Manufacturing Metalworking & Industrial Supply & Business Systems

Industrial supplies are the backbone of the manufacturing and engineering industries. Any efficient production operation utilizes the latest technology and industrial products in order to maximize the manufacture of its finished goods. The use of industrial products is ubiquitous during operation with manual controls on machinery, motors and drive systems powering production. Additionally, material handling for raw materials and finished goods are all accomplished with industrial supplies.

Power Generation Systems

Powered operations are at the core of production. Power is supplied by motors and transferred through a drive system to perform useful work. Every assembly line sits on a chain drive system connected to electrical motors that drive the conveyor belts forward. Belt and pulley systems can connect motors to many pieces of machinery and run a process in synchronous. Direct coupling systems transfer power directly to an attached machine, such as a centrifugal pump’s impeller being directly coupled with the shaft of a motor, as seen in chemical and liquid processes.

Tooling Components

An important class of industrial products is tooling components. These industrial supplies are vital for machining operations such as drilling, milling, lathing, boring and breaching, grinding, and pressing. These machines are run automatically in a continuous fashion and they have to meet strict tolerances while producing consistent products at volume.

In order to accomplish this, a system of jigs and fixtures is used to guide the machine. Jigs, also known as locators, set a point of reference for machine operation, such as the starting point to make a cut in a sheet of metal, or the total depth in a metal that needs to be grinded off to form a smooth edge. A typical jig is a tooling ball that can be placed into a liner to set a machine’s position. Fixtures are the female equivalent to jigs and act as the end point for a guide. They can be as simple as a plate with holes drilled in them or bushings for jigs to slide into. Together, they act as a machine’s blueprint for proper operation.

Workholding and Vibration Control

The workholding line of industrial products is designed to secure materials in place for the manufacturing process. Common examples include vise grips and clamps since a strong, stable hold is necessary to keep materials from moving out of place during operation. Consistent production results demand that materials have no freedom to move during operation. More advanced workholding equipment would include spring plungers and spring loaded devices, hydraulic and pneumatic clamps, and vise handles.

While workholding steadies materials, vibration control is used to keep machines in place as they run. Excessive vibration causes wear on machine parts, errors in the manufacturing process, and creates noise levels that can be harmful to operators. Common examples include leveling and vibration pads that can be placed underneath a piece of equipment. Machine stands can be loaded with springs, compressed air, or hydraulics to resist unwanted motion during operation.

Manual Controls

Knobs, handles, buttons, hand wheels, and all other types of manual controls are so ubiquitous in industry that few people pay attention to them. However, the proper use of manual controls in industry is about selecting the right type of control and placing it properly in order to increase production efficiency, reduce worker wear and injury, and prevent operator error.

The controls that are to be used most often should be in the most accessible location on a machine, no control should be placed where a worker has to stain to reach, and reaching above one’s head or below one’s waist should be avoided at all costs. Intuitive layout design will also make operations easier with fewer errors; for example, emergency controls should be painted bright red and not be too close to other controls where they may be accidentally pushed.

Safety Equipment

Of paramount importance, the manufacturing industry utilizes safety equipment for all of its workers. These industrial supplies help prevent injuries, reduce the severity of those that occur, and promote better occupational health. Hardhats and safety shoes are used in even light industry while the chemical manufacturing industry uses splash protection in the form of safety glasses, smocks, and gloves. Hearing protection is required for significant noise levels, lanyards and harnesses are used for elevated work, respirators are used in high dust environments, and first aid kits are generously placed around the work area. Every danger has corresponding industrial products that keep workers safe.

The manufacturing industry utilizes the entire range of industrial supplies and industrial products. From protecting workers, to running machines and ensuring quality, every task is enhanced by the proper use of industrial products.

Industrial Products Used in the Medical Supply Industry

The medical supply industry is a large, growing market with a diverse manufacturing portfolio. The industry as a whole has yearly revenue of about $78 billion, mainly distributed between 60 major companies, but the total industry numbers at about 12,000 companies big and small. The products they produce satisfy the needs of hospitals, surgeons, and doctors across the world. Everything from daily disposable instruments like syringes and catheters to sutures and dressings as well as hospital beds and dental appliances are manufactured. Even latex gloves and surgical masks are produced within the industry.

This large assortment of products and needs calls into play many different manufacturing processes; it also demonstrates the need for an entire range industrial products and industrial supplies to support production.

Metalworking

Metalworking is an important facet of the medical supply industry. Syringes and sutures are common metal products that are in high demand. They require a set of industrial supplies in order to draw, roll, and cut hot metal. Syringe needles are made by drawing molten stainless steel through a secure die block and then rolling the metal into a hollow tube and cutting each into a syringe. Sutures are made in a similar manner, but are typically rolled into half or quarter circlers for stitching wounds. The drawing process for both materials is extremely precise, making needle and suture heads as small as 0.02 millimeters. Such precision requires high quality industrial products for the extrusion and cutting processes.

Molding

Since many of the instruments used in the medical industry are designed to be disposed of after a single application, plastics are heavily used. They typically require industrial products that can be injection molded or cast in plastic into the appropriate shape. Using the syringe example, the barrel, body, and plunger of the hypodermic are injection molded plastic pieces. Mold and die cast plates are constructed out of stainless steel to conform to the FDA standards of cleanliness for medical usage. In this case, there are no material alternatives.

