not return to its original free length. This occurs when the material is deflected ...

Description: The best way to interchange a mechanical seal is by using the OEM part number. Of course this information is not always available so here are 9 steps to help identify the seal. ...

Description: The spring index is the relationship between the mean diameter and wire diameter. The equation is explained in this article. This is a very important relationship to consider for manufacturing ease ...

Description: Spring rate is the change in load per unit of deflection - this article explains spring rate and provides instructions about how to determine rate. ...

Description: One of the least understood facets of spring design is specifying the proper tolerance to various dimensions of the spring. Sometimes the person engineering and/or drafting a new spring will disregard ...

Description: Squareness of a compression spring refers to the perpendicularity of the spring to its own axis. A spring that is "square" will exert more uniform loads, which may be needed in critical applications. ...

Description: There are basically four (4) types of ends on Helical Compression Springs: closed & ground, closed & not ground ends, open & ground ends and open & not ground ends. This article describes the types of ...

Description: At some point in eighty percent of people's lives, back pain will be their worst enemy. In many cases, the cause is pressure exerted on nerves branching out from the spinal column into the lower or ...

Description: Dicronite dry lubrication is commonly used to extend the life or increase the load carrying capacity of rotating or sliding elements beyond that obtained with wet lubricants only. In the tests ...

Description: Situation: Combat helicopters are vulnerable to sudden loss of transmission lubrication due to enemy fire. Increasing the transmission life after sudden lubrication loss increases the probability of ...

Description: Airbearings or air casters support loads on a cushion of air like an air hockey puck on an air hockey table. It is a unique air support device, but may be compared with two other forms of air ...

Description: What do a micron-precision silicon wafer cutter, a surgical microscope focusing mechanism, and a target sighting system for an MIA2 Abrams tank all have in common? Each contains an electrodeposited ...

Description: In this study, finite element analysis was used to optimize the design of a stator coupling in order to increase its natural frequency. Through design iterations and analysis, it was discovered that ...

Description: Oil & Gas Products News May, 2003 — A catastrophic lubrication malfunction caused a failure in a Philadelphia Gear gearbox on an offshore gas production platform in the Gulf of Mexico. The ...

Description: Coal Age October, 2002 — When equipment fails, often the biggest concern is how to get the equipment running again. Equally important, however, is discovering why the equipment failed and how ...

Description: Power Engineering Magazine, November, 2002 — WHEN POWER PLANT equipment fails a plant manager's biggest concern is getting the equipment back into service as quickly as possible. However, ...

Description: WorldWide Independent Power, June 2007 — The reliability, operation and life-expectancy of power equipment are all largely dependent on the constant supply of lubrication oil. Jules DeBaecke, ...

Description: Industrial WaterWorld June, 2002 — A new Universal Cooling Tower Drive (UCT) is meeting the challenge of replacing cooling tower drives and spare parts in record time. The standard drive ...

Description: When equipment fails, often a plant manager's biggest concern is how to get the equipment running again. However, equally important to getting it back online is discovering 1) why the equipment ...

Description: The active coils are what make a spring a spring. We normally refer to the coils that open in an extension spring, the coils that deflect or close in a compression spring and the coils that twist or ...

Description: The direction of wind of a spring can be determined by simply holding it in your hand with your fingers placed around the outside of the body and your thumb pointing straight up. If the last coil ends ...

Description: Measuring the amount of initial tension in an extension spring can be tricky and an often misunderstood process for those unfamiliar with spring manufacturing. Sometimes incoming inspectors will ...

Description: Measuring the amount of initial tension in an extension spring can be tricky and an often misunderstood process for those unfamiliar with spring manufacturing. Sometimes incoming inspectors will ...

Description: One of the least understood elements of spring design is initial tension in extension springs. So often designers will guess at the amount of force necessary to overcome this one time load, or they ...

Description: For a long time, rubber or plastic plugs were typically used to protect ABS and ESP systems from in-process contamination before final assembly. This was a complex proposition. For automotive supplier ...

