Hardware Marketplace Articles

Space-Efficient Packaging Helps Companies Cut Costs

2009-05-06T04:03:44Z

The current ongoing economy crisis has led companies to a situation where all of them are trying to devise out a method for cutting costs in order to survive. The best possible way to come out of this situation is to cut costs in each department, from office supplies to hardware supplies, from warehousing to packaging. Companies working in areas where warehouse space is expensive needs to reduce their expense on packaging. Instead of persisting with the big and bulky protective packaging material, they should shift to space efficient skinny packaging.

Skinny packaging is space-efficient and compact. It allows you to pack a lot of protection into a little container . Protective packaging materials available today in the market are almost 80 % more compact than traditional materials, such as pre-formed polyurethane or polystyrene cushions. In other words a company can achieve the same protection using up to 80% lesser materials. Using space efficient protective packaging, companies can store almost five times more material in the same storage area earlier occupied by bulky storage materials.

Some skinny packaging materials are versatile in nature that can be used to create universal packs and they are able to protect a variety of products. Companies can save additional space by reducing the number of packaging designs.

Companies or businesses working on "Just-in-Time" principles can literally do more with less. Space-efficient packaging helps them stacking sufficient materials at the packaging station to meet packaging goals without storing large and bulky inventory.

Skinny packaging helps companies reduce fixed costs by decreasing the amount of storage space and use of

material handling products. Other advantage that skinny packaging offers is tighter inventory control. It offers tighter control over how often the material is turned over. Skinny packs need less space than fat materials, so the company can decide how many packs it wants to store, opposed to how many it has the ability to store.

Space-efficient packaging has its environmental benefits too. By reducing the volume of packaging supplies, it dramatically reduces the volume of waste going into landfills. Apart from that, fewer tractor trailers are needed to transport the packaging materials. Some of the skinny packaging is 100 percent curbside recyclable, so it never goes to waste.

How one would come to know that skinny packaging is right for him? Here are some symptoms that would help you identify:
Storing packaging materials at a distant location is the main symptom. In case you are stockpiling materials in a remote location or an off-site warehouse, it is the right time to shift to a more space-efficient product. If you are spending a lot on labor on moving materials around, then it clearly indicates that you need to switch on to skinny packaging. If you find heap of pallet covers or pallet wraps around you then you need a skinnier protective packaging product.

For more on Packing Supplies

Nanotechnology Developments in Food Packaging

2009-05-05T04:39:29Z

Nanotechnology has the capability to transform the nature of food packaging materials in future. Certain nanoscale innovations could bring amazing improvements to food packaging in the forms of detection of pathogens, smart & active packaging, and barrier & mechanical properties. One popular and common example of nanotechnology in food packaging is the use of nanolayer of aluminum that coats the interior of many snack food packages.

Nanocomposites: At the forefront of food packaging development
Nanocomposite packages are likely to contribute significantly in the food packaging market in coming future. According to the estimation by Principia Markets, a consulting firm that tracks the plastics market, the nanocomposites market will reach 1 billion pounds by 2010. In the large part, nanoscience offers several extraordinary benefits to improve food packages like advancements in fundamental characteristics of food packaging materials such as antimicrobial properties, barrier properties, strength, and stability to heat and cold.

The commercialization of nanocomposite materials was started by Toyota in the late 1980s. It was only in 1990s that research on use of nanocomposites for food packaging started. In most of the researches, montmorillonite clay has been used as the nanocomponent in a number of polymers like polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, nylon, and starch. The amount of nanoclays used differ from 1% to 5% by weight. Nanocomponents must have 1 dimension less than 1 nm wide.

Other Nanotechnology Improvements
There are other improvements in the nanotechnology happening as well. Here are some most important of them:

Carbon Nanotubes: They are cylinders with nanoscale diameters that can be used in food packaging to improve its mechanical properties. It has been recently discovered that they might exhibit powerful antimicrobial effects. E coli died immediately as and when it came in direct contact with aggregates of carbon nanotubes.
Nanosensors: They are other improvement that has the potential to affect the food packaging. It would easily detect pathogens, toxins and chemicals in foods. A number of research reports have described the detection methods for toxins, allergens, bacteria, and viruses using nanotechnology.
Nano-wheels: They also adds to the improvement in food packaging. These molecules are incorporated into plastics in order to enhance their barrier & mechanical properties.
Nanovesicles: Another important development, nanovesicles are capable of detecting E. coli 0157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella spp.. Liposome nanovesicles have been devised to detect peanut allergen proteins.

DNA Biochips:They have been under development for quite some time now, to detect pathogens. Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania and Monell Chemical Sciences Center have used nano-sized carbon tubes coated with DNA strands to create nanosensors. These nanosensors have the abilities to detect odors and tastes. A carbon nanotube functions as the transmitter while a single strand of DNA function as the sensor.

Another area where research work is going full fledged is the biodegradable nanocomposite food packages. The packaged films can be produced with exfoliated clay layers by pumping carbohydrates and clay fillers through high shear cells. They act as effective moisture barriers by incrementing the tortuosity of the path water takes to penetrate the films. Such types of materials help achieve enough increment in film strength.

Active & Intelligent Packaging: Innovations in Food Packaging Industry

2009-04-28T09:55:09Z

The primary role of packaging in food industry is preservation and protection from external contamination. It includes safety of packaged foods, maintenance of quality, increment in shelf life and delay in retardation. Packaging protects foods from the influences of environment like light, heat, absence or presence of oxygen, moisture, enzymes, microorganisms, insects, dust, gaseous emission, pressure, etc. These factors lead to the deterioration of foods & beverages. Shelf life of foods is enhanced by decreasing microbial, biochemical, and enzymatic reactions through different strategies like moisture control, temperature control, removal of oxygen, addition of chemical additives/preservatives, or a combination of these. In order to avoid recontamination, proper integration of the product, process, package, and distribution is important. The perfect packaging material should not allow molecular transfer to or from packaging materials, should be inert and resistant to hazards.

