When to Choose and Use Variable Speed Drive

There is no question to the efficiency and efficacy of a variable speed drive in motion control precision. However, success needs the correct choice of both motor and the drive. Variable speed drive or variable frequency drive is designed and configured for certain control schemes in mind. So, you have to really work closely with the vendor to make sure that the drive you pick matches the motor and can deliver as needed for the specific application. This becomes even more crucial when operating at low speeds when choosing inverter-duty motors as the best option because the induction motor is usually cooled by fans coupled to the motor shaft.

Moreover, there is a corresponding speed and position capabilities of a variable speed drive at a certain amount of complexity. In effect, users have the tendency of underestimating what is needed to install and commission fees axes. You have to keep in mind that it is not as easy as connecting a motor to a three-phase output in the speed drive and a quick start command and a speed. It’s not as simple as that. The user needs to have the encoder and the right option card on the drive to communicate to the encoder, ensuring that the connection is proper.

Once everything is in good order, using a variable speed drive brings great advantages. For instance, the use of VSDs in process control applications enable the motor speed to the required tasks. It can also compensate for the changes in the variables of the process flow. Generally, VSDs enhance process operations involving flow control by providing soft-start capacities. This reduces the possible electrical stresses and line voltage sags which are primarily caused by full startups. This scenario is especially true when driving high-inertia loads. If you think your application needs this technology, just get in touch with us today to learn more about how we can assist you to find the best solution.

4 Crucial Situations That Call for an Excellent Metal Fabrication Company

It sounds excessive to consider working with a metal fabrication company for your daily operations. However, there are many situations where you’ll want to reach out and find the best to assist you during some challenging moments. If you find yourself handling one, two, or all of these situations, it’s best to call on a highly-dependable and experienced fabricator near you.

Mass Production Woes

Truthfully, mass production is highly problematic even for medium to large businesses. Despite having enough equipment, a sudden surge of production requirements can make things awry. Even if manufacturers plan their production targets with realistic figures, they will want to ensure they have stable and predictable results. That’s where metal fabrication companies come in as safety measures.

Broken-Down Manufacturing Equipment

You’re handling production well, and the facilities are effectively hitting their targets. Unfortunately, one of your essential machines broke down without warning. The repair specialists estimate they can bring it back up within a week, which is time you don’t have. Outsourcing its task to an experienced metal fabrication company is an excellent decision when this happens.

Prototype Design and Production

Many risks and unpredictable elements will remain present when you’re studying design concepts and prototypes. You can reduce risks and problems by working with greatly-dependable fabricators in your area. Furthermore, they can provide design suggestions and adjustment assistance if you need it. 

Sudden Increased Workload

If you’re juggling two or more mass production projects, a suddenly increased workload for no reason will cause huge problems. Having a fabricator handy to help during this situation can make things lighter and prevent any possible logistics problems.

You Won’t Need to Look Far to Find Excellent Local Fabricators

If you have yet to find dependable fabricators near you, you can always count on Baseline Custom Fabricating for any metal manufacturing and production you need. Contact us today to learn more about everything that we can achieve with you.

Steel or Fiberglass Duct Rodder: Which is Better?

If you need a duct rodder, a dependable manufacturer, such as AMAC Equipment, can provide a top-performing one for all your needs. However, duct rodders aren’t made equal, and you have two materials to choose from. Let’s compare both of them below.

Steel Tapes and Rodders

A steel duct rodder and fish tape use semi-malleable steel capable of bending and turning corners. If you fish a tape too fast without lubrication, steel rodders can cause surface artefacts due to burns. However, professional electricians have always achieved exceptional results with them.

Pros

Durable and well-manufactured. Plus, steel is an affordable material, allowing you to have high-quality equipment sets at budget-friendly costs. They’re semi-malleable too.

Cons

It’s crucial to find an excellent-sized steel duct rodder. The wrong gauge can damage the concrete, plastic, and other materials if it has insufficient lubrication. Additionally, lubrication is critical to operating steel duct rodders effectively.

