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3D Metal Printing – Future of Aerospace Engineering

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When fabricating aerospace components, it is essential to follow rigorous standards for safety and performance. Traditional manufacturing processes, such as casting and machining, have long been the backbone of the aerospace industry. However, these methods have limitations, especially at the forefront of creating complex, lightweight, and highly customized components. 3D metal printing, also known as additive manufacturing, has emerged as a game-changer for the aerospace fabrication industry. This innovative technology allows manufacturers to create three-dimensional objects by adding material layer-by-layer, rather than subtracting from a solid block. Let us examine the exciting potential 3D metal printing has for the future of aerospace manufacturing.

New Possibilities Unleashed

Here is a closer look at four ways 3D metal printing is propelling aerospace engineering into the future:

  • Complex Geometry: Aerospace components often require intricate designs to optimize their performance and efficiency. Traditional manufacturing methods, such as casting and machining, have limitations in producing complex shapes. 3D metal printing, on the other hand, excels at creating intricate geometries that were once deemed impossible or economically unviable.
  • Lightweight Structures: Weight reduction is a crucial factor in aerospace design. Lighter aircraft consume less fuel, produce fewer emissions, and are more manoeuvrable. 3D metal printing allows engineers to create structures that are up to 60% lighter with optimized internal geometries, reducing the overall weight of components without compromising strength.
  • Reduced Material Waste: Conventional manufacturing processes often produce significant material waste due to the need for subtractive machining. In fact, aircraft manufacturers cut away up to 90% of the material when fabricating metal parts. However, 3D metal printing is an additive process, so it only uses the material required for the final component, minimizing waste and conserving resources.
  • Rapid Prototyping: The aerospace industry thrives on innovation and iteration. 3D metal printing offers rapid prototyping capabilities, enabling engineers to design, print, and test components quickly and smoothly. This accelerated development process significantly reduces time-to-market and production costs for new aircraft and technologies.

Design Challenges of 3D Metal Printing

While the rapid rise of 3D metal printing has ushered in a new era of innovation and possibilities in the fields of aerospace and engineering, this transformative technology comes with its own set of unique design challenges. Aerospace engineers face four key challenges in 3D metal printing:

  • Heat Management: The layer-by-layer additive process using heat induction bending services can create thermal stresses within the component. Ensuring proper heat management during the printing process is crucial to prevent distortion or cracking.
  • Residual Stress: Residual stress in 3D printed components can affect their mechanical properties. Design modifications and post-processing techniques are necessary to mitigate these stresses.
  • Support Structures: Complex geometries often require structural steel fabrication during printing to prevent deformation. These support structures must be carefully designed and removed after printing.
  • Quality Assurance: 3D printing quality assurance in aerospace is of paramount importance. Ensuring that printed components meet the required standards for strength, durability, and safety is a continuous challenge.

The key to overcoming these challenges is innovation, problem-solving, and determination. With each challenge, we come one step closer to mastering 3D metal printing, revolutionizing industries, and reshaping the future of design and production.

Closing Comments

The aerospace industry is at the forefront of adopting 3D metal printing for the creation of complex components. This technology has revolutionized the way aerospace engineers design and manufacture critical parts, providing opportunities for lightweight structures and intricate geometries while reducing waste and production costs and improving lead time. With material innovations continuing to evolve and design challenges being addressed, we should expect 3D metal printing to play an increasingly pivotal role in the future of aerospace manufacturing.

CNC water jet cutting machine

Waterjet Cutting in Metal Fabrication

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Waterjet cutting is an innovative technology that has revolutionized metal fabrication and other industries. It involves using a high-pressure jet of water to cut through various materials including metals, plastics, and composites. Depending on the application, abrasive particles can be added to the water jet stream to further enhance the cutting ability. Waterjet cutting has become a popular choice in metal cutting because it offers a wide range of benefits compared to other metal cutting methods such as plasma cutting and laser cutting. In this blog post, we will discuss how waterjet cutting works and its advantages in metal fabrication.

How Does Waterjet Cutting Work?

Waterjet cutting involves a series of processes that include:

  1. Material preparation: This involves cleaning and drying the material to remove any debris or contaminants that could impede the cutting process.
  2. Design: The material is then designed using computer-aided design software (CAD). The CAD software generates a file that contains the exact design of the material to be cut.
  3. Programming: The CAD file is then transferred to a waterjet cutting machine that is programmed to follow the design specifications.
  4. Cutting: The waterjet machine cuts the material by directing a high-pressure jet of water through a small nozzle at the material. The force of the water cuts through the material, creating a clean and precise cut.

