Archive for November, 2020

Applications of Robots in the Plastic Injection Molding Industry

Posted: November 26, 2020 by datechguy in business, economy
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The never-ending increase in demand for more flexible solutions has led to industrial robots being widely used in the plastic industries today. These industrial robots are being used in almost all areas of the production process, including operations related to injection molding.

Below are some of the areas whereby industrial robots can be used to automate the process of injection molding.

Pick-and-Place

One way that industrial robots can be used in automating the injection molding process is by the use of pick-and-place robots. These robots are used to load plastic parts into the machine. They can also be used to place complete end products onto the conveyor belt.

Quality

Injection molding is a repetitive task, and when performed by human employees, it can leave room for discrepancies. Making use of the robots ensure that production is of the highest quality and ensures that products are well formed, cut with precision and that the finished product is well measured with every process.

Productivity

Incorporating robots into the injection molding process provides the manufacturers with the much-needed viable advantage with visible surges in the produced parts’ quality and productivity.

Different robots are used in various areas in the automation of plastic injection molding, they include;

  • 3-Axis Cartesian robot; Due to their high-speed processes, they are usually used for horizontal plastic injection molding machines.
  • 6-Axis Articulated robot; This injection molding robot is usually used for both the vertical and horizontal injection molding machines. They are suitable for floor space or ceiling height constraints as they allow for a larger work envelope
  • 6-Axis Collaborative robot; The 6-axis collaborative robot operates safely alongside human operators, although it cannot compete with the other 6-axis robots in terms of precision and speed.
  • 4-Axis SCARA robot; The SCARA 4-axis robot usually provides a circular work envelope, and it is mainly used for loading and unloading vertical injection molding machines.
  • Side Entry robot; The side-entry robot is best for faster cycles. It is also suitable for areas with space constraints.
  • Sprue Picker robot; The sprue picker is usually used for the removal of sprue. It can also be used for part and runner separation in the automation of plastic injection molding.

Below are some of the areas where these robots can be applied in various production processes.

Machine Tending

One of the most common applications of injection molding robots is the machine tending process. Machine tending is a labor-intensive task that involves the handling of heat-sensitive material being molded. This requires a high level of consistency when handling developed materials. As such, a robot can be used to relieve human operators from this tedious task while also minimizing the risks of being injured.

The use of robotics in machine tending has been attributed to improved production capacity and product consistency. To avoid damages to newly injected molded parts, robots fitted with inflated grippers or vacuum can guarantee careful handling of the elements.

Insert Molding

Inserts are usually metal objects such as; pin, blade, or threaded rod. They are generally put inside the plastic mold either before or after the injection process. The 6-axis robots that are often used to load/unload an injection molding machine, can add these inserts into the molding.

Plastic Over-molding

This process is where two or more separate molded parts are joined together to form one finished product. Plastic over-molding requires different degrees for fast and accurate placement of components. Robots can be used to lift molded parts from the machine and place them onto another device for the over-molding process.

In-mold Labeling

In-mold labeling is a process for decorating or labeling plastic molded parts. It is usually done during the injection molding cycle. Robotics can be used to load pre-printed labels directly into the open plastic injection molds. Tags and decorations are then permanently engraved within the molded parts, hence becoming an essential part of the end product.

Conclusion

As a manufacturer, telling the different types of robots in the market and their applications can go along way in helping you make an informed decision. This article is intended to give you an insight into how the different types of robots are used in injection molding, and the various areas in which they can be applied.

How to Pick the Correct Lighting for Your House

Posted: November 26, 2020 by datechguy in tips
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Selecting the most appropriate lighting for various rooms in your home can be difficult. Multiple forms of lightings exist in the market. There are bright, dim, hanging, wall, chandelier, LED lights, and so much more. Visiting a store to shop for your home’s lightings can leave you even more confused if you do not have a proper guide to help you pick the right lightings for various rooms.

With the various lighting technologies present in the market, it would be best for you to understand the various lighting types you can pick from for your home. Also, get to know the different lighting categories, and the different lighting schemes available for all the rooms in your house.

Types of Lighting

They are classified into three. Often, you will spot at least two of the lighting types in a room. However, there are scenarios where you will spot all three types in the same room. Hence, you must understand the use of each type of light in a room.

Ambient lighting

Ambient lighting, used to brighten a room, is the central source of lighting in a house. Anything from overhead fixtures to recessed lighting can qualify as a source of ambient lighting. The number and extent of brightness of the bulbs in the room is highly dependent on the size of the room.

Typically, it is the contractor of your house that will advise you on ambient lighting in your space. Typically, the rooms that will require the most light are the kitchens and the bathrooms.

Task lighting

As the name suggests, task lighting is utilized to provide lighting for particular activities such as reading and applying makeup. Task lighting is never utilized in brightening up a whole room. It is only used in a small area within a place.

Task lights are of various shapes and sizes. They are often attachedon a wall, placed on a desk, or be fixed on a mirror. Moreover, some have rotating abilities, and hence you can twist them to the direction you would like to have them face and the angle you would like to have them to be.  

Accent lighting

They are the most embellishedlighting in a room. They mainly grab and draw attention to something you admirein the house, like a bookshelf, a painting, or the fireplace. These lights make something attractive for all your visitors to appreciate. Chandeliers, sconces, and lamps can be classified under accent lights.  

Lighting Schemes for All Rooms

Now that you know the three lighting types, you can now delve into the various lighting schemes available for all rooms.

Entryway

This is the first spot your visitors get to see in your house. Aim to make it friendly and inviting by mounting a chandelier at the ceiling’s center area. If your home has no tall ceiling, try selecting a lighting fitting thatcommunicates a warm tone. Avoid using task or accent lights.