Fiberglass Alternatives

While truthfully much more expensive than their steel counterparts, fiberglass rodders is an equipment capable of bending and curving much further. Additionally, they need adequate lubrication and have less risk of creating burn artefacts.

Pros

Fiberglass is a durable material virtually similar to steel in durability and dependability. It has adequate density but less weight, making it much more portable and easier to manage during operations.

Cons

Fiberglass does not easily break thanks to its exceptional reinforcement during manufacturing. However, the same advantage makes it much more expensive than steel rodders.

Which One Will Work Best for Your Project?

If you have enough to spend, and the majority of your projects involve delicate materials, fiberglass will work well to your advantage. On the other hand, steel rodders can last much longer than fiberglass, especially with rugged daily operations.

Get The Best Rodders from Dependable Manufacturers

You can always count on us at AMAC Equipment to provide you with the best rodders and fish tapes for all your projects. Contact us today to learn more!

Nickel Alloy 101

Both in its elemental state and in alloyed form, nickel has contributed a significant role in improving the ways of life of modern-day society. It has always been a valuable metal for a wide variety of industries due to its high versatility that can alloy with most other metals available. A nickel alloy is basically an alloy with nickel as the principal element. For instance, it can be alloyed with copper because of its solid solubility with that metal as well as with other metals such as iron, chromium, titanium, and more. This high “alloy-ability” or versatility, along with its excellent heat and corrosion resistance made nickel and its alloys useful in a wide range of applications.

A nickel alloy is usually used in aircraft gas turbines, steam turbine power plants, nuclear power systems, chemical and petrochemical facilities, and medical applications. Moreover, there are also a number of other uses for a nickel alloy involving its unique physical qualities, including a shape memory alloy, soft magnetic alloy, low-expansion alloy, and electrical resistance alloy. Nickel alloys are categorized into different types according to the specific metals they are alloyed with such as copper-nickel alloy, nickel-chromium alloy, iron-nickel-chromium alloy, nickel-titanium alloy, and so on.

In addition, there are also high nickel alloys and super alloys, which are often used because of their superb corrosion and high-temperature resistance. Most of them are extremely highly alloyed with other metals like chromium and molybdenum for enhanced corrosion resistance, making them ideal for use in nuclear power plants and petrochemical industries. Another nickel alloy called super alloy refers to alloys that have exceptional high-temperature strength and oxidation resistance.

These alloys usually have a balanced amount of chromium, cobalt, aluminum, titanium, and other elements. These nickel alloys have temperature strengths at 1000°C, exceeding the capacity of ordinary steel at room temperature. They are created through a controlled solidification process to achieve the desired temperature resistance property.

Safety Glass: More Than Just Safety

Instead of shattering into dangerous, jagged pieces, safety glass breaks into small, harmless fragments when struck. Most often, this type of glass is made in two methods. First, it can be made by laminating two sheets of ordinary glass using thin plastic as their interlayer. Second, it can also be constructed through heat treatment which adds more strength to the glass sheets. The very first attempt at introducing safety glass was in 1909 with the use of celluloid as an interlayer between two ordinary glass types. Eventually, the use of polyvinyl butyl was deemed to be more desirable in offering better safety properties.

On the other side, glass sheets are being tempered at about 1200 °F and then rapidly cooled during the heat treatment technique. This method of creating safety glass gives the glass a lot more strength, making it six times stronger than ordinary glass that once it breaks, it shatters into un-pointed granules. This is one reason why this type of glass became the top choice in most modern building enclosures. Apart from safety, the desirable properties of radiant energy transfer and conductive heat transfer are the key considerations in many commercial buildings.

Unlike other transparent materials common in low-rise residential buildings, safety glass is very important in buildings with fully controlled atmosphere. In fact, the glass is ideal for double glazing that is vital to minimize heat transfer and reduce condensation from forming on the glass. In this case, property owners can further reduce light transmission by considering to integrate tinting into the glass in different colors such as grey or bronze. This safety glass would be able to reflect as much as 90% of the incident energy. So, if you think that your application can highly benefit from the use of this type of glass to surround your commercial space or provide protection in your home, get in touch with us today to discuss all your potential options.

