Uncategorized Archives - Page 3 of 4 - Unitherm Insulation Systems

April 29, 2013 by Kendal White

[Infographic] Reasons To Go Green

Top 10 Cleanest Countries

Iceland
Switzerland
Costa Rica
Sweden
Norway
Mauritius
France
Austria
Cuba
Columbia

Types ofMost Recyclable Plastics

PET or PETE (polyethylene terephthalate)
HDPE (high-density polyethylene)
PVC (polyvinyl chloride)
LDPE (low-density polyethylene)
PP (polypropylene)
PS (polystyrene)
Others

How to Recycle Plastic

Curbside Collection: some communities offer curbside collection of plastics for recycling
Bottle Banks: you can exchange plastic bottles for money in some states
Recycling Centers: take plastic items to be recycled

Recycling reduces the amount of plastic that ends up in landfills, decreases the amount of natural resources used to make plastic, and saves energy.

4 Reasons to Go Green

Endangered Animals: as many as 247 animals are on the critically endangered list as of 2008.
Deforestation: 8% drop in the amount of earth covered by rain forests. Many experts suggest the rain forest will be entirely eliminated by 2050.
Global Warming: an increase in carbon dioxide that has led to global warming.
Growing Landfills: filled with trash that could take millions of years to decompose

Top 10 Polluting Countries

China
United States
Russia
India
Japan
Germany
Canada
United Kingdom
South Korea
Iran

May 18, 2012 by Kendal White

Manufacturing Matters: 5/18 Weekly Wrap Up

DuPont announces prestigious packaging awards that recognize leaders in innovation, sustainability, and cost/waste reduction. Top honors went to FreshCase Packaging for its new vacuum seal that keeps meat looking and staying fresh longer than conventional packaging.

Packaging award winners, image from dupont.com

MITnews recaps “The Future of Manufacturing and the US” conference, which emphasized the importance of innovation from the manufacturing sector. MITnews highlights the fact that the US added 50,000 manufacturing jobs in January alone, and big manufacturers like Ford continue to move overseas plants back home.

Plastics News announces the DME Plastics University Scholarship Program, which will offer $1,000 awards to students enrolled in plastics manufacturing-related programs. This incentive is one of many intended to boost the number of skilled workers in the plastics industry.

The Brookings Institute discusses how location impacts manufacturing plants and the industry as a whole. In the report, “Locating American Manufacturing: Trends in the Geography of Production,” Brookings examines the advantages of clustering.

US manufacturers, image from brookings.edu

February 16, 2012 by Kendal White

How to Repair Steel in 7 Steps: Easy to Follow Instructional Video

The following tutorial shows how easy it is repair steel applications with SolarShell, our fiberglass laminate. A SolarShell patch will bond with steel surfaces to effectively prevent corrosion, rust, and leaks.

1. Prepare the damaged surface by sanding away paint and rust.

2. Measure and cut the laminate to cover the area you need to repair. SolarShell comes in soft sheets that are easy to cut to any shape or size with standard knives or scissors.

3. Apply SolarShell primer to the prepared area. Don’t worry about matching it perfectly to the size of the patch. You want to primer to seep out slightly underneath it.

4. Remove the film backing and apply the patch.

5. Apply pressure to the patch using a roller or other tool.

6. Repeat the application process as needed. You can cut and apply large patches over a single area or several small patches in different areas.

7. Let the laminate cure under direct sunlight or UV lamp. In about 15 minutes, the laminate will harden and become an impenetrable shell.

And viola, in 7 easy steps, you have an impenetrable patch. You can even line an entire steel tank with SolarShell. Whether your problem is big or small, SolarShell can solve it. Once fully cured, the laminate can be painted over, and your application will look and function just like new.

Need to repair something other than steel? Don’t worry, SolarShell bonds with concrete, insulation glass, pvc, plastic and wood as well.

Why not try it out for yourself? What do you need to repair?

September 7, 2011 by Kendal White

Petroleum Industry 1901-2011: A Timeline

The history of American oil and gas industry tells a sometimes forgotten story of innovation and progress. It not only serves as a reminder of how far we’ve come in the last century but also highlights our capacity for improving energy technology for the future.

