Top 10 Problems When Using Regulating Valves

1. Why is the two-seat valve prone to oscillation when working under small opening conditions?

For single-core valves, when the medium is flow-open type, they’re stable. When the medium is flow-closed type, they’re unstable. There’re two valve cores in the two-seat valve. The lower core is in flow-closed condition while the upper core is in flow-open condition. In this case, under small opening conditions, the flow-closed type of valve core will easily cause oscillation of the valve. This is why two-seat valves can be used for small opening conditions.

2. Why can’t double-sealing valves be used as sanitary shut-off valves?

Two-seat valve core has the advantage of balanced force double-sealing valve structure, allowing a large pressure difference. And its shortcoming is that the two sealing surfaces cannot be in good contact at the same time, causing a large leakage. If it’s purposefully and mandatorily used in shut-off occasions, the effect won’t be good, even if a lot of improvements have been made on it. (such as double-sealing sleeve valve)

3. Why does the straight stroke sanitary regulating valve have a poor anti-blocking performance and rotary stroke regulating valve have a good anti-blocking performance?

The core of straight stroke valve is vertical throttle, but the flow direction of the medium is horizontal. So there must be lots of twists and turns in valve cavity flow channel, making the flow paths of the valve very complex. Therefore, there’re a lot of blind zones that provide space for deposition of the medium, which in the long run causes clogging. The throttle direction of rotary stroke valve is horizontal, the medium horizontally flows in and out, which can easily take away unclean medium. Meanwhile, the flow path is simple, and there’s little room for medium deposition, so rotary stroke valve has a good anti-blocking performance.

4. Why is the stem of straight stroke regulating valve thin?

It involves a simple mechanical principle: the bigger the sliding friction, the smaller the rolling friction. The stem of straight stroke valve moves up and down. If the stuffing slightly pressed a little tighter, it would wrap up the stem tightly, resulting in a large hysteresis. To this end, the valve stem is designed to be thin and small and the stuffing use PTFE that has a small friction coefficient in order to reduce the hysteresis. But the problem that derives from this is that a thin valve stem is easy to bend and the stuffing has a short service life. To solve the problem, the best way is to use rotary valve stem, a regulating valve similar to the rotary stroke ones. Its valve stem is 2 to 3 times thicker than that of the straight stroke valve. And it uses graphite stuffing that has a long service life. The valve stem stiffness is good, the service life of stuffing is long, the friction torque and hysteresis are instead small.

5. Why does the rotary stroke valve have a relatively large shut-off pressure difference?

It’s because the torque on the rotating shaft produced by the force of medium on valve core or valve plate is very small.

6. Why is the service life of desalination water medium short when using rubber lined butterfly valve and fluorine lined diaphragm valve?

The medium of desalination water contains low concentrations of acid or alkali, which are pretty corrosive to rubber. The corrosion of rubber is exemplified by expansion, aging and low strength. The poor effect of using rubber lined butterfly valve and diaphragm valve is actually caused by the intolerance of corrosion of rubber. Rear rubber-lined diaphragm valve is improved to be the fluorine lined diaphragm valve that has a good tolerance of corrosion. But the lining of diaphragm of fluorine lined diaphragm valve can’t withstand the up-and-down folding and is broken, resulting in mechanical damage and shorter service life of the valve. Now the best way is to use water treatment special ball valves, which can be used for 5 to 8 years.

7. Why should shut-off valves try to use hard sealing?

Sanitary shut-off valves require the leakage to be as low as possible. The leakage of soft sealing valve is the lowest, so the shut-off effect is certainly good. But it’s not wear-resistant, not reliable. Judging from the double standard of small leakage and reliable sealing, soft sealing shut-off is not as good as hard sealing shut-off. Take full-featured ultra-light regulating valve for example, it’s sealed and piled with wear-resistant alloy for protection, highly reliable, has a leakage rate of 10 to 7, all of which already have met the requirements of shut-off valves.

