Why Use Respiratory Protection?

Companies and individuals should use respirators to protect health and control occupational diseases caused by breathing air contaminated with harmful dusts, fogs, fumes, mists, gases, smokes, sprays or vapors.
Safety mask respirators come in a wide range of types and sizes used by the military, private industry, and the public. Safety mask respirators range from cheaper, single-use, disposable masks to reusable models with replaceable cartridges and filters.

What kind of protection do respirators offer and how does it work?

Air-purifying respirators have an air-purifying filter, cartridge, or canister that removes specific air contaminants by passing ambient air through the air-purifying element. This provides an individual with safe, clean uncontaminated air to breathe in.

What Is A Respirator?

A respirator is a safety device to protect you from inhaling dangerous substances, such as chemicals and infectious particulates. There are several different types of respirators safety masks, as listed below:

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Particulate Respirators/Dust Masks

 

Particulate Respirators/Dust Masks are the simplest, least expensive, and least protective of the respirator types available. These respirators only protect against particles. They do not protect against chemicals, gases, or vapors, and are intended only for low hazard levels. The commonly known "N-95" filtering facepiece respirator is one type of particulate respirator, often used in hospital to protect against infectious agents. Particulate respirators are "air-purifying respirators" because they clean particles out of the air as you breathe. Even if you can't see the particles, there may be too many in the air for this respirator to provide adequate protection.

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Half Facepiece & Full Facepiece Gas Mask/Chemical Cartridge Respirators

 

These chemical and gas masks are also known as "air-purifying respirators" because they filter or clean chemical gases and particles out of the air as you breathe. This respirator includes a full facepiece mask or or half facepiece mask, and a filter/cartridge (if the filter is in a metal shell it is called a "canister"). Straps secure the facepiece to the head. The cartridge may have a filter to remove particles (such as a biological weapon), charcoal (to remove certain chemicals), both, or other parts. When the user inhales, air is pulled through the filter.

Gas & chemical masks are effective only if used with the correct respirator cartridge or filter for a particular biological or chemical substance. Selecting the proper filter can be a complicated process. There are cartridges available that protect against more than one hazard, but there is no "all-in-one" filter that protects against all substances. You need to know what hazardous materials you will face in order to be certain you are choosing the right filters or cartridges.

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Escape or Emergency Breathing Apparatus (EBA) Respirators

 

Escape or Emergency Breathing Apparatus (EBA) Respirators are designed to be used only in an emergency, and only to escape from a dangerous area to a safe area. There are several escape respirators on the market. Many of them use a hood with a neck seal instead of a facepiece. They are typically designed for one-time use for a short period, typically 15 minutes to 1 hour. They may be available in a variety of sizes and will fit most adults. Individuals with small or very large neck sizes may not be able to use some escape hood designs-check the supplier product information before purchasing.

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Powered Air-Purifying Respirator (PAPR)

 

Powered air-purifying respirators use a fan to blow air through the filter to the user. They are easier to breathe through and they need a fully charged battery to work properly. They use the same filters as gas masks, so you need to know what the hazard is, and how much of it is in the air.

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Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA)

 

Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) is the respirator commonly used by firefighters. These use their own air tank to supply clean air, so you don't need to worry about filters. They also protect against higher concentrations of dangerous chemicals. However, they are very heavy (30 pounds or more), and require very special training to use and to maintain them. Also, the air tanks typically last an hour or less depending upon their rating and how hard you are breathing.

How to Choose a Respirator or Dust Mask

Respirators and dust masks come in several styles and types.

Home and garden projects frequently involve exposure to harmful chemicals and toxins – such as paint fumes, solvents, dust, adhesives, pesticides, and caustic cleaning products – not to mention the annual assault from pollen and allergens. In addition to proper ventilation, a respirator or dust mask will go a long way in protecting your lungs and health.
Respirators and dust masks aren’t all the same – there are different kinds to choose from, as well as a rating system for efficiency. At home and around the workshop, either a particulate filter (dust mask) or chemical cartridge respirator are likely to be all you’ll need.

N95 and R95 particulate masks.

Particulate Filters

Particulate filters, including disposable dust masks, are the most common type of air-purifying device for home use. Particulate filters can be disposable or reusable with replaceable filters. They cover your nose and mouth and provide protection from airborne particles – including dust, mists, liquids, and some fumes – but not gases or vapors.
Particulate filters are rated by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) according to what, and how much, they filter out. The rating have both a letter and number:

Dust mask for cutting grass.
• N: Not oil proof
• R: Oil resistant (up to 8 hours)
• P: Oil proof (beyond 8 hours)
• Number: Particulate filters are rated 95, 97, or 100; which corresponds to the percentage of one-micrometer particles removed during clinical trials. A 95 rating means that the filter removes 95% of particles from the air. Filters rated 100 are considered High-Efficiency (HE or HEPA) filters.