Advantages in Metal Fabrication

  1. Precise cuts: Waterjet cutting is a highly precise cutting method that can achieve a cut accuracy of up to 0.005 inches. This precision is due to its ability to produce a narrow and powerful cutting stream. This precision is essential in metal fabrication since it helps in creating parts with tight tolerances.
  2. Versatility: Waterjet cutting can cut through a wide range of materials, including metals, plastics, and composites. This versatility makes it a popular choice for metal fabrication, especially for materials that are difficult to cut using traditional cutting methods.
  3. Decreased material waste: Waterjet cutting generates reduced waste or scrap compared to other cutting methods. This is because the cutting process is very precise, and the kerf (the width of the cutting stream) is very narrow. This results in less material waste and reduced material costs.
  4. No Heat Affected Zone (HAZ): Other cutting methods such as plasma and laser cutting use heat to cut through materials. This heat can cause the material to warp, distort, or change its characteristics, leading to a HAZ. With waterjet cutting, there is no heat used in the cutting process, meaning that there is no HAZ.
  5. Eco-friendly: Waterjet cutting is eco-friendly compared to other cutting methods. This is because it does not generate any hazardous gases or dust, and it reduces water and energy consumption.

Applications in Metal Fabrication

Waterjet cutting has a wide range of applications in metal fabrication, including:

  1. Aerospace: The aerospace industry uses waterjet cutting in the fabrication of airplane parts such as wings, engine parts, and landing gears.
  2. Automotive: Waterjet cutting is used in the fabrication of automotive components such as body panels, exhaust systems, and engine parts.
  3. Architectural Metalwork: Waterjet cutting is used to create architectural metalwork such as railings, stairs, and decorative metal features in buildings.
  4. Medical Devices: Waterjet cutting is used in the fabrication of devices in the medical industry such as surgical instruments, prosthetics, and orthopaedic implants.
  5. Industrial Machinery: Waterjet cutting is used in the fabrication of industrial machinery such as pumps, valves, pressure vessels and gears.

Closing Comments

Waterjet cutting has become a popular choice in structural steel fabrication due to its precision, versatility, and eco-friendliness. It offers several benefits compared to other cutting methods and has a wide range of applications in various industries. Its precision and ability to cut through difficult to cut materials make it a valuable tool in metal fabrication.

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Specialized Coatings for Machinery Protection

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Protective coatings are a crucial part of the manufacturing and fabrication process, adding lifespan and durability to components and contributing to the overall lifecycle of machinery. Machinery is only as effective as its parts – and those parts are only as effective as the coating protecting them. Protective coatings are a crucial element of the manufacturing process, adding not only a finishing touch to a machined component, but adding the durability and longevity that contributes to the part’s lifespan – and to the lifespan of the machine overall. Painting as a coating technique is familiar to many, however what are the other coating mechanisms used in the metal fabrication and manufacturing industries? Let us dive deeper into this topic.

Benefits of Specialized Coatings

Machined components will inevitably wear down over time from use, as well as buildup of residue, corrosion, and exposure to a variety of weather conditions and environments. Machinery downtime can have significant costs to a business – and with supply chain shortages across the world, sourcing replacement parts can be a difficult and time-consuming process. Protective coatings not only keep the components beneath from degrading too quickly, but can also be reapplied within a relatively short time frame.

Recoating components locally rather than waiting to order replacement parts from overseas can drastically reduce downtime, allowing machinery to remain up and running for longer and dramatically increasing productivity.

Types of Specialized Coatings

Manufactured components require specialized protection that will meet the needs of the design specifications and their application. Machinery in outdoor settings, or in plants with high levels of moisture, require coatings that will protect against corrosion of the metal beneath. With an effective pre-treatment, coatings such as powder coating and thermoplastic coating add a layer of protection to the surface of aluminium or steel in mining plant and equipment that can withstand high levels of moisture and salt spray. Parts in fast-moving machinery, defense applications and heavy-duty applications are particularly susceptible to wear and abrasion.

