Plastics Industry Archives - Unitherm Insulation Systems

May 21, 2015 by UniAdmin

Proactive Maintenance : Insulation

The mindset of “if it isn’t broke don’t fix it” is a thing of the past. It is a mentality that even the best of us have been guilty of from time to time. While it may sound like a good idea, it can be damaging to a company in the long run. Staying the course down a single path can lead to a business owner getting blindsided by future problems. Just because something is working at the moment, doesn’t mean that future problems won’t arise. The new trend is to start protecting your investments and wellbeing by stopping the problem before it ever begins with proactive maintenance.

Preventative Maintenance: Insulation

Stop The Problem Before It Happens = Greater Savings

Whether you’re trying to make the most of an ever-dwindling staff and budget, or looking for even more ways to trim operations and maintenance costs, preventative maintenance on equipment and facilities can help save time and money in the long run.

The key point to preventative maintenance is stopping the issue before it ever begins. While there are some expenses related to running a good proactive maintenance program, it costs less to properly maintain equipment and facilities than it does to repair the damage from a premature breakdown or early deterioration of property.

Proactive maintenance of equipment and facilities is very similar to regular vehicle maintenance. The key to keeping your vehicle running well today and down the road is routine proactive maintenance. Many times significant and expensive repairs can be avoided if the vehicle is properly and regularly maintained.

Increases Life Cycle of Applications

Regular equipment Untitled-2 maintenance leads to an improvement in the overall safety and reliability of the system. Planning and management of asset maintenance improve the life cycle of the assets and keeps them performing at peak productivity levels. As a result, costly unplanned downtime is minimized; workforce productivity increases; and asset lifecycle and return on asset (ROA) are improved.

Increases Performance

Regular improvements to the process for better machine efficiency and product quality increases maintenance productivity by detecting and identifying potential equipment problems before they grow. This reduces the frequency, severity, and cost of repairs while enabling your team to avoid unnecessary and unproductive tasks.

Provides a Safe Work Environment

More efficient and frequently maintained work environments (including equipment and personnel) lead to a safer work atmosphere. When machines break down and errors occur, accidents are more likely to happen.

Where Does Insulation Fit In?

Insulation is built upon the idea of proactive maintenance practices. Insulation does all of the benefits listed above plus more. Once installed, your insulation needs no further maintenance. So you can feel good, knowing you are doing your bit for the planet while creating a more efficient and more collaborative work environment, to reduce costs and support your organization’s work processes.

What’s Next?

You can head over to our online shopping cart and check out all of our possible solutions for your facility. For as little as $16, you could be protecting yourself, your employees, and your business for the future.

For more information about our products and UniTherm, check out our website and social platforms:

April 7, 2015 by UniAdmin

Dangers of Heat Illness

HEAT ILLNESS CAN BE DEADLY. When employees are exposed to hot temperatures, maintaining a safe work environment can be more challenging than you think. As summertime temperatures continue to rise, it becomes increasingly important for employers to focus on providing workplace conditions that are safe from the excessive heat.

Heat Fatalities 2008-2014

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA), thousands of workers become sick and even die as a result of exposure to heat each year. In the United States, an average of 400 deaths per year are directly related to heat, and an estimated 1,800 die from illnesses made worse by heat.

Many industries face challenges when it comes to providing a cool working environment, particularly in heat-susceptible areas such as industrial plants, warehouses, and manufacturing facilities. When surface temperatures on pipe and equipment routinely exceed 140° F (60° C), measures should be taken to improve the working environment. Without adequate cooling or precautions, workers are put in danger while equipment and manufactured products are at an increased risk of failure, which can impact worker safety and productivity, and certainly, a company’s bottom-line.

So how can you protect your employees from heat exposure while also ensuring that the work is accomplished on time?

According to OSHA, “The best way to prevent heat-related illness is to make the work environment cooler”. However, the dilemma now becomes how to efficiently and economically cool large, open areas where high ambient outdoor temperatures and heat-generating machinery are factors.

OSHA Touch Safe, Ambient Air temperature

The radiating heat of a running barrel affects the ambient temperature.