What Type Particulate Filter Should I Buy?

The most common rating for disposable dust masks is N95, which will filter 95% of airborne particles that are not oil-based. N95 covers most woodshop dust, allergens, and airborne diseases. Filters for painting are often rated R95, or higher to handle oil-based particles.
If you’re looking for the highest level of protection in the widest variety of situations, go for P100, which will filter out 100% of both oil-based and non-oil-based particles.
When choosing a dust mask, consider:

• Masks with an adjustable nosepiece offer a tighter fit.
• Disposable masks with foam face seals will be more comfortable and a little more effective.
• Masks with an exhalation valve will make breathing easier.
• For highly toxic particles (such as asbestos), choose a non-disposable mask with sealing gaskets.

Half-mask, dual cartridge respirator.

Chemical Cartridge/Gas Mask Respirators

Chemical cartridge respirators contain special carbon filtering material that absorbs gases and vapors from the air. The replaceable cartridges are inserted in a mask that seals tightly around the edges to block out unfiltered air. Cartridge respirators may be half-mask (covering only your nose and mouth) or full-face (for protection against chemicals that irritate the skin).
Chemical cartridge filters include:

• Chemical Cartridge: Block out vapors, but don’t have a separate prefilter to remove particles.
• Dual Cartridge: Include a replaceable pre-filter for particulates, giving you both types of protection. The particulate pre-filter will be rated just like any other particulate filter (see above).
• PAPR (Powered Air-Purifying Respirator): Have a battery-powered fan that blows air through the filter to make breathing easier.

What Type Chemical Cartridge Respirator Should I Buy?

To choose the right cartridge respirator, you need to know what toxins you’ll be facing. The cartridges are color-coded for specific purposes (such as organic vapors, ammonia, mercury, or acids). If you don’t know, or if your project it likely to contain small amounts of different substances, choose a dual-cartridge respirator with a multipurpose chemical cartridge and a P100-rated particulate filter.

Wear a protective mask when spraying potentially harmful chemicals.

Guide to Respirators

The following chart will help you decide what kind of respirator you need:

Substance	Type of Respirator	Rating (if applicable)
Acid Gases	Chemical cartridge
Allergens	Particulate filter	N95 or higher
Ammonia	Chemical cartridge
Asbestos	Particulate filter	N100 or HE
Bacteria and Viruses	Particulate filter	N95 or higher
Bleach	Particulate filter	N95 or higher
Dust	Particulate filter	N95 or higher
Fibers (not asbestos)	Particulate filter	N95 or higher
Insulation	Particulate filter	N95 or higher
Lead	Particulate filter	N100 or HE
Mold	Particulate filter	N95 or higher
Organic vapor	Chemical cartridge
Paint	Particulate filter	R95 or higher
Pesticides, Sprays	Particulate filter	R95 or higher
Pollen	Particulate filter	N95 or higher
Sanding	Particulate filter	N95 or higher
Welding	Particulate filter	N95 or higher

Respirator Safety Tips

• Notice Smells: Change the filter if you notice any changes in smells or taste; or if your throat, nose, or lungs become irritated.


Wear a protective mask when using chemicals.
• Breathe Easy: You should also change your respirator if it becomes clogged and hard to breathe through.
• Keep Dry: Many respirators, especially disposable ones, become ineffective if they get wet.
• Follow Instructions: Replace filters as instructed on the package.
• Don’t Reuse: Disposable respirators aren’t meant to be used more than once.
• Throw Away if Broken: Discard any respirator or filter canister that is dirty or damaged. Replace gas masks if rubber seals are damaged.

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9 Uses for Acrylic Plastics That You Probably Didn’t Know About

Acrylic plastic, the material used in lighting diffusers has hundreds of thousands of uses. From everyday products, to retail environments, consumer electronics, cars, boats and aircrafts; this strong plastic is highly dependable.

Why Is Acrylic So Important?

An extremely versatile material, diffuser acrylic sheet is often chosen for its durability, impact, strength, color and pattern possibilities. You’ll find that acrylic sheet is almost everywhere.
Even things you might not expect like the “glass” on your cellphone and your car windows may also be acrylic, chosen for high impact strength and low weight. And because a mirrored finish can be applied to acrylic sheet, it can even be used for your side view and rear view mirrors.
The acrylic sheet has astounding transparency, almost like glass as mentioned.  If fluorescent lights light the room you’re in, the diffusing panel that hides the bulbs is probably made from acrylic. Because it can be formed to nearly any shape, acrylic is common in public places like stores and malls – the signs you read, point-of-purchase displays that grab your attention and the jewelry cases that protect watches and rings are all made using acrylic.