As parts wear down over time, the effectiveness of the machinery overall can be compromised. Anodizing and its tougher counterpart hard anodizing are effective finishes for reducing abrasion and wear and expanding the lifespan of a component. A hard, dense aluminium oxide layer grown from the surface of the aluminium, anodizing adds protection against wear and external damage, preventing parts from wearing down quickly and adding significant longevity. Specialty finishes such as ceramic coatings can also add hardness and durability suitable for moving parts with tight tolerances. For components at risk of accumulation of residue, glue, chemicals or food substances such as pressure vessels, PTFE or PFA coatings – more commonly known as Teflon – are effective at reducing friction and allowing materials to pass over the part without building up.

 Concluding Remarks

Choosing the appropriate coating is crucial for protecting metal fabrication products from environmental factors like corrosion and wear. Different coatings such as liquid, powder, plating, anodizing, and conversion coatings offer unique properties that can enhance the performance and appearance of the metal substrate. Each type of coating has its own advantages and disadvantages, and selection depends on factors such as the intended use, exposure environment, and desired properties of the coating. In conclusion, the right coating and application method can significantly improve the durability, appearance, and longevity of a metal product. Thus, for industrial use in manufacturing, coating is gradually moving towards “must-have”, compared to its current “good-to-have” status!

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Painting – Ultimate Metal Finishing Technique

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Industrial metal painting is a metal finishing technique applied to fabricated metal products, parts, or components in structural steel fabrication. It is a popular metal coating technique that offers both a functional and aesthetic value to fabricated metal products. Without proper finishing, there are some metals that will begin to tarnish and corrode due to exposure to rain, moisture, marine salts, or ultraviolet light or degrade from the routine effects of corrosive chemicals and agents found in selective industrial and manufacturing environments. While there are other finishing techniques like powder coating or galvanizing, industrial metal painting provides a distinct finishing touch by protecting metal surfaces to ensure durability. This blog will deep dive into this fascinating topic.

The Painting Process

As a finishing technique, painting adds protective layers to the surfaces of metal parts. Traditional painting applications utilize wet painting and powder coating methods that involve spraying or coating paints or pigments on metal parts. Before the paint is applied, metal surface areas are prepped and cleaned according to the condition of the substrate and the type of coating to be applied. The latter needs to be specified as it relates to each type of metal. Electrostatic paint guns are commonly employed by fabricators to spray electrically charged paint particles onto conductive metal surfaces. The result produces a uniform coat that can stand up to the toughest environments. Dry coating finishes utilize similar electrostatic processes but with specially designed powder coating guns.

Commonly Painted Metals

Metal painting services and procedures vary depending on the type of metal that requires a coating. However, the most common industrial metals painted are aluminum and carbon steel. In regards to the former, though aluminum does not often require coating due to its good corrosion-resistant properties, in certain environments coatings are needed to provide added protection to the surface. Painting aluminum is also an option to enhance the material’s aesthetic appeal. As an alternative service to painting, aluminum can also be treated with a chemical conversion process via chemical film passivation that adds further corrosion protection to parts and components (e.g., corrosion of pipes). On the other hand, carbon steel is an industrial metal that requires painting. Of the many favorable properties that make carbon steel prized by fabricators, the one property it does not hold is corrosion resistance. In general, any exposed exterior applications of carbon steel must be protected from corrosion by painting or some other method of coating. Such protective coating inhibits rust and any other chemical reactions in the surrounding environment that could result in corroding the material.

Industries Using Metal Painting

As fabricated metal parts, components, and products are integral to industrial manufacturing worldwide, metal painting services are employed in nearly every industrial sector. Metal paint is required for building and construction, automotive and aerospace, agriculture, mining, all related marine industries, utilities, and energy—any instance where conditions warrant protective coating of metal materials and corrosion resistance is critical. This would include any types of steel structures, agricultural and construction machinery, bridges, pressure vessels, wind turbines, any seafaring vessel, industrial springs, cisterns, handrails, wastewater treatment plants, cranes and conveyors, and immersed metal structures.

Conclusion

It can thus be observed that industrial metal painting provides a hard, durable finish that protects metal surfaces from adverse chemical reactions, physical contact, and exposure. Also, with the exception of certain stainless-steel applications in architecture and design, painting metal visually improves the finished appearance of metal products, offering a smooth and uniform appearance. So, it is time manufacturers and fabricators paint the town red – or, in this case, their finished products!

