The chemistry of cosmetics
Cosmetics are not a modern invention. Humans have used various substances to alter their appearance or accentuate their features for at least 10,000 years, and possibly a lot longer.
Women in Ancient Egypt used kohl, a substance containing powdered galena (lead sulphide—PbS) to darken their eyelids, and Cleopatra is said to have bathed in milk to whiten and soften her skin. By 3000 B.C men and women in China had begun to stain their fingernails with colours according to their social class, while Greek women used poisonous lead carbonate (PbCO3) to achieve a pale complexion. Clays were ground into pastes for cosmetic use in traditional African societies and indigenous Australians still use a wide range of crushed rocks and minerals to create body paint for ceremonies and initiations.
Today, cosmetics are big business. According to the 2011 Household Expenditure Survey, conducted every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australians spend around $4.5 billion on toiletries and cosmetic products every year. Cosmetic advertising, previously directed mainly at women, is now targeting a wider audience than ever.
What is a cosmetic?
In Australia, a cosmetic is defined under the Industrial Chemical (Notification and Assessment) Act 1989 as ‘a substance or preparation intended for placement in contact with any external part of the human body' (this includes the mouth and teeth). We use cosmetics to cleanse, perfume, protect and change the appearance of our bodies or to alter its odours. In contrast, products that claim to ‘modify a bodily process or prevent, diagnose, cure or alleviate any disease, ailment or defect’ are called therapeutics. This distinction means that shampoos and deodorants are placed in the cosmetics category, whilst anti-dandruff shampoos and antiperspirants are considered to be therapeutics.
Regulation and safety
In Australia, the importation, manufacture and use of chemicals—including those used in cosmetics—are regulated by the Australian Government’s National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme (NICNAS). NICNAS works to ensure that chemicals used in consumer products do not cause significant harm to users or to the environment.
In the case of cosmetics, every ingredient contained within the product must be scientifically assessed and approved by NICNAS before being manufactured or imported into Australia and before they can be used in consumer products. Where appropriate, NICNAS sets limits on the level at which a chemical can be used in a product and also conducts reviews on chemicals when new evidence arises.
Introduction
Tianeptine is a tricyclic anti-depressant that is also known to have opioid receptor activity. We present two fatal cases of tianeptine intoxication in Texas in which tianeptine was used recreationally. The first case involved a 28-year-old white male found alone on the floor of his locked residence. He had a history of drug abuse but no other toxicological findings. The second case involved a 30-year-old white male found on the floor of the bathroom in his home. Drug paraphernalia and bags labeled as tianeptine powder were found at both scenes. In response to the first case, our laboratory developed a method for quantitation of tianeptine by LC–MS-MS. This method was then validated according to SWGTOX guidelines for specificity, calibration model, limit of detection, limit of quantitation, accuracy, precision, ion suppression, and carryover. This method was successfully used to determine tianeptine concentrations in postmortem blood in two cases.
Microneedles Could Enable Painless Injections and Blood Draws
Barely visible needles, or “microneedles,” are poised to usher in an era of pain-free injections and blood testing. Whether attached to a syringe or a patch, microneedles prevent pain by avoiding contact with nerve endings. Typically 50 to 2,000 microns in length (about the depth of a sheet of paper) and one to 100 microns wide (about the width of human hair), they penetrate the dead, top layer of skin to reach into the second layer—the epidermis—consisting of viable cells and a liquid known as interstitial fluid. But most do not reach or only barely touch the underlying dermis, where the nerve endings lie, along with blood and lymph vessels and connective tissue.
Many microneedle syringe and patch applications are already available for administering vaccines, and many more are in clinical trials for use in treating diabetes, cancer and neuropathic pain. Because these devices insert drugs directly into the epidermis or dermis, they deliver medicines much more efficiently than familiar transdermal patches, which rely on diffusion through the skin. This year researchers debuted a novel technique for treating skin disorders such as psoriasis, warts and certain types of cancer: mixing star-shaped microneedles into a therapeutic cream or gel. The needles' temporary, gentle perforation of the skin enhances passage of the therapeutic agent.
Many microneedle products are moving toward commercialization for rapid, painless draws of blood or interstitial fluid and for use in diagnostic testing or health monitoring. Tiny holes made by the needles induce a local change in pressure in the epidermis or dermis that forces interstitial fluid or blood into a collection device. If the needles are coupled to biosensors, the devices can, within minutes, directly measure biological markers indicative of health or disease status, such as glucose, cholesterol, alcohol, drug by-products or immune cells.
Here's the big caveat: many of those exciting supplement studies were observational—they didn't test a particular supplement against a placebo (inactive pill) in a controlled setting. The results of more stringent randomized controlled trials haven't yielded the same good news.
"Often the enthusiasm for these vitamins and supplements outpaces the evidence. And when the rigorous evidence is available from randomized controlled trials, often the results are at odds with the findings of the observational studies," explains Dr. JoAnn Manson, chief of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, and principal investigator of a large randomized trial known as VITAL (Vitamin D and Omega-3 Trial).
Because observational studies may not fully control for dietary factors, exercise habits, and other variables, they can't prove whether the treatment is responsible for the health benefits. "People who take supplements tend to be more health conscious, exercise more, eat healthier diets, and have a whole host of lifestyle factors that can be difficult to control for fully in the statistical models," Dr. Manson says.
Some supplements that were found to have health benefits in observational studies turned out, with more rigorous testing, to be not only ineffective but also risky. Vitamin E, which was initially thought to protect the heart, was later discovered to increase the risk for bleeding strokes. Folic acid and other B vitamins were once believed to prevent heart disease and strokes—until later studies not only didn't confirm that benefit but actually raised concerns that high doses of these nutrients might increase cancer risk.
How to get your nutrients
We need a variety of nutrients each day to stay healthy, including calcium and vitamin D to protect our bones, folic acid to produce and maintain new cells, and vitamin A to preserve a healthy immune system and vision.
Yet the source of these nutrients is important. "Usually it is best to try to get these vitamins and minerals and nutrients from food as opposed to supplements," Dr. Manson says.
Fruits, vegetables, fish, and other healthy foods contain nutrients and other substances not found in a pill, which work together to keep us healthy. We can't get the same synergistic effect from a supplement. Taking certain vitamins or minerals in higher-than-recommended doses may even interfere with nutrient absorption or cause side effects.
Suspicious and shady sellers peddle sex enhancement medicines at makeshift stalls on the street or through online sources, exploiting the insecurities and anxieties of consumers. They may make exaggerated claims that their products are “all natural” and can "prolong your sexual stamina" or miraculously cure medical conditions such as erectile dysfunction or impotency. However, the risks from taking these products may lead to serious side effects, including death.
Why sexual enhancement products bought from dubious sources are dangerous and should be avoided:
They may be counterfeit. Sexual enhancement medicines such as sildenafil, tadalafil and vardenafil are prescription medicines which should only be obtained from doctors or from pharmacists with a doctor’s prescription. Such medicines sold by dubious sellers can be counterfeit or fake. These products may be contaminated, contain the wrong ingredient or wrong amount of the ingredient, or contain no active ingredient.
They are of poor quality and may contain undeclared prescription medicines. Products from dubious sources are often produced under poor manufacturing conditions with no quality control by unscrupulous persons who have little regard for human health. They usually contain undeclared western medicinal ingredients or toxic ingredients in varying proportions (e.g. there could be an overdose), or contain ingredients not stated on the packaging.
They are not guaranteed to work. The claims made regarding the effects of illegal products should be viewed with caution, as they are not backed by scientific evidence or clinical studies.
Medical conditions require proper diagnosis and treatment. There are many causes for erectile dysfunction, including chronic illnesses, psychological factors and poor lifestyle. A medically trained professional can help to diagnose the root cause and work with you on appropriate treatments. In addition, medicines used in the treatment of erectile dysfunction are prescription-only medicines and should only be used under strict medical supervision as they may not be suitable for individuals with certain medical conditions and can cause serious side effects.

