Industry

Innovations in Sustainable Design: Shaping the Future of Manufacturing

Sustainability is a crucial topic across sectors today. With a growing population and rising energy waste, material consumption, and pollution, it’s vital to reduce our environmental impact. This need is especially urgent in manufacturing.

Optimizing existing machinery and processes can help, but the future lies in sustainable design. This involves minimizing environmental impact when creating products and systems by lowering emissions, reducing waste, and limiting resource use before production.

Technological advancements have spurred innovation in sustainable design, leading to new practices that enhance environmental conservation in manufacturing. Engineers must now rethink traditional methods and consider the entire product lifecycle to make improvements.

Conducting audits and lifecycle assessments helps identify areas for better design and production. Choosing sustainable materials and using technologies like IoT and CAD software can reduce material waste and energy loss.

Adopting eco-friendly tech, like advanced gearboxes, can improve processes and extend machinery life, thus reducing environmental impact. These are some ways to promote sustainability in manufacturing. For more details, refer to the accompanying resource from STOBER.

Sustainability In Manufacturing Machine Design was created by Stober, a provider of an industry leading right angle servo gearbox
June 26, 2024 by Industry 0

Ensuring Efficiency: Key Maintenance Approaches for Oil and Gas Equipment

Every day, the oil and gas industry fuels the global economy and drives our way of life. Practically every aspect of our daily existence revolves around this billion-dollar industry. Proper maintenance of the complex equipment and specialized machinery needed to keep the entire supply chain running without interruption is key. Let’s delve into some of the challenging operating conditions within the industry and different types of maintenance utilized to support equipment reliability.

The procurement, transportation, and refining of oil present wide-ranging demands, one of the most taxing being the extremely challenging operating conditions. From elevated temperatures reaching up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit to the abrasive particulate matter found in crude oil and natural gas condensate, equipment components must perform under intense conditions. These expensive, cutting-edge components must surpass these challenges while operating efficiently and safely.

Operators are tasked with maintaining equipment across various applications that must withstand these conditions. The primary maintenance approach is preventive maintenance (PM), which involves strategically scheduling upkeep based on usage or time passed. Tasks may include replacing or repairing parts, cleaning or lubrication, and partial or complete overhauls. This method requires machinery to be checked while still in working order to prevent unplanned downtime.

Another advanced method is predictive maintenance. This approach equips assets with condition-monitoring tools and trains asset managers in the latest industry techniques. By carefully monitoring and analyzing critical assets, engineers can predict the point of failure, streamlining necessary repairs or replacements. Predictive maintenance is often more cost-effective, lowering maintenance frequency while averting unplanned reactive maintenance and subsequent downtime.

Additionally, organizations combat corrosion by implementing corrosion management programs. These programs proactively improve how critical assets are designed, operated, and maintained, reducing the cost of damage control and unexpected failures caused by corrosion. Integrated into the overall management system, these programs enhance the lifecycle and sustainability of critical assets. As technology advances, oil and gas companies are improving these maintenance strategies to ensure operational efficiency, protect worker safety, and safeguard the environment from catastrophic failures.

The Importance Of Equipment Reliability In The Oil & Gas Industry, provided by Smartcorr Systems, a provider of an industry leading cathodic protection system
June 26, 2024 by Industry 0

Beyond Financial Losses: The Full Impact of Manufacturing Downtime

In the intricate dance of manufacturing, downtime emerges as the arch-nemesis, draining financial resources and disrupting carefully orchestrated production schedules. More than mere hours lost, each instance of operational standstill threatens the fundamental trust between manufacturer and customer.

Failures to meet commitments due to interruptions sow seeds of doubt, prompting clients to seek more reliable alternatives, thereby undermining long-term partnerships. The impact of downtime reverberates throughout the entire supply chain ecosystem, from raw material suppliers to end-users. It disrupts the delicate balance of inventory management and logistics, amplifying costs and delaying delivery timelines.

Moreover, the repercussions extend beyond immediate financial setbacks to include regulatory compliance risks and potential legal liabilities, further compounding the challenges faced by manufacturers.

