Product Guides
Industrial Ceiling Fan Guide: HVLS Sizing for Warehouses & Workshops
Industrial ceiling fan (HVLS) guide: sizing by room size and ceiling height, single vs three-phase power, and how AIMS scopes a fit-out quote.
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Gates Poly Chain GT Carbon vs Roller Chain: The Complete Australian Conversion Guide
Gates Poly Chain GT Carbon vs Roller Chain — the complete Australian conversion guide from an Authorised Gates Australia Distributor. Origin story from the 1980 Harley FXB Sturgis, head-to-head vs roller chain, 3-5x life ratios, matched sprocket options (5MGT / 8MGT / 14MGT), conversion workflow, and 12 FAQ answers.
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Bearing Brand Comparison: NACHI, NSK, Koyo, NTN — Australia's Century-Old Japanese Bearing Houses
NACHI, NSK, Koyo, NTN — Australia's century-old Japanese Tier-1 bearing houses AIMS specialises in. Plus Timken, McGill, BECO, Asahi, RBC and other specialty bearing brands AIMS distributes. Bearing myths busted, mining C3 clearance, tapered roller install mistakes, ZZ vs 2RS seal selection, and three real workshop stories from 40 years across the AIMS counter.
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AIMS Tap & Die Selection Guide: Hand, Spiral Point, Spiral Flute & Forming
A practical guide to selecting the right tap and die for the thread you're cutting. Covers hand taps (taper, plug, bottoming), spiral point taps for through holes, spiral flute taps for blind holes, thread forming taps for ductile material, machine nut taps, die nuts, button dies and die holders. Includes thread system selection (metric, BSP, BSPT, NPT, UNC, UNF, BSW, BSF), tap drill sizing, brand selection across Sutton Tools and Bordo, and AS/NZS/ISO standards.
Read moreAIMS Drill Bit Selection Guide: Choose by Material, Application & Cost
A practical guide to selecting the right drill bit for the workpiece you're cutting. Covers HSS, cobalt HSS, solid carbide, carbide-tipped, masonry, tile and glass drill bits, plus jobber, stub, step and SDS sub-types. Includes drill point geometry, coatings, brand selection across Sutton Tools, Bordo and P&N, and AS/NZS/ISO standards relevant to Australian industry.
Read moreSheet Metal & Wire Gauge Chart: AWG, SWG, BWG to mm
Complete sheet metal and wire gauge cross-reference — AWG (American Wire Gauge), SWG (British Imperial Standard Wire Gauge), and BWG (Birmingham Wire Gauge) converted to millimetres, with Australian usage notes and selection guidance for fabrication, electrical, and tube wall applications.
Read moreMetric to Imperial Conversion Chart: mm, Inches, Drill # & Gauge Cross-Reference
Master engineering conversion reference — 225 rows covering 0.1mm to 25mm, every standard drill number (#1-#80), letter drill (A-Z), AWG gauge, SWG gauge and common imperial fractions in a single cross-reference table.
Read moreCutting Tool Materials Guide: HSS, Cobalt, Carbide, PCBN & PCD Explained
Master cutting tool material reference — seven tool material families documented with hardness, thermal stability, toughness and cost positioning. When HSS is enough, when carbide pays back, when PCBN or PCD become economical.
Read moreSteel Grades Comparison Chart: Carbon, Alloy & Tool Steels
A complete steel grades comparison covering carbon, alloy and tool steels. Cross-references AU (AS 1442 / AS 1444), US (SAE/AISI) and ISO/EN designation systems with compositions, mechanical properties, and typical applications for each grade.
Read moreCutting Tool Coatings Guide: TiN, TiAlN, AlCrN, TiCN & Premium Coatings Explained
Master cutting tool coating reference — 13 PVD coatings and surface treatments documented with hardness, friction, thermal stability and material-specific application. Why TiAlN reacts with aluminium, when AlCrN replaces TiAlN, what each coating colour means.
Read moreCutting Tool Troubleshooting Guide: Drills, Taps, Endmills, Reamers, Bandsaw Blades
Master troubleshooting reference for cutting tool failures — drills, taps, endmills, reamers, bandsaw blades. Symptom × cause × solution tables plus three universal principles that solve most failures.
Read moreCutting Speeds & Feeds Reference Chart: Drilling, Milling, Tapping, Reaming
Master cutting parameter reference — Vc and feed rate ranges for HSS, cobalt and solid carbide tooling across all major engineering materials. Includes drilling, milling, tapping, reaming and material-specific cautions.
Read moreWorkpiece Material Cross-Reference Chart: SAE, AISI, DIN, JIS, AS/NZS Equivalents
Master engineering material cross-reference: ISO VDI 3323 material groups mapped to SAE/AISI (US), DIN (Germany), BS EN (UK), AFNOR (France), JIS (Japan) and AS/NZS (Australia) national standards. Includes AS layer often omitted from international charts.
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