Muhammad Mukarram Technical Services L.L.C

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6 Ways to Maintain Custom Stainless Steel Fastener Performance

Stainless steel fasteners are one of the best options to use in any application. They are known for their strength, corrosion resistance and durability. However, like any other component, knowledge of the correct custom stainless steel fasteners, their application and maintenance, will assure flawless performance. Personnel should be educated as to the correct expectations for stainless fasteners. All employees would benefit from a basic understanding of these stainless components. We provide valuable information in this post.

Important Points about Custom Stainless Fasteners

Your employees will have a better understanding about stainless steel fasteners after reading the information given below:

1. Make sure you get the Right Stainless Steel Grade: The best stainless steel grade to look for in fasteners is 303 SS. This is the most common grade for screw machining. Grade 316 has a higher corrosion resistance level than 304. However, this also means that 316 will be more expensive and the maintenance requirements will be higher than Grade 304. Grade 304 has properties best suited for welding. Hence, make sure you get the right grade of stainless steel for your application.

2. Use the Right Tools for Installation: Drilling is a process where holes are created in the equipment to install fasteners. If you wish to enhance the performance of a custom stainless fastener, ensure that the tool settings and the holes are adjusted and created to the specifications of the fasteners. If the setting is too small the fastener may not get installed properly. If the slotted hole is too big the fastener can become loose causing the equipment to rattle.

3. Lubricate the Thread before Installing: Sometimes during installation the threads of the fastener can get stuck and may suffer from galling. This refers to threading wear due to excess force applied on them which can affect the fastener’s performance. The easiest way to avoid this is to lubricate the threads with oil to prevent any interference during installation.

4. Maintain a Proper Cleaning Schedule: Contamination can have a negative effect on stainless steel fasteners. When stainless steel is exposed to other materials, moisture, dirt and vapor, their performance and durability diminish. If left unchecked this can lead to frequent fastener replacement. The best way to avoid this is to maintain a proper cleaning schedule. Use cleaning fluids that dry quickly and will not leave moisture on the fasteners. Keep the fasteners dry and protect them from vapors emanating from equipment or from outside the facility.

5. Perform Electrochemical Polishing on the Fasteners: Another reason behind the durability of custom steel fasteners is that they have a protective layer of chromium oxide on their bodies. However, if the fasteners are exposed to water or moisture a lot, this protective layer can wear off leading to physical deterioration. If you notice that the custom stainless fasteners have become dull it would be a good idea to get them electro-polished. This process is performed to help fasteners that have lost their chromium oxide layers.

6. Monitor the Fasteners: If the fasteners undergo any kind of wear, chances are they can become loose which can affect their performance. Create a monitoring schedule that has employees inspecting the fasteners from time to time. If you find a loose fastener you can address the issue or replace the fastener altogether.

These various solutions can help you with the upkeep of custom stainless steel fasteners and in turn the end results. You can always feel free to discuss these individual points with us as needed.

Source by Gary Prchal

Can We Build a Robotic Oil Change System?

The other day, I was talking with an acquaintance. He is working on his Management in Engineering Degree amongst other things. After talking with him briefly about the mobile oil change business, it occurred to me that maybe someone needs to create an Oil Change Robot system to change oil in car fleets such as rent-a-cars, truck fleets, GSA car lots, and US Military vehicles to save money on training, logistical costs, and Army, Navy, Marine, and Air Force mechanics. Okay so, let’s talk, I mean is this even possible?

Why sure it is, in fact one oil company has already designed a robotic re-fueling system, so you can just pull up to the pump, and the system opens the little door, unscrews the gas cap, aligns it’s arm, puts in the nozzle and then pumps. When completed, it removes the nozzle, screws back on the gas cap, and gently closes the door, and you are done. Today, you would just hold up your iPhone and wave it over the payment system, and you are paid, fueled, and basically good to go right? Sure, why not.

