JababekaBusiness.Com: January 2009

Distillation is the simple process of heating a mixture of ingredients until a solvent or other selected material evaporates-then cooling and condensing that vapor into a pure liquid. Alcohol has been produced this way since time immemorial and today the process is being used by large and small companies to reduce their waste streams and recover reusable products, thus saving significant cost.

The ability to easily recycle solvents “in-house” has developed over the past 20 odd years with the advent of “batch” solvent recyclers (stills). Solvent recycling equipment ranging in size from 2 gallons per batch up to equipment handling one hundred gallons per batch have made it cost effective for companies to consider replacing expensive service companies. In recent times even larger solvent recyclers have been developed which can work either stand alone or built into a process system to reduce or eliminate the needs for full time personnel to over see the operation.

These solvent recyclers save money in two ways: by recycling used solvents for reuse and eliminating most (and sometimes all) of the expense of disposing of the hazardous waste. Although even the smallest solvent recyclers cost several thousand dollars, they can easily pay for themselves in a year or two.

In the case of large scale continuous operation solvent recyclers, it may be surprising to learn that the payback can easily be justified in less than one year. In fact in certain process industries the equipment vendors recommend the purchase of a solvent recyclers to defray the cost of the exceedingly expensive solvents required in their equipment.

When one examines the amount of waste generated in industry, and the costs associated with its handling, it becomes evident that waste has a major economic impact on the performance of most businesses. If you consider all the waste as product, then what value would that waste have to the average business.

Clearly, the best solution to hazardous waste is to NOT make as much of it! Given that a business is a successful entity, that success will create more hazardous waste problems. Just as the quality of your work and throughput affect your business’s competitive edge, so too can hazardous waste and its disposition. Thus, in-house solvent recycling must be considered as a relevant solution to the hazardous waste problem.

It also must be said that solvent recyclers are good for the environment: They make it possible to use the same material over and over radically reducing disposal and saving money by eliminating or reducing purchase of new material.

What are the considerations? Do you take on liability with EPA if you recycle? The answer is: yes, but it is the same liability you have with a service company. When a company buys potentially hazardous materials, they acquire cradle to grave liability. This is also acquired when using a service company. That being the case, there is no reason not to look at in-house recycling as an alternative to service company costs.

There are two types of solvent recyclers: continuous and batch.

Continuous solvent recyclers use in-line or auto-fill technology-that is, dirty solvent flows into one end and clean solvent comes out the other. This solution, available in varying volume capabilities, is used in industrial applications by large generators of solvent. By contrast, batch solvent recyclers distill one load of solvent at a time over a period of several hours.

The principal components in any solvent recycler are a tank in which the waste is deposited, a heating system for turning the liquid part of the waste into vapor and a condenser to cool the vapor back into a liquid.

The size of the tank determines the size of the solvent recycler. Methods of heating include steam, direct heat (using an electric heating element or heat plate) and indirect heat (where an oil bath surrounding the tank is heated by direct electric heat). Indirect heat is usually the preferred approach because the heating is more uniform.

The condenser is most often a series of looped copper or stainless steel coils (resembling a car radiator) that are cooled by a built-in fan or surrounded by water or coolant to chill the vapor back into a liquid. Cooling by air is less expensive than cooling by water or coolant and is adequate for small, batch type solvent recyclers. Water cooled condensers may be necessary for applications where the condensing temperature is particularly low or the environment of the facility is unusually hot. The water cooled condenser will then be more efficient.

Solvent recyclers are fairly unique among tools in industry in that they do almost all the work on their own. About the only thing you need to do is fill the tank (either manually for small machines or automatically for large), turn on the machine and remove the solid material that is left after the process. In the case of large automated machines, even the waste is removed without manual intervention.

Any organization using solvents on a continual basis is a potential candidate for a solvent recyclers. In addition, any organization using a waste hauling service would be well advised to do a payback analysis on the purchase of a solvent recyclers.

Here is the way to determine the degree to which you will benefit from owning a solvent recyclers:

First, figure what you are paying per year to have your dirty solvent or waste hauled off (generally from $100 to $400 per drum, depending upon the content and where you reside). Add this number to the cost of purchasing replacement solvent for about 80% of the volume of the sludge-or 95% of the volume of the solvent waste you are recycling with a service company. The exact percentages will vary depending on how much of the material is solid waste). Then, weigh this figure against the price of a solvent recyclers and determine how long it will take for your savings to pay for it.

As an example, let’s say you generate one drum of waste every month; let’s say that it costs $300 to have the drum hauled away and that you pay $800 once a month for two new drums of solvent. Let’s estimate that you only have 50% of the solvent to recover after use before recycling.

The following calculation indicates your potential yearly savings: Add $3,600 (the cost of having twelve drums of waste solvent hauled off) to $3,840 (80% of $4,800, which represents the cost of replacing the half of the solvent that remains after use). That works out to a savings of $7,440 in one year, which comes close to the cost of a small recyclers. Multiply this by the large volumes generated by industry in manufacturing, painting, printing, etc. The potential for savings is enormous.

If a solvent recyclers is of interest to your organization, the next step in the process is finding one that suits your needs.

Here are some questions to consider:

1. Is the capacity of the solvent recyclers adequate to handle the volume produced?

2. Is the tank heated by steam, hot oil or by a direct electric element? (Hot surround oil is widely regarded as the best option).

3. Is the solvent vapor cooled and condensed by coolant, water or fan? (A fan is generally adequate for small units and is considerably cheaper. For large units the conditions must be considered to determine which solution is sufficient.)

4. Is the supplier capable of supporting maintenance issues if they occur? Are parts readily available?

5. Check references for reliability of the equipment in general and in your industry in specific. What is the vendor’s track record?

Once you determine the features of the equipment that will do the job for your organization, go out and solicit quotations from several vendors as with any capital purchase. At this point it will take some intuitive judgment to determine which vendor can provide the “right” solution. More times than not, price should not be the determining factor in the acquisition. Do the homework and you will make the correct choice. Remember, as with all capital purchases, once you purchase a solution you will have to live with it for a long time.

On the good side, the organization who chooses to recycle gains several benefits. The reduction of the waste stream is obvious as is the cost savings. The “green” image that accrues to the company is valuable to its position as a good neighbor in the community. It is hard to put a value on this aspect, yet its’ benefit is great.

With society’s increasing concern for protecting the environment, it only makes sense (both for the sake of the environment and for the cost savings) to recycle your used solvents. Regardless of the size of the equipment needed, the decision to recycle in-house almost always shows a positive return on investment. With ever more difficult conditions to earn a profit, more and more organizations are turning to solvent recyclers to reduce cost and save money.