8. Why can’t sleeve valves replace single-seat and double-seat valves?

Sleeve valves, which first appeared in the ’60s, were widely used in the ’70s worldwide. Sleeve valves account for a large percentage in petrochemical equipment imported during the ’80s. At that time, many people thought sleeve valves could replace single-seat and double-seat valves to become the second-generation products. Until now, that is not the case. Single-seat valves, double-seat valves and sleeve valves are equally used. That’s because sleeve valves only improve the way of throttle, have better stability and maintenance than single-seat valves. But its weight, anti-blocking and leakage indicator are the same as those of single-seat and double-seat valves.

9. Why is selection more important than computation?

Compare computation with selection, selection is more important and more complicated. Computation is only a simple formula. It’s not the formula itself, but rather the accuracy of given parameters that matters. Selection involves a lot of things, being a bit careless will lead to improper selection, which not only results in the waste of manpower, material, and money, but the effects of use are not good, causing a number of problems in use, such as reliability, service life and quality, etc.

10. Why is piston actuator increasingly used in pneumatic valves?

For pneumatic valves, the piston actuator can make full use of air pressure to make the size of the actuator smaller than that of the film type. The thrust is bigger. The O-ring in the piston is also more reliable than that of the film. All in all, it’s increasingly used.

Everything You Need to Know About Acrylic Sheets

Acrylic sheets are an element of the world around us that we see and interact with on a daily basis and yet, rarely ever notice. Whilst that might sound like a shame, it’s a testament to the sheer adaptability and success of acrylic sheets in adapting to the needs of modern life.

Look a little closer at the words written on this page and there’s a good chance you’ll find that you’re reading through acrylic. From the ‘glass’ on the front of your smart device to the screen of your laptop, acrylic sheets are used to produce a spectacular range of products.

You’ll also find they’re used in the production of glass for cars, wing mirrors, chairs, light bulbs, signs, sneeze guards, bus shelters and well, just about anything else you can imagine. Because acrylic sheets can be formed to almost any shape and to any thickness, it’s become an essential part of manufacturing.

But what are acrylic sheets? Well, acrylic is a type of plastic manufacturing using one of more derivatives of acrylic acid. This can produce a number of different types of acrylic, but the most widely used is known as PMMA (or Polymethyl Methacrylate acrylic). It’s regarded for its tremendous weatherability, clarity, strength and versatility.

PMAA is often utilised as a glass replacement thanks to its clarity and brilliance, but those aren’t its only benefits. It’s around half as heavy as glass and can have up to fifty times the impact resistance. Just like glass, acrylic sheets can be coated in a number of different ways to protect from fogging, glare, scratches or any other glass-like property.

A sheet of acrylic of produced by adding acrylic polymers to the barrel of an extruder, which then heats them until they’re a molten mass. This incredibly hot mixture is extruded from the machine by a screw drive through a die as a molten sheet. The spacing of the die will determine the thickness of the sheet and, sometimes, the surface finish.

From there, the continuous roll of still-hot acrylic is passed through a series of cooling rolls and cut to its final size, before it can be packed and shipped off to the company who ordered it.

It’s not a complicated process, but through the use of acrylic, manufacturing has been able to make some spectacular leaps forward, as has the like of automotive and technological design.

Best Characteristics of Carbon Steel Pipe Fittings

Before choosing which type of metal to use for an industrial project, the first thing that you should consider is the magnitude and scale of the task, what type of liquid or gas the pipes will be carrying and the longevity of structure. Once that has been established, you can then answer questions to what type of metal to use for the piping.

For example, due to its strength and versatility, steel is one of the most popular materials used for pipe and pipe fittings. Even better, different material, like carbon or chrome, can be added to steel to obtain a specific desired effect. Here are a few reasons why it may be beneficial to invest in carbon steel pipe fittings and valves for your next commercial project.

1. Super Strength

Because of its strength and durability, steel has been one of the most commonly used materials for industrial piping and other types of construction. However, with the addition of carbon to the already strong metal, it has the ability to turn into a much stronger product. By undergoing heat treatment, the strength can be increased without altering the shape – and the more carbon added to the metal, the more durable it can become. This has made carbon steel pipe fittings, valves and pipes some of the most durable industrial piping products available. For companies interested in increasing the strength of their pipes, carbon pipe suppliers can offer the necessary supplies.

