Three Ways to Improve the Financial (and Operational) Performance of Lighting Retrofit Projects

The benefits of lighting upgrades have been championed for many years. Almost every quarter, lighting discussions flood facilities trade organization websites. As lighting equipment manufacturers market their products we are reminded that their products not only save energy but support the sustainability of our environment. Nevertheless, a substantial portion of commercial properties operate with lighting systems that can easily achieve energy cost improvements of up to 30%. We may wonder why.

Making the case for cost conscious installations is key to helping facility managers move ahead with the decision to retrofit inefficient lighting with energy efficient lighting and operationally effective control systems.

The following tips come from our firm's recent work with a banking industry client. Depending on the scope of your potential project and urgency of your need to begin reaping operational savings, any or all of these three cost savers may be beneficial to you and your organization.

You CAN use what you currently have

Instead of hiring a company to come in and deliver a turn key lighting retrofit project, use your existing electrical maintenance team to implement the project. While many organizations continue to staff in-house electricians, the trend towards hiring an on-site electrical contractor is becoming increasingly popular. On- site electrical contractors or in-house electricians, are both suitable staffing approaches to deliver a lighting installation retrofit that is custom fitted to the operations of the building and the organization. The annual maintenance contract or annual salary plan has already accounted for the labor costs of the staff electrical team. By tasking the lighting retrofit work to your existing forces, you enhance the operational performance of the annual electrical maintenance spending.

If the complexity or extent of the improvements are beyond the scope or ability of your maintenance teams, the lighting improvements should be undertaken by an electrical contracting company. As you assess the developing project, realistically evaluate the capabilities of your in-house team along with the equipment, tools and experience needed to implement the upgrade. Contractors perform specialized upgrades as a routine activity and possess the expertise, tools and equipment needed to deliver a successful upgrade. It is worth the time weighing the costs against the benefits of the "do it yourself" option. You may determine that there is good value as you perform the work yourself.

You CAN be the project specifier

Understanding the various product choices for retrofit projects can be the limiting factor behind your decision to commence a facility-wide retrofit project or program. Realize you are not alone. Many utility companies have programs identifying pre-screened lighting professionals who can help you select the most suitable, cost effective, energy efficient lighting products for your facility. Local area lighting suppliers are aware that competition is high and it is in their interest to recommend products you will be pleased with and will deliver the energy efficiency and in-place performance you require. Finally, industry peers can identify suppliers that they have used in the past and whom they can recommend as solid industry professionals. The fear of selecting the wrong product for your situation can be managed, controlled and eliminated by using the existing resources that are available to you.

You CAN set the project pace

Every business has periods of reduced activity. For some industries they are the periods between holidays, semester breaks, plant re-tooling time or even just the times between the routine daily maintenance activities. Designating the lighting retrofit work as The Fill-in Project during slow maintenance periods, allows for you to pace the project so that it complements your operational pace. The need to suspend work for a few weeks becomes a non-issue when an operational necessity requires you stop the project for a few weeks.

Using your existing forces, expanding your knowledge to determine and select the project materials and pacing the execution of the work to fit your organization's needs are all ideas worth evaluating as you take the decision to retrofit the lighting systems in your facility. Adopting any or all three ideas can give you the assurance needed to know that you are proceeding forward practically and cost consciously.

Gwendolyn Morrison writes for Design Verification International, DVI. DVI is a Maintenance and Operational consultancy in Chicago. DVI offers energy engineering, energy management services and has design review capabilities for the energy engineering and mechanical engineering disciplines.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gwendolyn_Morrison

CURRENT AND FUTURE OF PLASTIC MOULDING !!!

Current Plastic Moulding Techniques

Though the main concept of moulding remains the same, the equipments used by the plastic manufacturers have changed a lot. With the integration of latest computer technologies the production rate of plastic is greatly increased today. Unlike the olden days only when only fresh plastic materials were moulded to useful products, today with environmental awareness on the rise, plastic moulding concentrates on using recycled materials. Moreover, the advancements in moulding technology has made it possible to manufacture products in any complicated shapes.

The Applications Of Modern Plastic Moulding

The applications of plastic injection moulding are virtually unlimited. Starting from simple plastic carry bags to complicated lifesaving devices - every plastic product manufactured today are through plastic injection moulding. Some of the common applications of plastic moulding are the manufacturing of products such as packaging bags, automobile parts, beverage cans and bottles, computer accessories etc.

The Future Of Plastic Moulding

You will be well aware of the fact that the use of plastics is banned in certain areas of all countries. People think that this may end the plastic manufacturing as environmental pollution is a major concern today. However, with the introduction of the recyclable plastics, the plastic industry has got a rebirth. After all, as already said, we cannot imagine a world without plastics.