You keep the coffee brewing 9 to 5.You set the office thermostat at a universally comfortable temperature. You’ve even invested in time management training. So why is it that your workplace is still lagging behind in the efficiency department? No matter how many of the other bases you have covered, your office won’t run like a well-oiled machine if one key ingredient is missing: Organization!

That’s where we comes into the picture. Organization is our mission, and it just so happens that we’re especially good around the office. From unruly computer cords to jumbled storage closets, it’s amazing how much time can be wasted when workplace surroundings are out of control.

Here are a few of our favorite products for taking charge of productivity-robbing clutter:

Label Printers

Combine a large staff with lots of electronic equipment, mix them up and pack them into an office space, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for disorganization. The potential for confusion is everywhere, from tangled network cables to heaped-up office supplies. Stop wasting time wading through clutter! Make sure that everything around you office is identified and put in its place with a versatile handled label printer. This labeler does it all: with the capability to print on die cut or self-laminating labels, continuous tape and heat-shrink sleeves,will take you from server room to storage closet to desktop. And who knows? It might even bring an end to that age-old query: “Whose stapler is this?”

Safe Professional Installer Kits

Need a complete, convenient and highly effective under-desk cable management system? That’s exactly what you’ll find in the times ten! This product has what it takes to organize 10 desks worth of tangled computer cables in one fell swoop. Your coworkers won’t get their feet snagged anymore… the Cable-Safe lets you neatly label, bundle, and mount cords, power strips and USB hubs from one handy fixture suspended beneath your desk. It’s a great cable management solution that makes it easy to locate specific cords and clean. And best of all, there won’t be any fighting over there’s plenty to go around!

Neat Patch

Stroll over to the nearest server rack and take a peek at what’s going on behind the network equipment. What do you see? You’re either gazing upon neatly ordered rows of patch cords, or getting an eyeful of cables that look frighteningly like knotted spaghetti. If you’ve got the latter situation on your hands.

This unique patch cable storage solution provides an easy and attractive solution for routing patch cords, protecting bend radius and storing excess cable length. The Neat Patch not only gives server racks a neat and organized appearance, it also eliminates wasted time and frustration when IT personnel need to perform maintenance or updates.

Continuous solvent distillation is done when a mixture containing a solvent for recovery and particulates (sometimes called impurities) is without interruption fed into the process and separated fractions are removed continuously as output streams as time passes during the operation.

The distillation produces at least one distillate fraction, which has boiled and been separately condensed to a liquid, and practically always a particulate, which is the least volatile residue that has not been separately captured as a condensed vapor.

In terms of a small to medium sized businesses that use solvent and wish to recover it for further use, a continuous system is best used when the company produces a large amount of waste product. In smaller shops, batch recovery may be more appropriate. Continuous systems are designed to fulfill the needs of any company looking to install a solvent recovery unit that will operate in virtually a "hands free" environment.

These solvent recovery systems are intended to be installed in a facility where the production of waste solvent to be recovered is in the 200 to 1,000 gallon range per 24 hour period.

When piped into an application system, these solvent recovery units can transfer a waste stream, process it, dump the contaminants and sent the clean distillate back to the application without any operator intervention. These heavy-duty, industrial solvent recyclers are currently in use in large facilities around the world recovering spent solvent streams for re-use, thus saving their owners significant cost in disposal and new solvent purchases.

Various features are available to handle specialty needs such as vacuum assist for higher boiling point solvents, Teflon coating on the solvent recycling tank to prevent residue from building up on the process chamber and Vaseline oil injection system to prevent contaminants from solidifying before dumping out of the solvent recycling chamber.

Customization of the solvent recycler is available on request to help the user in fitting these systems to the specific needs of any company. A competent solvent recovery consultant should be happy to entertain these requests during the investigation of each prospective customers needs in solvent recovery so that their state-of-the-art factory can determine the viability of the request.

Each unique request is considered during the engineering of the standard solvent recovery unit so that the system can be installed and put into production with little to no affect on the customers manufacturing facility.

Even the wealthiest nation in the world like the United States does not escape the problem of poverty. This paper takes a critical look at poverty and anti-poverty policies in the United States. In this paper, I have argued that poverty is caused by several factors. This paper also discusses the liberal and conservative perspectives for reducing poverty in America.

The conservatives have focused on individual factors such as wide wage gaps, breakdown of family, racial factors and other reasons while the liberals have focused on the structural transformation of the American economy to explain the persistence of poverty. Since 1960, both the federal and state governments have been responding with policies that address the problem with mixed results. In this paper, I have analyzed the policies and have also recommended the possible ways to deal with this intractable nature of poverty.

According to Sen (1981), ‘the poor are those people whose consumption standards fall short of the norms, or whose income lie below that line’. The word "poverty" suggests destitution, an inability to provide a family with nutritious food, clothing, and reasonable shelter. Over thirty-six million Americans live below the official U.S. poverty line (Blank, 2007). This means a family of three earns less than less than $ 16,000 or a single individual earns $10,300 per annum (Blank, 2007, p. 17). Millions more struggle each month to pay for basic necessities, or run out of savings when they lose jobs or face health emergencies. Job cuts, high rates of unemployment, foreclosures and high food and gas prices continue to stimulate policy formulation designed to improve the condition of the poor.

Poverty is integrally associated with misery and suffering. The lost potential of children in poor households and the lower productivity and earnings of poor adults are all intertwined with poor health, increased crime and broken neighborhoods. Childhood poverty typically leads to poor health care and high crime neighborhoods. Persistent childhood poverty is estimated to cost the United States $500 billion each year, or about 4% of the nation’s gross domestic product (Blank, 2007, p.1).

One in eight Americans lives in poverty and poverty in the United States is far higher than in many developed nations (Rebecca Blank, 2007, p1). Inequality has reached record high. The richest 1 percent of Americans in 2005 held the largest share of the nation’s income (19%) since 1929 (Rebecca Blank, 2007, p. 2). At the same time the poorest 20% of Americans held only 3.4% of the nation’s income (Rebecca Blank, 2007, p.2).

Colorado in spite of being surrounded by the beautiful Rocky Mountains and experiencing a cool, mountain climate has many homeless people. Scholars have identified that, a growing number of single parent households, a shortage of jobs for lower wage workers and a low rate of high school graduation have contributed to the growth of poverty in Colorado. The Colorado poverty rate has increased from 9.2% in 2000-2001 to 10.6% in 2005-2006 while the poverty rate of United States has increased from 11.5% in 2000-2001 to 12.5 % in 2005-2006 (Center on Law and Policy, 2006, p.1). Most of these ill-fated poor people suffer from mental and health problems

Logistics, asset management and inventory control are so important to any business. Whether you operate a point of sale business, a shipping center, or any business that ships or receives supplies or products, it is difficult to manually keep track of what is coming and going. Barcodes and automation save time, money and lost assets.

