Electric Lifts Good for Small Applications

IQS Newsroom — Thu, 07 Aug 2014 12:16:00 +0000

In order to position, lower and raise work tables or platforms one must use a lift. The three typical types of lifts are electric, hydraulic and pneumatic. Electric lifts utilize electricity from a power source such as a battery or an electric motor. This electricity provides mechanical energy, such as the lifting and descending motion, to the lift’s components.
Battery powered electric lifts tend to be for smaller applications such as telephone jacks or automatic door openers in stores. Their disadvantage is the possibility that they will run out of power and need to be recharged. An electric motor is able to convert electrical energy to mechanical energy. This is done in an interaction between current-carrying conductors and magnetic fields. Electric motors can vary in size and can be used anywhere from small, household appliances and power tools or they can be large and used for large ships and pipeline compressors. Their energy efficiency is one of their attributes that is the most appealing.
Conventional electric motors that power electric lifts are less expensive in the long run because they require less maintenance, but can be more expensive to start off. If you want a more accurate way to position a platform using a lift, a linear electric motor is the best way to go over hydraulic cylinders or motors, but is typically more expensive.
Electric lifts are used in the same exact applications as hydraulic lifts. They can be used in the industrial manufacturing, material handling and loading, medical, transportation, automotive, telecommunications, shipping, wire and cable, electric and power service, mechanical and entertainment industries. The use of hand cranks, screw drives, ratcheting and foot pumping are all ways that lifts can be put in motion. While electric lifts are mostly popular for residential and commercial contexts, hydraulic lifts are usually put to use for industrial applications.

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The Plunger Cylinder

IQS Newsroom — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 16:54:01 +0000

Hydraulic cylinders are used to create linear motion force for power transference. A hydraulic cylinder converts the energy from the hydraulic fluid into a force that can move the cylinder. There are actually several different designs for hydraulic cylinders. These designs include the telescope cylinder, the plunger or ram cylinder, the cable cylinder, and the diaphragm cylinder. While each type of cylinder has their own benefits and uses, today I want to focus on the hydraulic ram cylinder.
The hydraulic ram cylinder is used in an upright position. The plunger system is not used horizontally at any time. The plunger could not work if positioned horizontally. The ram cylinder works by using the natural gravity that pulls the fluid down into the cylinder. When the fluid supply stops, the weight of the cylinder causes the fluid to return to its original position, much like a toilet plunger pulls the water through a toilet to stop a clog. Often, a plunger-style hydraulic fluid cylinder is used in automotive service centers and industrial factories to raise and lower heavy objects, such as heavy factory parts or car bodies.
Many of the upright cylinders used in industrial machinery and other commercial or construction products use the ram style of cylinder. In fact, most upright hydraulic cylinders in use in the modern world are the ram cylinder style. This is due to the fact that ram cylinders are highly efficient and inexpensive to manufacturer. The automatic nature of the plunger cylinder also makes it easy to maintain and requires few repairs throughout its life.

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Compressing Trash with Hydraulics

IQS Newsroom — Fri, 25 Apr 2014 12:45:17 +0000

Hydraulic press manufacturers create a variety of pressing machines for a variety of industries. In a factory, a hydraulic press can be used to shape metal, compress pieces together, or compact a larger item into a smaller, denser shape. Other hydraulic presses are used to cut out metal pieces, or compress rocks into powder.
One of the main uses for a hydraulic press is the compression of trash. Hydraulic press manufacturers create two different kinds of presses for compacting trash, both for in-home and commercial compacting use. You can find hydraulic pressed used for trash in the following areas:
In the home: Trash compactors at home use a mini form of the hydraulic press. The hydraulic press system compacts trash into a compacted shape, eliminating excess air. This allows the user to pack more trash into a smaller space, saving space in the household trash can and in the trashcan placed on the curb for pick up. The problem with home trash compactors is that the trash can be difficult to take out, because compressed trash is denser and heavier than non-compressed trash.
Commercial uses: Commercial industries also use hydraulic presses to compact industrial trash. The press will compact a variety of trash products, but is most often used with paper waste, such as paper shavings, cardboard boxes, and other office products. The compacted trash is easier for the trucks to carry to the garbage dump and also eliminates the need for as much space for trash in the office.
At the dump: Hydraulic presses are also used in dumps and recycling centers to compact large amounts of trash. Recycling centers will use hydraulic presses to compact metal pieces or plastics together to send to other recycling centers or other locations for use at these centers. Traditional garbage dumps will compact several different kinds of trash together to save valuable landfill space.