A Few Unconventional Uses For Acrylic Plastics

 

Substitute for acrylic glass
 
Aeroplane canopies




 
Military bomber planes



 
Aquariums




 
Helmet visors




 
Bulletproof panels




 
Corneal replacement




 
Water resistant paints





 
Fiber optics

 

Acrylic Lenses

The durability and strength of acrylic plastic makes it the ideal material for fluorescent light lenses. It has a unique way of softening the harsh light emitted from fluorescent bulbs, by distributing the light over an even space. A few of the most common ways we use acrylic are in everyday spaces like grocery stores, schools and doctors offices. Learn more about acrylic light lenses and order your desired quantity online, right here. If we don’t have the size you need, we’ll make it!

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Drillbits and Different types of It

To drill a satisfactory hole in any material, the correct type of drill bit must be used; it must be used correctly and be sharpened as appropriate.
Many jobs around the house require a hole of some kind to be drilled - whether it is putting up a shelf, building a cabinet or hanging a light fitting.
For basic requirements, a set of high-speed steel twist drills and some masonry bits will probably be sufficient for the average handyman. But for more sophisticated jobs/material, others bits will be required - perhaps larger, or designed for a specific material/purpose.
Good quality drill bits can be expensive, so take care of them, keep them in a case or box if possible, rather than allowing them to roll around loose in a toolbox where the cutting edges may be damaged.
Learning how to sharpen drill bits is cost effective, it better to keep a bit sharp by occasional sharpening rather than waiting until it becomes really blunt. A sharp bit cuts better with less effort whether used in a power or hand drill. A sharp bit will also give a cleaner hole.

Twist bits

Usuallyreferred to as twist drills, twist bits are probably the most common drilling tools used by the handyman with either a hand or electric drill. The front edges cut the material and the spirals along the length remove the debris from the hole and tend to keep the bit straight.
They can be used on timber, metal, plastics and similar materials. Most twist bits are made from either:

• 'high speed steel' (HSS), these are suitable for drilling most types of material, when drilling metal the HSS stands up to the high temperatures.
• 'carbon steel', these bits are specially ground for drilling wood and should not be used for drilling metals, they tend to be more brittle, less flexible than HSS bits.

Twist bits are also available coated with Titanium nitride (TiN), these are easily identified by the gold like colour. This coating increases the hardness of the bit and adds a self-lubricating property. The coating is only really effective when metal is being drilled, it has little effect when working with other materials.
Twist drills are usually available in sizes 0.8-12 mm plus. They are designed for drilling relatively small holes, they sometimes tend to clog quickly especially when the wood is 'green' so when drilling deep holes (especially in hardwood) the bits should be withdrawn regularly to remove the waste.
Special care is required when using the smallest sizes since these bits are thin and brittle. Always hold the drill square to the work and apply only light pressure when drilling.
Sharpening - use a drill sharpener, a grindstone jig or an oilstone.
Titanium nitride bits cannot be sharpened without destroying the coating (although if the drill needs sharpening, the coating will probably have already been destroyed). Forming the correct angle at the tip is important for efficient cutting.

Screwdriver bit drills

Designed to fit in rechargeable screwdriver these bits have a hexagonal shank. They are ideal for drilling pilot holes but are limited by the low power of these type of screwdrivers and the limited size of small bits available.
Sharpening - as for twist drills.

Masonry bit

As the name suggests, these are designed for drilling into brick, block, stone, quarry tiles or concrete. The cutting tip is often made from tungsten carbide bonded to a spiralled steel shaft. Some masonry drills are described as 'durium tipped', this term refers to a highly durable silicon bronze alloy used instead of tungsten as the cutting point.
Masonry drills are usually used in a power drill; although they can be used with a lot of effort in a hand brace. Most masonry bits can be used with a hammer action power drill, but always check as the action is quite punishing on the bit and cheaper bits have been known to shatter when subjected to the pounding. Always use a slow rotational speed for drilling into harder materials to avoid overheating the tip, and frequently withdraw the bit to remove dust.
Long Masonry bits (300 to 400mm) are available for drilling through masonry walls.
Bit sizes range from 4 to 16mm.
Sharpening - use a drill sharpener or grindstone to sharpen the tungsten carbide tip.