Proactively addressing downtime requires a multifaceted approach, integrating robust preventive maintenance protocols, continuous process improvement initiatives, and advanced monitoring technologies to mitigate risks and safeguard against future disruptions.

To learn more about how to limit the costs of downtime in manufacturing, please see the resource supported alongside this post.

The Cost Of Downtime In Manufacturing was provided by S Himmelstein and Company, one of the industry’s leading  transducer manufacturers
June 26, 2024 by Industry 0

Protecting Workers from Dust Hazards: Essential Tips and Tools

Every day, millions of workers face the dangers of occupational dust in various environments, from construction sites to factories. Despite appearing harmless, dust poses serious health risks. This overview highlights these hazards and suggests protective measures.

Dust exposure can lead to severe health problems, including respiratory diseases like pneumonia and cancer, as well as eye and skin conditions. The risk varies with the dust type, with silica and asbestos being the most dangerous, causing numerous deaths, such as 5000 annual asbestos-related deaths in the UK.

Certain dusts are combustible and can cause explosions under specific conditions. The “dust pentagon” illustrates that dust particles suspended in the air or confined, combined with oxygen and an ignition source, can lead to explosions.

To combat dust exposure, educate employees and provide PPE like barrier creams, goggles, and masks. Employers should also monitor airborne dust, ensure proper ventilation, and keep work areas clean. Reducing dust levels safeguards worker health and the business’s reputation, avoiding penalties from the World Health Organization. For more information centered around prevention methods for your workforce, such as the importance of a portable industrial vacuum, please see the infographic supported alongside this post.

The Danger Of Dealing With Dust In The Workplace, provided by DuroVac
June 26, 2024 by Industry 0

Revolutionizing Laundry: Sustainable Practices in Modern Laundromats

For decades, laundromats have been synonymous with convenient cleaning solutions, yet their ecological impact has been significant. The shift towards sustainable practices is reshaping the industry, addressing concerns over water consumption, energy use, and chemical pollutants.

Delve into the innovative strategies laundromats are employing to lessen their environmental footprint while continuing to provide essential services to communities.

Central to these efforts are advancements in water conservation technologies, with modern laundromats adopting state-of-the-art washers that use less water per load and extract more water from clothes during spin cycles, thus reducing drying times and energy consumption. This dual approach not only conserves resources but also lowers operating costs over the long term.

Moreover, the embrace of eco-friendly detergents free from harmful chemicals ensures that wastewater leaving these facilities is gentler on ecosystems, preserving water quality in local water bodies. With these progressive measures, laundromats are demonstrating their commitment to sustainable development, setting a benchmark for environmental responsibility in service-driven industries.

Learn more about these efforts via the infographic coupled alongside this post.

The Green Clean Revolution: Sustainable Practices In Modern Laundromats was created by Cents, a provider of laundry business management software
June 26, 2024 by Industry 0

The business case for building a healthy organization

In today’s competitive business landscape, companies are increasingly recognizing the importance of investing in their employees’ health and well-being. A healthy organization is not just about having a gym on-site or offering health insurance; it’s about creating a culture that supports employee physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being.

There is a strong business case for building a healthy organization. Studies have shown that healthy employees are more engaged, productive, and less likely to miss work due to illness or injury. They are also more likely to stay with their employer long-term, reducing turnover costs.

So, how can companies start building a healthy organization? Here are a few tips:

  • Conduct a needs assessment to understand your employees’ current health and well-being.
  • Develop a comprehensive wellness plan that addresses all aspects of employee health, from physical activity and nutrition to mental health and stress management.
  • Create a supportive company culture that encourages healthy behaviors and discourages unhealthy ones.
  • Make it easy for employees to participate in wellness programs by offering flexible scheduling and financial incentives.
  • Track your progress and make adjustments to your plan as needed.

Building a healthy organization is an ongoing process, but it’s an investment that pays off in the long run. By creating a workplace that supports employee health and well-being, companies can improve their bottom line and create a happier, more productive workforce.

This infographic was created by Insperity, experts on outsourced HR services and more
December 29, 2023 by Industry 0

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