Experts. Are we just experienced or are we experts?

Experts. Are we just experienced or are we experts?

I saw this recent comment from a multi-trade specialist who are able to offer a range of services to the building services market.

Their comment says

"Contact our team of experts today and book your free"..............

I am always concerned when someone offers a free anything because invariably this WILL end up costing money because someone always ends up paying for it. 

If you are offering to survey a project that requires the installation of anything to anything then how can you realistically cost the job without seeing it? Unless of course you are working to detailed drawings. 

One of my ex-employees (Technical Director) once saw two water tanks. Unfortunately he only charged the customer for one, so even that doesn't always work.  

Anyway let's get back to experts. 

The word “expert” is formed from the conjunction of two roots which, phonetically, can be represented as “x” and “spurt”. Everyone knows that “X” is an unknown quantity, and that a “spurt” is what one gets from squeezing a drop of water. Therefore, an expert is an unknown drip under pressure.  

Definition: Expert from an article by Jerry Cates , first published on 24 August 2011

As Jerry says the above definition although amusing is not entirely correct.

Another definition from Brainy Quote suggests

Taught by use, practice, or experience, experienced; having facility of operation or performance from practice; knowing and ready from much practice; clever; skilful; as, an expert surgeon; expert in chess or archery.

However if you look at Wikipedia then:

"In line with the socially constructed view of expertise, expertise can also be understood as a form of power; that is, experts have the ability to influence others as a result of their defined social status. By a similar token, a fear of experts can arise from fear of an intellectual elite's power". 

We all seek advice all of the time because let’s face it that is the only way to learn.

If you are selling a safety product then it is easy to influence others based upon your level of experience. 

By carefully wording the proposal you can generate a fear factor.

Is that being an expert or commercial bullying?

At RAB we offer advice based upon our own experience and have even stated:

 "Technical expertise - the best people for the best service and the best finish"

But, are we truly experts or just very experienced at what we do?

That choice is one that we have to leave to our clients. 

Take a look at  www.rabse.com and www.airintakescreen.co.uk and make your own decision once you have spoken to one of our very experienced people.

And finally "An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made, in a narrow field". 

RAB Specialist Engineers Blog

RAB Specialist Engineers Blog

Another way to use an air intake filter screen

In the world of air intake screens there always seems to be another application you have never thought of before. 

Many companies already recognise the benefit of fitting an external filter to any piece of air movement equipment was it provides an additional protection layer for valuable plant.

That is why we have installed to dry air coolers, vertical and horizontal chillers, air compressors, refrigeration display cabinets, cooling towers, building main intake louvres and AHU air intakes as well as a host of other cooling  and air movement machinery.

In a recent survey of a paper factory we were expecting to find paper fines and the normal dust, seed and other airborne pollutants causing problems. 

However, the writer was asked to survey the inside of this paper processing plant and found that they had a big problem caused by the shreds generated on the production line.

Like most modern and highly automated factories this site had miles of conveyor systems all controlled by sophisticated electrical equipment mounted inside mild steel cabinets.

The control boards, switches and plc’s all generate heat and to maximise the space each cabinet was also fitted with its own air conditioner.

These integral AC units (see http://seifertsystems.com/us/engineering/ for an example) draw ambient air into the enclosure which is then cooled, circulated and discharged back into the factory.

This fan driven air supply also draws in the paper fines, which are then deposited inside the enclosure and clog up the evaporator coil.

Obviously clogged fins are something that we have discussed regularly (see http://www.airintakescreen.co.uk/cooling-coil-filters1 ) but paper dust and fines laying on electrical components is another risk we had never considered before. Maintenance requires regular shut down and cleaning in order to minimise the risk of fire.

That is why the electrical engineer was so excited when he saw the patented Permatron R1 Magnetic Filter which could be placed on the intake without drilling the cabinet. 

Acting as an external filter the BHC Honeycomb Media attracts the dust and paper fines and will keep the enclosure clean avoiding both evaporator failure and minimising the risk of fire.

During a recent failure the replacement cost was over £2,000.00 and also shut down the production line. 

Yet it could have been avoided with a simple £65.00 high flow, low resistance filter which can be removed and cleaned before refitting.It may not be superhero stuff but we were pleased that another problem has been solved by an air intake filter screen from RAB Specialist Engineers.

Air Intake Screens: Sampling the benefit

Air Intake Screens: Sampling the benefit: The problem with a relatively new product, even one that has been in the market for more than two years, is that most people do not tr...

It's a rat trap

There are not too many contracts where you have to consider rats as a potential hazard.

In this particular barn the water pipe feeding the cows and pigs ran through galvanised steel caps fitted tightly to the pen walls. When I say tightly, that was the assumption which was so badly wrong.