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PRECISION INVESTMENT CASTING
Precision Investment Casting, also referred to as lost wax casting, is a process in which metals are casted into different shapes using wax and ceramics to act as the mould for the casting. This is one of the oldest known techniques for metal casting and has stood the test of time over centuries.
It finds usage in various industries like firearms industry, energy industry, gas and oil and even food industry. While many debate upon the strength and durability of this form of casting, doubting mainly that this method might provide weaker metal shapes as compared to forging or metal fabrication, these doubts have been laid to rest since aerospace, defence and medical fields have trusted equipment that are made from Precision Investment Casting.
WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR PRECISION INVESTMENT CASTING?
As mentioned earlier, the process for Precision Investment Casting requires wax and ceramics to be the mould for the main metal. This is done in a very simple yet precise way (hence the name) and the steps are:
? Pattern Formation –Manufacturing of the wax pattern is the very first step involved in investment casting. Here it should be mentioned that wax is preferred over plastic, because wax melts easily and can be reused for another casting which is again a beneficial point from costing aspect. Special aluminium moulds are made to cast the pattern and this requires some trial and error, because factors like shrinking of the wax, the ceramic or even the metal should be incorporated.
The hard facts on marine hardware and components
While it may seem like a proportionally small detail for an overall marine fabrication project, finding the best hardware can significantly prolong the lifespan of an end product and tailor it to a specific customer’s needs. The technology for marine hardware is always changing, and it can be hard to keep up with the new products in the gap between trade shows. We caught up with a few of the nation’s most successful manufacturers and distributors to find out what’s hot this summer, and what fabricators can do to stay in the loop on the latest hardware products available.
The development cycle
Manufacturers insist that input from marine fabricators, regardless of the size of the shop they run, is key to developing new and more technologically advanced hardware. However, the process for developing a new item can take upwards of three years.
What’s hot
Because of the lengthy testing period, some of the marine hardware just entering the market now are products that have been around for a year or more—but manufacturers say that should help fabricators feel confident that these “hot” new products are road-tested and trade-show approved.
Alan Butcher of Intermold says his company is seeing rising popularity in two of its more versatile products: a new Lever Lock Joiner that securely fastens the telescoping support poles of an awning without having to use screws, and a universal deck hinge that can adapt to a wide variety of boat decks.
“There’s a whole bunch of deck hinge combinations out there, which is one reason we made the universal deck hinge,” Butcher says. “It swivels, and it fits a lot of different deck combinations, so the customer doesn’t have to have the exact angle. In the past they’ve had to slip wedges under them to change the angle of a hinge, because every deck has a little bit different camber to it. So we added a universal hinge that will adjust to whatever deck you put it on, and many customers have found that to be to their advantage.”
Tom Koster also emphasizes the importance of being able to offer versatile hardware. He says that one of his most popular new products is a ball and socket fitting, which can help a fabricator to fit a frame around the curved edges and adapt to new kinds of boats.
“Boats used to be more or less a lot of right angles, or straight angles, but now boats are manufactured with compound curves,” Koster says. “So when you put a frame down, it isn’t a straight line, because the boat itself is curved, the fittings have to be flexible, and allow movement within the hinge itself.”
The newest product we found has only been in development for 18 months, and is just being placed on the market for the first time: YKK’s new adhesive snap fastener, called the Snad. Rod Helwig of YKK says that the Snad was developed as a response to fabricators’ concerns about traditional snap applications.
The Stainless Steel Handrail Bracket Round for round or flat handrail. Sleek in design, easy to install and is safe and sturdy upon completion. It benefits from our new interchangeable mounting mechanism which makes it easy to mount to various surfaces such as Wood/Sheet Rock, Steel or Glass.
Suitable for flat or round top rail (adapter included)
Satin/Brushed Finish Stainless Steel AISI 316 Marine Grade for outdoor and indoor areas
Suitable for round handrail of 1 1/2" to 1 3/4" diameter
Suitable for wood or steel handrail
Mountable into wood stud, steel stud, or concrete
What are metal products?
The steel industry, the business of processing iron ore into steel, which in its simplest form is an iron-carbon alloy, and in some cases, turning that metal into partially finished products or recycling scrap metal into steel. The steel industry grew out of the need for more durable and more easily produced metals. Technological advances in steelmaking during the last half of the 19th cent. played a key role in creating modern economies dependent on rails, automobiles, girders, bridges, and a variety of other steel products.
Austgen - Metal Fabrication
Iron working can be traced as far back as 3,500 BC in Armenia. The Bessemer process, created independently by Henry Bessemer in England and William Kelly in the United States during the 1850s, allowed the mass production of low-cost steel; the open-hearth process, first introduced in the United States in 1888, made it easier to use domestic iron ores. By the 1880s, the growing demand for steel rails made the United States the world's largest producer. The open-hearth process dominated the steel industry between 1910 and 1960 when it converted to the basic-oxygen process, which produces steel faster, and the electric-arc furnace process, which makes it easier to produce alloys such as stainless steel and to recycle scrap steel.
After World War II, the U.S. steel industry faced increased competition from Japanese and European producers, who rebuilt and modernised their industries. Later, many Third World countries, such as Brazil, built their own steel industries, and large U.S. steelmakers faced increased competition from smaller, nonunion mills ( mini-mills ) that recycle scrap steel. The U.S. produced about half of the world's steel in 1945; in 1999 it was the second-largest producer, with 12% of the world market, behind China and ahead of Japan and Russia.
Since the 1970s, growing competition and the increasing availability of alternative materials, such as plastic, slowed steel industry growth; employment in the U.S. steel industry dropped from 2.5 million in 1974 to less than a million in 1998. Global production stood at 773 million tons in 1997, down from 786 million tons in 1988. U.S. steel production has remained constant since the 1970s at about 100 million tons, but mini-mill companies now produce 50 % of that total. An increase in U.S. demand during the 1990s was largely met by imports, which now account for from about a fifth to a quarter of all steel used annually in the United States. The old-line U.S. steelmakers, losing market share and with a higher wage, health, and retirement costs, experienced a string of bankruptcies beginning in the late 1990s, leading to industry and union pressure for protective tariffs, which were imposed by President George W. Bush in 2002 on most steel from non-NAFTA industrialised nations. Later reduced, the tariffs were found in 2003 to be illegal under World Trade Organization rules, and President Bush reversed the tariffs.
The Metal Industry is primarily concerned with metallurgy and metalworking. At first, the metals are extracted from the metal-ores found in their natural state deep within the earth. Then these ores are purified through a detailed procedure to obtain the metals in their pure form, and these processes comprise metallurgy. Then the pure form of the metal so obtained is used to manufacture structures as well as different machines and parts of machines. The procedures which involve the manufacturing of machines and other useful items from the metals so obtained through the metallurgical processes, constitute metalworking.
The manufacturing of alloys is also carried out in the Metal Industry through the proportionate homogeneous mixing of two or more metallic elements (metals in the pure state). The alloys so formed are mainly manufactured in order to enhance the natural properties of the metals by combining them together. Steel is one of the most popular as well as useful alloys of iron, formed through the chemical combination of mainly iron and carbon. In addition, it may also contain other metals, as added to the combination in order to attain desired properties from the alloy.
Metals are commodities without which a modern industrialised economy could not exist. Iron and steel, in particular, are ubiquitous and are central to meeting basic needs such as housing and mobility. Basic metal production encompasses the activities of smelting or refining ferrous and precious as well as other non-ferrous metals from ore or scrap, using metallurgic techniques. It also comprises the production of metal alloys and super-alloys by adding certain chemical elements to pure metals. The output of smelting and refining, usually in ingot form, is used in rolling, drawing and extruding operations to make products such as plate, sheet, strip, bars, rods, wire, tubes, pipes and hollow profiles, and in molten form to make castings and other basic metal products.

