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We always want to make things convenient and simple for our customers, that's why we've added a live chat feature to our webpage. Visit us at TSBIndustrialSupply.com and activate the live chat in the bottom right corner. One of our sales associates will be more than happy to assist you with an order or with any special requests, questions, or concerns that you may have!

Gotthard Base Tunnel: An Engineering Marvel

On June 1st, the Gotthard Base Tunnel connecting Zurich to Milan, finally opened. It travels through the Swiss Alps for 35.4 miles and creates a travel time in the tunnel of less than 20 minutes by train. The railway tunnel was built to make travel easier, to cut down on air pollution, and to facilitate growth in Europe. This project was not without a hefty price tag though. The total cost was £8.4 billion and took 17 years to complete! Timken supplied 25,000 roller bearings that assisted in drilling through the Swiss Alps. With the end of construction, this tunnel has now become the longest tunnel in the world. 

References:

http://www.bearing-news.com/bearings-drilled-worldis-longest-rail-tunnel-zurich-milan/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3606359/World-s-longest-railway-tunnel-open-17-years-construction-Trains-Switzerland-travel-155mph-35-miles-mountain-thanks-10-6billion-project.html

Back to Basics: How Ball Bearings are Made

This month we are getting back to basics, by sharing an older video from the Discovery Channel demonstrating how ball bearings are made. Click on the link below to get an inside look at what the process is like!

How ball bearings are made

What is a Pillow Block?

TSB Industrial Supply has operated for nearly two decades as a full service industrial products company primarily dealing in bearings. While the most popular type of bearing is the ball bearing, TSB provides a wide range of bearings, including miniature ball bearings, thrust bearings, cylindrical bearings, and pillow blocks.

Pillow blocks, also known as plummer block bearings, provide load support for rotating shafts. They can be easily mounted parallel to the axis of the shaft through mounting holes or slots in their base or feet. The external housing can use a wide range of bearing types, including ball, roller, or plain, depending on the needs of the industrial application for which the pillow block is being used.

Housing and bearing materials can likewise change depending on the needs of the project. Those interested in a low-cost solution can use pressed steel, but this material carries a lower load than many others. Many plastics are also used in pillow blocks for their toughness and resistance, as are traditional industrial metals like stainless steel and aluminum.

Women's History Month

In honor of Women's History Month, we would like to say that we are particularly proud to be a certified Minority/Women owned enterprise in the City of Houston. Kudos to every strong woman out there owning/running/managing a successful company.

March Featured Product: Electric Motors

Just like that, March is here, coming in like a lion. This month, we would like to focus on electric motors. We carry AC and DC motors to fulfill a variety of needs and/or uses. AC motors work by alternating currents, hence the AC title. They take electrical energy and convert it into mechanical energy. DC motors take an electric current from an electric cell and generate a constant voltage. AC motors are typically found in homes or industrial type uses, while DC motors are best utilized with speed and rotation control applications.

For our industry, one would typically find AC motors in high precision drill machines, water pumps, cargo pumps, electrical power plants, etc. DC motors are generally used in cranes, drills, air compressors, and boring mills, to name a few.

We can supply you with any variety of a DC or AC motor. To help serve you better, please call us at (713) 731-7200 or shoot us an email.







Sources:
http://www.sfeg.com/blog/how-to-tell-the-difference-between-ac-motors-and-dc-motors
http://www.ehow.com/about_6139209_uses-ac-motors.html 
https://www.quora.com/What-are-applications-of-DC-motors

Belts: What are they used for?

Mechanical belts not only have a variety of uses, but they also come in a multitude of styles, depending on their function. For starters, what is a belt? A belt is typically made of rubber, or some other flexible but durable material, which is used as an origin of motion to transmit power. The belt is spun by pulleys in either a forwards or backwards direction, depending on the looping of the belt on the pulleys. A popular belt is the v-belt, which is commonly used for power transmissions in automobiles and other moving vehicles. It gets the name "v-belt" due to the trapezoidal shape that is formed in it's cross section.  Depending on how much power is needed, multiple belts may be used at the same time.

V-Belt

Another type of belt that we carry is a cogged belt (also referred to as a timing belt). These belts have tiny teeth on them that lock into the pulley. When these belts are tensioned correctly, they have no slippage. These belts are generally used with miniature timing systems, DC electric "step" motors, and camshafts on automobiles.

Cogged Belt

Although these are the main belts that are purchased, they are not the only ones that we carry. If you are looking for a particular unique belt, please contact us and we would be more than happy to assist you!



Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belt_(mechanical)