LITTLE HISTORY OF PLASTIC MOULDING !!!

We cannot imagine a world without plastics. Plastics have found their importance in almost all application ranging from household items to complicated research equipments. Though there were controversies that the plastics pose a threat to the environment, the advancements in plastic manufacturing technologies have given birth to the eco-friendly plastics. Plastic manufacturers can now recycle and create new plastic products out of the used plastics. You will be well aware of the fact that injection moulding is widely used to manufacture the plastic products. Today's moulding is very much advanced and very different from what was originally invented. Just keep on reading the article to know all about the moulding techniques.

A Little History

Plastic moulding is not a new concept developed in the 21st century. Moulding plastics into useful products exits since the origin of man made plastic in the year 1851. The process of heating plastics and melting the molten material to obtain the shape of the mould is the basic concept behind plastic moulding. Though the concept of moulding remains the same today, this technology has seen many advancements. Plastic moulding received huge importance during the period of Second World War due to the demand for the plastic medical equipments. In fact the plastic manufacturers where struggling to meet the demand for the plastic products during this period. This is period when the moulding industry got a new shift towards development.

MECHANICAL CHARACTER !!!

A mechanical is any of six characters in A Midsummer Night's Dream who perform the play-within-a-play Pyramus and Thisbe. Named for their occupations as skilled manual laborers, they are a group of amateur (mostly incompetent) actors from around Athens, looking to make names for themselves by having their production chosen among several acts as the courtly entertainment for the royal wedding party of Theseus and Hippolyta. The biggest ham among them, Bottom, becomes the unlikely object of interest for love-potion-charmed fairy queen Titania after he is cursed with the head and ears of an ass by the servant-spirit Puck.

These kinds of characters (see also the grave diggers from Hamlet) were traditionally portrayed by clowns, which most Elizabethan theatres had in their employ.

Fabric Type Dust Collectors for Air Cleaning

Canadian Air Systems Co. is a well known manufacturer of industrial dust collection systems. Dust collecting equipment is available in numerous designs utilizing a number of principles and featuring wide variation in effectiveness, initial cost, operating and maintenance expense, space, arrangements and material of construction.

One of the most widely used type of dust collector is Fabric Dust Collector.

Fabric arresters are high efficiency, medium cost collectors. The effectiveness of passing air or gas through a fabric at low velocity has been recognized and used for many years in air cleaning devices. Fabric is arranged in envelope or tubular (stocking) shapes. While removal appears to take place by a staining action of the media, in reality dust collection is obtained by building up a mat of the material on the dirty side of the media. This mat provides the actual filtering or straining bed. By means of this bed a high degree of removal is obtained even on sub-micron size particles.

The dust collectors are used extensively in industry for a wide range of applications. They require more space than most other types of air cleaning devices, necessiating outdoor installation in most cases

The usual fabric is a specially wooven cotton, altough wool, paper , glass cloth and synthetic fabrics may be used in certain applications. In recent years glass cloth has come into wide use because of silicone treatment of the glass fibers and employment of reverse flow techniques for cleaning. Silicone treatment provides a lubricant between fibers and increases fabric life.

As dust is collected on the fibric, resistance to air flow increases. Periodically the fabric must be reconditioned by shaking, vibrating, reverse jet or reverse-flow collapse which agitates suffitiently to remove the bulk of adhering material allowing it to drop into the dust hopper. In most collectors air flow must be stopped during reconditioning, otherwise released material will be re-entrained and redeposited on the fabric. Sufficient dust must adhere to the fabric to maintain the dust mat needed for maximum efficiency; therfore, after reconditioning the pressure drop will be considerably higher than loss through new fabric.

Rate of flow through the media varies with dust collector type, application and dust concentration. Ratings are usually selected so pressure drop will not exceed 5" WG. The smaller the particle, the more rapid the resistance rise for a given loading. For the same air flow rate and dust loading, resistance rise increases directly in proportion to time.

A New Concept of Square Air Fan

NISCO Fan Co. offers now a new design of a centrifugal general ventilating fan - Square Fan, in direct drive and belt drive configurations. Arrangement 4 direct drive square fans are ideally suited for a wide range of clean-air applications reuiring a tight footprint. Typical uses include pneumatic conveying, product drying, process cooling, and exhaust on clean-side of dust collection systems.