Apart from the above mentioned roles, there are other important functions of packaging, including containment, convenience, marketing, and communication. The involvement of containment ensures that a product is not intentionally spilled. Communication plays a key link between consumer and food processor, displaying certain mandatory information like weight, source, ingredients, etc. Nutritional value and cautions for use are also required now by law.

Active and Intelligent Food Packaging
Traditional food packages are designed to delay the unfavorable effects of the environment on the food. Active packaging plays a dynamic role in food preservation and allows packages to interact with food and the environment. Many areas of packaging have advanced with the developments in active packaging, including controlled respiration rate, delayed oxidation, moisture migration, and microbial growth. Many other improvements in packaging technologies include odor absorbers, ethylene removers, carbon dioxide absorbers/emitters, and aroma emitters. Oxygen removal, purge and moisture control have been noticeable in active packaging, of which purge control is commercially the most successful.

Smart or intelligent packaging has enabled to monitor and communicate information about food quality, with the help of the likes of time-temperature indicators, radio frequency identification, ripeness indicators, and biosensors. These devices may be incorporated either in package materials or attached to the inside or outside of a package. As of now, the commercial application of these technologies has been limited but they are likely to gain prominence as a mechanism for tracking and tracing produce and others perishable commodities.

Oxygen Scavengers
Presence of oxygen in packaged food might accelerate oxidative reactions resulting in food deterioration. Oxygen helps the growth aerobic microbes and molds. Oxidative reactions produce off-odors, off-flavors, undesirable color changes, and reduced nutritional quality of the food. Oxygen scavengers are those agents that remove oxygen, diminishing oxidative reactions. They come in different forms such as sachets, labels, or may be directly incorporated into package material and/or closures. Oxygen scavenging compounds are mostly agents that react with oxygen to reduce its concentration. Some most common oxygen scavengers are ferrous oxide, ascorbic acid, sulfites, catechol, photosensitive dyes.

Carbon dioxide Absorbers & Emitters
Carbon dioxide is added in certain products like baked goods, fresh meat, poultry, cheese, etc. for beneficial effects, as for suppressing microbial growth. It is also used to decrease the respiration rate of fresh produce, to overcome package collapse or partial vacuum caused by oxygen scavengers. Carbon dioxide is found in different forms, like moisture-activated bicarbonate chemicals in sachets and absorbent pads.

Moisture Control Agents
Excess moisture in moisture-sensitive foods can have adverse results, for example, softening of crispy products, caking in powdered products, and moistening of hygroscopic products. Vice-versa is also true. Too much moisture loss from food may result in product desiccation. Adding moisture control agents help control water activity, removing melting water from frozen products, reducing microbial growth, prevent condensation from fresh produce, and keep the rate of lipid oxidation in check.

Role of Metals in Packaging Industry

2009-04-23T08:40:40Z

Metals have been the base of packaging industry since a long time. The arrival of other cost effective & competitive packaging materials have cut its share. But the functional contribution of metals can not be undermined. Let's see what type and varieties of metals are used mainly in the packaging products and their advantages.

Types of metals in packaging
In packaging industry the metals used in general are mild steel (MS), galvanized iron (GI), tinplate, tin-free steel (TFS) and aluminum, sheets and foil in different thickness of 6µ, 6.36µ, 7µ, 9µ, 12µ, 15µ and 24µ. The mild steel drums are also lacquered as necessary for product compatibility. Lined drums like MS/GI drums are also in use. 210 l drums are common in all the drums. Other types of drums include fully opened and top lid fixed with single or double bunks. Fully opened ones are used for solids while second ones are used for liquids. Inner flexible liners or lags are used in the open top drums, which provides the essential compatibility and help deduct the metal thickness, enabling overall cost optimization. Rolling hoops in these drums facilitate easy rolling and prevent contact from ground. These drums are used for a range of applications, such as storage, distribution, and carrying of products like lube oils, edible oils, petroleum products, chemicals, solvents, etc.

Aluminum in Packaging: Aluminum is used in a number of products in the packaging industry, such as tubes & foils, aluminum containers, bottles & cans, caps & closures, lidding materials, casseroles, etc. Aluminum cans are light weight, strong, compact and impermeable. The best advantage with aluminum is that it is completely recyclable and it impart no taste, contains flavour & carbonation in and gases & moistures out.

Tinplate & Tin-free Steel: Tin-free steel and tinplate are commonly used in the packaging industry. Tinplate is a black plate coated with tin. It is produced by tin coating, might or might not be equally on both sides. Coating of tin is measured in gram per sq m of tin. Tin-free steel are generally used for screw & lug caps, tops, snap & press on closures and shallow drawn food cans. There has been continuous R&D in terms of improvement in down gauging, material properties, printing & decorating, etc. During last 3 decades the tinplate used for making cans have become thinner, reducing the overall weight of a drink can by 40 percent.

A look at the metal containers industry

Reclosable and single-serve packaging are two segments offering cost effective solution to customers.
Busy lifestyles, health consciousness, and convenience have made direct impact on the packaging needs. It is evident from the steep growth in ready meals, sauces and other such products. Almost 30% of these products are packed in metal containers.
Russia, German, UK, France and Italy account for 60 percent of the metal containers pack consumed. Eastern Europe has shown a high growth potential than western Europe, Russia leading the way with 12 percent.
27 billion units cans are used for ready and chilled meals and this figure is supposed to touch 30 million mark by 2012.
Steel is the most recycled material worldwide and 66 % of steel packaging is recycled every year.