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Development Progresses on NT Mining Project

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In August, Projectory reported that a Northern Territory rare earth mining project is inching ahead thanks to a NT Government grant – now the latest update is that the drilling campaign is commencing. MetalsGrove Mining is currently undertaking a phase two soil sampling program at the Arunta Project’s Bruce Prospect in the Northern Territory. This follows the recent discovery of high-grade rare earth element mineralisation. Aeromagnetic and surface geochemistry work identified a 1,000-metre by 600-metre intrusive system considered as highly prospective for rare earth mineralisation.

The testing is the early part of a 2,000-metre drilling campaign, which will soon commence with appropriate mining plant and equipment to test the property’s best-looking targets and will involve a broad conductor and a substantial intrusive system measuring 1,600 metres by 600 metres. MetalsGrove’s program director Sean Sivasamy has been contacted for comment and said in a statement that the company is fast-tracking its exploration in the region. “Both the sampling and drilling programs completed so far have been extremely encouraging and point to a potential high-grade REE mineralised system within our tenure,” he said.

“This next phase of sampling will look to build on the recent drilling success and further refine our next suite of drill targets, as we move quickly to assess and unlock the potential of our prospects within the Arunta region.”  The phase 2 soil sampling program will leverage steel fabrication in mining by testing remaining outcrops and geophysical anomalies along the 9-kilometre carbonatite corridor. All things going to plan, the company aims to commence the next phase of drilling using advanced drilling technologies at the end of the third quarter. The Bruce REE Prospect covers an area of about 17,722 hectares and is located within the central desert region of the Northern Territory.

Source: https://www.projectory.com.au/article/development-progresses-on-nt-rare-earth-project

metallic building level on a white background. Measuring instrum

Throw-in Transmitters – Choice and Installation

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A throw-in type level transmitter, also known as hydrostatic pressure level sensor, is an extension of advanced pressure transmitter technology for different applications. It can be used to measure height and pressure of water in water tanks, oil, and low-concentrated testing media. It receives different pressures at different depths of liquid, which can be converted into corresponding current signals and output through the sensor. The shell of the transmitter is made of stainless steel which is anti-corrosive and easy to clean. It can be directly placed in liquids like water, oil or even mash with large viscosity. So, how is a throw-in type level transmitter chosen and installed? This blog will look to provide answers in this regard.

Benefits and Applications

A throw-in type level transmitter features high precision and great stability, simple and convenient installation where it can be directly put into testing medium, integrated structure without any separable parts, highly reliable and long service life, wide range of temperature compensation with test results unaffected by changes in the testing medium and power reverse polarity protection and overload current limiting protection.

The throw-in type liquid level transmitter can be used in waterworks, refinery, sewage disposal work, construction, light industry, mechanical engineering etc. Differential pressure level transmitters are often required in pharmaceutical, food, beverage, and petrochemical industry processes. They are installed at the bottom of the liquid tank and gauge pressure reflects liquid level. In these processes, tanks are often under pressure where throw-in type level transmitters are not able to work.

Factors to Consider

Many factors need to be taken into consideration when choosing the most suitable throw-in type level transmitter for an application. Particular attention needs to be given to the following:

  • Confirm testing medium and its nature, e.g., corrosiveness, thickness, particle content, etc. For example, an anti-corrosion liquid level transmitter can be used in a medium with high corrosiveness and a capacitance liquid level transmitter can be used to test media with high solid-particle content.
  • Understand the output signal needed for the application. The output signal needs to match the input signal of PLC, DCS or devices from the whole system. Common output signals are 4-20mA, 0-20mA, 1-5V, 0-10V and other digital signals.
  • Check the available power supply or power input for the level transmitter. The most common power supplies are 24Vdc and 220Vac. Special voltage according to different geographical locations are 12Vdc, 15Vdc, 48Vdc and 110Vac.
  • Know the process connection type and size; liquid level transmitters are generally installed by screw or flange installation.
  • Consider the level of accuracy needed for the application; standard accuracy can be used in applications with no special requirement.
  • Working environment is also an important effect. Anti-explosion level transmitters are required to be used in power plants such as Mitsubishi Power. In chemical plants, anti-corrosion is also a required feature for instruments.

The Finale

As can be observed, while the throw-in type liquid level transmitter can play an important role in the measurement of liquid depth, it is a sensitive tool which needs to have settings incorporated during the structural steel fabrication proces. This product can provide a steady performance in all sorts of measurement conditions such as river, reservoir, city water supply, etc. and the design of this type of transmitter is based on the linear relationship between the measured hydrostatic pressure and the height of the liquid. Thus, knowing where and how to use the throw-in type level transmitter is important as the calibrations will reflect the findings!