2. Morphing Power

With just the right amount of carbon added to the steel, it’s easier to get the exact level of durability necessary for each unique project. For example, mild carbon steel is one of the most popular options because it’s cost efficient for large-scale projects. Medium carbon steel is more often used in the construction of automobiles because it’s more resistant to eroding elements. The higher the level of carbon, the stronger the steel becomes. This means that carbon steel products with the highest levels of carbon are mostly used in the production of wires. Once the carbon level exceeds 1.0 percent, it can only be used in very specific industrial projects. With so many different types of carbon steel to choose from, it can get confusing. Carbon pipe suppliers can help you determine which is best for your project.

3. Endurance

Endurance is a good word to describe carbon steel pipe fittings because they can endure environmental change and last for years. Great for household usage, carbon steel pipes are great for home sprinkler systems and can carry water, oil, steam and even flammable gasses. Because they are resistant to rust, that means much less cleaning for the homeowner and longevity for the pipes. Other uses for carbon steel pipes include shipbuilding, industrial construction and electric-power plants.

Top Reasons To Opt For Machine Screws

Screws are types of fasteners that are designed with externally threaded head and usually used with a nut. These are typically smaller than the average design and mainly used to be fastened to an existing tapping hole. They ensure durability and reliability of the application and available in different specifications to meet every single requirement. If you think they are more similar than any other type of screws, so, you are absolutely wrong, here we give you a number of reasons to opt for a machine screw. What are you waiting for? Take a look below.

Common Reasons You Should Opt For The Machine Screws:

Applications: One of the common reasons you need to opt for these type of fastener is its diverse applications. These are stronger than any of their counterparts and hence, have great demand in the market. They are very much helpful in holding together parts in commercial, electronic, industrial, automotive industries, etc. Their applications stand them apart from regular options.
Threading: Like any other types of fasteners, these machine screws are also available in different sizes and classes, which is totally depending upon the need of your application. Threads are available in different custom options to best suited for different applications.
Head: Another reason you need to opt them is that they are available with different types of head style in custom shapes, sizes, and drives. Round, Pan, Square, Flat, etc. are some of the head designs are available in the market for different types of applications. Make sure you analyze and identify your needs before placing the order.
Integrate With Threaded Holes: Last but not the least reason you need to use these types of screws is that they are integrated with threaded holes. These are not drilled directly on the applications but are designed to fit into pre-drilled holes to ensure the lasting performance of the screws.

All these features stand these machine screws apart from others and it is important to buy the ideal design and type to ensure the safety and lasting performance of any fastener. The right selection of materials, types, and dimensions are some of the factors you need to consider while buying the machine screws. Also, their cost is lesser than any other of its types out in the market and if you want to grab all its benefits, so, you should consult a trustworthy company that offers you different options under one roof at the economical possible price.

Understanding The Process Of Making Steel

Steel is one of the most common types of metal used by millions of people worldwide. If you have always wondered how it’s made here is information to guide you though. It’s important that you know that the entire process involves three steps: the conversion of the raw steel to functional form, the formation of the steel in a continuous or semi continuous production line, and the cutting and modification of the steel to fit the needs of the customer.

Conversion of the raw steel

This is also known as the ingot production. Here molten steel is made by heating coke and iron ore in a furnace. Carbon is then removed by pumping a lot of oxygen into the liquid. The molten steel is then poured into thick walled iron molds where it cools into ingots. To form flat products such as plates and sheets, the metals are shaped between large rollers under high pressure.

Bloom making

To produce blooms, ingots are passed through a pair of grooved steel rollers that are usually stacked. Before the blooms are made into pipes, they are processed further. They are converted into billets by being put through more rolling devices that are long and narrow. This process allows sufficient cuts without stopping the manufacturing process. Once they are done, the billets are stacked and eventually become seamless pipes.

Pipe making

Billets and skelp are used to make steel pipes. As the spool of steel is unwound, it’s heated and passed through a series of grooved rollers. As it passes, the rollers cause the edges of the skelp to curl together forming an unwedded pipe. After this, the manufacturing company passes welding electrodes sealing the two ends of the pipes together.

The welded seam is then passed through a high-pressure roller that results in the formation of a tighter weld. The professionals then cut the pipes into different sizes and stacked for further processing.

