Search Results

Soft Lithography - Microcontact Printing - Microtransfer Molding - Micromolding in Capillaries - AGS-TECH Inc. - NM - USA Soft Lithography SOFT LITHOGRAPHY is a term used for a number of processes for pattern transfer. A master mold is needed in all cases and is microfabricated using standard lithography methods. Using the master mold, we produce an elastomeric pattern / stamp to be used in soft lithography. Elastomers used for this purpose need to be chemically inert, have good thermal stability, strength, durability, surface properties and be hygroscopic. Silicone rubber and PDMS (Polydimethylsiloxane) are two good candidate materials. These stamps can be used many times in soft lithography. One variation of soft lithography is MICROCONTACT PRINTING. The elastomer stamp is coated with an ink and pressed against a surface. The pattern peaks contact the surface and a thin layer of about 1 monolayer of the ink is transferred. This thin film monolayer acts as the mask for selective wet etching. A second variation is MICROTRANSFER MOLDING, in which the recesses of the elastomer mold are filled with liquid polymer precursor and pushed against a surface. Once the polymer cures after microtransfer molding, we peel off the mold, leaving behind the desired pattern. Lastly a third variation is MICROMOLDING IN CAPILLARIES, where the elastomer stamp pattern consists of channels that use capillary forces to wick a liquid polymer into the stamp from its side. Basically, a small amount of the liquid polymer is placed adjacent to the capillary channels and the capillary forces pull the liquid into the channels. Excess liquid polymer is removed and polymer inside the channels is allowed to cure. The stamp mold is peeled off and the product is ready. If the channel aspect ratio is moderate and the channel dimensions allowed depend on the liquid used, good pattern replication can be assured. The liquid used in micromolding in capillaries can be thermosetting polymers, ceramic sol-gel or suspensions of solids within liquid solvents. The micromolding in capillaries technique has been used in sensor manufacturing. Soft lithography is used to construct features measured on the micrometer to nanometer scale. Soft lithography has advantages over other forms of lithography like photolithography and electron beam lithography. The advantages include the following: • Lower cost in mass production than traditional photolithography • Suitability for applications in biotechnology and plastic electronics • Suitability for applications involving large or nonplanar (nonflat) surfaces • Soft lithography offers more pattern-transferring methods than traditional lithography techniques (more ''ink'' options) • Soft lithography does not need a photo-reactive surface to create nanostructures • With soft lithography we can achieve smaller details than photolithography in laboratory settings (~30 nm vs ~100 nm). The resolution depends on the mask used and can reach values down to 6 nm. MULTILAYER SOFT LITHOGRAPHY is a fabrication process in which microscopic chambers, channels, valves and vias are molded within bonded layers of elastomers. Using multilayer soft lithography devices consisting of multiple layers may be fabricated from soft materials. The softness of these materials allows the device areas to be reduced by more than two orders of magnitude compared with silicon-based devices. The other advantages of soft lithography, such as rapid prototyping, ease of fabrication, and biocompatibility, are also valid in multilayer soft lithography. We use this technique to build active microfluidic systems with on-off valves, switching valves, and pumps entirely out of elastomers. CLICK Product Finder-Locator Service PREVIOUS PAGE

Brazing - Soldering - Welding - Joining Processes - Assembly Services - Subassemblies - Assemblies - Custom Manufacturing - AGS-TECH Inc. - NM - USA Brazing & Soldering & Welding Among the many JOINING techniques we deploy in manufacturing, special emphasis is given to WELDING, BRAZING, SOLDERING, ADHESIVE BONDING and CUSTOM MECHANICAL ASSEMBLY because these techniques are widely used in applications like manufacturing of hermetic assemblies, high-tech product manufacturing and specialized sealing. Here we will concentrate on the more specialized aspects of these joining techniques as they are related to manufacturing of advanced products and assemblies. FUSION WELDING: We use heat to melt and coalesce materials. Heat is supplied by electricity or high-energy beams. The types of fusion welding we deploy are OXYFUEL GAS WELDING, ARC WELDING, HIGH-ENERGY-BEAM WELDING. SOLID-STATE WELDING: We join parts without melting and fusion. Our solid-state welding methods are COLD, ULTRASONIC, RESISTANCE, FRICTION, EXPLOSION WELDING and DIFFUSION BONDING. BRAZING & SOLDERING: They use filler metals and give us the advantage of working at lower temperatures than in welding, thus less structural damage to products. Information on our brazing facility producing ceramic to metal fittings, hermetic sealing, vacuum feedthroughs, high and ultrahigh vacuum and fluid control components can be found here: Brazing Factory Brochure Brazing Machines (We private label these with your brand name and logo if you wish. This way you can promote your brand name when you resell these machines to your customers) ADHESIVE BONDING: Because of the diversity of adhesives used in industry and also diversity of applications, we have a dedicated page for this. To go to our page about adhesive bonding, please click here. CUSTOM MECHANICAL ASSEMBLY: We use a variety of fasteners such as bolts, screws, nuts, rivets. Our fasteners are not limited to standard off-shelf fasteners. We design, develop and manufacture specialty fasteners that are made from nonstandard materials so they can meet requirements for special applications. Sometimes electrical or heat non-conductivity is desired whereas sometimes conductivity. For some special applications, a customer may want special fasteners that cannot be removed without destroying the product. There are endless ideas and applications. We have it all for you, if not off-shelf we can quickly develop it. To go to our page on mechanical assembly, please click here . Let us examine our various joining techniques in more details. OXYFUEL GAS WELDING (OFW): We use a fuel gas mixed with oxygen to produce the welding flame. When we use acetylene as the fuel and oxygen, we call it oxyacetylene gas welding. Two chemical reactions occur in the oxyfuel gas combustion process: C2H2 + O2 ------» 2CO + H2 + Heat 2CO + H2 + 1.5 O2--------» 2 CO2 + H2O + Heat The first reaction dissociates the acetylene into carbon monoxide and hydrogen while producing about 33% of the total heat generated. The second process above represents further combustion of the hydrogen and carbon monoxide while producing about 67% of the total heat. Temperatures in the flame are between 1533 to 3573 Kelvin. The oxygen percentage in the gas mixture is important. If the oxygen content is more than half, the flame becomes an oxidizing agent. This is undesirable for some metals but desirable for others. An example when oxidizing flame is desirable is copper-based alloys because it forms a passivation layer over the metal. On the other hand, when the oxygen content is reduced, full combustion is not possible and the flame becomes a reducing (carburizing) flame. The temperatures in a reducing flame are lower and therefore it is suitable for processes like soldering and brazing. Other gases are also potential fuels, but they have some disadvantages over acetylene. Occasionally we supply filler metals to the weld zone in the form of filler rods or wire. Some of them are coated with flux to retard oxidation of surfaces and thus protecting the molten metal. An additional benefit the flux gives us is the removal of oxides and other substances from the weld zone. This leads to stronger bonding. A variation of the oxyfuel gas welding is the PRESSURE GAS WELDING, where the two components are heated at their interface using oxyacetylene gas torch and once the interface starts to melt, the torch is withdrawn and an axial force is applied to press the two parts together until the interface is solidified. ARC WELDING: We use electrical energy to produce an arc between the electrode tip and parts to be welded. The power supply can be AC or DC while the electrodes are either consumable or nonconsumable. Heat transfer in arc welding can be expressed by the following equation: H / l = e x V I / v Here H is the heat input, l is the weld length, V and I are the voltage and current applied, v is the welding speed and e is the process efficiency. The higher the efficiency “e” the more beneficially the available energy is used to melt the material. The heat input can also be expressed as : H = u x (Volume) = u x A x l Here u is the specific energy for melting, A the cross section of the weld and l the weld length. From the two equations above we can obtain: v = e x V I / u A A variation of arc welding is the SHIELDED METAL ARC WELDING (SMAW) which constitutes about 50% of all industrial and maintenance welding processes. ELECTRIC ARC WELDING (STICK WELDING) is performed by touching the tip of a coated electrode to the workpiece and quickly withdrawing it to a distance sufficient to maintain the arc. We call this process also stick-welding because the electrodes are thin and long sticks. During the welding process, the tip of the electrode melts along with its coating and the base metal in the vicinity of the arc. A mixture of the base metal, electrode metal and substances from the electrode coating solidify in the weld area. The coating of the electrode deoxidizes and provides a shielding gas in the weld region, thus protecting it from the oxygen in the environment. Therefore the process is referred to as shielded metal arc welding. We use currents between 50 and 300 Amperes and power levels generally less than 10 kW for optimum weld performance. Also of importance is the polarity of the DC current (direction of current flow). Straight polarity where the workpiece is positive and the electrode is negative is preferred in welding of sheet metals because of its shallow penetration and also for joints with very wide gaps. When we have reverse polarity, i.e. the electrode is positive and workpiece negative we can achieve deeper weld penetrations. With AC current, since we have pulsating arcs, we can weld thick sections using large diameter electrodes and maximum currents. The SMAW welding method is suitable for workpiece thicknesses of 3 to 19 mm and even more using multiple-pass techniques. The slag formed on top of the weld needs to be removed using a wire brush, so that there is no corrosion and failure at the weld area. This of course adds to the cost of shielded metal arc welding. Nevertheless the SMAW is the most popular welding technique in industry and repair work. SUBMERGED ARC WELDING (SAW): In this process we shield the weld arc using granular flux materials like lime, silica, calcium floride, manganese oxide….etc. The granular flux is fed into the weld zone by gravity flow through a nozzle. The flux covering the molten weld zone significantly protects from sparks, fumes, UV radiation….etc and acts as a thermal insulator, thus letting heat penetrate deep into workpiece. The unfused flux is recovered, treated and reused. A coil of bare is used as electrode and fed through a tube to the area of weld. We use currents between 300 and 2000 Amperes. The submerged arc welding (SAW) process is limited to horizontal and flat positions and circular welds if rotation of the circular structure (such as pipes) is possible during welding. Speeds can reach 5 m/min. The SAW process is suitable for thick plates and results in high-quality, tough, ductile and uniform welds. The productivity, that is the amount of weld material deposited per hour is 4 to 10 times the amount as compared to the SMAW process. Another arc welding process, namely the GAS METAL ARC WELDING (GMAW) or alternatively referred to as METAL INERT GAS WELDING (MIG) is based on the weld area being shielded by external sources of gases like helium, argon, carbon dioxide….etc. There may be additional deoxidizers present in the electrode metal. Consumable wire is fed through a nozzle into the weld zone. Fabrication involving bot ferrous as well as nonferrous metals is carried out using gas metal arc welding (GMAW). Welding productivity is about 2 times that of the SMAW process. Automated welding equipment is being used. Metal is transferred in one of three ways in this process: “Spray Transfer” involves transfer of several hundred small metal droplets per second from electrode to the weld area. In “Globular Transfer” on the other hand, carbon dioxide rich gases are used and globules of molten metal are propelled by the electric arc. Welding currents are high and weld penetration deeper, welding speed greater than in spray transfer. Thus the globular transfer is better for welding heavier sections. Finally, in the “Short Circuiting” method, the electrode tip touches the molten weld pool, short circuiting it as metal at rates over 50 droplets/second is transferred in individual droplets. Low currents and voltages are used along with thinner wire. Powers used are about 2 kW and temperatures relatively low, making this method suitable for thin sheets less than 6mm thickness. Another variation the FLUX-CORED ARC WELDING (FCAW) process is similar to gas metal arc welding, except that the electrode is a tube filled with flux. The advantages of using cored-flux electrodes is that they produce more stable arcs, give us the opportunity to improve properties of weld metals, less brittle and flexible nature of its flux as compared to SMAW welding, improved welding contours. Self-shielded cored electrodes contain materials that shield the weld zone against the atmosphere. We use about 20 kW power. Like the GMAW process, the FCAW process also offers the opportunity to automate processes for continuous welding, and it is economical. Different weld metal chemistries can be developed by adding various alloys to the flux core. In ELECTROGAS WELDING (EGW) we weld the pieces placed edge to edge. It is sometimes also called BUTT WELDING. Weld metal is put into a weld cavity between two pieces to be joined. The space is enclosed by two water-cooled dams to keep the molten slag from pouring out. The dams are moved up by mechanical drives. When workpiece can be rotated, we can use the electrogas welding technique for circumferential welding of pipes too. Electrodes are fed through a conduit to keep a continuous arc. Currents can be around 400Amperes or 750 Amperes and power levels around 20 kW. Inert gases originating from either a flux-cored electrode or external source provide shielding. We use the electrogas welding (EGW) for metals such as steels, titanium….etc with thicknesses from 12mm to 75mm. The technique is a good fit for large structures. Yet, in another technique called ELECTROSLAG WELDING (ESW) the arc is ignited between the electrode and the bottom of the workpiece and flux is added. When molten slag reaches the electrode tip, the arc is extinguished. Energy is continuously supplied through the electrical resistance of the molten slag. We can weld plates with thicknesses between 50 mm and 900 mm and even higher. Currents are around 600 Ampere while voltages are between 40 – 50 V. The welding speeds are around 12 to 36 mm/min. Applications are similar to electrogas welding. One of our nonconsumable electrode processes, the GAS TUNGSTEN ARC WELDING (GTAW) also known as TUNGSTEN INERT GAS WELDING (TIG) involves the supply of a filler metal by a wire. For closely-fit joints sometimes we do not use the filler metal. In the TIG process we do not use flux, but use argon and helium for shielding. Tungsten has a high melting point and is not consumed in the TIG welding process, therefore constant current as well as arc gaps can be maintained. Power levels are between 8 to 20 kW and currents at either 200 Ampere (DC) or 500 Ampere (AC). For aluminum and magnesium we use AC current for its oxide cleaning function. To avoid contamination of the tungsten electrode, we avoid its contact with molten metals. Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) is especially useful for welding thin metals. GTAW welds are of very high quality with good surface finish. Due to the higher cost of hydrogen gas, a less frequently used technique is ATOMIC HYDROGEN WELDING (AHW), where we generate an arc between two tungsten electrodes in a shielding atmosphere of flowing hydrogen gas. The AHW is also a nonconsumable electrode welding process. The diatomic hydrogen gas H2 breaks down into its atomic form near the welding arc where temperatures are over 6273 Kelvin. While breaking down, it absorbs large amount of heat from the arc. When the hydrogen atoms strike the weld zone which is a relatively cold surface, they recombine into diatomic form and release the stored heat. Energy can be varied by changing the workpiece to arc distance. In another nonconsumable electrode process, PLASMA ARC WELDING (PAW) we have a concentrated plasma arc directed toward the weld zone. The temperatures reach 33,273 Kelvin in PAW. A nearly equal number of electrons and ions make up the plasma gas. A low-current pilot arc initiates the plasma which is between the tungsten electrode and orifice. Operating currents are generally around 100 Amperes. A filler metal may be fed. In plasma arc welding, shielding is accomplished by an outer shielding ring and using gases such as argon and helium. In plasma arc welding, the arc may be between the electrode and workpiece or between the electrode and nozzle. This welding technique has the advantages over other methods of higher energy concentration, deeper and narrower welding capability, better arc stability, higher welding speeds up to 1 meter/min, less thermal distortion. We generally use plasma arc welding for thicknesses less than 6 mm and sometimes up to 20 mm for aluminum and titanium. HIGH-ENERGY-BEAM WELDING: Another type of fusion welding method with electron-beam welding (EBW) and laser welding (LBW) as two variants. These techniques are of particular value for our high-tech products manufacturing work. In electron-beam welding, high speed electrons strike the workpiece and their kinetic energy is converted to heat. The narrow beam of electrons travel easily in the vacuum chamber. Generally we use high vacuum in e-beam welding. Plates as thick as 150 mm can be welded. No shielding gases, flux or filler material is needed. Elecron beam guns have 100 kW capacities. Deep and narrow welds with high aspect ratios up to 30 and small heat-affected zones are possible. Welding speeds can reach 12 m/min. In laser-beam welding we use high-power lasers as the source of heat. Laser beams as small as 10 microns with high density enable deep penetration into the workpiece. Depth-to-width ratios as much as 10 is possible with laser-beam welding. We use both pulsed as well as continuous wave lasers, with the former in applications for thin materials and the latter mostly for thick workpieces up to about 25 mm. Power levels are up to 100 kW. The laser beam welding is not well suited for optically very reflective materials. Gases may also be used in the welding process. The laser beam welding method is well fit for automation & high volume manufacturing and can offer welding speeds between 2.5 m/min and 80 m/min. One major advantage this welding technique offers is access to areas where other techniques cannot be used. Laser beams can easily travel to such difficult regions. No vacuum as in electron-beam welding is needed. Welds with good quality & strength, low shrinkage, low distortion, low porosity can be obtained with laser beam welding. Laser beams can be easily manipulated and shaped using fiber optic cables. The technique is thus well suitable for welding of precision hermetic assemblies, electronic packages…etc. Let us look at our SOLID STATE WELDING techniques. COLD WELDING (CW) is a process where pressure instead of heat is applied using dies or rolls to the parts that are mated. In cold welding, at least one of the mating parts needs to be ductile. Best results are obtained with two similar materials. If the two metals to be joined with cold welding are dissimilar, we may get weak and brittle joints. The cold welding method is well suited for soft, ductile and small workpieces such as electrical connections, heat sensitive container edges, bimetallic strips for thermostats…etc. One variation of cold welding is roll bonding (or roll welding), where the pressure is applied through a pair of rolls. Sometimes we perform roll welding at elevated temperatures for better interfacial strength. Another solid state welding process we use is the ULTRASONIC WELDING (USW), where the workpieces are subjected to a static normal force and oscillating shearing stresses. The oscillating shearing stresses are applied through the tip of a transducer. Ultrasonic welding deploys oscillations with frequencies from 10 to 75 kHz. In some applications such as seam welding, we use a rotating welding disk as the tip. Shearing stresses applied to the workpieces cause small plastic deformations, break up oxide layers, contaminants and lead to solid state bonding. Temperatures involved in ultrasonic welding are way below melting point temperatures for metals and no fusion takes place. We frequently use the ultrasonic welding (USW) process for nonmetallic materials like plastics. In thermoplastics, the temperatures do reach melting points however. Another popular technique, in FRICTION WELDING (FRW) the heat is generated through friction at the interface of the workpieces to be joined. In friction welding we keep one of the workpieces stationary while the other workpiece is held in a fixture and rotated at a constant speed. The workpieces are then brought into contact under an axial force. The surface speed of rotation in friction welding may reach 900m/min in some cases. After sufficient interfacial contact, the rotating workpiece is brought to a sudden stop and the axial force is increased. The weld zone is generally a narrow region. The friction welding technique can be used to join solid and tubular parts made of a variety of materials. Some flash may develop at the interface in FRW, but this flash can be removed by secondary machining or grinding. Variations of the friction welding process exist. For example “inertia friction welding” involves a flywheel whose rotational kinetic energy is used to weld the parts. The weld is complete when the flywheel comes to a stop. The rotating mass can be varied and thus the rotational kinetic energy. Another variation is “linear friction welding”, where linear reciprocating motion is imposed on at least one of the components to be joined. In linear friction welding parts do not have to be circular, they can be rectangular, square or of other shape. Frequencies can be in the tens of Hz, amplitudes in the millimeters range and pressures in the tens or hundreds of MPa. Finally “friction stir welding” is somewhat different than the other two explained above. Whereas in inertia friction welding and linear friction welding heating of interfaces is achieved through friction by rubbing two contacting surfaces, in the friction stir welding method a third body is rubbed against the two surfaces to be joined. A rotating tool of 5 to 6 mm diameter is brought into contact with the joint. The temperatures can increase to values between 503 to 533 Kelvin. Heating, mixing and stirring of the material in the joint takes place. We use the friction stir welding on a variety of materials including aluminum, plastics and composites. Welds are uniform and quality is high with minimum pores. No fumes or spatter are produced in friction stir welding and the process is well automated. RESISTANCE WELDING (RW): The heat required for welding is produced by the electrical resistance between the two workpieces to be joined. No flux, shielding gases or consumable electrodes are used in resistance welding. Joule heating takes place in resistance welding and can be expressed as: H = (Square I) x R x t x K H is heat generated in joules (watt-seconds), I current in Amperes, R resistance in Ohms, t is the time in seconds the current flows through. The factor K is less than 1 and represents the fraction of energy that is not lost through radiation and conduction. Currents in resistance welding processes can reach levels as high as 100,000 A but voltages are typically 0.5 to 10 Volts. Electrodes are typically made of copper alloys. Both similar and dissimilar materials can be joined by resistance welding. Several variations exist for this process: “Resistance spot welding” involves two opposing round electrodes contacting the surfaces of the lap joint of the two sheets. Pressure is applied until current is turned off. The weld nugget is generally up to 10 mm in diameter. Resistance spot welding leaves slightly discolored indentation marks at weld spots. Spot welding is our most popular resistance welding technique. Various electrode shapes are used in spot welding in order to reach difficult areas. Our spot welding equipment is CNC controlled and has multiple electrodes that can be used simultaneously. Another variation “resistance seam welding” is carried out with wheel or roller electrodes that produce continuous spot welds whenever the current reaches a sufficiently high level in the AC power cycle. Joints produced by resistance seam welding are liquid and gas tight. Welding speeds of about 1.5 m/min are normal for thin sheets. One may apply intermittent currents so that spot welds are produced at desired intervals along the seam. In “resistance projection welding” we emboss one or more projections (dimples) on one of the workpiece surfaces to be welded. These projections may be round or oval. High localized temperatures are reached at these embossed spots that come into contact with the mating part. Electrodes exert pressure to compress these projections. Electrodes in resistance projection welding have flat tips and are water cooled copper alloys. The advantage of resistance projection welding is our ability to a number of welds in one stroke, thus the extended electrode life, capability to weld sheets of various thicknesses, capability to weld nuts and bolts to sheets. Disadvantage of resistance projection welding is the added cost of embossing the dimples. Yet another technique, in “flash welding” heat is generated from the arc at the ends of the two workpieces as they begin to make contact. This method may also alternatively considered arc welding. The temperature at the interface rises, and material softens. An axial force is applied and a weld is formed at the softened region. After the flash welding is complete, the joint can be machined for improved appearance. Weld quality obtained by flash welding is good. Power levels are 10 to 1500 kW. Flash welding is suitable for edge-to-edge joining of similar or dissimilar metals up to 75 mm diameter and sheets between 0.2 mm to 25 mm thickness. “Stud arc welding” is very similar to flash welding. The stud such as a bolt or threaded rod serves as one electrode while being joined to a workpiece such as a plate. To concentrate the generated heat, prevent oxidation and retain the molten metal in the weld zone, a disposable ceramic ring is placed around the joint. Finally “percussion welding” another resistance welding process, utilizes a capacitor to supply the electrical energy. In percussion welding the power is discharged within milliseconds of time very quickly developing high localized heat at the joint. We use percussion welding widely in the electronics manufacturing industry where heating of sensitive electronic components in the vicinity of the joint has to be avoided. A technique called EXPLOSION WELDING involves detonation of a layer of explosive that is put over one of the workpieces to be joined. The very high pressure exerted on the workpiece produces a turbulent and wavy interface and mechanical interlocking takes place. Bond strengths in explosive welding are very high. Explosion welding is a good method for cladding of plates with dissimilar metals. After cladding, the plates may be rolled into thinner sections. Sometimes we use explosion welding for expanding tubes so that they get sealed tightly against the plate. Our last method within the domain of solid state joining is DIFFUSION BONDING or DIFFUSION WELDING (DFW) in which a good joint is achieved mainly by diffusion of atoms across the interface. Some plastic deformation at the interface also contributes to the welding. Temperatures involved are around 0.5 Tm where Tm is melting temperature of the metal. Bond strength in diffusion welding depends on pressure, temperature, contact