Yaks are animals from the bovine family which is noted for living on high altitude cold regions of the world. They bear some resemblance to the wild buffaloes with a heavy body and a long hairy tail like the horse. Yaks are widely used in the mountainous regions of the Tibet Plateau as beasts of burden and for subsistence through its milk and meat production. It is thought that there are approximately 13 million yaks on the plateaus that flank the Himalayas.

Each yak produces only about 100 gms of hair a year. The hair is either pulled or combed in the spring when the animal moults. The outer hair is separated from the inner down hair. The color of yak hair can vary from black (wild yaks) to piebald and some very rare white. The inner down hair of the one year old calf has a diameter of 15-17 microns and is 4-5 cms in length. Adult down is 18-20 microns in diameter and 3-3.5 cms in length.

The yak fibre is used locally for weaving hut coverings, blankets, mats and sacks. Strong ropes and cordage are made from the tail hair and felted fabric from the down hair. Once de-haired, the fine inner down hair can be made into yarn that is comparable to cashmere. Yak yarns are coarse and ideally suited for making warmer fabrics. Yaks are becoming extinct due to continuous human poaching through the icy mountainous ranges. More efforts should be put in to mass bred yaks so that we can still enjoy the warmth of fabrics made from their skin.

Coconut plants grow extensively through the coastal regions. Coconuts are harvested from these plants throughout the year. Green coconuts, harvested after about twelve months on the plant, contain pliable white fibres. Brown fibre is obtained by harvesting fully mature coconuts when the nutritious layer surrounding the seed is ready to be processed into copra and desiccated coconut.

The fibrous layer of the fruit is separated from the hard shell by driving the fruit down onto a spike to split it which is known as the de-husking process. The fibrous husks are soaked in pits or in nets in a slow moving body of water to swell and soften the fibres. The long bristle fibres are separated from the shorter mattress fibres underneath the skin of the nut, a process known as 'wet-milling'. The mattress fibres are sifted to remove dirt and other rubbish, dried and packed into bales. Some mattress fibre is allowed to retain more moisture so that it retains its elasticity for 'twisted' fibre production.

The coir fibre is elastic enough to twist without breaking and it holds a curl as though permanently waved. Twisting is done by simply making a rope of the hank of fibre and twisting it using a machine or by hand. The longer bristle fibre is washed in clean water and then dried before being tied into bundles or hunks. Although bristle fibre may be sold without further processing, it may be cleaned and 'hackled' by steel combs to straighten the fibres and remove any shorter fibre pieces.

Coir bristle fibre may also be bleached and dyed to provide buyers with hanks of different colors. To separate the white fibres, the immature husks are suspended in a river or water-filled pit for up to ten months. During this time micro-organisms break down the plant tissues surrounding the fibres to loosen them - a process known as retting. Segments of the husk are then beaten by hand to separate out the long fibres which are subsequently dried and cleaned. Cleaned fibre is ready for spinning into yarn in the home using a simple one-handed system or a spinning wheel. The final operation is grading before sale and shipping.

Working with high-rise structures is as dangerous as working as a military officer in Iraq.

The risk is always present when working with high-rise structures. The transfer of construction materials from the ground up to the working floor is not as easy as you think. The pulley system that you are using must be strong and reliable to avoid any untoward accidents that may happen. In the same manner, the lowering of unused construction materials from the working floor down to the ground imposes the risk of getting hit on the head. Despite of the presence of your hard hat, excessive weight could break it and can cost you your own life.

Yes, the money is on the construction industry. But is it worth the risk of losing your own life in exchange for thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars?

This is where the heavy equipment comes in. It helps construction workers in making their task easy and safe to execute. One of the most common heavy equipment used in the construction of various structures, especially high-rise buildings, which is the tower cranes, provide such benefits to construction workers. Due to the reality of danger working on high structures, they make use of tower cranes to lift and lower construction materials with ease and at the same time ensuring safety at all times. Furthermore, most tower cranes are operated through a radio remote control system for the safety of the crane operator.

The main purpose of tower cranes is to lift and/or lower heavy construction materials. Thus, we deal here with not just kilograms of heavy construction materials, but tons of heavy construction materials. Thus, the efficiency and safety in using tower cranes to lift and lower heavy materials will depend on its stability in carrying tons of heavy load. This is where the load moment indicator comes in, and it is important for every crane operator as well as construction engineers too know what it is for and how it is beneficial to the operation of their tower cranes and the success of their construction project.

