We will uphold the enterprise spirit of "customer first, pursuit of excellence", adhere to quality first and management and technological innovation, and shoulder the historical responsibility of "new ideas, new opportunities, new challenges" given to us by the times. We have accumulated a lot of resources and worked hard to meet new challenges and develop Xintiandi into a star enterprise with sustainable development and excellent competitiveness.

• Portable and lightweight, making them easy to carry in a purse, backpack, or pocket. Great for on-the-go tea drinkers.
• Take up less storage space, which is convenient for both retailers and consumers.
• Cost-effective production, making them an affordable option.
• Can be beautifully printed with branding, tea information, and attractive designs.

• Offer less protection against moisture, oxygen, and other environmental factors. Tea may lose its freshness more quickly.
• Generally have a smaller capacity, so they may not be ideal for those who drink a lot of tea or want to buy in bulk.

• Allow the tea leaves to expand fully during brewing, enhancing the flavor and aroma release.
• Provide excellent filtration, ensuring a smooth and sediment-free cup of tea.
• Made from food-grade nylon, which is safe for consumption.

• Nylon is not as environmentally friendly as some other materials as it is not easily biodegradable.
• Some people may worry about the potential impact of nylon on the taste of the tea.
• Tend to be more expensive than traditional paper packaging.

• Compact and easy to store and transport, reducing the risk of damage.
• The porous nature of some tea cake packaging allows for slow aging and fermentation, enhancing the tea's quality over time.
• Can be highly collectible, with beautiful packaging and unique shapes adding to their appeal.

• Removing tea from a tea cake can be a bit tricky and may require a special tool.
• Require specific storage conditions, such as a dry and odor-free environment, to maintain their quality.
• Usually have a higher price point due to their production process and collectible nature.

• Adorable and eye-catching appearance, making them stand out on store shelves.
• Convenient for single-serving brewing, especially in offices or while traveling.
• Often come in airtight packaging, which helps keep the tea fresh.

• Have a relatively small capacity, so they may not be suitable for heavy tea drinkers.
• The shaping process may affect the integrity of the tea leaves to some extent.
• Can be more expensive due to their elaborate packaging and production.

During the use of the cooling fan, the influence of humidity on the life of the fan cannot be ignored. Especially in industrial and household appliances, such as air conditioning cross-flow fans, cross-flow cooling fans and metal cross flow fans, humidity will not only affect the efficiency of heat dissipation, but also may adversely affect the internal structure of the fan.

How does humidity affect the life of the cooling fan?

High humidity environments pose multiple challenges to the motors, bearings and metal components inside cooling fans. High humidity may cause internal fan components to rust or corrode. In particular, fans with metal shells or internal components, such as metal cross flow fans, are more susceptible to humidity.

Chungfo's way of coping

In order to deal with the potential threat of humidity to the life of the fan, Chungfo strictly selects moisture-proof and rust-proof materials in the design and manufacturing process of the fan. For example, Chungfo's cross flow fan in air conditioners pay attention to corrosion resistance in the selection of materials, and have passed a number of humidity tests to ensure their long-term operation in high-humidity environments such as air conditioning equipment. Our cross-flow cooling fans are also designed with a moisture-proof seal structure, which effectively prevents moisture from entering the motor part, further extending the life of the fan.

Humidity has a profound impact on the life of cooling fans, especially for products such as metal cross-flow fans, cross flow cooling fans and air conditioning cross-flow fans that are exposed to high humidity for a long time. By selecting high-quality anticorrosive materials and conducting rigorous humidity life testing, Chungfo provides customers with more durable and reliable cooling fan products.

Introduction

Today, bridge mills are an indispensable tool for manufacturers in industries like aerospace, automotive, energy, and heavy machinery. Bridge mills are increasingly used as engineering designs become more complex and the need for enhanced stability, precision and flexibility to machine large and heavy workpieces to extremely tight tolerances continues. As a rigid overhead bridge structure with multi axis capabilities, bridge mills offer high precision cutting compared to traditional knee mills or gantry mills.

