Cleaning – Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News | Manufacturing | Automation | Quality Control

Handheld Laser Welding & Cleaning Technology Addresses Food Industry Challenges

Christellee — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 08:34:40 +0000

How to increase productivity and create more hygienic food and beverage equipment with IPG Photonics’ handheld laser welding.

From ovens to boilers and from mixing machines to grinders, producing industrial food processing equipment requires a high volume of welding operations. As in any industry, increasing productivity is a chief concern but food and beverage equipment manufacturers must also prioritise hygiene to ensure welds are food grade.

To remain competitive, manufacturers must seek solutions that increase production speeds and minimise the risk of contamination. Handheld laser welding, using laser devices like LightWELD®, has emerged as the ideal solution for many in the food industry as an easy-to-use technology that enables faster, more consistent welds and enables new equipment design possibilities.

Handheld Laser Welding Keeps Things Clean

Industrial food and beverage equipment relies on more than just welds to join part features – manufacturers also make use of fasteners such as nuts, bolts, washers, and rivets. Unlike in other industries, the use of fasteners, as well as threaded holes, must be considered in relation to food contact areas.

Incorrect use of fasteners creates difficult-to-clean geometry that form microcosms for bacterial growth. This risk imposes limitations on how equipment is designed, not to mention increased fabrication costs.

The number of fasteners required in a piece of equipment can only be reduced somewhat by traditional welding methods like Metal Inert Gas (MIG) and Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG), which introduce significant heat input that can damage or distort sensitive features. Laser welding, by comparison, generates considerably less heat during the welding process and is used extensively across industries for thinner metal parts.

This reduction in heat input compared to MIG and TIG opens more fabrication options to designers to help minimise fastener use and reduce material costs. Handheld laser welding also produces very high-quality welds with excellent and hygienic finishes.

The laser welding process is resistant to defects like microcracking, a concern when welding thinner joints using traditional methods, minimising the risk of bacterial growth. Handheld laser welding devices can also be used to spot weld with no part contact required, eliminating common resistance spot welding concerns like bacteria-friendly indentations and asymmetrical welds caused by issues like tip pressure and alignment.

Read more here at page 30

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A Comprehensive Portfolio Of Industrial Cleaning Processes And Systems With ECOCLEAN

Ashwini Balan — Wed, 16 Feb 2022 00:00:28 +0000

Today, parts cleaning has become a quality critical manufacturing step in all industry sectors. It often takes great effort to meet particulate and film-type cleanliness specifications. At the same time cleaning is to be done at the lowest possible cost. These contradictory requirements imperatively call for processes and machines tailored to specific needs.

From machine and plant engineering, electrical and power engineering to connecting elements, components of the most diverse materials like metals, plastics, ceramic and composite materials are manufactured and processed using very different manufacturing technologies. Although the parts are manifold, they have one thing in common which is to ensure the quality of downstream processes such as machining, heat treatment, coating, bonding and assembly, to guarantee lasting functionality, they necessitate cleanliness levels in line with requirements.

In many areas, even higher requirements concerning particulate and film-type cleanliness must be met. And there are often added challenges such as high throughput rates and weights, a strongly varying range of parts to be cleaned, short delivery times and also small margins in some cases.

Optimal Cleaning Solution >> https://bit.ly/3BeIaAu

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Cleanliness For Optimal Diagnostics And Therapy

Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News — Tue, 06 Jul 2021 03:37:47 +0000

X-ray tubes are the basis of a number of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in medicine. Manufacturing precision and cleanliness of the individual parts are key factors for the functional reliability and longevity of these high-tech components. A leading manufacturer relies on equipment from Ecoclean and UCM for cleaning.

Shortly after the discovery of X-rays by Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen on November 8, 1895, the development and manufacture of X-ray tubes at Philips Medical Systems DMC GmbH began with Carl Heinrich Florenz Müller, a glassblower born in Thuringia. As early as March 1896, he made the first X-ray tube in his workshop in Hamburg. Three years later, the technology pioneer was granted the first patent for an X-ray tube with water-cooled anti-cathode. The breathtaking pace of tube development and the enormous success of X-ray technology spurred demand worldwide, turning the craftsman’s workshop more and more into a specialist factory for X-ray tubes. In 1927, Philips, the only shareholder at the time, took over the factory.

Innovation and High Manufacturing Precision

Ever since then, the company has been shaping X-ray technology with innovative solutions and continuous improvements. The products used in Philips Healthcare systems, as well as those sold under the Dunlee brand, contribute significantly to advances in diagnostic imaging, computer tomography and interventional radiology.