Another huge product demand for medical supply companies is the latex glove. Ubiquitous in hospitals and doctor offices, they are produced by molding as well. Latex, rubber, or nitrile is used as the raw material that is then treated to become a liquid and laid over a cast of varying standard hand sizes. The liquid is allowed to cool and then washed, after which it is dried in a vacuum, which requires vacuum generators and ejectors, in order to remove solvent fumes. It is then sterilized and ready for use.

Material Handling

The manufacturing of disposable medical supplies is always done through mass production. Regardless of the end product, assembly lines require industrial products for the movement of materials down the line. Motors, chain link drive systems, and conveyor belts as well as roller platforms keep production moving forward. Like in most production facilities, pallet handling, forklifts, packaging, and dock equipment all play a vital role in the distribution of final products.

Wood and Fiber Products

The medical supply industry also produces hospital beds, gauze, and dressings. These products require an entirely different line of industrial supplies. Woodworking lathes, sanders, drill presses, and finishing solutions are all needed in the manufacture of hospital beds and furniture. Wound dressing and gauze are made from fibers that have to be drawn, threaded, and woven. The material needs of the medical industry are so diverse that nearly every type of industrial product is utilized to service those needs.

Precision Tooling and Diagnostics

Many of the instruments used in the medical field must conform to extremely stringent tolerances. Quality assurance is maintained with the use of industrial products such as electronic calipers, digital micrometers, and microscopes. Additionally, workholding industrial supplies of the highest quality are used, from tungsten carbide locators to pneumatic vises, to ensure reliable production lines. Leveling devices and vibration control are achieved with the use of anti-vibration pads and vibration mounts to satisfy material tolerances.

Along the same line, diagnostic and treatment tools for patients are also manufactured as a part of this industry. Heart monitors, breathing machines, MMRs, and x-ray machines all require complex microchip and electronics fabrication.

The medical supply industry covers a wide range of products that are used to practice medicine. From surgical tools to hospital beds and more, demand has created a robust manufacturing industry that is spread between nearly every type of production process from metalworking to carpentry to fabric weaving. This diversity requires the same flexibility in available industrial products and supplies.

13 Different Types of Engineering Explained

As a student considering your options for college or university, the choices can be overwhelming. This is the case even within certain disciplines where there might be a dozen different subcategories and / or specialties within the profession. Let’s explore some of the more popular Engineering disciplines, shall we?

Agricultural Engineering is the engineering discipline that strives to apply engineering science to agricultural production and farming. In some circles it is commonly accepted that the scope of agricultural engineering is broader than all other forms of engineering, as it combines elements of mechanical, civil, and chemical engineering with animal and plant biology.

Architectural Engineering involves the application of engineering principles to building construction and design. In some parts of the world, the words architect and architectural engineer are used interchangeably.

Biomedical Engineering strives to apply engineering principles and technology to the field of medicine. Originally considered an interdisciplinary specialization, biomedical eng has grown to become a respected discipline of its own. Tissue engineering, while also considered a specialization within biotechnology, is one such example of biomedical engineering in action.

Ceramic Engineering relates to the practice of designing and creating objects from inorganic, non-metallic materials. The process generally includes the purification of raw materials, the production of compounds, their formation into components, and the study of their composition, properties and structure.

Civil Engineering is a discipline that deals primarily with the design, construction and maintenance of bridges, roads, canals, and the like. As a point of interest, this engineering discipline was enshrined to distinguish itself from military engineering. It is considered the second-oldest discipline, after military.

Computer Engineering is a combination of computer science and electronic engineering. Computer engineers design both computer software and computer hardware, in addition to developing solutions for the integration of the two.

Electrical Engineering is the study and application of electromagnetism, electronics, and electricity. It’s a broad-based discipline that encompasses the design and implementation of various electronic / electrical systems such as circuits, generators, motors, and transformers.

Environmental Engineering refers to the application of scientific principles to environmental improvement. Generally speaking, this discipline attempts to provide healthy air, water and land for safe habitation. Additionally, this particular discipline attempts to find ways to reverse environmental damages caused by pollution.

Industrial Engineering is a discipline concerned with the development and ongoing improvement of integrated systems. In manufacturing systems, focus is placed on finding ways to eliminate waste (time, money, materials, energy, etc). Industrial engineering is not necessarily limited to manufacturing, however.

Manufacturing Engineering, on the other hand, deals almost exclusively with the design and maintenance of different manufacturing processes, tools, equipment and machines. Lean manufacturing principles are one such example of scientific manufacturing in action.

Materials Engineering is concerned with the properties of matter and it’s application to science and technology. This generally refers to the study of the structure of materials at the molecular level, and includes elements of applied physics and chemistry. Nanotechnology is one such example of materials engineering in action.

Mechanical Engineering is one of the oldest disciplines, and is primarily concerned with the design, production and use of tools and machines. It is primarily concerned with the generation and application of mechanical power.

Nuclear Engineering is a discipline that is primarily concerned with finding practical applications of nuclear energy. This includes the development and maintenance of nuclear reactors, power plants, and weapons.

Brandon Weber likes to tinker with things in his workshop when he’s not busy helping his clients solve complex technology problems. To explore the latest mechanical engineering jobs or to learn more about engineering in general, he encourages you to join the conversation at Engineering dot com.

Greg Palmer is an author for Reid Supply Company, an industrial supplies distribution company with a 60 year history supplying customers in all 50 states and over 40 countries with industrial products such as vibration control, leveling devices, and a free CAD library.

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