The Essentials of Designing and Manufacturing Pressure Vessels

Pressure vessels are designed to contain a volume of fluids or gas in a relatively small space under extreme pressures. They are used in applications ranging from oil extraction to nuclear reactors. No matter how sophisticated the use needs to be, making pressure vessels involves some metal spinning and rolling to get the vessel to have symmetrical cap ends. In fact, the essentials of designing and manufacturing pressure vessels are remarkably similar for any application. Let’s take a look at this video,

Balancing Strength and Practicality

Compressed fluids exert a large amount of strain on their containers. The constant challenge of manufacturing pressure containers is how to balance the strength of the materials with practical constraints such as expansion and weight of fluids under pressure.

Designing strong vessels is addressed in two ways: using strong materials and making the container in a way that the strain is minimized. For the first consideration, steel is the most common solution. It is strong and relatively abundant, making it ideal for manufacturing pressure vessels.

To minimize the strain exerted on the vessel, the solution is conceptually simple when using a round sphere. However, this is often not as simple to engineer. While high-end, specialized pressure vessels can be meticulously manufactured to be perfectly spherical, the majority of applications call for a more tank like solution.

Cylindrical vessels with spherical, “dished,” heads at either end is the most popular way of overcoming this challenge. This design is robust while still being economical to manufacture.

Manufacturing Dished Heads

Making the heads for pressure vessels requires two major steps: creating a mold or metal spinning mandrel and the next step is molding the flat piece of sheet metal around the mold using the process of sheet metal spinning. The first part of this requires the mechanical design to be help the metal spinning manufacturer to create the mold. Most spinning companies start with a block of maple wood for the mold making. The design is programmed into a CNC spinning lathe and machined to the inside dimensions of the metal head.

Following this, the steel can be shaped using a metal spinning machine and an experienced craftsman. The flat sheet metal material is locked into the lathe and the operator get’s the speed up to 750 – 900 rpm’s. At these speeds, the spinning tools are applied at specific angles and force to elongate the sheet metal around the mold’s shape. Once the head ends are shaped, a welder can cut holes for the pressure vessel fluid flow pipes and these are added according to spec and the cap ends can now be added to the pressure vessel body.

When roll forming metal for vessels, the steel material needs to be precut to size prior to entering the roll forming machine. The cap ends that were manufacturers using sheet metal spinning will require good strong welds to prevent any leakage of fluid that will be under pressure. The welding of fixtures and valves to the pressure vessel requires a skilled hand. These weld points will be under the most stress.

Cutting Complex Metal Blanks Just Got Easier, Faster and More Affordable

There are thousands of products that are manufactured using metal parts cut the old fashion way. This article is focused on laser cutting technologies that are faster and a more affordable way of cutting metal parts. Almost all kinds of metals such as the mild steel, aluminum, and nickle alloys can be cut using the advanced laser technologies that are available.

Laser cutting achieves high precision cuts as well as improved production speed compared to punch presses and shears. Lasers are highly programmable and don’t require any tooling.

The laser cutting helps get more complex parts done with less waste.There are two primary types of laser technologies that are available for cutting complex parts, One is CO2 lasers and the other is solid state fiber laser cutting machines. One of the major benefits of fiber lasers is the minimized energy consumption compared to CO2 laser machines currently on the market.

Fiber Lasers

Fiber lasers tend to do a better job with thinner metal sheets. TruDisk solid-state lasers enable you to work quickly, particularly in thin sheet metal. This is possible because they emit abeam with a wavelength of approximately 1.03 µm, which is absorbed significantly more intensely than the wavelength of CO2 lasers: these lasers transfer more energy to the sheet metal, enabling cutting to be carried out more quickly.

CO2 Lasers

CO2 lasers are particularly effective for any applications that require especially smooth and high-quality cut edges. They are the right choice for cutting edges that will be visible and where smooth edges matter for the further processing of your part. CO2 lasers are an older type of laser technology, which means that in general, the price to acquire them has come down over time.  Yet, it’s a technology that has continued to evolve beautifully, even as prices fall. CO2 lasers, while not as fast as their fiber cousins, are extremely flexible and adaptable for use on the most common types of materials, such as aluminum and steel, and on a range of material thicknesses.

When investigating a laser cutting service for your next fabricated metal part, it would be wise to quote out a few companies that do metal fabrication with lasers and ask them about the quality of the cutting surface for the metal parts you are making. If you are just doing a laser cut for metal blanks that don’t require any forming, you may not be concerned with the type of machine. But if you are doing some custom laser cutting of more complex parts that need additional forming, then we recommend that a fiber laser cutting service get involved in the project. Not every metal fabrication shop in Philadelphia is created equal.