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Invention of the Hydraulic Press

IQS Newsroom — Fri, 25 Apr 2014 12:31:46 +0000

Joseph Bramah is an inventor from England who was born on April 13, 1748 in Yorkshire, England. He started his invention work when he designed a lock, and received a patent for it in 1784. He soon started a lock company called Bramah Locks, whose locks were well known for their resistance to tampering and lock picking. In fact, they had a famous “challenge lock” hanging outside of the store, which promised to offer 200 guinea (a British coin) to whoever could open the lock. The lock remained unopened for 67 years, and it took the locksmith who eventually opened the lock 51 hours to do so. The original lock remains in the Science Museum in London.
An avid inventor, Joseph Bramah and his colleagues also spent a great deal of time developing tools to assist in the manufacturing processes of his business. His goal was to create more efficient processes for his business. Out of these developments came the hydraulic press which proved to be Joseph Bramah’s biggest invention. He was granted a patent for the hydraulic press in 1795. The machine is still sometimes known as the Bramah Press today after its inventor.
He went on to invent many other things, though none quite as impressive as the hydraulic press, such as a beer engine, a paper-making machine, a fountain pen and a hydrostatic press. Joseph Bramah passed away in December of 1814 at the age of 66. His invention of the hydraulic press shaped the way manufacturing processes operate, and efficiently changed the manufacturing world. He will forever be remembered for his invention of the hydraulic press and is often considered one of the fathers of hydraulic engineering because of his involvement in the invention of the hydraulic press.

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Forging Press Safety Considerations

IQS Newsroom — Wed, 13 Nov 2013 20:04:34 +0000

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (or OSHA), is responsible for creating safety guidelines for nearly every industrial process in the world. Without these safety regulations, many of the dangerous factory processes that employees complete on a day-to-day basis would be even more dangerous and deadly. OSHA is responsible for improving the health and safety of factory employees everyday.
The forging industry is no different. OSHA has many rules and safety regulations regarding the operation of forging machinery as well as other manufacturing equipment. Most of the basic rules of safety around forging machinery revolve around the operation of the equipment and the protection of employees during unit operation. To keep employees safe, a variety of specific forging rules are set in place, such as:
The necessity of thermostatic control on any heating elements
Specific exhaust ports for lead-based metals
All operating personnel must wear gloves, helmets, eye protection, aprons, and other safety gear while working near forging equipment
A special covered container for dross nearby
Regular safety checks by employees and non-factory workers
Regular maintenance checks by qualified personnel
Anchor support for presses that are periodically inspected and maintained
Fully-supported hydraulic press machines that support the weight of the machine at all times
Scale guards to prevent scale from flying off of the metal pieces and injuring workers
Clear labels on power switches, operational switches, manual controls, and automatic controls
There are many other rules and regulations involved with the operation of forging presses, but all are necessary for the protection of the workers. Without the clear guidelines of OSHA, more factory injuries would occur and metal forging would be a much more dangerous process.

