If you follow ARC Specialties you may have noticed a trend. We are moving robots out of the factory into the locations where they are needed.
- Post Date: August 25, 2022
Category: Uncategorized
Robotocist Chronicles: Dan’s Business Secrets Episode 06 Journalism
In this episode of The Roboticist Chronicles, Chris Tomlinson, columnist for the Houston Chronicle, stops by H.A.T. Studio to discuss journalism on this installment of Dan’s Business Secrets.
- Post Date: August 18, 2022
MURALISTA
One bright side of the COVID Panic of 2020 is that our favorite Muralista had time to paint the east wall of our lunchroom.
- Post Date: June 12, 2020
Shipping Machines to Essential Infrastructure Manufacturers
Today we shipped a large turbine repair welding system, an essential part of the Energy sector of our Critical Infrastructure. I want to thank Project Manager John Martin and all the ARC staff who designed, built, and programmed this system. I would also like to thank our customers, who make and distribute the food, goods, and energy consumed by Americans. Without you; Americans and the US economy would suffer.
We cannot work from home and build the robots or turbines that our fellow Americans rely on to keep America working. What we can do is continue to observe CDC guidelines by promoting good hygiene and social distancing.
Let’s stay well, stay smart, and keep working.
- Post Date: April 2, 2020
Cross Training During 2020 COVID Pandemic
So far NO COVID at ARC! However, we have started cross-training just in case someone does get sick and self- quarantines. We are determined to continue to support our Essential Industrial Partners.
Benny & Rolando are expert fitters and superb welders with flux core and MIG. So when I gave them a class on Gas Tungsten Arc Welding or TIG welding, they picked it up very quickly. They welded up a stainless rack as a first project. The welds were sound but not up to our visual standards so they ground them. If you have seen our welding Workmanship video you know my opinion of people who grind welds: “If you can’t weld you grind.” Grinding destroys all evidence of workmanship or lack thereof.
I expect Benny & Roland will soon be making good welds that are too pretty to grind.
If you agree that now is the time to train see: https://lnkd.in/eTWTk8s
- Post Date: March 31, 2020
Welding Wire Management
Bulk wire systems for automatic welding machines are desirable for a couple of reasons. First is eliminating 95% of your wire spool changes. In the field of internal Hot Wire Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW-HW) for sour service there is a second more important reason. Stopping in the middle of a critical weld is not recommended. At the same time, the nickel alloys are expensive so you hate to throw away $20+ per pound wire just to ensure that you will have enough to finish your weld.
John Sander with Wire Wizard® https://lnkd.in/eqc2UDT loaned us a demo unit of their FLEX Guide module with Wire Pilot® feed assist. Our friends at Special Metals sent us a partial drum of Inconel 625® wire for testing*. Dave Hebble set it up in our lab and you are welcome to visit anytime.
I will let Dave Hebble explain it all in the video
*ARC Specialties does not sell wire or take fees for product placement. ARC does sell Wire Wizard® but accepts no fees for testing.
- Post Date: March 26, 2020
TiKnee Project
Last year there were over 600,000 total knee replacements in the US. Most implants are made from a cobalt-chromium alloy. But there is always room for improvement. Other metals such as titanium more closely match the modulus of elasticity of bone and have better biocompatibility. But titanium lacks wear resistance. We have sponsored a project with the material science department of a local university to investigate techniques for improving wear resistance of titanium alloys. To quantify our results we designed and built a weight loss wear testing machine. After nearly half-million cycles the machine is ready for the students.
Should you wait on that knee replacement?…probably not. At ARC we sponsor university research projects each year. It is always fun to work with smart young minds. I have a chance to see which students might be ARC candidates. And we always learn something new. We have applied coatings to titanium which make it bulletproof, let’s see if it works for knees!
- Post Date: January 16, 2020
4 Ways an Automated Case Sealer Could Add Value to Your Operation
Case sealing is the process of closing or sealing your boxes. This is often the last step in the packaging process, occurring before you slap a label on the box and ship it to the customer or load it on the truck and send it to retailers. This process is often done by hand, but it can be automated. Here are four ways an automated case sealer could add value to your operation.
It Increases Production Rates
Too many production lines experience a bottleneck in the packaging operation. The automated production line churns out a steady stream of products, and your team is clustered at the end putting products in boxes, erecting boxes, sealing them and wrapping them.
This is not just an expensive waste of manpower but a limit on how much product you can ship. Set up case sealers along with other packaging equipment so that your packaging operation can keep up with the production line output and you’ll eliminate the need to pay overtime to packagers trying to keep up with a more efficient production line.
It Reduces Material Use
Packaging automation doesn’t just save money on labor costs and increase production. It also reduces how much packaging material is used. Automated case sealers use as little tape as possible. Furthermore, they’ll use the right adhesive for the job and apply it correctly. This allows you to use less material without sacrificing packaging performance.
If you use less tape, labels and other packaging materials, you’ll be able to tell customers that you’re reducing material use and waste in the facility. This makes packaging automation like case sealers an investment in a greener business. This is even true when you buy a case sealer that can support several tape widths. That machine can be used on multiple products, and it won’t use the widest tape on every single box coming off the line unless it is necessary.
It Improves Employee Productivity
A case sealer and similar packaging automation will improve employee productivity. When they are stuck loading and taping boxes, they’re going to get tired. They’re at risk of repetitive stress injuries, too, that can result in missed work and medical bills. Having a lot of people packing boxes and loading them onto pallets or trucks also increases the risk of other accidents. Every incident results in increased insurance costs for the business and lower productivity for everyone involved.
Automating tasks like this frees up employees to do a variety of value-added tasks. Whether this is reloading cases and tape in packaging equipment or handling shipping problems, they’re doing more of the work that can’t be automated.
It Improves Quality
A case sealer will not only close boxes quickly but give it a professional finish. Compare this to the masses of tape sometimes applied by inexperienced or rushed employees. Instead, you’ll get even tape lengths and positions that are consistent across all your boxes.
Retailers and distributors will notice this as well as the impact it has on the supply chain. For example, the well-sealed box is less likely to be tampered with or have products stolen from it. There won’t be as many disputes over whether or not you failed to ship a full order or that something was pilfered before it hit the shelves.
A side benefit of proper sealing is that you’re less likely to have products get damaged in transit. The box is not prone to coming open if it tips over during transport, spilling the contents. It is less likely to get crushed or shift because someone didn’t seal the top properly.
Conclusion
Case sealers are a surprisingly valuable form of automation for the average business. They will directly impact your business’ bottom line while improving quality and productivity across the board.
- Post Date: January 21, 2018