How Does a Metering Pump Work?
Metering pumps, also called dosing pumps, are pumps that are designed to dispense specific amounts of fluid and measured flow control. They use expanding and contracting chambers to move the liquids. Metering pumps also have a high level of accuracy over time and can pump a wide range of liquids including corrosives, acids, and bases, as well as slurries and viscous liquids. They are used in various industries like manufacturing, agriculture, and medicine. There are a variety of types of metering pumps that work in different ways. For the purposes of this post, we’ll look at diaphragm and peristaltic metering pumps.
How Diaphragm and Peristaltic Metering Pumps Work
Both types of metering pumps – diaphragm pumps and peristaltic – are very useful and will typically provide many years of reliable, efficient operation.
Diaphragm Metering Pumps
Diaphragm pumps are positive displacement pumps that move liquids using a reciprocating diaphragm. They are found to be very reliable because they don’t have internal parts that rub together, creating friction and leading to wear and tear. Additionally, because they don’t require seals or lubrication in the pump head, there isn’t a chance of oil vapor contamination or leakage of the media being pumped.
Simple diaphragm pumps have a diaphragm, two valves, a displacement chamber, and a driving mechanism. The diaphragm is a flexible membrane that vibrates to create suction to move fluid in and out of the pumping chamber. It is located between the side of the displacement chamber and an attached flange. The two valves are usually flapper valves or spring-loaded ball valves that are made of the same material as the diaphragm. They operate by admitting the liquid in and out of the chamber. The driving mechanism is what activates the diaphragm into operation. There are a number of different driving mechanisms that diaphragm pumps may use. The two most common are air operated and motor driven.
Air operated diaphragm metering pumps use compressed air to drive a double diaphragm (two diaphragms) alternatively. A shuttle valve alternates the air flow between the two diaphragms. The flow of the media that is being pumped is adjusted by how much air pressure is supplied to the pump.
Motor driven diaphragm metering pumps uses the rotary motion of a motor, which is converted to a reciprocating movement via a cam mechanism, to cause a displacement in the volume of the liquid, transferring it at a consistent rate.
Peristaltic Metering Pumps
Peristaltic metering pumps, like diaphragm metering pumps, are positive displacement pumps. However, they operate quite differently. Peristaltic pumps use rotating rollers to squeeze a flexible tube to move the liquid in a pressurized flow. As the tube is constricted and the low-pressure volume increases, it creates a vacuum that pulls the liquid into the tube. The liquid is then pushed through the tubing as the tubing is constricted at several points by the rollers. With each oscillating or rotating motion, the fluid flows through the tubing. Peristaltic metering pumps are designed as either circular (rotary) or linear.
Benefits of Metering Pumps
Metering pumps, whether diaphragm or peristaltic, provide many benefits to the industries where they are used. They are reliable for dispersing the exact amount of liquid that is needed accurately and consistently. Additionally, you will find the following advantages when using metering pumps:
They commonly move low amounts of liquid – Because metering pumps are so accurate and precise, they are often used to move low amounts of fluid. They are typically measured by their capability to pump gallons per minute, instead of gallons per hour, which is an industry standard.
They can pump various types of liquid – Metering pumps are able to move a variety of fluids, from thin to thick, and even hazardous or corrosive chemicals.
They can be used for many different applications – Metering pumps are used in many different industries including medicine, food processing, agriculture, and manufacturing.
They prevent contamination – Both diaphragm and peristaltic metering pumps are effective in preventing the media being pumped from contaminating the pump and the workspace.
While metering pumps work effectively for many applications and different liquids, it isn’t recommended that they be used for moving most types of gases.
Pressure and back pressure
High pressures are no problem in metering systems as long as there is something to counter them. ProMinent hydraulic diaphragm metering pumps therefore use a hydraulic fluid to create back pressure. The benefits this brings to the diaphragms become evident very quickly.
The industries in which ProMinent’s hydraulics technology is used:

• Oil/gas production (onshore/offshore)
  
• Refineries
  
• Chemical / petrochemical industry
  
• Pharmaceuticals & cosmetics
  
• Food production
  
• Packaging industry (bottling pumps)
  

What is a Water Storage Tank and How Does It Work?
A water storage tank holds clean water from your reverse osmosis system or other filter systems until you're ready to use it. Pressurized storage tanks force water out on demand, while atmospheric tanks require a booster pump to supply pressure. Water storage tanks exist in a vast array of sizes, designs, and specifications, and can be used residentially, commercially, and for large-scale industrial or municipal enterprises.
What is a water storage tank?
A water storage tank collects water and stores it for later use and timely access. When you turn on your kitchen faucet, water is carried from the tank to your tap, providing you with fresh water on demand. Reverse osmosis systems work slowly, purifying water one drop at a time. A reverse osmosis storage tank ensures you can access this water whenever you need, without waiting for the system to painstakingly fill up your glass. Many wells are low-pressure and low-recovery and are tasked with providing pressurized water throughout a household or business. A well pressure tank ensures that when you turn your shower on or flush your toilet, you have immediate access to pressurized water. They also help extend the life of the well pump by protecting the pump from short-cycling.
Water storage tanks come in all shapes, sizes, and configurations, and are used for a variety of purposes across the water treatment industry. From a small, 5-gallon reverse osmosis tank stored neatly under your sink to a towering 120-gallon well pressure tank, water storage tanks are an integral part of many household water systems. Large, outdoor atmospheric tanks can store thousands of gallons of rainwater, well water, or be used for fire suppression. These tanks are usually equipped with UV inhibitors, preventing sunlight from facilitating algae and bacterial growth within the tank. Thermal expansion tanks prevent water heaters on closed water supplies from leaking and bursting.
How does a water storage tank work?
A water storage tank holds clean water from your reverse osmosis system until a demand for water is initiated in the house or business. Water is pumped into the tank from the water source, like a well or a reverse osmosis system. The tank accumulates water until it is full. When you need access to water, be it to fill your glass up with crystal clear water, run a bath, or irrigate a field, the storage tank provides you with instantaneous access to water.
Water storage tanks are generally either pressure tanks or atmospheric tanks. Point-of-use applications, like reverse osmosis storage tanks, usually implement pressure tanks. Outdoor applications or large scale municipal water storage operations usually use atmospheric tanks.
How do pressure tanks work?
Pressure tanks use compressed air to create water pressure within the tank. A pressure tank is constructed with an air chamber or bladder and comes with a pressure pre-charge. As the tank fills up with water, the weight of the water will begin to compress the air. As the air continues to compress, the pressure within the tank builds. When the tank reaches a certain internal pressure, it signals to the feed source to cease delivery. When you open a faucet in your kitchen, the air pressure bears down on the water as it is released from the tank, propelling pressurized water through your pipes and out of your kitchen sink. When water exits the tank, the air will start to expand again, reducing the tank pressure, and signaling to the water source to recommence delivery. If the pressure tank is being used to store well water, this means the tank will signal the well pump to turn back on. If the storage tank is collecting RO water, lowering pressure will signal the reverse osmosis system to restart production. These tanks are known as hydropneumatic tanks because they use the combined power of water and air to generate pressure within a tank.
Pressure tanks allow for pressurization without the aid of pumps. Since air will compress and water will not, the air within the tank will organically increase the pressure of the water as the tank fills up. There are also pressure tanks that do not rely on hydropneumatic pressure. These are known as constant pressure tanks. Constant pressure tanks provide city-like water pressure at all times, regardless of how many appliances are demanding water. A hydropneumatic tank can become overwhelmed if too much water is being drawn from it and sent to multiple sources concurrently (for example, if the shower is running at the same time as the dishwasher.) This results in a loss of pressure throughout the home. Constant pressure tanks use a sensor to monitor water pressure and keep the water in the tank at a stable, consistent pressure.
The optimal shape and dimensions for mixing tanks can be summarized in two words: It depends.
While the various components of a mixing system are often manufactured separately, determining the optimal specifications for any one of them requires an understanding of the entire system. The tank’s ideal shape and dimensions and the agitator’s ideal size and location are interdependent – and they all depend on the system’s specific purpose.
To find the optimal shape and dimensions for a mixing system, it is important to keep that purpose in mind, while considering the advantages and disadvantages covered in this article.
Determining the optimal height
To find the optimal height to diameter ratio for a mixing tank, it is important to keep in mind the tank’s specific purpose. Generally, both narrow and wide tanks have their advantages and disadvantages.
The narrower a tank is, the better its heat transfer will be – a factor that can be critical for certain mixing scenarios. Additionally, wider tanks require wider agitators – and because wider agitators need more torque, they require larger shafts and gears, which are more expensive.
On the other hand, a narrower tank will require a higher-speed agitator with a longer shaft, giving the tank a lower critical speed – a factor that can be a major problem for certain mixing purposes.
Considering cylinders
Cylindrical tanks are a common choice, not least of all because they are relatively inexpensive to manufacture.
In a cylindrical tank with a centrally positioned agitator, low-viscosity liquids can begin to swirl – a phenomenon that can prevent a solution from becoming homogeneous. In order to prevent swirling, it is common to install a baffle within this type of tank. But while baffles are an effective solution to the problem of swirling, they also complicate the clean-in-place (CIP) process, making it take more time.
Working principle of different filling machines
Automatic filling machines can use a number of different filling principles to get the product into the bottle. Each filling principle has its own unique benefits or advantages. While more than one type of liquid filler may work for a given project, each project will ultimately have an ideal filling machine, or filling principle, for the job to be completed.
Overflow Filling Machine
The principle behind the overflow filling machine is the ability to fill to a specific level on each and every bottle, even if small discrepancies exist in individual bottles. This filling machine offers obvious aesthetic value to products that are packaged in clear containers, such as bottled water and window cleaners. As with all of the filling machines discussed in this article, overflow fillers can be manufactured to meet almost any production demand, as tabletop, semi-automatic or fully automatic bottle fillers.
The overflow filler will almost always be the ideal filling machine for products that are packaged in clear containers. However, the machine will be limited by the viscosity of the product. Overflow fillers work well with thin to medium viscosity products and even products that foam. Special nozzles allow the overflow filler to fill each and every bottle to the same level, regardless of slight differences in the interior volume of the container. For products in clear containers, a level, consistent fill leads to good shelf appeal, adding aesthetic value to the filling process.
Growth of conveyor systems
Conveyors are growing in use and popularity. The conveyor market is estimated to reach $10.07 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 4.5% over the forecast period 2020-2025. In the commercial and civil sector’s businesses are rapidly increasing the implementation of conveyors at places like airports, shopping centres, stadiums, and restaurants.
Conveyors are highly popular in the manufacturing and packaging industries as well as production plants and with the amount of demand for these products going up, the systems excel at allowing businesses to meet consumer demand and for that reason are more in need in a manufacturing process than ever.
Commonly purchased type of conveyors are line shaft roller conveyors, chain conveyors, and a conveyor belt system.
Industries that use conveyor systems
It’s easy to see why an increasing amount of companies and industries are using conveyor systems with the numerous benefits they provide. We’ve listed some of the major benefits below.
Benefits of using a conveyor system
Can safely transport materials from one level to another through elevated conveyors
Can be installed in most situations while usually being able to add value and increase the safety of the workplace due to automation, failsafe’s, and safeguards
Conveyors can move high quantities of items in various shapes, sizes, and weights
Have advanced safety features that prevent accidents and injuries while increasing throughput of the system
Variety of options to run the conveying systems, including the hydraulic, mechanical, and fully automated systems which are equipped to fit individual needs