Indeed, out think tank was discussing this the other day, as such a system could be used to refuel robotic drones, meaning no people would be needed for the flight-line in some foreign country to refuel, or tie down the aircraft, robotic systems would do all the work. Too far-fetched you say, baloney, even Google has a self-driving robotic car now. Yes, it did get into an accident, but guess what? It was the other cars fault – the one driven by a human!

You may think this is silly for a mobile oil change rig, but I think it’s beautiful and having been in the car washing business, I can tell you that it’s mostly robotic using robotic sensors such as sonar, electronic eyes, optical flow sensors, and infrared systems in a few cases. In the case of a fleet of vehicles, it’s simple, all the vehicles are unlocked, and everything is in the same place, the oil change robot can just drive along and do the vehicles without human labor, no more worries about health-care costs, pensions, workmen’s comp, training, scheduling, human resources, work place injuries, strikes, or shortages of qualified technicians you see?

The original systems might be costly at first, but the number of companies, agencies, militaries, and fleet owners that would buy them could generate significant advantages in economies of scale to mass produce these systems. So, why not I ask? Please consider all this.

Source by Lance Winslow

Smoke Damage Book and Document Clean-Up

Smoke damage can be caused by the smoke’s gases or the soot it leaves behind. Depending on the extent of the damage and the type, different cleaning and restoration techniques must be implemented to properly clean the mess. When smoke damages books, photos, or important paper documents, the process to restore them can be especially difficult because of the fragility of these items.

Smoke Types

Smoke damages can be categorized into three general types: wet, dry, and fuel oil soot.

Wet Smoke

Wet smoke is a low-heat, smoldering type of smoke that leads to sticky residue. This smoke damage has the potential to warp books and documents.

Dry Smoke

Dry smoke is a created by high temperature, fast-burning fires. It is especially damaging to older, more fragile books.

Fuel Oil Soot

Fuel oil soot occurs when furnaces and other heat sources give off gritty puffs of soot. This kind of smoke acts as an abrasive on paper items like books and archive documents.

Smoke follows a general pattern for movement and destruction. It moves to the top floors of buildings. It is attracted to cool areas and easily moves through plumbing and ventilation systems.

How Damage Occurs

Smoke damages books and documents by staining exposed surfaces, mainly covers and paper edges. Damages to these items will depend on the quality, age, and condition of the documents affected. It will also depend on how well the items were stored prior to encountering the smoke. Most home and business owners keep books on shelves. Therefore the damage occurs mostly on the outer bindings and the top edges. Properly stacked books and documents will actually protect each other from intense smoke and soot damage. Keeping book shelves and desks away from the ventilation ducts or pipe work will also reduce the likelihood of smoke damage.

Restoration and Cleaning

Regardless of how much damage your books or documents have received, it is important to take extreme care when handling them. Books may not seem to have experienced much damage, but smoke, especially dry smoke, can ruin book bindings and make pages very brittle. Never handle damaged books by their pages – otherwise, increased “fingerprint” damage can occur.

You can clean most mildly damaged books by wiping the covers and paper edges with a dry sponge. This removes residue and prevents soot and ash from continuing to stain your books over time. However, you must be sure that you clean these items in a low humidity environment otherwise the moisture in the air can collect on the paper and cause further damage.

If your books, photos, or documents have experienced moderate to heavy smoke damage, you should seek out a professional book and document restoration specialist. Restoration companies have a number of state-of-the-art cleaning techniques they can employ to recover your damaged books. Many companies have sanding techniques to remove stubborn soot stains on page edges and employ a deodorizing technique to remove smoky odors. Other professionals will use ozone gas chambers to remove stains and safely deodorize documents.

Smoke is a lesser known damager of home and business materials. It can, however, be the most damaging because it is harder to assess the extent of the damage until it is often times too late. By properly employing strategic storage techniques and proper material handling practices you can greatly reduce the potential for smoke damage in the event of a disaster or emergency.

