industrial applications 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:

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

March 8, 2012 by Kendal White

The Dream Team of Repair Products

We’ve talked a lot lately about the miraculous UV-curing laminate known as SolarShell that makes repair jobs much easier and more efficient. Now we’d like to introduce two more agents that also take part in the repair process: (soft drumroll to cue entrance) SolarRes and SolarGel.

Neat names, but what do they do?
SolarShell products are versatile and easy to apply, so they are perfect for repairing, patching, or protecting almost any surface.

SolarRes is like your traditional resin, but it has excellent corrosion resistant properties, so it’s protective power is unmatched when it comes to reinforcing various applications that are often exposed to chemical, industrial, and abrasive environmental conditions.

SolarRes can be used to seal surfaces prior to applying SolarShell, but it also works well on top of SolarShell joints. In some cases, SolarRes is used over an entire SolarShell application to enhance its physical appearance and durability.

SolarGel is (you guessed it) a gel that is ideal for filling pocks, dents, holes, and other surface abrasions. It can be used in combination with SolarRes and SolarShell or as a stand-alone product.

Ready to use SolarShell products are perfect for repairs

What sets these products apart?
Unmatched by standard epoxy, putty, or fiberglass repair kits, SolarShell products work wonderfully for water treatment, marine, and numerous other industrial applications. Here are the highlights:

Comes ready to use in sheets, cans, or caulk tubes — no mixing necessary
Cures quickly — 15 minutes or less in sunlight or under UV lamp
Adheres to steel, concrete, insulation glass, wood, and more
Resistant to the effects of weather, water, and many chemicals

Try out the indomitable trio today — you’ll love how these products complement each other and keep your repairs looking good and lasting much longer than you’d expect.

March 1, 2012 by Kendal White

Fiberglass Laminate for Big Jobs: Reinforce an Entire Steel Tank

It seems like everyday we find new applications for SolarShell, our fiberglass laminate. Because it cures into an impenetrable fiberglass shell, SolarShell makes a patch ideal for repairing steel or other industrial applications. But what if your repair requires more than a little patch or two? What if your repair is so large you’re considering replacing the entire application instead of investing the time and resources to fix it?

No problem. Whether your problem is big or small, SolarShell can solve it.

The solution for steel
In the following example, a chicken farm used SolarShell to line a large, outdoor steel sewage tank. Lining the inside of a steel tank with laminate can add 30 plus years to the working life of the tank at a fraction of what it would cost to replace it. Sure, they could have used the laminate to patch the most corroded areas here and there—or they could have sprung for the cash to replace the tank altogether—yikes! But instead, they applied SolarShell as a liner to reinforce the walls of the tank. They realized that lining with laminate would not just repair, but it would also protect against corrosion, rust, and leaks in the future.

Steel Tank Before SolarShell

First they drained, dried, and sandblasted the inside of the tank. Then they grinded off rusted areas, patched holes, primed with resin, and applied the laminate, which cured quickly in direct sunlight (about 15 minutes). They finished the job with a new coat of paint, and the tank looked and performed like new.

Steel Tank After SolarShell

What about other applications?
Solar Shell doesn’t just work with steel—it also bonds with concrete, insulation glass, wood and virtually any other substrate and can conform to any shape, making it ideal for a variety of industrial applications.

Don’t replace what you can repair. SolarShell is easy to apply and works better than standard epoxy, putty, or fiberglass repair kits. What can you use it for?

February 28, 2012 by Kendal White

Why Induction Heat is Super Efficient

Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! It’s not up in the sky, it’s…unbelievably efficient induction heat technology!

Ok, maybe I sound a little fanatical, but if you’ve never seen induction heaters in action, I seriously recommended you watch some induction heating demos. These videos will blow your mind. You’ll see metal wires melt, aluminum cans explode, and ice cubes set ablaze—before they even have a chance to melt!

What is induction heat?
Induction is a heating method, but unlike conduction or convection heating methods, it doesn’t require a transfer medium. The inductor itself can be a simple-looking strip of coiled metal (precisely designed to optimize the magnetic field and alternating currents), and the magic is, the inductor never touches what it’s heating, and it never gets too hot to handle with bare hands. I won’t get into the physics of it all, but if you’re interested in how induction heating works, see inductionatmostpheres.com. Basically, induction heat uses radio frequencies, and that’s how it can work sans transfer medium—heat is “induced” by the circulating electrical currents.

The shift toward lean manufacturing and the emphasis on better quality control have led to the rebirth of induction technology and the development of precisely controlled, solid-state induction power supplies.

How can induction heat benefit manufacturers?
For most industrial applications, induction heating offers significant advantages over traditional heating methods—the fast, accurate, and consistent heat transfer reduces energy consumption and creates a safer working environment.

Companies like Ford, John Deere, GM, Cat, Volkswagen, and BMW have already implemented induction heat into their manufacturing processes. Most manufacturers that switch over to induction technology report a decrease in their utility bills. Why is this? Because induction is a highly efficient means of heating that requires less energy to do the same job as, say, a heater band, which is constantly losing energy and reheating.

In fact, uninsulated heater bands are only 30-70% efficient and have a limited lifespan because they must stay hot to operate. Induction heaters, on the other hand, are typically 95% efficient and don’t emit excess energy. Even better, insulated induction heaters can reduce ambient energy loss by 98%.

How can you use induction heat to make your manufacturing process more efficient? If you haven’t already, start thinking about this innovative heating method, and stay tuned for the latest in energy efficient technology.