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4 Types of Hydraulic Lifts

IQS Newsroom — Wed, 13 Nov 2013 19:57:19 +0000

A hydraulic lift is a type of lifting machine that uses the power of hydraulic liquid to raise and lower a platform without jerks or the use of complicated elevation equipment. The liquid power in a hydraulic machine is a complicated component that has made lifting objects and people easier than ever. Hydraulic lifts are used in many industries from factory production to medical equipment. When used properly, these lifts are idea for transporting objects and people of various weights to heights ranging from just a few feet off the ground to over 100 feet in the air.
Table lifts: These lifts are designed to move a workspace to a desired height. These table lifts are often used in factories to move items from the floor to a workable level. Transportation companies also use table lifts to lift materials onto a truck bed or warehouse floor easily and without hassle or other heavy machinery.
Personnel lifts: A personnel lift is designed to lift a person to the desired height. Many electrical repair vehicles use personnel hydraulic lifts to raise the workers to the height of electrical lines and control boxes placed high in the air. Some construction and commercial cleaning industries also use personnel lifts.
Fork lifts: Fork lifts are well-known versions of the hydraulic lift. These lifts are used for moving goods around inside a warehouse or factory. They are adept at quickly moving heavy equipment from one place to another without disturbing the items or breaking any of the materials on the lift.
Medical lifts: A medical lift is used in the medical industry to help the elderly or disabled move from one place to another. Some hospital beds use hydraulic power to control the height of the bed. Other medical lifts include stair lifts and wheelchair lifts for vehicles.

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The History of Aerial Lifts

IQS Newsroom — Wed, 13 Nov 2013 19:20:26 +0000

When I think of an aerial lift, I typically think of the kind of lift that is used at a ski resort or other tourist location. Aerial lifts have become quite popular as transportation methods in both metropolitan areas and more out-of-the-way locations. The lifts are often used in areas where traditional roads or rail systems would have difficulties, such as in rocky terrain or mountains. Aerial lift manufacturers create many types of lifts for transporting people from one place to another.
However, the original use for the machines was actually not as a personal transport vehicle at all. One of the original uses for the aerial lifts was to transport mining supplies and materials from one place to another. Usually, the lifts were used to transport mining supplies from a high location down to a lower location so that the goods could be moved quickly and easily down the side of a mountain. The first aerial lift was built in 1644 by Adam Wiebe and was used to transport soil from one location to another. From the 1600s to the mid 1800s, thousands of aerial lifts were built to transport goods from one place to another.
In World War I, mining tramways were used to transport military supplies and building supplies for defenses throughout Italy and Europe. Other locations that had these lifts included Russia, Alaska, New Zealand, France, and Argentina. Essentially, any location with difficult terrain used the lifts for fast and effective transportation. Another benefit of the aerial lifts during war time is that it was harder for the carts to get bombed or raided while they were on the line. The enemy would have to attack either end of the line to stop transportation, and the ends of the line were usually heavily guarded. After WWI, Aerial lift manufacturers switched toward making the lifts transport people, because airplanes and fast travel made the lifts less efficient at transporting goods.

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Choosing the Material for Hydraulic Cylinder Seals

IQS Newsroom — Mon, 20 May 2013 12:01:38 +0000

Hydraulic cylinder seals play a crucial role in various types of machinery, and are usually constructed from thermoplastics, elastomers, or thermoplastic elastomers such as rubber, polytetrafluoroethylene, and polyurethane. When it comes to selecting the most appropriate material for the sealing element in hydraulic cylinders, there are several conditions that are important to consider. These include temperature, system pressure, media, surface roughness, system tolerances and sliding speed. Let’s take a look at the most important of these (Temperature, Pressure, Media, and Speed) and how they impact the decision of which material to use in order to get the best performance from hydraulic cylinder seals.

Working temperature is one of the most important aspects regarding the choice of the hydraulic seal’s material. Ideally, the working temperature would be around 50ºC for sealing elements and systems; however, application temperatures often reach 100ºC. in dynamic applications where there is direct contact between sealing elements and sliding surfaces, friction generated heat can effect the seals. It is important to ascertain the system temperature and make sure that it is lower than the working temperature of the sealing element. If applications require especially high temperatures, seals made from fluoroelastomers or polytetrafluoroethylene are recommended. Speed also increases friction force and decreases oil film thickness. For that reason, polytetrafluoroethylene is again recommended for applications that require high speeds.

