Information

As we go about our daily lives, we rarely think about the industrial applications that are busy working 24/7 to make our lives easier.  There are numerous industries that are generally not observed by the public due to the fact that they are located in relatively remote areas. “Industrial” businesses can be physically located in areas that are not very populated, due to the fact that the daily tasks  that happen on site would create troublesome situations in more residential areas.  Industrial areas are zoned that way so that businesses can conduct the tasks they need to without being an inconvenience to people living around them.  Other types of businesses might have portions of their inventories located within populated areas, but in a way that generally blends into the background.  After seeing things like cellular towers or windmills on a daily basis, we sometimes begin to lose interest in exactly what they’re doing, and simply move by them without noticing.  The technical aspects of the equipment and the processes that is happening within these areas might surprise you.  You think that industrial areas are simply places where large trucks come and go, or large amounts of noise is being made.  In many modern industrial installations, there is no noise at all.  When we are talking about things like the generation of power for public usage, or the towers that allow us to connect our cellular devices to networks, we’re talking about some of the more modern versions of industrial businesses.  These types of industries involve large amounts of equipment that is considered high tech.  This equipment being positioned within areas that is exposed to the elements is mission critical for the functionality of many of these businesses, but is also one of the biggest drawbacks to daily operations.  This is because most industrial businesses must figure in a certain amount of repair costs every quarter, due to the fact that equipment is often damaged in the field. (more…)

People complain about their phone bills all the time.  They will reference how much they’re paying every month in a negative way during conversations with their friends, never thinking about the amount of technology that they are benefiting from by paying that bill.  If you think about it, a few hundred dollar bill every month gives people access to almost unlimited amounts of information and entertainment.  The original intention of a mobile phone, allowing people to talk to their friends without being connected to a wire, has almost fallen by the wayside.  People use their phones for so much more today that doesn’t have anything to do with making or receiving calls.  There was a time when the biggest complaint regarding a cellular phone was weak signals and dropped calls.  Today however, people are irritated by the fact that they may not be able to stream a high definition movie while flying on an airplane and texting at the same time!  We have grown so used to having unlimited amounts of technology at our fingertips that we have taken for granted the systems that make this all possible.  The competition between cellular providers has grown so fierce that even the smallest increase in price can cause customers to flee.  Consumers expect to have instant access to nearly anything, and have grown used to paying almost nothing for it.  As new technology forces cellular companies to roll out faster networks with higher capacities, they’re forced to explore alternative cost cutting methods in order to not have to raise prices. (more…)

Most people today couldn’t go even more than a few hours without their cell phone.  Our phones have become such a part of our lives that it is difficult to imagine being productive without them.  They serve as our connection to the world, providing us not only with the ability to have a conversation with people at any time, but also providing us with the ability to access information and entertainment.  Once cell phones became fully integrated with the internet, the race was on among different companies to provide the fastest data transfer rates available.  In order to download or upload files that were larger and larger sizes, cell providers needed to increase their capacities far beyond anything that had been seen previously.  People have grown so used to being able to stream movies without any delay, or have conversations with people from the most remote areas without dropping a call, that we have grown annoyed if the technology does not provide us with almost instant gratification.  Our ability to gain instant access to almost anything through our phone is due to the technological advances that have come over the course of the last 10 years.  Every time that the speed of data transfer is increased through network improvements, cell providers must figure out how to accomplish the goal without increasing prices.  The competition between cellular providers has become so fierce that even the smallest pricing increases can cause consumers to seek alternative companies.  While this benefits consumers, it certainly doesn’t make the cellular business any easier. (more…)

When surge protection is not only suggested but absolutely necessary to keep operational costs manageable, businesses turn to technology. The concept of surge protection is relatively simple, take flowing electricity and stop the flow if it exceeds a specific amount, thus keeping the surge from equipment in the system. Since there are capacities that cannot be breached without damage being done to equipment, surge protection is put in place to cut the flow if damage could occur. This protects the components as a failsafe, rendering them inoperable but yet not continuing to protect in the case of a follow on surge. Often surge protectors, once they do their jobs, need to be reset or replaced. If this is done before the follow on surge, then operators avoid the need to replace the equipment being protected. When systems cost millions of dollars, the prevention of any percentage of expected damage repair can add up to a healthier bottom line for the business. (more…)

