Purchasing Efficiency Blog

Compressors are a crucial portion of pneumatic and hydraulic systems, along with a number of other forms of industrial machinery. By compressing a liquid or gas, these devices can add to the potential energy of the medium so that it can be used to power an assembly. Two of the most common types of compressors used are rotary screw air compressors and reciprocating air compressors. Despite achieving a similar function, there are several major distinctions to consider, including in their operating costs.
 
The greatest difference between a piston compressor and screw compressor is the way they function. Screw air compressors utilize two fitting helical screws, whereas piston air compressors employ pistons driven by a crankshaft. Specifically, screw compressors contain a set of two externally threaded rotors which operate within close contact, but never touch. As such, the air is spun around very quickly and forced through very tight spaces between the two rotors, being compressed as a result. Conversely, a piston compressor has a crankshaft that continually moves a piston up and down inside the cylinder to continually take in more air before compressing and exhausting it into a storage tank.
 
Due to their structure, piston air compressors have many benefits and drawbacks to consider. Firstly, because the piston portion of the device collides with the cylinder around it, piston compressors tend to wear out more quickly. Therefore, despite having a much lower starting cost, piston compressors will often have greater maintenance and replacement costs in the long run. Nevertheless, piston compressors can be an affordable and effective option for basic applications with low production requirements. They also do not contain oil in the resulting compressed gas, meaning they do not require a degreasing device to output clean air.
 
In comparison with piston air compressors, screw compressors are more capable and exhibit longer service lives. With a no-contact design between the two moving parts, screw compressors are much less likely to malfunction and have no wearing parts. They also operate at the same capacity as the piston variety with lower motor power and a more stable exhaust system, making them considerably efficient. Finally, they have the advantage of low vibration and noise, and are typically able to complete the same processes within a smaller device. However, piston air compressors are much more costly to buy than piston compressors, so it is reasonable to consider the price in comparison with what will be required of the compressor.
 
Screw compressors are considered much more capable, especially with a lower operation cost despite their high initial price. As such, they are commonly used in operations that demand high accuracy and strength in a compact device. Nevertheless, piston compressors are found in just as many applications for their affordability and effective use in certain applications, such as powering air tools, paint sprayers, and abrasive blast equipment.
 
If you are in need of a reliable air compressor for your business, you can rely on Purchasing Efficiency as a leading distributor of piston and screw compressors, alongside countless other industrial components. Many of our items are subjected to rigorous quality assurance measures, tests, verifications, and assessments to ensure their effective use in aircraft and other harsh working environments. More than that, backed by speedy turnaround times and unmatched cost savings, we are ready to help customers meet their operational deadlines and find solutions for AOG situations. To begin procuring the parts you need, we invite you to browse our online catalogs of available parts at your leisure and request quotes for your comparisons on any items of interest using our Instant RFQ service. 

Diodes are components often found in circuits of all types, serving to restrict the flow of current in a single direction. While they are generally reliable, they can become faulty in instances where their breakdown voltage is exceeded, resulting in current flowing in the opposite direction from what is intended. With a specialized type of diode known as a Zener diode, standard operations remain the same as current is allowed to flow freely in the forward biased direction during typical conditions. However, they have a designed voltage threshold known as the Zener voltage, and when this threshold is surpassed, current may flow freely in the reverse-biased direction without damage. With this special capability, Zener diodes find uses that extend past the conventional applications that standard diodes serve.
 
One of the most common applications for Zener diodes is as a simple voltage regulator, and Zener diodes are arranged in series with a resistor in such instances. This ensures that voltage is only able to flow through the output when conditions surpass the breakdown voltage, allowing it to optimally serve as a regulator. If the Zender diode and resistor were to be switched in the circuit, the diode would then act as a voltage shifter instead. This means that the voltage output is lowered in accordance with the Zener voltage to enact more control in a circuit as needed.
 