Understanding the Basics of Pallet Racking
Shelving for your warehouse can seem unnecessarily complicated for a very straightforward task. From the immense amount of different names for the same, products to the handful of available styles, it can feel like a whirlwind trying to make an informed decision on the subject. At ToyotaLift Northeast, we want to clear things up so you can be sure your company has the proper racking system based on your operation’s needs. Our goal is to break-down only the important elements of pallet racking, alleviating confusion when it comes time to narrow down your specific needs.

Pallet racking seemingly has an endless list of other names. We often hear it referred to as bulk storage racks, storage shelving, teardrop racks, warehouse shelving racks, warehouse racking systems, warehouse mezzanines, warehouse racks, rivet shelving racks, and industrial shelves.

What is Pallet Racking?
Pallet racking is simply a storage system that stores pallets of material in rows on metal shelves. The systems feature multiple levels of shelving that are accessible by forklifts. These systems are used to increase storage density by using vertical space. Think of the benefit of building skyscrapers in a city with limited space as the concept is the same.
The Basic Components of Pallet Racking
Due to its long list of available styles and sizes, pallet racking is an extremely flexible storage option. Pallet racking systems have two main parts, which are upright frames and cross beams.
The upright frames are vertical columns that run from the floor to the top shelf of the system. The upright frame will have a series of holes, allowing the ability to change the shelf size based on needs. The height of a frame should be the height of a loaded pallet + height of a beam + 4 inches for clearance. This number then gets multiplied by the number of levels you need.
The cross beams connect into the upright frame on both ends, creating a shelf for pallets and material to be stored on. It takes two cross beams to make a shelf.

Styles of Pallet Racking
The most popular rack style is teardrop pallet racking. This style utilizes a tear-shaped hole where the crossbeam’s connectors are inserted. The unique shape allows the horizontal beams to be locked to the vertical upright frames for simple slide-in assembly. The teardrop shape allows for the use of boltless beams, making assembly fast and easy as bolts, clips, and fasteners are not needed.
There are two forms of pallet racks made, rolled formed and structural style. The rolled form is made by cutting and rolling cold sheet metal, while structural is made using hot sheet metal. Structural is the stronger and more durable system of the two, but it is more expensive.

Accessories
Accessories and additional components are often added to racking systems to improve the system to better fit the owner’s needs. Below is a list of popular accessories on the market.

What Are The Benefits Of Steel Pallets?
Steel is an incredibly strong and durable material. It's used to build cars, skyscrapers, and tools. But steel is also perfectly suited for making pallets.
All the properties of steel which make it useful as a building material are also useful properties for pallets. This makes steel pallets an essential part of materials handling for many industries.
Here are the benefits and advantages of using steel pallets instead of other types of pallets.
The benefits of steel pallets
Steel pallets are designed to be a robust and durable option for industries with specialist materials handling needs. Using steel to construct pallets means that they are much stronger than regular pallets, they are easy to sterilise, and do not rot or carry pests.
The benefits of steel pallets include:

• High load capacity
  
  
• Longer lifespan
  
  
• Hygienic and easy to sterilise
  
  
• Easy to stack
  
  
• Can be exported without quarantine issues
  
  
• Corrosion and weather resistant
  
  
• Recyclable
  

• Dimensions: 1,200mm x 1,000mm
  
  
• Capacity: 2 tonnes
  

• Construction – Large and heavy materials must be moved and stored on strong pallets.
  
  
• Chemical industries – Requires pallets to withstand harsh environments and be safe to use in the production and storage of chemicals.
  
  
• Long term outdoor storage – Pallets must be weather proof for outdoor materials storage.
  
  
• Food preparation and handling – Pallets need to be easily sterilised so they do not contaminate food during production or storage.
  
  
• Export industries – Pallets must not carry pests and must be ISPM 15 compliant.
  

What is rust prevention technology for steel coils?
A steel coil is manufactured by processing a steel sheet and winding it into a coil. Regarding rust prevention technology for steel coils, the treatment agents are named differently depending on the application. An agent that is used for coating after treatment is called a prime coating agent, and an agent that is used independently is called a temporary rust preventive agent.

① Prime coating agent
　A prime coating agent forms a film of about 0.1 μm thick on zinc plating and alloy-based zinc plating to impart coating film adhesion and corrosion resistance. It is used mainly for outdoor electric home appliances and construction materials, such as switchboards, roofing materials, shutters, and unit baths.

② Temporary rust preventive agent (fingerprint-resistant agent)
A temporary rust preventive agent forms a film of 1 to 2 μm thick on the surface of zinc plating and alloy-based zinc plating to prevent the development of white rust until workpieces are processed into final products. It also prevents the adhesion of fingerprints during processing and corrosion caused by chemicals, such as acids and alkalis. It is used mainly for construction materials and electric home appliances, including TV sets, washing machines, refrigerators, and air conditioners.
Stainless steel plate is often referred to as 'corrosion-resistant steel' - it does not stain, corrode or rust as easily as normal carbon steel. It would however be misleading to say it is corrosion-proof. It differs significantly from standard carbon steel due to the amount of chromium present, which limits surface corrosion unlike carbon steel which will rust when exposed to air and any moisture in the atmosphere. Due to its anti-oxidation qualities, stainless steel is often a popular solution.
What are the key features of this technology?
① Prime coating agent
　A prime coating agent is made mainly from inorganic compounds and organic resins. The following functionality is imparted by mixing a rust preventive agent (special inhibitor) with an adhesion-imparting agent, which have been developed over many years, achieving performance equivalent to that of chromate.
　1. Suppression of corrosion reaction by adsorption of an inhibitor on the plating surface (corrosion resistance)
　2. Processing adhesion due to strong bonding with the coating film (adhesion)

