Banding is an old method that has been used for centuries to capture and store energy. This technique can be applied to many different industries as a means of boosting the efficiency of machines, as well as cutting down on wasteful use of resources. Let’s explore the industry applications of banding and its many benefits!
What Is Banding?
Banding is a technique used to store energy. This technique usually refers to the use of bands, which are elastic materials that are wrapped around an object. The main purpose of banding is to control the motion of an object by reducing its motion to just one axis. Manufacturing machines are able, for example, to have their output reduced by 50% by using banding rather than reducing the clearance between gears. Furthermore, when choosing banding material such as steel, plastics, or rubber bands, there is less risk for injury because accidental shifts can be prevented or reduced. Banding can be used for a variety of purposes both in and out of the industry.
How Is Banding Used In Industry?
Industry applications of banding mainly focus on the use of metal and elastic bands. Some of the more common uses of banding in the industry include: reducing spills, limiting damage from machine vibrations, controlling axes, transferring power between components, creating a firm grip on surfaces or objects, stabilizing parts of machines to prevent them from breaking or wearing out (such as gears), and increasing durability.
Banding’s benefits can be applied to industries such as:
- Food and beverage processing machines.
- Packaging machinery.
- Medical instruments and devices.
- Manufacturing machinery.
Food And Beverage Processing Machines
When dealing with fluids, spills are always a risk due to the amount of energy needed to control fluid movements. Leakages from oil drums, tanks, pipes, and pumps occur when there is not proper banding present or if there is too much clearance between moving parts which causes the leakage of oil or other materials from their containers during start-up, shut down, filling, or draining operations. To avoid this, banding is used to capture and store energy that is generated from fluid flow. In addition, banding provides a mechanism for slowing down the rate of flow of fluids during peak operation in food production. These techniques can help control spills which can save on costs since it will prevent cleanup procedures after the spill has already occurred. Thus, the process mainly focuses on cutting operation costs which is beneficial in the long term.
Packaging Machinery
When packaging products into boxes or bags, there are always risks of damage due to vibrations or movement. Without proper machinery controls in place, these movements could cause breakage leading to loss of product. To avoid this risk, manufacturers use steel bands to wrap around the surfaces they wish to protect (such as valves) and rubber bands wrapped around machine components (such as gears). This helps lessen the damage caused by vibrations or movement by absorbing the energy generated instead of transferring it to the machine. This is especially important when dealing with glass objects.
Medical Instruments And Devices
Banding can also be helpful in various types of medical devices and instruments used for surgical purposes. Medical equipment that contains moving parts is at risk for malfunctioning due to vibrations caused by machines. Bands are placed around these components to reduce the number of vibrations transferred throughout the machine, which helps optimize performance and minimize breakdowns in equipment like a syringe pump.
Manufacturing Machinery
One domain where banding is very commonly applied in manufacturing machinery. A large part of this application has to do with reducing wear on moving components by absorbing vibrations and shocks that may be harmful to those parts. Another benefit of banding in manufacturing is reducing shifting or slipping as well as noise and water hammer shock waves, which can cause equipment failure.
What You Need For Banding
It is important to have the right banding materials used in the right ways. Using improper bands or failing to use them at all can cause more harm than good! Here are the 4 types of banding explained:
#1: Steel Banding
Steel is very popular for use with banding due to its durability. It has the advantage of being able to carry higher tensions without breaking compared to other materials like metal or wood which makes it great for continuous or high-stress applications. Steel is also corrosion resistant making it great for outdoor installations where rain may come into contact with it frequently. Unfortunately, its lack of flexibility makes steel less useful in some applications compared to metal which can be bent under tension without breaking.
#2: Metal Banding
Metal is the most popular material used for banding due to its wide range of applications. It can be bent to match any shape, size, or tension that you may need it for without breaking under the stress. However, metal bands are more expensive than other materials like steel or plastic since they are harder to come by and require special tools for cutting and forming.
#3: Plastic Banding
Plastic bands are used in some circumstances where cost is a concern, but only when the application calls for specific shapes or sizes that require no flexibility whatsoever. They tend to break under high tensions so it is important to ensure these bounds do not have too much pressure applied! If this were to happen then all the stored energy would be released at once causing harm to whoever or whatever the band is wrapped around.
#4: Rubber Banding
While rubber bands are not as strong as other materials, they are great for absorbing vibrations and the biggest advantage is the price. Since they cost significantly less than steel or metal, rubber can be used in many circumstances where safety concerns are less of a priority.
Banding is a powerful tool in the industry and deserves much more attention. The banding technique allows for greater energy efficiency by allowing lights to be turned off when they are not needed, reducing the use of electricity and lowering carbon emissions. This has allowed many companies across various industries to save money on their monthly bills while also being environmentally conscious. Because of its widespread application and role in the industry today, we’ll likely see more improvement and advancements made with this technique in the future!