Spur point bit

Also known as a wood or dowel bit, they have a central point and two raised spurs that help keep the bit drilling straight. The bit cuts timber very fast when used in a power drill and leaves a clean sided hole. They are ideal for drilling holes for dowels as the sides of the holes are clean and parallel. Sizes range from 3 to 10mm. Spur point bits should only be used for drilling wood or some plastics.
Sharpening - a bit fiddly as it has to be done by hand. Sharpen the point and spurs with a fine file or edge of a fine grindstone; the angle between the point and spurs should be 90°.

Bullet Pilot Point

With their central point and two spurs, Bullet drills resemble spur point bits, but can be used in metal, wood and plastics. Unlike normal twist drills, the twisted flutes are ground away; making a truer, more accurate bit than normal twist bits. They cut a clean hole and cause little damage when they break through the back of the workpiece.
Bit sizes range from 1.5 to 13 mm.
Sharpening - cannot be carried out satisfactorily.

Countersink

Although not a true 'drill', it is used in a power or hand drill to form the conical recess for the heads of countersunk screws. These bits tend to be designed for use on soft materials such as timber and plastics, not metals. When used with a power drill to counter sink an existing hole, the bit tends to 'chatter', leaving a rough surface. Better results be will obtained if the countersink bit is used before the hole is drilled, then take care to ensure that the hole is in the centre of the countersunk depression.
Countersinks are available with fitted handles so that they can be used by hand twisting, often easier than changing the bit in the drill when only a relatively few holes need countersinking.
Sharpening: difficult, but can be done with a fine triangular file.

Countersink with clearance drill

These combination bits are quite clever, they drill the clearance hole and countersinks it all in one stroke. Can be used in a power drill or some routers. Different bits are required for different size of clearance holes and they are probably not cost effective unless a large number of a given hole size need to be drilled and countersunk.
Sharpening - difficult, due to shape of spur points.

Tile Bit

A bit for drilling ceramic tiles and glass, it has a ground tungsten carbide tip. They can be used with a hand drill, but are best used in a variable speed power drill on a slow speed. When drilling glass, some form of lubricant (i.e. turpentine or white spirit ) should be used to keep the tip cool.
Ceramic tiles can also be drilled using a masonry bit if it is used at slow speed and without hammer action.
Sharpening - difficult because of the hard tungsten carbide and curved cutting edge. With care and patience, a blunt edge can be made good using an oilstone.

Flat wood bit

Intended for power drill use only, the centre point locates the bit and the flat steel on either side cuts away the timber. These bits are used to drill fairly large holes and they give a flat bottomed hole (with a central point) so are ideal where the head of a screw/bolt needs to be recessed into the timber - always use this bit before drilling the clearance hole for the bolt.
The larger bits require a fairly powerful drill to bore deep holes. The bits cause a lot of splintering as they break out the back of the workpiece - using a sacrificial backing board will reduce this. Flat wood bits are not really suitable for enlarging an existing hole.
Sizes range between 8 and 32mm.
Sharpening - use a fine file, oilstone or grindstone.

Hole saw

Used for cutting large, fixed, diameter holes in wood or plastic. They will usually cut up to a depth of 18mm - deeper versions are available. Best used in a power drill at low speed as the blade saws it's way through the material.
Sharpening - could be done with a fine triangular file - as for an ordinary saw.

Combination hole saw

Like the Hole Saw above, these combination saws can cut large holes but they consist of a number of different sized round saw blades, usually ranging from about 25 to 62mm in diameter. Normally the blade are secures by a radial screw in the 'head', all blades other than the desired sized being removed before the screw is inserted to secure the required diameter blade. Best used in a power drill at low speed as the blade saws it's way through the material.
Sharpening - could be done with a fine triangular file and 'setter' as for an ordinary saw.

Forstner bit

Used to form holes with a flat bottom, such as for kitchen cupboard hinges. Best used in a power drill held in a drill stand as there's little in the way of a central point. If used freehand, the positioning is difficult to control as there is no central pilot bit.
Sharpening - on an oilstone or with a fine file.

Wood Auger bit

This is ideal when drilling large-diameter, deep holes in wood or thick man-made boards. Generally an Auger bit should only be used in a hand brace. The bit will cut a clean and deep, flat bottomed holes. The single spur cuts and defines the edge of the hole while the chisel-like cutting edge removes the waste within the previously cut circle. The threaded centre bites into the wood and pulls the bit into the timber. This 'pulling' action means that the bit is really unsuitable for use in a power drill.
Sharpening - use a fine file or oilstone to keep the spur and main cutting edges sharp.

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Types of Bearings and What to Use Them For

Photo by Fan Jianhua/Shutterstock

When you think about what makes the modern world tick, you might think of electricity, cell phones, airplanes, or any number of modern conveniences. What we don’t normally think of, however, is the humble bearing that makes at least two out of three of those function.