Final processing

Here the pipes are put through a straightening machine. It’s also common for them to be fitted with joints connecting two or more pieces of pipes. The pipes can be joined using different types of joints, but the most common is the threading joint. Here tight grooves are cut into the end of the pipe. Once the process if over the pipes are sprayed with a light coating of protective oil.

Conclusion

This is the process of making steel pipes. To get the most from the pipes, you should buy those that are of high quality and made using the best method.

Seven Steps to Find The Right Mast Cable Assemblies Manufacturer

If you are in an industry that thrives on unhindered communication, you are certainly aware of how significant mast cable assemblies are to your day-to-day operation. Mast cable assemblies are the heart of the communications world, and whether you are a start-up communications company or an established global brand or entity, having the right mast cable assembly manufacturer is key to your success.

The issue – how exactly do you determine the right manufacturer for you? Sure, you could jump online and scour the Web for any number of companies vying for your business, but in order to succeed & excel, you need to find the right manufacturer the first time out. Though the pressure is high, it is important to realize that you are not without options & certainly not without a plan of action.

Here are a few steps to follow:

1. Know Your Specs – As with any industry, in order to find the right prospective partner, you need to understand your own needs. Before searching for a cable assembly manufacturer, find out what it is you actually need. Moreover, it would also be good to assess future needs so as to plan ahead.

2. Check Experience & References – In the same way you’d ask for references for a home contractor or a prospective employee, you also want to find out with whom a prospective mast cable assembly manufacturer has worked & see if they were satisfied with the work. You also want to see how long the manufacturer has been in the business. If a company has a long history in the communications world, it means they have weathered the storm of a rapidly changing world & have adapted very well to various types of technology.

3. Available Facilities – Depending on your needs and the size of your operation, working with a company that has a wide national, or even international, presence can be helpful because you can save time and money by getting materials where they need to be because a manufacturing facility is close-by.

4. Capabilities & Services – While your focus is on mast cable assemblies, it is a good idea to find out what types of other services and capabilities a prospective manufacturer has available to customers. For example, being able to provide customized wire harnesses or cable/electromechanical assemblies means a manufacturer is more than likely involved in a number of industries and can also provide support & technical help.

5. Supported Industries – In a way, this serves as a breakdown of references, but at a glance, it is nice to know that a manufacturer maintains relationships with all manner of customer in industries as diverse as national security, telecommunications, and the medical field.

6. Certifications – You always want to be sure a prospective manufacturer of such specialized equipment like mast cable assemblies has proper certification and licensing. Things to look out for are UL registration, RoHS compliance, and adherence to the IPC/WHMA-A-620 standard.

7. Estimates – Even though your company needs certain equipment, never underestimate the need for estimates. Keep in mind, though, that an estimate does not necessarily have to do with how much an order may set you back. It is very important to know what type of lead time must be met.

3D Printing: The Materials Used for 3D Printing

3D printing was developed back in the early 80s but it has seen much growth since the past 10 years. It has now become one of the biggest growth areas in the tech industry and is revolutionising manufacturing covering every industry possible. The 3D printing business is now multi-billion dollar industry and is likely to continue growing at an exponential rate.

3D printing is quite a simple process conceptually, the printers work by printing the chosen material in layers on top of each other, with each layer setting prior to the next pass of the printer.

3D printers have been used to print all sorts of materials from cheap and normal materials to things you would expect to read in a sci-fi book.

For the consumer market, plastics are used exclusively as the materials are cheap to buy, but more importantly, the technology required to print plastic is relatively simple and low cost.

Low-cost 3D printers using plastic tend to use Fused filament fabrication (FFF). This is basically a process where a cord of plastic is heated up to become pliable then fed through the machine layering the plastic. The machines generally use one of the following plastics

PLA (Polylactic Acid) – PLA is probably the easiest material to work with when you first start 3D printing. It is an environmentally friendly material that is very safe to use, as it is a biodegradable thermoplastic that has been derived from renewable resources such as corn starch and sugar canes. This is a similar plastic that is used in compostable bags which safely bio degrade compared to more traditional plastics used in Poly Bags.

ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) – ABS is considered to be the second easiest material to work with when you start 3D printing. It’s very safe and strong and widely used for things like car bumpers, and Lego (the kid’s toy).

