Archive for January, 2008

Ultrasonic Welding

Friday, January 25th, 2008

Ultrasonic Welding

Ultrasonic generally refers to acoustic frequencies above twenty thousand hertz, which is the upper limit of human hearing range. These frequencies are, however, audible to certain animals such as mice, bats, dolphins, and dogs, all of which have a higher hearing range as compared to humans. The human inability to hear ultrasonic sound waves is caused by the middle ear that acts as a low-pass filter.

The ultrasonic welding process offers many advantages over other welding techniques and is most commonly used in manufacturing wire harnesses, electronic components, and appliances. Ultrasonic welding is used when multiple layers of foil need to be welded onto a terminal or welded together with different combination of metals such as copper, aluminum, lithium, and nickel.

Ultrasonic welding uses a “low power friction” welding process in which little heat is generated and better control can be applied. The basic idea is to scrub work pieces across each other while clamped under pressure to create a bond. Work pieces are placed on an anvil that is knurled with fine ridges that bite into the material, holding it in place during the weld process. The ultrasonic tool is then lowered onto the pieces, clamping them under pressure and creating the needed scrubbing action. This tool vibrates at a frequency of twenty kilohertz for most welding operations and around forty kilohertz for low power applications.

The scrubbing motion helps in dispersing oxide layers and other impurities at the boundary until the base metals are in direct contact. The atoms of the work pieces then diffuse into each other, creating a purely metallurgical bond.

Ultrasonic welding techniques are used in different industrial sectors such as pharmaceutical, medical, food, cosmetic, and household and personal care manufacturing. They have enabled the ironing out of minor flaws in products during the production process, which if left unchecked, can damage the brand value of a product or company.

Ultrasonic provides detailed information on Ultrasonic, Ultrasonic Transducers, Ultrasonic Cleaners, Ultrasonic Nebulizers and more. Ultrasonic is affiliated with Electronic Test Equipment.

Large Format Color Scanners

Thursday, January 24th, 2008

Large Format Color Scanners

For almost all applications in which art or beauty is given primacy, the use of a color scanner is imperative. Digitalizing of portraits, indigenous textile designs, and large paintings call for the use of large format color scanners. The particular application in question may be best suited by color scanners of either flatbed-type or drum-type scanners. The choice of imaging technology between the traditional scanner using charge-coupled device (CCD) and the less expensive alternative using contact image sensors (CIS) should also be made judiciously.

When dealing with paintings and works of art, a CCD scanner is preferred so as to obtain best image quality, uniform color, and wide dynamic range. It is also ideal for scanning whole open books to obtain an image with little or no distortion. The geometric accuracy of this method is, however, inferior to that of CIS, and hence the latter are more suitable for scanning maps, engineering drawings, etc. The CIS scanner also has better resolving power since the scanned image is of the same size as the original. The resolution of the scanner is specified in dots per linear inch (dpi). The higher the resolution in dpi, the sharper is the scanned image. However, more resolution normally results in a larger image, requiring more memory for storage. The trade-off between the two depends on the use of the scanner. For example, official maps have to be scanned with much better resolution than the embroidery on a shawl. Large Format Scanners commonly available in the market have an optical resolution in the range of 150dpi to 800dpi, which would be sufficient for most general applications. The larger the scanned image, lesser is the enlargement involved, and lower is the resolution required. Highest resolution is desirable for scanning films.

Speed is another important criterion that influences our choice; speed is usually expressed in inches per second (ips) at a particular dpi. At a higher dpi, the speed will be less. For comparison, the speeds of all scanners are usually evaluated at 200dpi optical resolution, or at half the best optical resolution it provides. Most of the commonly available color scanners have speeds less than 300ips. Thickness of the media to be scanned is yet another factor to be considered when selecting the scanner type.

Large Format Scanners provides detailed information on Large Format Scanners, Large Format Color Scanners, Large Format Flatbed Scanners, Used Large Format Scanners and more. Large Format Scanners is affiliated with Home Theater Projector Screens.

Pros and Cons of LCD Flat Screen Monitors

Wednesday, January 23rd, 2008

Pro’s and Con’s of LCD Flat Screen Monitors

LCD flat screen monitors have become incredibly popular for a number of reasons. Many a home office or work space now has an LCD screen in front of the chair. In fact, it is the overwhelming success of the LCD flat screen monitor that eventually led to the development of LCD flat screen televisions that have even begun to give plasma televisions a run for their money on the entertainment market. If you are considering an LCD flat screen monitors, it is helpful to know a little bit about the pros and cons of lcd flat screen monitors.

One of the big pros of LCD flat screen monitors is the space they require, or rather lack of space required. If you have limited space on your desk, then you will find that the thin and light weight nature of a flat screen LCD monitor to be very agreeable. They are easy to move between computers and to keep back so your eyes are not focused on such a nearby point. They also leave more room for reasonable arrangement of your keyboard, printer, and other accessories. More space means more efficiency and less clutter so that you can do your work more easily. Space sounds simple, but more of it can be a big help. If you ever have to move your computer and monitor you will also be able to do so with much more easy because of the size and weight of your LCD flat screen.

One con on LCD flat screen televisions is the price. They are expensive to buy. However, the good news on that front is that every year the price goes down a little more. As technology and manufacturing improves, the prices become more reasonable. On the other hand, a pro of the price is that they cost less to own. The energy they use and the upkeep on them is less than traditional monitors. If you use your computer, and thus monitor, a lot then you will find the savings to be significant when you are talking about the long life of a monitor.

Finally, a pro of the LCD monitor is that it is easier on the eyes. Most users of flat screen LCD monitors will tell you that they feel significantly less eye fatigue with the use of their monitor over the traditional monitors with tubes in them. Also, if you get an adaptable monitor, you can use it as both your television and computer monitor, which can be a great addition to your home office and entertainment center. Either way you will find that your eyes will be happy that you have a flat screen LCD monitor when you do your work.

Though the cons are few and pros are many, it is still important that you understand the pros an cons of LCD flat screen monitors before you get one. In the end, the choice is yours and it may depend on your budget. However, if you have the money, it is unlikely that you would ever regret buying an LCD flat screen monitor for your home office.

Stu Pearson has an interest in Computers & Technology and LCD Flat Screen Monitors, for more FREE information and articles please visit LCD Flat Screen Monitors Resources


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