Without bearings, the wheels on your car wouldn’t roll and the engine definitely would not work. Bearings reduce friction and keep components precisely in place. These little guys are so important that the Allies decided to strategically attack German bearing capabilities during World War II, at a very heavy loss. Hopefully the bearings in your projects will be used for more peaceful purposes.

Types of Loads

There are two main types of bearings: thrust bearings, which keep a round item spinning and in position while thrust is applied (a lazy susan, for example), and radial load bearings, which keep a spinning item in position in the radial direction (skateboard bearings, for example). A third class of bearings, the tapered roller bearings, are able to withstand force in either direction.

I suppose you could say that all three can withstand force in either direction, since a lazy susan doesn’t slide horizontally across a table and skateboard bearings don’t just slide off their axes. However, the main force resisted is decidedly in one direction.

Photo by Cosma/Shutterstock

In my experience, when bearings are mentioned most people immediately think of ball bearings. These are generally radial load bearings (skateboard), although they can be made as thrust bearings if needed. Roller bearings are more commonly used as thrust bearings, although it’s not uncommon to see them used in a radial loading application.

Types of Bearings

There are many specialized types of bearings. Here are a few you might see in your everyday life while making awesome stuff:

• “Normal” Radial Ball Bearing – What someone would normally think of as a bearing, with two concentric metal circles separated by little metal balls. These simple bearings can be found in everything from skateboards to drills.
• Pillow Block Bearing – These bearings are a radial load bearing encased in a housing that can be attached to a surface parallel to the axis of rotation.
• Cam Follower Bearing – A radial load bearing with a threaded rod attached to it. Generally meant to ride on a cam to cause linear motion, these could have other interesting applications.
• Ball Bushing (Linear) Bearing – This type of bearing is used extensively to allow for the smooth motion of 3D printer and CNC router heads. Their purpose, unlike the other bearings here, is to restrict radial motion, while allowing smooth linear motion.
• Automotive Wheel Bearing – These are generally taperer roller bearings, allowing for both radial and axial load to be overcome.
• Thrust Bearings – These have many uses (especially automotive), but lazy susans and bar stools are what immediately come to mind as easy examples of their use. They could also be useful for anything else that needs to rotate smoothly, like a camera panning device.

Alternatives

If you’re able to use bearings in your design, that is really good. However, in most applications this does take planning and extra expense. If you’re in a hurry, or are short on space, you might instead consider using a low friction material in your design. I’ve used Teflon washers successfully in a project at home. If you have access to it, there are also many low-friction coatings available.

That being said, if you can afford (both in terms of patience and money) to use bearings, it is really great to see a well engineered project that uses bearings to keep things in line and moving smoothly.

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Safety at hand: Use the right glove for proper protection

The workplace can create many hazards for your hands, whether from chemicals, cuts or burns. No single glove can provide appropriate protection for every work situation, so it is important to assess the risk for each task and select a glove that provides specialized protection.
The following is a list of gloves and their appropriate application, according to the National Safety Council:
PPE - Many Gloves for Different Applications

 

Which Glove is Best?

Glove	Uses
Cotton	Light duty material handling and  cleanup work
Leather	Equipment handling, general construction, heavy cleanup, welding, moderately hot or cold material handling
Shock absorbing	Operating rotary hammers and other vibrating equipment
Kevlar or Wire mesh	Work with sheet metal, glass, or heavy cutting These gloves Do Not provide puncture protection
Rubber, nitrile, neoprene, PVC, PVA and other synthetics	Chemical gloves must be chosen for the specific chemical being used
Insulated	Extreme high and low temperatures

How Chemicals Get Inside a glove

• Permeation - Diffusion of a chemical through a material on a molecular basis
• Penetration – Chemical enters  through zippers, punctures, or seams
• Degradation – Chemical causes a change in the physical properties of the material

Table adapted from: Forsberg, K. & Mansdorf, S.Z. Quick Selection Guide to
Chemical Protective Clothing. 2nd Ed. Van Nostrand Reinhold, NY, NY

Glove Care

• Inspect gloves before use for tears, excessive wear, and punctures
• Store in a clean, dry location
• Discard leather and cloth gloves if they become saturated with oil or other chemicals
• Leak test chemical gloves by sealing the wrist and filling the glove with air
  -Use a clean plastic tube or low pressure air line – not your mouth!