The average consumer thinks of surge protection in the form of surge strips that are typically used simply for the multiple outlets they provide. Some may have slightly higher end surge protection in their homes in the form of battery backup and surge protection combinations. Most will only think of surge protectors for computer equipment, and aside from being a buffer between a computer and the wall outlet they are not used for many high end electronic devices. Yes, you should put a form of surge protection in between your expensive television and the electricity source. You should do the same for almost anything of value in your home that has the potential for being damaged by a power surge. Consumers rarely think of the damage that a power surge can do until it is either too late, or the surge protection has done the job it was installed to do. (more…)

Industrial surge protection systems are a critical component to keeping many of the things functioning that consumers rely upon everyday. When doing  simple tasks like connecting a call on a cell phone or using electricity generated using green technology, we often have surge protection devices to thank for those systems continuing to function to the point that we can forget what it would be like if these systems did not function. These industrial systems have become so reliable that we rarely even realize what goes into the technology in our pockets or within our homes and businesses. We may even get annoyed if there are minor interruptions in services. We should all take a step back to think about what is happening when we look at our cell phones or turn on the lights in our houses, and appreciate the technology operating in the background to make our lives easier. (more…)

The magic of cellular technology has allowed the world to become almost completely interconnected, when only 20 years ago it was not. Through the integration of internet technology into cellular devices, we are literally holding a connection to nearly anyone on the planet, and to most of the information available in the world. Access to information has always been the number one thing that holds societies back, and today the access to information is nearly limitless for anyone who can afford a phone. This is one of the most amazing developments in human history. (more…)

The days of your grandfather’s surge protection devices are over.  Surge protection devices have evolved over the years to become far more technologically advanced than even some computer equipment.  Surge protection is a cornerstone of many businesses in modern times as they do not have the ability to cut costs by utilizing cheaper equipment.  They also don’t have the ability to cut costs by reducing their labor force.  What they are left with is exploring methods that would lengthen the lifespan of the equipment that is currently in place, or figuring out ways that will allow the equipment to produce more, but in a less wasteful manner.  In industries like green energy production, we find that reduction in the amount of offline time is the way to increase productivity, especially where equipment costs cannot be reduced.  This protection of the equipment as a way to extend its life span is one of the ways that the cost gap between fossil fuel production costs and green energy production costs can be closed.  Financially, what will happen is that green energy will be able to be produced in not only in a cleaner but also a less expensive fashion.  This is almost exclusively the result of improved surge protection. (more…)

Green energy production through the use of windmills and wind turbines has long been thought of as the future of energy production.  The need to decrease the amount of fossil fuel usage with regard to energy production has been ongoing.  Even if one does not believe that climate change exists, it cannot be denied that the pollution that happens as a result of fossil fuel usage in the ecosystem harms people.  Any reduction in the amount of pollution that happens worldwide is a good thing.  The debate has always been between the cost of energy production using methods that do not pollute, and the amount of pollution that actually happens.  People who are cost conscious argue that the pollution that is created through the dirty systems is not serious enough to justify the cost.  Those who are climate conscious argue the opposite.  The one thing that is not able to be argued is that if the systems were both cleaner and less expensive as well as able to produce enough energy to power major metropolitan areas, than there would be no need for fossil fuel production methods. (more…)

Surge protection devices have come a long way from their humble beginnings. As soon as there was an ability to provide electrical current to a device, there was the need to figure out a way to safely stop that current from flowing. The dangers that current posed were obvious in the form of electrocution, fire and explosions. A more subtle damage was found in equipment failure as a result of unregulated current, that equipment only being able to tolerate so much before the internal components were destroyed. This was amplified further as equipment became more technologically advanced and circuitry was further employed in computers. Devices became more sensitive and more expensive at the same time, and the simple “shutoff switch” could no longer be as the only adequate protection once the need for continuous uptime became prevelant. The circuit breakers that were once the only form of protection against flowing electricity needed to be improved upon. They were not going to be replaced, but instead added to in the system of protection that shields the most sensitive components from the brute strength of flowing electricity. Anyone who ever plugged their expensive computer into a wall outlet only to find that a power surge finally destroyed its circuitry understands the need. (more…)