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Specialty Screw Corporation is one of the top fastener manufacturers in the nation. Located in Rockford, IL, they recently upgraded its part cleaning operations by adding a new parts washer utilizing Ransohoff's latest cleaning technology, PRO-CLEAN DRUM ^TM.

This includes the aqueous alkaline continuous part cleaning and additional stages for rinsing and rust inhibiting. An additional oil decanting system for removing oils from the cleaning solution is also included. The result was that all parts were cleaner, processed faster, and reduced downtime.

Aqueous cleaning effectively removes heading and secondary oils from our fastener blanks making feeding and assembly of parts much more efficient. As part of Specialty Screw's continuous improvement in the area of energy conservation, plans are being implemented for solar thermal heating of the 240 gallon rinse tank. The payback for the solar installation will be accelerated by trading equivalent carbon credits.

The reaction so far by employees of Specialty Screw Corporation has been very positive. The automatic tank filling option allows for much easier monitoring during the day. The larger drum size has allowed the throughput of fasteners cleaned to double. The new technology and tank auto filing will help reduce downtime.

Located in the Midwest and Chicago Land Area, Specialty Screw Corporation is a Rockford Illinois Fastener Manufacturer of: Automotive Screws, Automotive Fasteners, Automotive Bolts, Ball Studs, Collar Studs, Collar Bolts, Double End Studs, Bolts, Metric Bolts, Stainless Steel Bolts, Cold Headed Fasteners, Engineered Components, Fasteners, Precision Fasteners, Special Fasteners, Special Cold Heading, Special Cold Forming, Metric Fasteners, Special Pins, Special Rivets, and Synergistic Assemblies.

Markets served include the Automotive, Electrical, Recreational, Hardware, Outdoor Power Equipment, Lawn & Garden, Distribution, Hand Tools and Molded rubber products, Molded plastic products, Commercial and Construction hardware. Specialty Screw Corporation is also licensed to manufacture MAThread® and MATpoint®.

Feel free to visit http://www.SpecialtyScrew.com for more information.

Introduction

The definition of the word ‘demolish' is deliberate and controlled collapse of a structure. In the late 1970's Fred Dibnah became the most famous steeplejack in Britain when his work on demolishing tall chimneys without the need for explosives was shown on Television.

Fred was an authority on repairing tall chimneys, so when it came to taking them down he knew just how to do it. He would cut an alcove at the base of the chimney, and then place wooden props to support the structure. By carefully positioning the props, the chimney would collapse in the right direction when the wood was set alight and burned away. Once he was nearly crushed when he miscalculated demonstrating how dangerous demolition work is.

The actual word to demolish only came into being in 1570, and was used after that to mean the deliberate taking down or destroying of a building or structure. Although in fact the process of demolition in some form or other has been occurring for thousands of years.

Buildings have been destroyed either by natural disturbances of the Earth's crust or during battles or attacks on communities for as long as there have been structures. The remaining ruins would be removed and rebuilt or used for other buildings nearby and must be the first examples of recycling.

Preserving the past - preparing the future.

To preserve Britain's history of agriculture the land between built up areas of the villages and towns is protected from development of urban sprawl. This land is known as Green Belt and is preserved for farming which is vital to the continuing economy of the country. By containing the Green Belt, urban areas are squeezed to provide housing, so developers have to be more creative to find suitable sites.

Britain is a country with a very dense population per square mile. The amount of land available for building is limited compared to other countries. Therefore there is always a high demand for space on which to build. Taking down old and unused buildings and replacing them with new is one way to counteract this shortage.

Land that may be disused industrial and commercial sites, but could be contaminated with hazardous waste or pollution, are called Brownfield sites. Once the land has been cleaned up they are potentially valuable for redevelopment. Both Glasgow and South Wales created gardens out of old industrial sites and put in Shopping centres to attract visitors.

Greyfield sites are distinct from Brownfield sites in that they do not have the environmental concerns of toxic waste. The term greyfield comes from the large areas of asphalt which had once been car parks of commercial urban properties. Their value is in the fact that the infrastructure such as roads, electricity, water, sewage, and gas is already in place.

These urban areas are underutilised or abandoned and are valuable because require very little remedial work to be exploited. Cities such as Leeds and Manchester have had a massive programme of converting the old warehouses or factories into apartments, shops and restaurants, retaining the original shell and refurbishing the interior into modern accommodation.

The Demolition process

A skilled demolition contractor will have taken careful consideration of the points below.

• The construction and size of the building.
• What items are valuable for re-use?
• How will the old site be re-used?
• How is the waste to be disposed of?
• Electricity water, sewage and gas mains.