time and cleanliness of contacting surfaces. Sometimes we use filler metals at the interface. Heat and pressure are required in diffusion bonding and are supplied by electrical resistance or furnace and dead weights, press or else. Similar and dissimilar metals can be joined with diffusion welding. The process is relatively slow due to the time it takes for atoms to migrate. DFW can be automated and is widely used in the fabrication of complex parts for the aerospace, electronics, medical industries. Products manufactured include orthopedic implants, sensors, aerospace structural members. Diffusion bonding can be combined with SUPERPLASTIC FORMING to fabricate complex sheet metal structures. Selected locations on sheets are first diffusion bonded and then the unbonded regions are expanded into a mold using air pressure. Aerospace structures with high stiffness-to-weight ratios are manufactured using this combination of methods. The diffusion welding / superplastic forming combined process reduces the number of parts required by eliminating the need for fasteners, results in low-stress highly accurate parts economically and with short lead times. BRAZING: The brazing and soldering techniques involve lower temperatures than those required for welding. Brazing temperatures are higher than soldering temperatures however. In brazing a filler metal is placed between the surfaces to be joined and temperatures are raised to the melting temperature of the filler material above 723 Kelvin but below the melting temperatures of the workpieces. The molten metal fills the closely fitting space between workpieces. Cooling and subsequent solidification of the filer metal results in strong joints. In braze welding the filler metal is deposited at the joint. Considerably more filler metal is used in braze welding compared to brazing. Oxyacetylene torch with oxidizing flame is used to deposit the filler metal in braze welding. Due to lower temperatures in brazing, problems at heat affected zones such as warping and residual stresses are less. The smaller the clearance gap in brazing the higher is the shear strength of the joint. Maximum tensile strength however is achieved at an optimum gap (a peak value). Below and above this optimum value, the tensile strength in brazing decreases. Typical clearances in brazing can be between 0.025 and 0.2 mm. We use a variety of brazing materials with different shapes such as performs, powder, rings, wire, strip…..etc. and can manufacture these performs specially for your design or product geometry. We do also determine the content of the brazing materials according to your base materials and application. We frequently use fluxes in brazing operations to remove unwanted oxide layers and prevent oxidation. To avoid subsequent corrosion, fluxes are generally removed after the joining operation. AGS-TECH Inc. uses various brazing methods, including: - Torch Brazing - Furnace Brazing - Induction Brazing - Resistance Brazing - Dip Brazing - Infrared Brazing - Diffusion Brazing - High Energy Beam Our most common examples of brazed joints are made of dissimilar metals with good strength such as carbide drill bits, inserts, optoelectronic hermetic packages, seals. SOLDERING : This is one of our most frequently used techniques where the solder (filler metal) fills the joint as in brazing between closely fitting components. Our solders have melting points below 723 Kelvin. We deploy both manual and automated soldering in manufacturing operations. Compared to brazing, soldering temperatures are lower. Soldering is not very suitable for high-temperature or high-strength applications. We use lead-free solders as well as tin-lead, tin-zinc, lead-silver, cadmium-silver, zinc-aluminum alloys besides others for soldering. Both noncorrosive resin-based as well as inorganic acids and salts are used as flux in soldering. We use special fluxes to solder metals with low solderability. In applications where we have to solder ceramic materials, glass or graphite, we first plate the parts with a suitable metal for increased solderability. Our popular soldering techniques are: -Reflow or Paste Soldering -Wave Soldering -Furnace Soldering -Torch Soldering -Induction Soldering -Iron Soldering -Resistance Soldering -Dip soldering -Ultrasonic Soldering -Infrared Soldering Ultrasonic soldering offers us a unique advantage whereby the need for fluxes is eliminated due to ultrasonic cavitation effect which removes oxide films from the surfaces being joined. Reflow and Wave soldering are our industrially outstanding techniques for high volume manufacturing in electronics and therefore worth explaining in greater detail. In reflow soldering, we use semisolid pastes that include solder-metal particles. The paste is placed onto the joint using a screening or stenciling process. In printed circuit boards (PCB) we frequently use this technique. When electrical components are placed onto these pads from paste, the surface tension keeps the surface-mount packages aligned. After placing the components, we heat the assembly in a furnace so the reflow soldering takes place. During this process, the solvents in the paste evaporate, the flux in the paste is activated, the components are preheated, the solder particles are melted and wet the joint, and finally the PCB assembly is cooled slowly. Our second popular technique for high volume production of PCB boards, namely wave soldering relias on the fact that molten solders wet metal surfaces and form good bonds only when the metal is preheated. A standing laminar wave of molten solder is first generated by a pump and the preheated and prefluxed PCBs are conveyed over the wave. The solder wets only exposed metal surfaces but does not wet the IC polymer packages nor the polymer-coated circuit boards. A high-velocity of hot water jet blows excess solder from the joint and prevents bridging between adjacent leads. In wave soldering of surface-mount packages we first adhesively bond them to the circuit board before soldering. Again screening and stenciling is used but this time for epoxy. After the components are placed in their correct locations, the epoxy is cured, the boards are inverted and wave soldering takes place. CLICK Product Finder-Locator Service PREVIOUS PAGE

AGS-TECH, Inc. is a global manufacturer of fasteners and rigging hardware including shackles, eye bolt and nut, turnbuckles, wire rope clip, hooks, load binder, steel and synthetic plastic wires, cables and ropes, traditional ropes from manila, polyhemp, sisal, cotton, link chains, steel chain and more. Fasteners, Rigging Hardware Manufacturing For information on our manufacturing capabilities of fasteners, you may visit our dedicated page by clicking here: Go to Fasteners Page However, if you are looking for Rigging Hardware, then continue reading and scroll down this page please. Rigging Hardware Rigging hardware is an essential component in any hoisting, lifting, fastening system involving ropes, belts, chains...etc. The quality, strength, durability, lifetime and overall reliability of rigging hardware can be a bottleneck, a limiting factor if the right product of high quality is not chosen for your systems, no matter how good the other components are. You can think of it like a chain, where a single damaged chain link can potentially cause failure of the entire chain. Our rigging hardware products include many items such as cable gliders, clevises, fittings, hooks, shackles, snap hooks, connecting links, swivels, grab links, wire rope clips and much more. Prices of fasteners and rigging hardware components depend on product, model and quantity of your order. It also depends on whether you need an off-the-shelf product or need us to custom manufacture the fasteners and rigging hardware components to your specifications, drawings and needs. Since we carry a wide variety of fasteners and rigging hardware with different dimensions, applications, material grade and coating; in case you can't find a suitable product below in one of our catalogs, we encourage you to email or call us so we can determine which product is the best fit for you. When contacting us, please make sure to provide us some of the following key information: - Application for the fasteners or rigging hardware product - Material grade needed for your fasteners & rigging hardware components - Dimensions - Finish - Packaging requirements - Labeling requirements - Quantity per order / Yearly demand Please download our relevant product brochures by clicking on the colored links below: Standard Rigging Hardware - Shackles Standard Rigging Hardware - Eye Bolt and Nut Standard Rigging Hardware - Turnbuckles Standard Rigging Hardware - Wire Rope Clip Standard Rigging Hardware - Hooks Standard Rigging Hardware - Load Binder Standard Rigging Hardware - New Products Standard Rigging Hardware - Stainless Steel Standard Rigging Hardware - Steel Wires - Steel Wire Ropes and Cables Standard Rigging Hardware - Synthetic Plastic Ropes Standard Rigging Hardware - Traditional-Ropes-Manila-Polyhemp-Sisal-Cotton LINK CHAINS have torus shaped links. They are used in bicycle locks, as locking chains, sometimes as pulling & hoisting chains and similar applications. Here is our downloadable product brochure for off-the-shelf link chains: Link Chains - Steel Chains - International Chains - Stainless Steel Chains and Accessories CLICK Product Finder-Locator Service PREVIOUS PAGE

Laser Machining - LM - Laser Cutting - Custom Parts Manufacturing - CO2 Laser Processing - Nd-YAG - Cutting - Boring Laser Machining & Cutting & LBM LASER CUTTING is a HIGH-ENERGY-BEAM MANUFACTURING technology that uses a laser to cut materials, and is typically used for industrial manufacturing applications. In LASER BEAM MACHINING (LBM), a laser source focuses optical energy on the surface of the workpiece. Laser cutting directs the highly focused and high-density output of a high-power laser, by computer, at the material to be cut. The targeted material then either melts, burns, vaporizes away, or is blown away by a jet of gas, in a controlled manner leaving an edge with a high-quality surface finish. Our industrial laser cutters are suitable for cutting flat-sheet material as well as structural and piping materials, metallic and nonmetallic workpieces. Generally no vacuum is required in the laser beam machining and cutting processes. There are several types of lasers used in laser cutting and manufacturing. The pulsed or continuous wave CO2 LASER is suited for cutting, boring, and engraving. The NEODYMIUM (Nd) and neodymium yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd-YAG) LASERS are identical in style and differ only in application. The neodymium Nd is used for boring and where high energy but low repetition is required. The Nd-YAG laser on the other hand is used where very high power is required and for boring and engraving. Both CO2 and Nd/ Nd-YAG lasers can be used for LASER WELDING. Other lasers we use in manufacturing include Nd:GLASS, RUBY and EXCIMER. In Laser Beam Machining (LBM), the following parameters are important: The reflectivity and thermal conductivity of the workpiece surface and its specific heat and latent heat of melting and evaporation. The efficiency of the Laser Beam Machining (LBM) process increases with decreasing of these parameters. The cutting depth can be expressed as: t ~ P / (v x d) This means, the cutting depth “t” is proportional to the power input P and inversely proportional to cutting speed v and laser-beam spot diameter d. The surface produced with LBM is generally rough and has a heat-affected zone. CARBONDIOXIDE (CO2) LASER CUTTING and MACHINING: The DC-excited CO2 lasers get pumped by passing a current through the gas mix whereas the RF-excited CO2 lasers use radio frequency energy for excitation. The RF method is relatively new and has become more popular. DC designs require electrodes inside the cavity, and therefore they can have electrode erosion and plating of electrode material on the optics. To the contrary, RF resonators have external electrodes and therefore they are not prone to those problems. We use CO2 lasers in industrial cutting of many materials such as mild steel, aluminum, stainless steel, titanium and plastics. YAG LASER CUTTING and MACHINING: We use YAG lasers for cutting and scribing metals and ceramics. The laser generator and external optics require cooling. Waste heat is generated and transferred by a coolant or directly to air. Water is a common coolant, usually circulated through a chiller or heat transfer system. EXCIMER LASER CUTTING and MACHINING: An excimer laser is a kind of laser with wavelengths in the ultraviolet region. The exact wavelength depends on the molecules used. For example the following wavelengths are associated with the molecules shown in parantheses: 193 nm (ArF), 248 nm (KrF), 308 nm (XeCl), 353 nm (XeF). Some excimer lasers are tunable. Excimer lasers have the attractive property that they can remove very fine layers of surface material with almost no heating or change to the remainder of the material. Therefore excimer lasers are well suited to precision micromachining of organic materials such as some polymers and plastics. GAS-ASSISTED LASER CUTTING: Sometimes we use laser beams in combination with a gas stream, like oxygen, nitrogen or argon for cutting thin sheet materials. This is done using a LASER-BEAM TORCH. For stainless steel and aluminum we use high-pressure inert-gas-assisted laser cutting using nitrogen. This results in oxide-free edges to improve weldability. These gas streams also blow away molten and vaporized material from workpiece surfaces. In a LASER MICROJET CUTTING we have a water-jet guided laser in which a pulsed laser beam is coupled into a low-pressure water jet. We use it to perform laser cutting while using the water jet to guide the laser beam, similar to an optical fiber. The advantages of laser microjet are that the water also removes debris and cools the material, it is faster than traditional ''dry'' laser cutting with higher dicing speeds, parallel kerf and omnidirectional cutting capability. We deploy different methods in cutting using lasers. Some of the methods are vaporization, melt and blow, melt blow and burn, thermal stress cracking, scribing, cold cutting and burning, stabilized laser cutting. - Vaporization cutting: The focused beam heats the surface of the material to its boiling point and creates a hole. The hole leads