Source by Ben Anton

Air Handling Unit – Components and Purchase Considerations

In commercial setups as well as homes, there is a vital need of fresh, uncontaminated and temperature controlled air. It forms the basis for a suitable environment to perform a particular operation. Generally, industrial complexes have various equipment installed to control the quality of air such as air conditioners, heaters and ventilators. An essential equipment mounted to operate in conjunction with these devices is an Air Handling Unit or an AHU. It is a very significant device that can modify and condition the air as per needs. These days, many Air Handling Unit manufacturers produce these devices with varying capacities and unique features such as smoke detecting systems and more.

The Air Handling Unit or an AHU is designed by incorporating different functional units that perform specific jobs. If you are planning to integrate an AHU into your commercial plant or home premises, here is some basic information about the device for you to know its functionality.

Mixing chambers – The important task of exhausting the air from the inside of the building and mixing the air from the outside is performed by the dampers installed inside the mixing chambers.

Conditioning element – Just like the air conditioners used in homes do, the conditioning element does the task of conditioning the air and adjusting its temperature to hot or cold. Components like heating coils and cooling coils are used to achieve the desired level of temperature. The elements like water at high

temperature, a stream of hot or cold air and cold water are commonly used in this part.
Filters – Filters take the vital responsibility of cleaning the air present in the atmosphere. Air Handling Units consist of filters that perform the task of removing all the dust and other contaminants present in the air. The air stream coming out of the filters is absolutely sanitized and dry.

Humidifier – As the name suggests, the task of this part is to humidify the air. In applications where extremely dry air results due to regular heating, the humidifier performs the task of adjusting its moisture content.

Blower – The chief purpose of this part of the AHU is to recycle the air present in the area. For enhanced functionality, more than one blower can be integrated into the unit.

Apart from these major components, there are many other smaller modules such as sound attenuators, vibration suppressers, heat recovery device, duct pressure control devices and smoke detectors present in an AHU. These devices are equally important in ensuring the overall functioning of the device. According to the application, different sizes, shapes and installation type of the AHU equipments are available.

Before contacting Air Handling Unit manufacturers for purchasing the device, you should know your requirement. For the premises where the unit is to be used is smaller in size, a low capacity AHU would be enough. If the installation space is a constraint, opt for the equipment with compact shape and small size.

Source by Sumit Awasthi

Commercial Refrigeration Is Essential If You Own a Restaurant, Cafe or Coffee Shop

If you have your own business running any kind of catering or food service business, you will need good quality commercial refrigeration. Commercial fridges and freezers are essential in order to store food correctly, and at the correct temperature, and safely to avoid contamination or prevent the food from spoiling.

There are a huge variety of commercial refrigeration appliances on the market, and the choice you make will be entirely dependent upon your needs, the size of your business, and the location of the appliance. For example, freezers and fridges are normally stored within commercial kitchens, or very nearby for easy access. Coffee shops, cafes and delicatessen owners often choose these and in addition they will have a serve over the counter fridge, or a patisserie display fridge, or cake display chiller cabinet. They are wonderful ways to correctly store food at the right temperature while keeping them safe from dirt, dust, or contamination, and all the while they are clearly visible to customers to entice them into tasting the delicious produce!

This is why commercial refrigeration is such a specialist area. It needs a supplier who has an in-depth knowledge of the catering and food service industries. It is far more than simply supplying an electrical appliance. There are laws and standards on food storage and food service which must be adhered to in order to meet the stringent legal requirements that the food service industry has too meet. In addition, energy efficiency and safety is of paramount importance because these are appliances that are kept running 24 hours per day. The appliances need to be manufactured to the highest standards so owners can trust that they will run well and for a long time.

Commercial kitchens and food service companies are also extremely busy places so the appliances need to be built to be robust, hard wearing, easy to clean, and super strong. When deciding upon which appliances you will need, think about the types of food you prepare and whether you will need to display certain foods for customers to view. The different aspects that make your company unique, will dictate the types of commercial refrigeration you need.

For example if you run a coffee shop that services hot food, patisserie and salads, you will need fridges and a large freezer in the kitchen area, and then you may require a Patisseries display fridge and a serve over counter fridge. On the other hand, a busy restaurant may need two or three fridges and freezers in order to safely store all the produce required on a daily and weekly basis.

