http://www.bluearceng.com/blog Thu, 27 Oct 2011 14:38:42 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.bluearceng.com/blog/index.php/2011/10/27/eliminating-hazards-with-safety-focused-engineering-5-questions-every-engineer-must-ask-when-designing-automated-equipment/ http://www.bluearceng.com/blog/index.php/2011/10/27/eliminating-hazards-with-safety-focused-engineering-5-questions-every-engineer-must-ask-when-designing-automated-equipment/#comments Thu, 27 Oct 2011 14:38:42 +0000 Scott Dailey http://www.bluearceng.com/blog/?p=413 As a design engineer, safety tends to be an afterthought. Guards and safety lockouts are usually considered after all of the design requirements are met. In some instances, safety isn't addressed until the equipment is built and undergoes testing. Taking this approach can lead to equipment redesign if simple guarding isn't good enough. Below are 5 simple questions to ask yourself the next time you design a piece of equipment to ensure a safe and effective product... Read More >>]]> http://www.bluearceng.com/blog/index.php/2011/10/27/eliminating-hazards-with-safety-focused-engineering-5-questions-every-engineer-must-ask-when-designing-automated-equipment/feed/ 0 http://www.bluearceng.com/blog/index.php/2011/09/20/low-cost-sortation-equipment-doesnt-have-to-mean-low-throughput/ http://www.bluearceng.com/blog/index.php/2011/09/20/low-cost-sortation-equipment-doesnt-have-to-mean-low-throughput/#comments Tue, 20 Sep 2011 14:14:39 +0000 Nate Richter http://www.bluearceng.com/blog/?p=391 When it comes to automating product sortation, businesses have many types of equipment they could invest in to meet their requirements--some simple, some much more complicated. With all the options, conveyor system designers often get caught up in using complex equipment when a more basic, lower cost option might be better suited for the challenge. Read More >>]]> http://www.bluearceng.com/blog/index.php/2011/09/20/low-cost-sortation-equipment-doesnt-have-to-mean-low-throughput/feed/ 0 http://www.bluearceng.com/blog/index.php/2011/08/31/decline-accumulation-conveyor-the-holy-grail-of-material-handling/ http://www.bluearceng.com/blog/index.php/2011/08/31/decline-accumulation-conveyor-the-holy-grail-of-material-handling/#comments Wed, 31 Aug 2011 18:18:13 +0000 Britt Calloway http://www.bluearceng.com/blog/?p=358 Obtaining cost effective, belted accumulation on a decline is one of the holy grails of material handling systems. In systems that have a sorter before shipping lanes, accumulation provides buffer to the shipping lane, and the decline allows for a smaller accumulation footprint. This is also true for declines that feed box toppers, shipping labels, or some other important process that requires singulation and product buffer. Once the decline angle and product weight require belted accumulation, the options to the system integration engineer narrow and become expensive. Read More >>]]> http://www.bluearceng.com/blog/index.php/2011/08/31/decline-accumulation-conveyor-the-holy-grail-of-material-handling/feed/ 0 http://www.bluearceng.com/blog/index.php/2011/08/18/identify-business-strengths-and-weaknesses-with-this-easy-team-building-activity/ http://www.bluearceng.com/blog/index.php/2011/08/18/identify-business-strengths-and-weaknesses-with-this-easy-team-building-activity/#comments Thu, 18 Aug 2011 15:12:32 +0000 Associate Authors http://www.bluearceng.com/blog/?p=305 Here is a great exercise that you can use for your next strategy or team building meeting. We developed this idea when trying to come up with a new way to do a company SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis. Below you will see an overview of how to run an interactive session with your team or business. Read More >>]]> http://www.bluearceng.com/blog/index.php/2011/08/18/identify-business-strengths-and-weaknesses-with-this-easy-team-building-activity/feed/ 0 http://www.bluearceng.com/blog/index.php/2011/08/05/the-power-of-cubic-functions-for-engineers/ http://www.bluearceng.com/blog/index.php/2011/08/05/the-power-of-cubic-functions-for-engineers/#comments Fri, 05 Aug 2011 14:51:44 +0000 Britt Calloway http://www.bluearceng.com/blog/?p=267 In the master's classes in which I am currently