Do you source your machine parts from dozens of suppliers?  There are nearly 20,000 machine shops in the U.S. alone. Do you have to patiently explain what you need and why to a new person every single time? 

Industrial hoists and cranes, oil rigs, hydraulic lifts, etc. need maintenance. For some long-lived equipment, the original manufacturer no longer exists– what then?

Finding the right machine parts is challenging. You need a knowledgeable and innovative partner with a reputation you can trust.

Read on to learn more.

Off-the-Shelf Machine Parts

If the original manufacturer still supports your equipment, you can seek replacement parts through an authorized distributor. For example, if you need a Demag hoist unit, you have many choices. If you have many different types of machinery, you might end up with dozens of vendors.

Choose a dealer with experience in your industry to steer you to the right piece. Printed catalogs, online ordering, and toll-free calling are your friends. If you have machinery from many different vendors, an all-in-one distributor is especially convenient.

Original Equipment Manufacturer or Aftermarket?

Some types of equipment offer choices between OEM and aftermarket replacement parts. Obviously, your original manufacturer won’t offer a less expensive or more innovative aftermarket part.  For example, for mobile crane brake liners, you have a choice of interchangeable items. In the construction and agriculture industries, aftermarket parts have a reputation of exceeding OEM performance. 

Specialized, Customized or Re-Manufactured Parts

When you have needs outside of standard parts, you want a partner with custom fabrication skills. For many applications, a customized solution is the only answer. When that part needs repair or replacement, you need a partner with the know-how to reverse engineer and create the exact item.

Look for a vendor with a full-service machine shop in-house. Laser-cutting, milling, molding, and finish assembly are very different tasks and need experts at each step. A shop that can provide services in-house often has competitive pricing, as well.

Communicating your needs to multiple vendors can be tricky. Again, experience in your industry is the key to success. Choose a partner who knows your machinery well.

Choose Kor-Pak for Off-the-Shelf and Custom Fabrication

At Kor-Pak, we have more than 40 years of partnership with the best names in the industry. We represent a dozen quality manufacturers and distribute thousands of parts. Our network of resources and field experts help you implement, service, and maintain your machinery. 

We take pride in our extensive catalog, but our real strength is sourcing hard-to-find, obsolete, or unusual machine parts. If we can’t find something, our custom machining experts and engineers create parts and assemblies to meet your needs. 

 Kor-Pak is much more than a company that sells parts. We are your one-stop partner for industry machinery solutions. Contact us today to learn more. 

Industrial braking systems involves a process that is very “problem versus solution-oriented.” Those who run into problems on the job may report to an equipment distributor. The distributor then shares that feedback to begin working on solving it.

Sometimes the problem starting this chain of communication is from a flawed product. More often, it’s about finding better and more productive ways to get work done. These are just the necessary parts of an industrial mining braking system.

Mining brakes should be safe to use at all times. Any adverse performance traits of a braking system can have horrible consequences. Let’s look into what each type of brake requires.

Industrial Braking Systems in Mining

Mining brakes find their way into underground applications often. Some machines that do excellent above-ground work are not as great below ground. There are often more challenging operating conditions deep below the surface.

Some unseen bumps or holes cause a jarring impact and shock. It’s enough damage to destroy vehicles or their components seriously. Thick sludge build-up and moisture or airborne contaminants also contribute to damage.

Productive Braking Systems

Enhancing safety is a priority, but machine designers also focus on sustaining productivity. They get rid of any downtime in the industrial business by focusing on mining. And the mine operators prioritize on the cost-per-ton of material they use or produce.

Closed-center electrohydraulic brake valves, in particular, have their own purpose. They modulate the output pressure in proportion to its input current. This automatically ties these mining brakes to safety.

Engineers can facilitate braking features that help vehicle operators better operate. These enhanced features help them better navigate the difficult terrain of underground mines. This all increases productivity.

Using Electrohydraulics

Electrohydraulics are excellent aids for mining operations. Their features, like an automatic retard control, helps vehicles maintain speed. When vehicles work their way up and down inclines, this braking system keeps them at a steady pace.

Electrohydraulics also assist with load sensing. Even master equipment operators can make errors in judging loads. With load sensing, they can use electronic sensors to apply the brakes automatically.

Other mine vehicles can be used in especially hazardous areas. Instead of putting workers at risk, these machines work from a remote control. Electrohydraulic brakes can be used here when there isn’t an operator present.

Flexibility and Control

One of the hardest aspects of industrial braking systems is the lack of variation from mine to mine. As operators search for braking solutions, well-structured systems become more of a necessity. They look for a notably high level of flexibility and control to make their work successful.

You can program electronic signals to meet the demands of different job sites. This precise control helps with vehicle movement and is a big reason why electrohydraulics work. Having this control is excellent for any harsh and unpredictable conditions of underground mines.

Bottom Line

Reducing productivity and increasing safety is the end goal. Industrial braking systems that adhere to these priorities make for a successful operation. And no matter what, machines need these things to perform at their best.