Glove Sizing
With a ruler, start at index finger and measure the width of your hand in the knuckle area

Distance	Size
2 to 2½”	6	X Small
2½ to 3”	7	Small
3 to 3½”	8	Medium
3½ to 4”	9	Large
4 to 4½”	10	X Large
4½ to 5”	11	XX Large

Hand Care

• Avoid washing your hands with solvents, harsh soaps, or abrasives
• Clean and bandage all cuts and abrasions
• Immediately remove any imbedded foreign materials
• Wash immediately after using any chemical – Even if you did not detect leakage
• Pay attention to skin rashes—get an immediate medical evaluation
• Wear cotton gloves under rubber gloves to reduce sweating

• Cotton and fabric gloves: These can keep hands clean and protect against abrasions, but may not be strong enough to handle work with rough or sharp materials.
• Coated fabric gloves: This type of glove can provide protection against some moderate concentrated chemicals. They can be used in laboratory work provided they are strong enough to protect against the specific chemical being handled.
• Rubber, plastic or synthetic gloves: These types of glove can be used when cleaning or working with oils, solvents and other chemicals.
• Leather gloves: These should be used when welding, as the leather can resist sparks and moderate heat. The risk of cuts and abrasions also can be minimized by wearing leather gloves.
• Aluminized gloves: These gloves are recommended for welding, furnace and foundry work, as they provide reflective and insulating protection.
• Kevlar gloves: These have a wide variety of industrial applications. They are cut- and abrasion-resistant and provide protection against both heat and cold.
• Chemical/liquid-resistant gloves: Several types of gloves help protect against specific chemicals:
• Butyl rubber gloves: nitric acid, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid and peroxide
• Natural latex/rubber gloves: water solutions or acids, alkalis, salts, and ketones
• Neoprene gloves: hydraulic fluids, gasoline, alcohols and organic acids
• Nitrile rubber gloves: chlorinated solvents

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6 TYPES OF PIPES MOST COMMONLY USED IN BUILDING CONSTRUCTION

In any building construction piping systems are designed to serve the following primary purposes.

• To supply water everywhere in the building
• For the disposal of rain water above the ground
• To dispose water from water closets and washbasin etc
• To drain soil & waste water to septic tanks or town sewers.

The principal types of pipes that are available in the market to serve the above mentioned purposes are as follow.

1. Cast iron pipes and fitting
2. Plastic or PVC pipes
3. Galvanized steel (GI) pipes
4. Stoneware pipes
5. Asbestos Cement (AC) pipes
6. Concrete pipes

1. Cast Iron Pipes

Cast iron pipes and fitting are primarily used for designing of soil and rain water disposal systems. These pipes are made by the sand cast process or by spinning.
Sand cast pipes are made by pouring molten cast iron into vertically mounted sand moulds. They are available in 1.5, 1.8 & 2 metre length and 5 & 6 mm thickness.
Spun pipes are made by pouring molten grey cast iron into a revolving water cooled mould, producing a seamless pipe in length upto 3 metre with thickness less than sand cast pipes.

2. Plastic or PVC pipes

There are 3 common types of plastic pipes are available in market, as given below.

1. Unplasticized PVC (UPVC) or rigid pipes for use with cold water
2. Plasticized PVC pipes which are plasticized with addition of rubber. It has lower strength and lower working temperature than UPVC pipes.
3. Chlorinated PVC (CPVC) pipes which can withstand higher temperatures upto 120⁰ (used to carry hot water)

For pipes used in soil and waste water discharge systems, the thickness of the wall will be larger than that of used for roof drainage.
Rigid PVC pipes are used for distribution of water with temperature below 45⁰C.
At higher temperature, the strength of the pipes decreases. Similarly ultraviolet radiation from sunlight as well as frequent changes in temperature reduces the life of PVC pipes.
These pipes are costlier than AC pipes but cheaper than GI pipes.

3. Galvanized Steel (GI) Pipes

GI pipes are made from steel pipes. The galvanizing process deposits a thin coating of zinc which protects it from corrosion.
They are available in light, medium and heavy grades depending on the thickness of the metal. For a 15 mm GI pipe, the thicknesses are 2.0, 2.65 & 3.25 for the light, medium and heavy grades, respectively. Generally the medium grade pipes are used for internal plumbing in building.
These pipes corrode easily if it carries brackish water or concealed in lime concrete and brickwork or buried under the ground.
These pipes are costlier than PVC pipes.

4. Stoneware Pipes

These pipes are available in the form of internal diameters 10 mm to 600 mm with thickness varying from 12 mm to 43 mm.
A good stoneware pipe should give a sharp clear tone when struck with a light hammer.
These pipes are extensively used as underground drainage pipes in low cost construction buildings. Usually these pipes are laid on an even bed of concrete and further treated as specified for laying in different types of soils. However laying of these pipes requires experienced workmen and good supervisor. Therefore PVC pipes are being preferred to these pipes in many places.
These pipes are cheap.