Top 4 Skills Your Kids Will Develop During Art Classes

Have you noticed in your kids signs of creativity or even just a hint of artistic skills? Then don’t ignore it but invest in them by bringing your children to art classes for kids. Apart from enhancing their creativity, your kids can improve a whole lot more skills. 

Problem Solving

If you don’t know it yet, artwork is born through solving problems. As simple as deciding which color of paint will work best for an object or subject of the painting already involves problem-solving. So, without them realizing it, your little ones who participate in art classes for kids are consistently being challenged to solve couple of problems. This, in turn, helps your children develop their skills in understanding and reasoning which are both essential to being successful in their career later on.

Ability to Focus

Creating artwork requires high attention to details. Even basic drawing involves focus and concentration to create the image that your kids have in mind. This also helps your little ones achieve a good balance between listening to tutors and making their own masterpieces. In fact, studies have shown that participating in art classes for kids improves the abilities of your children to also concentrate on important aspects of their lives outside art.

Build Confidence

Developing creativity and problem-solving skills also help your kids build their self-confidence as they interact with other children in their art class. It trains your kids to step out of their comfort zone, allowing them to learn from their mistakes during practice until they come up with a perfect creation. They can do this even in the presence of a large crowd.

Communicate Non-Verbally

Through experiences in art classes for kids, your children learn to communicate through their work of art, by either drawing or painting. They will be taught the different ways of creating art masterpieces that effectively convey different emotions to the audience.

5 Critical Signs to Have Your Heated Ramps Replaced

Heated ramps are convenient for residential and corporate properties. You won’t need to have someone shovel the entire area. Plus, you reduce the risk of slips, trips and falls, as well as cluttered and traffic-ridden parkways due to car exiting delays. However, they still fall prey to wear and tear. Here are five vital symptoms the heated ramp will require a replacement soon.

Unprecedented Ice Buildup

The primary objective of heated ramps is to remove ice buildup from your ramps. If it fails to do this task, then it’s time for you to have it inspected. Experienced electrician teams, such as A.S. Electrical Services, could check and determine if it requires repairs or replacement only.

Inaccurate Temperature Settings

If the heated ramps’ thermostats and wires do not reach high temperatures, your thermostat or wires might be in trouble. Alternatively, the digital controls are most likely to suffer damages too. Inaccurate temperature settings require the inspection and recommendation of professional electricians.

Small Frozen Patches on Ramps

Small frozen patches are signs of malfunctioning heating rods. It’s possible that the rods physically disconnected themselves through a number of ways too. Electricians can inspect these areas by going underneath your ramp and inspecting it thoroughly.

Unexpected and Unforeseen Shut Offs

One sign of an aged heated ramp is the sudden shut-offs it encounters throughout the day. If your ramps are having this problem, it might be a minor issue with its connection to your main power supply. Otherwise, it might be something bigger and detrimental.

In Use for More Than Ten Years

Any ramp in use daily for more than ten years is a suspect to possible long-term damages. You’ll want to have these aged ramps changed soon.

Get The Best Electrician Team Install the Best Heating System

A.S. Electrical Services provides only the best electrician services and heated ramp installations nationwide. Contact us today to learn more about our services!

4 Impressive Life Hacks You Can Try with Pool Noodles

You most likely have seen those fun and colorful pool noodles in public swimming pools or perhaps your kids have some of them. But do you know that these foam toys can even be more fun and useful around your house? Just with a few tweaks, they can help make your life more convenient. Here are the four awesome life hacks you can try with these beautiful toys.

#1. Cushion for your cargo rack

If you just purchase an SUV or want to protect the luggage rack of your old car from getting ugly scratches, simply cover the bars with pool noodles. All you have to do is slit them on a side and tape them on together. The foam will not just protect your rack but also keep your luggage and other cargo from creating an irritating sound while you drive.

#2. Mowing comfort

Even if you are fond of mowing the lawn, the vibration caused by the mower handle can be so inconvenient which may even trigger arthritis in your hands. You can avoid this by just covering a piece of a pool noodle over the mower handle. You will be delighted to know how comfortable it will be to mow the grass and your hands won’t be hurt anymore after you’re done mowing.

