Thermoforming has benefited from applications of engineering technology, although the basic forming process is very similar to what was invented many years ago. Microprocessor and computer controls on more modern machinery allow for greatly increased process control and repeatability of same-job setups from one production run to the next, usually with the ability to save [...]
There are two general thermoforming process categories. Sheet thickness less than 1.5 mm (0.060 inches) is usually delivered to the thermoforming machine from rolls or from a sheet extruder. Thin-gauge roll-fed or inline extruded thermoforming applications are dominated by rigid or semi-rigid disposable packaging. […]
Vacuum forming, commonly known as vacuforming, is a simplified version of thermoforming, whereby a sheet of plastic is heated to a forming temperature, stretched onto or into a single-surface mold, and held against the mold by applying vacuum between the mold surface and the sheet.The vacuum forming process can be used to make most product [...]
Nothing else cuts EDM faster and has a more controllable finish than a stone. While diamond files start off as being faster than stones, […]
Steel laps are the tool of choice for most polishers. Steel can be ground to any thinness and still allow for heavy downward pressure. Steel laps can be used with diamond compound or silicon carbide lapping compound as the cutting medium. […]
The technique of disking ribs is probably the fastest way to remove EDM from ribs; however, the downside can easily outweigh the benefits. Disked ribs can become undercut extremely easily – in a matter of only a second – and this technique should only be used by an experienced polisher with many years of “feeling [...]
Diamond files are the next fastest cutting tools available for removing EDM from ribs after disking. Diamond files can be used in profilers, […]
Brass laps also are very popular for lapping ribs. While not quite as rigid as steel laps, brass laps are easier to work to thickness and shape and they don’t suffer nearly as much from the deep, zigzag scoring as steel laps do. […]
Take a brass lap, dress it to half the thinness of the rib, take a 220-grit, medium, hard-bond, aluminum oxide, nonoil-filled stone and slice it to half the thinness of the rib. […]
Ask any polisher what the hardest part of his/her job is and most will tell you the same thing – stoning. It doesn’t have to be that way. Here is a simple technique that not only makes stoning easier and more enjoyable, but actually cuts 30 percent off the time it takes to do a [...]