Categories Starting with 'W'

Welding is a fabrication process employed for permanently joining two or more sections of materials. In most forms of welding, the joining is facilitated by melting the edges of the work pieces and introducing a filler material into the molten pool, which, after cooling, forms a solid bond between the sections. Frequently used for joining metals, this process is also suitable for joining various thermoplastics. A number of energy sources are used to create the weld, including electric arcs, gas flames, and lasers.

Water jet cutting is a machining process that cuts a wide spectrum of materials into shape. The process involves a highly-pressurized water current capable of slicing any component from ceramics to titanium. Under certain circumstances, the jet is supplemented with abrasive materials to provide a cleaner cut, though it is not essential. This cutting is an outstanding tool for cutting materials resistant to lasers and blades. They cater extensively to the manufacturing industry and when used in propriety, prove an excellent asset to the manufacturing process.

Wire EDM uses fine metallic wire as a cutting electrode to machine intricate parts from thick metal plates. Wire EDMs work by supplying power to both the wire as well as work piece, thus creating an electrical potential between them. When the wire is brought close to the work piece, current discharges or sparks occur between them. These sparks gradually remove the material from the work piece, while the wire is constantly fed into the work piece to ensure continuous cutting. Wire used in wire EDMs is commonly made from brass and fed into the work piece from a spool, through guides placed above and below the work piece. The guides are movable in a 2-axis plane and generally CNC controlled to achieve the desired shape. The work piece is completely immersed in a tank of dielectric fluid, which in most cases, is de-ionized water also used to flush away cut material, as well as act as a coolant. This process is typically used to cut thick metal plates to make various parts, including punches, tools, as well as dies from hard materials such as titanium and tool steel.

The water-cooled chiller is a cryogenic design that cools entities by transferring heat absorbed from process water to an individual water source such as a river, pond or a cooling tower. These chillers are pertinent in situations where a cooling tower is at immediate disposal, or where a user demands optimal power consumption. They necessitate condenser water treatment to remove mineral buildup, the absence of which causes insubstantial heat transfer, which is antecedent to an inefficient unit. They find application in chemical and pharmaceutical processes, milk and dairy pasteurizing, food products, and plastic processing.

Worm gear speed reducers belong to the class of right angle speed reducers, and are employed in applications where low horsepower is involved. These gears are compact in design and maintain high stock tolerance and gear ratios with input and output shafts arranged perpendicularly. Reducers of this type are common in a wide variety of industries such as oil and gas, automotive, aerospace, material-handling, recreational, food and beverage processing, textile and construction industries. Applications that engage these reducers include generators, compressors, printing presses, conveyors, special machinery, packaging, automation equipment and robotics.

A wafer check valve is a type of one-way valve without flanges that is designed to be sandwiched between two flanged sections of pipe with bridging fasteners. It requires fewer fastening connections.