manufacturing

Have you ever received a shipment of industrial products only to find out that several of them were damaged in shipping? Did you know what to do? The process can be tedious, but skipping any step can result in very costly mistakes when some—or all—of the liability could be placed back on you. Here are a few basic steps to help you successfully file a freight claim.

IP ratings define an electrical enclosure’s level of protection against ingress of water and solid objects based on the enclosure’s ability to pass performance criteria outlined by the international standard IEC 60529. The rating consists of the letters IP followed by two digits, e.g. IP54. The first digit indicates the level of protection against solid objects. The second digit indicates the level of protection against liquids. To help you understand what kind of protection each IP rating offers, we’ve created this guide for your reference.

There are two types of enclosure rating systems. One is the National Electronic Manufacturers Association (NEMA) rating system, which is primarily used in the U.S. and Canada. The other is Ingress Protection or International Protection (IP) rating system. Both of the standards establish specifications about the performance criteria for different enclosures. To help you determine which type of enclosure is right for you, we’ve put together a list of NEMA enclosure types, IP Equivalency Ratings and definitions to help you compare your options.

Have you ever wished you had an instruction manual for your job? Imagine how nice it would be to have one sheet of paper with instructions and advice on how to do your job in the most efficient manner. Well, that’s what our engineers create for everyone on the shop floor in the form of standard work instructions, also referred to as job instructions or a JI. Creating these instructions involves a lot of planning up front, but they’re vital for the consistency and quality of each customer’s parts. That’s why we’ll cover what information your manufacturer needs from you to create effective work instructions for their fabrication floor.

HUI began implementing lean principles in 1998, and from the start, we included the offices in the lean transformation. Though it’s common for companies to implement lean processes on the manufacturing shop floor, it’s easy to see how lean thinking adds value to any work setting. I sat down with the Industrial Business Development (IBD) team to learn more about the lean principles they use today and discover how those principles have influenced their office environment.

No matter the situation, it’s difficult to watch your hard work go to waste. This is a common occurrence when manufacturers receive a sheet metal layout dimensioned in the flat pattern. These dimensions may seem helpful, but after your manufacturer makes bend deductions based on their capabilities and other bending factors, your dimensions will become unusable. To avoid wasting time on incorrect measurements, always dimension to the formed view, and here’s why:

A common problem that may occur when working with an industrial manufacturer is that they will often need to correct dimensioning measurements from your original drawing. Your manufacturer will make these edits so they will be able to model the part and confidently meet the outlined measurements during inspection. However, these corrections require extra time and labor cost to keep the project moving forward. To help you prevent these common dimensioning mistakes we’ve put together some reference pictures and information to help you understand the correct dimensioning information to give your manufacturer.

The decisions you make about the bend radius during the design stage will determine how difficult it will be to produce the design. That’s why it is important to understand the material’s capabilities and what you should avoid designing around a bend, so you can avoid common press brake design mistakes before the design goes into production. The following list explains four common bend radius mistakes, and how to prevent them.

When creating a new custom enclosure take time to consider which parts, or hardware, you can share between designs. For example, if one preexisting design has specific studs or latches, you might use the same ones for multiple enclosures when appropriate. Designing with intentional commonalities can benefit both you and your customers, and here’s why.

Are you having a hard time deciding whether you should modify a standard enclosure or have a new custom enclosure built for your industrial redesign project? Here’s some information to help you choose the right option for your needs.