Description: Is a synchronous belt drive system really any match for a roller chain drive in high-torque applications? Thirty years ago one might have answered no, but that's not the case today. New materials, ...

Description: Over the years, customers have asked us what's the difference between a rubber O.D. and a metal O.D and are there any special considerations when replacing a metal-cased seal with a rubber covered ...

Description: To assist U.S. manufacturers, exporters and individuals living or traveling abroad, these pages list the characteristics of electric current available and the type of attachment plugs used in most ...

Description: Color is an absolute must for some projects to be successful. Lauren offers EPDMs and other compounds in colors other than black. Our complete line of silicone capabilities allows Lauren to be ...

Description: Selecting the right seal or gasket for a specific application involves knowing the answers to many questions about what your requirements might be. To help you in this process, the following tables ...

Description: With thirty-five years of seal and gasket design experience, Lauren knows what you want. Vertically integrated from the ground up, we have tight control of our own materials and formulate high-quality ...

Description: In most instances, the use of pressure sensitive adhesives can eliminate mechanical fastening systems, (staples, nails or retaining clips) and the inherent problems associated with them. PSA's ...

Description: Linear vibration welding physically moves one of two parts horizontally under pressure, creating heat through surface friction that melts and welds the parts together. Compared to ultrasonic welding, ...

Description: The marketplace is flooded by offerings of some format of high performance self-tapping screw that claims to work better than anything else for threading into plastic. Most seem to have more than just ...

Description: Much attention has been made during the early 2000's on improving the "supply chain" of companies. Ariba, Commerce One, SAP, I2, Oracle and many others have all seized upon this opportunity and have ...

Description: Imagine harnessing the heat energy of a blast furnace while keeping the vibrational equivalent of a jet fighter's acceleration in check. This is essentially what diesel engine designers worldwide must ...

Description: Extreme shock, G-force, vibration, and temperature cycles assault every jet, rocket, and spacecraft repeatedly during thousands of hours of operational use. True mission success depends on how ...

Description: Whether the challenge is getting a bearing adapter to reliably withstand tremendous force in a U.S. locomotive bogie frame, retrofitting Chinese track to handle a doubling of train speed, or cutting ...

Description: Managers and engineers are understandably hesitant to change familiar production practices, but benefits to the bottom line through better joint integrity as well as streamlined assembly and ...

Description: In the world of engineered components, let's face it, fasteners aren't the first thing engineers think about. They're not exciting, they're not sexy. They're commonly treated as routine. But choose ...

Description: Failure is not an option when it comes to medical equipment. From critical or sensitive devices like lasers, MRI scanners, knee joints, and implantable pacemakers to instruments as straightforward as ...

Description: For engineers combating vibrational loosening, axial-torsional loading, joint fatigue, and ther mal extremes, conventional fastening methods involving standard 60 degree threads have posed design ...

Description: After a seven-year, two billion mile journey strapped to the side of the Cassini orbiter, the Huygens probe decelerated 12,000 mph in less than two minutes, before parachuting to the frozen surface of ...

Description: Extreme may be the new buzzword for dangerous sports and high-caffeine sports drinks, but for vehicle design engineers "extreme" has always been part of the job. "The challenge is to keep critical ...

Description: The Lee Spring catalog has always offered springs with relatively low spring rates or workable (maximum) loads. But often, the offered diameters (outside or inside) were too small to accommodate the ...

Description: The past decade or so has seen an ever increasing number of large organizations shift manufacturing operations to lower cost countries. The scale of this movement has not abated. Few small companies, ...

Description: Bounce Rapid rebounding of contact after closing. ...

Description: High reliability, long service life and high efficiency are all requirements that are met by Mechetronics solenoids through precision manufacture, tight tolerances and suitable surface treatment. ...

Description: Electrical ratings are a guide only, application variables will affect switch operation and life. Test and evaluation of switches is always recommended and ACT application engineers can provide past ...