This method, once fully implemented, can save thousands or even millions of dollars over a short period of time.

You may think it will cost a bundle of money to implement a barcode system to control and track assets. This is not true. A barcode label printer is quite affordable, durable and long lasting. Most businesses only require a few of these devices to effectively manage assets. The very small investment pays for itself almost immediately.

The label printer produces printouts that are durable and will not smear or smudge so they can easily be read by a barcode reader. Most even have memory functions to store the most frequently printed label information. Also, an entire database of inventory and the associated barcodes can be downloaded from a computer into the label maker for easy printing of labels for each and every item in your inventory.

Electronic Labeling System is one example of a label printer with the capabilities you need to implement automated inventory control, barcode- tracked logistics or asset management into your business. It quickly creates automatically sized labels that can include graphics and can even sequentially number the codes.

Even the aerospace industry is using automated logistics functions using barcode labels created by the same type of label printer that you can use at your own place of business. As soon as items arrive, create their unique barcode markings and apply the printed label to the item. Scan the item into the computer system. This will add to your inventory count of that particular asset.

When the item is sold, shipped or removed from inventory through use or another method, scan the barcode again and your asset count will be reduced. This allows you to know, up to the minute, exactly how much inventory you have on hand of each item and the actual value of your total inventory.

The use of a label printer for this purpose can also identify inventory reduction that is the result of shrinkage. Shrinkage is a term that refers to inventory that disappears through theft, personal use, or other unethical means. You may think you have trustworthy employees only to learn that you are losing a lot of money because someone is stealing inventory and selling it on the side.

Why wonder what you have on hand to sell or use in your business enterprise? Why manually count inventory, consuming time and therefore money? Know in an instant how many widgets are in the widget inventory and the exact value of your widget inventory. It' so simple and easy when you implement a plan where every employee uses a label printer to create barcodes and labels to mark the items as they come into inventory and as they leave your asset stock.

A label printer system that allows you to dynamically track materials and sales can make a huge difference in how you do business. Work smarter rather than harder and raise the bottom line by saving time and money.

Okay, so maybe a bright, spacious, and aesthetically perfect minimalist office isn’t in the cards for you. But while you dream, why not make the most of what you have? Whether you’re working in a cubicle or from a spare room in your home, you can perk up your office décor and pare down the desktop clutter with a few organizational strategies and innovative products. Maybe mod isn’t so out of reach after all.

1.Take your USB connection from drab to fab. If you’ve always thought that USB hubs are nothing special to look at, we’ve got a little something up our sleeve that is bound to make you say hubba-hubba. The LaCie USB and FireWire Hub is sleek, futuristic, and downright sculptural – the kind of thing you’d expect to see a in a modern art gallery instead of on a desktop. And it’s not just easy on the eyes… with the capacity to connect up to 6 peripherals at a time, it might just help you get a few things done.

2. Let your computer cables make a grand entrance. It’s a part of your workspace that you probably don’t often think about, but the cable penetration point in your desktop can always benefit from some snazzing-up. There’s nothing wrong with standard black grommets per se, but they can be so, well… basic. On the other hand, our Tango Designer Desk Grommets – with their satin chrome finish, low profile, and unique elliptical shape – have a way of adding streamlined elegance and a modern edge to just about any desktop landscape.

3. Make your iPod® feel at home. MP3 players aren’t just for play anymore – they’ve become our constant companions at work, too. But when it comes to syncing and charging iPods at the office, who really wants an extra USB cable snaking up from their PC and across their desk? Keep the tunes but ditch the clutter with Belkin’s In-Desk iPod® Dock. This grommet-style docking station fits virtually flush into your desktop, giving you a place to keep your iPod® docked during the workday, and allowing you to sync without a visible USB cord (the cord stays under the desk, connecting to the dock from below). Having a designated safe spot prevents your iPod® from being damaged, and lends an extra organized and “now” feel to your workspace.

4. Give your laptop a lift. If the majority of your work is accomplished on a laptop computer instead of a desktop PC, one of the best updates you can make to your work environment is a laptop-oriented desk organizer, like the SpaceStation Laptop Docking Station by BlueLounge. This nifty desktop fixture sets your laptop at an ergonomic position to reduce wrist stress, promotes airflow under and around the computer, manages cables, provides connectivity for up to 4 USB devices, and even has a page holder. It’s the ultimate tech-savvy multi-tasker, disguised in a sleek and modernistic package.

5. Cut the cord to your desktop peripherals. That is, opt for a wireless mouse and keyboard instead. Logitech’s LX 310 Cordless Desktop set has all the all the functionality of a standard mouse and keyboard, with the added benefits of an ergonomically refined key layout and mouse design, one-touch keyboard controls, and a clutter-free look that sets a new standard for office minimalism.

Ergonomics simply refers to the study of designing objects, like chairs, office chairs, keyboards, and workstations that are adapted to the form of the human body. It's not likely you'll find a really cheap ergonomic chair or cheap ergonomic office chair but you can find good quality low cost ergonomic chairs. Many times you can find them at a good discount. Some people spend thousands of dollars on new computers, and then buy a cheap chair from their furniture or office supply store, without giving a thought to their ergonomic health.

Ergonomics can be applicable in many work environments including, medical, industrial and laboratory but it's growing more important than ever in today's office environment. Everyone should pay more attention to ergonomics when shopping for or buying anything they are going to be using daily that can seriously affect one's health resulting in chronic back pain, varicose veins, neck pain, headaches and many other medical or health complaints. Sitting posture is important. When buying an ergonomic chair you'll want to choose an ergonomic chair that has all the necessary features you need and adjustments and still be affordable.

For business owners, ergonomic comfort is very important to help keep employees alert and less likely to develop lumbar and other back and neck pains resulting in sick days. If you are going to buy just one chair make sure to ask for a business discount. If you're buying more than one chair you should be able to get a multiple chair discount. Just ask.

If you want an ergonomic executive office chair it usually has an adjustable headrest or neck rest. If you want an industrial chair it should have the durability for long-lasting use on a plant or manufacturing floor.

The fabric selection is important with ergonomic industrial chair because cleaning it may be an issue. Ergonomic intensive use chairs are durable and especially need to be ergonomic in design, because workers are usually sitting for many hours at a time. Deluxe drafting ergonomic chairs, medical chairs and dental chairs benefit greatly from using ergonomics. Clean room chairs and ESD chairs are also available; these chairs come with height adjustable options as well as seat pan and back option and they have inflatable lumbar support and footrest options.

The seat pan is the component of the chair that supports the majority of the weight of the user. Height adjustment pneumatic levers or also called gas lifts adjust seating height while in the chair. Three or four of your fingers should fit between the seat pan's front edge and the back of the knees.