Changing Trends in Caps & Closures Industry

2009-04-21T10:57:47Z

Caps & closures have covered a long distance from a general metallic cap to a valve dispensing closure. Apart from adding safety of the package, an innovative cap enhances the appeal of a package and convenience of use. Today the busy and time-conscious consumers demand convenience favoring flexible lids and dispensing closures that are easy to open & close. These days the demand of single serve plastic beverage bottles have come up considering the consumers who carry beverages while traveling. Others in demand are cosmetic & personal care products. The food packaging have seen dispensing closures as a rising trend. Changes in caps and closure types can be seen in cosmetic sector as well.

Serving the purpose
The designs of caps & closures vary according to the applications in various sectors, such as pharma, cosmetics, food, beverage, etc. The carbonated soft drinks (CSD) products closures have to guarantee a good CO2 retention capacity. The characteristics of a good closure is that it should protect its contents from being counterfeited. A good closure ensures the brand of the product and protect the customer, such that no one should be able to open a package and break the tamper evident band and refill the bottle. The caps & closure market is explicitly divided into two major categories, standardized and customized caps & closures. Some beverages like CSD, mineral water and beer need standardized caps made of materials meeting requirements such as easy processing, ease of opening, good performance on the filling line and containment of the product. While the customized closures are used in a number of applications such as personal care products, industrial products, liquid foods and beverages.

Plastics: The leading material
At a time, containers and lids were only made of metal and glass. But now plastics rule. It is evident from the fact that products like sauces, pickles, olives, which mainly depend on metal caps for packaging are shifting largely to plastics. Industry estimates clearly show that plastic caps and closures will continue to deliver more than average annual profits through 2012. The technological improvements have enabled plastic enclosures to replace metal closures on glass containers. The trend for plastic closures continues to grow as new applications for them continues to come, ranging from wine and beer to hot-fill foods like sauces and pickles.

Economy affecting the development
The current global economy scenario is going through a difficult time that is pushing every industry to come to the basics and reduce cost involved at every stage. Markets facing economic slowdown are likely to face lower consumption, which will hit further hit developments in these markets. In spite of that people will continue consuming products packed in plastics and capped with a closure. The manufacturers will be under a cost pressure for the development of lightweight closure. Their focus will be only on reducing costs, water usage and energy, while still offering a cap fulfilling all the needs.

Looking towards the future
Despite the current market scenario, that is not helping the expansion and diversification of these products, some sectors are likely to give thrust to the caps and closures market. The transition from metallic to plastic caps & closures have provided new dimensions to innovations in designing caps & closures. Pharma industry that is still using a lot of glass packaging but gradually shifting to PET bottles will provide a good opportunity for plastic closures. The other factor that can create demand for them is the wide acceptance of organized retail formats where shelf appeal of the products on display is becoming crucial. It would create demand for new, designer & trendy caps & closures along with bottles and plastic containers.

2009 Top Technology Trends

2009-04-14T08:36:13Z

The improvement and up-gradation of technology is a continuous process and we see a number of products launched with updated technologies. Last year, 2008, saw the launch of the EEE PC, the MacBook Air, Nokia E71, etc. This year seems no less promising. Let us take a look at the technologies that are bound to make a stir in the market this year.

Cellphones: Rising Third Party Applications
2008 saw the launch of iPhone 3G, Samsung's Omnia, Innov8, the Xperia. Is something really left to improve in the mobile phone space? Phone display resolutions are piercing the netbook territory. Most smartphones are likely to come with 640 x 480 displays. A lot of graphic improvements are likely to come, but that is really worrisome for the battery life. Camera resolution, storage, processors and other regulars will see the standard jumps. What is going to accelerate in 2009 is third party phone applications, especially the ones working closely with GPS and location-based services. Most of the cellphones will incorporate GPS, and the trend of preferring them to standalone GPS devices have started.

Notebooks with Colors & Technology
Notebook or Netbook? Which is really creating buzz is difficult to say. Every PC manufacturer released a netbook last year to allure the growing user segment. They are capable of doing everyday tasks, easy to carry, and don't loosen your wallet in these troubled times. After sorting out the size and functionality, this year is the time for design and reduced prices to gain prominence. The prices are expected to drop by 10-20%. Sleeker designs, snazzier cases and the plethora of color options will be in demand. Next on the demand will be notebooks with LED backlighting technology. They are lighter & thinner than traditional screens, consume lesser energy, save almost 10 per cent energy, and do not use mercury. You might expect to see the combo dedicated graphics cards and on-board graphics in laptops. It will provide you the option to switch between graphics power and battery stamina depending on the need.

Home Entertainment
After the LCD wave completing a full circle in 2008, 2009 is the time for Full High Definition. Full projectors and HD TVs are capable of displaying all 1920 by 1080 pixels of movie or gaming goodness in all of its sheer visual splendor. In demand will be TVs with energy saving LED technology and ultra thin LCD TVs. In the wake of digital media downloads and piracy, Blu-ray prices needs to aggressively cut down and that would help stimulate some demand.

Personal Media Players
Cellphones have bragged the status of personal media player and that is a real threat to the iPod. Not so is the case currently. 2009 will see the current crop of LCD screens being replaced with OLED screens. Organic LED provides better battery consumption, higher resolution, and better viewing angles. You might also see some connectivity options, like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, incorporated with some of them. Innovation such as the Nike+iPod integration will be the need of the hour as they extend the capability of the device.