to a sudden increase in absorptivity and quickly deepens the hole. As the hole deepens and the material boils, the generated vapor erodes the molten walls blowing material out and further enlarging the hole. Non melting material such as wood, carbon and thermoset plastics are usually cut by this method. - Melt and blow cutting: We use high-pressure gas to blow molten material from the cutting area, decreasing the required power. The material is heated to its melting point and then a gas jet blows the molten material out of the kerf. This eliminates the need to raise the temperature of the material any further. We cut metals with this technique. - Thermal stress cracking: Brittle materials are sensitive to thermal fracture. A beam is focused on the surface causing localized heating and thermal expansion. This results in a crack that can then be guided by moving the beam. We use this technique in glass cutting. - Stealth dicing of silicon wafers: The separation of microelectronic chips from silicon wafers is performed by the stealth dicing process, using a pulsed Nd:YAG laser, the wavelength of 1064 nm is well adopted to the electronic band gap of silicon (1.11 eV or 1117 nm). This is popular in semiconductor device fabrication. - Reactive cutting: Also called flame cutting, this technique can be resembled to oxygen torch cutting but with a laser beam as the ignition source. We use this for cutting carbon steel in thicknesses over 1 mm and even very thick steel plates with little laser power. PULSED LASERS provide us a high-power burst of energy for a short period and are very effective in some laser cutting processes, such as piercing, or when very small holes or very low cutting speeds are required. If a constant laser beam was used instead, the heat could reach the point of melting the entire piece being machined. Our lasers have the ability to pulse or cut CW (Continuous Wave) under NC (numerical control) program control. We use DOUBLE PULSE LASERS emitting a series of pulse pairs to improve material removal rate and hole quality. The first pulse removes material from the surface and the second pulse prevents the ejected material from readhering to the side of the hole or cut. Tolerances and surface finish in laser cutting and machining are outstanding. Our modern laser cutters have positioning accuracies in the neighborhood of 10 micrometers and repeatabilities of 5 micrometers. Standard roughnesses Rz increase with the sheet thickness, but decreases with laser power and cutting speed. The laser cutting and machining processes are capable of achieving close tolerances, often to within 0.001 inch (0.025 mm) Part geometry and the mechanical features of our machines are optimized to achieve best tolerance capabilities. Surface finishes we can obtain from laser beam cutting may range between 0.003 mm to 0.006 mm. Generally we easily achieve holes with 0.025 mm diameter, and holes as small as 0.005 mm and hole depth-to-diameter ratios of 50 to 1 have been produced in various materials. Our simplest and most standard laser cutters will cut carbon steel metal from 0.020–0.5 inch (0.51–13 mm) in thickness and can easily be up to thirty times faster than standard sawing. Laser-beam machining is used widely for drilling and cutting of metals, nonmetals and composite materials. Advantages of laser cutting over mechanical cutting include easier workholding, cleanliness and reduced contamination of the workpiece (since there is no cutting edge as in traditional milling or turning which can become contaminated by the material or contaminate the material, i.e. bue build-up). The abrasive nature of composite materials may make them difficult to machine by conventional methods but easy by laser machining. Because the laser beam does not wear during the process, precision obtained may be better. Because laser systems have a small heat-affected zone, there is also a lesser chance of warping the material that is being cut. For some materials laser cutting can be the only option. Laser-beam cutting processes are flexible, and fiber optic beam delivery, simple fixturing, short set-up times, availability of three dimensional CNC systems make it possible for laser cutting and machining to compete successfully with other sheet metal fabrication processes such as punching. This being said, laser technology can sometimes be combined with the mechanical fabrication technologies for improved overall efficiency. Laser cutting of sheet metals has the advantages over plasma cutting of being more precise and using less energy, however, most industrial lasers cannot cut through the greater metal thickness that plasma can. Lasers operating at higher powers such as 6000 Watts are approaching plasma machines in their ability to cut through thick materials. However the capital cost of these 6000 Watt laser cutters is much higher than that of plasma cutting machines capable of cutting thick materials like steel plate. There are also disadvantages of laser cutting and machining. Laser cutting involves high power consumption. Industrial laser efficiencies may range from 5% to 15%. The power consumption and efficiency of any particular laser will vary depending on output power and operating parameters. This will depend on type of laser and how well the laser matches the work at hand. Amount of laser cutting power required for a particular task depends on the material type, thickness, process (reactive/inert) used and the desired cutting rate. The maximum production rate in laser cutting and machining is limited by a number of factors including laser power, process type (whether reactive or inert), material properties and thickness. In LASER ABLATION we remove material from a solid surface by irradiating it with a laser beam. At low laser flux, the material is heated by the absorbed laser energy and evaporates or sublimates. At high laser flux, the material is typically converted to a plasma. High power lasers clean a large spot with a single pulse. Lower power lasers use many small pulses which may be scanned across an area. In laser ablation we remove material with a pulsed laser or with a continuous wave laser beam if the laser intensity is high enough. Pulsed lasers can drill extremely small, deep holes through very hard materials. Very short laser pulses remove material so quickly that the surrounding material absorbs very little heat, therefore laser drilling can be done on delicate or heat-sensitive materials. Laser energy can be selectively absorbed by coatings, therefore CO2 and Nd:YAG pulsed lasers can be used to clean surfaces, remove paint and coating, or prepare surfaces for painting without damaging the underlying surface. We use LASER ENGRAVING and LASER MARKING to engrave or mark an object. These two techniques are in fact the most widely used applications. No inks are used, nor does it involve tool bits which contact the engraved surface and wear out which is the case with traditional mechanical engraving and marking methods. Materials specially designed for laser engraving and marking include laser-sensitive polymers and special new metal alloys. Although laser marking and engraving equipment is relatively more expensive compared to alternatives such as punches, pins, styli, etching stamps….etc., they have become more popular due to their accuracy, reproducibility, flexibility, ease of automation and on-line application in a wide variety of manufacturing environments. Finally, we use laser beams for several other manufacturing operations: - LASER WELDING - LASER HEAT TREATING: Small-scale heat treating of metals and ceramics to modify their surface mechanical and tribological properties. - LASER SURFACE TREATMENT / MODIFICATION: Lasers are used to clean surfaces, introduce functional groups, modify surfaces in an effort to improve adhesion prior to coating deposition or joining processes. CLICK Product Finder-Locator Service PREVIOUS PAGE

LED Assemblies, Light Emitting Diodes Power Supply, Plastic Molded Lenses LED Product Assemblies LED assembly - motorcycle taillight LED product assemblies AGS-TECH Inc. assembled moulded plastic components with light emitting diodes - motorcycle taillights Motorcycle taillight incorporating light emitting diodes Waterproof LED power supply Power LED Light Assemblies Product packaging according to customer requirements AGS-TECH offers custom packaging for your manufactured products LED PCB Assembly LED Street Lighting Manufacturing Trailing Edge Dimmable LED Driver LED PCB Assemblies High Power LED Assemblies High Power LED Driver PREVIOUS PAGE

Electrochemical Machining and Grinding - ECM - Reverse Electroplating - Custom Machining - AGS-TECH Inc. - NM - USA ECM Machining, Electrochemical Machining, Grinding Some of the valuable NON-CONVENTIONAL MANUFACTURING processes AGS-TECH Inc offers are ELECTROCHEMICAL MACHINING (ECM), SHAPED-TUBE ELECTROLYTIC MACHINING (STEM), PULSED ELECTROCHEMICAL MACHINING (PECM), ELECTROCHEMICAL GRINDING (ECG), HYBRID MACHINING PROCESSES. ELECTROCHEMICAL MACHINING (ECM) is a non-conventional manufacturing technique where metal is removed by an electrochemical process. ECM is typically a mass production technique, used for machining extremely hard materials and materials that are difficult to machine using the conventional manufacturing methods. Electrochemical-machining systems we use for production are numerically controlled machining centers with high production rates, flexibility, perfect control of dimensional tolerances. Electrochemical machining is capable of cutting small and odd-shaped angles, intricate contours or cavities in hard and exotic metals like titanium aluminides, Inconel, Waspaloy, and high nickel, cobalt, and rhenium alloys. Both external and internal geometries can be machined. Modifications of the electrochemical machining process are used for operations like turning, facing, slotting, trepanning, profiling where the electrode becomes the cutting tool. The metal removal rate is only a function of ion exchange rate and is not affected by the strength, hardness or toughness of the workpiece. Unfortunately the method of electrochemical machining (ECM) is limited to electrically conductive materials. Another important point to consider deploying the ECM technique is to compare the mechanical properties of the produced parts with those produced by other machining methods. ECM removes material instead of adding it and therefore is sometimes referred to as ''reverse electroplating''. It resembles in some ways to electrical discharge machining (EDM) in that a high current is passed between an electrode and the part, through an electrolytic material removal process having a negatively charged electrode (cathode), a conductive fluid (electrolyte), and a conductive workpiece (anode). The electrolyte acts as the current carrier and is a highly conductive inorganic salt solution like sodium chloride mixed and dissolved in water or sodium nitrate. The advantage of ECM is that there is no tool wear. The ECM cutting tool is guided along the desired path close to the work but without touching the piece. Unlike EDM, however, no sparks are created. High metal removal rates and mirror surface finishes are possible with ECM, with no thermal or mechanical stresses being transferred to the part. ECM does not cause any thermal damage to the part and since there are no tool forces there is no distortion to the part and no tool wear, as would be the case with typical machining operations. In electrochemical machining cavity produced is the female mating image of the tool. In the ECM process, a cathode tool is moved into an anode workpiece. The shaped tool is generally made of copper, brass, bronze or stainless steel. The pressurized electrolyte is pumped at a high rate at a set temperature through the passages in the tool to the area being cut. The feed rate is the same as the rate of ''liquification'' of the material, and the electrolyte movement in the tool-workpiece gap washes metal ions away from the workpiece anode before they have a chance to plate onto the cathode tool. The gap between the tool and the workpiece varies between 80-800 micrometers and the DC power supply in the range 5 – 25 V maintains current densities between 1.5 – 8 A/mm2 of active machined surface. As electrons cross the gap, material from the workpiece is dissolved, as the tool forms the desired shape in the workpiece. The electrolytic fluid carries away the metal hydroxide formed during this process. Commercial electrochemical machines with current capacities between 5A and 40,000A are available. The material removal rate in electrochemical machining can be expressed as: MRR = C x I x n Here MRR=mm3/min, I=current in amperes, n=current efficiency, C=a material constant in mm3/A-min. The constant C depends on valence for pure materials. The higher the valence, the lower is its value. For most metals it is in between 1 and 2. If Ao denotes the uniform cross-sectional area being electrochemically machined in mm2, the feed rate f in mm/min can be expressed as: F = MRR / Ao Feed rate f is the speed the electrode is penetrating the workpiece. In the past there were problems of poor dimensional accuracy and environmentally polluting waste from electrochemical machining operations. These have largely been overcome. Some of the applications of electrochemical machining of high-strength materials are: - Die-Sinking operations. Die-sinking is machining forging – die cavities. - Drilling a jet engine turbine blades, jet-engine parts and nozzles. - Multiple small holes drilling. The electrochemical machining process leaves a burr-free surface. - Steam turbine blades can be machined within close limits. - For deburring of surfaces. In deburring, ECM removes metal projections left from the machining processes and so dulls sharp edges. Electrochemical machining process is fast and often more convenient than the conventional methods of deburring by hand or non-traditional machining processes. SHAPED-TUBE ELECTROLYTIC MACHINING (STEM) is a version of electrochemical machining process we use for drilling small diameter deep holes. A titanium tube is used as the tool which is coated with an electrically insulating resin to prevent the removal of material from other regions like the lateral faces of the hole and tube. We can drill hole sizes of 0.5 mm with depth-to-diameter ratios of 300:1 PULSED ELECTROCHEMICAL MACHINING (PECM): We use very high pulsed current densities in the order of 100 A/cm2. By using pulsed currents we eliminate the need for high electrolyte flow rates which poses limitations for the ECM method in mold and die fabrication. Pulsed electrochemical machining improves fatigue life and eliminates the recast layer left by the electrical discharge machining (EDM) technique on mold and die surfaces. In ELECTROCHEMICAL GRINDING (ECG) we combine the conventional grinding operation with electrochemical machining. The grinding wheel is a rotating cathode with abrasive particles of diamond or aluminum oxide that are metal bonded. The current densities range between 1 and 3 A/mm2. Similar to ECM, an electrolyte such as sodium nitrate flows and the metal removal in electrochemical grinding is dominated by the electrolytic action. Less than 5% of metal removal is by abrasive action of the wheel. The ECG technique is well suited for carbides and high-strength alloys, but not so much of a fit for die-sinking or mould making because the grinder may not easily access deep cavities. The material removal rate in electrochemical grinding can be expressed as: MRR = G I / d F Here MRR is in mm3/min, G is mass in grams, I is current in amperes, d is density in g/mm3 and F is Faraday’s constant (96,485 Coulombs/mole). The speed of penetration of the grinding wheel into workpiece can be expressed as: Vs = (G / d F) x (E / g Kp) x K Here Vs is in mm3/min, E is cell voltage in volts, g is wheel to workpiece gap in mm, Kp is coefficient of loss and K is electrolyte conductivity. The advantage of the electrochemical grinding method over conventional grinding is less wheel wear because less than 5% of the metal removal is by abrasive action of the wheel. There are similarities between EDM and ECM: 1. The tool and workpiece are separated by a very small gap without a contact in between them. 2. Both tool and material must be conductors of electricity. 