1901 North American Oil Boom
The first oil “gusher” blows in Texas at the Spindletop field, boosting annual American oil production from thousands to millions of barrels per year. Interest in oil surges, ushering in the modern age of petroleum.

1913 New Methods of Refining Oil
In Germany, chemist Freidrich Bergius introduces a process known as high-pressure hydrogenation, significantly improving gasoline output from the refining process.

1930-1940 Nylon and Polyester Invented and Commercialized
Led by research at American DuPont Chemical, chemists develop groundbreaking synthetic materials from oil-refining byproducts. Within a few years, nylon, and polyester are used to produce clothing, parachutes and a variety of industrial materials.

1942 Fluid Catalytic Cracking
Exxon implements the world’s first commercial Fluid Catalytic Cracking system. FCC revolutionizes oil refining by creating a lighter, more usable product. FCC remains an important part of the oil refining business and is still used in refineries today.

1950-1970 Synthetic Oil
AMSOIL and Mobil Oil lead development of synthetic oils designed for high-performance military jets. In response to the success in military applications and a worldwide oil crisis, petrochemical companies introduce synthetic oils for automobiles in the 1970’s.

1970 Wave and Pulse Technology
US Department of Energy’s, National Energy Technology Laboratory aids in introducing seismic technology and mud pulse telemetry to the industry. Using seismic wave to locate oil and mud pulse telemetry to measure while drilling, oil companies save millions while locating and drilling for oil.

1990-2011
Fueled by the US Energy Policy Act of 1992, companies implement more efficient methods for producing and using alternative energy sources. These new energy efficiency standards lead to a surge in research and development and investments in alternative fuels and natural gas production.

July 20, 2011 by Kendal White

New FirePro Fastening System Makes Installation a Cinch

Every day researchers, plant managers, refinery workers and regulatory committees search for ways to improve safety in the oil, gas and petrochemical industries. With human life at stake, there is an ever-present need for continual research and development of fire safety products.

As a designer and manufacturer of passive fire protection systems for more than twenty years, UniTherm has rigorously tested products and materials to ensure that they not only offer significant amounts of fire protection, but also provide an easy to use solution in the field. Dissatisfied with the functionality of fastening systems on standard fire protection blankets, our engineers sought to develop a UL1709 fire-resistant, uncomplicated strapping system.

The result of our research is a fire-resistant, engineered metal-mesh, belting system that uses Velcro^® and a fireproof buckle to secure FirePro Blankets. Unlike the standard fastening bands, which often prove a cumbersome to employees, the new FirePro buckle system allows for easy access to equipment and simplifies the removal and installation process.

Interested in learning more about passive fire protection systems? Sign up today to receive notifications of product updates, test results and more!

July 12, 2011 by Kendal White

Passive Fire Protection Systems Save Lives

Early in June an explosion claimed the lives of four at an oil refinery in south-west Wales. The refinery, which is one of the largest in western Europe, has a good safety record according to the UK Guardian.

This tragic event serves as an unfortunate, but sobering reminder of the danger that fire poses to the oil, gas and petrochemical industry. Even in plants and refineries with histories of good safety records, maintaining fire protection systems is of the utmost importance.

In the event of a severe hydrocarbon fire, it is vital for critical process control equipment to be accessible and operational. With FirePro, UniTherm, offers a simple and flexible fire protection system to protect such equipment.

FirePro systems consist of two layers of fireproof insulation blankets secured with fire resistant Velcro™ and buckle strapping system. Unlike other methods of fire protection, the lightweight insulation blankets are flexible and easy to install and remove for routine maintenance.

[Read more…]

June 28, 2011 by Kendal White

New Blog Contributor

I’m Ashley Jernigan, Marketing Specialist at UniTherm. I’m a Texas native, but I love to travel with my husband and two-year old son. I love coffee, music and watching the Rangers play baseball. I look forward to chatting, learning and working with you!

June 20, 2011 by Kendal White

The Down and Dirty on Reusable Shopping Bags

Whether you use them to do your part to be a little greener, or your city/state has enforced a bag ban – you probably own at least a few reusable shopping bags. (I personally own a few dozen since I never remember to put them in the car and end up buying more each time I shop.)