Use an ergonomic chair with casters and a 5-point base to ease movement and minimize possible tipping over. Your weight should be evenly distributed on the chair seat so look for a rounded or waterfall edge at the front of the seat, which prevents the seat from catching behind the knees and cutting off the circulation. Both home and office ergonomics are important because we spend a lot more hours when we work at the office or home office and then using the computer at home for other reasons. So be sure to use an ergonomic computer chair.

Look for adjustable width and height to support various tasks at hand, including writing and reading, to ease neck and shoulder tension and to help prevent carpal tunnel syndrome. Inadequate lumbar support places excess pressure on the spinal cord. Remember, a lumbar support cushion properly placed behind the small of the back can help support the lumbar region.

Get ergonomic chair ratings: check out brands of ergonomic chairs and get ratings for the Herman Miller Aeron chair among others. Check out the ergonomic office chairs at Costco and make sure they are truly ergonomic and not just ergonomically designed. There is a difference. Prices are generally cheaper at the big box stores if you buy offline, however you can get many bargains online. Free shipping is often offered.

There are some online stores that will rent you ergonomic chairs and other expensive ergonomic equipment; you can try a chair for a month before deciding if you want to buy it and if you decide to keep the chair, the stores will apply the rental price toward the total cost. This may be a good deal if you want an expensive Aeron chair but need to know if it is the best mesh chair for you.

Whenever you see the designation ergonomically designed, find out if it's truly an ergonomic chair or just a marketing ploy. Other ergonomic products you can buy cheaply enough include: document holders, ergonomic workstations, telephone mounts, ergonomic keyboards and mouse devices, footrests and speaker stands.

ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS INDUSTRIES.

The first significant application of controlled electricity in Cleveland was telegraphy, which made its appearance in the city in 1847 on the premises of the Lake Erie Telegraph Co. Fire-alarm boxes were the second useful manifestation of the "new" power in the city, and by 1865 there were 24 of them. The telephone came in 1877. Besides these communications uses, the other main areas of electric-industrial progress in the latter part of the 19th century were lighting, traction, and industrial motors, and in these areas as well, Cleveland's technical-entrepreneurial talent was quick to perceive opportunities and act on them.

In the lighting field, CHARLES F. BRUSH was the most prominent innovator and entrepreneur of the period. His major contribution was the practical development and commercial exploitation of the arc light. Although the latter was invented in England in 1808, Brush devised its practical application by developing an improved dynamo to provide a steady current, and by making design changes in the arc fixture itself that improved the quality of the light and extended the working life of the carbon electrodes.

He also redesigned the lamp's circuit to make arc lighting possible from central stations. Brush began to sell small arc lighting systems in the late 1870s for use in stores, factories, and hotels. However, the potential of this equipment was first realized with Brush's demonstration of its street-lighting possibilities on 29 Apr. 1879, in Cleveland's PUBLIC SQUARE.

The brilliance of the light produced by his 12 lamps caused a sensation and foretold the decline of the gas-lighting era. As a result, Brush sold central power stations to San Francisco, New York, Baltimore, Boston, and Philadelphia. In 1880 Brush bought the Cleveland Telegraph Supply Co., where he had done the developmental work, and renamed it the Brush Electric Co.

The battle between electric and gas lighting lasted some 30 years, and although advances were made in gas-lighting technology, electricity won out. During that time, CLEVELAND CITY COUNCIL, viewing comparative costs, voted to go back to gas light in 1883 but reversed itself 17 days later. About the time that Brush was developing his arc light, Thomas Edison designed a practical incandescent lamp which later had great significance for Cleveland, because the companies that formed the National Electric Lamp Assn. in 1906 centered much of their light-bulb production in this area. When NELA became the National Quality Lamp Division of GENERAL ELECTRIC CO., it established NELA PARK in the SUBURBS.

The division took the leading role in GE's incandescent lighting development program from 1915 until 1935, when fluorescent lighting research became prominent.

The equipment for the first electric streetcar line in the Cleveland area was developed and tested in the shops of the Brush Electric Co., and a Brush generator was used in the car barn that powered the line from its start-up, in 1884. The line, which operated as the EAST CLEVELAND RAILWAY CO., had technical problems with its underground power supply cable and closed down the following year. Work continued, however, and a successor line reached Public Square from its home station in East Cleveland in 1889. This event was followed by the electrification of other local car lines in the area.

The Cleveland-area electrical industry grew rapidly during the 1800s, led by the expansion of applications in communications, lighting, and traction. The Brush Electric Co. added the manufacture of arc light carbons to its activities and also began marketing an incandescent lighting system, the rights for which it had purchased from a British firm. As the use of electricity expanded, the need grew for added power-generation and -distribution facilities, and when the Brush Electric & Power Co. merged with the Cleveland Electric Light Co. in 1892, a large powerhouse was constructed on Canal St.

These developments led to the formation of the CLEVELAND ELECTRIC ILLUMINATING CO. the same year. By 1900 Cleveland ranked first in the production of electric automobiles, and at the end of the century's first decade it also claimed first place in the production of carbons, lamps, and electrical hoisting apparatus. Its status as the site of a major exposition of the electrical industry in 1914 further promoted Cleveland's claim to primacy.

The 1895 discovery of "x-rays" by the German scientist Wilhelm Roentgen touched off considerable activity in Cleveland. DAYTON C. MILLER , professor of physics at the Case School of Applied Science, improved the x-raying process for medical uses. Henry P. Engeln, in collaboration with Dr. George Iddings, was a pioneer in the x-ray industry, establishing the Engeln Electric Co. around the turn of the century.

During its independent life, the Engeln Co. did highly innovative work in the development and marketing of x-ray equipment, and when it merged with Acme X-Ray Corp. of Chicago in 1929, it had 200 employees. The merged company was acquired by Westinghouse in 1930 who sold its plant at E. 30th St. and Superior to Picker X-Ray which became a leading firm in that field (see PICKER INTL., INC.).

Arc welding was an important industrial application of electrical technology in Cleveland, as was arc welding, largely due to John C. Lincoln, founder of the LINCOLN ELECTRIC CO., who had gained experience working in Charles F. Brush's shops. Lincoln Electric, which began producing electric motors in 1896, pioneered in the development of arc-welding equipment, and by 1938 it claimed to be the largest manufacturer of that line in the world. Variable speed electric motors were designed by John Lincoln who incorporated the Lincoln Motor Works Co. in 1906 to produce them. In 1909 the firm changed its name to the Reliance Electric & Engineering Co. (see RELIANCE ELECTRIC CO.).