Fortunately, the use of industrial insulation on process equipment and piping not only saves money and energy, but also reduces the potential for heat- related illnesses. As insulation is added to systems, the surface temperature of these systems is dramatically reduced. This provides a cooler work environment that yields higher productivity, as workers do not require as many breaks and are less concerned with the potential for burns from hot surfaces. Furthermore, insulation helps reduce the amount of work your machine has to do by decreasing the amount of energy used without sacrificing quality or performance. Learn more about the energy saving benefits of insulation.

The use of UniTherm’s UniVest® and ISOCOVERS Insulation Systems product lines provide easy and efficient ways to save energy and money while creating a cooler and safer work environment. Additionally, these product lines can be purchased online because they now are available in standard “off-the-shelf” sizes, which drastically reduces the time and costs often associated with custom insulation jobs. For all of our heat prevention products, view our online shopping cart here.

For additional tips on how to keep your facility cooler and your workforce happy and motivated, click here for more information about preventing heat-related illness.

Share your stories about dangers of heat illness and let us know how you are preparing for the coming summer months on our social media pages:

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April 3, 2015 by UniAdmin

UniTherm @ NPE 2015

UniTherm has spent the last year preparing for NPE 2015 and boy what a year it has been. NPE 2015 wrapped up just last week, but we are still dealing with the aftermath. We decided to take our NPE presence one step further this year. We are a growing company, on the forefront of innovation. Just because we lead the way in our market, doesn’t mean we are going to stop moving forward. Here’s what NPE 2015 was like for us and what we got out of it.

NPE 2015 Preparation

Kendal, Danny, and Brandyn discuss literature handouts for NPE.

Before heading to NPE, we had to come up with our message and what we wanted to showcase at the conference. In the years past, we took a “see what sticks” approach, showcasing all of our products and trying to answer every question for every application. As you could expect, this became very exhausting and spread our team extremely thin. For NPE 2015, we wanted to do the exact opposite and shake things ups. We had one goal in mind: Promote and Inform customers about our standardized product lines, in this case, the UniVest® Insulation Systems line. This approach made everything much simpler and more focused. We moved forward with having our entire booth to be designed around promoting the UniVest® product line. Brochures, koozies, mock barrels, and live heated applications, everything was UNIVEST®. This more focused marketing approach allowed our entire team to be able to handle anyone and almost any questions they may have had. The simple and standardized design of the UniVest line is built for ease of use and presents a minimal learning curve for users. Literally, (as many of us put it) if you have heat, you can benefit from using UniVest®. We moved forward with this single goal in mind and put together one fantastic booth.

Show

UniTherm booth before the show opens.

For many on the UniTherm team, this was their first NPE. Some nerves were high, but we planned ahead of time to anticipate questions that could be asked and went over all of the key points of the UniVest® line. On Monday morning, we hit the ground running. Our booth was immediately swamped with attendees inquiring about our booth, our company, our products, and, of course, our T-Rex. Through the entire show, there were very few moments we had to ourselves. We had all types of questions, for a myriad of applications, and even received some that we hadn’t thought of before. We had our typical injection molders, extrusion, and blown film plastic processors interested in our jackets, but some attendees had different ideas for our jackets. Have you ever thought of heat loss in your BBQ smoker? Neither did we, but one gentleman thought our ThrowBlankets with magnets would be the perfect solution. How about insulation for marine turbine exhaust? The way it was explained to me was it’s basically a jet engine on a boat. Of course, we’d love to help with that!

We were able to generate more leads, within the first 3 days at NPE, surpassing the amount produced from an entire week’s worth of the previous years. The overall reception of our booth and products was fantastic. We ran out of handouts, our signature koozies, and 50 lbs. chiclet gum by day 4. What a good problem to have!

We also decided to expand our reach at NPE this year by doing a short video series highlighting some exhibitors at this year’s conference. Videos were produced, shot, conducted, and edited by our in-house marketing team and can be seen here:

Post-NPE 2015

NPE Leads, Leads, and More Leads.

The work doesn’t stop after the Expo ends. Once we got home, editing on the videos we shot began and came out quickly for people to see the recap of the show. We collectively took a sigh of relief we all survived the show. Now, with the great responses, leads, and business cards we received, now we have to follow up! This is where the real fun begins.