A load moment indicator is an instrument used in determining whether a rated load is stable enough to be carried by the tower crane. If you will remember, a tower crane has tow arms: the shorter arm, which carries a counterweight of heavy concrete blocks to maintain balance, and the longer arm which carries the crane’s lifting gear. Since the longer arm carries the heavy load, the shorter arm, through its counterweight, must provide an opposite force to prevent the crane from getting outbalanced when carrying heavy loads. The load moment indicator determines whether a certain load could be carried by the tower crane or not. Thus, the indicator is used to maintain the stability of the crane.

New generation of load moment indicators make use of special sensors to provide the tower crane operator with actual and correct crane working state. It indicates the moment of force applied on the crane, the hook amplitude as the height of the load increase, the crane rating, and the actual hoisting capacity of the tower crane. In case the load reached 90 percent of the crane rating at a particular moment, it will provide an early warning to the crane operator through a slow blinking red light. When the load (along with the hook amplitude) reached 105 percent, the load moment indicator will automatically trip an alarm and will stop the lifting gear from lifting the load upward.

With the load moment indicator, you are assured of a safe operation of your tower crane. Your life is important and it should not be wasted with just an excessive load capacity and wrong calculation of the actual hoisting capacity of the tower crane.

Who could ever forget the infamous Tylenol tampering case of 1982? When the popular over-the-counter pain reliever was found to have been laced with cyanide poisoning and to be the cause of seven deaths, a nationwide paranoia ensued. Although other such product tampering cases, albeit on a much smaller scale, have made headlines over the years, that incident may have single-handedly led to the invention of tamper resistant product seals.

Today, everything from water and ketchup, to vitamins, medicine bottles and skincare products come with tamper resistant seals in place. This security measure affords consumers the peace of mind of knowing that their purchased products have remained untouched by sinister hands since leaving the manufacturer. As long as the tamper evidence seal remains unbroken and non-punctured, the item’s contents can be can be trusted to be pure and untainted.

Tamper evident shrink bands that come wrapped around the outside of products are those most commonly seen these days. They usually come in clear or white plastic that is imprinted with the manufacturer’s logo. Because these tamper resistant seals are broken, they can’t be put back into place, thereby adding to consumer confidence in the company’s product and brand. For decorative use and for optimum protection, shrink bands can be coordinated with the label and printed with a company's logo or tag line.

Given the option of a tamper resistant bottle and a traditional bottle, the choice is obvious. Only the former can guarantee that what you are putting into your body contains only what its ingredient label claims is in the product.

Barricade lights are relied upon everyday for your safety and security, but it's quite possible you don't even notice them. Here are some ways that barricade lights are used to make your day safer, your travel safer and your life safer.

Airport Security Lights

An airport or air strip is one of the most likely and common places for you to see barricade lights in use. Barricade lights are used to line the landing strips, usually in both the flashing and constantly lit varieties. You'll also see the familiar amber led lights used by airport crews and on official airport vehicles. Without these safety and warning lights, airports would likely come to a standstill.

Road & Construction

Another very common use for barricade lights is anywhere where there are road problems or there is active construction. You'll see barricade lights on guardrails where there are cliffs, steep drops or ravines near roads. You'll see barricade lights where new road is being laid or where road is being repaired, regardless of whether the road crew is working at that time or not. You'll see barricade lights warning you of sink holes, pot holes, minor flooding, rocks or debris in the roadway and just about anything else that requires advanced warning for drivers in the area.

Emergency Warning

When accidents happen, during hurricanes, major floods, after earthquakes or other natural disasters, you'll see barricades with barricade lights blocking the entrance to damaged roads and dangerous areas. During Hurricane Katrina, entire city blocks and entire neighborhoods of New Orleans had to be blocked with barricades and barricade warning lights to stop people from entering them and endangering their lives. Without these lights warning people of dangerous areas and blocking their way, even more lives could have been lost.

Buildings & Structures

At the top of many tall buildings, you'll see a type of led warning light that is used to keep airplanes and helicopters away from those buildings. Many times, especially at night, you won't be able to see some structures, most especially any structure or high rise tower or building that is in the process of being built. During these times, there will be no lights on inside the building, therefore the building may be practically invisible to any air traffic at night. Without led warning lights on top of and around the structure, a plane or helicopter could crash into it causing terrible loss of life to the people in the aircraft and far less importantly, huge monetary damages to the owner of the structure or building.

