Manufacturing 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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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

February 11, 2014 by Kendal White

Different isn’t always better…but better is always different

Every business always has the same goal: to become world-class through everyday changes by meeting the needs of demanding customers who will become more demanding, all in a constantly evolving marketplace.

This can be a particularly challenging dilemma for those entrepreneurs who create businesses around high quality goods or specialized information. One way to work around this challenge is to present those goods or information as customized thereby enhancing the customer’s experience. Organizations realize they can often add value for their customers by tailoring or customizing their products to meet the special needs of individual buyers.

However, there is a limitation.

Pure customization requires starting from scratch every time you receive a new customer request. This can be time consuming and ultimately drives up the total cost of the finished product or service. Even though you want to be flexible to meet client needs, being overly customized has some serious down sides.

And this is where the incorporation of some type of standardization comes to the rescue.

At a time when we are constantly being told to value the new and the different, it may come as a shock to learn that the standard, the shared and the common can be a driving force of change. Indeed, many of the innovations that have transformed the world, including railroads, modern manufacturing and interchangeable parts, money, agriculture, containerized shipping, numbers, the Internet, even language, only succeed because of standardization.

Advantages of standardization

Manufactures:

Rationalize different varieties of products.
Decrease the volume of products in the store and also the manufacturer cost.
Improve the management and design.
Speed up the management of orders.
Facilitate the exportation and marketing of products.
Simplify purchasing management.

Consumer:

Establish quality and safety level to the service and products.
Inform to the characteristic of the products.
Make easier the comparison between the different offers

Public service:

Simplify the production of legal text.
Establish quality, environmental and safety policies.
Help to the economical development.
Facilitate the business.

One of the best-known examples of standardized mass production was the ‘Model T’ car produced in 1908 by Henry Ford. An unchanging design, standardized parts and (from 1914) a moving assembly line all helped reduce costs dramatically, from $850 in 1910 to $360 in 1916. Hence, the term Fordize: “to standardize a product and manufacture it by mass means at a price so low that the common man can afford to buy it.”

A modern day example of the power of standardization is the GSM™ mobile communication technology and its successors (3G, 4G…), truly global phenomena, in which ETSI has played a leading role. Although GSM was originally envisaged as a solution just for Europe, these technologies have been deployed worldwide. As a result, travelerstoday can communicate and use familiar services in every corner of the world – all thanks to standardization.

Without standardization these innovations may not have happened or may have not reached as many people as they have.

Standardization is not a bad thing, but like anything else when it is not used properly or with the right intent it can cause people to fear it. Don’t be afraid of standards. Use them to help you toward your creative goal. You don’t need to reinvent your process each time you have a new customer. Figure out the best systems for working with a client and use them over and over again. If you create strong standards, you actually have a better platform to generate customizable projects. If you save time and energy on the basic things, you can get your creative on where it will make the most impact.

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.

May 14, 2013 by Kendal White

Manufacturing – Made in America (Infographic)

Generally, the mass population views manufacturing as beating hammers, arduous physical labor, and ancient assembly lines: employees don’t have to ponder their actions, due to their robotic movements. Manufacturing has come light years since its birth in America. Gone are the days of little pay, few benefits, and the distress of job outsourcing.

U.S. manufacturing, ‘made in the USA,’ is making its resurgence. Factory employment has increased for the first time in more than a decade: 500,000 jobs created in three years. The perception is manufacturing in the United States is slowly vanishing, and it may have appeared that outsourcing would be the demise of the American worker. Nevertheless, 30% of the country’s productivity progress is due to manufacturing.

Countless companies are reestablishing their manufacturing presence in America: Sleek Audio, Peerless Industries, The Coleman Company, NCR, Walmart, and Apple. Companies are parting with their Chinese industrial divisions to move back to America; production in the U.S. will attain cost efficiencies, increase local control of the manufacturing process, and curtail lead times. Mounting shipping and manufacturing costs have companies concerned about their future in China.

According to experts, the cost advantage associated with China is steadily declining. American companies have won substantial allowances from Unions in the past 10 years; meanwhile, China’s middle class is demanding increased pay. The United States has access to cheap energy, and its factories are profiting from the shale boom. Planes and ships are transporting goods and materials thousands of miles outside of the U.S., and this translates to steep fuel prices.