Hydraulic excavators and bulldozers can be used to undermine the walls at the base, so that the structure will topple; at the same time controlling the manner and direction of the fall. Safety issues are paramount, and clean-up strategies are also taken into account when deciding how the building will be demolished.

Traditional Demolition

Once all the services were disconnected, the men and machinery would go in and just knock down the walls. The whole structure would collapse and the resulting wreckage would be piled onto lorries and disposed of in landfill sites. Concrete foundation would be broken up by pneumatic drills and the site would be cleared of rubbish. However today demolition practices are subject to strict planning, safety and monitoring regulations and are highly controlled by the local authority.

Deconstruction and Recycling

The new approach to demolishing buildings is known as deconstruction - a green approach. Landfill sites are in short supply so the aim when demolishing a building is to diminish the amount of waste remaining.

Small structures such as two or three storey houses can be dismantled quite easily. The work may be a painstaking task of dismantling by hand - brick by brick - or beam by beam but by going carefully valuable materials are preserved for re-use.

The value of deconstruction is that 90% or more of waste is saved from going into landfill sites and reclaimed materials can be re-used and recycled for future buildings. The farmer opposite my house sold his barns in the farm yard for housing; when the builder demolished the barns he cleaned up the bricks and reused them for the wall around the farmhouse thus retaining the character of the farm.

Modern techniques and machinery allows demolition companies to efficiently segregate waste types on or off-site. Construction materials are recycled and re-used whenever possible in the new structure making significant savings in project costs as well as being good for the environment.

Concrete can now be rapidly broken up with a new machine called a guillotine.The creation of 6f2 recycled material can be done on site from the bricks of the now demolished building. This creates an ideal sub-base for foundation of a new building and avoids removal of the waste to landfill.

Copper pipes, lead, roof tiles or slates, floor tiles, wiring and doors, and wood panelling are valuable artifacts that are saved for recycling and re-use. Many specialist firms sell reclaimed old or antique building items in most towns and cities.

Tall Buildings

Tower blocks and chimneys are the type of tall buildings that may need to be demolished. The demolition of tall buildings necessitates skilled techniques. The tallest building to be demolished lawfully was in 1967/8 of the Singer Building in New York. The collapse of the World Trade Centre after the 9/11 attack in 2001 shows the terrible devastation that occurs if the demolition is uncontrolled and haphazard.

In the demolishing of tall buildings and large structures a wrecking ball on a crane can be used, but is rarely practiced because the swinging ball is rather uncontrollable. The proximity of other buildings is a determining factor which prevents the use of explosives to implode a tall structure. So ‘High Reach' demolition excavators are used where other methods are not appropriate to demolish the top part of a tall building.

Once it is down to a manageable height demolition can continue in the usual way. The various methods of demolishing tall buildings are by implosion using explosives, controlled collapse and piecemeal. To control the dust produced in demolition, water hoses and spray equipment are sometimes used and then it is called a wet demolition.

Explosions

The use of explosives in demolition is very specialist work and getting it wrong would be devastating. If for instance there is atmospheric pressure from low cloud above the implosion site, the shockwave may spread outwards instead of upwards causing the wave of energy and sound to break windows. If an implosion is not prepared correctly the danger may be damage to surrounding buildings where flying debris may cause injury to spectators.

For many people when they think about demolition they may have in mind the use of explosives in the dramatic collapse of a tall building. This process is actually called implosion using explosives. Implosion is essential for dense urban areas as it brings down a tall building so that the surrounding environment is damaged as little as possible. The collapse takes only seconds for the building to crash into its own footprint.

Because of the risks of working with explosives they will only be used when other methods are too costly or impractical. Where there is a partial collapse of a building and there are still primed explosives that failed to go off, workers are in great danger because the remaining structure is highly unstable. At the same time the demolition has to continue to secure the safety of the site.

Health and Safety

The work of demolition is a much more technical and complicated process than most people would appreciate. The job is highly dangerous and requires experienced and skilled operators to carry out the work. It is essential that personnel working in the industry are thoroughly trained.

Health and safety awareness is crucial in demolition services so it is advisable for operatives to have gained a Certificate of Competence in Demolition to ensure safety for both workers and public alike. All demolition work is regulated by the Construction, Design and Management Regulations.

Sequence of Demolition

An incorrect sequence of dismantling will result in premature collapse of a building because the stability of any structure is reliant on the interdependence of its component parts. Think of a house of cards and what happens if one of the supporting cards is removed.

