CNC Routing 101 – Part V

What is the alternative to urine drug testing?

Drug testing is a crucial tool used by organizations, law enforcement agencies, and healthcare professionals to monitor drug use among individuals. Traditional urine drug testing has been the standard method for detecting the presence of various substances in a person’s system. However, it has its limitations, prompting the exploration of alternative methods that offer comparable or improved accuracy, convenience, and efficiency.

Limitations of Urine Drug Testing
Urine drug testing has several drawbacks that have led to the search for alternative methods. Firstly, it is time-sensitive, as drugs may only be detectable in urine for a limited period after consumption. Additionally, the process of collecting urine samples can be invasive and may pose privacy concerns for individuals undergoing testing. Moreover, urine tests have a relatively short detection window compared to some alternative methods, potentially missing instances of drug use.

Alternative Methods
Several alternative methods to urine drug testing have emerged, each with its own set of advantages and limitations. These include hair follicle drug testing, saliva drug testing, blood drug testing, sweat patch testing, and breathalyzer testing.

Hair Follicle Drug Testing
Hair follicle drug testing involves analyzing a small sample of hair for traces of drugs. This method offers a longer detection window than urine testing, typically spanning several months. However, it may not be suitable for detecting recent drug use.

Saliva Drug Testing
Saliva drug testing, also known as oral fluid testing, detects the presence of drugs in saliva samples. It is less invasive than urine testing and can detect recent drug use more effectively. However, its detection window is shorter compared to urine and hair follicle testing.

Blood Drug Testing
Blood drug testing directly measures the concentration of drugs or their metabolites in the bloodstream. It provides accurate results and is often used in situations where immediate drug intoxication needs to be confirmed. However, it is invasive and requires professional administration.

Sweat Patch Testing
Sweat patch testing involves attaching a patch to the skin to collect sweat, which is then analyzed for drug metabolites. This method offers continuous monitoring over an extended period and is useful in settings where frequent testing is required. However, it may be affected by factors such as temperature and humidity.

Breathalyzer Testing
Breathalyzer testing measures the presence of alcohol or other substances in a person’s breath. While primarily used for alcohol detection, advanced breathalyzer devices can also detect certain drugs. It is non-invasive and provides rapid results, making it suitable for roadside testing and other on-the-spot assessments.

Comparison of Alternative Methods
When choosing an alternative to urine drug testing, several factors must be considered, including the detection window, accuracy, ease of administration, and cost. While each method has its strengths and weaknesses, the most suitable option will depend on the specific requirements of the testing scenario.

Factors to Consider When Choosing an Alternative Method
When selecting an alternative drug testing method, it is essential to consider various factors such as legal requirements, testing objectives, budget constraints, and the frequency of testing. Consulting with experts and understanding the unique characteristics of each testing method can help organizations make informed decisions.

Emerging Technologies
Advancements in technology continue to drive innovation in the field of drug testing, with new methods and devices constantly being developed. From wearable sensors to smartphone-based testing platforms, emerging technologies offer promising solutions for improving the accuracy, efficiency, and accessibility of drug testing in various settings.

Well time flies when you’re having fun they say. It’s been just short of manic recently here at ART with some incredible projects coming through during 2013.

10-axis plasma cutter in the making

We’ve recently seen the development of our 10 Axis Robotic CNC Plasma Profiling Machine come to fruition and the first one now finished, installed and operational.  A lot of the components were manufactured on the in-house CNC machines at ART including the robotic arm and all the associated components. Here are some pictures of the machining being done on our 3 axis ART milling machine, and the finished arm fitted into the machine…

Robotic Arm

You can see the finished machine working here on YouTube at http://youtu.be/D-ElyJa5YWc
Along with the development of the Plasma, we’ve been heavily involved in the development of an flatbed machine specifically designed for cutting Fabrics and Vinyls for the blind and awning industry which has required the development of a lot of specialised tools
One tool that was incorporated into the machine was an ultrasonic knife that vibrates at 30000 times per second.  It cuts and seals the edges of synthetic fabrics like shade-cloth and sunscreen fabric. Some of the components were made on the CNC router, and others on the lathe.

Ultrasonic knife

Here I am holding it up for the camera… (I thought it looked a bit spacey so added a bit of flame for special effects)
You can see a video of the prototype for this machine on YouTube at this link…
http://youtu.be/EHM0cNnt2KI

Polyurethane Wheel

Another associated project was to design some moulds for casting special polyurethane wheels. We machined the moulds from aluminium on the CNC router. The wheels were modelled after some moon buggy wheels and turned out really cool! They are designed to pull the fabric under the roller knife that is in between the wheels. I can’t tell you how they work because it’s top secret! Another interesting thing to learn about is Cast Techologies casting capabilities.

Unfortunately, with all this work coming through it hasn’t left much time for indulging in the guitar making world.
However, I have managed to get a few photos of the finished TS01 to share with you along with another project that was undertaken recently .
Here you can see the TS01 in all its glossy glory.
It has been a delight to put this instrument into many different hands and see the reactions of those that get to play it. Even those that don’t play a single note comment on the quality of the fit and finish of all the different components.  It’s amazing what is achievable through the use of CNC machinery. It’s very hard to achieve this kind of precision by hand.
Up next are a few photos of another project that I have completed during 2013.
It is a concept that I wanted to develop based on the idea of using not so common materials in the construction of an instrument. Since working with Aluminium for well over 15 years now, I thought it would be interesting to see how an Aluminium guitar would sound. I spent a long time analysing the different tonal qualities of different grades of Aluminium and spent even more time designing up a method of constructing a guitar body that would allow for unlimited control over the tone of the instrument. As you can appreciate, you can’t just string up a solid block of aluminium and expect a good sound to come out of it. The body was all routed from sheet aluminium and tig welded together around the edges. The neck was routed from solid Canadian Rock Maple with ebony for the fret board.
Here are the results of months of work, which again, I can say I am proud to put into the hands of many different musicians to great surprise.
I hope you enjoy the pictures and I hope you are inspired to try something new. I look forward to sharing more about these instruments and the process of machining whatever we can think up using an ART CNC machine. I’m going to spend some time reading up on sites like https://latheexperts.com/best-mini-metal-lathe-reviews/ for more knowledge on these tools. I’ll be sure to share what I find.
See you next time!
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