More About Barricade Lights

The most common type of barricade light is amber colored and can be purchased in either 6 or 12 volt varieties, as well as steady burn, constantly lit or a "flasher" type, which continuously flashes. One of the main advantages and the reason why led barricade lights are the most commonly used and the preferred choice for governmental, business and transportation agencies is due to the use of batteries in the lights, allowing the barricades to be used virtually anywhere without the need for electricity.

It doesn't matter who you are or where you live, barricade lights are an important daily part of our lives, one that we may rarely, if ever, really notice.

Planning and constructing new pipeline for natural gas and hazardous liquid is a process involving many parties and procedures. To insure the safety of construction crews and the general public, all pipeline companies must adhere to specific regulations, enforced by the federal government. Though safety is a primary concern, careful planning is also a major factor in the profitability and efficiency of a pipeline, creating an incentive for pipeline companies such as Western Pipeline Corp or Northwest Pipeline Corp to proceed cautiously in the planning process.

Determining the route of a new possible pipeline is the first planning phase, requiring companies to investigate the market demand and customer support, as well as determining several alternative route possibilities. The level of research involved in this process is astounding. All factors, such as what communities require service, what size pipelines should be used, what natural resources will be affected, what environmental regions or population centers are near by, and what other underground systems are already in place, must be carefully considered and added to the decision making process. All government agencies and members of the general public located along the proposed route must also be individually consulted through public notices and meetings. Environmental impact and land use assessments must be completed as well as various alternative scenario plans and protocols. The results of these various investigations will often alter the original pipeline route. As the final route is determined, the land must be acquired either by license, easement, or purchase. Permits must be obtained from relevant government agencies for jurisdiction of the pipeline "right-of-way," but even after all of this, the planning phase is far from complete.

There are still several regulatory processes necessary before the construction phase, especially involving natural gas. The government possesses regulatory control of all natural gas pipelines via the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The FERC investigates various impacts that a new pipeline route will have on the environment, buildings, fences, crops, water supplies, soil, vegetation, wildlife, air quality, safety, noise, etc. The purpose of this investigation is to insure that there is no superior alternative route. Perhaps the route can be positioned near an already present pipeline or other utilitarian right-of-way. This process may move quickly if the environmental impact is low, but if there is any question, several new processes of in-depth mitigation will need approval before anything can progress. Pipelines constructed for transporting hazardous liquids are somewhat less regulated, as the governing regulatory entities are on the state and local level.

After these steps have been carried out, the design portion of the planning phase may commence. This involves detailed construction design as well as decisions on materials, components, and safety measures. This part of the planning process can be just as time consuming as the previous research and regulation phase because all designs must adhere to everything that was previously decided. After the designs are drawn and all permits have been obtained, construction on a new pipeline route may continue. All of this planning and deliberation is carried out in order to have the most efficient network of pipeline while insuring the safety of the American people. The United States has the largest and most complicated network of pipeline in the world, and it is no coincidence that it is also one of the safest.

The way water heaters work is by heating the water from the bottom of the tank, where the heating elements are positioned. Due to cold water being denser, the hot water then rises to the top of the tank where it is then carried off to its destination. It is advised not to use all of the hot water too quickly, because if you are using more than the heating elements can keep up with you will run out in the middle of whatever you are using the water for, for instance a shower. Water heaters are fitted with an instrument known as a Thermostat, which acts to ensure the heat of the water in the tank never drops below a certain level (whatever it is set to). If it does, then the thermostat kicks in and powers the heating elements which then warm the water. The thermostat should be set to come on at specific times, when you are most likely to need hot water. By doing this, it lessens the chance that you will run out of hot water when you least want to.

All electric water heaters must be built with a TPR (Temperature Pressure Relief) valve, to prevent them from blowing up if the temperature or pressure reaches an unsafe level. This works to release the excess pressure (in the form of steam or water) through a safe outlet, often piped below the fitting and sometimes even leading outside. The valve should be tested manually on a regular basis, as the effects of the tank exploding can be very dangerous.

Another important feature of a water heater is the drain valve, which allows for any sediment build up to be released. Sediment is one of the main causes of water heaters failing, and it is recommended that the drain valve be flushed at least every six months, to prevent any blockages and damage to the tank.

The anode is another key aspect to a water heater, preventing electrolysis from eating away at the tank itself. Instead, the anode (often magnesium of aluminium based) will attract the corrosion. It is again necessary to check the anode regularly (most modern tanks will have an easily accessible ‘port’ where the anode is held), because once it has worn away completely the corrosion will start to eat at the tank.