Some design features of the NISCO Square Fans include:

- Ten sizes from wheel size 10" to 30"
- Capacities up to 30,000 CFM airflow @ 20" WG pressure
- Choice of backward inclined, airfoil and backward curve wheel
- Four discharge configurations
- Narrow-width design permits higher speed and pressures

The following accessories are available:

* Clean-out door - available as a quick opening latch type door that swings open on hinges after cam levers have been turned, or flash bolted type with closely spaced studs to keep door securely sealed with Neoprene foam tape gasketing
* Shaft seals or Teflon shaft hole closures
* Outlet damper - single or multi blade, parallel blade or opposite blade designs, manually operated or complete with mounted electric or pneumatic actoator, for on / off or modulating air flow control
* Inlet screen
* Base rails with rubber-in-shear or spring type vibration isolators
* Inlet volume control with variable inlet vanes - external or nested in the inlet cone, for manual or automatic air flow control
* Housing drain - tank flange furnished in scroll of fans with down blast discharge, half couplings in housing drive side on all other discharges
* Spark resistant and explosion proof construction
* Safety drive guards
* Extended grease tube fitting
* High temperature fan construction with a shaft cooler assembly and high temperature paint
* Flanged inlet and outlet
* Stainless steel construction of SST 316, SST 304 or SST 347 stainless alloy are available for corrosive applications

NISCO Fan Co. Square Fans incorporate non-overloading BI impeller desings: the motor can be sized for the operating horsepower of the fan and not oversized, thus increasing motor efficiency. Heavy gauge spinning inlet with airflow diverter permits smooth air flow and close wheel tolerances.

Three different wheel designs on CB SQB Square Fans provide the widest choice in applications suitability, efficiency, sound, and cost. All of them feature the backward inlcinged non overloading horsepower chracteristic, where the horse power curve reaches a peak and then decreases even as air flow increases.

True aerodynamic airfoil blade shape allows stable operation from wide open to closed off; ideal for clean iar applications such as building ventilation with variable air volume system control or clean industrial gas handling. Flat, single thickness backwardly inlined plades are suited for applications from clean air to those where dust and limited material is present in the airstream and where airfoil shapes are not recommended due to material build up that closes unbalance and vibration.

Direct-Fired Industrial Makeup Air Units

NISCO Co. ia an engineering representative and developer of various types of gas-fired air makeup units for industrial building ventilation.

Gas-Fired Pressurization Units move large quantities of air at low temperature differentials (usually 50° or less), which is a strategy to minimize temperature stratification in the large spaces they are employed to heat. The equipment is typically mounted on the roof of the facility or at grade on elevated supports to ensure that the supply air is delivered high. The high air delivery allows for a longer “throw” of the air, thereby requiring less equipment to cover the required floor area. The most common fuel is natural gas, however, units can be converted to burn propane. There are two primary categories of gas-fired AHUs: indirect-fired and direct-fired.

Indirect-fired units burn the fuel and air mixture inside of a heat exchanger while the air traveling to the space passes over the outside of the heat exchanger. In this design, the products of combustion travel through a vent to the outside of the building.

Direct-fired units utilize air that will be sent to the heated space for combustion without use of a heat exchanger. The products of combustion are mixed directly with large volumes of outdoor air. Such mixing is considered safe because of the high dilution ratio.

In addition, thorough burning of the natural gas takes place so that no harmful products of combustion enter the airstream. One product of combustion is water vapor, which can be problematic with very tight building construction due to the potential for condensation in colder climates. For tight buildings, it is best to consider the use of indirect-fired equipment. There are several common configurations of direct-fired units.

The 80/20 design can vary the quantity of outside air from 100% down to 20%. The burner has a high turndown ratio and only outside air should be drawn across the burner. The discharge air volume is fixed and the quantity of outside air can be adjusted to maintain building pressurization. The makeup air unit configuration is ideal for supplying large quantities of replacement air for facility exhaust systems. Such systems can include paint spray booths and other industrial exhaust applications.

Facilities that have indoor vehicle operation frequently accumulate carbon monoxide and associated noxious fumes. For such instances, a ventilation sequence can be instituted to limit this potentially harmful buildup. The pressurization units for these buildings could be fitted with a carbon monoxide detector with an initial setpoint of, for example, 50 ppm that would trigger an alarm and energize a time-delay relay.

Direct-fired pressurization equipment is capable of delivering plenty of ventilation to a facility when it is configured as the 80/20 system described previously. Infrared systems, however, may need to be supplemented with a separate ventilation system. With certain classes of facilities, the infrared system would not require additional equipment for ventilation, since large structures with many doors would provide enough natural ventilation through leakage.

Gas-fired pressurization systems each offer good solutions to heating large structures such as warehouses, distribution centers, aircraft hangers, and manufacturing facilities. In very cold climates, it might be beneficial to go with a hybrid solution using radiant heat at the perimeter as the primary heating source and placing pressurization units at the center of the facility for ventilation and for pressurization when doors are open.