System pressure is another huge determining factor when it comes to the material selection for these seals. It is recommended that shock pressures be taken into consideration when calculating system pressure as these are usually higher than normal working pressures. A recent demand for higher force has resulted in an increase of pressure in hydraulic systems overall, which in turn has resulted in new profiles with new engineering materials in sealing elements. Calculating the system pressure will guide you in selecting a sealing element with a corresponding working pressure. The media the sealing elements are being used in should also be taken into consideration. The viscosity of the media is affected by temperature as well as pressure (an increase in pressure increases viscosity while an increase in temperature decreases viscosity). The viscosity of the media can have negative effects, such as wearing, on sealing elements, so it is important to be aware of these relationships and interacting when pairing media and sealing elements.

Photo Courtesy of Allied Metrics Seals & Fasteners, Inc.

If you are in the market for hydraulic cylinder seals, it is important to evaluate the working variables discussed above and make an informed decision as to the most appropriate material for these seals. Most manufacturers of both seals and hydraulic cylinders provide application tables and guides with working temperatures, pressures, speeds, and media specifications to assist in the evaluation process. Get the most out of your cylinders and seals, make calculated purchases that will serve you in the long run.

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The Simple Design of Hydraulic Cylinders

IQS Newsroom — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:09:00 +0000

By Jenny Knodell, IQS Editor

Do you ever wonder how those heavy duty, high powered equipment vehicles work? I’m talking about tractors, bulldozers, cranes and trucks that lift, push, haul, dump, dig, crush and drill in countless large-scale applications. They harness enormous power to handle extremely heavy loads. You might be surprised, but the main part behind the power—hydraulic cylinders—are probably more simple than they seem, and they don’t require a lot of energy. They use the basic principle of fluid under pressure, and are featured in any system that needs multiple moving parts at once. These cylinders have been around for a while, since the 1970s, and haven’t changed much in design or function. Sure, their manufacturing processes are faster and the tolerances are tighter, but their classic construction still operates just as well with newer machinery as they do with old.
Hydraulic cylinders are composed of 4 main parts—the outside casing, which is called a barrel and usually made of stainless steel, a piston, rod, gland and butt. The piston rotates and is located on the interior of the cylinder, and the larger its diameter, or bore, the more power it can harness. The piston is an integral part of the hydraulic system because it gives the cylinder force. It’s attached to a rod, which is a long, strong piece of steel that is exposed to the fluid path, and therefore must be exceptionally corrosion resistant. It extends and retracts through the gland, which is the front part of the cylinder. Finally, the butt is located at the base or end of the cylinder, and it is usually the part that attaches to other hydraulic system components, which include pumps, valves and motors.

Image Courtesy of Star Hydraulics, Inc.

The oil is held in a reservoir, and when the system is active, it is shot through the cylinder under great pressure. The pressure forces the rod to move back and forth in a linear motion, and because the rod is attached to the piston, it begins to move. Whatever machinery part that is powered by the cylinder is attached to the piston, and thus also moves. So movement starts with the liquid, and is transferred to the rod, then the piston, and then the vehicle or moving part itself.

Image Courtesy of CAL-WEST Machining, Inc.

There are 2 main types of hydraulic cylinders used today—welded body and tie rod. Tie rod hydraulic cylinders have the rods that are attached at both ends of the cylinder. They are more powerful, and are therefore used in heavy-duty industrial machinery requiring more strength. A welded hydraulic cylinder has no rod. Instead, it is attached directly to the object that needs to move. Because it is missing a large component, welded boyd cylinders tend to be much smaller and used in construction equipment like cranes and bulldozers. Newer and different cylinder designs, like telescopic cylinders, which use multiple pistons, offer higher flexibility and a broader range of applications. These new versions, however, still follow the same basic principle as the classic cylinder design.

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