PVA (Polyvinyl Alcohol Plastic) – PVA plastic which is quite different to PVA Glue (please don’t try putting PVA Glue into your 3D Printer, it definitely won’t work). The popular MakerBot Replicator 2 printers use PVA plastic.

Plastics are used extensively on all levels from consumer to businesses prototyping new products. However, in the business market, there is a huge demand for metal 3D printing. Some printers can use powdered material that is then heated to create a solid. This method is typically Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) and this particular technique is why we don’t see consumer metal 3D printing. DMLS requires a huge amount of heat and giant expensive printers to sinter the material together, and while 3D printing a metal object might be expensive compared to mass production, it is incredibly cost efficient for complex and expensive projects. A good example of DMLS based 3D printing is GE Aviation using it to produce 35,000 fuel injectors for its LEAP jet engine.

Using boring materials such as metal is almost archaic in the world of 3D printing now; some companies now do 3D bioprinting which is the process of creating cell patterns in a confined space using 3D printing technologies, where cell function and viability are preserved within the printed construct. These 3D bioprinters have the capacity to print skin tissue, heart tissue, and blood vessels among other basic tissues that could be suitable for surgical therapy and transplantation.

The Perfect Packaging for Every Product

Whether you talk of fresh food items, dry groceries, machine parts, furniture or hardware, every product needs to be well packaged. The type of packaging best suited to a product depends on a number of factors including cost of the product, perceived value, size, fragility, shelf life etc. Thus, there are a number of materials that can be used to package a product such as paper, polythene, corrugated cardboard, cartons, shrink wrap and pallets.

Why do you need Packaging?

The most obvious reason to package a product carefully, is to protect it while it moves from the factory floor to the retail shops and then to the customer’s house. However, this is not the only reason to focus on packaging. Packaging plays an important role in a customer’s decision making process. The way a product is packaged is the first interaction many customers have with the product and hence this plays an important role in creating a first impression. A well packaged product speaks of attention to detail and helps build trust in a brand name.

Packaging is also important from a marketing perspective. This is because whilst the product itself may offer limited space for branding, a carton or sleeve allows a much larger space for branding thus making the brand name more visible. When it comes to wholesale packaging, cartons are usually left plain. However, it is still possible to brand the cartons by using printed carton tape.

How to Choose the Right Packaging Material

The wrong packaging can put a customer off the product. The first step to packing a product is to select the right material. There are many factors that must be considered when picking packaging materials. These include:

Type of Product- While dry groceries need to be packed in such a way so as to be visible to customers and yet protected against natural elements; product visibility does not matter when packing hardware items or machine parts. A few other product characteristics to keep in mind are sensitivity to light and moisture, shelf life and reaction to other materials.

Cost of the Product- The cost of packaging a product should be in direct relation to the cost of the product and should not exceed it. Thus, whilst clear, polythene bags are sufficient packing for disposable plates, bone chine needs to be packed in boxes with cushion packaging.

How the products are to be shipped- To a certain extent wholesale packaging also plays a role in determining the right material for retail packaging. For example, if the products are going to be packed in a larger carton, puncture resistance is not a high priority. However, if the products are going to be stacked on a pallet, this is a factor that will need to be considered.

Common Types of Packaging

Paper Board

Paper is the cheapest and most ecofriendly way to package a product. Paper is often used in the form of boxes to package low cost items such as stationery or in the form of paper bags for fast food and other consumables.

Polythene

Polythene bags are the most preferred form of packaging for products such as dry groceries and liquids. This is because it is transparent thus allowing the consumer to see the product being purchased and protects the food items from natural elements.

Rigid Plastic

Rigid plastic may be used to package both consumables and non-consumables. This is a chosen packaging material when the product needs to be visible to the consumer and yet protected against shocks and being accidentally dropped etc.

Corrugated cardboard

When it comes to large products such as furniture, it is not possible to fit the piece into a carton. Hence, such products are usually wrapped in corrugate sheets to protect them against bumping into other things or being dropped accidentally.

Steel Cutting Machines

Steel is one of the major commonly used metals in the world. It comprises of Iron and Carbon alloy, and thus it is one of the strongest and hardest metals utilized in the building of infrastructures and industrial manufacture of metallic pieces, for example, car parts and machinery parts. It is resistant to rust, and it is easily bendable. There are many advantages associated with steel, and therefore the skills necessary to make use of it is widely known. From processing to making something out of the metal is critical value information.

