Technical News | Quad Plus Company Blog

When talking about manufacturing equipment that can cost several hundred thousand dollars to purchase, an extended life for your machine is a must for any company that wants to stay ahead of the competition. However, making large capital investments in new machinery can have an extended payback period, making them not cost-effective in the immediate future. Still, many new technologies exist that can be strategically integrated into your existing machine, making it easier and safer to operate, more productive, and efficiently use energy. To make the most of these hefty equipment purchases, industrial manufacturing retrofits can be the key to accessing new features and prolonging the working life of a machine.

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What is an Online Thickness Gauge?

Automated production processes have allowed companies to manufacture items at high speeds and with fewer interventions from operators. Ensuring that a product’s quality remains within tolerance limits and that waste and defects are minimal requires a similarly automated quality inspection process.

An online thickness gauge is an ideal method for process control as it delivers not only speed, but also a high degree of accuracy. An online gauge is always scanning, as opposed to manual spot measurements with a handheld scanner or a lab sample. Non-contact displacement sensor methods are the optimal choices as no contact with materials are required allowing for the fastest speeds and fast adaptations to different materials or surface types being measured.

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Manufacturers of every industry have a need to follow tight production controls and quality demands. Dispatching a worker to obtain samples of in-process material and finished goods that are then sent for lab measurement may help inform the process. However, a faster and more reliable method is necessary for modern production schedules. A web gauging system will provide real-time results and accuracy that manufacturers need to meet production and cost goals.

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Web gauging systems are the key to meeting tight customer specs while also reducing waste and the overall expense associated with a production line. Which sensor technology to use depends on the substrate being measured as gauges are used to measure everything from the adhesive applied to tape to roofing products to soup bowls. Use this guide to help understand some of the technology that is available and let a Quad Plus expert help you find the right one for your production line.

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No matter what sector of manufacturing your company is in, from automotive to medical to consumer products, balancing quality control and manufacturing costs will always be a priority. Manually gauging or visually inspecting products or even small groups can be costly and inefficient. A web gauging system may provide the key to improving quality and productivity without sacrificing efficiency and expense.

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Circuit breakers form the foundation of safety for any industrial electrical system as they protect both your equipment and your crew from harm caused by overloaded circuits, short circuits, and other electrical problems. All protective systems should have a routine maintenance system in place to make sure everything is working as it should, and preventive maintenance will help you avoid costly breakdowns and industrial circuit breaker repairs.

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Industrial circuit breakers are a necessary component of every electrical system to protect your crew and equipment from danger. When they become damaged or broken, an immediate replacement is required to prevent downtime. Still, the cost to replace industrial circuit breakers can range from several hundred to tens of thousands of dollars. In many cases, companies can save a considerable amount of cash over the lifetime of their equipment by reconditioning breakers for reuse rather than replacing and discarding.

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Choosing the right cable for your variable frequency drive is critical to the operation of your system and avoiding costly downtime. To better understand why special cables are necessary, we’ll take a look at both the immediate and long-term impact that improper cables and configurations can have on your equipment along with ways to minimize problems.

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The 2018/2019 robot season has begun for the Lincoln-Way Central Fighting Knights! With the help and support of Quad Plus, the team is in the final stage of prep for their first competition this weekend. Frantic robot modifications and program tweaks are keeping team members busy after school and on the weekends. Go Knights!

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A complete teardown and rebuild of a SIEMENS MasterDrive K-Frame caused by an improperly placed IGBT within the U phase leading to a dangerous arc-flash event. Our in-house expert Scott, documents the steps that Quad Plus takes to rebuild from this costly issue. Make sure to always have your drives serviced and maintained.

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Recent semiconductor technology advances have resulted in an increase of medium voltage drive models on the market. Unlike the low voltage market, these drives offer a variety of power circuit topologies. This video primer reviews the most common topologies available from major vendors, along with key advantages and challenges.

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Diode, SCR, IGBT, SGCT, IGCT Puck and Isolated Base packages are used in all variable speed drive systems. A failure of one of these devices is typically the most costly from both the repair and downtime points of view. In this video, we discuss some myths and practical actions you can take to properly diagnose semiconductor problems and replace devices.

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I have received many notifications about the discontinuation of the Siemens Masterdrive. As an owner of this drive system, this is the type of communication that causes anxiety. Questions such as How am I going to get parts, repairs, and service immediately start swirling in your head. And the biggest question of all is, if I have to remove and replace these drives, how much will it cost, how long will it take, and are their implications to my automation system.

So, what exactly does this notice mean?

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Many AC Drives and other inverter types (i.e. solar) contain aluminum electrolytic capacitors for DC bus filtering. If these capacitors have been in storage for a period of time, for example in your spares, they may explode if reforming is not performed BEFORE applying full power. In this video we explain what is going on in the capacitor and what you can do to prevent explosions.

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The new Robotics Industry Association (RIA) standard for robots and robot systems (RIA R15.06:2012) will have a significant impact on all businesses using robotic automation. It’s important that all businesses that utilize robots in their facilities are aware of the changes to robotic safety that have been brought about by this new standard update, and begin to set aside both funds and time in order to implement the new changes in an efficient manner.

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With so many rules and regulations related to industrial safety, it can be confusing to figure them all out.

To help clear things up, we do our best to explain the ISO 12100:2010, ISO 14121-1:2007, ISO 13849-1:2006 Safety Standards

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