In addition to lighting, traction, and industrial applications, the electrical home-appliance field was richly represented in Cleveland by World War I. Heating-related appliances included coffee percolators, hotplates, frying pans, corn poppers, baby-bottle warmers, kitchen ranges, hair dryers, and radiant heaters. In addition, there was heavy production of vacuum cleaners, washing machines, fans, vibrators, and sewing machines. By 1919 Cleveland led the nation in the production of electric batteries and vacuum cleaners (7 different makes of vacuum cleaners were being produced in the city in 1931).

In the mid-1920s, Cleveland ranked 3rd in the production of radios, after New York and Chicago. Theodore A. Willard, whose WILLARD STORAGE BATTERY CO. was Cleveland's largest battery producer, founded the city's first high-powered radio station, WTAM. By 1938, the Willard Co.'s 15-acre plant, built in 1914, was turning out 15,000 batteries per day.

In the 1920s, John A. Victoreen, an inventive Cleveland radio amateur, started a radio parts business. Soon, however, his attention turned to radiation measurement, and he developed the Condenser R-Meter, an instrument for measuring accurately the intensity and total dosage of x-ray delivery, which gained international fame. Radiation measurement remained a central concern of the Victoreen Instrument Co., founded in 1928 in CLEVELAND HEIGHTS The company provided 95% of the instrumentation for the atomic bomb tests after World War II, earning itself claim to the title of "first nuclear company."

During World War II, Cleveland electrical firms reorganized their production around the needs of the military, which included the manufacture of miniature radio tubes at Nela Park for use in proximity fuses for antiaircraft artillery shells. Lighting and visibility research devoted to military problems also occupied the GE laboratories there. These wartime activities stimulated the formation of a new Electronics Department at GE in 1947. The postwar period was also one of rapid growth for the industry.

In the Cleveland metropolitan area, electrical machinery manufacturing, for example, grew in value-added terms by 21% in the 1947-54 period. Fortune magazine's list of the 500 largest industrial corporations for 1958 included 2 electrically related Cleveland area firms, Reliance Electric and the Addressograph-Multigraph Corp.

The demand for power was growing rapidly even before the onset of war pressed it more urgently. Between 1939-44, the Cleveland Electric Illuminating Co.'s output increased by 30%. In 1944 76% of the power the company produced went to industry, with an estimated 90% of that being war industry. By 1946 CEI could count 370,000 customers, in contrast to the 1,400 it had had at the turn of the century. Its service covered 132 communities, with a total population of 1.5 million.

Growth continued as relatively low power rates attracted new industries to the area, and in 1954 the company was serving 465,000 customers in 137 communities, from Avon Lake on the west to Conneaut in the east. CEI's rates have on occasion become a political issue in Cleveland due to the presence of Cleveland's municipally-owned light plant which caused disputes with CEI over comparative rates (see MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP).

Leading Cleveland companies active in the electronics field during the immediate postwar period were Victoreen Instrument Co., Hickok Electrical Instruments Co., and Brush Development Co. In 1946 Victoreen was the city's major producer of electronic tubes, employed 75 people, and achieved a total output worth $4.5 million. The Hickok Co. manufactured precision radio and radar test equipment, and was active in exporting. Brush Development, founded in 1930 to market products developed by Brush Laboratories, began producing voice-recording equipment in 1938, and during the war was the main supplier of wire recording equipment to the armed forces.

For industry, Brush made oscillographs and hypersonic analyzers, piezoelectric crystals, and other products. Cleveland Electronics, Inc., representative of other firms in the area engaged in the production of electronic goods, was turning out 50,000-60,000 radio loudspeakers per month and preparing to manufacture similar components for the new television industry by 1946. National Spectrographic Laboratories, Inc., another Cleveland firm, made electrical excitation units for spectrographic analysis. Phasing devices and tuning-fork frequency controls were produced by Acme Telectronix, while the Bird Electronic Corp. manufactured testing equipment, filters, and high-frequency antennas. The total value of the city's electronic products for the year 1946 was more than $10 million.

Cleveland, while not industrially top-ranked among centers of the rapidly developing microelectronics field, had establishments that have made a considerable mark in it nonetheless. In research and development, the well-established solid-state microelectronics laboratory at CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY pursued studies in the area of integrated circuits, electronic materials, and new processing technologies as well as providing graduate engineers and computer specialists for the area's electronic industry. The NASA LEWIS RESEARCH CENTER is heavily involved in applied microelectronics in connection with space communications.

TRW is among larger Cleveland-area manufacturing firms having a considerable stake in the electronics field, playing an active part in the aerospace and defense industries by developing both spacecraft and the payloads for them, communications and guidance systems, and ground station equipment. BAILEY CONTROLS, with world headquarters in Wickliffe, utilizes electronic technology in its production of industrial-controls. The firm provides analog and digital circuit design, producing control systems of varying complexity.

With a long history of supplying equipment for utilities, Bailey Controls has provided instrumentation for the nuclear power-generating industry since the latter's inception.

Allen-Bradley, a Division of Rockwell Intl. in HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, is a long-established area firm producing programmable controllers and similar capital goods, incorporating electronics, for manufacturing industries. Keithley Instruments, Inc., based in SOLON, had its beginnings in a high-impedance amplifier, called the "Phantom Repeater," invented by Joseph Keithley in 1946. This and other Keithley-developed instruments were manufactured for him by another firm for 5 years until 1951, when Keithley moved his operation to larger quarters and began manufacturing on his own.

Sensitive measuring instruments remained the core of the company's output, which came to include voltmeters, ammeters, digital multimeters, and complex testing systems incorporating both computer hardware and software. The company's product-development path in itself traces some of the most important steps in the technological advance of electronics since the 1940s--vacuum tubes to discrete transistors to integrated circuits, and finally, to complex computer-linked systems that can handle the tasks of measurement and computation virtually simultaneously.

Crushing down plastic soda bottles, crushing aluminum cans, putting your empty bottles in a can; taking all of this down to the recycle store, this is what people call RECYCLING. But, there's more to it. Nowadays recycling has become reincarnation for these used products; you can turn medicine bottles into life jackets and old running shoes into new playground surfacing. Discover how and where to recycle everything you never thought you could...

Clothing

Goodwill provides job training to people with special needs, and affordable clothing and other household goods. Pick-up service is typically provided, but you can also drop off clothing at any location.

Salvation Army runs many social service programs such as homeless services and disaster-relief efforts. Drop off your items at any of its thrift stores nationwide, or arrange to have them picked up.

Fleece

Patagonia's Common Threads Garment Recycling Program will recycle your used Patagonia fleece, Polartec fleece from other manufacturers and Patagonia organic cotton t-shirts. Please make sure you wash them first before you take them to any Patagonia store.

Did you know? Patagonia will also recycle your Patagonia Capilene underwear, washed of course.