These are not the only possible roles and configurations that Zener diodes can undertake, as there are other ways in which they may be implemented. For example, two Zener diodes placed back-to-back in a voltage regulator circuit will create what is known as a waveform clipper. With this circuit design, any oscillating signal will be prevented from surpassing the Zener voltage in both the positive and negative directions. This causes an oscillation where the top and bottom of the signal is considered “clipped off.” It is important to note that depending on the voltage of the signal, there may be instances where the output may vary to some extent from the input voltage. As such, if an application demands extreme precision or control, using two Zener diodes as a waveform clipper may not be the best possible option on the market. If this is not an issue, the waveform clippers made through the use of Zener diodes may be a better bet.
 
Not all Zener diodes are made alike, as their characteristics will come down to the doping of their p-n junction. Additionally, the depletion region will be quite thin once formed, while the electric field is very high as a result. This property allows for electrons to tunnel from the p-type material’s valence band to the n-type material’s conduction band. Due to the way that construction affects the operations of Zener diodes, the breakdown voltage is directly tied to the doping process, and controlling this properly during doping is very accurate when done correctly.
 
If you need Zener diodes for your next big project, we at Purchasing Efficiency can help you secure everything you require with ease while also treating you to competitive pricing and rapid lead times for your benefit. Take the time to explore our offerings as you see fit, and our industry experts will be available at any time to answer your quote requests and inquiries. With AS9120B, ISO 9001:2015, and FAA AC 00-56B accreditation, we guarantee the quality and caliber of our offerings. Furthermore, our strict NO CHINA SOURCING pledge promises that all orders ship out alongside all qualifying certifications and manufacturing trace documentation, as applicable. Get started today and see why countless customers continuously rely on our services.

A capacitor is a common part type that is charged with storing electrical energy in an electric field, serving as a passive electronic component that establishes capacitance in a circuit. There are many types of capacitors available, each varying in its design and capabilities. Film capacitors are a common option for many applications, and they are discernible by their thin plastic film that serves as the dielectric. In this blog, we will discuss the film capacitor in more detail, allowing you to have a better understanding of its function and applications.
 
During the design phase for the film capacitor, the dielectric material is drawn to establish a desired dielectric strength beneficial for the application in question. Typically, the dielectric will be made extremely thin, and once it is established, electrodes are supplied. Capacitor electrodes will often come in the form of metallized aluminum or zinc which is directly implemented on the plastic film surface or on a separate metallic foil. For the next step, two conductive layers are wound around the winding to establish a cylinder shape before being flattened to better fit in the constrictive space of a printed circuit board.
 
Film capacitors come in a variety of subtypes that differ by the material chosen as the dielectric. Across the market, metalized film, polyester film, polypropylene film, polystyrene film, and PTFE film capacitors are all common choices. It is important to choose the correct type for the application at hand. For example, PTFE film capacitors with heat-resistance are highly beneficial for aerospace and military technology applications, while a system requiring long-term stability may benefit from a low-cost, metalized polyester film capacitor. If you have a project that has a tighter budget where performance is not of the highest concern, then a cheaper plastic may be best as the dielectric.
 
As film capacitors are non-polarized, they are able to be used in alternating current power and signal applications. Additionally, they are able to hold their capacitance value for a long time over operation, making them fairly reliable, dependable, and precise. This is coupled with their long shelf life and low failure life, as well as low dissipation, self-inductance, and ESR. Many older film capacitors were made with soldered connectors, though modern power film capacitors will take advantage of screw-type terminals that make the replacement process much easier and convenient.
 
When in operation, film capacitors can handle voltage levels in the kilovolt range, and they are more than capable of supplying strong surge current bursts. However, the specific type of film capacitor that one uses will determine exact values. For safety, it is important to note that film capacitors are at risk of catching on fire when overloaded, though this is a common issue for capacitors of all types. Whether you need film capacitors or the metal strip and plastic components they comprise, look no further than Purchasing Efficiency for all your various sourcing needs.
 