In this article, we will look at how bridge mills can produce continuous production of complex components that can’t be made with smaller machines. Whatever your R&D work or high volume manufacturing needs, bridge mills provide a flexible solution to maximize productivity and minimize errors.

What is a Bridge Mill?

A bridge mill uses a huge overhead bridge assembly to support the spindle and worktable instead of a column or gantry. The spindle is held as it moves in X, Y, and Z axes by the bridge as a rigid support arm and the worktable below is positioned relative to the cutting tool.

This overhead arrangement leaves the entire area beneath the bridge open for oversized parts and assemblies, allowing much larger workpieces than could fit on a traditional vertical mill. Bridge mills derive their name from the bridge-shaped beam that spans the work area.

The key components of a bridge mill are:

● Bridge - The large overhead beam that supports the spindle slide and provides damping against vibrations. It contains the mechanisms to position the spindle in X and Y.

● Spindle - The rotating shaft that holds the cutting tool. It is powered by a motor inside the spindle slide with up to 50 hp. High torque spindles allow fast removal of material.

● Table - The large stationary or moving platform that supports the workpiece. It provides a precision mounting surface and T-slot holds for clamps and fixtures.

● Column - A fixed vertical member at one end that helps support the bridge. The column may house controls or services.

● Saddle - The moving transverse component mounted to the underside of the bridge. It positions the spindle slide in the Y-axis across the width of the table.

● Spindle Slide - The carriage assembly that traverses back and forth along the bridge in the X-axis, positioning the spindle over the workpiece.

Compared to gantry or knee mills, bridge mills are significantly heavier and bulkier, with a main bridge that is much more rigid thanks to its continuous cast iron or welded steel overhead design. This mass and stability is crucial for absorbing cutting forces and dampening vibration that could compromise precision.

The rigid construction also minimizes deflection of the spindle during aggressive material removal, enabling much tighter tolerances. When machining large components made of tough materials like steel or titanium, the stability of a bridge mill is vital to achieve chatter-free results. Their overhead configuration also allows practically unlimited workpiece sizes.

Types of Bridge Mills

Bridge mills are available with different axis configurations and levels of automation to suit a wide range of applications:

2-Axis Bridge Mills

The simplest bridge mill design has two linear axes allowing motion in the X (longitudinal) and Y (transverse) directions. This provides positioning of the workpiece beneath the spindle for basic 2D operations like facing, drilling, boring, and end milling of flat surfaces. While limited in versatility, 2-axis bridge mills are an affordable option for high-volume production of large but basic parts, as their range of motion is sufficient for straightforward machining.

3-Axis Bridge Mills

A 3-axis bridge mill adds a Z-axis that raises and lowers the spindle vertically. This permits angled milling operations like helical interpolation, allowing the machining of bevels, tapers, contours, and angled features. The additional axis provides the ability to machine in 3 dimensions instead of just 2. Manufacturers gain greater flexibility to produce more complex components with a 3-axis bridge mill.

5-Axis Bridge Mills

On a 5-axis bridge mill, the spindle head tilts and rotates on two additional rotary axes in addition to moving linearly in X, Y, and Z. This enables the spindle to approach the workpiece from practically any orientation rather than just vertically. 5-axis motion facilitates high-precision machining of complex 3D surfaces and contours in a single setup, saving tremendously on time and cost. Many aerospace and impeller components require 5-axis milling due to their intricate blended or sculpted geometries.

Automated Bridge Mills

Modern computer numerical control (CNC) bridge mills allow all machining operations to be precisely programmed ahead of time. This allows push-button automation of repetitive cutting procedures with minimal operator intervention. The computer control precisely choreographs and executes tool paths for mass production. Automated tool changers, pallet changers, and robotic part load/unload systems can further enhance productivity for lights-out manufacturing across multiple shifts.