5. Asbestos Cement (AC) Pipes

These pipes are used for drainage of rainwater from roofs, soil and waste and also for ventilation. They come in two profiles – one with beading around socket (WB) and the other without beading around socket (WOB). The latter type is more common than the former.
The pipes come in lengths of 3 meters.
The principal defects of these pipes are that they are heavy and they break easily.
These pipes are cheaper than PVC pipes.

6. Concrete Pipes

Unreinforced pipes of small diameters as well as reinforced and prestressed concrete pipes of large diameters are available for water supply and other uses.
Small unreinforced concrete pipes are very much used for drainage of rain water.
Large diameter pipes are generally used for major water supply works.

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Advise about hiring an SEO service

         1. Keywords

The listing of keywords on the reports you provided are poor choices for test chambers. On this basis alone, I don’t think you are ready to make a decision about contract.

2. Lack of detail

Besides noting that they will create a blog, there is no indication of how they will do the work. They only provide goals, which is helpful, but if it is for the keyword-phrases in the report, it isn’t too helpful. I would be more interested in targeting increase in traffic to certain product pages and home page, regardless of the terms. Traffic is more important than ranking of a search term. Also, I would concentrate only on Google, and assume that other search engines will have similar reaction to SEO. The report you have shows many search engines that are not popular at all.

3. Tracking

Do you currently have data about current traffic, such as Google Analytics? This tells you what keywords are working for your website and a lot of other detail. This is important information for you to understand, so that you know what your needs are to work with the contractor.

4. AdWords

Instead of their fee, you could spend the same using AdWords, which will guarantee ranking and traffic, plus allow you to target by certain countries. You could contract management of such an account as well, In general, our keywords for Adwords are very firmly established, so any improvement would be in modifying the advertisements.

The contractor will tell you that their service is a better investment than Adwords, as the changes are long-term and then additional traffic is free. But I think you need natural listings and Adwords.

I like AdWords because true ‘shoppers’ tend to use these ads more frequently, and often may be the first thing they click on, regardless of the regular listings. The first website a ‘shopper’ visits is very important.

5. Expense

Their contract amount is expensive, in my opinion. There is probably a lot of work for them to do because your site has not been optimized before. Without a good plan (traffic, conversions as goals, certain product pages), I think they are not offering a good value.

I strongly suggest considering Adwords account. Cost will probably be less and results will be very strong. You should do this even if you are working with an SEO contractor.

I’d have fun jumping in and going over their traffic, keywords, and website content. To see someone else charging heftily for the chance to do that hurts a bit, especially when they aren’t offering a modern SEO package.

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Safety Helmets Colour Code In Industry

What the colours mean                                                                                                                                                                                    

White

Managers, foremen, engineers or supervisors usually wear white hats on site.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Brown

Brown hats are worn by welders and other workers with high heat applications.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Green

Green often signifies a safety inspector but can also be used by new workers on the site or probationary staff.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Yellow

Yellow is the colour for general labourers and earth moving operators.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Blue

Carpenters and other technical operators including electricians will normally wear blue hard hats, while orange is worn by road crews.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Grey

Grey is the colour often worn by site visitors. And if employees forget their hats or misplace them, there is often a nice bright pink helmet on site they have to wear in the meantime.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

As mentioned above, this colour coding system is a general and unwritten rule within the industry and certainly not hard and fast. Some companies will not use the exact system mentioned above so it is worth asking before you start on any site.

Ultimately, although the colour coding system is very helpful and has potential safety benefits, any hard hat of any colour is better than none at all. Although, there have been instanceds of work stopping due to employees on site wearing the wrong colour hard hats.

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How these 7 HDPE everyday uses have amazed us!