Let’s just say, this is going to take some time. It’s obvious why NPE is only every 3 years! We have some very special campaigns in the works for those who had the chance to visit us so be on the lookout!

Now, we prepare for NPE 2018. Who knows what we’ll bring to that show, but I can guarantee it will be amazing!

For more about UniTherm at NPE 2015, visit our social media pages:

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January 21, 2015 by UniAdmin

4 Common Misconceptions About Industrial Insulation

We come across many people who have the wrong idea about industrial insulation and think what we offer is not right for them. We ask them a few questions, and usually they are left wondering why they haven’t insulated their equipment sooner. We throw them a UniVest and they rush out the door to install it (cause it’s really that simple).

So we don’t have to go through the same spiel every time, we’ve compiled the most common misconceptions people have when it comes to industrial insulation.

1. Insulation is for my home, not my machines

This is the most common one we come across and it’s pretty obvious why. The first thing people think about when you say insulation is their home and what’s inside their walls. That’s a perfect analogy because UniVests work the same way. Properly insulating your home saves you hundreds of dollars a year on home heating and cooling costs. It protects outside temperatures from affecting the temperatures you want inside. The easier it is for your home to maintain its temperature, the less you spend at the end of the month. UniVests are no different, except we deal with higher inside temperatures. Take a second and think, if you save hundreds by properly insulating your home, imagine how much could be saved when insulating your machine. We’ll give you a hint…its much greater!

2. No Budget for Insulation

We all have budgets. Yeah, and we know they can be small and hard to deal with. Trust us, Windows 98 is getting really old at the office. Making new purchases on things that you are already operating without can seem like a luxury purchase. Little known fact is that with proper insulation, a company can see ROI (Return on Investment) in under 12 months. In the right conditions, a single set of UniVests or ISOCOVERS can last 5+ years after installed. That’s 5+ years of return. In 12 months or less, most companies make back the purchase price of a UniVest from energy savings alone.

3. My machines are working fine now without insulation

We’re sure they do, but wouldn’t you like for them to work better? Insulation minimizes the downtime of the machines they are on and relieves stresses from a hard working machine. This even increases the lifespan of the equipment. Wouldn’t we all like to work a little easier? Your machines would too.

4. Who Needs Protection Anyway

The biggest thing that people don’t realize is that insulation also improves workplace safety. As seen in a few of our videos on Youtube, a heated barrel with a UniVest on it can be touched and worked around without any special protective gear. More Safety = Less downtime and less liability. Insulation can also decrease surrounding ambient air temperature. Decreasing work fatigue due to high temperature and more comfortable work areas.

Here’s typically the point where some people are kicking themselves for not already having insulation installed. If you didn’t make it this far, we completely understand. Our insulation systems are much more than the sum of their parts and offer a lot more usability than most people realize. If you’ve finally come to the conclusion that insulation could benefit you, take a look around our online shopping cart at www.shop.unitherm.com. For some help finding the product, measuring, or just want some more insulation entertainment like this blog, visit our youtube page: www.Youtube.com/UniThermInsulations

October 10, 2013 by Kendal White

All Aboard the Simplicity Train- Final Destination, Further Money Gain!

Energy efficiency, in theory, is one of the simplest ways to save money. As energy costs continue to rise, industrial industries in particular, need effective ways to reduce the amount of energy they consume. America’s manufacturing sector is the largest in the world and reducing energy waste at industrial facilities can provide huge benefits for companies by boosting industrial competitiveness while creating and retaining jobs through cost-effective energy efficiency improvements

According to the U.S. Energy Administration, estimates show that the industrial sector consumes more energy every year than any other U.S. entity. Yet, reaping savings in the industrial sector is more like a scavenger hunt thanks to the myth that energy efficiency improvements are easily attainable. Energy efficiency in this area is always more work, and it requires a good amount of experimentation.

So what makes the industrial sector so much different? Here are a few factors to consider:

Industrial environments are extremely complex and consistently changing, making predictions far more difficult to ascertain due to various factors such as weather, product variation and constantly changing schedules.
Efficiency is a relatively low priority for many industrial companies. Industrial customers are very risk-averse and will not make changes to existing processes if they could jeopardize the flow of operations.

