Safety in the Warehouse
Although working in a warehouse may be an exciting experience to some- there are many injuries and even deaths that occur, and one must be careful while working in that field. Improper use of forklifts, material handling, and inappropriate use of personal protective equipment are some of the factors that explain why accidents happen in the warehouse.
Here are some tips on how to maintain safety in your warehouse:
OSHA offered these safety measures for warehouse workers’ general safety:.
- The warehouse must be well ventilated.
- All floors, aisles and surfaces must be free of clutter, hoses, spills, electrical cords and other materials or factors that could cause slips, trips or falls.
- Workers who have to perform physical work must have enough periodic rest breaks to avoid fatigue.
- All newly-hired employees must receive both general ergonomics training and task-specific training.
- Every employee must be trained on how to avoid heat stress in hot and humid environments.
You can find more information on this website:
http://www.safetyservicescompany.com/blog/warehouse-safety-general-guidelines-and-osha-citations
Life on a Rig
Ever wonder what life would be like if you lived on a Rig? When you first step on a rig, you will be handed your work boots, goggles, and working clothes. You will then be given a tour of the facility.
Depending on where you are located- some rooms have Television sets, and/or wireless internet that you can access. Some even have saunas, pools and gyms!
Offshore rigs operate 24 hours a day, so one week you might work the day shift and the next you might work the night. The schedule rotates to make it fair for everyone.
http://www.rigworker.com/lifestyle.shtml
How does Oil affect our economy?
“Over the last decade, the price of oil has taken a roller coaster ride, usually in a cyclical pattern that is in sync with the global economy. A strong economy tends to increase the demand for oil and drive up the price, while a weak economy generally has the opposite effect.”
We all have felt this wave- as the price for oil goes up, we see less and less motorists on the road because of this. But in most circumstances, oil is a need not a want. For example, I do not look at the price of oil when I put gas into my car- there is nothing in can do but pump.
“As a rule of thumb, economists say a $10 decline in the price of a barrel of oil increases economic growth 0.2 to 0.3 percentage points, helping many businesses dependent on oil, like airlines and makers of plastics and fertilizers. But the opposite is true as well, and the surge in gas prices in 2012 raised fears that it might damage the still-vulnerable economic recovery.”
Besides the price in oil, there are concerns in the Energy sector as well as the Global warning and our environment, it has put oils position under much pressure. There are also concerns between the Arab and the United States as well as Iran. All of these conflicts have something to do with Oil.
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/energy-environment/oil-petroleum-and-gasoline/index.html
Price of Oil goes down
You may have heard of small talk from other people, or just that you got gas for your car this week, the price of oil dropped! We may jump with joy here in America- But as the price of oil goes down here in the state, the price of oil increases in other countries.
“New York Mercantile Exchange settled at $97.01, down 93 cents, or 0.9% for the day, after rebounding from a session low of $95.52. Prices are down 8.6% over the last five days trading days. June Brent futures settled down 43 cents, or 0.38%, to $1112.73 on the Intercontinental Exchange.”
“The U.S. currency and oil prices tend to move inversely, as a stronger dollar makes crude more expensive for buyers in other currencies.”
http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=117696&hmpn=1
Wind Turbines
Wind turbines are located offshore; they are mounted on floating structures that allow them to generate electricity in water depths where bottom towers are not feasible to put in. These wind turbines can reduce visual pollution.
Britain has more wind turbines installed around its shores than any other country in the world and our market is rated year after year as the most attractive market among investors.
“Offshore wind is critical for the UK’s energy future and there is big interest around the world in what we’re doing.
“Floating wind turbines will allow us to exploit more of our wind resource, potentially more cheaply.
“Turbines will be able to locate in ever deeper waters where the wind is stronger but without the expense of foundations down to the seabed or having to undertake major repairs out at sea.”
Solenoid Valves
“Solenoid valves are used wherever fluid flow has to be controlled automatically. They are being used to an increasing degree in the most varied types of plants and equipment. The variety of different designs which are available enables a valve to be selected to specifically suit the application in question.”
Some of the different types of Solenoid valves are direct acting valves, direct acting 2 way valves, direct acting 3 way valves and direct acting multi-way valves. Each design has its own function and use. Here is a brief breakdown of each. To find out more information about these valves, you can visit this website; http://www.omega.com/techref/techprinc.html
DIRECT-ACTING VALVES
With a direct-acting solenoid valve, the seat seal is attached to the solenoid core. In the de-energized condition, a seat orifice is closed, which opens when the valve is energized.