The best suppliers of commercial refrigeration will be able to give you advice on the best appliances for your needs. They will also be able to make recommendations for suitable locations and fitting of the appliances within your premises.

Commercial refrigeration is an area where it is best to deal with a highly reputable company who understands the business, the appliances and the needs of its customers.

Source by Jensen Mads

What Is A Server Maintenance Plan And Why Is It Important?

Server maintenance is the process of keeping the server updated and running to ensure that the organization’s computer network is operating smoothly. The network administrator usually does this, and it is crucial to the performance of the business. Without a proper IT service plan, the application software will never run as it is expected. In severe cases, the network can even experience partial or total failure leading to severe losses to your business.

Server is the term used to describe a box that holds the computer’s processor, memory and hard drive. It is built to provide maximum computing power while utilizing minimum space. Organizations install multiple servers together to increase the processing power available to support several databases, systems and applications.

Proper server maintenance requires the network administrator to conduct regular preventive maintenance. This involves a review of the server’s performance and any potential security risks as well as backup protocols on a regular basis. As part of preventive maintenance, the administrator should ensure that the inbuilt system monitoring utilities are appropriately installed and configured.

So, why is server maintenance important?

In order to keep the business’ computer network in optimal and reliable condition, you need to have regular server updates, installation of patches and diagnostics; in other words, you need a sound server maintenance plan. With this, your business’ precious hardware and software will have a greater chance of serving you for a long time. While you may have an idea of what should go into the plan, you are better off getting server experts to perform the required maintenance.

While server maintenance plans vary from one business to the other, it is universally essential to have a plan that is specifically designed to ensure continued optimization of your server and computer network. Through regular data backup, patch installation for updates and bugs, and running the diagnostics, your business’ server will be kept at peak performance, hence minimizing any risks for errors and system failures. With a maintenance plan that takes into consideration the unique objectives and demands of your business, your server will continue to be reliable and efficient enabling you to run an effective and secure business.

The most important part of a successful and effective maintenance plan is to design one that is right for you and your business since every organization has its unique goals and server needs. Alongside creating a specified plan; it is also important to consider how often you want to perform server maintenance. With a solid plan, you will also have a sensible timetable for implementation thus avoiding prolonged downtimes to your business.

The importance of server maintenance cannot be overemphasized, as without it your business cannot reach the zenith of success. But, server maintenance can be very costly if you want to keep a system administrator within your business premises. However, you can cut down on this cost by contracting a network support company to do the job for you. Through outsourced IT support, you can have experts monitoring your servers round the clock thus keeping your business operations at its peak throughout the year.

Source by Mark Kandinov

Four Fantastic Wood Floor Sanding Truths

Wood floor sanding is a process steeped in history. While there are many of the same ideals and practices, the provision has been transformed in the last decade. If you are considering employing the help of a wood floor sanding specialist, then it is important that you are aware of the truths in relation to the process. This will enable you to make an informed decision. Furthermore, it will allow you a deep appreciation of this remarkable service.

The first truth deals with the sanding process. Traditional floor sanding created a lot of dust. As the floor was sanded, the particles were thrown into the air. These landed far and wide and were not just contained to the area you were working in. The dust travelled and settled which meant a lot of time was needed to clean up after the process was completed. Dustless sanding machinery has revolutionised this process. As a virtually dust-free service, it is now much simpler and less messy to get your wood floor sanded. The particles and dust are removed through a filtration system. This allows the sander better vision during the sanding process. Furthermore, it vastly reduces the clear up needed after the floor sanding process.

The second truth deals with the assumption that companies are tied to products and machinery. The best-served professionals offer independent specialist services. This means that they work independently and so are therefore not tied to any franchises or affiliates. The benefit of this is that they are not dictated to in relation to what equipment and products they use. This allows them the opportunity to fully tailor their services for individual jobs to offer a superior, personalised finish.