3. Both techniques need high capital investment. Modern CNC machines are used 4. Both methods consume lots of electric power. 5. A conductive fluid is used as a medium between the tool and the work piece for ECM and a dielectric fluid for EDM. 6. The tool is fed continuously towards the workpiece to maintain a constant gap between them (EDM may incorporate intermittent or cyclic, typically partial, tool withdrawal). HYBRID MACHINING PROCESSES: We frequently take advantage of the benefits of hybrid machining processes where two or more different processes such as ECM, EDM….etc. are used in combination. This gives us the opportunity to overcome the shortcomings of one process by the other, and benefit from the advantages of each process. CLICK Product Finder-Locator Service PREVIOUS PAGE

Gears and Gear Drives, Gear Assembly, Spur Gears, Rack & Pinion & Bevel Gears, Miter, Worms, Machine Elements Manufacturing at AGS-TECH Inc. Gears & Gear Drive Assembly AGS-TECH Inc. offers you power transmission components including GEARS & GEAR DRIVES. Gears transmit motion, rotating or reciprocating, from one machine part to another. Where necessary, gears reduce or increase the revolutions of the shafts. Basically gears are rolling cylindrical or conic-shaped components with teeth on their contact surfaces to ensure positive motion. Please note that gears are the most durable and rugged of all mechanical drives. Most heavy-duty machine drives and automobiles, transportation vehicles preferably use gears rather than belts or chains. We have many kinds of gears. - SPUR GEARS: These gears connect parallel shafts. Spur gear proportions and teeth shape are standardized. Gear drives need to be operated under a variety of conditions and therefore it is very difficult to determine the best gear set for a particular application. The easiest is to select from stocked standard gears with an adequate load rating. Approximate power ratings for spur gears of various sizes (number of teeth) at several operating speeds (revolutions/minute) are available in our catalogs. For gears with sizes and speeds not listed, ratings can be estimated from values shown on special tables and graphs. Service class and factor for spur gears is also a factor in the selection process. - RACK GEARS: These gears convert spur gears motion to reciprocating or linear motion. A rack gear is a straight bar with teeth that engage the teeth on a spur gear. The specifications for the teeth of the rack gear are given in the same manner as for spur gears, because rack gears can be imagined as spur gears having an infinite pitch diameter. Basically, all circular dimensions of spur gears become linear fir rack gears. - BEVEL GEARS (MITER GEARS and else): These gears connect shafts whose axes intersect. The axes of bevel gears may intersect at an angle, but the most common angle is 90 degrees. The teeth of bevel gears are the same shape as spur gear teeth, but taper toward the cone apex. Miter gears are bevel gears having the same diametral pitch or module, pressure angle and number of teeth. - WORMS and WORM GEARS: These gears connect shafts whose axes do not intersect. Worm gears are used to transmit power between two shafts that are at right angles to each other and are nonintersecting. Teeth on the worm gear are curved to conform with the teeth on the worm. The lead angle on worms should be between 25 and 45 degrees to be efficient in power transmission. Multi-thread worms with one to eight threads are used. - PINION GEARS: The smaller of the two gears is called pinion gear. Often a gear and pinion are made of different materials for better efficiency and durability. The pinion gear is made of a stronger material because the teeth on the pinion gear come into contact more times than the teeth on the other gear. We have standard catalog items as well the capability to manufacture gears according to your request and specifications. We also offer gear design, assembly and manufacturing. Gear design is very complicated because designers need to be dealing with problems such as strength, wear and material selection. The majority of our gears are made of cast iron, steel, brass, bronze or plastic. We have five levels of tutorial for gears, please read them in the given order. If you are not familiar with gears and gear drives, these tutorials below will help you in designing your product. If you prefer, we can also assist you in choosing the right gears for your design. Click on highlighted text below to download the relevant product catalog: - Introductory guide for gears - Basic guide for gears - Guide for practical use of gears - Introduction to gears - Technical reference guide for gears To help you compare applicable standards related to gears in different parts of the World, here you can download: Equivalency Tables for Standards of Raw Material and Gear Precision Grade Once more, we would like to repeat that in order to purchase gears from us, you do not need to have a particular part number, size of gear….etc handy. You do not need to be an expert in gears and gear drives. All you need is really to provide us as much information as possible regarding your application, dimensional limitations where the gears need to be installed, maybe photos of your system…and we will help you. We use computer software packages for the integrated design and manufacture of generalized gear pairs. These gear pairs include cylindrical, bevel, skew-axis, worm and worm wheel, along with non-circular gear pairs. The software we use is based on mathematical relations that differ from established standards and practice. This enables the following features: • any face width • any gear ratio (linear & nonlinear) • any number of teeth • any spiral angle • any shaft center distance • any shaft angle • any tooth profile. These mathematical relations seamlessly encompass different gear types to design and manufacture gear pairs. Here are some of our off-shelf gear and gear drive brochures and catalogs. Click on colored text to download: - Gears - Worm Gears - Worms and Gear Racks - Slewing Drives - Slewing Rings (some have internal or external gears) - Worm Gear Speed Reducers - WP Model - Worm Gear Speed Reducers - NMRV Model - T-Type Spiral Bevel Gear Redirector - Worm Gear Screw Jacks Reference Code: OICASKHK CLICK Product Finder-Locator Service PREVIOUS PAGE

Electronic Components, Diodes, Transistors - Resistors, Thermoelectric Cooler, Heating Elements, Capacitors, Inductors, Driver, Device Sockets and Adapters Electrical & Electronic Components and Assemblies As a custom manufacturer and engineering integrator, AGS-TECH can supply you the following ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS and ASSEMBLIES: • Active and passive electronic components, devices, subassemblies and finished products. We can either use the electronic components in our catalogs and brochures listed below or use your prefered manufacturers components in your electronic products assembly. Some of the electronic components and assembly can be custom tailored according to your needs and requirements. If your order quantities justify, we can have the manufacturing plant produce according to your specifications. You can scroll down and download our brochures of interest by clicking on highlighted text: Antenna Brochure for 5G - LTE 4G - LPWA 3G - 2G - GPS - GNSS - WLAN - BT - Combo - ISM Chip resistors Chip resistors product line Custom Specialized Cable Assemblies Brochure for Lighting, Touch Technology, Industrial Electronics, Security, White Goods, Aerospace, Military, Telecom, Medical & Sterilizable, Renewable Energy...etc. Diodes and rectifiers Disc capacitors catalog High frequency devices product line (Band Pass Filters, Low Pass Filters, IPD, CPL, Balanced Filter, Diplexer, Balun, Chip Antenna...etc.) Microwave Flexible Cable Assembly Microwave and Milimeter Wave Test Accessories Brochure (Cable assemblies, VNA Test Assemblies, Mechanical Calibration Kits, RF Coaxial Adapters, Test Port Adapters, DC Blocks, NMD Connectors....etc.) Microwave Waveguides - Coaxial Components - Milimeterwave Antennas (Straight Waveguide, Waveguide Bend, Waveguide to Coaxial Adapter, Directional Couplers, Waveguide Tee, Circulators, Isolators......etc.) Multilayer ceramic capacitors MLCC catalog Multilayer ceramic capacitors MLCC product line Off-shelf interconnect components and hardware Precision RF Adapter s Catalog (Coax RF, Microwave, mmWave Adapters such as SMA, SSMA, SMP, BNC, Type-N, 3.5 mm.....etc) RF Components Brochure for Coaxial Fixed Attenuators, Coaxial Terminations, DC Blocks, Coax Adapters, Waveguide Components, Power Dividers, RF Connectors, RF Tools. RF devices and high frequency inductors (Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors, Chip-Resistor, Disc Capacitors, RF & HF Inductor Varistors & SMD-Varistors, Chip Antenna, Filters, Coupler) RF and Microwave Components (Broadband 90/180 Degree Hybrid and Coupler, Broadband Power Divider, Filter, RF switch, Broadband Amplifier, Broadband Frequency Synthesizer) RF Product Overview Chart (RF Antenna, Multilayer Ceramic Filter, Multilayer Ceramic Balun, Ceramic Diplexer) Soft Ferrites - Cores - Toroids - EMI Suppression Products - RFID Transponders and Accessories Brochure Terminal Blocks and Connectors Terminal Blocks General Catalogue Receptacles-Power Entry-Connectors Catalogue Vandal-Proof IP65/IP67/IP68 Keyboards, Keypads, Pointing Devices, ATM Pinpads, Medical & Military Keyboards and other similar Rugged Computer Peripherals Varistors Varistors product overview Yaren Model MOSFET - SCR - FRD - Voltage Control Devices - Bipolar Transistors Zeasset Model Electrolytic Capacitors • Other electronic components and assembly we have been providing are pressure sensors, temperature sensors, conductivity sensors, proximity sensors, humidity sensors, speed sensor, shock sensor, chemical sensor, inclination sensor, load cell, strain gauges. To download related catalogs and brochures of these, please click on colored text: Coding system for off-shelf strain gauges Digital Temperature Transmitter UTI2 Digital Temperature Transmitter UTI6 Din Rail Mounted Temperature Transmitters UTB11 Electronic Temperature Switch UTS2 Explosive Proof Temperature Transmitter UTB4 Integrated Temperature Transmitter UTB8 Intelligent Temperature Transmitter UTI5 Load cells, weight sensors, load gauges, transducers and transmitters Pressure sensors, pressure gauges, transducers and transmitters Process Automation Solutions (We private label these with your brand name and logo if you wish) Proximity sensors Sensors & Analytical Measurement Systems for Liquid Analysis (We private label these with your brand name and logo if you wish) Sensors & Analytical Measurement Systems for Optical OEM Applications in Liquid Analysis (We private label these with your brand name and logo if you wish) Sensors & Analytical Measurement Systems for pH Testing (We private label these with your brand name and logo if you wish) Smart Temperature Transmitter UTB-101 Sockets and accessories of proximity sensors Strain Gauges for Stress Analysis Temperature Humidity Transmitters Temperature Pressure Integration Transmitter UTB5 Thermal Resistor Temperature Transducer UTC1 (-50~+600 C) Thermal Resistor Temperature Transducer UTC2 (-40~+200 C) Wireless Digital Temperature Gauge UTI7 • Chip level micrometer scale tiny Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) based devices such as micropumps, micromirrors, micromotors, microfluidic devices. • Integrated Circuits (IC) • Switching elements, switch, relay, contactor, circuit breaker Contactors with UL and CE Certification NC1100111-1042532 Contactors with UL and CE Certification NC2100111-1044422 Contactors with UL and CE Certifications NC6100111-1040002 Definite Purpose Contactor with UL and CE Certifications NCK3100111-1052422 Electronic Overload Relay with UL and CE Certification NRE8100111-1143132 Miniature Circuit Breakers with UL and CE Certification NB1100111-1114242 Miniature Power Relay with UL and CE Certification JQX-10F100111-1153432 Miniature Power Relay with UL and CE Certifications JQX-13F100111-1154072 Miniature Power Relay with UL and CE Certification JTX100111-1155122 Miniature Power Relay with UL and CE Certification MK100111-1155402 Miniature Power Relay with UL and CE Certification NJX-13FW100111-1152352 Push button and rotary switches & control boxes Sub-Miniature Power Relay with UL and CE Certification JQC-3F100111-1153132 Thermal Overload Relay with UL and CE Certification NR2100111-1144062 • Electric fans and coolers for installation in electronic and industrial devices • Heating elements, thermoelectric coolers (TEC) Easy Click heat sinks Extruded heat sinks Heat sinks with Super Fins Standard heat sinks Super cooling plates Super Power heat sinks for medium - high power electronic systems Waterless cooling plates • We supply Electronic Enclosures for protection of your electronic components and assembly. Besides these off-shelf electronic enclosures, we do custom injection mold and thermoform electronic enclosures that fit your technical drawings. Please download from links below: Economic 17 Series Hand Held Enclosures Tibox Model Enclosures and Cabinets 01 Series Instrument Case System-I 02 Series Plastic and Aluminum Instrument Case Systems II 03 Series Plastic and Steel Enclosures 05 Series Instrument Case System-V 08 Series Plastic Cases 10 Series Sealed Plastic Enclosures 11 Series Die-cast Aluminium Boxes 14 Series PLC Enclosures 15 Series Modular Plastic Enclosures 16 Series DIN rail module enclosures 18 Series Special Plastic Enclosures 19 Series Desktop Enclosures 20 Series Wall-Mounting Enclosures 21 Series Card Reader Enclosures 24 Series DIN Plastic Enclosures 31 Series Potting and Power Supply Enclosures 37 Series Plastic Equipment Cases • Telecommunication and datacommunication products, lasers, receivers, transceivers, transponders, modulators, amplifiers. CATV products such as CAT3, CAT5, CAT5e, CAT6, CAT7 cables, CATV splitters. • Laser components and assembly • Acoustic components and assemblies, recording electronics - These catalogs contain only some brands we sell. We also have generic brand names and other brands with similar good quality for you to choose from. Dowload brochure for our DESIGN PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM - Contact us for your special electronic assembly requests. We integrate various components & products and manufacture complex assemblies. We can either design it for you or assemble according to your design. Reference Code: OICASANLY CLICK Product Finder-Locator Service PREVIOUS PAGE