Launching a Medical Startup? Getting Help for Your Product Growth and Design

Working on a startup business of any kind can hold several daunting challenges, including the need for proper funding and expertise to get things rolling. There are likely to be some bumps along the road. When it comes to medical startups, the need for expertise on your team is much greater. Many of the medical devices in development today are taking advantage of sensor technology, cloud-based data communications and application development. So one of the major obstacles to overcome is a decision on whom should be doing the design and development of your product. It is usually a wise choice to consider hiring a professional that are experienced in launching successful medical devices in recent years for the design and development phases.

Tasks to Complete Before Outsourcing:

There are numerous factors one should fine-tune before outsourcing product development:

1. Do your research. If you are an entrepreneur that is partnered with a Chief Medical Officer, together it’s important to understand the processes involved in the advancement and protection of your technology. Such as patents, non-disclosure agreements, and a short list of potential product design partners.

2. Review the product for proper qualifications. Investigate if there is a legitimate need for your product and see if other products currently on the market provide the same solution as your concept. Is the tech available or is there a need for technology development?

3. Know the terms of agreement. Begin interviewing potential design partners and get all the details of ownership and other rights regarding your product and its design organized. Be sure you’re comfortable with these terms before entering into any partnership.

4. Define your objectives.Presenting refined and distinct goals for your product and business venture is likely to be an imperative step in this process.

Benefits of Outsourcing Product Development

One big concern startup owners have is control and ownership of technology, designs and intellectual property. We recommend not signing over your rights and developing a win – win scenario linked to a successful launch. There can be some clear advantages to involving a professional design firm and / or a Chief Medical Officer, as they often have some experience and insights that you may not have. Although the concept or idea may be unique to you, it is wise to know your limitations and accept the expertise of others once your common goals are aligned.Here are some of the most apparent benefits to contracting the Product Development help you need.

• Save costs in the long and short term
• Rapidly apply new technologies
• You can stay focused on your core business
• Mitigate risk
• Shorter time-to-market
• More efficient development

Working with an outsourcing partner can have its challenges, and the keyword to focus on here is “partner”. It’s important to remember that when you hire a medical device development firm, the company you work with now shares interest in the success of your startup’s endeavors. This is the top reason why getting a professional engineering design services on board is so beneficial.

While you are focused on core business initiatives, legal aspects, funding and product marketing, the medical product design experts are focused on mechanical engineering, technology development, functionality and testing phases. Be careful on selecting potential contractors and what they’re offering before signing on for their help.There are some unsavory types that count on startup entrepreneurs being too busy to read the fine print. We will encourage you to read the fine print and get a patent lawyer on your team when you are ready for that.

Definitive Design offers medical design engineering expertise for doctors, medical technicians and forward-thinking healthcare professionals with an idea that is unique and solves healthcare problems. We encourage entrepreneurs to leverage our experience and skills in the area of medical devices and wearable healthcare technology.

Kitchens Continue To Get Smarter

For consumers who are excited about the potential of having smart appliances as part of the kitchens in their homes, designing the right space is crucial with the functionality offered by smart appliances in mind. We recommend taking to the internet and checking out trend setting kitchen appliance brands by visiting Samsung’s Virtual Kitchen, LG home appliances to see what these connected devices can do. More and more appliances are being built with IoT features that allow them to be controlled from your tablet or phone.

Watch This Video of  Samsung’s Family Hub

Connecting Across the Kitchen

There are various options when it comes to kitchen designs with smart appliances but we are seeing the larger appliances using stainless steel and black stainless steel as the two primary colors. So, designers need to blend countertops, cabinets and flooring to offset all those shiny metal finishes. Smaller smart appliances such as coffee pots, blender, and microwaves are now available as smarter devices that take advantage IoT connectivity and digital syncing. These smaller pieces of equipment take on a more traditional look similar to older appliances, although we have seen some very futuristic coffer makers and sleek new dishwashers that show off the new technology contained within.

Modern Kitchen Design Features

If you appreciate the sophistication of a modern kitchen, you can find many ideas at your local kitchen and bath showroom or swing by the Miele Appliance experience in Princeton. Expect to see lots of reflective surfaces and high-tech materials that truly catch the eye. Bring a pair of sunglasses to reduce the glare. We have found that exotic woods can add extra luxury to a kitchen that is reflecting too brightly. Seating made of polished wood or Lucite is also a popular option. Your modern kitchen designer can make smart appliances look amazing with the right color stain on your custom kitchen cabinets.

