Month: August 2013

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Several Industries Use Polyester Mesh for Different Applications

Polyester mesh is manufactured from various polymers, with polyethylene terephthalate being the most common. There are natural occurring polyesters and some synthetic compositions which are biodegradable. However, most of the synthetic types you find are not biodegradable. As a result, this makes this material ideally suited for a variety of environments and applications. Additionally, it is commonly found being used in industries including pharmaceutical, aquaculture, agriculture, manufacturing, food processing, and printing.

Some of the more common applications for polyester mesh include:

  • Fluid filtration
  • Flour sifting
  • Juicing applications
  • Substrates for starting oysters
  • Separating early stage lobster
  • Plankton nets
  • Decorating ceramics
  • Air filtration
  • Printing on textiles
  • Printing graphics on a variety of materials, including glass and plastics
  • Printing on electronics

Selecting the right size mesh involves knowing the exact size openings you require for your applications. The mesh openings allow fluids and other materials to easily pass through, while blocking out others. Mesh opening sizes available range from 41 microns to 810 microns. The screening is commonly ordered by yard, with widths ranging from 40 inches, up to 60 inches. When ordering in smaller amounts, widths are less. For example, the dimensions of a ¼ yard piece of mesh are approximately 18 inches by 20 inches. Additionally, you have the option of custom ordering this product already cut to your specific dimensions or desired shape in the preferred mesh opening. For instance, you may need the mesh cut into a circle with a 2 inch diameter, with a mesh opening of 160 microns. We are able to accommodate this need, as well as any others you might require.

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PTFE Heat Shrink Tubing Provides Protection to Electrical Components, Wires and Cables

There are several different benefits gained by sealing wires and cables within PTFE heat shrink tubing. First, this type of tubing provides excellent electrical insulating properties. Next, the tubing creates a solid sealed barrier to prevent moisture, liquids or other fluids from reaching the cables or wires. Additionally, this barrier also keeps out solid particles and gases, and prevents them from coming into contact with your cables or wires.

Besides being applied to the outside of cables and wires, PTFE heat shrink tubing may also be used as a coating over other various electrical parts and components. When used in this manner, the parts and components receive the same protections experienced by your cables and wires. Further, due to the high temperature needed to melt Teflon® tubing, any object covered in it is protected from exposure in high heat environments.

When working with Teflon® shrink tubing, it is important to understand how it will react once you apply heat to it using an approved heat gun. Once the tubing reaches its shrink temperature, it starts to decrease in size and diameter. During this time, it is important to ensure the heat is evenly distributed, in order for the tubing to shrink neatly and to avoid kinking. The amount of shrinkage achieved does depend upon the shrink ratio and whether there are any restrictions. For example, a section of standard wall tubing with a 2 to 1 shrink ratio in AWG size 10 has a starting minimum inner diameter of 0.191 inches. If it is allowed to fully shrink without any restrictions, the recovered inner diameter is 0.112 inches. It should be noted that it is possible for the tubing to increase in length as it shrinks.

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Use Storage Containers to Keep Your Stainless Steel Hypodermic Tubing Clean

When selecting stainless steel hypodermic tubing for your applications, you need to make sure it satisfies your specific requirements for the intended application. Whether you order the tubing in bulk, or use or secondary finishing operations for customizations, such as already cut to your preferred lengths, your tubing is delivered clean, deburred, and available for immediate usage. In order to keep your tubing clean, it is equally important for you to make sure you store your tubing in a clean environment to prevent dust, dirt and other contaminants from getting into the tubing, such as in our clean round plastic storage tubes.

Keeping your stainless steel hypodermic tubing stored in our clear round plastic storage tubes not only prevents it from becoming dirty, but also helps to keep it well organized. You are able to clearly see when you are running low of a specific gauge of tubing and are able to reorder the required inventory stock levels. Additionally, it makes it easier to take a physical inventory of your current stocks, without having to open up each tube, since you can perform your count by visually looking through the clear tube.

Our clear storage tubes are available in lengths, including 24 inches, 48 inches, 36 inches, and 72 inches, with inner diameters of 3/8 inches. The storage tubes are able to be cut to custom lengths with a pair of scissors. Any time you are cutting the storage tubes to custom lengths, also remember to order extra slip-over tubing caps.

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DuPont® Developed Teflon® Heat Shrink Tubing

Teflon® heat shrink tubing was developed by DuPont®. It is a synthetic material derived from a fluoropolymer called polytertafluoroethylene, useful for a wide variety of applications and purposes. You may have also heard of this type of tubing being called PTFE, which is simply the abbreviation of polytertafluoroethylene.