It may seem that big problems require big solutions…

When it comes to guaranteed money savings and economical, efficient operation of a vast array of facilities, using thermal insulation is like “solid gold.” With rising energy costs and the unwanted environmental emissions accompanying lost energy, the time has definitely come for facility owners, operators and energy managers to fully take advantage of this valuable money saving, energy conserving, and emissions reducing tool.

So it all comes down to money. This makes it critical to find solutions that are easy to install and support; and offer you the most value for your money.

A major culprit across all industries is heat waste, the byproduct of inefficient technology. The more heat you lose the higher the cost, so identifying key areas for insulation can go a long way towards increasing efficiency. Equipment valves, flanges, expansion joints, and other irregular surfaces are common culprits of heat leakage. Routine system maintenance on industrial processes often involves removing insulation on pipe valves and fittings. If it is not replaced, the energy loss can be substantial.

To circumvent these issues, many industrial professionals have turn to removable/reusable insulation jackets to maximize heat retention and increase performance. The efficiency and proficiency of utilizing a removable/reusable insulation jacket, translates into improved facility and personnel protection, enhanced operational efficiency, and less energy consumption- easily making this product a no brainer for companies.

In a nutshell….

Companies need to work smarter, not just harder, in order to be successful. A company’s success should be measured by how wisely it uses energy, water, and other resources; how well it maintains a high quality of life for its people; and how smart it is in building prosperity on a sustainable foundation. Companies must become smarter about how they use existing capacity and resources in order to be productive and profitable. If not, they will be overshadowed and outpaced by other companies that are laying the foundation to prepare for future growth.

September 24, 2013 by Kendal White

I want to say one word to you. Just one word: Plastics!

Mr. McGuire: I want to say one word to you. Just one word.

Benjamin: Yes, sir.

Mr. McGuire: Are you listening?

Benjamin: Yes, I am.

Mr. McGuire: Plastics.

Benjamin: Exactly how do you mean?

Mr. McGuire: There’s a great future in plastics. Think about it. Will you think about it?

When Walter Brooke, as Mr. McGuire, spoke those words to Dustin Hoffman in his legendary role as Benjamin Braddock in the classic film The Graduate, audiences would not have known just how enduring the future of plastics would be. Since 1976, plastics have been the most used material in the United States and will most likely continue to be used in many years to follow.

However, plastics have a bad rap for the ways that they negatively impact the environment; it is inexpensive to make and easy to discard. Plastic morphed from an engineering triumph into a global plague. A 2000 survey conducted by the American Chemistry Council (ACC), discovered that fewer than half of Americans had a positive opinion of the miracle material; and 25 percent “strongly believed” that plastic’s environmental negatives outweighed its benefits.

Plastics are ubiquitous; they are an intrinsic part of our modern world. Plastics are incredibly useful, and despite their reputation, can be an energy efficient alternative to their glass and aluminum counterparts. Plastics are not only energy efficient, but saves the United States dollars by the second. In a recently conducted test, researchers found out that by using plastic over other materials such as glass and metal, the United States economy could save over $336 trillion. Plastics certainly have made a home in our world’s economy as the “useful innovation of the millennium.”

However, plastic requires more than just an image makeover if it’s going to make a positive contribution to a more energy efficient, less disposable world. The solution may be for plastic to keep doing what it does best—evolving, in essence, to become a better substitute for its current form; to focus not solely on what new plastics will be used for, but where they will go when they’re thrown away, and then engineer them to break down accordingly.

July 3, 2012 by Kendal White

[Infographic] Where Would We Be Without Plastics?

There’s no denying that plastics are integrated into pretty much every part of our daily lives. Here at UniTherm, the plastics industry makes up a huge part of our business – so we thought it only fitting to do a little digging into the most significant advances in plastics.

Click to View Full Size

1862—At the Great International Exhibition in London, Alexander Parkes demonstrates an organic material derived from cellulose that when heated, molded, and cooled can retain an entirely new shape.

1868—Celluloid is used as a substitute for ivory in billiard balls.