Formal Dresses

The Glass Slipper Project collects new and almost-new formal dresses and accessories and provides them, free of charge, to high school students who are unable to buy their own ensembles for Prom.

Shoes

Turn in your old athletic shoes, any brand, to Nike's Reuse-A-Shoe program so they can be ground up into new material and used in a different way to make new sports surfaces and playground surfacing.

Recycle your old Crocs and they will be shredded to make padding for children's playgrounds.

Gently worn shoes can be donated to Soles4Souls which is a nonprofit organization that will clean them and distribute them worldwide to those in need. Recently more than 900,000 pairs of shoes were collected in a coordinated relief effort for donation to victims of the Asian Tsunami, and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. So round up those shoes that are taking up space in your closet, bind each pair together with a rubber band, and send them to one of Soles4Soul's two warehouse facilities.

Wedding dresses

By donating your dress to "Brides Against Breast Cancer" you will enable brides-to-be to find one-of-a-kind gowns at discount prices and the proceeds will help grant a wish for a woman with terminal breast cancer.

Nearly New Bridal is an online marketplace where you can buy or sell new or nearly new wedding dresses and accessories

Work Clothes

Dress for Success is a group providing a business suit or other clothing appropriate for the workplace to women needing outfits for job interviews and, after they get the job, a second suit to wear to work. There are 66 chapters in the U.S. and 78 in other countries. Donate business clothing, coats, shoes, handbags, and briefcases that are in excellent condition and no more than five years old. Clothing in size 14 and up is especially welcome.

Electronics

The Electronics Industry Alliance (EIA) maintains a listing of organizations nationwide that accept donations of working electronics products. You can also donate electronics in working condition to Salvation Army or Goodwill or trade them in exchange for a Circuit City gift card.

To recycle non-working electronics search Earth 911's database for electronics recycling, also known as ecycling, in your area.

Batteries

All single-use (alkaline) or rechargeable batteries can be taken to any Whole Foods Market or Radioshack for recycling. Rechargeable batteries can be recycled at any recycling kiosk within Best Buys nationwide. Rechargeable Apple product batteries can be recycled at any Apple retail location in the U.S.

Cell phones

The phones are either refurbished or recycled. With the funds raised from the sale of refurbished phones, Verizon donates wireless phones and airtime to victims of domestic violence.

Did you know? If you don't want to leave the house, the number one hassle free way to recycle your phone is through Charitable Recycling. Print out a nifty prepaid mailing label on your home computer, paste it to an envelope and drop your old phone in.

Computer

Some local Goodwills train workers to refurbish and de-manufacture equipment and resell systems and components. Find out what types of electronic equipment may be donated at your local Goodwill.

With Hewlitt Packard's Trade-In program you can send in used HP products and get cash back when upgrading to new ones. HP does their own in-house recycling. Apple offers free take-back and recycling of your old computer and monitor, regardless of manufacturer, when you purchase a new Mac.

Digital Cameras

Donate older models of digital cameras to a good cause. Operation Home Front distributes cameras to military bases and military family support groups so that families can trade images and stay in contact.

iPods

Recycle it for free at any Apple retail store, where they offer environmentally friendly disposal and a 10% discount on the purchase of a new iPod.

Printer

Hewlitt Packard's simple and environmentally sound take-back program is your best bet. Return any piece of computing hardware from any manufacturer, including printers to Hewlitt Packard who will recycle your old items for you.

Printer cartridges

Staple's accepts used Inkjet or Laser Toner cartridges. Simply return your printer cartridges to a FedEx Kinko's or Staples retail branch and they will take care of the recycling for you.

Stereo

For a nominal fee, Best Buy will haul away televisions, computer monitors, and appliances when new purchases are made or delivered. Best Buy also hosts a series of weekend recycling events at its store parking lots across the U.S. Find a Best Buy recycling event in your area.

Televisions

Televisions contain toxic materials which can contaminate the environment if broken in a landfill. In 1997 the U.S. EPA declared computer monitors and TV screens as hazardous waste and banned them from landfills. Because of their toxic nature there is usually a fee to recycle televisions. For a nominal fee, Best Buy will haul away televisions, computer monitors, and appliances when new purchases are made or delivered. Best Buy also hosts a series of weekend recycling events at its store parking lots across the U.S. Find a recycling event in your area

Household items

If your household items are in good shape, then you can donate them for reuse to the Salvation Army, Goodwill and other thrift stores. Or you can give them to Habitat for Humanity and help make affordable housing a little homier.

Appliances

Donate working toasters, blenders, microwaves, etc. to your local Habitat for Humanity and help make affordable housing a little homier.

Cutlery/utensils

Not all curbside recycling programs accept metal cutlery. These can be donated for reuse to the Salvation Army, Goodwill or thrift stores. Find out more about your municipal recycling program from the National Recycling Coalition.

Furniture

Freecycle.com is an international grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (and getting) stuff for free in their own towns. One person's trash is another person's treasure! Everything posted on Freecycle is free; individuals and groups work out their own bartering systems. Sell it on Craig's List and you make the arrangements with the buyer for pick-up/drop-off. Or if eBay is your seller of choice, consider using Mission Fish to support your favorite causes through trading on eBay. A portion of the profits go to a nonprofit of your choosing, and you get a tax deductible receipt!

Excess Access serves both charities and the environment by matching your unwanted household materials with the wish-lists of nearby nonprofits that can provide pick-ups or accept drop-offs.

Donate furniture and other household goods to Goodwill International, Salvation Army, or the Vietnam Veterans of America (who will pick it up from the sidewalk in front of your house). One main source of funding for the Vietnam Veterans of America is through the solicitation and resale of donated household items.

Pots and pans

Not all curbside recycling programs recycle metal pots and pans. These can be donated for reuse to the Salvation Army, Goodwill or thrift stores. Find out more about your municipal recycling program from the National Recycling Coalition.

Tools

Donate tools to your local Habitat for Humanity where they can be put to good use building affordable housing.

I didn’t know I could recycle this:

Don't give up on your stuff! There's a better option than the trash and we found it. Scroll through our list and find out how to recycle everything from makeup to eyeglasses, paint, light bulbs, and even your toothbrush.

Aresol cans

Most curbside recycling programs accept empty aerosol cans sorted with other glass and metal recyclables.

Eyeglasses

Drop off your old prescription eye glasses, or even non-prescription sunglasses at a LensCrafters near you. LensCrafter's charity, Give the Gift of Sight provides free vision care and eyewear to under-privileged individuals in North America and developing countries around the world. Or, send them to Lions in Sight, another organization bringing basic eye care and eyeglasses to the needy.

Hangers

Sort wire hangers with other glass and metal recyclables for curbside recycling pick-up.