② Temporary rust preventive agent (fingerprint-resistant agent)
The following functionality is imparted by mixing a thermal cross-linking resin binder with a rust preventive agent (special inhibitor), achieving performance equivalent to that of chromate.
　1. Suppression of corrosion reaction by adsorption of an inhibitor on the plating surface (corrosion resistance)
　2. Strong bonding with plating achieved by an adhesive functional group (adhesion)
　3. Suppression of penetration of corrosive factors by increasing the film density (barrier performance)
Contribution to the solution of social issues
Chromate treatment has been widely used for zinc plating and alloy-based zinc plating due to superb corrosion resistance and coating adhesion. It is still used for products that require rigorous corrosion resistance. However, chromate treatment uses hexavalent chromium, which is hazardous to the human body and adversely affects the environment. We were quick to launch a project to develop alternative solutions. We have a full lineup of completely chromium-free surface treatment agents free from hexavalent chromium and chromium compounds.
　Steel coils are indispensable materials for all metal products, and are therefore an integral part of our daily lives. We contribute to realizing a sustainable society where steel products can be used safely over the long term in an environmentally friendly manner.
What is Steel Pipe?
Steel pipe has been produced in the US since the early 1800s. Pipe is a hollow section with a round cross-section, primarily made for the transportation of products including fluids, gas, pellets, powders, and more. But steel pipes are used in a variety of ways. They are used underground for transporting water and gas throughout cities and towns. They are also specified in construction to protect electrical wires. Steel pipes can be strong, but lightweight. This makes them great for bicycle frames. They are also used in the making of parts for automobiles, refrigeration units, heating and plumbing systems, flagpoles and street lamps, just to name a few.
The most important dimension for a pipe is the outer diameter (OD) together with the wall thickness (WT). OD minus 2 times WT (schedule) determines the inside diameter (ID) of a pipe, which determines the liquid capacity of the pipe. In our industry, when we talk about pipe, we tend to call out an (ID) and schedule, like 2 inch schedule 40, or 14 inch extra heavy. Examples of walls or schedules are Sch. 40, Sch. 80, Sch. Standard (STD), Sch. XS/XH, and Sch. XXS. Most pipe is sold in 21 or 42 foot lengths.
What is Steel Tube?
The word tube refers to round, square, rectangular, and oval hollow sections that are used for pressure equipment, for mechanical applications, and for instrumentation systems.
Steel tubing can be made from various raw materials, like iron, carbon, manganese, vanadium, and zirconium. Like pipe, tubing can be produced as either seamless or welded. Seamless tubing is a solid block of steel that is rolled into a round shape and then pierced and stretched into its final length. Think of having a wad of play dough and rolling it into a cylinder. Then push your finger through the middle and make it longer with the extra dough. That’s how it’s produced, but it’s hot and spinning and completely done with machines. Welded steel tubing, on the other hand, is made from the coil. The coil is slit and then rolled up into a round shape and the ends are welded together. From there, the tubing can simply be cut to a certain length as round tubing, or it can be further deformed into other shapes, such as square, rectangular, oval, etc.
What’s the opposite of scaffolding a lesson? Saying to students, “Read this nine-page science article, write a detailed essay on the topic it explores, and turn it in by Wednesday.” Yikes! No safety net, no parachute—they’re just left to their own devices.
Let’s start by agreeing that scaffolding a lesson and differentiating instruction are two different things. Scaffolding is breaking up the learning into chunks and providing a tool, or structure, with each chunk. When scaffolding reading, for example, you might preview the text and discuss key vocabulary, or chunk the text and then read and discuss as you go. With differentiation, you might give a child an entirely different piece of text to read, or shorten the text or alter it, or modify the writing assignment that follows.
Simply put, scaffolding is what you do first with kids. For those students who are still struggling, you may need to differentiate by modifying an assignment or making accommodations like choosing a more accessible text or assigning an alternative project.
Scaffolding and differentiation do have something in common, though. In order to meet students where they are and appropriately scaffold a lesson or differentiate instruction, you have to know the individual and collective zone of proximal development (ZPD) of your learners. Education researcher Eileen Raymond says, “The ZPD is the distance between what children can do by themselves and the next learning that they can be helped to achieve with competent assistance.”
So let’s get to some scaffolding strategies you may or may not have tried yet. Or perhaps you’ve not used them in some time and need a gentle reminder on how awesome and helpful they can be when it comes to student learning.
Riser vs Flat Bars
Riser Vs Flat Bars
We’ve been asked by some riders with bikes with flat handlebars if they should change to riser bars. The large majority of handlebars on mountain bikes are either ‘riser’ or ‘flat’. On downhill and most longer travel bikes (140 mm or more of rear travel) riser bars are prevalent. However, on more racey, cross country style bikes, both riser and flat bars are common.
In this article we’ll examine the difference between the two bars and offer some insight into whether you should consider changing from flat bars to riser bars.
For the purpose of the article, we will assume that the bike in any example given has a stem with little or no rise itself and is not overly short or long. More about stems and how they affect the bike/bars later.
What is a ‘flat’ bar?
A flat mtb handlebar is pretty as the title suggests; a flat handlebar that doesn’t bend upward. Flat bars usually have a small amount of back sweep angle. Back sweep is a slight backward bend to provide a more comfortable grip angle for your hands than if it was flat/straight across the full length of the bar.
Advantages of a flat bar
A flat bar keeps your hand position down low and inline with your stem. On a bike built for outright racing, this low position puts you easily into a forward, racey body position for driving down on the pedals. It also provides a better position for standing up and sprinting. This low and forward position also pushes weight onto your hands and into your front wheel for traction.
Note: It should be noted that much of this can be achieved with risers bars by adjusting your riding technique.
Disadvantages of a flat bar
On the right bike, set up correctly for the rider, a flat bar may offer no disadvantage whatsoever. However, for many riders, the more forward position and subsequent weight on the hands and wrists can be a source of numbness or pain on longer rides.
The forward weight also inhibits the rider from pulling the front wheel up, more so than when using a riser bar.

How to Choose the Right Rake
Where would we be without the humble rake? Leaves and garden debris would go ungathered and soil would remain lumpy and difficult to sow in — all in all, garden chores would be a lot more difficult. Take a look at the rakes below and you’ll probably see some that look familiar and maybe some that don’t. It turns out, there are many types, and choosing the right rake for the task at hand will make things a lot easier on you. Let’s take a look at a few rakes you can use to make your lawn and borders look beautiful!
What to look for in a shrub rake
A plastic head and lightweight aluminum handle make a shrub rake like this lightweight and easy to haul around with your hand tools. Hand held shrub rake models can also be handy in the garden.
How to use a shrub rake
The 8-inch head on this rake is narrower than others so it gets in between plants without a problem. The long handle reaches into the backs of borders that are hard to reach otherwise. Once you’ve gotten rid of all the debris, use this handy rake to help spread mulch or compost on the beds and around your plants without tearing leaves or breaking stems.
Thatch rake
Thatch, the accumulated debris that builds up at the base of your turf grass, is a problem. It can harbor pests and disease, doesn’t have much nutrition and won’t hold water or protect roots from the cold in winter. So removing this accumulated debris is the job of the thatch rake.
What to look for in a thatch rake
Some thatch rakes are one-sided but this model has two — the sharp crescent-shaped blades remove debris, and the round side is for cultivating. Use it when you’re done to prep the area for seed. Adjustable lawn rakes let you choose the angle that works best for the amount of thatch you have.
How to use a thatch rake
Thatch ? inch deep or more needs raking. In large areas you may want to use a power dethatcher. But in small spaces put the tip of the razorlike tines just barely into the soil and pull toward you to remove the thatch and push it away to get the debris out of the teeth. Repeat across your lawn.
Plastic leaf rake
You can cover a lot of ground relatively quickly in the fall when you use a wide-headed plastic leaf rake—this one is 30 inches across!
What to look for in a plastic leaf rake
Because of the repetitive nature of leaf raking, comfort is key when you’re choosing one of these tools. There are actually lots of different features and widths available — try several out at the store before you buy.
Check out those with curved handles and assess the weight and balance. The one in these photos has another interesting feature — the tines are joined together so the head won’t get clogged with leaves.
How to use a plastic leaf rake
With a sweeping motion gather any leaves or debris in your lawn. Be sure to take frequent breaks so you can avoid repetitive motion-related injury.
Metal leaf rake
Clean up the lawn or your border with leaf rakes.
What to look for in a metal leaf rake
These rakes come in a variety of widths and some are even adjustable. Look for one that has an enamel-coated head to avoid rust. And a stress distribution bar helps keep tines from twisting.
How to use a metal leaf rake
This is a good multipurpose rake. Its springy nature is perfect for working debris out of evergreen and deciduous shrubs, carefully fluffing up a ground cover in spring or working the thatch out of the lawn if you don’t own a thatch rake. It’s also good for raking leaves from the lawn but the narrow tines can sometimes get clogged with skewered leaves or snag on a vine or ground cover.
Additional Features
Rakes have various extra features that influence convenience and usability. If you plan on using the tool frequently, one or more of these features may be worth considering.
A telescoping handle allows users to adjust the handle length to suit their preference or to accommodate multiple users with varying heights.
Adjustable rakes heads allow users to adjust the spread of the tines for different tasks.
A grabber tool built into the head eliminates the need for bending down to retrieve swept leaves.
A padded grip, usually made of rubber or foam, provides additional comfort and reduces hand fatigue.
A collapsible handle saves space and makes it easier to store the rake in a garage or shed.
What Customers Are Saying
This bow rake has close to 400 customer reviews on Amazon. Ninety-three percent of those reviews are 4- or 5-star reviews and only 5% are 1- or 2-star reviews, giving the products an average score of 4.7 stars out of 5.
While customers said the product was heavy, they liked that most of the weight was in the head. They said that this allowed the head to break through compact soil without requiring too much force. However, some customers expressed a desire for the handle to be longer.
Our Experience
This rake came fully assembled, allowing our team to quickly unwrap it and start using it. Since bow rakes are designed for raking and leveling fine materials like dirt and sand, we tested this product with dirt. We were able to rake dirt into a pile and level it with the back of the head without any dirt collection on the tines.
The rake was also easy to use. We liked that the rubber gripping went several inches down the handle because that allowed it to accommodate larger hands. However, our arms felt slightly tired after using the rake because of its heavy metal head.
5 Different Types of Chain Saws
A chain saw is a portable, mechanical tool that has the ability to cut through tree trunks, branches, and other woods with its rotating sharp-edged metal teeth. It is typically used for limbing, pruning, cutting firebreaks in wildland fire suppression, harvesting firewood, bucking, and felling. This powerful tool consists of two main parts. One of the parts is the saw blade that is built in the chain and has a long metal guide bar wrapped around it. The other part is the small cylinder for gasoline or petroleum, but sometimes it has a battery pack or cord, depending on what kind of chain saw it is.
The difference between a chain saw and a hand saw is that a hand saw functions when it is being pulled back and forth manually to cut the wood, whereas a chain saw is powered by a metal chain that keeps rotating to cut through the wood. A chainsaw is portable and –most of the times- it can be used anywhere.
Although the first chain saw was created during the 1920s, a lot has changed since there. Purchasing the right kind of chain saw can be a difficult task for individuals, especially those who lack the experience. This is why it is important to be aware of the different types of chain saws before spending on one.
Types of Chain Saws
Even though they all have the same purpose, a lot of thinking goes into making the decision of choosing the right chain saw. Questions like “how often will I use it?” “What is my budget?” “Do I want one where I have to refill the tank or one where I can just plug it into the wall?” begin to linger in mind.
To take away these queries, below are the different types of chain saws mentioned that can aid you in getting your hands on the right one.
Gas-powered chain saws are the most popular option amongst occasional and professional users. As the name suggests, a gas powered chain saw is powered by gas. This type of chain saw has a 2 cycles or a two-stroke engine that mixes oil and gas together so it can be used. The oil is used as lubrication for the internal part of the engine while preventing wear and damage, and the gas is used for combustion. These chain saws require regular maintenance so they can work properly.
Power: The engine provides the chain saw with a higher power-to-weight ratio, making gas-powered chain saws effective and powerful. This chain saw cuts wood faster than any other chain saw. In addition, gas-powered chain saws are considered to be a heavy duty which causes them to produce vibration and make noise. They also need regular servicing and fueling as compared to the other models.
Cost: These chain saws are expensive and they can cost up to twice as much as other chain saw options.
Corded electric chain saws run on electricity and have a plug-in power cord. Since they are not running on fuel, they do not have engines. Corded electric chain saws are considered to be immobile because they need to be plugged in when they are being used. Luckily, with the help of a portable generator, you can make the most of this chain saw. With a long extension cord, you can plug the chain saw in and use it. Keep in mind, though, a corded electric chainsaw cannot be used for certain tasks including felling in tree woods.
Power: Corded electric chain saws have less power and can be limited tasks (the ones that do not require much more) as compared to gas-powered chain saws. But, compared to battery-powered chain saws, these ones are more powerful and they can do tasks like cutting and sawing small trees, limbs, and thick branches.
Corded electric chain saws do not produce fumes or noise compared to gas-powered chain saws. Additionally, since they are lightweight, they can be used by new, inexperienced users as they are great to perform basic tasks around the house. What you do need to keep in mind is that they require special extension cords so they can perform to their fullest potential.