Pneumatic and Hydraulic Actuators - Accumulators - AGS-TECH Inc. - NM Actuators Accumulators AGS-TECH is a leading manufacturer and supplier of PNEUMATIC and HYDRAULIC ACTUATORS for assembly, packaging, robotics, and industrial automation. Our actuators are known for performance, flexibility, and extremely long life, and welcome the challenge of many different types of operating environments. We also supply HYDRAULIC ACCUMULATORS which are devices in which potential energy is stored in the form of a compressed gas or spring, or by a raised weight to be used to exert a force against a relatively incompressible fluid. Our fast delivery of pneumatic and hydraulic actuators and accumulators will reduce your inventory costs and keep your production schedule on track. ACTUATORS: An actuator is a type of motor responsible for moving or controlling a mechanism or system. Actuators are operated by a source of energy. Hydraulic actuators are operated by hydraulic fluid pressure, and pneumatic actuators are operated by pneumatic pressure, and convert that energy into motion. Actuators are mechanisms by which a control system acts upon an environment. The control system may be a fixed mechanical or electronic system, a software-based system, a person, or any other input. Hydraulic actuators consist of cylinder or fluid motor that uses hydraulic power to facilitate mechanical operation. The mechanical motion may give an output in terms of linear, rotary or oscillatory motion. Since liquids are nearly impossible to compress, hydraulic actuators can exert considerable forces. Hydraulic actuators may have however limited acceleration. The actuator’s hydraulic cylinder consists of a hollow cylindrical tube along which a piston can slide. In single acting hydraulic actuators the fluid pressure is applied to just one side of the piston. The piston can move in only one direction, and a spring is generally used to give the piston a return stroke. Double acting actuators are used when pressure is applied on each side of the piston; any difference in pressure between the two sides of the piston moves the piston to one side or the other. Pneumatic actuators convert energy formed by vacuum or compressed air at high pressure into either linear or rotary motion. Pneumatic actuators enable large forces to be produced from relatively small pressure changes. These forces are often used with valves to move diaphragms to affect the flow of liquid through the valve. Pneumatic energy is desirable because it can respond quickly in starting and stopping as the power source does not need to be stored in reserve for operation. Industrial applications of actuators include automation, logic and sequence control, holding fixtures, and high-power motion control. Automotive applications of actuators on the other hand include power steering, power brakes, hydraulic brakes, and ventilation controls. Aerospace applications of actuators include flight-control systems, steering-control systems, air conditioning, and brake-control systems. COMPARING PNEUMATIC and HYDRAULIC ACTUATORS: Pneumatic linear actuators consist of a piston inside a hollow cylinder. Pressure from an external compressor or manual pump moves the piston inside the cylinder. As pressure is increased, the actuator’s cylinder moves along the axis of the piston, creating a linear force. The piston returns to its original position by either a spring-back force or fluid being supplied to the other side of the piston. Hydraulic linear actuators function similar to pneumatic actuators, but an incompressible liquid from a pump rather than pressurized air moves the cylinder. The benefits of pneumatic actuators come from their simplicity. The majority of pneumatic aluminum actuators have a maximum pressure rating of 150 psi with bore sizes ranging from 1/2 to 8 in., which can be converted into approximately 30 to 7,500 lb. of force. Steel pneumatic actuators on the other hand have a maximum pressure rating of 250 psi with bore sizes ranging from 1/2 to 14 in., and generate forces ranging from 50 to 38,465 lb. Pneumatic actuators generate precise linear motion by providing accuracies such as 0.1 inches and repeatabilities within .001 inches. Typical applications of pneumatic actuators are areas of extreme temperatures such as -40 F to 250 F. Using air, pneumatic actuators avoid using hazardous materials. Pneumatic actuators meet explosion protection and machine safety requirements because they create no magnetic interference due to their lack of motors. The cost of pneumatic actuators is low compared to hydraulic actuators. Pneumatic actuators are also lightweight, require minimal maintenance, and have durable components. On the other hand there are disadvantages of pneumatic actuators: Pressure losses and air’s compressibility make pneumatics less efficient than other linear-motion methods. Operations at lower pressures will have lower forces and slower speeds. A compressor must run continuously and apply pressure even if nothing is moving. To be efficient, pneumatic actuators must be sized for a specific job and cannot be used for other applications. Accurate control and efficiency requires proportional regulators and valves, which is costly and complex. Even though the air is easily available, it can be contaminated by oil or lubrication, leading to downtime and maintenance. Compressed air is a consumable that needs to be purchased. Hydraulic actuators on the other hand are rugged and suited for high-force applications. They can produce forces 25 times greater than pneumatic actuators of equal size and operate with pressures of up to 4,000 psi. Hydraulic motors have high horsepower-to-weight ratios by 1 to 2 hp/lb greater than a pneumatic motor. Hydraulic actuators can hold force and torque constant without the pump supplying more fluid or pressure, because fluids are incompressible. Hydraulic actuators can have their pumps and motors located a considerable distance away with still minimal power losses. However hydraulics will leak fluid and result in less efficiency. Hydraulic fluid leaks lead to cleanliness problems and potential damage to surrounding components and areas. Hydraulic actuators require many companion parts, such as fluid reservoirs, motors, pumps, release valves, and heat exchangers, noise-reduction equipment. As a result hydraulic linear motion systems are large and difficult to accommodate. ACCUMULATORS: These are used in fluid power systems to accumulate energy and to smooth out pulsations. Hydraulic system that utilize accumulators can use smaller fluid pumps because accumulators store energy from the pump during low demand periods. This energy is available for instantaneous use, released upon demand at a rate many times greater than could be supplied by the pump alone. Accumulators can also act as surge or pulsation absorbers by cushioning hydraulic hammers, reducing shocks caused by rapid operation or sudden starting and stopping of power cylinders in a hydraulic circuit. There are four major types of accumulators: 1.) The weight loaded piston type accumulators, 2.) Diaphragm type accumulators, 3.) Spring type accumulators and the 4.) Hydropneumatic piston type accumulators. The weight loaded type is much larger and heavier for its capacity than modern piston and bladder types. Both the weight loaded type, and mechanical spring type are very seldom used today. The hydro-pneumatic type accumulators use a gas as a spring cushion in conjunction with a hydraulic fluid, the gas and fluid being separated by a thin diaphragm or a piston. Accumulators have the following functions: -Energy Storage -Absorbing Pulsations -Cushioning Operating Shocks -Supplementing Pump Delivery -Maintaining Pressure -Acting as Dispensers Hydro-pneumatic accumulators incorporate a gas in conjunction with a hydraulic fluid. The fluid has little dynamic power storage capability. However, the relative incompressibility of a hydraulic fluid makes it ideal for fluid power systems and provides quick response to power demand. The gas, on the other hand, a partner to the hydraulic fluid in the accumulator, can be compressed to high pressures and low volumes. Potential energy is stored in the compressed gas to be released when needed. In the piston type accumulators the energy in the compressed gas exerts pressure against the piston separating the gas and the hydraulic fluid. The piston in turn forces the fluid from the cylinder into the system and to the location where useful work needs to be accomplished. In most fluid power applications, pumps are used to generate the required power to be used or stored in a hydraulic system, and pumps deliver this power in a pulsating flow. The piston pump, as commonly used for higher pressures produces pulsations detrimental to a high pressure system. An accumulator properly located in the system will substantially cushion these pressure variations. In many fluid power applications the driven member of the hydraulic system stops suddenly, creating a pressure wave which is sent back through the system. This shock wave can develop peak pressures several times greater than normal working pressures and can be the source of system failure or disturbing noise. The gas cushioning effect in an accumulator will minimize these shock waves. An example of this application is the absorption of shock caused by suddenly stopping the loading bucket on a hydraulic front end loader. An accumulator, capable of storing power, can supplement the fluid pump in delivering power to the system. The pump stores potential energy in the accumulator during idle periods of the work cycle, and the accumulator transfers this reserve power back to the system when the cycle requires emergency or peak power. This enables a system to utilize smaller pumps, resulting in cost and power savings. Pressure changes are observed in hydraulic systems when the liquid is subjected to rising or falling temperatures. Also, there may be pressure drops due to leakage of hydraulic fluids. Accumulators compensate for such pressure changes by delivering or receiving a small amount of hydraulic liquid. In the event the main power source should fail or be stopped, accumulators would act as auxiliary power sources, maintaining pressure in the system. Lastly, accumulators mcan be used to dispense fluids under pressure, such as lubricating oils. Please click on highlighted text below to download our product brochures for actuators and accumulators: - Pneumatic Cylinders - YC Series Hydraulic Cyclinder - Accumulators from AGS-TECH Inc CLICK Product Finder-Locator Service PREVIOUS PAGE

We are a major supplier of high quality Wood Cutting Shaping Tools including Multi Angle Drill Bits, 3 Flute Router Bits, Wood Boring Bits, TCT Saw Blades, Router Bits, HSS Wood Turning Tools, Woodworker Chisel, Countersink for Wood, Woodworking Plane, Hinge Drilling Vix Bits, Jigsaw Blades, Auger Bits and more Wood Cutting & Shaping Tools Our wood cutting and shaping tools are widely used by professional carpenters, furniture production plants, forestry workers, hobby shops and many others. Please click on the highlighted text of wood cutting & shaping tools of interest below to download related brochure or catalog. We do have a wide spectrum of wood cutting & shaping tools suitable for almost any application. There is a wide variety of wood cutting & shaping tools with different dimensions, applications and material; it is impossible to present them all here. If you cannot find or if you are not sure which wood cutting and shaping tools will meet your expectations and requirements, email or call us so we can determine which product is the best fit for you. When contacting us, please try to provide us as much detail as possible such as your application, dimensions, material grade if you know, finishing requirements, packaging & labeling requirements and of course quantity of your planned order. Multi Angle Drill Bits New!! 3 Flute Router Bits New!! Wood Boring Bits TCT Saw Blades Router Bits HSS Wood Turning Tools Woodworker Chisel Countersinks for Wood Woodworking Plane Hinge Drilling Vix Bits Hollow Chisel Jigsaw Blades Reciprocating Saw Blade Auger Bits Wood Brad Drill Bits Multi-spur Bits Hinge Boring Bits Multi-boring Dowel Drills Forstner Bits Spade Bits (Flat Bits) Door Lock Drill Set Plug Cutters Private Label Abrasives (We can put your company name, logo, brand on these. In other words we offer you private label) Private Label Abrasives Ordering Instructions Guide Private Label Drill Bits (We can private label these drill bits with your company name and logo) Private Label Hand Tools for Every Industry This catalog contains some wood cutting and shaping tools. We can private label these hand tools if you wish. In other words, we can put your company name, brand and label on them. This way you can promote your brand by reselling these to your customers. Private Label Power Tool Accessories This brochure includes some wood cutting and shaping tools . We can private label these hand tools if you wish. In other words, we can put your company name, brand and label on them. This way you can promote your brand by reselling these to your customers. Private Label Power Tools for Every Industry This catalog contains some wood cutting and shaping tools. We can private label these hand tools if you wish. In other words, we can put your company name, brand and label on them. This way you can promote your brand by reselling these to your customers. Private Label Taps - Cutting Tools (We can private label these drill bits with your company name and logo) CLICK HERE to download our technical capabilities and reference guide for specialty cutting, drilling, grinding, forming, shaping, polishing tools used in medical, dental, precision instrumentation, metal stamping, die forming and other industrial applications. CLICK Product Finder-Locator Service Click Here to go to Cutting, Drilling, Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, Dicing and Shaping Tools Menu Ref. Code: OICASOSTAR