DIRECT-ACTING 2-WAY VALVES
Two-way valves are shut-off valves with one inlet port and one outlet port. When energized, the core and seal are pulled into the solenoid coil and the valve opens.
DIRECT-ACTING 3-WAY VALVES
Three-way valves have three port connections and two valve seats. One valve seal always remains open and the other closed in the de-energized mode.
Depending on the application, there are different kinds of body materials for these valves. Examples are brass, bronze, and plastic.
20 RP VS 20 FP
(Click on the chart to get the full differences in different sizes)
Have you ever wondered what the difference of a 20 Reduced Port Ball Valve and a 20 Full Port Ball Valve?What do you think the differences are after reviewing the chart above?
Observers below:
- Operations Director states, “Well the cost is a big one, however, the CV Factor changes. Although, the port also changes, but a Reduced Port constricts the flow while the Full Port allows the flow to just flow.”
- Vice President of Sales & Marketing states, “One is full port and the other is reduced; however, a full port sizes go up to ¾”
- Account Executive-Inside Sales Account Manager states, “One is full port and the other is standard port, however 20RP’s are considered full port up to ¾” (Water, Oil & Gas Applications. And 20FP’s are a seal welded design.”
- Account Executive-Inside Sales Account Manager states, "20 RP's are considered full port up to 3/4"
The actual differences are: The CV Factor, how one port functions as compared to the other port, Full Port are a Seal Welded Design, Weight, Length, as well as Height
Rise in Valve shipments signals growth in Economy
“The Valve Manufacturers Association (VMA) recently released its latest annual market forecast for valve shipments. In it, plenty of good news because, for the third year in a row, shipments for the U.S. and Canadian industrial valve industry are forecast to grow, rising to about $4 billion in 2012. “
Like all manufacturing industries and shipping industries, valves saw a decline at one point during the recent world economic woes. “For our industry, which tends to lag behind the general economy and its own end-user industries, that drop was about 5% in 2009.
Based on this information that we have we can determine that while the US experienced down time in business, markets in India and China continued to grow, as well as in the Middle East.
J:\Idea\Rise in Valve Shipments Signals Growth in Economy.mht
Big Strides in Clean, Renewable Energy
Ocean Renewable Power Company Maine, LLC has been issued a permit under the Hydrokinetic Pilot Program from the Federal Regulatory Commission. This program provides developers the ability to test new hydrokinetic technologies. The hope is that a determination as to whether a site is appropriate for this technology, the impact on environmental and any other effects can be made.
The Maine Tidal Energy Project is a three part project in The Bay of Fundy. The Bay is located on the border between eastern Maine and Canada and is known as one of the most vigorous tidal energy resources in the world with over 100 billion tons of water flowing in and out. The Bay has the highest tides in the world with tidal currents that equate to the force of 8,000 locomotives.
Beginning in 2008 ORPC became the first company to generate electricity from Bay of Fundy without the use of dams. The Beta TidGen™ System was the largest ocean energy device ever deployed in the United States. After a yearlong testing process the prototype was determined a technical success, but long term environmental impact is still to be determined.
If successful the project would increase the potential for bringing clean, renewable energy to other parts of the world thus reducing our dependency of fossil fuels.
Fun Fact: In August 2010 the Coastguard rescue boat Energy Tide 2 began using a 60kW turbine designed by ORPC to power the boat when docked.
Soft seated vs. Metal seated
The difference is "soft seated" or "metal seated". Soft seated valves are used in gas applications were any leakage is absolutely not tolerated. The materials used are Teflon or ceramic. Metal seated valves can have very tight shut-off, it all depends on the coating, pressure in the line, and the lapping of the surfaces.
Originally Ball valves were designed to have soft seats such as a plastic based material, now there are so many options for valve seats. It all depends on the media of what the valve is going to be used for.
Blogroll
Flanged Valves Posts
- Safety in the Warehouse
- Life on a Rig
- How does Oil affect our economy?
- Price of Oil goes down
- Wind Turbines
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- Flanged Valves
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- NACE valves
- Pipeline Ball Valves
- Pipeline Valves
- Reduced Port Ball Valves
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