What does “USB” stand for?
The acronym “USB” is short for the term Universal Serial Bus, a hardware interface that was developed so that peripheral devices like computer mice, keyboards, printers, digital cameras, scanners, PDA's and MP3 players can be easily connected to PCs. Computer manufacturers first began to replace serial and parallel ports with USB ports in 1997; today, every PC on the market contains at least 4 ports for USB connections.
What are typical transmission speeds for USB cables?
Generally speaking, USB cables are classified into one of two different bandwidth groups: 1.1, which transfers data at a maximum rate of 1.5 Mbit per second, and 2.0, with a 480 Mbit per second data transfer rate. USB 2.0 is backward compatible with the lower data transmission requirements of 1.1, but the substitution can’t be reversed; 1.1 just can’t deliver the rate of data transfer that USB 2.0-rated devices need.
In addition to the bandwidth classifications listed above, USB devices can also be labeled in the following “speed” categories, which specify the amount of bandwidth they need to operate:
Low Speed: The “ low speed” rating indicates that a device requires minimal bandwidth (1.5 Mbit/s) to function, so it can be used in conjunction with either 1.1 or 2.0 USB cables. Joysticks, keyboards and computer mice are a few common examples of low speed devices.
Full Speed: Devices labeled “full speed” need a signal rate of 12 Mbit per second. Since this is such a common bandwidth requirement, all USB hubs on the market have been designed to support Full Speed. And even though the data transfer speed is higher, Full Speed – like Low Speed – transmits equally well via 1.1 or 2.0 USB cables.
High Speed: “ High speed” USB devices run at 480 Mbit per second, and require a 2.0-rated USB cable.
What does it mean when USB cables and devices are described as “hot swappable?”
One of the most convenient features of USB C PD cable and devices is their ability to be “hot swapped,” which means that they can be plugged into – and unplugged from – a computer as needed, without that computer needing to be powered down first.
Is there an organization that sets USB performance standards?
The USB Implementers Forum, a non-profit organization otherwise known as the USB-IF, is the group responsible for promoting and supporting USB standards. Made up of companies that developed USB technology, the USB-IF includes notable corporations like Agere Systems, Apple Computer, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Microsoft, and NEC. Within the USB-IF are four working committees: the Compliance Committee, the Device Working Group, The Marketing Committee, and the On-The-Go Working Group.
How many types of USB connectors are there?
USB connectors – and, by extension, USB ports – can be found in two different styles: type “A” (for hosts and USB hubs) and type “B” (for peripheral devices). In addition, USB plugs fall into three different size ranges: standard, mini, and micro. Here’s a general breakdown of how connector styles differ by size class, and the applications each is used for:
Standard USB: Standard is the original USB connector size, and the largest of the bunch. Standard-size “A” connectors have a long and extremely narrow rectangular shape (approximately 4mm x 12mm), while standard “B” connectors are still oblong, but with shorter and wider proportions (at roughly 7mm x 8mm, they’re closer to being square). Standard USB connectors are typically used with, well, “standard” peripheral devices like printers, keyboards, computer mice and scanners.
Mini USB: Developed for use with small, portable peripherals like digital cameras, cell phones, PDA's and MP3 players, Mini USB connectors feature a more compact and space-efficient design than standard USB connectors. Unlike standard A and B connectors, Mini A and B have very similar shapes; however, it’s possible to distinguish one from the other by the upper halves of their vertical edges: Mini A’s sides are straight, but Mini B’s are rounded.
Micro USB: In January 2007, the USB-IF approved the most space-conscious connector size to date: Micro USB. Micro USB connectors are approximately 50-60% smaller than mini connectors, and replace Mini USB in many new PDA's and Smartphones.
Neckband Headphones: Why Is This Design Becoming So Popular?
At some point during the past few years, you've no doubt noticed an intriguing new phenomenon. More and more people are sporting what can only be described as high-tech collars with headphones sprouting out the sides. Call them what you will—"neckband headphones," "behind-the-neck headphones," or even the more obvious "collar headphones"—but this distinctive modern style of in-ear and around-the-neck earphones is all the rage as of late. And if you haven't experienced them yourself, you may be wondering what all the fuss is about.
Ultimately, the success of neckband headphones boils down to three essential considerations: a unique combination of convenience, features and battery life unmatched by any other in-ear headphone design.

Your Headphones Are Right There Where You Need Them, When You Want Them
The first major benefit of neckband headphones is perhaps the most obvious, but it's worth pointing out. Given that the earbuds are hanging around your neck, mere inches from your ears, means you won't have to dig through your bag or your pockets when you want to listen to some tunes or take a phone call. And since virtually all neckband headphones connect to your smartphone or personal media player via Bluetooth, those two tiny little cords connecting the collar to the earphones are the only cables you need to worry about. That means no more rat's nests to untangle. Since those cables aren't extending from your head to your pocket, it also means fewer opportunities to snag them on a doorknob and rip your earphones out of your ears. Or worse yet, break the wires, rendering your precious audio purchase worthless.
That Neckband Headphones Are Full Of Surprises
While we all appreciate the lightweight and convenience of in-ear headphones, as well as the add-on features commonly found in many popular models these days, those two desires can conflict with one other. After all, the more electronics you pack into one of those little housings, the bulkier, heavier and more cumbersome it gets. That's the definition of defeating the purpose.
Housing all their electronics inside the neckband headphones allows for additional features, without dragging down your ears or increasing discomfort. These features include:
Active noise cancellation: It's a feature we all love, but there's a good reason it's more commonly found in full-sized, over-ear headphones. Good noise cancellation requires sophisticated electronics, and those electronics must go somewhere. That's why most in-ears with active noise cancelling capabilities either come with a gigantic in-line control box, or bulge way out of your ears. Moving that circuitry to inside the neckband headphones means the bits you stick in your ears can stay compact and light, without any sacrifices in terms of the quality of noise cancellation.