enrolled, cubic polynomials continue to re-emerge as a useful tool. In robotics systems, the cubic polynomial is a useful function for calculating trajectories for robotic manipulators. In design optimization methods, it is used to find the minimum or maximum of an unknown two-dimensional analytical function while only knowing the function evaluation to four dispersed points. However, for the purpose of this article, I would like to discuss the benefits of using cubic polynomials in trajectory calculations. Read More >>]]> http://www.bluearceng.com/blog/index.php/2011/08/05/the-power-of-cubic-functions-for-engineers/feed/ 0 http://www.bluearceng.com/blog/index.php/2011/07/21/magic-rollers-for-conveying-fragile-product/ http://www.bluearceng.com/blog/index.php/2011/07/21/magic-rollers-for-conveying-fragile-product/#comments Thu, 21 Jul 2011 15:09:13 +0000 Matt Carson http://www.bluearceng.com/blog/?p=226 Today, many products being handled are not designed to be impacted with an aluminum pusher face at 200 feet per minute.  While pushers and plows can effectively sort, divert, and position product, it is not ideal for fragile product. A growing trend solving this issue is known as a "touchless" divert, which is a conveyor that does not divert by applying a force to the sides of the product, but instead, changes the relative direction of the conveyor. Read More >>]]> http://www.bluearceng.com/blog/index.php/2011/07/21/magic-rollers-for-conveying-fragile-product/feed/ 0 http://www.bluearceng.com/blog/index.php/2011/07/07/how-to-efficiently-design-a-same-but-different-product/ http://www.bluearceng.com/blog/index.php/2011/07/07/how-to-efficiently-design-a-same-but-different-product/#comments Thu, 07 Jul 2011 19:57:37 +0000 Jill Daniel http://www.bluearceng.com/blog/?p=189 In the world of custom material handling equipment we, at Blue Arc Engineering, spend the majority of our time designing and manufacturing "same but different" products. This has become quite an affable catchphrase in our line of work. After engineering and building a project from beginning to end, customers come back to us wanting, "exactly what they had before, but..." So as an engineering team, we have to find the most productive way possible to re-use the information we have while modifying it quickly. Read More >>]]> http://www.bluearceng.com/blog/index.php/2011/07/07/how-to-efficiently-design-a-same-but-different-product/feed/ 0 http://www.bluearceng.com/blog/index.php/2011/06/29/its-hot-in-here-automation-for-extreme-environments/ http://www.bluearceng.com/blog/index.php/2011/06/29/its-hot-in-here-automation-for-extreme-environments/#comments Wed, 29 Jun 2011 19:54:25 +0000 Associate Authors http://www.bluearceng.com/blog/?p=84 With the right talent, experience, and tools, the sky is the limit when it comes to solving new engineering problems. Lately much of our research and development has been related to developing custom solutions for very specialized extreme environments. In the past, our equipment has been able to withstand heavy loads, abrasive materials, explosion prone areas, and wash down. However, today, the equipment we design is being tasked to not only survive, but thrive in extreme heats in excess of 2,000 degrees F, as well as high level vacuum. Read More >>]]> http://www.bluearceng.com/blog/index.php/2011/06/29/its-hot-in-here-automation-for-extreme-environments/feed/ 0 http://www.bluearceng.com/blog/index.php/2011/06/26/11-steps-to-starting-your-own-company/ http://www.bluearceng.com/blog/index.php/2011/06/26/11-steps-to-starting-your-own-company/#comments Sun, 26 Jun 2011 15:15:55 +0000 Jason Effing http://www.bluearceng.com/blog/?p=73 With the current economy, it's easy to get caught up in all of the negative media and doom and gloom, but even with the dynamics of our economy, there are great opportunities for new business start-ups. Many of us have new business ideas floating around in our head, sometimes for years before putting any serious thought into it. Then one day someone or something spurs us to take it to the next step -- what would it take to make this idea reality? Read More >>]]> http://www.bluearceng.com/blog/index.php/2011/06/26/11-steps-to-starting-your-own-company/feed/ 0