Purchasing Efficiency is a website owned and operated by ASAP Semiconductor, and we are your one-stop-shop with over 2 billion items listed on our website. With AS9120B, ISO 9001:2015, and FAA AC 00-56B accreditation, we go above and beyond industry standards to guarantee items of the highest quality and caliber. Explore our vast catalogs as you see fit, and our team can even provide customized solutions for items not currently on our database. Once you find items of interest, send us a completed Request for Quote (RFQ) form, and a dedicated account manager will reach out to you in 15 minutes or less to continue the purchasing process. See why customers steadily rely on Purchasing Efficiency for all their operational needs when you get in touch with us! 

In addition to full-scale wings, aircraft have a smaller set of wings known as “winglets.” The winglets extend off the end of the aircraft’s wings at an upward or downward angle as a means of increasing efficiency. Winglets function to decrease drag and can decrease fuel consumption by up to 4%. The ability to identify and understand how airplane winglets work is crucial to forming a more precise working knowledge of aeronautics, so the following blog will provide an overview for your benefit.
 
The predecessor of modern winglets, “wing end-plates” were patented in 1897 as a means of emulating the lift generated by birds’ wing tips. About a century later, in the 1980s, rising concern about oil prices pushed increased research into the feasibility of winglets, leading them to become a staple of the aircraft industry. Winglets have played critical roles in various flights including that of  NASA’s Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a specially modified Boeing 747. NASA’s testing proved that winglets increase efficiency by calming the small vortices of air, which form on wingtips as the airplane cruises in level flight. This is separate from the function of wing fences, those of which are flat plates attached to the top surface of the wing and designed to avoid stalling.
 
The two main categories of winglets are upward facing and downward facing, both of which can turn to become perpendicular to the wing in opposite directions. Upward facing winglets lift to a maximum of 90 degrees, but typically rest at a lesser angle. This is the more popular of the two designs, and it is rare to find a passenger jet without them. Upward facing winglets generate additional lift to reduce fuel consumption. In flight, these winglets also prevent the air pressure above and below the wing from mixing. This not only eliminates the vortices that tend to form on the tip and create drag, but it also converts a certain percentage of this swirling air into thrust.
 
On the other hand, downward facing winglets, or “drooped wingtips,” point in the opposite direction, but they perform essentially the same function. Initially, they were implemented in German aircraft as a means of counteracting the aircraft’s tendency to “Dutch roll,” a frustrating combination of uncontrollable yaw and rolling. A more modern design referred to as Hoerner tips can be observed on gliders, sport planes, homebuilts, and light,experimental aircraft.
 
In addition to these traditional designs, the latest innovation in winglet technology are blended winglets. These were first introduced by Aviation Partners in 1993, and they are more smoothly integrated into the wing design than other winglets with a sloping area that creates less drag. Moving forward, we might begin to see a more advanced blended winglet design known as spiroids integrated into commercial jet designs.
 
When you are in the market for premium Airplane Winglets, Aircraft Bearings, Aircraft Fasteners Parts, NSN Parts, Aviation Parts, IT hardware Parts for various military and civilian applications, and much more, look no further than Purchasing Efficiency. Owned and operated by ASAP Semiconductor, we are a trusted distributor of only top-quality parts sourced reliably from suppliers off our Approved Vendor List (AVL). We proudly operate with a strict No China Sourcing policy alongside AS9120B, ISO 9001:2015, and FAA AC 00-56B accreditation, so our loyal customers can rely on us to handle the logistics of their operations while focusing on what they do best. Kick-off the parts procurement process today by completing a Request for Quote form for any item to receive a personalized quotation for your comparisons within 15 minutes or less. We only ask that you provide as much detail as possible regarding your part requirements, such as specific shipping deadlines and target prices. For further questions, contact us via phone or email to learn more about our services; we are available at any time!