The inner tank that holds the actual water has to be insulated to prevent unnecessary heat loss, and often the surrounding pipes are also layered to ensure no heat is lost when the water is travelling to its destination.

There is a big emphasis on environmentally friendly water heaters and energy saving appliances, as up to 20% of your heated water is wasted through poor insulation or poor management of your heater. Not only does this have a negative effect on the environment but it also means your household bills will be more expensive.

Printed circuit boards are the basis for many types of electronic and computer components and devices. PCB's for short, printed circuit boards are typically composed of anywhere between 1 to 2 dozen conductive layers. Each layer is separated by a substrate, or an insulating layer, and then laminated together to form a printed circuit board. Conductive layers are usually made of copper. Drilled holes are included on the boards, which are called "vias". These "vias" are electroplated or riveted to make the connection electrical.

Manufacturing Of Printed Circuit Boards

To manufacture printed circuit boards, they start with a substrate and then lay a copper layer over it. Then they "etch" the layer to remove the copper that is not needed, leaving the proper amount of copper area needed for the application. Then the appropriate amount of vias, or holes, are drilled into the layers with either a tungsten carbide drill or a laser, depending on the size of the vias needed. Any areas of the board where components will be placed are plated. Then any texts are printed on the board with a screen printing process. The boards are then ready for testing. After the board is tested, the board is ready for components for the desired application to be attached, this process is called "populating".

History Of Printed Circuit Boards

The inventor of printed circuit boards was an Austrian engineer named Paul Eisler. He made the first printed circuit board as part of a radio in the year 1936. A graduate of Vienna University in 1930, Eisler developed the radio while living in Hempstead, England. During World War II, Eisler was interned in England for being an illegal alien. When he was released in 1941, he sought out investors for his printed circuits invention. The Camberwell lithography company became interested and offered Eisler a contract, which he did not read before signing. The contract gave the rights to his idea away to the company. After this, he was still able to get a patent for a printed circuit for many other applications in 1943. His invention was finally noticed by the US military, which integrated the technology into bomb detonators to counter German advancements in the field. When the war ended, the US government allowed access to the technology for commercial use.

Uses and Applications

When printed circuit boards first came out, they were mainly used in military and industrial applications, but today, they are used as the basis for millions of components, hardware and devices, including computers, cell phones, radios, televisions and related devices. If you have a device that is electronic in any way, chances are a printed circuit board, large or small, will be found inside. If you open up just about any electronic gadget, computer or device, and you find that familiar green (or sometimes red or blue) board with copper colored lines and dots, you are using a printed circuit board.

Textile wastes are the materials which are either used textiles or excess materials which may not be directly usable for creating the main textile product. These wastes could be anything from basic yarns to used apparels. Textile wastes are in equal demand across developed as well as developing countries. Modified goods made from these wastes are sold in countries such as India, Pakistan, and Srilanka. Textile wastes are made to undergo a process known as recycling by which they are recreated to some useful product. Textile wastes are collected for reuse, and send to the 'wiping' and 'flocking' industry and fibres to be reclaimed to make new garments. Textiles made from both natural and man-made fibres can be recycled. It is estimated that more than 1 million tones of textiles are thrown away every year, with most of this coming from household sources.

Textiles make up about 3% by weight of a household bin. At least 50% of the textiles we throw away are recyclable. Although the majority of textile waste originates from household sources, waste textiles also arise during yarn and fabric manufacture, garment-making processes and from the retail industry. These are termed post-industrial waste, as opposed to the post-consumer waste which goes to jumble sales and charity shops. Together they provide a vast potential for recovery and recycling. All collected textiles are sorted and graded by highly skilled, experienced workers, who are able to recognize the large variety of fibre types resulting from the introduction of synthetics and blended fibre fabrics. Once sorted the items are sent to various destinations. Textile wastes are the cheapest means to get good profit margin in the Textile Industry.

TIO2 stands for Titanium Dioxide. Its pigment is a fine white powder which is used extensively in paints, plastics, papers for giving sharp whiteness to the material. It gives paint high hiding power, meaning the ability to mask or hide a substrate. It does this more effectively than any other white pigment. Today, titanium dioxide pigment is by far the most important material used by the paints and plastics industry for whiteness and opacity. These unique properties are derived from the refractive index of titanium dioxide. The refractive index expresses the ability to bend and scatter light. Titanium dioxide has the highest refractive index of any material known to man, greater even than diamond.