Connected Appliances May Leave Your Home Vulnerable

Those who prefer something more traditional may want to tone down the shine. Too much connectivity to the internet may lend your home too accessible to unwanted virtual intruders. The kitchen should offer the family comfort and protection from a connected world but home network security should be considered carefully. Here is a list of 10 best practices for securing your home network.

1. Research the capabilities and security features of an IoT device before purchase.

2. Perform an audit of IoT devices already on your network.

3. Change the default credentials on devices. If the device you’re considering doesn’t allow you to change the default password, choose a different device.

4. Use strong and unique passwords for device accounts and Wi-Fi networks. Don’t use common words or passwords that are easy to guess, such as “password” or “123456.”

5. Modify the default privacy and security settings of IoT devices based on your requirements, not the manufacturer’s.

6. Use a strong encryption method when setting up Wi-Fi network access, like WPA2.

7. Because many IoT devices come with a variety of services (like remote access) enabled by default, be sure to disable features and services that you may not need.

8. Use wired connections instead of wireless whenever possible.

9. Regularly check the device manufacturer’s website for firmware updates.

10. Ensure that a hardware outage does not result in an unsecure state for the device.

Kitchen Design With Smart Appliances in Mind

In many cases, we design kitchens with modern appliances that function just fine without all that flash.We will feature both polished and casual elements for a beautiful juxtaposition of style. We may disguise your smart oven and hide your refrigerator behind a cabinetry finish, as well as recommend more complementary kitchen appliances. Open space and durable seating works well with a contemporary kitchen.

We encourage you to seek out reviews online and consult with your recommended kitchen designer that that you have selected for your project.

Take a look at this modern kitchen design portfolio here to help you stimulate ideas

IP Based Switching equipment

Some of the most important elements of broadband networks are cross connects, sometimes referred to as switches. The main function of cross connects is to provide easy and flexible bandwidth and good connectivity management for network providers. In our present scenario, one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to route voice and data is by IP Switching devices. Innovation in IP connectivity is driven by forward thinking communications technology engineers. The finance industry, for example, requires thousands of trades a second and demands extremely precise switching. For RoIP, VoIP and data transmission applications, a layer 2 and 3 router is best, and many enterprise-class switches meet this requirement.

Orion Systems Inc has a seven-layer model, which is considered the blueprint for data communications architects in the US. Switches can reside in layer 2, the data link layer, or in layer 3, the network layer. The advantage of putting the switching in layer 3 is that it allows full IP based switching. You can scale your network as you need, putting switching nodes wherever they are most appropriate while adding flexibility for the future. Switching solutions should always consider system flexibility, interoperability between systems, and technology insertion for advanced capabilities as supremely important in their design.

As we have seen, the use of RTP in an interchange standard like those proposed by VSF means that multiple asynchronous switches should pose no threat to a video signal. But to accomplish this distributed scaling with level 2 switches – as proposed by the AVB (audio video bridging) protocol, or by some vendors with broadcast-specific knowledge in the switch – means adding tailored media solutions, that don’t rely on the IT mainstream. You will find some systems integrators and vendors do suggest level 2 switching.

Business Benefits of IP Switching Infrastructure:                                                                             

In today’s environment, many organizations are keen to expand their traditional business to leverage digital channels that improve interaction with customers and maintain strong relationships with them. That includes an ability to connect analog radios using ip networks. The backbone of the internet is the primary source used for our most cost-effective connectivity between clients, organizations are investing heavily on IP based communications. Investing in the IP based infrastructure will have mutual benefits for your company. Nowadays clients are demanding more flexibility and freedom to connect with vendors 24/7 and are using IP based communications as their preferred choice.

Location Independence is one of the key benefits of using high quality IP Switching equipment. Secure voice communications are important for security teams, law enforcement and first responders. Orion Systems helps these entities connect using RoIP, digital data and a VoIP infrastructure plus secure mobile communication devices and red black switches based at a command and control centre.

Deploy and Maintain a Single network for all

In order to control communication costs with your clients all the time, it will be important to leverage existing IP networks. Many companies today are using multiple internet gateways in their physical offices and using cloud-based voice/data managed services.

Rapid Deployment of new applications:

Another key benefit of an IP based PBX console is a company’s ability to enable innovative applications remotely. Technology continues to change very quickly and a flexible architecture will allow new applications to be installed quicker. Applications that are written for open sourced operating systems work well with the voice and radio bridging devices manufactured by Orion Systems.

In conclusion, understand that the IP based switching equipment on the market today provide organizations a powerful advantage to companies that wish to provide better customer service and improve client relationships.