The third truth deals with the thought that wooden floors can be sanded over and over again. Your chosen professional will be equipped with the experience and knowledge to take off only what they need to during the sanding process. Taking off too much will reduce the number of times that a wood floor can be restored. Taking off too little will leave you with dents, damage and unsightly areas. Neither of which is a good reflection of this professional service. Generally, there is a limit to the number of times you can get your wood floor sanded. However, this is dictated to by a number of factors. All of which your chosen professional will be able to offer tailored advice about.

The fourth truth deals with the assumption that it is a very expensive process. All of the machinery, products, techniques and process have come on so much. This has made the process a very cost-effective one. You are getting so much for your money and getting the opportunity to get the most from your beautiful wood floor. It is likely that once you have selected a reputable, local specialist that you will become a customer for life and one where you feel supported in relation to information and advice in relation to maintenance and cleaning of your wood floors.

It is clearly evident from the above information that the floor sanding process has evolved over recent years for the better. This timeless trade offers an incredible insight into a process that skilfully restores one of the most popular flooring types. This information has been put together in order to guide you through making an informed decision when the time comes to seek the help of a floor sanding professional.

Source by Mark Dykes

Common Issues Arising In Bathroom Remodels

Bathroom remodels are more work than just some paint and a little bit of tile. If considering a bathroom remodel put the extra time and money into doing a thorough job and completely gutting the bathroom back to square one. This will allow you to uncover issues that have been hidden and deal with them head on. The stuff that has been hidden surprises most homeowners. Thankfully professional bathroom remodeling companies are familiar with what can be uncovered. A complete, flawless bathroom that functions with zero problems will add not only ascetic value to your home but monetary value as well.

Many common issues with bathroom remodeling are due to two causes; one being incompetent workers and two being moisture. If a homeowner is choosing to move forth with bathroom remodeling on their own there are some things to watch for and correct before a project should be continued. Some issues are obvious while others are inconspicuous.

The first issue that can happen is with the framing of the floor. Unfortunately it is common to find floor joists in bathrooms that have been notched by plumbers. This will leave the floor weak. If the subfloor is not strong eventually the new floor will crack under the pressure.

Another issue that can occur is plumbing becomes old and corroded. If this is seen it should be taken care of immediately during the renovation. This will make it easier in the long run. Updating cast iron, galvanized drain lines and copper supply lines can easily be updated when the walls and flooring are torn up.

It seems that those tub surround and bathroom tiles only recently became required to have a waterproof installation. What many bathroom remodeling companies find when tearing apart older bathrooms is that regular dry wall has been put in place behind tub surrounds. If proper waterproofing techniques are not used in bathroom remodeling water vapors will occur causing leaks and deterioration.

With any type of moisture build up comes the nuisance mold. Very few bathrooms are remodeled without the presences of mold. Many reasons can cause this from lack of waterproof material used behind tub surrounds to inefficient ventilation. Daily moisture build up makes bathroom a likely place for mold issue to develop. It is pertinent that proper ventilation is installed in the bathroom remodel.

Another common issue is vents that are hooked up and running yet not properly vented. Vents that are run without proper duct work leading to the outside cause’s huge issues involving mold in attics and/or basement areas. When an inspection is done on a new home or a home that is being purchased this is something all inspectors know to look for. When the bathroom remodel is under way this is usually simple to fix with proper duct work.

The same applies to plumbing fixtures. It is important that homeowners to take the time to determine where the plumbing is all vented and to make sure that it is up to code and properly working. Doing a major bathroom renovation will help homeowner’s spot issues to be resolved and will stop small issues from accumulating into something larger down the road.

Source by Kevin Germain

Types of HVAC Repairs

At one time or another, you may need to implement various types of HVAC repairs. The initials “HVAC” stands for Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning systems. They are the systems that help to keep you comfortable by regulating the air flow and temperature and help to control the climate in the home. HVAC repair can range from something simple that the homeowner can take care of to serious problems that a licensed professional will need to fix. The repairs can include work that will need to be done to your vents, boiler, ductwork, or furnace.

One thing that a homeowner can do is to make sure that the filters are replaced regularly because they can become overly dirty or clogged. This problem can hinder the performance of the HVAC system drastically. If you have a closed internal vent or leaky ductwork, they can also affect the performance of the system but these problems have to be checked out by a professional.