There is a strict sequence of events before any demolition can take place. Councils throughout the country will have their own specific list for planning approval in their area, but a typical order would be as follows:-

• Provision of Information
Information must be provided about the construction of the structure to be demolished. Details of its previous use and the appropriate demolition methods to be used, including disposal of hazardous substances, have to be submitted by the demolition company.

• Survey of Demolition
A thorough survey of the site to identify any structural problems, as well as risks associated with hazardous or flammable substances, will need to be discussed in detail with the authorities. (E.g. A disused garage where petrol has been stored is a potential fire hazard so preventative measures will need to be taken).

• Preferred and Safe Method of Work
A reputable demolition company will be able to select the appropriate method of disposal showing the outline dismantling process. Planning is essential for vigilant monitoring. The authorities will require a detailed statement of the safety procedures to used, and all parties involved need to agree the methods before any demolition can take place.

• Preparation and Planning
Issues such as asbestos abatement, rodent baiting, dealing with hazardous substances, disconnecting utilities, and making safe any electric, gas or other services have to be shown in the planning stage. There is a lot of preparation to be done before even starting work on demolishing the building itself.

• Protection of the Public
Safety cannot be compromised so where there are heavily populated areas around the demolition site the protection of the public is paramount. Any health hazards will need to be assessed and temporary services arranged, and people inconvenienced will have to be informed.

A Nottingham demolition project, or project in almost any town council district will require a similar process to be adhered to in order to approve permission for demolition.

Conclusion

The aim in demolition is to eliminate an unwanted house as safely and quickly as possible and in our modern environment efforts are made to recycle or re-use most of the old material. This is not a new idea although the word itself is relatively modern. On the borders between England and Scotland after the Romans left, a large part of Hadrian's Wall was hauled away and use was made of the beautifully dressed stone to construct the new buildings in the towns and villages nearby and some are still standing today.

Demolition work by its nature is a very dangerous business and demolishing any building is a complex and skilled process. Next time you see demolition work occurring on a building give a thought to the people who work in a dangerous situation daily and how much is involved in the meticulous planning, regulations compliance, care and skill that goes on to carrying out the project to clear the way for our future.

Maybe you have a relative with whom you wish to share your house and want to offer them the privacy of a self contained granny flat? Annexes and granny flats can afford more independence for relatives than living in the principle dwelling.

The humble granny home, actually, is part of a tradition that stretches back more than a hundred years, to a time when widows used carriage houses to supplement their income, couples passed the summer in them and let out the main house to tourists, and bachelors, young couples and workers regarded them as cost-effective places to live within easy walking distance of work.

While the trend is to move away from more traditional brick and tile home building, designers in Australia are exploring new construction methods that will take full advantage of innovative, new materials which are being introduced into the manufactured housing market.

Actually, if you think about it, the building methods developed for kit homes make increasing sense, when you consider the soaring costs of onsite building, the extra expense of complying with occupational health and safety regulations, and the demands of making sure new building work is sustainable and environementally friendly.

There are many Australian companies who offer a choice of manufactured homes to appeal to every taste and budget. They offer a choice of floor-plans so you are certain to find one that's just perfect for your requirements. They are also able to customise a floor-plan to conform with any special needs. You also have a choice of exterior looks to select from.

So, whether you need a granny flat to be added to an existing house plot, or a sea-side home, or a lakeside cabin, it's good to know there are cost-effective solutions to be found.

Kit homes have many applications - they are perfect for granny flats, military accommodation, miners' accommodation, teenagers' retreats, lakeside cabins - anywhere where a piece of suitable land is available.

Everyone likes to save money by performing do it yourself projects. Hiring an electrician to come and do a task for you can be very costly, so a lot of people attempt to do their own electrical work.

Any major wiring projects should always be done by a professional, but there are a few minor projects a handyman can do for you or if you consider yourself to be handy you may do some minor electrical DIY.

Even though they’re minor tasks, there’s still danger of electrical shock involved with them and sometimes it's just better to leave things of this nature to the professionals.  While getting shocked is a prime concern with electrical projects, an electrical fire can also be involved if you don’t take special precautions to protect yourself and your home.

Here are some tips on how to stay safe the next time you work around wiring:

• CUT OFF POWER: Go to your fuse box and either remove the appropriate fuse or flip the right switch to cut the power off completely.
• LET PEOPLE KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING: Alert anyone in the house what you’re planning to do (and keep children away from the work in progress).  It would also be a good idea to place tape over the circuit switch in case someone else comes along who doesn’t know what’s going and tried to turn the circuit back on.
• WORK SLOWLY: Take your time doing the work. You should be free from any distractions. There’s no room for mistakes, so don’t try to hurry through the project just to get it done.
• LADDERS: Use a fiberglass ladder if you need one because they’re non-conductive ladders and will absorb any electric shocks that may come through. Wear heavy rubber soled shoes as well to help absorb as much of the electric shock as possible should one occur.
• POWER TESTERS: All electrians and handyman use a power tester to test the wires before working on them. Make sure there’s no power going through the wire. It’s possible that you could have hit the wrong switch on the fuse box, so take that extra precaution and test the wire before working on it.
• KNOW YOUR LIMITS: Make sure you know what you’re doing before you do it. Taping the wrong wires together can result in a major electrical fire when the electricity is turned back on. Even a good handyman will not do a lot of electrical work.