Joining & Assembly & Fastening Processes, Welding, Brazing, Soldering, Sintering, Adhesive Bonding, Press Fitting, Wave and Reflow Solder Process, Torch Furnace Joining & Assembly & Fastening Processes We join, assemble and fasten your manufactured parts and turn them into finished or semi-finished products using WELDING, BRAZING, SOLDERING, SINTERING, ADHESIVE BONDING, FASTENING, PRESS FITTING. Some of our most popular welding processes are arc, oxyfuel gas, resistance, projection, seam, upset, percussion, solid state, electron beam, laser, thermit, induction welding. Our popular brazing processes are torch, induction, furnace and dip brazing. Our soldering methods are iron, hot plate, oven, induction, dip, wave, reflow and ultrasonic soldering. For adhesive bonding we frequently use thermoplastics and thermo-setting, epoxies, phenolics, polyurethane, adhesive alloys as well as some other chemicals and tapes. Finally our fastening processes consist of nailing, screwing, nuts and bolts, riveting, clinching, pinning, stitching & stapling and press fitting. - Screws and Fasteners (Standard and Specialty) (Click on the blue text above to download the brochure. We can private label these for you. In other words, we can put your name and logo on these products) - Screws for Furniture and Wood (Click on the blue text above to download the brochure. We can private label these for you. In other words, we can put your name and logo on these products) - Screws for Window and Door (Click on the blue text above to download the brochure. We can private label these for you. In other words, we can put your name and logo on these products) • WELDING : Welding involves joining of materials by melting the work pieces and introducing filler materials, that also joins the molten weld pool. When the area cools, we obtain a strong joint. Pressure is applied in some cases. Contrary to welding, the brazing and soldering operations involve only the melting of a material with lower melting point between the workpieces, and workpieces do not melt. We recommend that you click here to DOWNLOAD our Schematic Illustrations of Welding Processes by AGS-TECH Inc. This will help you better understand the information we are providing you below. In ARC WELDING, we use a power supply and an electrode to create an electric arc that melts the metals. Welding point is protected by a shielding gas or vapor or other material. This process is popular for welding automotive parts and steel structures. In shelded metal arc welding (SMAW) or also known as stick welding, an electrode stick is brought close to the base material and an electric arc is generated between them. The electrode rod melts and acts as the filler material. The electrode also contains flux that acts as a layer of slag and gives off vapors that act as the shielding gas. These protect the weld area from environmental contamination. No other fillers are being used. The disadvantages of this process are its slowness, need to replace electrodes frequently, the need to chip away the residual slag originating from flux. A number of metals such as iron, steel, nickel, aluminum, copper…etc. Can be welded. Its advantages are its inexpensive tools and ease of use. Gas metal arc welding (GMAW) also known as metal-inert gas (MIG), we have continuous feeding of a consumable electrode wire filler and an inert or partially inert gas that flows around the wire against environmental contamination of the weld region. Steel, aluminum and other non-ferrous metals can be welded. The advantages of MIG are high welding speeds and good quality. The disadvantages are its complicated equipment and challenges faced in windy outdoor environments because we have to maintain the shielding gas around the welding area stable. A variation of GMAW is flux-cored arc welding (FCAW) which consists of a fine metal tube filled with flux materials. Sometimes the flux inside the tube is sufficient for protection from environmental contamination. Submerged Arc Welding (SAW) widely an automated process, involves continuous wire feeding and arc that is struck under a layer of flux cover. The production rates and quality are high, welding slag comes off easily, and we have a smoke free work environment. The disadvantage is that it can only be used to weld parts in certain positions. In gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) or tungsten-inert gas welding (TIG) we use a Tungsten electrode along with a separate filler and inert or near inert gases. As we know Tungsten has a high melting point and it is a very suitable metal for very high temperatures. The Tungsten in TIG is not consumed contrary to the other methods explained above. A slow but a high quality welding technique advantageous over other techniques in welding of thin materials. Suitable for many metals. Plasma arc welding is similar but uses plasma gas to create the arc. The arc in plasma arc welding is relatively more concentrated in comparison to GTAW and can be used for a wider range of metal thicknesses at much higher speeds. GTAW and plasma arc welding can be applied to more or less same materials. OXY-FUEL / OXYFUEL WELDING also called oxyacetylene welding, oxy welding, gas welding is carried out using gas fuels and oxygen for welding. Since no electric power is used it is portable and can be used where there is no electricity. Using a welding torch we heat the pieces and the filler material to produce a shared molten metal pool. Various fuels can be used such as acetylene, gasoline, hydrogen, propane, butane…etc. In oxy-fuel welding we use two containers, one for the fuel and the other for oxygen. The oxygen oxidizes the fuel (burns it). RESISTANCE WELDING: This type of welding takes advantage of joule heating and heat is generated at the location where electric current is applied for a certain time. High currents are passed through the metal. Pools of molten metal are formed at this location. Resistance welding methods are popular due to their efficiency, little pollution potential. However disadvantages are equipment costs being relatively significant and the inherent limitation to relatively thin work pieces. SPOT WELDING is one major type of resistance welding. Here we join two or more overlapping sheets or work pieces by using two copper electrodes to clamp the sheets together and pass a high current through them. The material between the copper electrodes heats up and a molten pool is generated at that location. The current is then stopped and the copper electrode tips cool the weld location because the electrodes are water cooled. Applying the right amount of heat to the right material and thickness is key for this technique, because if applied wrongly the joint will be weak. Spot welding has the advantages of causing no significant deformation to workpieces, energy efficiency, ease of automation and outstanding production rates, and not requiring any fillers. The disadvantage is that since welding takes place at spots rather than forming a continuous seam, the overall strength can be relatively lower as compared to other welding methods. SEAM WELDING on the other hand produces welds at the faying surfaces of similar materials. The seam can be butt or overlap joint. Seam welding starts at one end and moves progressively to the other. This method also uses two electrodes from copper to apply pressure and current to the weld region. The disc shaped electrodes rotate with constant contact along the seam line and make a continuous weld. Here too, electrodes are cooled by water. The welds are very strong and reliable. Other methods are projection, flash and upset welding techniques. SOLID-STATE WELDING is a bit different than the previous methods explained above. Coalescence takes place at temperatures below the melting temperature of the metals joined and with no use of metal filler. Pressure may be used in some processes. Various methods are COEXTRUSION WELDING where dissimilar metals are extruded through the same die, COLD PRESSURE WELDING where we join soft alloys below their melting points, DIFFUSION WELDING a technique without visible weld lines, EXPLOSION WELDING for joining dissimilar materials, e.g. corrosion resistant alloys to structural steels, ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE WELDING where we accelerate tubes and sheets by electromagnetic forces, FORGE WELDING that consists of heating the metals to high temperatures and hammering them together, FRICTION WELDING where with sufficient friction welding is performed, FRICTION STIR WELDING that involves a rotating non-consumable tool traversing the joint line, HOT PRESSURE WELDING where we press metals together at elevated temperatures below the melting temperature in vacuum or inert gases, HOT ISOSTATIC PRESSURE WELDING a process where we apply pressure using inert gases inside a vessel, ROLL WELDING where we join dissimilar materials by forcing them between two rotating wheels, ULTRASONIC WELDING where thin metal or plastic sheets are welded using high frequency vibrational energy. Our other welding processes are ELECTRON BEAM WELDING with deep penetration and fast processing but being an expensive method we consider it for special cases, ELECTROSLAG WELDING a method suitable for heavy thick plates and work pieces of steel only, INDUCTION WELDING where we use electromagnetic induction and heat our electrically conductive or ferromagnetic workpieces, LASER BEAM WELDING also with deep penetration and fast processing but an expensive method, LASER HYBRID WELDING that combines LBW with GMAW in the same welding head and capable of bridging gaps of 2 mm between plates, PERCUSSION WELDING that involves an electric discharge followed by forging the materials with applied pressure, THERMIT WELDING involving exothermic reaction between aluminum and iron oxide powders., ELECTROGAS WELDING with consumable electrodes and used with only steel in vertical position, and finally STUD ARC WELDING for joining stud to base material with heat and pressure. We recommend that you click here to DOWNLOAD our Schematic Illustrations of Brazing, Soldering and Adhesive Bonding Processes by AGS-TECH Inc This will help you better understand the information we are providing you below. • BRAZING : We join two or more metals by heating filler metals in between them above their melting points and using capillary action to spread. The process is similar to soldering but the temperatures involved to melt the filler are higher in brazing. Like in welding, flux does protect the filler material from atmospheric contamination. After cooling the workpieces are joined together. The process involves the following key steps: Good fit and clearance, proper cleaning of base materials, proper fixturing, proper flux and atmosphere selection, heating the assembly and finally the cleaning of brazed assembly. Some of our brazing processes are TORCH BRAZING, a popular method carried out manually or in an automated manner. It is suitable for low volume production orders and specialized cases. Heat is applied using gas flames near the joint being brazed. FURNACE BRAZING requires less operator skill and is a semi-automatic process suitable for industrial mass production. Both temperature control and control of the atmosphere in the furnace are advantages of this technique, because the former enables us to have controlled heat cycles and eliminate local heating as is the case in torch brazing, and the latter protects the part from oxidation. Using jigging we are capable to reduce manufacturing costs to a minimum. The disadvantages are high power consumption, equipment costs and more challenging design considerations. VACUUM BRAZING takes place in a furnace of vacuum. Temperature uniformity is maintained and we obtain flux free, very clean joints with very little residual stresses. Heat treatments can take place during vacuum brazing, because of the low residual stresses present during slow heating and cooling cycles. The major disadvantage is its high cost because the creation of vacuum environment is an expensive process. Yet another technique DIP BRAZING joins fixtured parts where brazing compound is applied to mating surfaces. Thereafter the fixtured parts are dipped into a bath of a molten salt such as Sodium Chloride (table salt) which acts as a heat transfer medium and flux. Air is excluded and therefore no oxide formation takes place. In INDUCTION BRAZING we join materials by a filler metal that has a lower melting point than the base materials. The alternating current from the induction coil creates an electromagnetic field which induces induction heating on mostly ferrous magnetic materials. The method provides selective heating, good joints with fillers only flowing in desired areas, little oxidation because no flames are present and cooling is fast, fast