Benefits of Gas Chlorinators for Purification of Water

The use of chlorination for the treatment and purification is not a new thing.Chlorinators are being used for several years and till date is considered as the most effective, economical and convenient option for purification of drinking and even swimming pool water. Chlorinators work efficiently to kill disease causing microbes or pathogens that are responsible for severe water- borne diseases such as typhoid, cholera, dysentery, gastroenteritis and others.
There are multiple varieties of chlorinators available in the market to choose from. You can select the most appropriate chlorinators by taking into consideration various factors like scale of water purification, contamination density of water, budget etc. Gas chlorinator is an admirable and one of the most popular devices in this segment.
Absorption tower chlorinator, popularly known as Gas chlorinator is a vacuum operated chlorination device. Available in pre-assembled models these are provided only after thorough functional inspection. These can be availed in either floor mounted or wall mounted models, depending on your requirement. Robustly designed, the mounting arrangements for gas chlorinator are different for cylinders and tonners, and it can be easily mounted on a 65/100 kg cylinder or on a 1000 kg tonner.
Gas chlorinator is integrated with filter, a reliable vacuum regulator, flush mounted chlorine pressure gauge, an accurate flow-meter along with accurate flow control valve, an effective differential regulator, an injector and a positive non-return valve. The unique design of the vacuum regulator used in the chlorine gas manifold system ensures that it opens only when the injector produces vacuum. The components are intelligently designed so as to reduce the maintenance and operating cost of the gas chlorinator.
The chlorine gas manifold systems are used in chlorination process for faster and more effective water purification. For various containers when using manifold gas line is not feasible, then vaporizers are recommended for high continuous chlorine gas feed rates. Two types of vaporizers namely,Electrically Heated Vaporizers and Steam Heated Vaporizers are available in the market to suit different chlorination applications.
Studies have proved that chlorine is much more effective in making drinking water free from disease causing microorganisms than other alternatives. The right proportions of chlorination compounds make your water highly pure and safe for consumption and other uses. When combined with filtration, chlorination is regarded as an excellent technique to disinfect drinking water supplies.

Article source: http://www.juicyarticles.net/articles/Benefits-of-Gas-Chlorinators-for-Purification-of-Water-2546

Chlorinators - A Smart Option for Water Purification

Chlorinators are the most commonly used water purification systems and are installed by Municipal Corporations, Thermal Power Stations, Public Health Departments, Chemical Paper Pulp Industries and other concerned bodies. These are popular because all models available in the market are pre-assembled and tested in virtual operating conditions, thereby giving you the benefit of reduced installation costs.
In the chlorination process a specific amount of chlorine containing compound is added in the water. Working on simple principle, Chlorinators are far easier to operate, install and maintain, not to forget its water purification efficiency.
There are quite a lot of advantages of Chlorinators used for the treatment of water. They are effective on disease causing microbes like bacteria or viruses, reduces the smell caused by hydrogen sulfide. Moreover, it is proved by various studies that they also have the ability of breaking down bacterial slimes and destroying algae and facilitates the removal of iron from water. But, one should take care of the amount of Chlorinators used as these are available in different concentrations. One should take care of the amount of compound added in a particular quantity of water; as less amount may lead to retention of contaminants even after purification whereas excessive use may leave chlorine smell in treated water.
Chlorinators are also considered as the most cost-effective and safe method for purification of well water also, in which mainly sodium hypochlorite (also known as bleach) and calcium hypochlorite chlorinators are used.
One more type of dis-infection alternative is the Electro Chlorinators or electrolytic chlorinators that belong to the category of small water systems. In Electro-Chlorinators sodium Hypochlorite (NaOCL) is generated on-site with the help of salt, water and electricity.
Electro Chlorinators have several benefits over conventional chlorinators. Some of them are delineated below:

Requires only salt, water and electricity

Provides the power of chlorine without the danger of storing or handling hazardous materials

Sodium hypochlorite generated on-site does not degrade like commercial sodium hypochlorite

The total operating cost is less than conventional Chlorination methods

On-site generation of sodium hypochlorite allows the operator to produce only what is needed and when it is needed

Chlorinators also weigh over other water purification systems as these eliminates potentially dangerous handling and storage problems associated with other types of dis-infection practices. There are numerous chlorination devices and accessories available in the market such as the chlorine gas scrubbing system, for easy and proper functioning of chlorinators, for years to come.



About the author:
The author is an experienced Content writer and publisher for Business Development. Visit at http://www.industrialdevicesindia.com/ to know more about chlorinators, Electro Chlorinators and chlorine gas scrubbing system.

Article source: http://www.juicyarticles.net/articles/Chlorinators-A-Smart-Option-for-Water-Purification-2631

INDUSTRIAL MECHANICAL INSULATION AT MAVO

The Mavo Systems management team provides extensive experience with over 40 years in the industrial insulation industry. At Mavo Systems, our estimating, project manament and field personnel provide the utmost knowledge in technology and installation methods. This allows us to deliver a functional, cost-effective service with results that help establish long-term relationships with our customers.