#3. Guard over trampoline springs

Though your kids delight in jumping on the trampoline you just installed at your backyard, accidents and injuries can still happen anytime. The most common are fingers being pinched on the springs. You can prevent this by using pool noodles as a cover for each of those springs. Just slit them with the same length as the spring and your children will even love playing with those colorful foams around them.

#4. Fishing rod organizer

If you are a fishing enthusiast who loves to go fishing with rods, then a pool noodle would be one of your best buddies. It can make your rods stay organized and easy to use. Just make holes with a one-inch diameter in a PVC pipe while giving each hole enough space where the fishing rod can be placed. Just make slits in the foam with the same spacing where you can then insert the rods. It will give you a great display of your fishing gear tangle-free.

A Quick Guide When Renting Air Compressors

Air compressor rental is a good option if you need a temporary unit. However, it is necessary to consider a few factors to ensure it is worth spending your bucks.  Following is an easy to remember checklist to help you before you get your next air compressor.

Location

What type of air compressor do you want to rent? Check the requirements of the air compressor. Electric-powered air compressors require a nearby outlet to power the machine. On the other hand, diesel-powered units would need refueling once a day to function. It means the location of your air compressor should have enough space so the operator can quickly refuel when necessary. Also, diesel driven units are much safer outdoors to avoid exposure from exhaust fumes.

Safety

You may rent an air compressor for a couple of days. However, a temporary installation would still require a few things provided to permanent installations. Ventilation, fuel storage, noise, and other environmental and health concerns are factors worth considering whether the air compressor is for short term use or not.

Application

Your end-use application is one of the vital factors that determine the type of air compressor you need. For instance, auto shops and construction sites require compressed air to power their pneumatic tools. In this case, you have to look for reliable air compressors that can handle low-pressure applications at 150 psi.

On the other hand, heavy-duty industrial air compressors depend on much higher horsepower motors and robust components. Typical high-pressure applications include powering dairy machines, spraying crops, operating automated machinery, packing products, and a lot more. 

Understanding your application will also help you choose the right type and location for your air compressor.  If you want to add multiple units to your existing system, do you have the space to accommodate them? Bear in mind that each air compressor has to be positioned correctly for proper ventilation.

Cost

While stationary air compressors offer more horsepower, they are costlier compared to portable units. However, as you add more portable air compressors, the price tag will surely increase as well.

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Air Compressor Rental Near You

Why do you need to rent air compressors? Whether you need to replace onsite units receiving maintenance or to augment existing units to finish projects on time, the above list will surely help your compressed air needs.

Air Energy has a wide selection of air compressor rental units ready for our clients. We make sure that each air compressor is well-maintained so it can serve its purpose.

The Excellence of Custom Fabrication Craftsmanship

Metal fabrication projects can be very expensive and complicated, leaving very little room for errors. So, to ensure a great sheet metal project, the best way is to entrust your project to a reliable metal fabricating company. This is for the great reason that they put high importance on the craftsmanship and efficiency of the process. To be specific, metal fabricators will always ensure that your special requirements are met with high precision. Therefore, what you just need to do is to find the best metal fabrication shop and provide them with all your requirements. There are a lot of reasons why you should pick them over a traditional fab shop.

First is that your project will be of high quality, which is the sole reason why trusting only the right metal fabricating company is a must. Above all else, the quality of your project must be their priority. They can assure this by upholding the value of craftsmanship, starting from raw material selection to final project installation. Another compelling reason is the quality of the materials they use in fabricating metal parts. A reliable metal fabrication shop usually has access to the provider of the highest quality materials.

This is why before your fabrication project starts, it is important to ensure that the metal to be utilized to develop your part or structure is of good quality as it lays the foundation of your project. A quality metal fabricator can provide all of the various materials and more, depending on your specific requirements. Ultimately, they are equipped with custom metal fabricating tools and techniques. Hence, they have better capabilities when it comes to custom metal fabrication projects. They provide recent automation and design technologies that enable advanced custom metal projects. They also have skilled fabricators that are capable of specializing in sheet metal fab techniques and processes.