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Post-Pandemic Fabrication Supply Chain

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The COVID-19 pandemic had led to the disruption of the fabrication and manufacturing supply chain. First came the supply shock, where many fabricators dealt with canceled orders not from lack of demand but because manufacturers could not get other needed parts for the final product. Then came the second punch, this time on the demand side, as unemployment spiked dramatically. manufacturers reacted by reducing or halting orders altogether. Now that the severity of the pandemic has considerably diminished, there is expected to be an evolution of the metal fabrication supply chain. There may be new trends and factors coming up in this regard, and this blog will look to deep-dive into this topic.

Transparency

Supplier management and optimization is a critical requirement in supply chain management since one would want the plumbing set up for multiple supply chains so that one can turn on the faucet here or there, depending on the timing. To do that in some cases, manufacturers reduced the number of faucets (suppliers) to just a few large, highly reliable ones. This in part has helped make some of the largest heavy steel manufacturing companies even larger. The COVID-19 crisis might spur more dual sourcing. If the disease reemerges in a certain locale and everyone at a certain plant needs to go home, will another supplier elsewhere be able to pick up the slack? Such dual sourcing might add a bit of supply chain complexity which is a challenge facing the metal fabrication industry. It goes back again to supply chain transparency, not just between a fabricator and its customer, but also wherever value is added within the entire supply chain. Manufacturers might accomplish this in various ways, one of them being by contracting directly with the lower-tiered suppliers, including metal fabricators. Fabricators might still send welded components to an assembler, which then sends them on to the manufacturer. But the assembler might act simply as a toll processor. In this sense, the supply chain would evolve into a kind of network.

Reshoring and Tracking Financial Health

Overseas work has been coming back from Asia for years, and the steel tariffs of 2018 and the COVID-19 pandemic have accelerated those efforts. According to a survey, 64% of manufacturing and industrial companies are likely to nearshore or reshore because of pandemic-related concerns. In that same survey, 53% of businesses reported difficulty receiving COVID-related supply chain information from their Chinese suppliers. A change in geography does change the risk level, however, supplier location is only a piece of the puzzle. Transparency is still the name of the game. An opaque supplier relationship can have negative consequences, whether that supplier is down the street or an ocean away.

Transparency will include information related not only to where components are in the supply chain, but also the financial health of suppliers. An audit might give a snapshot of a supplier’s liquidity, leverage, efficiency, savings due to process automation, and access to cash. But how will this financial situation change over time? Again, demand for such transparency has been building for years, especially in certain industries.

Make vs. Buy

The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to enable more make-versus-buy analyses and evaluations. The variables in the make-versus-buy decision will remain the same, including available suppliers, shipping logistics, and the nature and mix of products being manufactured. But the potential of disease outbreaks or other external shocks around the globe will lead more companies to further scrutinize their decisions. It is likely that the pandemic will not lead to some massive vertical-integration movement. Bringing in a process that is too far outside a manufacturer’s wheelhouse still will not be practical in many cases. This will be particularly true with processes that require certain expertise, like high-end welding and other specialty fabrication processes such as development of pressure vessels.

The Last Chapter

COVID-19 has tested the agility of industrial supply chains. As the economy picks up in a post-pandemic world, it is essential to ensure that the lessons learnt during those hard times are not lost, but used to drive innovations in supply chains going forward. As the saying goes, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link and supply chains need to iron out their shortfalls to emerge stronger in the long run!

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Pipe Corrosion – Causes and Prevention Techniques

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Metal pipes are essential in our day-to-day lives and in industry for transporting and distributing liquids (e.g., oil, water etc.) from one point to the other. When corrosion takes place, the impacted pipe starts disintegrating and the distribution of liquids is impacted. For pipes transporting water, corrosion may also impact the color, taste, and odor of water. This may be harmful in cases where the water is meant for human consumption. Along with the pipe itself, pipe fabrication connections are seriously impacted by corrosion. So, what are the causes of corrosion and how can it be prevented? This blog will look to discuss this interesting topic going forward.

