Plasma Cutting - Precision and Accuracy

Precision and Accuracy

A machine is accurate when it does exactly what you want and it is precise when it does exactly what you want over and over again. I am going to talk about CNC (computer numeric control) plasma cutters here because with hand held plasma cutting equipment it is your skill and talent that determines precision and accuracy. With a machine, it is a variety of factors that do not included skill or talent.

Generally, mechanical machining processes lend themselves to easily assign standard tolerance, but that is not so for Plasma Cutting equipment. The actual machine (the cutting table, motors, rails, CNC, and bridge) actually have tolerances that far exceed the tolerances of the plasma cutting process itself. There are many different factors that can influence the precision and accuracy, collectively referred to as the quality, of the plasma cut including: the unit's power settings, the type of consumables, the gases used, type of material, characteristics of the material being cut, gauge (thickness) of the material, the layout of the parts on the plate.

Other factors affecting the cut quality include construction and condition of the rail system, the type of CNC unit and PC used, the sizing of the motors relative to the gear box, the drive systems used, etc. As you can see there are lots of details that can affect the cutting quality of plasma cutting system. So when you are buying a CNC plasma cutter it is best to ask the manufacturer to provide you with cut samples made using the machine and plasma cutter combination that you are interested in. Ask that the samples closely resemble what you will be cutting with the machine. That way you will have an idea of the quality of the cut with different set ups. If the quality is not up to snuff then keep looking. You will be dropping a pretty penny on plasma cutting equipment, so make sure it does exactly what you need with accuracy and precision.

Hold Your Breath, Here Comes a Bridge

Ever hold your breath while you were crossing a bridge. If you have, you're not alone. Either when you were a kid or now watching your own children - seeing if you could hold your breath all the way across the span of a bridge is a common challenge. However, if it weren't for the fastener industry, we might all be holding our breath for a different reason - fear - and not fun. The same holds true for taking a plane to Grandma's house, or tossing the car keys to your daughter. The excellence of fasteners (nuts, bolts, screws, rivets, etc.), used in manufacturing today, allow us to take much for granted.

From the Industrial Revolution to 2 World Wars: It was a long and bumpy road to the levels of standardization and quality that we enjoy today. The Industrial Revolution saw the end of the crude fasteners that had been around since early civilizations when they were employed in carts and agricultural equipment. After hundreds of years of fairly static technological improvement preceding the Industrial Revolution, this new era saw large numbers of screws and bolts produced in a relatively short amount of time, with more consistency, and more precision. By the mid 1700's, the Wyatt brothers in England were manufacturing 150,000 wooden screws a week. By the late 1700's, across the pond in America, companies were also making fasteners.

However, expansion of the industry was difficult due to a lack of standards. Size, thread density, and other factors varied greatly among businesses. Two Connecticut firms established in the 1840's - The Rugg & Barnes Company and the A.P. Plant Company - were the first large American manufacturers to focus solely on making fasteners. Then, as often happens, a large historical event motivated growth and innovation - such an event was the American Civil War. It brought with it a huge demand for machinery - machinery held together by screws, nuts, and bolts. With it came the need for developing an American thread standard. William Sellers entered the picture in 1864. He proposed a uniform system of screw threads which differed from the British (Whitworth) standard in that the tops and bottoms of the threads were rounded rather than flattened. Ultimately, this standard proved to be a superior one, as rounded threads better withstood stress and resisted cracking and breaking compared to the flattened threads of the Whitworth standard. Standards are not always adopted quickly, though, and it would be another twenty years before his system was accepted as the American standard.

Differing American and British standards did cause some problems during the world wars of the 20th century. Field repairs were made difficult by the inconsistencies, but cooperation and temporary measures saw them through. In 1964 the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), announced two universal thread systems: ISO Inch and ISO Metric. The United States is the only country still tied to the inch system.

The center of the industry - American moves west: As the country expanded toward the west, so did the center for fastener manufacturing. Cleveland, Ohio, which was close to the expanding railroads and steel and iron production, became the capital of the fastener industry in America. The industry saw steady growth throughout the 20th century. By 1969 there were 450 companies, 600 plants, and more than 50,000 people employed in fastener production. Nuts, bolts, screws and rivets put meat and potatoes on the dinner tables of many a family. However, the next twenty years would bring steady decline. The increasing availability of less expensive product from overseas cut into demand for American product.

"Bogus Bolts": In 1985, a controversy surfaced with reports of equipment failure and even the loss of life due to faulty, substandard bolts. A U.S. House subcommittee spent 18 months on an investigation and ultimately determined that the faulty and counterfeit bolts were largely foreign-made. This led to the passage in 1990 of the FQA - Fastener Quality Act. This reignited demand for American made fasteners. By 2007, the fastener industry in the U.S. was a $14 billion part of the economy. Competition from foreign manufacturers continues, however, the U.S. maintains its leadership by responding to the need for technologically sophisticated products. The aerospace industry, the medical and food industries, energy producers, and the semiconductor industry all have a requirement for special materials such as A286, Inconel 718, PVDF, or MP35N, as well as for uncompromising quality and strength. The U.S. fastener industry continues to respond to these needs with unsurpassed excellence.