The material is used as an opacifier in glass and porcelain enamels, cosmetics, sunscreens, paper, and paints. To take advantage of this property, titanium dioxide must be mined, refined and ground to a fine, uniform particle size. One of the major advantages of the material for exposed applications is its resistance to discoloration under UV light. Titanium Dioxide is found in a form known as ilmenite which is found in the iron ore.

Main uses of TIO2:
1. Pigments – As discussed earlier TIO2 used to give whiteness and opacity to products such as paints and coatings, plastics, paper, inks, fibres and food and cosmetics.

2. Anti Microbial Coating – The Titania in TIO2 has photo catalytic property which make the material a candidate for applications such as medical devices, food preparation surfaces, air conditioning filters, and sanitary ware surfaces.

3. Oxygen Sensors – Titania can be used to sense the amount of oxygen present in an atmosphere which is used for studying atmosphere.

As search engine marketers specializing in the industrial marketplace, it’s neccessary to stay sharp on industry related topics and terms. Admittedly though, as situations present, we’ll supplement our knowledge with credible information sources online. After all, we’re not engineers.

A recent ‘research’ project brought to light an area of opportunity - for both industrial websites as well as online information sources, where indeed there is a startling lack of engineering related information available. It’s a good thing, though. Where there is lack, there is…opportunity!

One highly regarded and widely accepted general information source is wikipedia.com, a free encyclopedia that anyone can edit. Any topic can be introduced and expanded upon; which ofcourse includes topics related to… let’s say… optical enginnering, metal working, etc. You get the idea. However, there is defintely room for growth among these kind of topics in their database.

This gap in information presents a multi faceted opportunity for engineers to support their brand and online marketing initiatives. The advantage that can be taken is rooted in the amount of supporting information that can be supplied to entries, including:

1. “External Links”

List your website as a leading source of information in regards to topic entires. (These links have the ‘no follow’ attribute, so they wont be counted as incoming links by the search engines. They will however, extend your web presence.)

2. “What Links Here”

Other sites that link to your entry (including your own) are listed, again accomplishing the above.

3. “Cite This Source”

Information and claims made inside entries can sometimes require a citation. Provide relevant information on your website, and cite yourself. You have hence gained some authority status.

Granted, most of your clients and their customers are’nt frequent wikipedia surfers, but the advantage still plays. As a general rule, the more content you have dispersed on the web, the closer you become to being an online industry leader and authoratative information souce. This, folks, is brand management!

NOTE - If your entry requires a citation, you may be called on the carpet to validate your credentials, according to a recently published article. Wikipedia is serious about providing accurate informaiton from trustworthy sources. One board memeber was recently dismissed for entries he made siting himself as a professor of theology, when infact he was a “24 year old college drop out.” (Ouch.)

More About Wikipedia

Wikipedia is an ecyclopedia collaboratively written by many of its readers. It is a special type of website, called a wiki, that makes collaboration easy. Many people are constantly improving Wikipedia, making thousands of changes an hour, all of which are recorded on article histories and recent changes. Inappropriate changes are usually removed quickly, and repeat offenders can be blocked from editing.

In closing, we leave you in a Gap. We’ll check back to see who’s made an entry…

manufacturers: Search for "short run stamping" or "industrial search engine marketing"

Happy Editing!

I know of an industrial company whos website was banned from Google because of a hacker who’d been hosting spam on their domain. Because the re-inclusion at process can take upwards of several months, I was of course surprised to see one of their keywords getting results on Google. (I know full well none of their pages are indexed.) A click on the result brought me to their distributors website. Evidently this distributor has several sections of their website dedicated to promoting ‘mini versions’ of their supplier’s sites, which, while a fine marketing move, raises HUGE duplicate content issues that can adversly affect rankings.

The innterconnectiveity between businesses and brands within the industrial marketplace presents a unique scenario as it relates to duplicate content and advertising online. To save your rankings, here are a few things for industrial companies to watch out for:

1. Re-Sellers

For websites who distribute well known brands, pay special care to your website copy and online marketing collateral. While it can be tempting to follow a model that works, if your content is identified by the search engines as ‘closely similar, your site will be less favored, and at worst, your pages ignored. Put a unique spin on the products you sell.

2. OEMS & Distributors

For distributors who feature information about their manufacturers, if that information first appeared on the manufacturer’s website, your pages could be penalized. Manufacturers, why not leverage the opportunity to distibute unique content while widening your visibility online? By supplying seperate web copy to your partners, you safeguard your pages, heighten your ’status’ in the search engines ( by virtue of relationship with a topically simliar website,) and create new opportunties for incoming links.