My usual routine is to come home, unload the groceries, and then cram all the bags inside one giant Central Market bag, shove them in the bottom of the pantry and forget all about them. But that routine is changing starting this weekend. Something I never thought about before is the stuff that gets left inside those bags – namely bacteria and mold.

The Canada Times found that “64 per cent were contaminated with ‘some level of bacteria,’ about 30 per cent had ‘elevated bacterial counts’ higher than what is considered safe for drinking water, 40 per cent of the bags had yeast or mould, and some of the bags had ‘an unacceptable presence of coliforms.'” (Yep, coliforms, as in “found in feces of warm blooded animals” via wikipedia)

It should probably be obvious that the fruit, vegetables, leaky milk jugs, and packaging that’s gone through who knows how many hands would be covered in some pretty nasty stuff, but how many people really wash their shopping bags between each use?

How To Clean Reusable Shopping Bags

Fortunately its pretty easy to get rid of the mold, bacteria, and yeast with a quick warm water and mild soap rinse. Hang those bags to try on a clothes line (or hang them on your kids’ swingset like I do for all of my line-drying needs) and fold and store them when they are totally dry. Its also a good plan to bag meats and fish separately, as well as put your produce together. And if you like to purchase in bulk from warehouses like Sams and Costco, try taking your own plastic bins to carry items home in, a quick rinse with the hose and some dish soap will leave them clean and ready for the next trip to the store.

How many of you still use plastic bags for shopping? If your area has banned them, how has it affected the shopping experience for you?

June 7, 2011 by Kendal White

[Review] Total Quality Process Control for Injection Molding

Peter Van Puyvelde of Materials Views provides the following book review of M. Joseph Gordon’s Total Quality Process Control for Injection Molding, 2nd Edition.

Total Quality Process Control for Injection Molding, 2nd Edition
M. Joseph Gordon, Jr.
Hardcover
746 pages
US $175.00

In this lengthy book, a total quality approach for injection moulding applications is presented. The aim of the work is to provide a detailed planning for the implementation of total quality management (TQM) control procedures for the production of plastic parts. Moreover, limits for quality control assessments are established.

In the first chapters, an overview is given of the different aspects of TQM. Next, the complete chain of a plastic product processing operation is discussed, going from the material, over the machine and mould design towards the final processing operation. When discussing the received material to be processed, one should for instance be aware of the inherent variability of the feedstock that is used. This discussion leads to procedures to properly characterize for instance the thermal properties of the material. In the part that describes TQM principles for the machine, attention is given to the machine itself and the auxiliary equipment that is needed for a successful operation.

Continue reading at Materials Reviews >>

May 11, 2011 by Kendal White

Energy Management Bootcamp

This blog post is based on Dr. Robin Kent’s Energy Management Bootcamp webinar presentation. You can view the presentation below.

Reducing energy expenses is top of mind for almost everyone in the plastics manufacturing industry. Energy expenses account for about 6% of costs (very close to labor which equals about 10% of costs) and that number grows every day.

You’ll find the near-complete recording of Energy Management Bootcamp below, due to technical issues the first 10 minutes have been excluded, but we’ll do our best to sum up what’s missing.

Dr. Kent begins his presentation by talking about the new words – the words that drive media and activists; global warming, greenhouse effect, carbon management, carbon footprint, sustainability, life-cycle analysis, corporate social responsibility, stakeholders, and energy efficiency. These are words we won’t be focusing on today, instead we’re going to focus on the old word (and the most important word) Money.

Dr. Kent is not a tree-hugger. He is in this for the money and while he believes the new words are important, he reminds us that none of us would be here without the money.

Energy costs can easily be reduced by up to 30% with a 3-pronged strategy. 10% is management, 10% is maintenance, and 10% is technology or capital investments. Management must walk the walk instead of simply talking the talk to seriously impact energy costs. That’s a different session though, today we’re talking about the technology, and the low-cost investments that can bring the largest returns.

Taking energy management seriously is difficult because energy has always been low-cost and low priority. Most facilities aren’t equipped with the right tools and skills to handle the job, but energy is now the second or third largest variable costs – and rising. Energy supplies are no longer assured and totally secure and other countries and companies are already ahead of you in their efforts to reduce energy costs. [Read more…]

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