HDPE is an abbreviation for High Density Polyethylene.
Sounds scary, doesn’t it? I remember how chemistry nomenclatures would give me nightmares. Well, fear not amigos, HDPE is nothing but plastic. Well, plastic is a bit of an understatement. It is basically polyethylene thermoplastic made out of petroleum.
If you are a sitcom maniac like me, you would remember Walter White a.k.a. Heisenberg. In one of the scenes, to get rid of a body, he instructs Jesse Pinkman to bring a polyethylene tub. Being a brilliant scientist that he was, he knew a strong and corrosive acid like Hydrofluoric acid would not corrode it. Pinkman, on the other hand, decided to use his own chemistry knowledge. As we all know, it turned out to be quite a disaster (If you haven’t watched it, don’t worry. No spoilers ahead).
So, who invented HDPE? Well, it was more of an accident which further led to its invention as we know it today.
Around 19th century, a German chemist Hans von Pechmann was working with methane and ether when he noticed the formation of a precipitate. This precipitate was identified as polymethylene (a kin to polyethylene). Later in 1935, British chemists Eric Fawcett and Reginald Gibson created a solid form of polyethylene while working with ethylene under high pressures.
The very first application was to insulate radar cables during the Second World War. One invention led to another and thus was born, High Density Polyethylene. The scientists Karl Ziegler and Erhard Holzkamp invented it by using different catalysts and low pressure. Ziegler was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for inventing HDPE. Today, it is produced by catalytic polymerization of ethylene.
One of the main reasons of using HDPE in a variety of applications is its high density and strength. If you want to discover the dark forces behind its properties, here is your chance ! Polyethylene is a semi-crystalline structure made of both crystalline (structured) and amorphous (unstructured) sections. HDPE has a greater proportion of the crystalline structure along with fewer branching. This makes the polymer strong and dense, thus accounting for its name.
So the question is, do we actually see HDPE in our daily lives? Look around. The answer is yes.
Every. Single. Day.
Apart from the regular packaging and moulding applications it is put in use, we have chosen a few interesting ones to highlight the importance of HDPE:
1. Implants in facial reconstructive surgeries
You do remember plastic surgeries, right? Especially the dramatic ones from the ‘Ekta Kapoor’s daily soaps? It is hilarious when the production throws a character off a cliff or kills him/her in a car accident to change the person playing the character. Then, the miracle of a plastic surgery produces an entirely new person. Such is the efficiency of the plastic surgery in these drama series, even the height, vocal tone and behaviors change.
Well, that will not happen unless you have taken some serious transfiguration lessons from Professor McGonagall (1..2..3.. Fera Verto)!
Facial implants are used to restore congenital deformities or anatomical structures, post an accidental mishappening or for aesthetic purposes. Porous HDPE (known as medpor) can be used as an alternative to the previously used alloplastic materials. It has the advantages of greater flexibility at room temperature and malleability when treated with hot water. The pores allow tissue in-growth and are easily found in a variety of shapes and sizes.
2. Hovercrafts
Is it just me or the name hovercraft gives you an image of a vessel ‘hovering’ up in the sky using anti-gravity particles like a spaceship? Unfortunately, it is not so. Hovercrafts are vessels capable of trudging over land, water, mud, ice and other relatively smooth surfaces.
Using HDPE in the manufacturing of hovercrafts reduces its cost. The resultant product is strong and is quite resistant to impacts and buoyancy. However, the only drawback is, it is too heavy to give a good performance.
3. Corrugated Pipes
You must have definitely seen those huge metal pipes which the municipality workers keep trying to fix, whenever there is a leakage by digging a huge pit and disrupting the already helpless traffic situation. As an alternative, corrugated pipes are being used nowadays.

HDPE, being sturdy and corrosion resistant, are used in the manufacture of these pipes. They are placed underground to carry water supplies or natural gases, and also for drainage systems. They have also become a part of the filtration system in chemical industry.
4. Hula Hoops
If you love playing with these round tubes (read: if you can actually twirl them around), you would know the importance of the bounciness of the hoop.

Bounciness of the hoop is nothing but the reaction time of the hoop for responding to your body movements. HDPE is the reason behind making the hoop solid yet responsive to your moves, thus, helping you hoop away!
5. 3-D Printer Filament
A 3D printer creates three-dimensional objects by forming successive layers of material, under the control of a computer.

HDPE takes pride in the production of these 3D printer filaments. These filaments are used to create a variety of colorful objects, even transparent or fluorescent materials. The coolest part is the use of milk jugs (made from HDPE) to make these filaments. Used but useful again!
6. Geo-Membranes
To avoid leaching of contaminants to the outside environment, synthetic membranes are required to line certain surfaces. Its requirement may have to include immunity to ultraviolet, radioactive, biological, chemical, oxidative and thermal degradation. That is where a geo-membrane comes to the rescue having HDPE as a key component.
 

 

7. Firework Mortars
Who does not love fireworks? It is definitely a treat to the eyes besides sparking up the euphoria of the kid inside us.
There are different parts to a firework. The casing, known as the mortar, holds the explosive mixture. HDPE is used to prepare these mortars which makes them durable. It avoids humidity coming in contact with the explosive. The use of HDPE also helps in handling any shell malfunctioning thus, making it safer for operation.
 

 

The biggest advantage of using HDPE is that it is recyclable. Recycling not only makes the product useful again, but also reduces the need for raw materials. HDPE is one of the easily accepted recycled products. Although they are not recycled into the same products, the recycled ones are used to produce park benches, toys, speed breakers, etc. After all, something is better than nothing, right?

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