Our asbestos, lead and other hazardous abatement and demolition services provide an economical and efficient means for customers to hire one contractor to perform coordinated tasks saving time and money.

At Mavo Systems we can provide money saving ideas with proven industrial application methods, reducing costs and yet maintaining lasting insulation systems.

Quality insulation projects require a combination of technology, knowledge, and extensive experience at all levels of the organization. In addition to our insulation services, we offer a cost-effective turnkey project that utilizes our asbestos removal division, reducing costs in ways that only a one-source contractor can provide.

Industrial & Commercial Insulation:

• Process piping
• Equipment - ID fans; vessels
• Boilers
• Baghouses
• Turbines
• Tanks

Facilities:

• Power plants
• Refineries
• Chemical
• Paper industries
• Food process

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“Mavo Systems performed their work very professionally and met project timelines and budget requirements on our major utilities project. The supervision responded quickly to our changing needs and quickly reacted to changing project dynamics when asked” I feel very comfortable utilizing Mavo’s services for large scale projects in the future and would not hesitate to recommend them to highly potential clients.”

Hard Chrome Plating Alternative

For quite some time now, engineers in all walks of industry that have been specifying the use of hard chrome plating for their components have been looking for alternatives to the process. Especially nowadays with a global awareness of environmental concerns and an increased value being placed on social responsibility of manufacturing houses, engineers have started the quest for hard chrome replacement processes with greater thrust than ever before. Additionally, corporate accounting personnel dread the cost of hazardous waste stream disposal from hard chrome plating lines and look for cheaper solutions without compromising product quality and performance.

These objectives that were seemingly impossible to achieve just a few years ago are now becoming well within the reach of technologists everywhere, thanks to extensive research and development in the field of thermal spray coatings. To put in a nutshell, thermal spray coatings technology can be used effectively as a replacement for hard chrome platings.

While that may seem like a major claim, there have been many instances of actual commercial success using chrome carbide - nickel chromium alloy powder as the raw material in order to generate coatings that have effectively worked very well in the field including in stringent aerospace applications.

While plasma spray coatings can serve fairly well in this endeavour, the key to producing high quality coatings as a hard chrome replacement lies in the use of the high velocity oxy-fuel process. Because of the tremendous velocity imparted to the powder particles and the dense metallurgical micro structures made possible by this process, the resulting coatings perform extremely well in functional tests. With the absence of carcinogenic hexavalent chrome, operator health and safety concerns get to be less of a concern and this is an added benefit. There are no hazardous waste streams to be concerned about.

An added feature of using the thermal spray process is the speed of deposition is greatly enhanced. From the stand point of productivity and lowered costs, this is a bonus feature. So, there ends your quest for a hard chrome plating alternative. Now all you need is to find yourself a good coatings vendor and your problems can get solved completely!

Everything You Need to Know About Fasteners

Construction and mechanical hardware essentially includes all the construction tools and mechanical accessories that are involved in various construction engineering applications. Besides knowing about all the mechanical and construction products like couplings, bearings and transmission chains it is also important to have an idea about how they are applied and used. There are various options of mechanical fasteners available in the hardware market. Some of the other popular versions of concrete fasteners are screws and lag shields that are best used in masonry wall materials. The toggle bolts are suitable for light and medium load and even hollow masonry. Choose from a wide array of construction fasteners that will surely keep your houses intact.

The Following is a guide that will tell you all about fasteners and their specific use.

Hammer Set Fastener

The hammer set segment of concrete fasteners are easy to install and are also hassle free as no washers and nuts are required to place it. Drilling the hole a little deeper and hammering the fastener is all one needs to do. This is becoming a popular choice for construction and mechanical hardware among manufactures suppliers as well as buyers. The only disadvantage of this fastener is that while removing the fastener, the wall gets damaged.

Sleeve Type Fastener

Known as sleeve anchors, these fasteners are best for holding a weight up to 200 pounds. Availability of different sizes also acts instrumental for this fastener in the construction hardware market. To install this, one needs to just pinch the side of the hole and screw it. However, be cautious while screwing it as over tightening can break it up. can break it around the hole.

Screws Type Fasteners

Screw fasteners are commonly used to attach windows, doors and even electrical boxes. The only requisite of installing these fasteners is the screw driver .They are the most popular fasteners as they can be removed and screwed back easily.

