2012

Brushed vs. Brushless Motors

by David K. on May 7, 2012

When looking at power tools one thing to note is the type of motor they use. If you are working in a sensitive environment or need a tool that lasts as long as possible, you may have been told to buy products with brushless motors, but do you know why? Here we will look into what it means for a motor to be brushed or brushless.

Brushed and brushless motors are types of electronic motors, so they run off of electricity rather than a fuel like gasoline. Each motor uses permanent magnets and electromagnets. By putting power through the electromagnet, you can change its polarity. As the polarity changes, it is repelled from the constant polarity of the permanent magnet causing it to rotate.

The two parts of the motor that are most important are the stator (the stationary outside) and rotor (the part that rotates). Brushed motors have the permanent magnet on the stator and the electromagnet in the rotor. Brushless motors are the opposite, with permanent magnets on the rotor and electromagnets on the stator.

Why does switching where each magnet is change the properties of the motor? The main reason is due to the electromagnet rotating in the brushed motor. Because the electromagnet rotates, there has to be some way to connect the magnet to a power supply without having direct cables (which would twist and eventually break or stop the motor from running). This is where the brushes come in; two sets of charged brushes are placed on either side of the rotor, causing the polarity to flip as it rotates. Friction from the brushes not only slows down the motor as it runs, but can also cause sparks and debris.

With a brushless motor, you can have cords running to the stationary electromagnets. Instead of the polarity changing naturally as the rotor moves, you need a small computer controller to turn the electromagnets on and off. This makes the motor more precise, but also more expensive. Also there is very little physical contact with the rotor, greatly reducing friction on the moving parts, leading to higher efficiency and a long lasting motor. One downside to the brushless motor is that it can take more power to get it to start, but it often makes up that power later through its efficiency.

Overall, tools with brushless motors can be a great addition to your workplace. The initial monetary investment can make a huge difference as you do not need to replace parts as often and you can have more reliable tools. Also, brushless motors can reduce workplace contamination, as friction from the brushed motor can leave particles behind.

All-Spec Industries carries a number of tools with brushless motors, including Weller Torque Drivers, Master Appliance Heat Blowers, and Edsyn Fume Extractors. Place an order online at www.All-Spec.com, or call our customer service at (800)537-0351 today!

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(Exclusively from CCI) Conductive Containers is Environmentally Friendly

by Guest on May 4, 2012

(special thanks to Zach Burton at CCI for guest blogging the content below!)

Did you know that CCI emphasizes a GREEN philosophy?

CCI has solved ESD packaging problems for over 30 years. Many people don’t know how environmentally friendly our materials are. None of CCI’s major raw materials need to end up in a landfill.

Corstat is 100% OCC recyclable. You can recycle your Corstat boxes the same way you would brown corrugated boxes that you set out for pickup at home. The Corstat and dissipative coatings will separate from the paper substrates during the recycling process and the base material will become brown kraft again.

All of the vacuum forming plastics we use are also recyclable. They can be turned back into 100’s of different and new plastic products. When CCI manufactures vacuum formed trays and clamshells, all of the waste is gathered, sorted by material type, and sent off to the recycler.

Conductive fluted plastic is also recyclable. It too can be turned into a variety of new plastic products.

CCI also uses a wide variety of foams. The waste created is baled and sent back to the foam suppliers to be recycled into new foams or foam products such as carpet pad.

CCI—Protecting the environment while we protect your ESD sensitive electronics.

We here at All-Spec, take pride in our support of green initiatives/ in supporting green initiatives and take every opportunity to ensure we are “staying green”/ being as eco-friendly as possible!

Here are a few examples of how we stay environmentally-friendly:

We recently began working with a new, “green”, printing company, Knepper Press, for our quarterly catalog that uses 100% wind power energy.
We feature green products including our newly introduced Bio-Stat Biodegradable Bags, which naturally break down only when in contact with other biodegrading material.
Also featured in our warehouse, lighting from Orion Energy Systems, which provides us with a 68% reduction in lighting energy.

All-Spec Industries is an authorized distributor of CCI static protective packaging. CCI products have been trusted for handling and shipping static sensitive parts for over 30 years.

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Product Spotlight: Conductive Fiberglass Trays

by David K. on May 2, 2012

Molded Fiber Glass Tray offers a line of conductive fiberglass trays. Along with being safe to bake PCBs (printed circuit boards) at constant temperatures of up to 250°F these trays protect against electrostatic damage and are resistant to grease, solvents, cutting oils, mild acids, and alkaline solutions.

Design:

These fiberglass trays are designed to stand up to the rigors of assembly and rework operations. They are specifically built for compatibility with many transport systems, usable on conveyors and carts without bending or sagging. The trays also can withstand large temperature ranges, up to 300°F, so they can be used in ovens for moisture removal and rework. Molded Fiber Glass Tray totes are also available for purchase.

Features:

Wire reinforced edges for dimensional stability
Smooth, seamless construction for easy cleaning
Will not sag or bend
Safe for baking boards in ovens

Specifications:

Continuous temperature range: -60° to 250°F
Maximum temperature: 300°F
Thickness: 0.08”
Color: Black

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[IT News] We are live on fiber Internet

by Glen B. on May 2, 2012

After months of planning, building and waiting it’s finally complete. Our fiber connection is live and DNS records have been updated. You should see a large improvement in speed and latency from our web and mail servers. Thanks for your continued support and business!

Glen Batchelor
CIO/CTO

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When Should You Bake PCBs?

by David K. on April 30, 2012

Baking PCBs is a common process that is done more often than it is really needed. You have to be careful when baking boards; if they are baked multiple times it can lower their solderability. This can be especially problematic if you are using lead-free solders as they can be difficult to solder to begin with if you do not know how to use them properly.

In general, it is best to only bake boards when you have a specific reason to do so. Some manufacturing and soldering processes bake boards out of habit or to “be on the safe side”. By looking at your process and deciding if baking your boards is a necessary step, you can not only keep your boards in their best shape, but also save time.

Removing Moisture

One of the main reasons to bake PCBs is to remove moisture from the board. This is one of the easier processes as you only need to heat your board up to the boiling temperature of water. After baking boards to remove their moisture, you should store the PCBs in dry bags with desiccant. By properly storing your PCBs, you can reduce the amount of moisture that they reabsorb after baking, ensuring that you will not have to bake the board again.

Prevent Delamination/Measeling

Delamination or measeling are problems that arise when there is an accumulation of moisture on multi-layer boards. This moisture can cause the board to break during soldering or mechanical processes. If you have sensitive PCBs, then you may need to bake your board even if it does not currently have too much moisture. Baking your board and properly storing it can help stop delamination and measeling before they start.

Reflow Soldering

Reflow soldering is when you place solder paste on a board with components and then heat the entire product to solder all of the pieces at the same time. This can help save time as well as solder joints that may be too small or difficult to do by hand with an iron. It is even more important to only bake your board once during reflow soldering since high temperatures are used, up to 400°F at times.

Baking PCBs is an important process, but should only be done when necessary. All-Spec Industries carries a number of fiberglass trays and fiberglass totes, which can be used to hold PCBs in ovens while you bake them. We also have precision reflow ovens, perfect for low volume production and lab environments. Do you have any other reasons to bake PCBs? Let us know in the comments!

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