Key Features and Components of Bridge Mills 

Massive Work Area

The cantilevered overhead design of a bridge mill leaves the entire area beneath the spindle open for oversized parts and assemblies. Common table sizes range from 5 x 10 ft up to 20 x 60 ft for gigantic components weighing over 100 tons. Huge motors drive the table through precision roller or hydrostatic ways. This expansive work zone minimizes setups by allowing batch machining of multiple large parts or entire weldments in a single fixture.

Rigid Bridge Assembly

Weighing up to 100,000 lb, the continuous overhead bridge utilizes a rigid box-way construction that resists deflection and damps vibration far better than jointed column or gantry mills. This stability prevents tool chatter, allows heavier cuts, and enables highly accurate motion of the spindle carriage across wide spans. Even minimal vibration can degrade precision and surface finish.

Powerful Spindles

High torque spindles up to 50 hp are common on bridge mills to power through hard alloys and remove material quickly from large parts. Higher rotational speeds up to 15,000 rpm provide ideal cutting speeds for optimized tool life and surface finish. The spindle cartridge is preloaded for thermal stability and minimal runout.

Precise Positioning

Ballscrews on the X, Y, and Z axes have high lead precision for accurate positioning and repeatability within 0.001”. Backlash is eliminated through preloading. Precision ground box ways or linear guides maintain tight geometrical tolerances when moving heavy components.

Multi-axis Capability

Optional rotary axes expand the range of possible milling operations by allowing angled cuts and 5-axis interpolated motion. Tilting the spindle facilitates machining of complex 3D contours, sculpted surfaces, and intricate blade geometries in a single setup.

Automated Features

Bridge mills equipped with CNC, tool changers, pallet shuttles, robotic part handling, automatic lubrication, and more enable lights-out manufacturing for maximum productivity. Hundreds of parts can be machined without operator intervention across multiple shifts.

Applications of Bridge Mills

Aerospace Industry

Aircraft construction relies on large monolithic components like wings, frames, and bulkheads milled from aluminum, titanium, or composites. Landing gear, turbines, transmission housings, and other assemblies also demand high precision. Bridge mills offer the work envelope and accuracy needed for these high-value aerospace components with delicate instrumentation.

Automotive Industry

Automakers machine engine blocks, cylinder heads, crankshafts, transmission cases, axles, wheels, and body components from large steel or aluminum castings and weldments. Bridge mills maintain tight tolerances on these heavy parts while removing material quickly. Their high rigidity suits the noisy environment.

Heavy Machinery

Massive excavator booms, bulldozer track links, hydraulic cylinders, press frames, and other oversize parts require stable bridge mills to withstand vibrations inherent in heavy machining. They excel at removing substantial material from thick castings and fabrications.

Mold Making

Larger injection molds, die cast dies, and foundry patterns demand the precision of bridge mills to accurately produce contoured cavities without distortion. Their work volume readily accommodates even enormous 400-ton plastic or metal molds. Tight process control optimizes molded part quality.

Energy Industry

Turbines, compressors, reactors, valves, offshore platform components, and more leverage the long travels and precision of bridge mills during manufacturing. The mills maintain quality standards for these expensive parts operating in extreme conditions.

Benefits of Using Bridge Mills

Precision

The stability provided by the rigid overhead bridge enables extremely tight tolerances, even when machining large parts from vibration-prone materials like titanium or nickel alloys. Chatter is avoided, allowing smooth, accurate cuts.

Versatility

Available in different sizes and with varying axis configurations, bridge mills can handle a wider range of materials and part geometries compared to smaller mills. Their heavy-duty build allows machining everything from stainless steel to composites.

Cost Savings

While bridge mills require a greater upfront investment, they maximize productivity and minimize operating costs on large components. Their ability to consolidate several operations in one setup saves tremendously on fixtures, tooling, programming, and quality inspections.

Improved Throughput

Continuous cuts across expansive work zones result in shorter cycle times. Pallet changers and part loading/unloading automation further boost throughput for high-volume production across multiple shifts, improving asset utilization.

Reliability

Industrial bridge mills are built for round-the-clock operation in harsh conditions. They stand up to heavy use with minimal downtime. Many operate reliably for decades after proper installation, maintenance, and training.

How to Choose the Right Bridge Mill

Workpiece Size

Consider current and future maximum part dimensions to ensure the mill will accommodate them with room for fixturing and tooling. A too-small machine will severely limit capability.

Axis Configuration

The type and complexity of required milling operations determines the ideal number of axes. 5-axis mills offer the most application flexibility and reduce setups through multisided machining but are costlier.

Spindle Power

Ample spindle power prevents slowdowns or stalling when removing substantial material. Higher torque spindles with 15,000+ rpm allow faster hogging and finishing feeds/speeds. Ensure power meets demands.

Precision Standards

More expensive machines generally offer greater accuracy through more precise ballscrews, way quality, vibration dampening, and thermal stability. Evaluate precision needs carefully.

Automation Plans

Consider pallet changers, robotic part handling, tool changers, CNC programming, and other automation upfront rather than difficult retrofitting later. This optimizes lights-out production.

Service and Support

Reliable local service and technical support will maximize uptime and productivity. Ensure the machine builder has a proven reputation for quality and customer care.

Common Challenges with Bridge Mills 

Vibration Control

Excessive vibration during heavy duty milling can cause chatter, accuracy issues, poor surface finish, and reduced tool life. Careful fixturing, balanced tooling, adaptive feed control, and smooth ramping of spindle speed help mitigate vibrations.

Thermal Effects

Frictional heat during machining causes components to expand, altering dimensions. Chillers and coolant systems counteract thermal growth. CNCs can also compensate by altering cutter paths based on temperature sensors.

Tool Wear

Abrasive alloys quickly degrade cutting tools. Advanced tool materials, coatings, proper selection of speeds/feeds, and indexed inserts all help combat wear. In-process gauging can automatically adjust for loss of tool diameter.

Maintenance Needs

Bridge mills have thousands of moving components requiring regular lubrication, inspection, and service for optimal reliability. Skilled technicians should track and perform preventative maintenance.

Space Constraints

Bridge mills have massive footprints, heights, and weights demanding substantial floor space, reinforced foundations, and rigging equipment. Facilities must carefully plan layouts to accommodate their bulk.

Future Trends in Bridge Mill Technology

Automation and AI Integration

Smart machine monitoring with artificial intelligence promises even greater productivity through predictive maintenance, troubleshooting, adaptive control, and automated inspection. The mills will become self-optimizing.

Multi-tasking Capability

Next-generation bridge mills will incorporate turning, grinding, drilling, tapping, and other capabilities on one platform for complete production of complex parts in a single setup. Hybrid machine tools will continue gaining traction.

Advanced Materials

More manufacturers are adopting hard-to-machine materials like titanium, Inconel, and composites. Future spindles, tools, programming, and controls will be optimized for these exotic materials.

Sustainable Design

Eco-friendly lubrication systems, intelligent sleep modes, hybrid drives, and through-spindle coolant will be incorporated for energy and fluid efficiency. Bridge mills are getting greener.

Conclusion

Bridge mills with their huge work areas, superb stability and multi axis flexibility allow manufacturers to increase precision, productivity and agility when making large complex parts. They are leaders in optimizing output, quality and consistency for critical aerospace, automotive and heavy industry parts.

Bridge mills are a greater upfront investment, but the long term savings of reduced setups, improved workflow and increased throughput are huge. Bridge mills will only grow in strategic importance as engineering components become bigger and more sophisticated. Strong consideration should be given by companies seeking to maximize manufacturing capabilities, capacity, and competitiveness to the use of bridge mills. Their advantages are unique, enabling manufacturers to do what is not possible on smaller machines.

Curved guides and linear guides are two common types of guides. Both have support and guidance functions. Both can transfer the energy of movement to the receiving end to achieve stable movement. So what is the difference between the two?

From a structural point of view, linear guides are in the shape of a straight line, and they play a role in positioning, supporting and guiding in the movement of machinery and equipment. Curved guides are a special circular structure that is widely used in hardware, automation and precision mechanical equipment, and can maintain the axis position of relative movement unchanged.

From the perspective of motion trajectory, the movement mode of linear guides is linear motion driven by balls. The contact area between the balls and the guide grooves is small, so that the surface of the guide is evenly stressed and has a long life cycle. The arc guide realizes movement by the rolling of the balls on the curved surface of the guide. The curved surface of the guide bears a larger contact area, so the load capacity is higher than that of linear guides.  

From the application point of view, linear guides are widely used in CNC machine tools, semiconductor equipment, medical equipment and other fields due to their linear motion characteristics. They can provide high-precision, high-rigidity and low-friction motion control, and are suitable for high-speed and high-precision linear motion requirements.

Curved guides are more suitable for occasions that require curved motion or circular interpolation, such as robots, aerospace equipment, precision measuring instruments, etc. They can achieve smooth curved motion and precise circular interpolation, improving the motion performance and positioning accuracy of the equipment.

The above is the difference between linear guides and circular guides. When choosing guides, users in the machinery industry should choose the appropriate guide form according to the specific usage scenarios and needs to ensure the stability and reliability of the mechanical equipment.

We design, produce and sales two sets of VHF100(6000 liters per hour) Hydraulic Oil Filtration Machine to Mid East country. The Hydraulic Oil Filter Machine is important for the hydraulic system with its precise filtration technology and high filtration efficiency. It adopts advanced filter materials, such as steel screen, polymer fiber filter element, etc., which can efficiently intercept and remove particles, moisture, the vacuum dehydration and degassing system can remove water, gases and harmful substances to ensure the purity and stability of the hydraulic oil. Hydraulic Oil Filtration Machine not only reduces wear and corrosion inside the hydraulic system, but also significantly improves the operating efficiency and stability of the system.

VHF Hydraulic Oil Filter Machine can greatly extend the service life of hydraulic system. In the hydraulic system, the presence of impurities and contaminants will accelerate the aging of the oil and the wear and tear of the equipment, resulting in the degradation of equipment performance and frequent failures. By regularly using a hydraulic oil filter machine, the contaminant content in the oil can be effectively reduced, and the cleanliness and performance of the oil can be kept stable, thereby slowing down the wear rate of the equipment and prolonging the service life of the equipment.

The Hydraulic Oil Filtration Machine also has the advantages of easy operation and easy maintenance. It adopts automatic control systems, which realize the functions of one-button operation and automatic cleaning, which greatly reduces the labor intensity and maintenance costs of operators. VHF Hydraulic Oil Filtration Machine can ensure the stable operation of the hydraulic system and prolonging the service life with its precise filtration technology, excellent filtration effect and convenient operation and maintenance characteristics.

Acore Filtration Co.,Ltd sales two sets of DVTP Vacuum Transformer Oil Treatment Machine to Algeria, one is 3000L/H and another is 12000L/H machine. Both machines install the weather-proof canopy for water and dust protection. Meanwhile, the client also buy two sets of portable oil filter cart for oil filling and transferring. The main functions of transformer oil are insulation, cooling, and arc extinguishing. However, transformer oil can be contaminated and oxidized during prolonged use, especially after exposure to air, which can affect its performance. Therefore, oil purification processing is a key measure to ensure the normal operation of the transformer and extend its service life.

The main purpose of oil purification processing is to remove impurities such as moisture, gases, and solid particles from transformer oil to restore its insulation properties and cooling effect. Generally, the Transformer Oil Treatment Machine includes vacuum oil purification for dehydration and degassing, oil filtering for removing particles and regeneration for removing acid and color.

In addition to regular Oil Purification Processing, there are a few precautions that can be taken to extend the life of your transformer oil. For example, maintaining the sealing performance of the transformer to prevent the ingress of external contaminants and moisture; Regularly check the oil level and oil temperature of the transformer to ensure that it is within the normal working range; As well as regular maintenance and maintenance of transformers, timely detection and treatment of potential problems.

How long the transformer oil needs to be filtered is a complex issue that needs to be considered comprehensively according to the actual situation. By regularly monitoring the performance of the oil, taking appropriate precautions, and carrying out timely oil purification processing, the stable operation of the transformer and the extension of its service life can be ensured. At the same time, it is also very important for the operation and maintenance personnel of the power system to understand and master the performance of transformer oil and its treatment methods. Only in this way can we ensure the safe and reliable operation of the power system and provide a solid power guarantee for the development of social economy.

Acore Filtration Co.,Ltd manufacture 2 sets of GRT-50 SF6 Gas Treatment Machine to Spain, Europe, which has function of recovery, purification, filling, vacuum evacuation and storage. GRT-50 gas treatment machine is mainly used for GIS electric equipment.

GRT SF6 Gas Recovery System adopts mobile type with new technology, new design, full function, reasonable structure, simple and easy operation. The main functions as following:

1. Measurement of vacuum pumping and vacuum degree of the device and electrical equipment.

2. Recover the gas in the electrical equipment.

3. Dry and purify the recovered and recharged SF6 gas.

4. Inflatable SF6 electrical appliances.

5. Compress and store SF6 gas in electrical appliances.

Features:

1. The design is high-tech, the function is complete, the structure is reasonable, and the operation is concise and clear.

2. Compression system: SF6 air compressor, no leakage.

3. The vacuum system adopts a two-stage rotary vane vacuum pump, and there is an automatic anti-oil return device in the system.

4. The purification system adopts the principle filter of CKD company in Japan, and the filter adopts electric heating and built-in high-efficiency adsorbent, and the purification effect is more significant (no need to replace the adsorbent frequently).

5. Automatic confirmation of three-phase power supply in the electrical system of the device, automatic protection of phase failure.

6. The device control system adopts the SF6 special valve with the latest technology

7. The storage system is equipped with liquid storage tank according to user requirements.

8. The equipment adopts mobile type.

Acore Filtration Co.,Ltd manufactures and sales a set of DVTP100(6000 liters per hour) Double Stages High Vacuum Transformer Oil Purification Machine to client in Canada, the client bought a set of DVTP100 machine in 2023 and was very satisfied with quotation machine, so he buy the machine again in 2024. The client is a transformer manufacturer, they do transformer oil purification after they install the transformers at site.

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DVTP100 Transformer Oil Filter Machine can quickly remove water, gas and impurities in the insulating oil, reduce dielectric loss, and improve the insulation performance and oil quality of the oil. It can effectively ensure the normal operation of power equipment and avoid accidents. Meanwhile, the Transformer Oil Filter Machine can meet the installation or maintenance site of the transformer body vacuuming, and at the same time complete the oil dehydration and degassing processing of the transformer oil, which shortens the oil processing period. the oil dehydration plant integrates precision filtration, efficient dehydration, degassing, vacuum three-dimensional evaporation technology and automatic control technology of oil, which is simple to operate, safe and reliable in operation.

DVTP Transformer Oil Dehydration Plant also adopts high filtration precision, large dirt holding capacity, can remove fine suspended particulate matter in oil. Its unique degassing and dehydration materials, the evaporation area is hundreds of times larger than that of conventional materials.This Transformer Oil Filter Machine has the characteristics of high efficiency, easy to move and is especially suitable for live operation on site. DVTP Transformer Oil Dehydration Plant also adopts advanced oil temperature controlling system, which can arbitrarily set the upper and lower limits of oil temperature to achieve interval control of oil temperature. High degree of automation, automatic control and automatic protection of oil level guarrantee safe and reliable, simple and convenient operation of transformer oil purification machine.