Rochester Gear enhanced its production of precision gears by using Controlant 650NS neosynthetic coolant from Oakite

Rochester Gear cuts spur and helical gears as well as straight, spiral, and hypoid bevel gear sets for such end uses as portable mixers, check-sorting and meat-processing machines, and peripheral aircraft equipment. Company management determined that a superior coolant, able to preserve and extend the life of computer-numerical-control lathes and other metalworking machines, would increase overall productivity.

The company selected Controlant 650NS, formulated to improve film boundary characteristics and chip-cutting capabilities as well as reduce friction during metal-to-metal contact. These qualities are critical to Rochester Gear's turning processes, according to Dan Bailey, a mechanical engineer and president of Rochester Gear. Controlant 650NS's excellent lubricity enables the tool to cut steel up to 3/8 inch deep at up to 3,500 rpm. "As a result, we can manufacture products 5 to 10 percent more rapidly," said Bailey, who also cited the coolant's antirust and antifoaming properties as beneficial.

The coolant's superior performance has also opened new markets for Rochester Gear products, such as machining the nickel gears used in pump gears for the chemical-processing industry. This task is typically difficult because the metal's abrasiveness wears tools away quickly. Since incorporating Controlant 650NS in its metalworking operations, Rochester Gear now machines nickel gears with the accuracy required by chemical-pump manufacturers.

Bailey noted that because the Oakite coolant does not contain petroleum oil or chlorine, unlike many other coolants, it can be disposed of at half the cost of spent chlorinated coolants.

Pebco engineers used mass flow at low velocity to minimize dust from escaping the powdery cargoes handled by their Cleveland cascade chutes

Pebco engineers use the principle of mass flow at low velocity to minimize dust emission without the need for secondary extraction systems as well as to reduce degradation and segregation of the cargo. Cleveland cascade chutes consist of a series of truncated, oppositely inclined cones that are supported by straps inside a wind shroud. As material flows through the chute, the bulk particles remain packed together tightly, releasing less dust. Because the material traverses the chute at a low speed (approximately 2 meters per second), it creates no air movement, preventing entrained air from carrying any dust out of the exit point.

The largest Cleveland cascade chute can handle 4,400 tons of potash per hour for Canpotec/Hall-Buck Marine's T5 terminal in Portland, Ore. Pebco's proprietary solid-modeling engineering technology was used to design the chute, which was delivered in December 1996—six months after the original order was received from Spantec Constructors Inc. in Vancouver, British Columbia. Since its installation, the chute has handled more than 5,000 tons of potash per hour during upset periods.

The break-away seal just under the cooling tube pressed into the center of this General Motors 4T40E transmission prevents fluid leakage during shipment and final assembly.

General Motors Powertrain Group in Ypsilanti, Mich., is using break-away tube plug seals designed and manufactured by Acadia Polymers in Roanoke, Va., to ensure proper fluid levels in the 4T40E transmissions manufactured during both shipment and final assembly. These seals also secure the joint between the transmission case and the fluid cooling lines when the transmissions are assembled into the Pontiac Sunfire, Chevrolet Cavalier, Daewoo Cielo, and other automobiles.

Acadia engineers use close manufacturing tolerances when making their fluoroelastomer tube plug seals to ensure no leaks will occur. The seal is contained in an 18-millimeter-diameter steel case that is press-fit into the transmission's aluminum housing. The center rubber sealing section is molded to a thin, pie-shaped form that serves as a plug to retain fluids in the transmission housing during shipment.

When the transmission is assembled into an automobile, the unit's fluid cooling tubes are pushed through the plug so transmission fluid can flow into the tubes. A reinforced flap retains the small, displaced sealing section. This design eliminates the tapped holes and threaded fittings typically used to connect the cooling tubes and transmission housing, speeding these connections.

A stainless-steel pump with a silicon-carbide seal sends water through the Duratherm's horizontal brass heater canister, which contains a copper heating element and a stainless-steel diverter. The diverter creates a forced flow path through the heating element that provides higher velocity flow and maximum turbulence to increase heat transfer. This improves efficiency and reduces scale build-up that can cause a heater to burn out.

The automated controls that Mokon provides for the Duratherm systems include solid-state to digital LED microprocessors, with serial communications and SPI protocol capabilities. Based on process demands, heat is added to the fluid via electrical heaters, or cooling is provided by either a solenoid valve or optional ball valve. A thermocouple sensing probe monitors water temperature in the system.

Safety features include a low-pressure switch, high-temperature switch, and pressure-relief valve. A removable cover facilitates access to the internal mechanisms for maintenance as it keeps the interior dust-free.

Duratherm units have many possible applications, such as keeping plastic molds at a prerequisite temperature.

Hydrodyne in Burbank, Calif., originally developed precision burst disks for use in nuclear submarines and the space shuttle. Now these disks are entering the commercial arena because they can prevent fluid-system failures.

The accuracy designed into these Hydrodyne precision burst seals for aerospace applications are suiting more-earthbound end uses such as mining

The major design difference between precision burst and traditional disks is the Belleville spring mechanism. Rather than relying on a thin diaphragm to shear at a predetermined pressure, the Hydrodyne disks are activated by the Belleville spring, which releases the diaphragm. Hydrodyne engineers equip their precision burst disks with a diaphragm approximately three times thicker than their counterparts, making them less susceptible to fatigue caused by the constant pressure cycling in a fluid system.

Unlike conventional burst disks, the precision burst disks are not destroyed during testing, because only the Belleville spring is activated, leaving the diaphragm intact. The seals are designed to burst precisely at pressures as low as 1 pound per square inch, and can be tailored for any application.

World Minerals Corp. in Lompoc, Calif., for example, incorporated the precision burst seals in relief valves on train cars that transport diatomaceous earth for wine, cosmetics, paint processing, and other applications. The product is pumped into the cars at 5 pounds per square inch.

Because the powdery earth can explode at 10 pounds per square inch, the relief valves are designed to activate at 7.2 pounds per square inch. The Hydrodyne seals will burst between 8.4 and 9.4 pounds per square inch. If a disk bursts, the mining company can replace it on the spot within 15 minutes, a process that could take two days with other disks, according to Rick Hoover, maintenance superintendent at World Minerals.

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