Green Hardware & Technology
Green hardware is flooding the market these days. Last year saw some real green developments, from bamboo hard drives to solar gadget chargers. The focus this year would be on environmentalism across the mainstream industry, from reducing dependence on heavy metals and hazardous chemicals to broader recycling programs. Big player like Apple's latest iPod and notebook launches emphasized their environmental consciousness, and other manufacturers are likely to follow the same.

Cloud computing still a way to go
One of the most hyped and awaited developments. It might be still its early days but cloud computing is the one thing that major players are seriously looking at. It is the sign of changing software trends. The operating systems will be online and there would be no need to buy a computer with pre-installed operating system. With the help of this technology, you can boot the always up-to-date operating system of your choice straight off the Internet.

An Analysis of Carbon Footprints in Electronics Industry

2009-04-08T10:11:53Z

According to the latest green electronics research from Greenpeace.org, the most green electronic products currently available in the market may have a smaller environmental footprint in comparison to those sold last year. The industry still has to go a long way prior to offering a truly green product. In its report, the organization assesses the progress made over the last year by consumer electronic companies on their commitments to green their products. The top 15 electronic brands submitted 50 of their greenest new products for evaluation including, televisions, computer monitors, mobile and smart phones, notebook and desktop computers, and game consoles.

Commitments Unfulfilled by PC Manufacturers
As per the report, the top PC manufacturers Dell, HP and Lenovo have expressed their inability to remove brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and vinyl plastic (PVC) from their products by the end of 2009 as they had promised earlier. In order to tackle the rising tide of e-waste the phasing out of toxic substances in consumer electronics should come at the top priority. But the producers hardly comply with it and go green only when they feel consumer and public pressure.

According to Greenpeace, most of the companies scored higher and more competitively compared to last year. In general the use of hazardous chemicals in products has been reduced and lesser products came in the market that contain PVC plastic. The television and monitor manufacturers are using more post consumer recycled plastics. Most of them have come up with LED displays, which eliminate the use of mercury in backlights and consume lesser energy.

Top Green Electronic Products
Points were given on 10 point scale in different categories. The leading products were Lenovo L2440x wide computer monitor scored highest in the monitor category, Sharp LC-52GX5 in television, Samsung F268 in mobile phone, Nokia 6210 in Smart phone, Toshiba Portege R600 in Notebook, and the Lenovo ThinkCentre M58 in Desktop category. However it is clearly reported that no product scored enough marks in all areas to deserve the accolade of a truly “green product.”

Renewable Energy On Agenda
Though companies have failed to score significantly in toxic categories, they have started improving their scores on energy criteria. In the fight against climate change, IT has a key role in emissions reductions of 15 percent of business-as-usual by 2020. Philips and Samsung have openly come forward in the support for global steps to tackle climate change and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. HP and Philips have been joined by Nokia and Dell in making commitments to significant cuts in greenhouse gas emissions from their own operations. More number of companies are now pushing the use of renewable energy. Nokia is already sourcing one-fourth of its electricity from renewable.

Green Building: Top Five Trends of 2009

2009-04-01T03:43:42Z

The popularity of green buildings achieved new heights in last year (2008). As the number of sustainable builders in commercial and residential construction is increasing, this trend, including its tools, tactics & techniques, is likely to define new boundaries of the green building segment in 2009. Green building is benefiting the builders, creating not only environmental but also economic impact. They are making money for builders and saving money for occupants. The result is manifested from rapid increase in the number of customers interested in buying green, and in the number of builders interested in building green.

Though it is growing, it is changing as well to the benefit of earth, the economy and the end user. The green building is still in its infancy, and to stay ahead of the learning curve it must adopt to new trends. Here are the five hot trends that the green building industry will see in this year.

Boom in Green Business : The green builders are looking for new strategies to differentiate themselves within the confines of a down economy. The green business not just includes buildings, but sales, marketing, project management too, and all those business-related areas in which green can help builders improve and salvage their businesses. Builders are looking for a competitive edge and are seeking more education. They are creating the way for new credentials, such as the Green Building Certification Institute’s LEED Accredited Professional and NAHB’s Certified Green Professional designations. See Green Buildings Associations

Pay Less Get More : Third party verification is increasingly essential but no longer the formal certification is. From the sales and marketing perspective, LEED certification is useful but not essential. Even for doing all these, companies are no longer hiring expensive consultants. They prefer to do it at half the cost. Green building companies are now focusing more on the ROI instead of PR of green, considering the long-term savings that green includes. One can see significant rise in green remodels and in deconstruction. These two green building disciplines are supposed to produce substantial long-term savings over new construction and traditional demolition. Expectation for ROI is producing an increase in the demand for green building consultants and energy auditors. Audits are becoming an integral part of the green building process, as they assess a building’s performance in pursuit of maximum energy savings.

Governments Go Green : The demand of green buildings have reached new heights in last few years due to consumer's increasing interests and awareness towards the environment. From this year, the demand is further expected to be fueled as governments mandates and incentives have started flowing in this sector. It can be seen in $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, passed by Congress this February. This act incorporates numerous provisions that are likely to push-up the green building movement in coming years, such as loan guarantees for renewable energy projects, and tax credits for homeowners who add energy-efficient furnaces, air conditioners, and windows to their homes.

