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Tech Talk Blog

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1 min read

How it Works: Conveyor Roller Bearing

From food packaging and processing to general material handling, the conveyor roller bearing is an underrated superstar of the manufacturing floor. You might even consider it the heart of the whole conveyor assembly. But how does this essential...

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1 min read

5 Different Types of Plane Bearings (And Common Uses)

I’ve just returned from a great week of customer visits, and had some interesting conversations along the way. At one site, I was asked about the...

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1 min read

Rulon 641: From Food Processing to Medical Equipment Manufacturing

The food and medical manufacturing industries share many commonalities; most notably, they operate in environments with strict regulations for...

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Hyper-Hydrophobic Membranes Repel Liquid like Nobody’s Business

1 min read

Hyper-Hydrophobic Membranes Repel Liquid like Nobody’s Business

Our Ultraflon M18+ is a hyper-hydrophobic PTFE membrane that can be used to separate gas from liquid. There are several of these membranes on the...

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Rulon® 142 - Exceptional Vibration Resistance and Mechanical Strength

Rulon 142 is an excellent material for high load, high speed linear guideway liners for machine tools. Commonly used as an inexpensive insurance...

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Hydrophilic, Hydrophobic, Oleophilic, Oleophobic & Hygroscopic

1 min read

Defined: Hydrophilic, Hydrophobic, Oleophilic, Oleophobic, Hygroscopic

When discussing enhanced materials we often use terms like “hydrophilic/hydrophobic” and “oleophilic/oleophobic.” Just what do these terms mean...

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Wettability Defined and Correlation to Bonding

2 min read

Wettability Defined and Correlation to Bonding

There is usually a good correlation between bonding and wetting. Wettability can be defined as “the ability of a solid surface to reduce the surface...

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Do You Have Any Tips for Annealing Cast Acrylic?

2 min read

Q&A – Do You Have Any Tips for Annealing Cast Acrylic?

We recently had a customer ask us for some tips on annealing cast acrylic. There are definitely some potential pitfalls when working with acrylic in...

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The first fluoropolymer was polytetrafluoroethylene, better known by its abbreviation, PTFE

2 min read

What are Fluoropolymers and What are their Common Attributes

Fluoropolymers are a family of high-performance plastics characterized by their strong carbon-fluorine (C-F) bonds. This unique atomic structure...

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Slide Bearings for Pipelines and Bridges

1 min read

Slide Bearings for Pipelines and Bridges

Slide plate bearings provide support and a low coefficient of friction while allowing an object to move (or slide) freely along a supporting surface....

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Blog_20180417Thermal Expansion a Key Consideration in Plane Bearing Design

1 min read

Thermal Expansion a Key Consideration in Plane Bearing Design

We are all aware that plastics expand and contract at different rates. When designing plastic plane bearings, one of the most critical considerations...

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UHMW 101: From Molecular Weight to Machining

2 min read

UHMW 101: From Molecular Weight to Machining

UHMW remains a hot topic here on Tech Talk, and on our Ask the Experts portal, too. Why is this true? For one, the material offers great value over...

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Why Choose a Career in Plastics Manufacturing?

1 min read

Why Choose a Career in Plastics Manufacturing?

Are you a problem solver? I read this interesting article in Design World, which describes manufacturing as one of the best career choices for...

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