Plastic Type Fasteners

A plastic fastener is perhaps the most commonly used fasteners in the construction and mechanical industry. They are ideal for holding weight less than 50 pounds and show best results when paired with concrete, mortar, brick, and stone. However, be cautious while using these fastener in too soft concrete, the plastic anchors might break free while turning the screw with great force.

Metal Shield Fastener

This is also a popular choice for mechanical and construction applications that use soft materials like mortar and brick. Also known as soft metal shield anchors, these fasteners have a shortcoming of being subject to easy stripping in case when too much force is applied on the wench.

Spotlight on a Customized Hydraulic Press

A customized hydraulic press has been dancing around the fabricating industry for many years. Tailored to specific needs, the features and options of each press are chosen by the user to perform a specific application such as blanking, coining, compression molding, forming, punching or stamping. Each customer becomes part of the design team, working with the machine tool builder to incorporate the speeds, bed size, tonnage, stroke and any specialty options to best meet production goals.

Choosing hydraulics over mechanical operations provides the additional benefits of minimizing the footprint and reducing the overall investment. Hydraulics allow the generation of high forces in a compact area, reducing the overall structure and mechanism required for support of the force actuators. A mechanical press of the same tonnage is a larger machine requiring significantly more space and upping the initial investment. The number and variety of custom-designed hydraulic presses available at any given time is virtually limitless. Each machine is the product of a fresh design, making the most recent machine shipped from the manufacturer virtually the newest model.

In some cases, the customer brings more to the design table than his forming requirements. For example, Acuity Brands Lighting'¬s Indiana production facility worked with Beckwood Press Co. to integrate press bed rollers to minimize die setup time for its latest press. Acuity, the world's largest manufacturer of lighting fixtures, has 24 manufacturing facilities throughout North America and Europe. Products include indoor and outdoor lighting for commercial, institutional, industrial, infrastructure and residential applications. Architects, contractors, energyservice companies and maintenance personnel alike are familiar with Acuity brands that include Lithonia Lighting, Hydrel, Peerless, MetalOptics and Carandini.

Corporate-wide emphasis at Acuity continually focuses on creating a leaner, more effective organization to support efficient production and new product development. Part of that focus is to make machine purchases and initiate processes that increase capacity without increasing headcount. In 2006, the company's efforts were rewarded with a 12 percent increase in customer orders.

Ronald Knight, product manager at Acuity's Crawfordsville plant, explains that 15 of the company's newest presses have been fitted with computerized "smart die systems" to reduce die changeover time. Additional features of the newest Beckwood press include a 35-ton capacity, a 30-in. press stroke and 36-in.-by 36-in. bolsters. Optimum speeds for the application were determined to be 440 ipm on approach, 36 ipm for press and 44 ipm for return. Several design elements work toward time- and labor- saving goals. Bed rollers provided by Acuity were integrated into the design to assist with quick die change. A new safety light curtain incorporating a four-corner mirror system eliminates the guards with safety interlocks, increasing productivity while still safeguarding operators.

"We asked Beckwood for a larger control transformer for integration with our smart die system," Knight explains. "We had them change the swing-out pedestal to give the operator a little more usability. Operators love the quick die change and the light curtain. The setup men love this press."

Knight has seen value in investing in custom presses. "The benefits to customization are not buying what we don't need," he says. "With our last press purchase we didn't need the standard 100-ton press. We needed a 35-ton press with a 30-in. stroke and larger bed size. Why waste money on extra options or a higher capacity press?"

For more information on this process, please see Beckwood's article in the March 2007 edition of FF Journal (or contact us for a free issue).

Fall Protection Equipment Saves Lives

This past spring, a contractor faced a potential $70,000 fine from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for committing a violation of fall protection safety. The violation is considered "one committed with plain indifference to or intentional disregard for employee safety and health." Allegedly, workers were exposed to a 50 foot fall while working without fall protection on a building's roof. Employees are required by the United State Department of Labor Law 1926.501(b)(2)(i) to use fall protection when working from heights of 6 feet or greater.

Too many accidents occur every year in the workplace and too many times it is because of the lack of safety equipment. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 253,440 reported cases if work-related non-fatal falls, compared to 814 fatal falls reported by private industries in 2007. Accidents are not inevitable, and falls are no different. With the right combination of education, equipment and training, you can eliminate falls from your workplace.

Working in a high-risk industry is dangerous enough, so whether you're on a roof, platform, ladder, moving vehicle, or high rise, you need protection from falling. Falls from scaffolds, roofs and ladders constitute half of all disabling falls and they are often due to loss of balance because of tripping, slipping, and shifting or unstable ladders. Unfortunately, you cannot trust your body to have excellent balance at all times. With the right fall protection equipment, you can prevent disabling injuries and fatalities in high-risk workplaces.