New Green Materials : 2008 was the year of surface materials like tiles, light bulbs, flooring, etc. All such materials were given much value and emphasis, but the physical materials used by green builders are changing too. 2009 would be the year of internal materials. Builders will pay more attention to spray foam insulation and to energy-efficient HVAC systems. Energy-efficient doors and windows hardware, and eco-friendly alternatives to drywall will attract attention. Boom in usage of bio-composite materials is supposed to be seen from this year. Plastics made from corn that can be used to manufacture from doors to cabinet hardware to everything will be a hit.

Green to be Refined : The last few years have seen the green building movement coming to popularity. Everyone was talking about green and taking it with both hands. But this year not only the name will work. 2008 was the year for the builders to go green, 2009 will be the year for them to define green. People will ask, ‘What does green really mean?' and ‘Is that really green?’. Ratings and verification will come to the fore, not only for green building materials but also for green products used inside these buildings. That indicates the rising awareness and interests of people in saving their environment.

The Market Edge of Hand Tools & Accessories

2009-03-23T12:00:38Z

The worldwide hand tools and accessories market is dominated by North America and Europe, followed by Japan. Hand tools and hardware accessories is one of the few select industrial sectors, which is not affected by recession. During the period of recessions, when other industries face decline in growth, the hand tool industry continues to perform better than many other industries. This improved showing from hand tools industry can be attributed to the increase in demand among consumers who want to save money by undertaking the repair work themselves.

Not withstanding of its low profile, hand tools and hardware sector is one of the most consistently profitable industries across the world. Comparatively the industry is small in terms of sales volume in comparison to other industries. Nevertheless, growth in the hand tools and hardware accessories segment is noteworthy.

The global hand tools and accessories sector is expected to grow at around 4.6% annually over the period 2001-2010 to touch US$19.9 billion by 2010. Europe and North America between them share over 64% of the global hand tools and accessories market. Asia-Pacific region (barring Japan) is likely to provide the highest growth opportunity over the period this period, with a CAGR lingering around 9%, followed by Europe at 4.9%. Mechanics' service tools segment constitutes the largest sector of global hand tools and accessories market with an approximated share of 56.7% in 2007. The market of edge tools market is likely to grow fastest with a CAGR of about 5.2% during the period of 2001-2010.

Though hand tools and accessories are usually "low-tech" products, the industry in particular is highly automated, and employs sophisticated technology to design and manufacture premium quality products. Research is concentrated on improving the quality, durability and usability of various tools. Technical innovations are promptly adopted into the mainstream and efforts are continuously made by the producers to improve the efficiency and performance of hand tools to satisfy the various requirements of customers.

South East Asia constitutes a market with potential for exports from the saw manufacturers of US and Japan. Indonesia is looked at as a significant market for the tool industry, as the country has decided to restrict lumber exports and prepare its own lumber industry that would necessitate large quantities of saws.

Germany is a prominent exporter of precision tools, which include hand tools, power tools, grinding tools, molds, machine tools, and measuring instruments. In this market segment, Germany is followed by Japan, the US, Asia-Pacific and France.

Greener IT Showing the Way for Reducing Global Carbon Footprint

2009-03-05T05:37:20Z

Green IT is about revising business processes and the ICT surroundings to reduce the consumption of energy, the organization's carbon footprint. This goes together with increasing pressure to enhance operational efficiencies along with the reduction in the processing costs. Thus, an improvement at the bottom line can also improve a companys green credentials an evolution, which is becoming both a legislative requirement as well as a competitive differentiator.

No longer directed at just gravid industries, there is growing pressure on corporates over all market spheres, and within all regions of activity, to reduce the greenhouse gases. When talking of technology, this is being transformed into an increasing list of legislative, media and industry initiatives.

At the government level, there is an increasing number of mandates, which include the ECs Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive, the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive and the Energy Star programme from the US Environmental Protection Agency, highly backed by IT suppliers such as Intel. This last program was key to the introduction of a sleeping mode to PCs and other electronic products.

Green standards at a nationwide level include Swedens TCO certification program, directed at reducing heat levels in power usage, and limiting the use of hazardous materials. Another initiative is the Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) that targets production in an effort to restrict the use of products such as lead. At the same time, EPEAT authorizes that IT production plants design electronics products so they run more effectively, need less maintenance, have a longer service life for components, and facilitate easier recycling at the disposition stage. All these actions share similarities and overlap, however they also have different focus points and can be adopted either individually, or as a total package.

Green strategies
The IT industry itself has been searching on ways to enhance ts green credentials and has ushered in a series of green programmes. Green Grid is one of such programmes, which is a set of standards formulated by a pool of manufacturers, including HP, Intel, IBM, AMD and Sun, to improve hardware efficiency and reduce the consumption of energy. The handiness of this type of checklist not only makes it easier for CIOs to evaluate the efficiency of their IT environment but also to measure the green credentials of planned upgrades or system replacements.

Last year, IBM set in motion Project Big Green, a programme directed at encouraging energy efficiency in the datacentre. Datacentres are big power consumers, both in the volume of their processing and cooling requisites, and the trend is getting worse.

Consolidation of servers help reduce processing requirements and hence the consumption of power consumption. One of the most important IT developments of recent times is virtualisation that is established to facilitate similar capabilities as the conventional datacentre, with a fraction of its power consumption not to mention the reduced maintenance and hardware costs.

The drive for cost skillfulnesses can help reduce energy savings by up to 20 %. This is being attained by removing surplus workstations and employing green inventions, such as software, which shuts down unattended PCs a non-trivial consideration as it reduces the yearly electricity bill by 75 for each PC left running overnight.

Conversely, other programmes can be used to boot up PCs at night so that routine jobs, such as upgradation of software, take benefit of off-peak electricity rates. Here, suppliers such as Google and Intel are leading the race, having joined forces in 2007 to set up the Climate Savers Computing Initiative, directed at lowering PC power consumption.