What's more, the neckband headphones allows for a combination of features you rarely ever see in in-ear headphones otherwise: active noise cancellation and Bluetooth wireless connectivity.
More convenient controls: Granted, in-line controls have been a feature of headphones since smartphones have existed. But have you ever found yourself fumbling your way down your headphone cables in search of the controls, only to forget which button does what? With neckband headphones, that's generally not a problem. With the controls right around your neck and easy to reach, you'll likely find yourself using them to pause, play, fast-forward and accept calls.
Enhanced telephony: If you regularly rely on a Bluetooth wireless connection, you've no doubt experienced this at some point—you're taking a break from listening to your tunes or podcasts, but didn't bother to unpair your headphones or turn them off. An important phone call comes through, and you miss it.
What Charger Can I Use?
As long as you're using the right cable or the right wireless standard (and it's difficult not to), you can use just about any wall charger with your phone. Modern-day handsets will regulate the power draw to keep the battery protected, so there's no danger of blowing up your phone by using a charger that's too powerful for it.
That said, be wary of using cheap, no-brand chargers, or chargers that have been sitting around for years, as they may not necessarily stick to the same safety standards as the rest. We're not saying all of these chargers are dodgy, but to be safe it's always worth going with a newer charger from a reputable manufacturer or accessories maker, even if it's a little bit more expensive.
The bottom line is that while just about any new-ish charger will work with just about any new-ish phone at this point, you won't necessarily see the maximum charging speeds or the most efficient charging rate if you're not using kit made by the same company.
As we alluded to above, this is particularly true when it comes to fast charging, as phone makers like to deploy their own standards and methods—for the maximum fast charging rates, you'll usually need to plug in the charger specifically made for your phone. Use other chargers if you need to, but the official charger when you can.

What is a load box?
When using a tube amplifier, you should always connect it to a speaker cabinet before turning it on – or a loadbox. The speaker cabinet (2, 4, 8 or 16 Ohms) must always be connected to the corresponding speaker output of your amplifier. Not doing so can lead to partial or complete destruction of the output stage of the tube amplifier. Most tube amp designers protect their products with fuses etc, but some amps do not have sufficient protection in place. Our general moto is that “It is impossible to predict the behavior of all the amplifiers on the market in case of use without a load (a speaker cabinet or a load box)”.
The electronic term that describes the speaker cabinet with respect to the amplifier is the “load”: we say the cabinet “loads” the amplifier. The term “load box” fits any product that embeds an electronic load. The main parameter of the load box is its impedance, and that is rated in “Ohms”. An 8-Ohm load box must be plugged to the 8-Ohm speaker output of the amplifier.
When using a Torpedo load box, the power sent to the load is turned into heat, so please follow the cooling recommendation of the load box – failure to do so may cause overheating which can lead to damage, both to the load box and to the amplifier. The Torpedo Reload, Live, Studio, Captor and Captor X are load boxes. This term indicates that these products feature a load which can electrically replace the speaker cabinet while safely dissipating (transforming into heat) the power coming out of the amplifier.
The embedded load in the Torpedo products is reactive: it embeds a specific circuit to simulate the complex impedance of a real speaker. This kind of system is widely used in the industry to silently test amplifiers.
Is the use of a loadbox totally silent?
We usually talk about “silent recording” when a load box is involved. If we compare the load box solution to a traditional cabinet miking solution, it is obviously several orders of magnitude quieter, but you will still experience some minor sounds, noises, that have to be taken into account:
Your guitar or bass strings can be heard. This is obvious, but it can be disturbing, depending on your environment if you are not used to it.
You may hear some noise coming out of your Torpedo when playing, like there is a tiny speaker inside the box. This is perfectly normal and there is no reason to worry. The sound is produced when power goes through the coil of the reactive load embedded on the Torpedo. The vibration is related to what power comes out of the amplifier connected to the Torpedo and to the signal’s frequency content (notes played are heard). Your amplifier may also produce similar noise, at the output transformer’s level. Such noise is usually not heard, simply because it is normally overcome by the sound coming from the loudspeaker.
The Torpedo embeds a fan, as there is quite a lot of power dissipated into heat inside the box. We selected a “silent fan”, but as it is running fast, it is never entirely silent. This said, you can consider that, in normal use (hearing your guitar through monitors, or headphones), you can barely hear that fan.
Care should be taken when using a load box
The correct use of your amplifier with a load box requires some precautions. Because of the fact that you may be playing “silently,” it is much easier to accidentally run your amplifier beyond the reasonable limits set by the manufacturer than when you are using an actual speaker cabinet. This can lead to faster tube wear and, in some cases, to more serious issues.
Keep in mind that the “sweet spot” — the perfect running point of the amplifier, the one that will give you the tone you are looking for—is rarely obtained at maximum volume. In addition, the volume control of the amplifier is usually logarithmic, which means that the volume goes up quickly on the first half of the potentiometer’s rotation, reaches its maximum at 12 o’clock, and will not change much beyond that point. Therefore, you can
reach the maximum volume of your amplifier even if the volume potentiometer is not set at maximum.
By reaching the maximum output power of your amplifier, you will hear a lot of distortion, which may not sound as good as you could hope. In fact, most amplifiers do not sound great at maximum volume. Always keep in mind that your amplifier may not have been conceived to be used at maximum volume for a long time. Running an amplifier at high volume will cause premature wear of the tubes and possible malfunctions or damages to the output stage.
When first testing the amplifier at high volume, monitor the color of the tubes and the general response of the amplifier. Red-glowing tubes or any appearance of smoke are signs of a problem that may result in partial or complete destruction of the amplifier.
The fact that the volume control of your amplifier is not set at maximum doesn’t mean your amplifier is not running at maximum volume. A good habit is to keep the usual volume setup you would use in rehearsal or on stage, rather than just following what the volume potentiometer indicates.
High voltage test
The high voltage tester (also called dielectric strength test or hipot test) can be carried out using AC or DC. If the high voltage test is performed using DC, it is then combined with insulation; if the high voltage test is made using AC, this is more stressful for the sample and therefore carried out according to the sketch below.

Measurement of a high voltage test under alternating current is performed using an alternating voltage (50Hz) adjustable to an effective 50V to 1,500V. As is the case with direct current, the high voltage test detects any sudden rise of current up to a programmed threshold.

The short circuit test is maintained by default. The rise time is more than 500 ms and the application time at least one period.

Warning: The high voltage test under alternating current is penalised by the capacitive value of the tested equipment. It must be remembered that the generator power is limited to 5 mA.
signal generator, electronic test instrument that delivers an accurately calibrated signal at frequencies from the audio to the microwave ranges. It is valuable in the development and testing of electronic hardware. The signal generator provides a signal that can be adjusted according to frequency, output voltage, impedence, waveform, and modulation.

Signal generators are of five major types: oscillators, which generate sine waves useful in measuring the response of loudspeakers, amplifiers, microphones, transducers, and acoustic systems; standard signal generators, which generate sine waves over a wide range of output power and modulation, used, for example, to test radio receivers and measure gain, bandwidth, and signal-to-noise ratio; frequency synthesizers, which generate highly precise output frequencies over wide ranges; pulse generators, which produce pulsed signals at precise duration at precise frequencies; and random-noise generators, which produce a wideband noise for various types of electronic, mechanical, and psychological testing.
Power analyzer measurements
Power analyzers can make a variety of measurements dependent upon the manufacturer and the model, but typically power analyzers are likely to be able to measure parameters including: voltage; current; power; peak, mean and RMS parameters; harmonics; phase, and a variety of other parameters.
Some power analyzers are intended for high power measurements and may even have special high power sensors, whereas others may be intended for measuring the standby current parameters for various items of equipment.
In view of the many applications for these power analyzers, modern types often have data logging capabilities. Often they can stored the data on board to be downloaded at a later date of displayed in screen - the screens on some power analyzers can be quite large and able to provide very detailed data. It is also normally possible to communicate the data, often via Ethernet or USB with a computer so that further analysis can be undertaken.
As power energy analysers can often be used to monitor equipment over a long period of time, possible under a host of different conditions, the data communication capabilities are of great use.
Also it is often possible for the power analyzer to be controlled remotely. This enables the instrument to be located close to the item under test, whilst the computer and the engineer are located elsewhere. This can be very useful when an item is undergoing temperature or vibration testing.