The water pipe was 25mm Blue MDPE which was layered with frost protection trace heating cable and mineral fibre insulation sections. Regrettably the sealed metallic capping had been modified to allow cables and outlets to be fitted and this allowed the rats to enter this dark and warm place next to a ready supply of food and water.

This capping ran in multiple lines over an 80m length and the Barn Town Rats thrived in the Rat Run.

These rodents need plenty of water and must also keep gnawing to wear down their teeth. What better place than a dark duct with mineral fibre for nesting, trace heating cable at low amps for chewing and of course water pipe for gnawing. And if it gets too wet, then move further up the duct and chew, gnaw, nest some more. 

So back to the job.

Repair / replace missing insulation from exposed pipework, disconnect redundant pipes where dead legs were in place and carry out minor repairs to trace heating cable. The exposed areas were simple enough and there was only minor damage to the cabling. There was some evidence of long deserted nests and so we were armed with the appropriate PPE - coveralls, splash goggles and chemically resistant gloves – which, with a fetching pair of white wellingtons, made a significant fashion statement.

However, to remove the dead legs we needed to also remove the steel caps. That is when we disturbed the rats and found that the visible nests were just the tip of the iceberg.  

The morning after the steam cleaning machine had broken as the rats had made a new nest and gnawed the power cable. This was not a job for RAB and so a local contractor called Extreme Environmental were called in to assist. They stripped off the metalwork, cleared out the nests and cleaned the pipework and walls with a disinfectant and biocide.

They looked like people from an Ebola outbreak station with their facemasks, full body coveralls, boots, safety goggles and gloves but, as rat mess contains particularly harmful diseases, it was the only way to tackle the problem.  Whilst they were cleaning and making safe they also discovered further damage to the electrical cabling, trace heating cable and junction boxes. More leaks appeared as we stripped the steel ducting away from the walls and the job started to grow substantially.

No longer was it a minor repair as we needed to make safe the cabling, remove rat damaged and wet insulation and repair a lot of pipework leaks.  And, as any pipefitter will tell you, as you repair one weak point and refill the system the next weak point fails leading to more repairs. 

Oh yes and what of Big Bertha. She was the only rat who did not run away when we disturbed her nesting point. Instead, she just stared straight at me and did not move a muscle. And yes she was alive and no I was not braver than she was. 

That is why the farmer was called to do what farmers do best and us lightweight engineering types did a swift exit from the building. 

RAB Specialist Engineers: Fan Shroud Air Intake Filter Screen Stops Dust Blo...

RAB Specialist Engineers: Fan Shroud Air Intake Filter Screen Stops Dust Blo...: Fan Shroud Air Filter Stops Dust Blowing The Challenge - Recirculating Dust with Cooling Fan Processing plant items manu...

Fan Shroud Air Intake Filter Screen Stops Dust Blowing

Fan Shroud Air Filter Stops Dust Blowing

The Challenge - Recirculating Dust with Cooling Fan

Processing plant items manufactured with heat require high velocity air cooling from recirculating fans blowing directly onto the product before it can be packaged.  

Unfortunately the mobile and pedestal style air circulator fan components become covered in airborne debris as the equipment draws in the local air, picking up the particles which are then spread throughout the motor, blades and fan guards. 

These contaminants can, potentially, be blown back into the cooling area and onto the finished product.

 

The Solution - Fan Shroud Air Filter

Custom sized to fit securely on the backside of a fan guard, the filter wraps around the motor encasement and is held securely in place with an elastic edge and hook/loop attachment.  

Available in a washable woven electrostatic polypropylene media or disposable nonwoven polyester, the fan shroud attracts and holds the particles before they can enter the equipment. 

Easily removed, the washable filters can be changed out with a second set of filters as needed, rinsed and reused.  

The disposable polyester fan shrouds can be removed and disposed of depending on which model best meets the factory needs.  

Both the equipment and the product stay clean.

Inspection guidelines will include that Dust Collection & Filtering Devices be put in place to prevent possible contamination to food products from threads, lint and fibres.  

In GENERAL RULES FOR ALL FOOD PREMISES & FOODSTUFFS - the layout, design, construction, siting and size of food premises are to:

1. Permit adequate maintenance, cleaning and/or disinfection, avoid or minimise air borne contamination, and provide adequate working space to allow for the hygienic performance of all operations.
2. Be such as to protect against the accumulation of dirt, contact with toxic materials, the shedding of particles into food and the formation of condensation or undesirable mould on surfaces.

PreVent® Equipment Protection bonnet filters are one positive solution to this problem. For details please see Bonnet Filters