Living room

The living room is designed for entertainment or resting. Therefore, access to bright light when needed is necessary, but would not desire to have the bright lights every time.

Therefore, floor lamps, sconces, and table lamps are the most appropriate. Dimmer switches are also ideal, making it easy to switch on the bright light and dim it any time you want.

Dining room

A bright enough light is necessary for eating and conversing at the dining table comfortably. Try using a chandelier by placing it directly at the center of the dining room table. Pendant lights can also do a great job of lighting the dining room area if you do not fancy a chandelier.

Kitchen

It can be tricky picking the right lighting fixtures to use since some areas require too much lighting whereas others just need dimmer lighting. If your kitchen has an extensivesink, an open bar, and an attractive kitchen island, pendant lights would be appropriate. Pendant lights are functional and stylish at the same time. 

Bedroom

Warm lighting is necessary for a bedroom. You will want to have task lights by your bedsides, which will help you read as you relax in bed. Also, you can install a dimmer switch to provide brighter lights when essential.  

Bathroom

Light is necessary for the bathroom. You can use sconces and the bright LED lights overheadthe bathroom mirrors. Ensure you install the lights close to face height to optimize their use.  

Conclusion

A great deal of time and effort goes into selecting the most appropriate lights for your space. However, knowledge of the various lighting and lighting schemes for all rooms will make it easy for you to pick the right lighting systems for your space in the shortest time possible.

The Stick: Questions and Incentives For the GOP & Trump Under the Fedora

Posted: November 25, 2020 by datechguy in culture, elections, politics

Sonny: Now youse can’t leave

A Bronx Tale 1993

Last week I put up a piece basically asking what the incentives are for the Democrat left to suddenly behave honorably if we go along with their steal of this election. Now I’d like to point out some of the incentives or lack thereof that the GOP should consider before they jump on the Biden bandwagon.

Let’s say you are a GOP Governor, Senator or ex cabinet official who would like to run for President of the United States in 2024 or beyond who chooses to oppose President Trump fight to stop the theft of election 2020: What incentive does the President or his supporters have to turn out for you in the primaries or donate to your cause?

Let’s say you are the GOP nominee for President in 2024 or 2028 and you urged President Trump to concede and/or insisted that election 2020 was not tainted by fraud. What incentive do Republican voters have to turn out for you or to donate to you if they believe the fix is already in?

Let’s say you are a GOP governor or Senator or Congressman who is running for re-election in 2022 and you choose to oppose President Trump’s fight to stop the theft of election 2020: What incentive does the President or his supporters have to eskew supporting a primary challenger and/or hold rallies for a primary challenger running against you?

Let’s say you are a GOP member of a state legislature in Georgia, or Michigan or Pennsylvania or Wisconsin who has decided against pushing back against a corrupt election in your state: What incentive does the President or his supporters have to eskew supporting a primary challenger and/or hold rallies for a primary challenger running against you?

Let’s say you are a GOP member of a state legislature in Georgia, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania or Michigan and your state supreme court rejects compelling evidence of election fraud and sworn affidavits of day presented by Sydney Powell, Lyn Wood and/or Rudy Guiliani and you choose not to vote for an alternative slate of electors: What incentive does a potential primary opponent have to stay away when they can raise money nationally from angry supporters of President Trump and maybe even get a visit or rally from said president in your race?

Finally let’s say you are a GOP official or pol who decides to leave government after opposing President Trump attempt to stop the steal of election 2020. What is the incentive of any think tank or conservative group to hire you when having you on their staff could adversely affect their fundraising or credibility among the party base?

Update: added quote

Let’s get real about JFK

Posted: November 24, 2020 by chrisharper in politics, Uncategorized
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By Christopher Harper

In a yearly ritual on November 22, baby boomers recall when and where they heard about the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

Unfortunately, few of us reflect on how Kennedy, while tragically struck down as a young man, was a lousy president and an even worse man.

Many consider JFK one of the best presidents in the history of the United States.

But even a cursory view of his life and times demonstrates how his legacy became hugely inflated after his death in 1963.

For example, many consider Kennedy responsible for civil rights laws when his successor, Lyndon Johnson, was the man who made that happen.

Moreover, as a senator, JFK voted against President Eisenhower’s civil rights legislation to appease racist Democrats in the South. In collusion with FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, Kennedy ordered wiretaps on Martin Luther King Jr.

In international affairs, he approved the assassination of the leader of the Dominican Republic, Rafael Trujillo, as long as the United States had “plausible deniability.” In Cuba, he launched an attack to overthrow Fidel Castro, known as the Bag of Pigs invasion, which failed because JFK failed to approve air cover. In Vietnam, he expanded the U.S. presence and endorsed a coup that ultimately resulted in the assassination of the president, Ngo Dinh Diem.

During his presidency, JFK engaged in various extramarital affairs, including Marilyn Monroe and Judith Campbell, who also dated Mafia boss Sam Giancana and posed an incredible security risk because of her ties to the Mob.

Sure, JFK did some things right. He stared down the Russians during the Cuban missile crisis. He rejiggered the tax code—changes that would rankle his fellow Democrats because it actually made it easier on the wealthy. I’ll even give him credit for encouraging American scientists to launch probes into space.

A longtime friend who covered JFK admitted to me that the reporters knew about the affairs and the political shenanigans. But the media saw JFK as the Great White Hope to bring the United States into a new era.

I don’t want to speak ill of the dead. But I think Americans, particularly baby boomers, should analyze JFK’s legacy in a much more rational way.

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