“Besides modern manufacturing technologies, high precision and ongoing process optimisation, component cleanliness plays an important role in ensuring the functional reliability and longevity of our products,” says André Hatje, Senior Engineer for Process Development in the X-ray Tubes Division. Residual particle contamination specifications that have to be met when cleaning the various X-ray tube parts underline this: a maximum of two 5 µm particles and one 10 µm particle.

Removing Molybdenum Grinding Dust With a Standard System

The high cleanliness requirements were one criterion when the plant for cleaning spiral groove bearing components was replaced. The bearings, which form the heart of high-tech X-ray tubes, are made of molybdenum. After the groove structure has been applied by laser, a dry grinding step is performed. This is followed by cleaning, during which the grinding dust and any traces of smoke from the laser process still present in the grooves must be removed. To simplify process validation, among other things, a compact standard machining was needed for this cleaning process. Against this backdrop, the process developer approached several cleaning equipment manufacturers, including Ecoclean GmbH in Filderstadt.

Equipped for Fine Cleaning

The machine for immersion and spraying processes is operated with the same acidic cleaning medium previously used at Philips and has a footprint of just 6.9 m2. It is fitted with three flood tanks for the washing step and two rinsing processes. Their flow-optimised, cylindrical design and upright position prevent dirt from accumulating in the tanks. In addition, each tank has a separate media circuit with full-flow filtration so that the cleaning and rinsing fluids are filtered during filling and emptying as well as in the bypass. The deionised water used for the final rinsing process is treated in the integrated Aquaclean system.

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Maintaining A Proper Plasma System

Admin — Fri, 06 Oct 2017 07:12:53 +0000

Proper plasma system maintenance can help prolong life and performance of system, and it requires just a little time investment. By Clayton Gould, marketing manager, Aftersales, Hypertherm Inc.

The list of items needing regular maintenance in your shop is likely long. It probably seems there is always something to be done.

Unfortunately, while most shops are great at inspecting items like cranes, forklifts, and air compressors, an item that tends to slip through the cracks is the plasma cutting system. It might be the old adage “the squeaky wheel gets the grease” proves true here.

System Maintenance

Plasma systems, at least good quality systems, don’t tend to be troublesome. The systems go about the job day in and day out , slicing through whatever metal is thrown at it , but while your plasma system may appear to work just fine, failure to properly maintain it is quietly impacting its performance and life.

Mechanical parts will start to wear out , causing rough machine motion. Par t tolerances will deviate. Cut quality, particularly at higher speeds, will suffer. It is kind of like the tires on your car. To get the best life and performance, you need to make sure your tires have the right amount of air and are rotated regularly. If you don’t do those two things, will your car still roll? Sure. Will the ride and gas mileage suffer? Will your tires last as long? No. Are you more apt to get a flat tire at the worst possible time? Yes.

It’s the same thing with your plasma system. If you don’t take good care of it, it’s going to break down when you need it most. Like when you’re in the middle of the largest plate-cutting job you’ve ever had for your most lucrative customer. Not only have you just let down an important customer, at up to USD$200 per hour fully burdened, you’ve just cost your shop a lot of money.

The other problem is when components in the machine fail, as troubleshooting and servicing can take days. This brings us to another old adage, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Fortunately, it doesn’t take much to keep a plasma system up and running. A small investment of your time is often all it takes to keep your system in good shape. The key though is to establish a regular preventive maintenance routine.

Clean the inside of your power supply by blowing out contaminants.Cleaning & Inspection
Your routine should contain two components: routine cleaning and inspection, and replacement of common wear items. Part one of your programme can be divided into daily, weekly, and monthly tasks.

Daily

Let’s start with the daily tasks. There are four things you’ll want to do for every single day your system is turned on.

1. First verify inlet pressure of gases in both the “test pre-flow” and “cutflow” modes by making sure your regulator dial reaches the recommended PSI.

2. Secondly, inspect the air filters. You’re checking for moisture, oil, and particulates. If you see moisture, oil, or a lot of metal dust for example, you’ll need a new filter. If you only see a little dust or dirt, try to lightly vacuum it off. All air filters need eventual replacement, but if you’re going through more than your fair share, then you likely have an issue with the quality of your air and should check its purity.