Despite the sheer size of U.S. manufacturing, 10^th largest economy in the world, China has the upper hand on future transportation. China’s high-speed light rail system stretches from Beijing to Guangzhou to Shenzhen, and it will continue to challenge airmail rates. The expansion of a high-speed rail system in America trails China by eons, yet China’s infrastructure lacks that of the United States’. China’s sprawling cities possess millions of consumers, and this is its epicenter; its wealth is exceptionally concentrated. The United States has a retail foundation stretching to secluded areas of the country due to the middle-class population base throughout the country.

An advanced breed of manufacturing is spreading in America: specialized manufacturing. Specialized training and computer skills are in high demand because of progressive technologies and an increase in machine quantity. Mastery of these machines is a necessity, and countless manufacturing positions are now demanding a 2-year technical degree, soon to be a 4-year degree.

Manufacturing in America is evolving and making its comeback. The U.S. has solidified its place as the largest manufacturer of goods.

July 2, 2012 by Kendal White

A Solution to Skilled Labor Shortage? Become a Company That Teaches

Manufacturing is no-doubt facing a crisis of shortage of skilled, experienced workers. Jobs are out there, ready to be filled, but qualified employees aren’t applying.

Manufacturers can look at the issue as a problem that falls on the shoulders of high schools, trade schools, universities and the educational system in the US in general — or they can take a proactive stance and become the teachers of tomorrow’s skilled workforce.

One manufacturing company just north of Dallas, Texas is doing just that. UniTherm International is a manufacturer of finished industrial and commercial insulation products. During a time when most small businesses have pulled back, aimed to simply stay afloat, or worse have been forced to close their doors, UniTherm sees the current economic conditions as an opportunity to grow and leave its competitors behind.

One challenge this manufacturing company faces as demand continues to increase is finding experienced and skilled industrial sewing machinists. Like any other challenge UniTherm has faced during this period of aggressive growth, they have met it head on with a unique solution that benefits an entire community.

The month of July will kick off a series of free, hands-on industrial sewing classes. Anyone is welcome to join, and spots will be filled on a first come first serve basis. Throughout these free classes students will learn the basics of operating an industrial sewing machine and reading work orders and product drawings.

Some students will finish the classes with a job offer, but all will have the hands-on experience and skills many manufacturers are looking for, but struggling to find, in potential employees.

Interested in attending or learning more about the sessions? Contact UniTherm International at info@unitherm.com or 800.657.9542.

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 31, 2012 by Kendal White

Up-skilling in the Manufacturing Sector

$29.75 an hour. That’s $61,880 a year. Not too shabby.

Manufacturing is one of the remaining sectors that provide high-paying jobs to workers without college degrees. For high school grads, earning potential in manufacturing exceeds earning potential in construction, logistics, and hospitality, other sectors that generally don’t require post-secondary education. Workers in manufacturing can get in on the ground level and work their way up to management positions, garnering raises and benefits along the way.

Is this all about to change?
According to the April Job Report by the US Department of Commerce, the education level in the manufacturing workforce is rising steadily: in 2011, 53% of all manufacturing workers had at least some college education, up 10% from 1994.

image from the US Dept. of Commerce

What does this mean for manufacturing?
Because the manufacturing sector has begun building a labor force of higher-educated and higher-skilled workers, factory work isn’t what it once was. Today’s high-tech manufacturing industries take advantage of innovative engineering and state-of-the-art machinery—no longer the dark image of 17^th century industrial life portrayed by Dickens.

A skilled and educated work force will keep US manufacturers competitive in a global economy and will spur technological advancement. In fact, House candidate Dan Kildee claims that any disinvestment in education is bad manufacturing and industrial policy: “Its just bad policy to not educate the kid who might have the next billion dollar idea. We have to create productive produces in this country.”

Hopefully the up-skilling trend won’t bar the middle class workers it once sustained. Rising education levels may encourage students and current members of the workforce to pursue degrees or certificates in manufacturing-related fields. Grants and scholarships in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education abound, and many manufacturers support employees (via time off or funding or both) as they continue their education.