Description: How many cycles will a membrane switch survive? When the Membrane Switch Subcommittee of ASTM International began its study of switch characteristics in 1992, members unanimously agreed that the term ...

Description: Fire resistant gasket for underground and transit applications ...

Description: There are a number of industrial silent chain manufacturers in the United States and each produces different types of silent chain. Chains from different manufacturers differ in design and therefore ...

Description: For maximum productivity and efficiency it is very important that the key elements in a glass conveying system be properly installed and maintained. In this discussion, the key elements are those ...

Description: For many years, Inverted tooth chain, also known as silent chain, has been used to transport glassware in both hot end and cold end applications. Providing a stable, flat and smooth, heat resistant ...

Description: Ramsey provides chains and sprockets that will replace or interchange with products from most manufacturers. The key to a successful interchange is correctly identifying the manufacturer and the size ...

Description: The importance of good alignment can't be overstated - misalignment increases the likelihood of excessive lateral guide wear, chain wear, increased maintenance, and shortened chain life. To align and ...

Description: MicroGrade Grease Plating is a proprietary lubrication process that is ideal for bearings used in ultra-low torque applications and is only available through AST Bearings. ...

Description: There are many misconceptions regarding the "shelf life" of the types of lubricants that are contained in the precision ball bearings. This article clears up many of these mis-understandings. ...

Description: This article from AST Bearings explains how the consistency of bearing grease can affect overall performance. ...

Description: Brewerton, New York: Designing the first of its kind, automatic, 5-panel wrap around case packer for juice cups with simultaneous stacking of three high incoming juice cup lanes required a new ...

Description: Battle Creek, Michigan: Servomotor powered indexing stations in automated pouching systems require accurate registration as they position, fill and heat seal completed pouches. Case in point are the ...

Description: Cleveland, Ohio: High speed rotary fabricating and die cutting machinery employ phase adjusting differentials connected by means of backlash-free CD® couplings from Zero-Max. The couplings damp ...

Description: Greenville, South Carolina: Servomotor powered indexing print stations in high speed screen printing systems require accurate registration as they index, position, print and advance to the next ...

Description: Chatanooga, Tennessee: Repaving asphalt streets and highways requires heavy equipment including cold planers which cut 8 feet wide by 12 inch deep swaths in old asphalt surfaces in order to remove ...

Description: Plymouth, Minnesota: Forestry shredders used to reduce trees and shrubs to mulch employ Zero-Max OHLA Overhung Load Adaptors in their rotor power trains. Located between the hydraulic motor and ...

Description: Horsham, Pennsylvania: Precision sealing of integrated circuit packages at high speed requires a backlash-free motion system to produce the highest quality seal. These systems have digital sealing ...

Description: Sturtevant, WI: Auger systems using direct drive servo motors for blending and filling food pouches and packages are an improvement over stepper motor and traditional clutch/brake systems resulting in ...

Description: Minneapolis, Minnesota: The coupling needs for wind turbines pose problems that are beyond the performance specifications of standard offerings. And no wonder. Wind generators are big - really big. ...

Description: Routing electrical and even optical signals from one source to another requires an overall understanding of the application, signals being switched and finally an understanding of how to select a ...

Description: Historically, the design and implementation of microwave switch systems has been a highly specialized process that necessitated the acceptance of custom designs and interfaces by the customer. Each ...

Description: Gearhead Construction and Use Spur Gear Type Gearheads Direction of Rotation Planetary Gears Spur Gear Type Gearheads Spur gear type gearheads are probably the best possible choice for relatively low ...

Description: Established in Charlestown, Massachusetts Boston Gear was founded by none other than the man who invented the calculator - George Grant. Grant headed the business from 1877 to 1891, when it was sold ...

Description: Precision Gearhead Application Considerations In selecting a gearhead, one must be mindful that gearhead selection will impact more than just the output speed and torque level at the output shaft. ...