Gear Module & Pressure Angle Explained: The Complete Guide to Gear Specifications
A few months ago, a maintenance manager called me about a machine that had been down for three days. He’d…
What are the risks of using cheap scrap-metal brass for industrial self-lubricating slides?
Several years ago, a maintenance manager I know ordered what he thought were “bronze” wear plates for a packaging line….
How to Reduce Friction and Noise in Heavy-Duty Vertical Lift Systems Using Solid Lubricant Guides
A factory maintenance manager called me about a 5-ton vertical lift that had started screaming every time it moved. The…
How to Optimize Graphite Plug Size and Density to Maximize Bronze Wear Plate Service Life
A mold designer from a German automotive stamping plant called about premature wear on a set of C95400 bronze wear…
How to Calculate Thermal Expansion Clearance for Graphite Bronze Slide Plates in High-Temperature Applications
A pipeline engineer from a refinery in Louisiana called me about a graphite bronze slide plate that had seized inside…
How to Eliminate Galling on Wear Plates When Stamping High-Strength Steel (AHSS)
A stamping engineer I work with called me after a 12-hour shift troubleshooting a progressive die running DP 980. The…
What’s the difference between FC250 cast iron and copper alloy oil-free slide plates?
A maintenance engineer I worked with had a recurring problem. The oil-free slide plates on a 600-ton press’s die change…
How to Calculate the Maximum Allowable Contact Pressure (PV Value) for NAAMS Wear Plates
I once watched a die designer spend three hours optimizing a trim steel geometry, only to see the wear plates…
How to Choose and Install Self-Lubricating Shims for 100-Ton Static Loads in Infrastructure Moving
A structural moving contractor called me after a bridge launching job in Southeast Asia. They had used standard steel shim…
How to Correct Directional Deviation in Progressive Dies Caused by Guide Block Wear
I once watched a press operator spend six hours adjusting pilots and feeder timing on a progressive die that was…