WHAT IS A CLEANROOM?
A clean room is a controlled environment where pollutants like dust, airborne microbes, and aerosol particles are filtered out in order to provide the cleanest area possible. Most cleanrooms are used for manufacturing products such as electronics, pharmaceutical products, and medical equipment. A cleanroom can be classified into different levels of contamination depending on the amount of particles allowed in the space, per cubic meter. Cleanrooms also control variables like temperature, air flow, and humidity.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Essentially, cleanrooms work to remove pollutants, particles, and contaminants from outside ambient air. Outside air is first circulated to a filter system. The filters (either HEPA or ULPA) then clean and decontaminate this outside air according to their specifications. The filtered air is then forced into the cleanroom. Additionally, contaminated air within the cleanroom is forced outside the room by registers, or it is recirculated back into the filters, and the process restarts.
WHO NEEDS A CLEANROOM?
There are a wide variety of reasons that a company may need a cleanroom. If you’re manufacturing something that is easily affected by contaminants or particles in the air for example, it’s likely that you’ll need a cleanroom. If you’re not sure, or if you’d like an estimate, give the experts at Angstrom a call. Here are a few common reasons you might need a cleanroom, and some common industries that regularly use cleanrooms:

Manufacturing Companies
Research Facilities
Pharmaceutical Companies
Medical Laboratories
Electronic Part Production
What is a sandwich panel?
A sandwich panel is a product used to clad the walls and roofs of buildings. Each panel comprises a core of thermoinsulating material, skinned on both sides with sheet metal. Sandwich panels are not structural materials but curtain materials. The structural forces are carried by the steel framework or other carrier frame to which the sandwich panels are attached.
The types of sandwich panel are generally grouped by the thermoinsulating material used as the core. Sandwich panels with cores of EPS (expanded polystyrene), mineral wool and polyurethane (PIR, or polyisocyanurate) are all readily available.
The materials mainly vary in their thermal insulating performance, sound insulating performance, reaction to fire and weight.
Why use sandwich panels anyway?
Sandwich panels are widely acclaimed due to a number of benefits, mainly those related to cost. Comparisons between frame or stud partition technology (frames lined with sandwich panels) and traditional building technologies based on masonry walls reveal advantages of sandwich panels in three key areas:
1. Direct costs
Construction of a building in either technology requires similar capital expenditure levels.
The comparison in this area includes the costs of construction materials, labour and shipping.
2. Construction time
A building based on a traditional masonry process may take 6 to 7 months to complete.
A building of the same volume utilising stud partitions takes just 1 month to complete.
The construction time is business-critical. The sooner a production building or warehouse is commissioned for use, the sooner a return on the investment can be achieved.
Stud partition buildings are assembled rather than “built”. The finished structural parts and cladding components arrive on site, and are then assembled like a house of toy bricks. Another plus is that there is no need to wait for the building shell to lose excess moisture.
3. Construction processes
In some sectors of industry, the construction requirements can be critical for a building project. Stud partition construction is a ‘dry process’, with no water needed for the construction materials. A dry process requires only the assembly of the structure and fixing of the cladding (here, the sandwich panels) with screws.
Traditional masonry construction uses ‘wet processes’, which require significant amounts of water to make the mortar for bricklaying, concrete for casting or the plaster for rendering.
Some sectors of industry, like wood processing or pharmaceutical manufacture, require fixed and controlled relative humidity levels, which preclude wet construction processes.
Pass box is one of the cleanroom systems, which is used to transfer materials from one side to other side through controlled environment in order to avoid airborne cross contamination. As the name states itself, the primary and only work of a pass box is to pass material from one side to other without raising contamination concern and if any particulate matter presents on the material surface, it swipes away during the operation. Interlocking door mechanism is the prime feature of a pass box, when door at one side is open the door at other side remains closed. It is popular with other names such as cleanroom pass through, clean transfer window and transfer hatch; in addition, it is widely used in microbiology laboratories in food, pharmaceutical and chemical industries.
A pass box is designed in two different types; static and dynamic, it is the user specific requirement which decides the right design configuration. The difference between these two is explained as:
DYNAMIC PASS BOX (DPB)
A dynamic pass box is fitted between classified and non-classified areas. Material is passed through vertically HEPA filtered air.
STATIC PASS BOX
Static pass box on the other hand is fitted only between two clean room areas and has no air supply or extract. It is also known as passive pass box and equipped with UV light.
We are ISO certified pass box manufacturers in India. Our pass boxes deliver low noise and easy to use operation, rugged construction promises long service life. Standard size is 2 x 2 x 2 ft. or 60 x 60 x 60 cm, we also make customized pass through boxes to any customer provided size. Every box is made to comply international standards and supplied at industry leading price in India.
What Is a Clean Bench?
A clean bench is an enclosed laboratory bench that is designed to prevent pollution and contamination by controlling and keeping the air cleanliness level at a certain point. A clean bench is a type of laminar airflow cabinet (also known as a tissue culture hood).
Clean benches are frequently used in laboratories across a wide range of industries all over the world. These hoods utilize state-of-the-art technology in order to provide the laboratory with a clean, safe, bacteria-free environment for sensitive biological substances. The hood ensures that the operating environment is 99% free of .3 micron particles.
What Exactly Does a Clean Bench Do?
Clean benches prevent dust, smoke, bacteria, microorganisms, and other undesired dirt in the air from contaminating the biological materials and samples that the lab worker is currently working on. The HEPA filter, which is a high-efficiency mechanical filter, lets the air through, cleaning it and directing the air flows right to the substances. A clean bench can maintain a high level of air cleanliness even in a significantly polluted environment.
Does a Clean Bench Protect the Worker Too?
A clean bench only provides protection for samples, substances, and materials that are being worked on, as it directs the filtered air across the operating surface towards the worker. These hoods can be used for particular cleaning operations, such as the dust-free assembly of sterile facilities or electronic devices. A clean bench must never be used while working with drugs, highly infectious substances, or other dangerous samples. The lab worker will be exposed to the substances, which could lead – depending on the material – to poisoning, infection, contamination, or toxicity. So, a clean bench should not be mixed up with a biosafety cabinet.
What Are the Different Types of Clean Benches?
Circulation bench: this hood allows clean air to circulate.
Light table clean bench: the workstation is made of glass or acrylic; plus, it has a fluorescent lamp.
Drainage bench: the workstation also includes a sink with a tap.
Drying bench: the infrared light allows the materials to dry quickly.
Built-in bench: floor-standing units are built into the equipment.
Exhaust bench: the air can be sucked in from the workstation or just a part of it.
Vibration-free bench: the gap between the main unit and the workstation prevents the hood from vibrating.
Why Choose Laminar Flow?
Laminar flows are used in all industries where there are high demands on the purity of the air environment. Clean benches for particular environments are equipped with either horizontal or vertical laminar flow. This means that the air flows in one direction and at one speed in parallel lines without backflow. This type of protection and the right enclosure design ensures that the laminar flow protects the work on the clean bench surface. Laminar flow can carry contaminants away from the clean bench to where they can be efficiently collected by filtration and disposed of in another, even more convenient location.
Clean room doors are an essential part of cleanrooms since they are responsible for sealing the controlled environment. If they do not work properly, the cleanroom is exposed to a higher risk of contamination.
Here, Kleanlabs provide 10 key considerations when choosing a cleanroom door based on its many years in the cleanroom construction industry.
1. Completely flat surface
Opt for a door that has a completely flat surface on both sides. If there are no edges for the dust to settle in, it becomes very easy to clean and maintain exceptional hygiene. The best option is a door that has smoothly embedded windows and is completely flush with clean room walls.
2. Easy to integrate
Be aware of system dependence of cleanroom doors. Many manufacturers market doors that can only be integrated into their systems. This makes it difficult to change parameters within the facility without the cleanroom door integrity being compromised. System independent doors however, can be installed into any cleanroom regardless of the manufacturer. Kleanlabs have designed bezels that fit into any wall structure.
3. Thick door panels
Choose a door that is resistant to bending and shock. Kleanlabs recommend a thickness of 60 mm which provides both strength and reliability under most industrial circumstances. Aluminum is a particularly durable material.
4. High level of air tightness
What level of appropriate air tightness should the door have? 3,5 m3/hm2 measured at 200 Pa pressure is a reliable and good value. Some doors can be equipped with double gasket technology and an integrated sink gasket, improving air tightness even more.
5. Resistance to cleaning products
Cleanrooms are exposed to intense cleaning every day with a variety of strong chemicals to assure high levels of hygiene. Cleanroom doors, as any other cleanroom surfaces, need to be resistant to the regular usage of any cleaning products and any reaction between the door and the chemicals need to be avoided. Kleanlabs have carried out several tests to make sure that its own brand of doors resist any cleaning product used within the industry.
6. Safety glazing
In a cleanroom, safety comes first. Therefore, every part of the product should be designed to meet the highest safety requirements. Kleanlab doors are equipped with shatter proof, safety glazing, meaning if the window breaks, it stays in place and there is no risk of scatter.