Teflon® has high heat resistances, which makes it suited for use in a variety of forms, ranging from coatings to cookware, to being used as regular tubing, as well as heat shrink tubing. Because it is a widely used material, it is vital you verify the type of tubing you order is exactly what you require. Sometimes people accidently order regular PTFE tubing in place of heat shrink. Regular PTFE does not shrink, and retains its original shape and diameter. It is beneficial for use in guide wire assemblies, fluid delivery and other such applications.

Many of the same benefits found in other forms of PTFE also apply to heat shrink tubing and include:

 

  • Lubricity
  • High durability and strength
  • Electrical insulating properties
  • Solvent resistance
  • Chemical resistance
  • Abrasion resistance
  • Shock resistance
  • Ability to withstand temperatures in harsh environments
  • Creation of a sealed barrier against water, moisture and other liquids

In addition to being offered as a single form heat shrink tube solution, PTFE is also available in a special type of shrink-melt tubing. This unique kind of tubing uses PTFE on the outer layer, and FEP in the inner layer. As the tubing is heated up, the inner layer of FEP melts and creates an additional seal around the objects where it is being applied, while the PTFE shrinks and creates its barrier of protection.

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Industrial and Medical Applications Rely on Super Elastic NiTinol Wire

Industrial and Medical Applications Rely on Super Elastic NiTinol Wire

There are two different categories of NiTinol wire available for a variety of applications and purposes. One type is shape memory, because the wire has the ability to return to its original state upon heating it to its transformation temperature. While this feature is both unique and beneficial, it often presents creative challenges when it is needed for industrial applications, due to having a high transformation temperature. As a result, most operations rely on the other kind, which is super elastic.

Super elastic NiTinol wire also returns to its original state, but has a much lower transformation temperature. This type also provides the ability to be strained by as much as eight times more than regular spring steel and still able to return to its original state without permanent deformation. It comes in straight lengths of either 36 inches or 72 inches, is annealed, and has a natural oxide finish. Additionally, the wire may be ordered in custom cut lengths to fit with your own specific requirements.

Common medical and industrial applications for the super elastic type include wire mandrels, stents, guide wires, prosthetics, robotic actuators, mechanical switching devices, and eye glass frames. Another use for this kind of wire is in the manufacturer of tubing with a specific inner diameter. In this application, the wire is coated with the desired tubing material and left to cure. Once fully cured, the wire is stretched in order to decrease its diameter. The wire is then able to be easily removed from within the newly created tubing. By applying a charge or a small amount of heat to the wire, it returns back to its original shape and diameter and is able to be reused again.

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A Variety of Industries Use Blunt Needle Assemblies

A blunt needle is used for a variety of dispensing needs and solutions in many industries, including electronics, pharmaceutical, automotive, arts, hobbies, crafts, aquarium, fishing, pest control and more. These needles come in different lengths, gauges, and wall sizes to help you achieve your desired results. In situations where you use a large number of dispensing needles in variety of sizes, it might be beneficial to order them in a lab kit.

A lab kit makes it easier to manage your inventories because you are able to quickly determine what sizes you are running low on, since they are stored in individual compartments. Whenever you need to reorder additional blunt needle assemblies, you are able to only order the ones you need to restock your lab kit, rather than having to order a brand new kit. Additionally, you may want to keep larger stocks on hand of your most-used sizes.

Lab kits are able to be customized to match your own specifications and requirements. One finishing option frequently applied to dispensing needles is to angle them at either 45 degrees or 90 degrees. This makes it easier for the user to dispense fluids and liquids in those hard-to-reach areas. You may also have the needles custom bent to other angles, as needed for your purposes. Angling is able to be applied to a wide assortment of gauges and lengths. You should note: finishing operations involving angling and bending are easiest when using sections of regular wall hypodermic tubing.

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How to Help Extend the Life of Nylon Filter Mesh

There are things you can do in order to extend the life of your nylon filter mesh when used for certain applications. Your filtration system needs to be inspected on a regular basis. During this inspection, turn it off, access the location where your filters are contained, remove the mesh, and rinse it out with water to remove any trapped particles and sediment. You should inspect the screening for wear and tear at the same time. In the event you notice the mesh in between the openings is frayed, broken or damaged, then replace it with a new mesh screen. Also, check after rinsing out the screen, to verify each of the openings is no longer blocked. Some small particles or sediment may be trapped in the opening and will prevent fluid flow and reduce the overall effectiveness of the screen.