Your local dry cleaners will happily accept and reuse your old wire or plastic hangers on new customers.

Light Bulbs

Unfortunately you can't sort these with other types of glass for recycling. Most states do not have special requirements for the disposal of regular household mercury-containing fluorescent or incandescent light bulbs. To keep more light bulbs from ending up in landfills, buy a compact fluorescent (CFL) bulb; it lasts for years longer than regular incandescent bulbs. Lamp Recycle keeps a list of companies that do recycle light bulbs and the states that regulate them.

Makeup

You should only keep concealer, lipstick, eye and lip liners, fragrances, powders, blushes, and shadows for a year and a half to two years. But there are still ways to practice sustainable beauty. One good way is to reusable compact cases for eye shadows, blushes, and powders, and then just buy the refills when you run out. Stila makeup sells cheek and eye colors separate from their refillable compact case ($2). All of M.A.C.'s plastic packaged cosmetics are recyclable. Return six used items at any M.A.C. counter and receive a free lipstick in return.

Did you know that Cargo's PlantLove lipsticks come in a compost able lipstick case made from corn? This revolutionary bio-plastic is not only made from a renewable resource, it's also greenhouse gas neutral, which helps us fight global warming. What's more, you can plant the box the lipstick comes in and it will grow wildflowers!

Paint

Sort dried-out paint cans with other glass and metal recyclables for curbside pick-up. Remove the lid first and allow paint to dry fully, so that turned upside down, nothing spills out.

Donate new or leftover paint to your local Habitat for Humanity and make affordable housing homier.

Toothbrushes

The online retail website offers a toothbrush recycling program. Sign up to receive new toothbrushes at predefined intervals ranging from monthly to semi-annually. And for a few dollars extra the company will include pre-paid postage with each shipment for you to send back your old ones.

Another wise eco-choice is the Terradent line of toothbrushes from Eco-Dent. These innovative toothbrushes have replaceable heads, so that once the bristles have worn out, consumers can retain the toothbrush handle and just snap on a new head, thus minimizing waste.

The handle of a Recycline Preserve toothbrush, designed by dentists, is made out of recycled plastic from Stonyfield Yogurt cups. When you've finished using it you can either put it out on the curb with other recyclables (if your community offers #5 plastics recycling), or send it back to Recycline in a pre-paid envelope supplied to you with your purchase. It will likely then be reborn again as raw material for a picnic table, deck, boardwalk or other long lasting durable product.If you just can't live without your electric toothbrush we've got something for you!

Radius offers stylish sustainable toothbrushes made from naturally occurring cellulose derived from sustainable yield forests. They have a battery-powered electric Intelligent Toothbrush that uses replaceable heads to reduce environmental impact. The company will take back the handle for recycling once the battery is worn out, usually after about 18 months.

Paper

In 2006 a record 53.4 percent of the paper consumed in the U.S. (53.5 million tons) was recovered for recycling. Paper is generally divided into high and low grades in reference to the quality of the paper or pulp and can be sorted together for curbside recycling pick-up.

Books

If your household items are in good shape, then you can donate them for reuse to the Salvation Army, Goodwill and other thrift stores. Search Earth 911 for donation spots in your area.

High grade paper

Sort with other dry paper goods for curbside recycling pick-up. High grade papers are computer print-out, white ledger (office paper) in single sheets or continuous form such as white notebook paper, and colored ledger. High Grade white office paper can be recycled into almost any paper product, including tissue.

Low grade paper

Sort with other dry paper goods for curbside recycling pick-up. Low grade papers are cardboard, newspaper, magazines, and mixed office paper, which is a mixture of various grades including windowed envelopes and sticky notes. Used newspapers are usually made into new newsprint or egg cartons. Used corrugated boxes are recycled into new boxes or paperboard.

mail

Mail is Low Grade paper. It can be sorted with other dry paper goods for curbside recycling pick-up.

Did you know? Registering with the National Do Not Mail List reduces junk mail and removes your name from direct advertising mail lists.

Packaging peanuts

Take your old packing peanuts down to any UPS or Mail Boxes Etc. and they'll be glad to take them off your hands.

Plastics

The confusion over which plastics can or cannot be recycled continues to confound consumers. While common knowledge indicates that "good" plastics (numbers 1, 2, 4 and 5) are more readily recycled, and "bad" (numbers 3, 6 and 7) aren't, the truth is, different types of plastic require different processing, and even a small amount of the wrong type of plastic can ruin the reprocessing.

Some municipalities accept all types of plastic for recycling, while others accept only jugs, or containers and bottles with certain numbers stamped on the bottoms. The number system we're familiar with--a single digit ranging from 1 to 7 and surrounded by a the recycling symbol, a triangle of arrows--was designed by The Society of the Plastics Industry in 1988 to allow consumers and recyclers to differentiate types of plastics while providing a uniform coding system for manufacturers. The number symbols are located on the bottom of plastic containers. Sometimes they are small and you have to look hard to find them. Scroll through our list to learn more about which plastics you can recycle.

Plastics 1

Polyethylene terephthalate's (PETE), commonly found in bottles for soda, water, juice, beer, mouthwash, ketchup, salad dressing, medicine containers, and microwavable food trays are readily accepted by curbside recycling programs. They can be made into fiberfill for winter coats, sleeping bags, life jackets, bean bags, rope, tennis ball felt, combs, cassette tapes, boat sails, furniture, and of course, other plastic bottles.

Plastics 2

High-density polyethylene plastics (HDPE), commonly found in heavier containers that hold laundry detergents and bleaches as well as milk, shampoo, and motor oil are readily accepted by curbside recycling programs. They can be made into toys, piping, lumber, and rope.

Plastics 3

Polyvinyl chloride, commonly found in plastic pipes, shower curtains, medical tubing, vinyl dashboards, and baby bottle nipples, is accepted by few curbside recycling programs due to its low rate of recyclable.

Plastics 4

Low-density polyethylene (LDPE), commonly found in plastic wrapping films for food or dry cleaning, as well as grocery or sandwich bags, is accepted by very few curbside recycling programs. Unfortunately, most plastic bags will end up in the trash. However Whole Foods, Wal-Mart, and Wegman's Food Marts will recycle any plastic bags if you take them to the store.

Plastics 5

Polypropylene, commonly found in self-sealing containers, like Tupperware, is accepted by very few curbside recycling programs due to its very low rate of recyclable.

Plastics 6

Polystyrene (Styrofoam), commonly found in coffee cups, disposable cutlery, meat trays, packing peanuts, and insulation are widely accepted by curbside recycling programs. They can be made into cassette tapes and insulation. You can also take Styrofoam or packing peanuts that are clean and in good condition to any UPS Store or Mail Boxes Etc. for recycling.