1872—The Hyatt brothers patent the first plastics injection molding machine.

1880—Cellulose nitrate replaces horn in hair combs.

1890—Thermoforming is developed and used to make babies rattles and teething rings from cellulose nitrate.

1892—British chemists develop viscose silk (rayon).

1900—Swiss chemist develops cellophane.

1910—Stockings made of rayon are manufactured in Germany.

1915—At the British Industries Fair, Queen Mary admires casein products and orders several pieces of jewelry made from it.

1916—Rolls Royce begins to use phenol formaldehyde in its car interiors.

1926 – Eckert & Ziegler patent first commercial modern plastics injection molding machine.

1930—3M invents Scotch tape, the first transparent sticky tape.

1935—Wallace H. Carothers develops nylon at DuPont.

1937—Italian and German engineers produce the first twin-screw extruder machine.

1938 – First toothbrush with nylon tufts is manufactured.

1940—PVC is produced in the UK.

1942—Dr. Harry Coover at Eastman Kodak discovers Super Glue.

1945—Sqezy plastic bottles begin to replace glass bottles for shampoos and soaps.

1948—Swiss engineer invents Velcro.

1949—Tupperware made from low-density polyethylene launched in the US.

1949—Joseph Strivers develops Lycra at DuPont.

1950s—The polyethylene bag is introduced.

1956—The first commercially successful car with an entire glass-reinforced-plastic body goes on sale in the UK.

1957—The Wham-O Toy Company creates the Hula Hoop.

1958—Lego produces pegged blocks from cellulose acetate.

1959—At the American International Toy Fair, Mattel unveils the Barbie Doll.

1960s—Water-based acrylic paints are introduced.

1969—Neil Armstrong plants a nylon flag on the moon.

1973—PET (polyethylene terephthalate) beverage bottles are introduced.

1976—Plastics become the most used type of material in the world.

1979—The first commercial mobile phones introduced.

1979—The first PVC-U double-glazed windows installed.

1982—The first artificial heart made mainly of polyurethane is implanted in a human.

1983—The slim Swatch watch is made with 51 plastic components.

1988—Triangular recycling symbols are introduced.

1991—Dyson launches popular vacuum cleaner in Japan.

1994—A smart car is made with colored polycarbonate panels that are lightweight and flexible.

2001—Apple develops the iPod.

2009—Boeing nicknames a 747 “Boeing’s Plastic Dream” because 50% of the plane is made from plastic material.

June 1, 2012 by Kendal White

Manufacturing Matters: June 1, 2012 Weekly Wrap Up

Mainbiz, a business news source, offered tips for finding ways to save energy at virtually any business. Simple things like space heaters and soda machines add up to hefty energy costs. Where can you save energy costs in your business?

Image via Flickr - Walmart Corporate

The Sacramento Bee reports that California may be missing out on ‘green’ manufacturing jobs. While California is a leader in encouraging renewable energy, almost all green technology products are manufactured outside of the state. As a state facing double-digit unemployment, luring manufacturing back to California could help fuel the state’s economy and offer jobs to the thousands of unemployed workers.

According to The Daily Camera, Boulder is considering commercial energy-efficiency requirements as voluntary incentives have not produced the energy reduction the city hoped to achieve. The program would start with expanding current inventive programs, followed by a mandatory energy rating and reporting. Read more

Have a Reshoring Story to Tell? IMTS and ReshoreNow.org are offering the chance to tell your reshoring story and will showcase selected stories as part of the Manufacturing Technology Drives Reshoring program. (thanks @ajsweatt for sharing this link)

Market Watch reports that the Obama administration launches $26 million multi-agency competition to strengthen advanced manufacturing clusters across the nation. “The Jobs Accelerator Challenge is one way the federal government is helping to support the manufacturing industry, a vital source of middle-class jobs,” said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. “The innovative products developed as a result of this federal grant program will help our economy maintain its global competitive advantage, while also creating jobs at home.” Read more (thanks @mfrsnews for sharing this link)

May 11, 2012 by Kendal White

Manufacturing Matters: 5/11 Weekly Wrap Up

The New York Times reports that manufacturing is “one of the few bright spot of the recovery, restoring 489,000 jobs since the beginning of 2010.” The article also describes geographic distinctions in growth, with half of the most manufacturing-specialized metropolitans now located in the Midwest.

