Piston pumps are used across manufacturing industries as simple hydraulic pumps with many different uses. Some people mistakenly believe that since piston pumps are simple, that maintenance won’t be required. Let’s talk about what a piston pump is, how it’s used, and why it’s so important to maintain.  

What is a piston pump?  

A piston pump works by moving fluids and gases into and out of its chamber. When the piston cup, or moving part within the piston, pushes down, it creates high pressure which allows the chamber to fill. When the piston cup completes its upstroke, that pressure is relieved, which forces the fluid or gas in the chamber out for use.  

An Encoder is a device, circuit, transducer, software program, or algorithm that converts information from one format or code to another, for the purpose of determining position, speed, or direction.

What is a Gedevelop Camera?

A Gedevelop Camera is an air-cooled camera that is designed to withstand heat, smoke, moisture and strong magnetic fields that exist in a fiberizer area. It is used primarily in the manufacturing of insulation. Multiple Gedevelop cameras are connected to a GFM system, which acts as the key component to Glass Flow and Meter measuring.

The Gedevelop camera looks at the glass stream and reads information for stream diameter and stream velocity. The information the camera reads is then sent to the central unit. Based on a set parameter, the glass flow is then calculated. The glass stream is also checked to see if it is at the correct level and if it isn’t, the system adjusts.

Recycling has been around for centuries. The first known use of recycled paper dates to 9^th century Japan, when the Japanese government ordered that all paper waste be re-pulped and reused to make new paper. Recycling became popular in the United States during World War II, when tens of thousands of tons of material was recycled to create tanks, guns, ammunition and other war supplies. According to the EPA, from 2005 to 2015, there was a 53.3 million ton increase in recyclable materials recovered from the U.S. municipal solid waste stream.

Recycling is a broad word for a complicated process. Under recycling there are three subcategories: upcycling, downcycling and asset recovery. Read on to learn the differences between these kinds of recycling and how they are transforming industries.

PCB stands for Printed Circuit Board.

A printed circuit board mechanically supports and electrically connects electronic components or electrical components using conductive tracks, pads and other features etched from one or more sheet layers of copper laminated onto and/or between sheet layers of a non-conductive substrate. Components are generally soldered onto the PCB to both electrically connect and mechanically fasten them to it.

Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are thin boards made from an insulating material, with a metal coated surface. Etches are made in the metal with acid to create pathways for electricity to travel among various components which are surface mounted on the board with solder. 

Product lifecycle management, or PLM, is the process of managing the entire lifecycle of a product from inception through end-stage disposal. It is sometimes considered one of four information technology cornerstones for a manufacturer, alongside customer relationship management (CRM), supply chain management (SCM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP).

The PLM concept began in the mid-1980s when American Motors Corporation (AMC), intent on establishing a competitive advantage over the auto industry giants of the time, put its focus on using technology to speed the product development process. Although AMC was ultimately acquired by one of those giants, its innovations were integrated into modern manufacturing tech and have played an invaluable role there ever since.

If you’re a manufacturing plant manager, what don’t you want to see out to the production floor? Probably a significant number of things, but near the top of that list would probably be a large group of workers congregating around a critical piece of machinery that should be running—yet isn’t. Rarely does such a sight have positive implications.

 Plant floor automation, data integration, and optimization of facilities processes are critical to overall business success in today’s global business environment. The focus on information, coupled with the introduction and implementation of Industrie 4.0, places an even greater emphasis on selecting the best partner to drive success within automation-focused projects.  Knowing this, it is crucial to establish a relationship with a system integrator that understands your needs and offers the best solutions for your business.

A supply chain is a network of individuals, businesses, organizations, resources, activities and technology involved in the creation and sale of a product from inception through to delivery to end users. Supply chain management is the oversight of all resources that go into the supply chain process.

Within supply chains there are many challenges that emerge. These challenges vary from organization to organization but there are some common opportunities that many different industries may experience.  With some adjustments and focus, many of the common challenges can become manageable aspects of the supply chain.

Here are some common supply chain challenges that arise within a manufacturing and distribution environment: