Viscosity is often defined as a measure of how easily a fluid flows. High viscosity fluids, such as molasses, are typically described as “thick,” while low viscosity liquids, such as water, are often described as “thin.” A fluid’s resistance to flow is caused by internal friction between the molecules in the fluid, which becomes apparent as the layers of fluid move relative to one another. This movement between layers of fluid is referred to as shear, and a fluid’s viscosity is related to the amount of force required to produce shear.

The formal definition of viscosity is the ratio of shearing stress (force divided by area, F/A), to the velocity gradient (dv/dz) in a fluid. The SI unit for viscosity is the Newton-second per square meter (N-s/m2), which can also be expressed as a Pascal-second (Pa-s). However, another common unit for viscosity – and one typically used by Designetics and our customers – is the centipoise (cP). A Poise (P) is defined as one dyne second per square centimeter (dyne-s/cm2), and 1 cP = 0.01 P.

Fluids with low viscosity are often described as “thin,” while fluids with high viscosity are often described as “thick.” Image credit: sciencenotes.org

For a number of years, Designetics has focused its charitable efforts on worthy organizations that emphasize helping children. In fact, the company acknowledges that caring for children is the bedrock foundation for building strong communities and society as a whole.

To this end, Designetics spearheaded an effort to create more awareness of the plight of underserved children—and the needs of children as a whole—creating National Care for Kids Day, to be held annually on September 20th.

National Care for Kids Day offers an opportunity for people to positively impact a child’s life in a variety of ways both large and small.

For example, every day in our communities, individuals actively provide educational and emotional care for children. One person might spend hours reading to and tutoring children in need. And another person may provide donations of food for after-school programs. Or, volunteers provide their services. And others look to the future, seeing opportunity to shape young lives by teaching children art and science.

As the leader in fluid applicators and automated fluid application systems, Designetics has worked hard since our founding to ensure that all our products are designed to increase the safety of workers and the environment. And to further demonstrate our commitment to worker safety, we’re happy to announce that we now have the capability to have our precision pump panels cULus listed, according to the UL 508A program.

The cULus listing is applicable to our e3mini and e3multi pump panels, and gives users, Tier 1 and 2 suppliers, and OEMs the confidence that these products meet the safety requirements for electrical enclosures set out in both the U.S. and Canadian standards. Having a product that is cULus listed also eases the safety inspection process often required for equipment installed in industrial facilities.

Each quarter, we sit down with a Designetics innovator to talk about his or her career, what makes Designetics special and topics relevant to his or her field. This month: job setter Angie Pratt.

The COVID-19 pandemic introduced several challenges for the automotive industry – from fluctuating demand, to parts shortages, to labor shortages. Case in point: In the beginning of the pandemic, when demand for automobiles dropped, manufacturers reduced shifts and implemented temporary plant closures, furloughs, and layoffs. But now that demand is returning, those same manufacturers are having difficulty filling job openings. And although parts shortages – especially those involving semiconductor chips and other components – are predicted to ease in the latter half of 2021 and through 2022, labor shortages could remain for longer.

The combination of an uptick in demand and difficulty filling open labor positions has led many automotive manufacturers and industry suppliers to investigate new ways to automate their manufacturing processes, including the application of fluid on glass and plastic components during assembly. In addition, the pandemic has highlighted the importance of delivering value to the customer – which, in the automotive industry often comes in the form of improved quality, better safety features, and a wider range of options. The way to do this while maintaining productive and profitable operations, is through automation.

Automation can support lean initiatives by promoting standardization and reducing opportunities for errors.