A progressively popular corporate policy is to replace global travel with video conferencing. This not only save on travel time for highly paid executives and the cost of travel itself, it also reduces carbon waste.

Telecommuting is also growing in popularity, boosted by jam packed motorways and the advent of road congestion charges. More and more businesses are turning virtual organizations with departments forming up in their employees home offices, and IT support centers that are managed remotely. This lowers both commuting emissions and provides for smaller offices with decreased heat and lighting overheads. There are, of course, price related with this type of solution, such as the requirement for more robust and complex ICT networking that in turn imparts us back to the issue of power consumption.

One way around this is to find substitute electricity supplies. A truly eco-friendly business might want to consider innovating its own power source, such as solar, geo-thermal or wind and then selling the excess back to the National Grid.

The modern new world of e-commerce was thought to lresult in a paperless and greener office. While going paperless may still be unrealistic, consumption can be lowered through centralized printing, more efficient document management, double-sided output and, the most important of all recycling.

How to rate?
Greenness has become an instrumental competitive differentiator. Businesses want to be seen by customers and prospects as being a socially responsible organization and so are including their green credentials in corporate policies and necessitating eco credentials from their IT suppliers. However, with an increasing tide of green IT solutions and services now hitting the market, how can one go about distinguishing between the good, the bad and the average when it comes to green IT credentials?

To start with, the selection demands an capability to compare specifications against the latest legislative requirements and best-practice industry standards. This, however, does not go very long. Determining how an individual supplier loads up against peers generally requires access to independent industry knowledge and a large, statistically suitable, database, which is usually available from IT benchmarking experts.

Green IT benchmarking can help identify an organization's position in the real world and what the organization requires to do to amend its green credentials.

Electrical Switch : A Selection Guide

2009-02-26T11:00:48Z

Switches are an essential & integral component of almost all electrical devices. The main function of an electrical switch is to on and off the device, acting like gateways through which first electricity pass through and then reach the device. They enable the users to put-on and cut-off the power supply as and when needed.

We often take switches safe, reliable and efficient operation granted but it should not be taken that way. We should take a more cautious approach towards switch selection. Here below are listed some of the precautionary steps that you must follow before buying electrical switches for any device or appliance.

Follow the Safety Standards
Safety for the people, home and device are of utmost priority to every one. So always prefer a reputed electrical hardware manufacturer with proven ability to design, deliver and supply products (especially safety switches) that meets the accreditation standard followed in your country or region. Always select a switch with correct electrical rating and characteristics, considering factors like precise resistivity and motor loads and tolerance of transient in-rush current on start up.

Know the operating environment
The surrounding environment in which the switch operates is an important consideration while selecting switches. Before buying an electrical switch you must consider that will it be exposed to exceptionally high humidity/moisture, temperature, dust or any other hazards? Make your choice according to the operating environment. Switches are available in many materials (Find switches by material) that can withstand high temperature and flames. Also you can prefer switches specified with heat resistant, flame retardant cases. and with dust and splash protection.

Style quotient is important as well
Though the style quotient is of least value when considered from safety and functionality point of view but when we take aesthetic considerations in view it roars back to the top priority. You should carefully think twice about the size, colour, shape, switch action, texture, and markings before buying switches for automotive, medical devices, computer hardware, electronic appliances, and many other similar applications. More than the aesthetic consideration, the style and design of switches can affect the appearance, usability, and user's perception of the value and quality of the device.

Assured Performance
Switches having more than 2000 annual operation cycles must be tested for 50,000 cycles. Gold plated contact on switches that are infrequently used adds to the reliability.

Mode of Operation
It should be considered carefully that what mode of operation suits the need best. There are numerous choices like toggle, rocker, push button, touch switches, rotary, slide, open or closed snap action or foot switches. It should also be considered that whether you need single, double or multiple-pole switches?

Consider carefully the benefits of standardization of switch types, the ease of fitting the correct choice of terminals to suit the production method. Even if you are a bit confused then you must seek advice from the distributor.

It is very important for us to select a switch that is safe, effective and reliable and that fulfills the requirements of the application. Failing to meet the needs precisely can lead to higher service costs, premature failure, outages for the user.

How to Repair Your Fluorescent Lighting Fixtures?

2009-02-19T09:09:00Z

Repairing fluorescent tubes and fixtures is quite simple and require some basic electrical skills like installing wire nuts, identifying wires by color, and stripping wires insulation from the end of cut wires. It is a simple task and if you understand the terminology well, this article will surely help you repair fluorescent light fixtures.

Though fluorescent lighting fixtures come in a number of shapes and sizes, and they vary in construction as well but the manner they operate is similar for all. All the fluorescent tubes and bulbs work by exciting a gas at a high voltage in a sealed glass tube. After the gas is excited and illuminated, the voltage is reduced and the gas continues to provide light by the fast movement of the gas molecules.

Causes of Dead Fluorescent
There are numerous causes for a dead fluorescent. It can be caused by shortage of electrical power (a blown fuse or tripped breaker), a non-functional starter, a dead ballast or a dead tube. First of all you should check for the power supply then the starter and then tubes. Even now the problem persists, the ballast will have to be replaced. Since it is the most expensive part of the entire fixture be sure that it is really dead before changing. In case of flickering tubes, all these checkouts can be implied as well.

One very important point to note is that flickering fluorescent tubes can overheat the ballast and cause it to fail prematurely. It can even burn the starter. So flickering problems should be handled quickly before they cost you too much.