Steel cutting is the process by which a steel material is cut and turned into a sizable, proper dimensional piece, fit for its use. Cutting of metal such as steel can be done through various methods and these includes;

· The manual cutting, hacksaw or any cutting hand operated tool, is used to cut the steel manually

· Cutting by machine, this is where machine such as grinders and drillers are used to cut into pieces or cut the core in metal.

· Laser technology. Laser beams burn and cut through the metal.

· Cutting using chemicals, specialized chemical reagents are used for specific metals.

· Erosion technique utilizes a mixture of water and abrasives at a very high force to erode off the metal thus cutting it into the preferred sizes.

The modern technology has embraced machine cutting technology due to its simplicity and precision. These devices also come with a programmable database to ensure that most processes are automated. Therefore, the end product is always appealing. Straight core cutting requires precision and accuracy, and therefore, a particular type of machine has been made for that purpose.

Properties of a Good Steel Core cutting machine;

· The tool should be easy to use and be automated in that, most processes can be adjustable, and any error corrected as soon as it arises.

· It should be able to cut the different core sizes by allowing fitting of different size cutting blades; the changing process should be easy.

· A good machine should require fewer maintenance services.

Conclusion.

Silicon steel commonly used magnetic core is preferred for its great unique energy conserving abilities. Therefore while cutting these cores into the steel metal to be used, care and accuracy are required. Only a good machine can help you in this. The above-listed properties should be considered by any metal factory while ordering and purchasing for the cutting machine; only genuine ones can provide the right services.

5 Energy-Saving Tips For Manufacturers

Are you worried about the current oil prices? If so, you should stop worrying as the price won’t last forever. Actually, OPEC has almost no influence on electricity or natural gas. The fact of the matter is that the old coal-based power plants increased electricity prices in 2016. However, the problem is that energy efficiency is really important for you should you want to stay ahead of the competition. If you are a plant manager and you want to save energy, we suggest that you follow the tips given below.

Process Heating

The US Department of Energy suggests that plant managers can cut down on the heating costs through the implementation of some energy-saving measures. As a matter of fact, process heating includes 30% of the energy consumed in this sector. Therefore, if you save energy in this area, you can make a significant impact.

Moreover, you can monitor and control your air-to-fuel ratio and exhaust gases in order to save a lot of energy. But if your plant requires lots of hot water, it’s a good idea to use a solar-water heating plant to preheat the process water. This is another great way of saving a lot of money.

Motors and Equipment

Machine drives accounts for over 22% of power consumption in the manufacturing sector. If you want to cut down on your operating costs, we suggest that you analyze the system and shaft losses. In addition, you can also consider upgrading to a system that is more efficient.

At times, you may have to replace the equipment to achieve your targets. But you don’t have to spend a huge sum for each upgrade. As a matter of fact, you can hone the mechanical performance of the plant through the alteration of the operational or maintenance procedures.

Lighting

Typically, building-performance experts consider lighting as the main source of energy consumption. For energy saving, you can opt for fluorescent bulbs, fixtures, LED tube lights, and skylights, just to name a few. However, you don’t have to replace all of your lighting systems in order to save energy.

Utilities

You may not want to overlook utilities as far as saving energy is concerned. What you need to do is review your usage plans and then get in touch with the service provider to find out if they can provide alternative procurement or other option that can help you save money.

Actually, some utilities offer attractive incentives for the installation of energy-saving improvements. It’s also a good idea to contact the competitors. You can also negotiate with them to get the best deal.

Employees

For energy efficiency, employee behavior also matters. You may want to let your employees know your goals and progress. Don’t forget to appreciate them for playing a role in the achievement of your goals. You will see that they have great insights. As a matter of fact, studies show that upgrades for energy efficiency help workers become more productive.

Long story short, when you are planning an energy-saving program, you may want to look for opportunities that can help you reduce cost. Next, as the operating costs come down, you can invest in an energy saving infrastructure like a solar energy system. Hopefully, the tips given above will help you save on energy costs.