Causes of Pipe Corrosion

  • Acidity and Alkalinity – Acidity is one of the factors that cause corrosion in metal pipes. Water has a low PH if it is untreated because of the presence of carbonic acid or other acids. The presence of these acids in water causes corrosion as they will react with pipes. This reaction will go on for a while and eventually the pipes get corroded. Alkalinity refers to bases which are contained in water. These bases are not good for pipes since they are anti-corrosive.
  • Electric Current – It is well known that most of the water pipes are underground. Hence, the electric current will come from earthing. The excess electricity is damped to the ground to prevent accidents in electrical appliances. This electric current that goes to the ground will cause corrosion in these pipes.
  • Material and Organic Constituents – Water contains minerals and organic constituents. These dissolved minerals have a great chance of causing corrosion in pipes if they are not eliminated. For instance, dissolved oxygen in water facilitates corrosion in pipes. The only way to eliminate the minerals and organic constituents in water is by treating that water before entering the pipes.

Prevention of Pipe Corrosion

  • Cathodic Prevention – Cathodic protection is the use of electrical current to prevent corrosion. This is done by connecting the pipe to the negative pole of a DC generator or the anode metals like magnesium so the entire pipe acts as a cathode. The cathodic protection method is very effective for metal pipes that are buried. When the pipe is made to be a cathode, then this will greatly prevent corrosion simply because corrosion only occurs at the anode and not the cathode since corrosion is an electrochemical process.
  • Proper Pipe Material – The type of pipe material used for welding pipes also has a great influence on preventing corrosion. There are pipe materials that are resistant to corrosion, these kinds of pipe materials will do a great job of preventing corrosion. The best pipe materials that one should consider using are the alloys of iron or steel with chromium, copper, or nickel. They are quite expensive, but they are the best pipe materials for prevention of corrosion and also helps in reducing scrap during the pipe manufacturing process.
  • Water Treatment – Water treatment involves adjusting the pH value. The moment the PH value is low or high that will facilitate the corrosion of the pipes. So, the water must be treated and the PH should be between 6.5 to 8.5, this is the PH that will prevent the pipes from corroding. Also, treating water tends to take control of calcium carbonate which increases the alkalinity of water. Removal of oxygen from water also aids in the prevention of corrosion in metal pipes, since oxygen is one of the factors that increase corrosion in pipes. The addition of sodium silicate in water when treating it also prevents corrosion in pipes.

The Last Word

It is important to note that corrosion of pipes cannot be eliminated since oxygen will always be available unless the earth is filled with inert gases. However, corrosion needs to be managed to the maximum extent possible else it will impact pipes in the long run and replacement of pipes will be an additional expense. Thus, pipe corrosion is an ongoing phenomenon and the management of corrosion by heavy steel fabrication companies needs to be an ongoing practice as well!

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Utility of Punch Press Machine

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Punch presses are one of several equipment used by manufacturers and heavy steel fabrication companies to manipulate and convert raw materials into finished products. Making uniform shapes out of raw material in large quantities is much easier with the use of punch presses. A punch press may be used by a company if a specific raw material is too difficult to cut manually since it cuts through metal and other hard materials with ease, creating holes that match the die form of the punch press. So, what are the applications and utilities of punch presses? This blog will look to explore this topic in further details.

Types and Applications of Punch Press

Similar to press brake machines, punch presses are used in stamping, punching, bending, shearing, converting, and assembly operations. They differ in terms of drive type and automation. Air-driven punch presses are powered by a pneumatic cylinder and are suitable for light-duty applications. Hydraulic presses are powered by a fluid-filled cylinder and can generate extremely strong forces to form metals and other materials. Manual presses are driven by hand, or powered with manual force that is magnified by a screw, lever, or other mechanism. Mechanical punch presses are driven by a rotary motor and screw, toggle, or lever. By contrast, servo-controlled presses are driven directly by a servo motor. Some punch presses are controlled manually, using operator interface devices such as footswitches, pendants, or push button controls. Others include a computer numeric controller (CNC) or programmable logic controller (PLC). Punch presses that are programmed and controlled with a personal computer (PC) interface allow users to set and adjust parameters such as speed and applied load. Indexing machines are fully automatic and can load parts and adjust parameters without operator intervention.

