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Heat Shrinking Technology

Heat shrinkable materials become reduced in size when heat is applied. Heat shrink machines are used to rapidly package devices, form seals, and insulate electronics. A heat shrink machine may generate heat through a variety of means. Some machines blow hot air out of a nozzle, while others emit strong beams of infrared light. Infrared heat tools are capable of producing heat instantaneously, which makes them well suited for industrial applications with frequent but intermittent heat shrinking requirements.

Heat shrinking machines come in a variety of sizes, allowing for different sized pieces of heat shrink material to be processed. Some heat shrinking machines have a single heating element, whereas others have multiple heating elements. The advantage with multiple element models is that a variety of temperatures can be dialed in, with each element producing a specific temperature. Multiple heat shrink materials can be shrunk simultaneously, regardless of disparities in the temperature required to shrink each material. By dialing in the specific temperatures ahead of time, the process of shrinking multiple heat shrink tubes can be optimized. This can lead to very fast development times for a wide range of industrial products.

A heat shrinking machine may have special requirements that depend on the application. Heat guns blow hot air on heat shrink material, which is fine for many applications. However, certain applications may require still air. For example, electronics manufacturing processes require still air that is dust free. Using a heat gun would be unsuitable for electronics manufacturing. An infrared heat shrink machine does not blow air, allowing it to be safely used in the manufacture of electronics.

There are other advantages with infrared heat shrink machines. One major selling point is low power consumption. Creating infrared light from electricity can be accomplished very efficiently, especially with quartz light bulbs. In addition, infrared heat can be generated at full intensity almost instantly after power is applied. A heat gun requires time to warm up. Infrared heating machines are simpler in construction than heat guns, making them easier to maintain and giving them a longer lifespan. One of the disadvantages with an infrared heat shrinking machine is that they are not as portable as heat guns. A heat gun can be easily manipulated and aimed at precisely the right spot. They can be brought to the heat shrinking material. In contrast, an infrared heating machine requires that the heat shrinking material be brought to it. They tend to be installed in a permanent location, such as on a work table.

Depending on the application, a specific type of heat shrinking machine may outperform other heat shrinking machines. The application must be carefully analyzed before the appropriate heat shrinking machine can be chosen. Once the analysis is complete, a heat shrinking machine can be selected. By performing this analysis, an appropriate machine can be purchased. An appropriate heat shrinking machine can lead to more efficient manufacturing, which can help a company produce high quality products in an incredibly efficient manner. More at http://www.eraser.com/infrared-heat-shrink-machines/.

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Review: Verizon Android 3G Mobile Hotspot

Due to some unforeseen travel complications, I had to reschedule my Comcast install. As such, I’m relying on my HTC Droid Incredible and the Verizon 3G Mobile Hotspot feature for a few days.
Point one: DHCP & Verizon-assigned DNS is horrendous — they make the feature unusable. Use a static IP address and Google or OpenDNS or other known reliable third-party DNS servers. Once I switched over to this configuration, connectivity has been flawless — zero interruptions.

Point two: Still can’t use voice + data at the same time. If you receive an incoming call while using the Mobile Hotspot feature, you will lose data connectivity for the duration of the call, just like using the plain old handset.

Point three: While it is better than some hotel WiFi I’ve dealt with, this feature does not appear to be a speed demon. With 3/4 bars, from a Chicago suburb, I performed a Speakeasy speedtest against Chicago-based target servers with the following results:

Conclusion: while having some connectivity on my laptop is certainly better than no connectivity, or smartphone-only, I absolutely cannot see multiple users using this as a hotspot simultaneously. USB dongles and ad hoc networks, or MyFi type devices, in my experience, provide much better performance, if you, or your boss, can pony up the cash for them — plus you are not then forced to choose between voice or data.

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Moving – not free, not cheap, but … !

n the process of packing up a 2BR apartment for an out-of-state move, I’ve been shocked by some of the price estimates I’ve received to move the majority of my possessions.

I got rid of my garage, I have no basement, no storage locker, just a ~1500sqft 2BR apartment, three pets, me. PODS wanted something like $2800; full-service mover numbers along the lines of Allied or United were $4000 and up. PODS offered a too-small and a too-large container option for out-of-state moves — not a lot of granularity, which added to the cost. As did the forced storage fee. I suspect their heavy marketing adds to the cost there too.

A good friend in Chicago offered to drive a Penske truck out for me, but the apartment complex I’m moving out of doesn’t prorate (though they screwed up the lease and I might actually have leverage as far as that goes, but not worth the hassle) and the 31st is a Thursday, which, with two cats and a dog that make staying in a hotel difficult if not impossible, makes getting packed and moved out without incurring another month’s rent a bit complicated. Cost would have been $350+ airfare, $1200 truck, fuel/tolls for truck, for about $1800 total.

Though I’ve seen ABF trucks before, I’d never heard of UPack until my old Meridian colleague from Rochester Darren Swartzendruber and SmAlbany acquaintance Angelos Tzelepis educated me via Twitter on the topic. Two “ReloCube” container gives me what seems to be the appropriate amount of space to pack a washer/dryer, queen-size bed, full-size futon, a few desks, tables, chairs, kitchen appliances & dishes, pet stuff, books, a few electronics and computer items. Total cost? About $1290, with a $50 discount via the “TWEET” code that ABF provided after observing me talking with Darren and Angelos on Twitter. If I end up needing storage, (I still don’t have a house to move to!) it’s an option with ABF, unlike PODS, where it seemed to be mandatory.

Thanks again Darren & Angelos for the heads up!

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Consulting Rates, Building Tech Teams

Having an ‘agency’ contract you developers in NYC is 150-275 /hr. It makes sense to do that when you don’t have the time to assemble a team from start.
It’s an employee market right now. 8+ years experience can be from 120-200k base, with a bonus on top. Hourly you’ll expect 100-160hr.
Yes you can find people who are 40-80/hr — but they almost always lack the experience and skills to bring a project to fruition on time , budget & expectations — that’s why they’re still entry level. If you have a solid CTO or some Sr devs — then sure, hire the junior people and develop their skills. Otherwise, what the fuck are you thinking? Stop trying to cut corners on your own product.
For a “CTO” to come in, its all over. Rates are different as well, esp with equity packages. My compensation from Startups is vastly different than what Corporations pay me.