3. The third step is to check your coolant level and condition. If the level is below the neck of the tank, add more. If the coolant looks dirty, flush out your tank and refill it with fresh coolant.

4. Finally, inspect your torch. Hypertherm recommends taking your torch into an office or other clean place to do this. Also, wash your hands. Typically, the two items requiring careful inspection are the o-ring and coolant tube.

Remove the o-rings from the torch and check for damage. If all looks good, apply a very small amount of lubricant to your fingertips and lightly rub this lubricant onto the o-ring. The o-ring should look shiny but you should not see any lubricant. If you do, you’ve applied too much and should wipe some off.

Replace all o-rings so they fit snugly, then inspect all threaded consumables and remove any dirt that you see. You’ll also want to inspect the water tube to make sure it isn’t out of round, bent, or pitted. Inspect the nozzle and electrode mating surface for damage, then take a clean cloth and wipe off the torch, both inside and outside. Use a cotton swab if needed to clean hard to reach areas.

Weekly

Next up are the weekly tasks.

1. In the first step, inspect all air hoses, coolant hoses, and torch leads. Look out for scrapes and cuts, punctures, chemical spills and burns, or any kinks or bends that would restrict flow.

2. Secondly, check for gas leak s by conducting the built-in leak and flow tests. Before doing this last test, make sure you are using the right consumables and have selected the correct plasma process for the test.

3. Finally, check your coolant flow. If you have an auto-gas console, this can be done right from your CNC. If you have a manual gas console, go to your console to read the flow rate. If the CNC detects a problem, you’ll need to perform the specific Coolant Flow tests found in your owner’s manual.

Monthly

Monthly tasks include cleaning the inside of your power supply, inspecting electrical components, and checking your ground and table-to-work piece connections.

1. Firstly, turn off the power to your power supply, then remove the top and side panels. You’ll likely see a lot of metal dust and other particulates that you’ll want to either blow out or vacuum. Don’t forget to vacuum build-up on the fan and fins. Next, gently remove dust and particulates from your circuit boards, taking extra care not to damage them.

2. Secondly, with your power still off, check the main contactor for excessive pitting, or a blackened or rough surface. If you see any of these things, replace your contactor.

3. Though you should check your coolant flow once a week, you’ll want to conduct a more thorough test each month.

4. The fourth task is to inspect the pilot arc relay. Remove the cover, and inspect the contacts for excessive pitting. Again, if you see a lot of pitting, you’ll want to replace the relay.

Typically, this test is more comprehensive and should be conducted by a trained service technician or other specially trained resource. At the same time, you’ll want to inspect all connection points—for example where the hose connects to the ignition console, the torch body, and the power supply.

5. Next, inspect your gas line connections by spraying them with soapy water. If bubbles appear on a gas line, tighten or replace it as necessary.

6. Lastly, inspect your ground and work lead connections. Verify that all system components are individually grounded to a driven earth ground and that your work lead connection—particularly the connection at your cutting table—is clean and tight. There should be no paint or oil directly on the connection, as you need a clean metal-to-metal contact.

Replacement Of Common Wear Items

With your routine maintenance out of the way, you’ll now want to focus on common wear items. Because plasma systems are precision machines with moving parts like torches, main contactors, relays, and such, these parts are going to wear out.

The frequency of part replacement will var y depending on system usage, but typically you’ll want to replace items after a set number of months or arc hours. Recommendations are as follows:

Every 6 months (or 500 arc hours)
• Torch o-rings and bullet plugs
• Air filter
• Coolant filter

Every 12 months (or 1,000 arc hours)
• Torch main body
• Pilot arc relay
• Main contactor

Every 2 years (or 2,000 arc hours)
• Torch receptacle
• Coolant pump
• Torch leads

Every 3 years (or 3,000 arc hours)
• Check valves
• Cooling fans
• Coolant pump motor
• Gas and pilot arc leads

In order to make part replacement easy, some manufacturers have put together comprehensive preventive maintenance programs, along with annual replacement kits. Hypertherm has also provided the information with every system sold. There is a dedicated landing page that offers customers the ability to download a complete maintenance programme from their system.

Take An Active Approach

Like your forklift, crane and air compressor, your cut ting sys tem requires care to operate at peak efficiency. Regular, ongoing maintenance is the smar test and most efficient way to optimise output, reduce unplanned downtime and minimize the operating costs of your cutting system. It’s an active approach as opposed to a costly reactive approach. This way, you’ll not only extend the life of consumables, but also, the life of your entire cutting machine.

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