One serious HVAC repair that requires a professional would be the replacement or repair of the furnace or boiler. If you have an older system, you should be aware that they are prone to having problems with the boiler or furnace. When you call a professional to check what is wrong they will use diagnostic software to help them diagnose exactly where the problem is and what the problem is. Sometimes it will take just a replacement part but there are times that it will have to be replaced entirely.

Two other repairs include ductwork and blocked vents, which usually can be repaired by removing the blockage from the vents or replacing the bad parts of the ductwork. These two problems need to be fixed by a licensed professional because if the homeowner tries to fix them more damage can happen and cause more problems. Another HVAC repair is the central thermostat but before you call your repairman you should do some troubleshooting. You should check to see if the batteries in the thermostat need to be changed. You also want to check all the settings and buttons to see if they were not incorrectly set by mistake. If none of these is the problem then you will need to call the HVAC repairman.

Other things that can be done to help prevent having an HVAC repair later is to make sure the insulation was installed correctly and it should also be kept up-to-date to make sure that air and heat are trapped sufficiently in your home. You should also make sure that all windows and doors are sealed completely to keep out the outside air.

Source by Lora Davis

Angling For Diversity – All About Using Corner Shelves and Bookcases to "Unsquare" Your Home

Most people tend to organize their lives in a square, 90 degree fashion. Our TV and computer screens are square, our tables, our parking spaces (okay, a stretched square…), our money, in short, everything has corners. Our homes too almost always are designed with square rooms. This is nice, neat, easy to organize, and BORING. It’s too easy to get roped into fitting everything into neat and tidy corners.

The problem is that most furniture is not designed to fit into the corners. Even if you do stuff a couch or bookcase into the corner, you waste space, and it tends to feel cramped and somehow, not right.

The solution is to find furniture that is designed to fit into corners. This will achieve 2 results:

  • 1. It’s better use of the space in the corners, and
  • 2. It looks much cooler

When you install any type of corner shelves or unit, you not only salvage valuable untapped space, you often make the whole room feel more spacious and airy.

When you break the “squareness” of the room, it adds interest and charm to your decor. Not only that, but in some cases, using this area in this way can allow a room to have more than one function. For instance, a corner shelf unit for children’s toys can separate that part of your living room off for the kids while allowing you to reclaim the rest of it for toy-free relaxation.

Sometimes, instead of just filling in an otherwise unused part of your room it can become the focus of the room. A good example of this is when you install a corner TV stand, and then position your furniture around it. Suddenly, you have your own cozy viewing area.

Another elegant solution to the corner conundrum is to install corner floating shelves. This provides you with an attractive and functional way to display collections and curios. This type of shelving provides you with less shelf space, but it can add a striking highlight to your room.

People tend to just jump out to a store, find something, buy it and bring it home. The problem with finding something as unique as a corner bookcase or shelving unit is that most stores only stock a few examples. It’s a good idea to do a bit of research and see all the available options before you decide. What you buy today you’ll have for a long time, make sure that you’re really satisfied that you found the best solution for you.

Don’t forget that using the corners can help you reclaim space and reduce clutter in every room in your home from the bathroom to the garage. You can find shelves in a wide range of materials from glass to real wood and laminate in an extensive assortment of styles and finishes.

Some things to take into consideration when you are thinking about what to do with those under-used corners in your home are:

  • 1. What’s next to that corner?
  • 2. (if you are thinking of a corner TV stand) is there an electrical source nearby?
  • 3. how close will your other furniture be to the corner?

All this is important in order to incorporate the corner into the rest of the décor. For example, if there is a doorway next to the corner, watching a TV in that corner might be distracting as people walk through the door. Also, if you want to put a corner bookcase in that corner, is there any other furniture that will be near it. Since the shelves are open in a round fashion, a couch near the shelves could very well block off access to part of the lower shelves. In short, try to picture how the corner will look, and how well it will work with the rest of the room.

Source by Joel Benstein