If you need to learn more about how mining brakes can make a difference, speak with our experts!

Hydraulic workholding offers a wide range of benefits to manufacturers.

Faster clamping, faster machining, and improved part quality are only a few of the reasons why you should use hydraulic workholding clamps for heavy industrial projects.

If you’re not sure what kind of workholding clamps you need, we’re here to help.

Read on as we look at the main types of hydraulic workholding clamps and how they differ from each other.

Link Clamps

Link clamps are a great option if you need high clamping force but don’t have a lot of space.

The basic construction is a hydraulic cylinder that lowers onto the work to hold it in place. There are two main options: single action or double action.

Single action link clamps use hydraulic power when clamping down and a spring to retract the piston. Double action link clamps use hydraulic power to retract the piston also, making them better for fast usage.

Link clamps allow unobstructed loading. You don’t need to remove the clamps to load the next workpiece, speeding up processing times.

Pull Down Clamps

If you need to work on the surface of your material unobstructed, then pull down clamps are your best bet.

These clamps hold your workpiece firmly against the machine table or fixture. This is usually done by clamping through a slot or hole in the workpiece, allowing the clamp to hold it in place from below.

By clamping from beneath, the surface of your workpiece is free for processing.

Swing Clamps

Swing clamps offer the best of both worlds.

A hydraulic swing clamp allows you to clamp your workpiece in place without the need for any holes or slots that a pull-down clamp would require.

But unlike a link clamp, you can have full access to the workpiece for loading and unloading because a swing clamp has two actions. The arm will first rotate through 90 degrees until it is over the workpiece, and then clamp down, holding it in place.

Once the job is complete, the clamp will lift off the workpiece, and then rotate back through 90 degrees leaving the workpiece free to be removed unencumbered. These clamps can also be single or double action. If you’re running a high-speed manufacturing process, then a double-action swing clamp will speed up production.

Are You Looking for Workholding Clamps?

If you’re looking for hydraulic workholding clamps, you’re in the right place.

We offer hydraulic workholding clamps from all the biggest names in the industry, including Enerpak, Monroe, Vektek, Berg, Merkle, Hydrocomp, and more. If you’re not sure which products to choose, we can help with that too.

Contact Kor-Pak to discuss your machining and fabrication requirements, and we can help you choose between the best hydraulic clamp manufacturers. It will enable you to have a system ideally suited to your needs. Don’t forget to check out our other amazing products!

Laser cutting is synonymous with accuracy and cleanliness, especially in the technical fields in which it gets used. Equal parts versatile and reliable, laser cutting, works on various materials. It also boasts several unique advantages.

This has become the gold standard for precision, from automotive to semiconductor manufacturing, it all benefits from this adaptive manufacturing technology. And, today, we’ll learn more about the features and benefits of laser cutting and how it helps with applications across the board.

1. It’s More Precise Than Conventional Cutting

Manufacturers using laser cutting enjoy some practical benefits over traditional components. Much higher precision levels and quality than otherwise. This is the same across a variety of materials, all of which laser-based cutting has been proven to excel at.

Lasers provide consistent, precise cutting compared to traditional manufacturing techniques. This is for one specific reason. Unlike conventional techniques, laser cutting doesn’t need to make contact with the material. Conventional cutters take a certain amount of impact from excessive physical contact. Laser cutting, meanwhile, always creates a high-quality finish. These laser beams do not wear out during the laser cutting process. With that in mind, the level of precision and edge quality with the laser cutting machine is staggering in comparison.

Compared to conventional cutting, laser cutting technology allows you to cut more complex shapes. It does this at high speeds, and with very little damage or loss. 

2. Shorter Lead Times. Shorter Turnarounds

Compared to conventional manufacturing methods, laser cutting shortens lead times. Almost any size, shape, and type of material can be cut with a single laser cutter. This eliminates long lead times and setting up many pieces of equipment.

Faster processing times result when using laser services, besides the laser being able to handle large project sizes, as well. A high-quality machine can handle sheets that clock in at hundreds of square centimeters, as well as being thicker than you’d expect.

This further allows us to deliver smaller orders quicker and more efficiently. Allowing manufacturers to respond to market demand quicker than ever before.

3. Cut Materials of Almost Any Thickness 

As we’ve covered, laser cutting does not need to be in actual physical contact with the material being cut. This allows these lasers to perform precise work on materials of nearly any thickness or durability. All of this makes laser cutting ideal for small and specialized services, such as photoengraving.

Laser cutting can be used across dozens of materials and industries. This is enough to make it one of the most versatile materials for effective cutting, from large to smaller projects. And, as we’ve mentioned, laser cutting offers unparalleled precision and cutting quality.

Laser Cutting: A Mark Of Precision

There isn’t a construction technique out there that can outmatch laser cutting. Especially not when compared to its precision and cleanliness. 

For more on these and other operational machinery usage guides, check out the rest of our expert blog content, today!