heating, consistency and suitability for high volume manufacturing. To speed up our processes and to assure consistency we frequently use preforms. Information on our brazing facility producing ceramic to metal fittings, hermetic sealing, vacuum feedthroughs, high and ultrahigh vacuum and fluid control components can be found here: Brazing Factory Brochure Brazing Machines (We private label these with your brand name and logo if you wish. This way you can promote your brand name when you resell these machines to your customers) • SOLDERING : In soldering we do not have melting of the work pieces, but a filler metal with a lower melting point than the joining parts that flows into the joint. The filler metal in soldering melts at lower temperature than in brazing. We use lead-free alloys for soldering and have RoHS compliance and for different applications and requirements we have different and suitable alloys such as silver alloy. Soldering offers us joints that are gas and liquid-tight. In SOFT SOLDERING, our filler metal has a melting point below 400 Centigrade, whereas in SILVER SOLDERING and BRAZING we need higher temperatures. Soft soldering uses lower temperatures but does not result in strong joints for demanding applications at elevated temperatures. Silver soldering on the other hand, requires high temperatures provided by torch and gives us strong joints suitable for high temperature applications. Brazing requires the highest temperatures and usually a torch is being used. Since brazing joints are very strong, they are a good candidates for repairing heavy iron objects. In our manufacturing lines we use both manual hand soldering as well as automated solder lines. INDUCTION SOLDERING uses high frequency AC current in a copper coil to facilitate induction heating. Currents are induced in the soldered part and as a result heat is generated at the high resistance joint. This heat melts the filler metal. Flux is also used. Induction soldering is a good method for soldering cyclinders and pipes in a continuous process by wrapping the coils around them. Soldering some materials such as graphite and ceramics is more difficult because it requires the plating of the workpieces with a suitable metal prior to soldering. This facilitates interfacial bonding. We do solder such materials especially for hermetic packaging applications. We manufacture our printed circuit boards (PCB) in high volume mostly using WAVE SOLDERING. Only for small quantity of prototyping purposes we use hand soldering using soldering iron. We use wave soldering for both through-hole as well as surface mount PCB assemblies (PCBA). A temporary glue keeps the components attached to the circuit board and the assembly is placed on a conveyor and moves through an equipment that contains molten solder. First the PCB is fluxed and then enters the preheating zone. The molten solder is in a pan and has a pattern of standing waves on its surface. When the PCB moves over these waves, these waves contact the bottom of the PCB and stick to the soldering pads. The solder stays on pins and pads only and not on the PCB itself. The waves in the molten solder has to be well controlled so there is no splashing and the wave tops do not touch and contaminate undesired areas of the boards. In REFLOW SOLDERING, we use a sticky solder paste to temporarily attach the electronic components to the boards. Then the boards are put through a reflow oven with temperature control. Here the solder melts and connects the components permanently. We use this technique for both surface mount components as well as for through-hole components. Proper temperature control and adjustment of oven temperatures is essential to avoid destruction of electronic components on the board by overheating them above their maximum temperature limits. In the process of reflow soldering we actually have several regions or stages each with a distinct thermal profile, such as preheating step, thermal soaking step, reflow and cooling steps. These different steps are essential for a damage free reflow soldering of printed circuit board assemblies (PCBA). ULTRASONIC SOLDERING is another frequently used technique with unique capabilities- It can be used to solder glass, ceramic and non-metallic materials. For example photovoltaic panels which are non-metallic need electrodes which can be affixed using this technique. In ultrasonic soldering, we deploy a heated soldering tip that also emits ultrasonic vibrations. These vibrations produce cavitation bubbles at the interface of the substrate with the molten solder material. The implosive energy of cavitation modifies the oxide surface and removes the dirt and oxides. During this time an alloy layer is also formed. The solder at the bonding surface incorporates oxygen and enables the formation of a strong shared bond between the glass and solder. DIP SOLDERING can be regarded as a simpler version of wave soldering suitable for only small scale production. First cleaning flux is applied as in other processes. PCBs with mounted components are dipped manually or in a semi-automated fashion into a tank containing molten solder. The molten solder sticks to the exposed metallic areas unprotected by solder mask on the board. The equipment is simple and inexpensive. • ADHESIVE BONDING : This is another popular technique we frequently use and it involves bonding of surfaces using glues, epoxies, plastic agents or other chemicals. Bonding is accomplished by either evaporating the solvent, by heat curing, by UV light curing, by pressure curing or waiting for a certain time. Various high performance glues are used in our production lines. With properly engineered application and curing processes, adhesive bonding can result in very low stress bonds that are strong and reliable. Adhesive bonds can be good protectors against environmental factors such as moisture, contaminants, corrosives, vibration…etc. Advantages of adhesive bonding are: they can be applied to materials that would otherwise be hard to solder, weld or braze. Also it can be preferable for heat sensitive materials that would be damaged by welding or other high temperature processes. Other advantages of adhesives are they can be applied to irregular shaped surfaces and increase assembly weight by very very small amounts when compared to other methods. Also dimensional changes in parts are very minimal. Some glues have index matching properties and can be used in between optical components without decreasing the light or optical signal strength significantly. Disadvantages on the other hand are longer curing times which may slow down manufacturing lines, fixturing requirements, surface preparation requirements and difficulty to disassemble when rework is needed. Most of our adhesive bonding operations involve the following steps: -Surface treatment: Special cleaning procedures such as deionized water cleaning, alcohol cleaning, plasma or corona cleaning are common. After cleaning we may apply adhesion promoters onto the surfaces to assure the best possible joints. -Part Fixturing: For both adhesive application as well as for curing we design and use custom fixtures. -Adhesive Application: We sometimes use manual, and sometimes depending on the case automated systems such as robotics, servo motors, linear actuators to deliver the adhesives to the right location and we use dispensers to deliver it at right volume and quantity. -Curing: Depending on the adhesive, we may use simple drying and curing as well as curing under UV lights that act as catalyst or heat curing in an oven or using resistive heating elements mounted on jigs and fixtures. Private Label Epoxy Solutions for Construction, Electrical, Industrial Assembly (Download brochure by clicking on blue text. We can put your name, label, logo on these epoxies if you wish) We recommend that you click here to DOWNLOAD our Schematic Illustrations of Fastening Processes by AGS-TECH Inc. This will help you better understand the information we are providing you below. • FASTENING PROCESSES : Our mechanical joining processes fall into two brad categories: FASTENERS and INTEGRAL JOINTS. Examples of fasteners we use are screws, pins, nuts, bolts, rivets. Examples of integral joints we use are snap and shrink fits, seams, crimps. Using a variety of fastening methods we make sure our mechanical joints are strong and reliable for many years of use. SCREWS and BOLTS are some of the most commonly used fasteners for holding objects together and positioning. Our screws and bolts meet ASME standards. Various types of screws and bolts are deployed including hex cap screws and hex bolts, lag screws and bolts, double ended screw, dowel screw, eye screw, mirror screw, sheet metal screw, fine adjustment screw, self-drilling and self-tapping screws, set screw, screws with built-in washers,…and more. We have various screw head types such as countersunk, dome, round, flanged head and various screw drive types such as slot, phillips, square, hex socket. A RIVET on the other hand is a permanent mechanical fastener consisting of a smooth cylindirical shaft and a head on the one hand. After insertion, the other end of the rivet is deformed and its diameter is expanded so that it stays in place. In other words, prior to installation a rivet has one head and after installation it has two. We install various types of rivets depending on application, strength, accessibility and cost such as solid/round head rivets, structural, semi-tubular, blind, oscar, drive, flush, friction-lock, self-piercing rivets. Riveting can be preferred in cases where heat deformation and change in material properties due to welding heat needs to be avoided. Riveting also offers light weight and especially good strength and endurance against shear forces. Against tensile loads however screws, nuts and bolts may be more suitable. In the CLINCHING process we use special punch and dies to form a mechanical interlock between sheet metals being joined. The punch pushes the layers of sheet metal into die cavity and results in the formation of a permanent joint. No heating and no cooling is required in clinching and it is a cold working process. It is an economical process that can replace spot welding in some cases. In PINNING we use pins which are machine elements used to secure positions of machine parts relative to each other. Major types are clevis pins, cotter pin, spring pin, dowel pins, and split pin. In STAPLING we use stapling guns and staples which are two-pronged fasteners used to join or bind materials. Stapling has the following advantages: Economical, simple and fast to use, the crown of the staples can be used to bridge materials butted together, The crown of the staple can facilitate bridging a piece like a cable and fastening it to a surface without puncturing or damaging, relatively easy removal. PRESS FITTING is performed by pushing parts together and the friction between them fastens the parts. Press fit parts consisting of an oversized shaft and an undersized hole are generally assembled by one of two methods: Either by applying force or taking advantage of thermal expansion or contraction of the parts. When a press fitting is established by applying a force, we either use a hydraulic press or a hand operated press. On the other hand when press fitting is established by thermal expansion we heat the enveloping parts and assemble them into their place while hot. When they cool they contract and get back to their normal dimensions. This results in a good press fit. We call this alternatively SHRINK-FITTING. The other way of doing this is by cooling the enveloped parts before assembly and then sliding them into their mating parts. When the assembly warms up they expand and we obtain a tight fit. This latter method may be preferable in cases where heating poses the risk of changing material properties. Cooling is safer in those cases. Pneumatic & Hydraulic Components and Assemblies • Valves, hydraulic and pneumatic components such as O-ring, washer, seals, gasket, ring, shim. Since valves and pneumatic components come in a large variety, we cannot list everything here. Depending on the physical and chemical environments of your application, we do have special products for you. Please specify us the application, type of component, specifications, environmental conditions such as pressure, temperature, liquids or gases that will be in contact with your valves and pneumatic components; and we will choose the most suitable product for you or manufacture it specially for your application. CLICK Product Finder-Locator Service PREVIOUS PAGE

Custom Made Products Data Entry, Custom Manufactured Parts, Assemblies, Plastic Molds, Casting, CNC Machining, Extrusion, Metal Forging, Spring Manufacturing, Products Assembly, PCBA, PCB AGS-TECH, Inc. is your Global Custom Manufacturer, Integrator, Consolidator, Outsourcing Partner. We are your one-stop source for manufacturing, fabrication, engineering, consolidation, outsourcing. Fill In your info if you you need custom design & development & prototyping & mass production: If filling out the form below is not possible or too difficult, we do accept your request by email also. Simply write us at sales@agstech.net Get a Price Quote on a custom designed, developed, prototyped or manufactured product. First name Last name Email Phone Product Name Your Application for the Product Quantity Needed Do you have a price target ? If you do have, please let us know your expected price: Give us more details if you want: Do you accept offshore manufacturing ? YES NO If you have any, upload product relevant files by clicking at the below link. Don't worry, the link below will pop up a new window for downloading your files. You will not navigate away from this current window. After uploading your files, close ONLY the Dropbox Window, but not this page. Make sure to fill out all spaces and click the submit button below. Files that will help us quote your specially tailored product are technical drawings, bill of materials, photos, sketches....etc. You can download more than one file. CLICK HERE TO UPLOAD FILES Request a Quote Thanks! We’ll send you a price quote shortly. PREVIOUS PAGE We are AGS-TECH Inc., your one-stop source for manufacturing & fabrication & engineering & outsourcing & consolidation. We are the World's most diverse engineering integrator offering you custom manufacturing, subassembly, assembly of products and engineering services.