Plastics News reports that in California a controversial pro-plastics lesson has been removed from a new statewide curriculum on the environment. After the EPA looked over the proposed curriculum, the section titled “Advantages of Plastic Shopping Bags” was replaced with recycling statistics in an 11^th grade textbook.

image from flickr

ICIS News announces that researchers at technology company Siemens have developed an alternative to ABS plastic. The new material—made with 70% renewable content—is the result of a three-year project funded by the German Research Ministry and was successfully used to make a vacuum cleaner cover.

image from icis.com

GreenBiz examines the Sustainability Leadership List, which recognizes environmentally-conscious companies each year. But because some criticize the results, they also discuss plans for the Global Initiative for Sustainability Ratings that would develop a standardized method of measuring and ranking sustainability performance.

Plastics Today recognizes Dignity Health, the founding sponsor of the Healthier Hospitals Initiative, as one of the first hospital groups in the country to start using pigment-free patient plastics. This California-based healthcare organization is a leader in sustainability efforts to reduce hospitals’ impact on the environment by adopting innovative alternatives.

May 7, 2012 by Kendal White

Opportunities for Greater Efficiency in Custom Molding

As more and more manufacturers see significant energy savings after insulating their machines, insulation jackets are becoming priority number one in many energy management strategies.

UniTherm has been supplying insulation jackets in the plastics industry for over 30 years, and with each new product and custom service, UniTherm strives to address a specific processing need. With this innovative mentality, UniTherm can provide opportunities for greater efficiency, as it has with its new product called QuickCool.

QuickCool is an insulation jacket with an additional feature—it is designed to open easily so that machines can quickly cool as they are prepared for different processes. QuickCool wraps completely around the barrel and insulates as well as UniTherm’s other jackets, but it has high-temperature straps on the inside to hold it in place while the top flap opens to release heat when necessary. Otherwise, the top flap velcros tightly to the rest of the jacket to keep machines working at high efficiency with minimal heat loss. This way, barrels and heater bands are always easily accessible without having to remove the entire jacket, and machines can reach and maintain different desired temperatures as needed.

QuickCool closed to insulate

QuickCool open to release heat

Barbara Arnold-Feret, custom molding expert and new addition to UniTherm’s sales team, calls QuickCool a “flexibility enhancer.” QuickCool, she explains, “offers all the advantages of insulation along with the ability to change temperatures quickly. It allows great flexibility for molders looking to cool their machines for whatever reason, including material changes.” No longer do custom molders need to worry about insulation encumbering their access to the machines or their ability to switch processes involving different materials. “It is especially convenient when working with polyolefins and perfect for molders that make a little of everything,” says Barbara.

In fact, a custom molder with 3,000 molds running short runs with PolyPro and ABS installed QuickCool blankets on its machines and found that the product allowed them to cool from 550˚F to 350˚F in the time it took to change the mold.

UniTherm has been supplying insulation for over 30 years, and the Research and Development team continues to explore new energy-efficient solutions. They are excited to offer a product that will not only save energy but also adapt to the alternating processes in custom molding.

Proactive Maintenance : Insulation

Stop The Problem Before It Happens = Greater Savings

Increases Life Cycle of Applications

Increases Performance

Provides a Safe Work Environment

Where Does Insulation Fit In?

What’s Next?

Dangers of Heat Illness

UniTherm @ NPE 2015

NPE 2015 Preparation

Show

Post-NPE 2015

4 Common Misconceptions About Industrial Insulation

1. Insulation is for my home, not my machines

2. No Budget for Insulation

3. My machines are working fine now without insulation

4. Who Needs Protection Anyway

All Aboard the Simplicity Train- Final Destination, Further Money Gain!

I want to say one word to you. Just one word: Plastics!

[Infographic] Where Would We Be Without Plastics?

Manufacturing Matters: June 1, 2012 Weekly Wrap Up

Manufacturing Matters: 5/11 Weekly Wrap Up

Opportunities for Greater Efficiency in Custom Molding

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