1) Check the Tubes First
If the tubes are darkening near either ends, it is defective or near to it. The darkened tubes may give light but it days are counted. Either ends of a tube has an electrode located inside, which has two visible pins that fit into the sockets. Both the electrodes should be working and that can be checked by checking the continuity across the pins. But working electrodes don't insure the lighting tubes as there may be various other reasons for it failure. If you have to check a number of tubes or even a single one, the most reliable method is to install the tube/s in a working lighting fixture.

2) Then the Starter

Most of the modern fixtures don't use starter but the old ones do. A fluorescent starter is a small cylinder like object that plugs into a socket attached to the fixture's frame. It supplies a delayed shot of high-voltage electricity to the gas inside the tube. The delay gives the gas time to become ionized in order to conduct electricity. As this is not an instantaneous process, the tubes flicker for a few seconds prior to lighting. So a defective starter can cause either flickering or total darkness. If you have lost the starter or the current one is defected, then write down the wattage of the tubes as that would help select the proper starter becausestarters are rated by wattage. However there is no such way to repair the starter except replacing it with a new one. To install a new starter, press it into the socket and turn it clockwise. To remove the starter, press it and turn it anti-clockwise.

3) At Last the Ballast
Ballast

are of two types. Magnetic and electronic. Magnetic ballasts are traditionally working in fluorescent world, are inexpensive and generally give 10 to 20 years of service. Electronic ballasts are modern ballasts having specific advantages over magnetic ballasts. First of all they don't hum and start more quickly than magnetic ballasts. Replacing a defective blast cost as mush as a new fixture, especially the electronic ballast that lights the tubes faster, runs cooler and are hum free. While buying a new ballast make sure that the new one is wired identically to the existing one. Most modern ballasts come with a wiring diagram on the body itself, clearly marked with the wire colors. In case the diagram is not printed on body it will be packed in the box or printed on it. However common ballasts use the same color scheme, making your job easier.

Useful Resources

Wrought Iron Lighting Products
Wrought Iron Candelabras
Wrought Iron Chandeliers

Green IT : Commitment, Hurdles & Solutions

2009-02-12T08:59:43Z

The trend of green IT is supposed to go low in the wake of slow economy. The IT companies are finding it hard to keep up with the heat and they might deviate from their commitment to implement the green technology. Most of the companies are aware of the problems but they are not up to the mark and are not taking adequate actions to tackle the problem. According to a recent survey, the computing industry has shown disparity in awareness and actual implementation of green IT in Internet and e-commerce companies in North America and worldwide.

The report “Think Ecological” is released by BPM Forum, surveying on 175 IT professionals and executives from companies such as Yahoo and Time Warner in December and January. Think Ecological is a joint venture of BPM with Intel and Rackable Systems, persuading businesses to adopt green IT strategies for data centers.

Survey Results
The survey results shows

82 % of IT professionals agreed their companies were now more aware of ecological concerns than a year ago.
81 % said the industry was failing to make changes to reduce energy consumption.
More than 30 % said their companies were nowhere near to the green IT standards and doing nothing to embrace green IT strategies.

Data Centers at Gun Point
The data centers in US currently consumes almost 2% of the power supply, same as televisions and are supposed to double up the figure by 2011. The consequences could be terrible for those companies, which provide services using data centers. As per the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, limited power supply and power failures will temporarily disrupt operations at more than 90 percent of data centers during the next five years.

Almost half of world's data centers will face problems getting the electricity to run and cool their equipment. These views are of researchers at Gartner, which suggested companies to incorporate virtualization and combined heat & power technologies. Known as co-generation, it can simultaneously produce electricity and useful heat from single fuel source like biomass, biogas, natural gas, coal, oil, etc.

Demands & Solutions
The demand of computer services is rising and so of computer hardwares. Thought the demand is increasing the power supply is not meeting it. This gap is widening and it needs to be figured out somewhere. So if the demand of technology can't be decreased, it can be complemented with making the technology efficient.

Reducing energy consumptions need a lot of effort and upgrading servers could be one of them. The average server working in these data centers are around five years old. Using new age processors and solid state hard drives could minimize the energy consumption by 30%. The new age hardwares are designed to withstand high temperatures minimizing the cooling cost.

A number of companies are doing a bit by enhancing their carbon footprints instead of tackling substantial uses of energy and resources. Tangible options, such as recycling or turning off the computer at night, or printing on two sides of a piece of paper, have been adopted by many of them but they need to take it to the next level. The emphasis should not be only on day-to-day processes but at the infrastructure that drives your technology.

Sensational Gifts to Woo Your Women This Valentine

2009-02-05T06:48:05Z

Valentines day is just in the corner and you are still confused as to how to make this day memorable for your girl? Thinking of the conventional chocolates, flowers and soft toys? Nothing else is coming to mind? Well the answer is right here. If you want to make her feel really special this valentine browse through the list of top ten contemporary valentine gifts and besot her with your love.

Diamond Initial Necklaces - Nothing matches up to diamonds as far as a gift to a girl is concerned. Truly said, 'The diamonds are a girl's best friend'. These diamond initial necklaces in 26 Distinctive, Exclusive Heart Shaped Sterling Silver Letter Designs is wonderfully unique.

LED Crystal Necklace – If recession in cutting your pockets and you still wish to give your love a dazzling necklace, then go for these LED crystal necklaces that have Led lights inside them. Available in a variety of shapes and sizes it will surely be a delightful gift to make your gal feel on top of the world.

Link 2 Love Pillows – To make her feel romantic and yearn for you even while sleeping, make sure you gift her this pillow set in your bedroom accessories. These sweet and sassy pillows will surely heat up your dreams every night.