Specifications of Punch Press

Important specifications for punch presses include operating force, rated capacity, production rate, and sheet capacity. Operating force is the maximum load required to cut or form parts during assembly. Rated capacity is the tons of pressure via pressure vessels that the slide or ram exerts at the bottom of the stroke while working within the range of the press. With mechanical punch presses, operating force is a function of the bending capacity of the main shaft. For all types of punch presses, production rate is the number of operations performed or units produced per unit of time. Typically, this amount is expressed as the number of strokes, hits, cut-outs, cycles, or hits per minute. Most manufacturers specify sheet capacity in terms of maximum thickness, working length, and working depth. Working length is the maximum sheet length (largest dimension, X) or working distance from right to lift that can be punched, formed, or converted. Working depth is the maximum sheet (smallest dimension, Y) or working depth from front to back that can be punched, formed, or converted.

Special Features of Punch Press

Punch presses are available with a variety of special features. Some machines include integral shearing capabilities or optional material feeders. Others include laser cutting or monitoring systems. Multi-station punch presses include rotary tools and turrets, progressive dies, transfer systems, or multi-tool die sits. Rotary punch presses index materials and allow operators to select an appropriate tool from the turret. Loading and stacking systems are complete manufacturing cells that often include material handling and degreasing subsystems. They provide sheet, part, and material handling.

Closing Thoughts

Punch presses have a multitude of applications and they are versatile in their use throughout industry. In fabrication, punch presses provide a viable alternative to metal cutting and can also provide a degree of automation with certain types of punch presses. Going forward, it can be safely concluded that punch presses will continue to “punch” above their weight in the metal work world!

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Process of Welding Pipes

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During his career, a metal fabricator will be expected to work on a wide range of jobs, using various metals of different thicknesses. Joining curved pieces of metal is more difficult than welding flat sheets, so by far, the most challenging process one is likely to come across is pipe welding, where it will be required to join cylindrical metal tubes using either SMAW or gas shielded arc welding processes involving pressure vessels. The pipe welding positions and techniques are often quite uncomfortable, especially if the pipe is fixed and access is restricted. As a result, learning the structural welding basics will give one a much better understanding of TIG and MIG welding in general, which is a great foundation for more complex procedures. This blog will explore this topic in further detail.

How to Weld Pipes – Basis Guide and Process

If a welding joint does not use a tacked backing plate, it’s known as open root welding, which is the most common process used while pipe welding. This is particularly difficult because one will essentially be welding across a gap (albeit a small one) so it’s important to use the right technique so that one does not make a mess of the whole job. Every welder will have a ‘good’ side and a ‘bad’ side when it comes to welding, depending on whether they’re left- or right-handed. For right-handed welders the left-hand side of the pipe is the challenge; for left-handed welders, it’s the right-hand side of the pipe which is the most difficult. Anticipating this obstacle and learning how to overcome it is the best way to ensure super strong, neat welds every time.

Pipe fabrication, and specifically welding, often uses quite thick, heavy-duty materials, and the open root nature of the welds means that penetration can be poor if not done properly. Leaving poorly penetrated welds on tough, industrial pipe welding jobs can be disastrous. It will need to be ensure that full penetration is achieved, however since that it’s unlikely that welding can be done from the inside of the pipe as well as the outside, one can combat this potential problem by using a groove weld.

Testing Pipe Welding

Inspecting the weld visually is one such method, which is by far the cheapest, quickest and easiest. It involves nothing more than looking at the weld to discern its quality, which can be a very subjective process. It can’t be used as a reliable method for detecting internal weld  defects, so this method is mainly used when poor quality welds won’t put anyone or anything in danger.

Liquid dye penetrant testing is the second method, where a dye is sprayed or brushed onto the surface of the metal. The dye will highlight any surface cracks or imperfections which aren’t visible to the naked eye, making it more effective than a visual inspection, although the cost of the dye does mean that it’s marginally more expensive.

X-ray testing is the only really practical method of detecting internal weld defects, which is why it’s used on jobs where the quality of the weld is important for safety reasons. It works in a very similar way to X-rays which we have on the human body to look at broken bones, except on a much grander, more industrial scale. As a result, there are some risks associated with this method, so it should only be carried out by trained professionals. These three methods are called non-destructive testing (NDT), where the welds must remain intact. It may be appropriate to actually break apart the pipe weld by separating it into sections and testing the strength and quality of each one.

Conclusion

Mastering the art of pipe welding will take one’s welding career far beyond the potential of hobby or ordinary flat plate welding. The welder will learn some of the most challenging welding techniques in the industry, but will also gain a highly prized skill set which is desired by employers and which will probably lead to a higher salary. One won’t need any extra special equipment, but this isn’t a welding process for the half-hearted!

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