Another thing you are able to do to help increase the life of your nylon filter mesh is to use a multi-stage filtration system. This type of system often uses several layers of mesh screening in order to slowly extract particles and sediment of varying sizes. Instead of passing everything in the fluid through one mesh screen, which can become quickly clogged, it is first passed through a screen with large openings. After passing through this screen, the fluid is passed through another screen with slightly smaller openings, and so on. The number of layers used in your filtration system does depend upon the size and volume of particles and sediment needing to be removed.

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FEP Shrink Tubing Is Available in Different Shrink Ratios

It is important to select the right type of FEP shrink tubing to match your own requirements and applications. This kind of tubing is available with different shrink ratios, which influence the recovered size once it has been shrunk. You will find it is available with a 1.6 to 1 heat shrink ratio and a 1.3 to 1 heat shrink ratio in a variety of sizes. For example, a piece of tubing in AWG size 10 with a 1.3 to 1 ratio has a minimum expanded inner diameter of 0.141 inches and a recovered inner diameter of 0.112 inches, with a recovered wall of 0.010 +/- 0.002 inches. Tubing typically comes standard in 4 foot sections, but may be ordered in custom lengths.

In order to correctly cause FEP tubing to shrink, you need to apply the right amount of temperature using an approved heat gun. The minimum shrink temperature is approximately 400 to 420 degrees Fahrenheit. Most heat guns on the market today are able to achieve this level, as well as higher temperatures, in case you also work with PTFE shrink tubing. Just remember to apply the heat evenly for the best results, by slowing moving the gun back and forth over the section where the tubing is being applied.

You are able to remove shrink tubing in the event you make a mistake or the tubing does not fully shrink as desired. You can use a sharp box cutter or razor blade and carefully make an incision through the tubing. However, do not apply too much pressure, or you might end up cutting through the wire or cable underneath the tubing.

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Information to Remember When Ordering Hypodermic Tube

Gauges are used as the measurement of the diameter for hypodermic tube. Unlike other measurements, where the size increases proportionate to the number, gauges actually decrease in diameter as the number increases. It is important to remember this when you are ordering your tubing, to ensure you receive the right size. For example, 10 gauge tubing has an outer diameter of approximately 0.133 to 0.135 inches, whereas 15 gauge tubing has an outer diameter ranging from 0.0715 to 0.0725 inches.

In addition to remembering the information about gauge sizes, you also need to determine the correct wall size to order. Hypodermic tube is available in three different wall options including regular, thin, and extra-thin. While the gauge size and outer diameters of each wall remains the same, the difference is the size of the inner diameter. As the wall becomes thinner, the inner diameter increases in size. Looking at 10 gauge tubing, you will notice the inner diameter of regular wall is 0.104 to 0.108 inches, thin wall is 0.112 to 0.116 inches, and extra-thin wall is 0.1165 to 0.120 inches.

The reason there are three different wall sizes is because some applications require a specific gauge of tubing. However, the rate at which fluids are able to pass through the tubing could be an issue. In order to make fluids and viscous materials flow easier, you are able to switch from regular wall, to thin wall or extra-thin wall tubing. The added increase in the inner diameters does help to increase flow rates.

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Thin Wall Stainless Steel Tubing Is Customizable to Fit Your Applications

Thin Wall Stainless Steel Tubing Is Customizable to Fit Your Applications 

Certain types of applications may require using thin wall stainless steel tubing in place of regular walled tubing. For example, for operations where fluids are being passed through the tubing, increased fluid flow rates could be required. Because machinery and equipment are often designed to use a specific gauge of stainless tubing, it might not be possible to use a different gauge of regular wall to increase the interior opening. However, higher flow rates are able to be achieved by using a thinner wall in the same gauge, since it has a larger inner diameter.

The thin wall stainless steel tubing you require can be customized to fit with your own applications and requirements. We are able to work directly with you to deliver the quantity and amount of tubing needed, based upon your specifications. For instance, if you require small sections in 5 inch lengths, we are able to cut and deburr the tubing so you do not have to perform this operation. Additionally, we offer other secondary finishing services, such as supplying you with the materials like our straightened stainless steel mandrel wire to pass through the interior of the tubing to make guide wire assemblies. Further, we have the ability to combine this type of tubing in your desired length with custom dispensing tips to provide higher flow rates, as well as enable less viscous fluids to flow more easily. We have solutions for all kinds of industries, including marine, aerospace, agriculture, aquaculture, medical, and pharmaceutical projects, as well as others, to help you achieve your desired results.

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