Factors Propelling Construction Equipment Segment

The long-term potential for India's construction equipment market seems to be very significant. Let's look at the factors which will make a difference...

If the numbers are any truth, then the Earthmoving and Construction Equipment market in India is expected to grow by 20 to 25 percent over the next few years to reach 330,000 to 450,000 units sold in 2020, from current levels of about 76,000 units. This would mean $16 billion to $21 billion market, up from today's $3 billion. Further, the sector is expected to be dominated by backhoe loaders, but broad-based growth is expected across products, with each segment expected to see double-digit growth. Thus, the construction equipment companies in India have all the reason to say Cheers!

Factors in the favour of growth of this equipment segment

Here is a list of six factors that will propel the industry forward in future:

· Demand from end-user industries: Demand from end users will continue to rise as a result of increased use of this equipment in traditional end-user industries, including construction and mining.

· Higher adoption in traditional applications: Increased use of this equipment in traditional applications such as digging and soil loading so as to increase the speed will propel the growth of the segment.

· Demand from new applicatio­­­­ns: Demand for this applications is also expected to grow in new segments such as agriculture which traditionally faced issued like lack of access.

· Growing urbanisation: Urbanisation will also drive the demand for construction activities and in turn this equipment segment so as to meet residential, commercial and infrastructure development needs.

· Increased affordability. New players entering the market will make competition stiffer, thereby, making this machine more affordable. This trend is supposed to deepen the markets to cover users with the machine needs and previously low access.

· Better availability of financing. More financing of this equipment will create wider use by encouraging users to opt for these machines.

Future challenges on the way

· Availability of skilled manpower: As the construction equipment industry will grow, the need for trained operators and mechanics will increase proportionately and this is likely to be a challenge for construction equipment companies in India.

· Stiff competition: The emergence of new construction equipment players in the coming years will make the competition stiff.

· Need for innovative solutions: With growing awareness, end-users will demand world-class technology for better fuel efficiency, higher productivity and profitability, thus, this equipment manufacturers will have to come up with innovative solutions to meet customer expectations.

· Resale of used equipment will be difficult: Since, the secondary market for used this equipment is not fully developed in India, the resale of used equipment will be a challenge for the construction equipment manufacturers in the country.

Despite these few challenges, the long-term potential for India's this equipment market seems to be very significant due to various factors propelling the growth of the segment. Foreseeing large construction activities underway, the construction equipment industry is set to see a boom in coming days. Construction of highways, railways, bridges, ports, residential and commercial building seems to be on the cards of the government and private players and hence, the construction equipment industry is expected to remain bullish about the long-term prospects.

Few Unbeatable Highlights of 3D and CAD

Highlights of 3D and CAD

For some time now, architectural visualization is in fashion. It refers to the technique with the help of which you can visualize your building structure, before its initiation. In simpler terms, it is the model of the house that the builders are going to build. This kind of model helps you to understand the design of your house. If you need to make any changes in the design or carry out anything of your choice, then such things can easily be done. The solution for this is the architectural simulations that are available in 3D. Let us understand how this industry is thriving on the 2 and 3 dimensional business model.

3D and CAD -

Being cost-effective, easy to carry out and efficient, 3 dimensional figures are quite popular in CAD. It can rightly depict the curves, space and surface of a figure. The mainstream application of CAD includes automotive, aerospace, architectural design and also shipbuilding industries. Even architectural visualization in Perth is also very renowned. This particular design was earlier based on programming languages. However, these days, computer aided design software hardly uses any hardware. With a graphical interface it can give wonderful results.

The CAD STORY -

The biggest advantage of computer designs is that, it helps you to develop ideas and also simulate them digitally by prototyping the creation. To commercialize products, the global market is increasingly using CAD. We all know that there is more appeal in visualization. Hence, marketing chiefs are capitalizing on this aspect. Several manufacturing businesses are inviting developers and designers to use the software and promote their products and services.

CAD Professionals & Industries

The Professionals who use this software range from architects, engineers to building owners and real estate managers. The industries that are highly in focus include:

1. Landscape design

2. Building Design

3. Bridge Construction

In this specific sector, accuracy is very important along with actionable insight.

There is a wide demand for these designs in certain product specific industries too. Some of them include:

1. Consumer products

2. Building products

3. Industrial machinery and equipment

Besides the above, the manufacturing and electrical sectors also make use of computer designs. The world of animation has also made great progress using this design software. Films, Television Shows have featured great effects with the help of digital designs. Even designers also develop games in a very compelling way. Lastly, we can say that, if you choose dimensional visualization, it will be only beneficial for you.