Plastics 7

Mixed or layered plastics have virtually no recycling potential. These are usually imprinted with a number 7 or nothing at all. Ambitious consumers can feel free to return such items to the product manufacturers to avoid contributing to local waste.

Leviton: an Innovator from the Start

From its beginnings as a small, New York-based mantle tip company to its current recognition as a worldwide leader in electrical and communications products, Leviton has come a long way over the past century. Since being founded by Isidor Leviton in 1906, this company has always been on the cutting edge of technology, from gas lighting in the early 1900s all the way to 21st Century automation and datacom/telecom applications!

Experts at Growth and Development

Development and diversification have played major roles in Leviton’s success. When they started out over 100 years ago, Leviton was producing a single product: mantle tips for gaslights. But just as technology has progressed, so has Leviton. Throughout the 20th century, Leviton acquired smaller, specialized companies to expand both their expertise and product line, and today they offer more than 25,000 different electrical and communications products for use in commercial, residential and industrial markets.

A Dedication to World-Class Quality

A company’s products are only as good as its manufacturing process, and Leviton’s is legendary, thanks to automated production and inspection every step of the way. Leviton’s dedication to excellence is not only evident in their products, but in their list of credits as well!

Throughout the past century, Leviton products have been featured at and installed in some of the world’s most impressive locations:

* The Empire State Building (1932)
* World’s Fair (1939)
* The White House (1961)
* The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island (1979)

Leviton Advances for Safer Homes and Workplaces

Did you know that two important devices we rely on every day originated at Leviton? The Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI), a product that revolutionized home and workplace electrical safety, was introduced by Leviton in 1972. In 1985, the company also received a patent for their thermal protector, which prevents fires from occurring with recessed lighting fixtures.

The Entire Leviton Line

From wall plates, jacks and connectors to patch panels and fiber optic enclosures. Whether your application is commercial, residential or industrial, we have all Leviton components you need to finish your electrical and datacom/telecom installations!

When you’re running a business, there’s no shortage of things to manage: time, employees, productivity, budgets… but have you ever thought of cables? Just about every business depends on cables for essentials like data and electricity, and cable management is the perfect solution for keeping those cords safe, functional and organized! So whether you oversee an office, data center, production studio or retail space, read on to find out how cable management can benefit your business!

1. Safety first. When you own or operate a business, it’s up to you to keep the premises up to code and safe for employees and customers. Prevent cable-related liabilities like tripping hazards by using floor cord covers to anchor foot-snagging cables to the floor. Cord covers offer you twofold protection: they prevent tripping accidents around the workplace, and they also keep valuable cables from being crushed underfoot by pedestrian traffic.

2. Cut down on wasted time and frustration. At one time or another, we’ve all wanted to pull our hair out in frustration while trying to untangle and differentiate between computer cords. Likewise, when it comes time to replace or perform routine maintenance on network equipment, the last thing you’ll want to be faced with is digging through a web of identical cables to find the one you need! Products like wire markers and label printers take the guesswork away by neatly identifying each cord, and save you precious time (and sanity) for more worthwhile tasks!

3. Save money. Cable management not only provides you with a cleaner and more organized business space, it can also extend the life and maximize the performance of your cables! Cords that are allowed to pile up on the floor or hang slack behind equipment are likely to suffer damage from crushing or sagging. By introducing a cable management system like the Neat Patch into your workplace, you can ensure that you won’t need to repeatedly spend money on replacement network cables.

4. Keep your work environment cleaner. Nothing hangs on to dust like piles of tangled cables: just take a look under your desk! Chances are, those dust balls aren’t enhancing your business… but they’re probably making you sneeze! Tackling excess cord length with a product like the Cable-Safe Complete Cable Manager, which lifts wires and peripheral devices off the floor, makes it easier for you to clean, and helps to prevent dirt from collecting in the first place.

5. Look better to your clients. Always remember that first impressions count extra in business! Even if you’re great at what you do, a cluttered and disorganized workspace can give potential business partners the wrong idea. Let’s face it: an office full of messy cables just makes you look bad, so if you’re likely to receive drop-in visits from customers or prospective clients, invest in a cable management solution like surface raceway and put your best foot forward.

It is widely assumed that fiber optics is a new phenomenon that has recently revolutionized the communication infrastructure. Contrary to common belief, Chicago witnessed the first installation of a fiber optic link as far back as 1976. Since then, fiber optics has become widely used in telecommunications because of its large bandwidth and distance advantages over conventional copper wire.

As fiber optic communication users grow, the need to have a highly reliable system becomes more evident. By paying more attention to the design, installation and operation of a fiber optic system, it is possible to take advantage of the security, bandwidth and distance that fiber optics offers.

What are some guidelines you can use to ensure proper installation and usage of your fiber optic system?

The first step is to determine the distance or the range of the link that you are working with – longer links require single mode fibers or lasers, while shorter links take multi mode fibers or LED Sources.

Then consider the environment you are working with – is your installation outdoors or above the ceiling , or in an office or factory floor. These factors will help to determine how your fiber will be mounted. If you have a ceiling application, you may want to source fiberglass push and pull rods to help you with those hard to reach places.

Now it is important to plan splicing requirements, long lengths of cables may need to be spliced and the right tools go a long way to doing a great job. If you’re cutting into tight-buffered cable your best option is to use Kevlar shears because they cut the cable clean and neat which can save polishing time.

Another good investment would be cable strippers and lint free wipes to clean any debris left from the glass fibers. You also want to consider the type of hardware that may come in handy, if splice closures are appropriate; these will have to be sourced beforehand.

Once your fibers have been sheared, polished, cleaned and tested it becomes important to choose a termination type appropriate for your application. Remember to clean all your connectors properly and to label all your cables to identify your fiber optic cable. There are now kits on the market that may carry everything you need, which will save you a bit of time in sourcing different tools necessary for your application. Once you have documented your entire fiber optic network you should be good to go.

Remember, documentation is foresight; it will help when it comes time to troubleshoot, upgrade or restore your network.

JababekaBusiness.Com

Friday 30 January 2009

Environmental Solutions in Solvent Recycling

How to Boost Office Efficiency

Thursday 29 January 2009

Continuous Solvent Distillation new

Anti Poverty

Wednesday 28 January 2009

Automate Your Business with Barcodes

Office Mod: Update Your Workspace in 5 Simple Steps

Tuesday 27 January 2009

How To Find The Best Quality Ergonomic Chair And Save Money Too

Facts and History of Electrical and Electronic

Friday 23 January 2009

Recycle Anything...yes Anything!

The History of Leviton

Thursday 22 January 2009

The Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Cable-Manage Your Business

Setting up Fiber Optics Technology

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