Fall protection is more than wearing a hard hat and a safety harness. It starts with prevention and equipment. First you must identify all the potential fall hazards in your work environment: unprotected floor openings and edges, shafts, skylights, stairwells, and roof openings. Inspect fall protection equipment for defects. Use general equipment and installations like covers, handrails, guardrails and parapet walls to help prevent falls from happening. Select and wear personal fall protection equipment appropriate for the job at hand. Educate employees on current hazardous areas, signs of potential hazards, and have them continuously monitor for ongoing fall protection. This is as easy as a weekly safety meeting, discussing procedures in using fall protection equipment and responding to emergencies.

If your company is in need of new fall protection equipment, now is a great time to upgrade for the summer months. Established in 1992, Empire Safety and Supply has been providing clients with quality fall protection equipment for high-risk work environment needs. Their product lines range from harnesses and connecting devices, to fall protection systems and rescue/escape. Empire Safety and Supply represent over 800 manufacturers to offer clients the fall protection solutions and information they require. Empire Safety and Supply has a Warehouse and InventorySupport Team with the capability to ship thousands of products across the country and globe.

China's Wind Power Equipment Industry Received a Huge Order of 5.25 Million KW

On April 20th, 2009, Gold Wind won the bid of wind power concession projects of Inner Mongolia and Hebei, totaling 775,500 KW. The 517 bid machines are all GW77-1500 and the total value reaches RMB 4.187 billion (611 million USD). The delivery period spans from 2009 to 2012. XEMC won the bid of wind power concession projects of Fengning Wansheng wind power plant on Hebei Chengde wind power base, altogether 150,000 KW totaling RMB 797 million (116.3 million USD). In addition, XEMC also won the bid of wind power projects of Weichang Yudaokou wind power plant on Hebei Chengde wind power base, altogether 200,000 KW totaling RMB 796 million (116.2 million USD).

This wind power project of 5.25 million KW involves 25 wind power plants. Over 20 wind power entire-machine enterprises participate in bidding. Compared with the 3.8 million KW project bid of Gansu Jiuquan, the number of enterprises which have won the bids shows a slight increase. In the project of Gansu Jiuquan, besides Gold Wind, Sinovel and DEC, CSIC (Chongqing) Haizhuang also won a small bid. It is estimated that about 5 enterprises will win the bids this time and the share made up by the additional enterprises except the three tycoons will see an apparent increment. At present, after developing technologies and establishing productivity at early stage, altogether 70 plus wind power entire-machine enterprises have owned capability of bulk supply. Therefore, they all make great efforts to win the huge bid this time. In addition, what's worth noticing is that Guodian United Power Technology Company Ltd, a subsidiary of China Guodian Corporation, also participates in bidding for four wind power plants, some of which belong to the China Longyuan Electric Power Group Corporation, another subsidiary of China Guodian Corporation. In this way, the combination of wind power operator and wind power supplier might be a trend of China's domestic wind power market in future.

In this bidding, the price of wind power machines witnesses an apparent drop. The price of GW77-1500 bid won by Gold Wind in June 2008 stood at RMB 6398/KW that time and slipped to RMB 5399/KW this time. Although the prices of raw materials and spare parts affect the prices of bid machines, another factor of fierce competition within China's wind power equipment industry can not be ignored as well. It is predicted that the total output of Gold Wind, Sinovel and DEC in 2009 will reach 7 million KW. Even if the demand will perhaps jump to 120 million KW in 2020, China's wind power industry will represent an inevitable trend of surplus. In general, wind power entire-machine industry will see an increasingly apparent decline in gross profits in future. Certainly, there are differences between enterprises. Some will be kicked out and some excellent ones will create more profits than the average amount of the whole industry.

The increased installed capacity of China's wind power machines rose by 89 percent to 6.25 million KW in 2008 and the amount of this bid reached 5.25 million KW. It is predicted that China's demand for wind power will see an annual growth rate of 30 percent to 50 percent, for China is actively planning to build six 10-million-KW wind power bases.

Source: China Research and Intelligence

TECHNOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY

Astronomy is one of those braches of science which require the most modern technology so as to improve and extend its research. It is the study of the celestial bodies which include the stars, planets, comets and even galaxies. This field is the evolution of physics, chemistry and meteorology. Technology has helped the science of astronomy to become a modern and practical science. During the times when the scientists used to observe the night sky helpless to achieve more in the field, there was the technological blessing in the form of the telescope invention. This invention helped a great deal in the practical observation of the celestial bodies and their properties. As the world advanced and brought about the breakthrough invention of the computers the theoretical side of astronomy developed and the computer was extensively used to study the analytical models of the astronomical objects. Just with the help of the most powerful and latest technologies, it could be devised about the nature of the universe and the galaxy. The number of planets and the moons associate with it with the centre Sun is the part of every educational book in the school going young children. Then it was the time, to reach the pinnacle of the field of astronomy, when the modern technology spread far and wide, knowing no limits. The invention of the rockets and space hubs lead to the man's intervention into space. This is one of those technological achievements which are still difficult to believe in. Man is now able to stand on the moon, and take samples from its surface so as to achieve excellence in the field of astronomy and give it a thorough boost. Undoubtedly, technology soon made astronomy one of the most powerful science fields.