LED Halter Dresses – Gifting these are the most unique to let your spouse know what you feel for her. Buy something in red to romanticize the whole ambiance. The tiny fiber LED optics on the dress will make her shine through the evenings thereafter.

Robotic Reading Light – Most of the women love to read, so if your girl is a voracious reader then this is the perfect gift for her. This is portable and is easy to carry wherever the person goes.

Stress Erasers – For every working women this gift will surely be a prized possession. This is a scientifically-proven stress reliever that helps in re-balancing several key systems. All one needs to do is place the thumb on the sensor and then follow the LED display to change the heart rate and breathing pattern.

Colorful MP3 Players – Match with the colour of the dress worn by your damsel with these colorful MP3 players that looks chic and is sure a head turner. Having features like 128-Kbps AAC format, 14,000 iPod-viewable photos, 16-hours of video, Genius feature, Curved aluminum and glass design, the life of your gal will be rocking.

In Home Digital Message Center – Pour out your feelings on this digital message displayer and play cupid with your love. Small yet sweet messages of your love on the display will surely make this valentine very ethereal for her.

Digital Photo Pendant Necklace – If gifting the same boring necklace yet again is out of question, then think again. Here is the pendant necklace that will carry the photos of her dear ones. Available in a heart shape, this one is sure to stay closer to her heart.

USB Fan with LED Light– This 2-in-1 USB gadget helps keep you cool if you’re feelin the heat at work and you get a magic light show at the same time. It comes with a flexible, fully adjustable neck and is totally USB powered so no need for an AC outlet. Available on line for around £5, bit gimmicky but may help zap office boredom.

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Bathroom Faucets- A Selection Guide

2009-02-02T12:45:19Z

Bathroom has always been the most neglected part of a house. But recently the trend has changed and people are now more interested in renovating its look and feel. While renovating a bathroom requires a lot of money and effort, you can contribute your part by selecting the right type of colors, finishes and designs of the accessories. Faucets are important part of bathroom hardware and they play an important role in maintaining and enhancing your bathroom's show.

Types of Faucets in Your Bathroom
One can find different types of faucets in a bathroom itself. Each faucet for a different purpose. A wide range of Basin Faucets in design, color, material and finishes are available in market.

Shower Faucets is one of the important faucets in your bathroom that you would like to give importance.
Another important faucet is the sink faucet. The size of bathroom sink faucets should be chosen according to the size of the sink.
You can't ignore tub faucets as tub covers a large part of the bathroom. The tub faucets should match the color of the tub. You can select one attached to the wall or your tub.
Now-a-days more people have encouraged the usage of sensor faucets in bathroom. They are a bit expensive due to the electronic segments and also require continuous power supply to run.
Apart from above given types there are other as well like bidet faucets.

Faucets Finishes
Faucets designs and sizes are as important as their finishes. Here below we are giving some tips for choosing the different faucets finishes. One finish that goes quite well with traditional and contemporary décor is Bronze. Bronze finishes are effective for rustic look as in a cabin style as well as neutral look as in traditional-style baths. Bronze are available in a variety of shades, Oil-Rubbed Bronze, Brazen Bronze finishes, rich Brushed Bronze, etc.

Hammered Nickel is other finish similar in color to Brushed Nickel. This finish has a rough, hand-hewn feel that co-ordinates well with Craftsman or Mission styles.
Vibrant French Gold has a rich look that gives a dramatic contrast to brilliant white fixtures.
Decorated sinks with gold accents is nicely complemented with this finish and it also goes well with period styles. Such fixtures add a luxurious accent to the bathroom.
Vibrant Polished Brass suits excellently to traditional-style baths and gives an elegant note to the surrounding. This finish adds a rich feel to modern or transitional faucet models.
One of the oldest but most elegant and classic finish is Polished chrome that beautifully coordinates with a range of fixture styles and types of décor. It gives a nostalgic type look or vintage-style like in old times, complementing contemporary styles.
Vibrant Polished Nickel gels nice with contemporary as well as traditional styles. Polished nickel gives a real sophisticated look and elegant touch to your bathroom. It goes quite well elegant furniture too.
Homeowners searching for a bit softness in the bath might go for Brushed Nickel. It provides a warm appearance that gives classic look and gels well with slate or granite backsplashes and countertops. One good reason to go for it is that fingerprints or water spots don’t show as easily on matte finishes as some of the polished finishes.

Faucet finishes are not limited to metals only. Ceramic finishes are quite popular. The white ones are popular in white and a choice of decorative patterns. Black is another finish that can be used to match wrought-iron details or as a neutral. Black gels very well with brightly colored or patterned sinks.

Keep in Mind
Bronze..Chrome..Nickel..Gold..or a combination of metals, which one to select? This has been a guessing question for homeowners. What type of finish will suit best to the décor? Here are some points that you should keep in mind while choosing a faucet finish:

The finish you choose must suit to the style of your fixture, whether it is contemporary, traditional or transitional.
Not only you should think that how the faucet finish will look against the color of your sink or tub. The color patterns of walls and the backsplash look should be kept in mind too. This plays more importance when the faucet is attached to the wall instead of the sink.
Whatever finish you choose, must be complemented with the lighting and accessories. Suppose your bathroom has nickel/silver lighting fixtures, then it would be better to have nickel finish faucets and towel racks.
Faucet is such a thing that you come across daily and often many times in a day. So better to select a color you really like. The ageless appeal of polished chrome and its flexibility in matching with range of design styles, makes it most preferred and desired finish. It is least expensive too.