IMPORTANCE OF MECHANICAL MODELLING IN PRODUCT DESIGN!!

Mechanical 3D models using CAD tools brings life and transparency into the design goals with respect to clash detection, clearance, aesthetics, tolerance aspects and helps communicate design ideas more effectively.

Mechanical 3D modeling is an art of crafting a methodical wire-frame demonstration of any 3D (three-dimensional) object. With CAD tools, 3D models could be displayed as an image in print using computer simulation. CAD Modeling is usually the first step in a rapid prototyping (RP) system. The conventional approach to CAD modeling is through engineering drawings. A designer inputs dimensions and interconnects lines (along with other basic shapes) using CAD software like AutoCAD, Pro-E, 3D-max.etc to create a virtual 3D model.

Benefits of using Mechanical 3D Modelling in product design are: -> Speedy validation/verification of designs against specifications & design rules -> Effective 3D visualization for full fledged manufacturing drawings -> Accurate wire-frame geometry creation -> Bi-directional parametric association (alteration of any feature is reflected in all information relying on that feature; mass properties, drawings, assemblies, etc.) -> Simplified design of assemblies, which are set of parts and/or other assemblies -> Hassle-free checking of kinematics, interference and clearance in assemblies -> It allows for 3D sectional views

With field modifications, inadequate support from the original CAD models poses a problem. The technical person on the field may have found a better way to mount the part by amending the original design, or damage to the part may demand modification to rectify the issue. This modification may not be documented in the CAD archives but can be accomplished with 3D parametric models of the mechanical design.

Also, a design engineer may want to introduce a value-added design to an existing part, but the first manufacturer of the part may not be willing to release their internal CAD files for proprietary reasons. The process of 3D modeling overcomes these problems by allowing the creation of a CAD model by scanning the existing object.

IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY IN OUR DAILY LIVES !!!

The basic lifestyle in every aspect of our daily lives, the kind of housings, our transport, fashion and entertainment all depend on technology. If we say, that it is time that the world has reached the pinnacle of advancement in these fields, it is worth mentioning that the only reason behind is the development in technology. Nothing has actually remained the same since the impact of technology has taken over our lives. It has been much better, easier and quicker. After all when was the last time someone took the headache of climbing up the stairs of a ten floor building, when the technology has presented us with the modern lift services, this is just one ordinary example of our everyday activities.

These days it is a matter of hours to travel from one part to other around the globe which was a fatal traveling attempt of years in the past. The food once stored over a block of ice for moderate temperatures, is left conveniently in refrigerators and freezers. The traveling which was done in days and weeks in the past, now only takes hours.

The inventions of computers have been a breakthrough in the field of technology. Since then all sorts of entertainment and work has started taking place over the computer and the internet. Gone are the days where we had to get bored and wait at home to be entertained only after leaving our house. Today we can sit on the couch with our laptop, and spend time on any of our interests over the internet.

Technology has basically changed the meaning of life and its struggle; comparatively every activity we indulge in is far more simplified than it was thousands of years ago.

IMPORTANCE OF TECHNOLOGY

The use of technology in various fields has been so successful and beneficial for us to reach the standards we have in this modern world that it is difficult to summarize the importance of technology, which is never ending.

The importance of technology is seen and enjoyed in every phase of our life these days. When we talk on the phone, or internet, it feels very normal to us because we are in a situation where the blessings of technology are overwhelming. Communication was never so easy, and on our finger tips ever. The printing press, telephone, internet are all some of the latest technologies which have lessened the barrier of location for people in different parts of the world.

Technology has gone as far as even saving lives of the impossible cases of medical problems. These days hospitals and medical health care centers are using such complicated machineries that portray the advancement of the technological sector in this world. It is only because of the technology that lives are being saved every time.

The technological powers have now lead the people to research, and predict the natural disasters that could hit the globe causing life threatening experiences. Its importance is so widespread not only in our daily lives but also the major world issues that technology should be the most encouraged scientific education in the coming years.

The major advancement in technology is because of the increased scientific research these days. Science has been the pillar of technology and therefore it is considered to be the most looked upon subject in the modern world due to its technological success.

Therefore it is also a major benefit for the upcoming generations to continue with the hold of the most developed technological field going on these days.

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