You can save quite a bit of money by doing some of your own minor electrical work, but don’t take these tasks too lightly. If you worry that you’ve gotten in over your head, call in a professional and don’t risk your life or your home.

There are good reasons why most tradesmen like electrians are in an appreticeship for 4-5 years, this stuff is not easy and very dangerous.

Metal roofing is growing exponentially especially in places like Michigan. Greater numbers of folks are concerned about saving on monthly utility expenses and being more ecologically responsible.

Were you aware that you can save up to 20 percent on your energy bill? These new metal panels reflect the sun rays instead of absorbing it, and few home insurance companies have also started offering discount on policies for homes with metal roofing.

Much of the material is made from recycled material, making this product more environmentally sound. When it's time for a new roof your old one can be recycled instead of being dumped into an already overfilled landfill.

You aren't just making a smart long-range investment in your house, you are also increasing its eye-appeal.

Check with a company that installs metal roofing in Michigan to find out the different colors and faux finishes they offer.  Some people are concerned with the durability of the product and you'll be glad to know today's metal panels are much stronger than they were previously and are strong enough to bend to fit your unique roof style.

Weather also will not damage your roof since strong hail will not put a single dent in your beautiful roof.

Metal roof s have a life expectancy of 20 to 50 years which outlasts standard roofing nearly 3 to 1. The idea of not spending an amount of money is good and having a good roof in the future. You can install if over your existing roof which will save you money.

With the rapid increase in house prices throughout Australia, buying a home of your own is getting increasingly difficult for the majority of families. Cabins and cottages provide a great low cost entry point to home ownership for less than the cost of rental in many cases.

For first home buyers struggling to save a deposit to buy a house there are significant benefits in buying a cabin or cottage to get a foot in the real estate market. Obviously the major benefit is the less money borrowed, the less has to be paid back. A second benefit relates to timing. In a rising market, the sooner you buy, the sooner you start to realise capital gains - and you no longer have to worry about getting priced out of the market.

Starting off small with a cabin or cottage means you won't be a slave of the banks and variable interest rates for the next 20 or 30 years. Having a cheaper property that can be paid off quickly makes it easy to get out of debt and obtain financial freedom.

Pensioners and retirees often no longer need a large house and can live comfortably in a small relocatable house. In some cases they could set up a small transportable house in their back yard and rent out the main house as a source of income.

Transportable and relocatable homes have opened up lots of options for home buyers and investors. Farmers and holiday makers have been using transportable buildings for years but now others are beginning to see the potential.

Cabins make the perfect granny flat, backyard studio, or teenagers retreat if you have the room in your backyard. A portable cabin or cottage is usually much cheaper than adding to an existing structure, and has the advantage that it can be sold off when no longer required. Teens and their associated noise can be housed in their own cabin retreat away from mum and dad and younger children.

Working at home is becoming very popular with owners of Internet based businesses and in this situation a cheap cabin makes the perfect backyard getaway where work can be conducted away from distractions in privacy and peace. Likewise, artists seeking space to leave their gear set up can have a cabin studio set up in their back yard.

It doesn't matter if you don't have driveway access to your rear yard for installing a granny flat or studio because they can be lifted into position by crane, over your house roof if necessary.

In my town there is a plant that makes modular homes.

I've been trying to get in for an open house for years, but always seem to miss the notice about it in our local paper. My husband even worked there for a few years and I've never seen their particular models of homes. Of course I have seen others at various farm shows, fairs, and trade shows, but never the one in my hometown. Crazy.

I am shocked by the ones I have seen. They're actually quite beautiful. There's sometimes a stigma against them, as if they'd be built poorly or have low quality items inside. Actually, they have pretty ingenious floor plans for modular homes and some really cool features, better things than I have in my own home.

Their kitchens are truly remarkable, the master bath suite area is phenomenal, and with so many different layouts to pick it's really hard to get the wrong one.

It's kind of cool to have your house built inside. Just think of those little nooks and crannies that are never exposed to the elements. The people who build modular homes are skilled at what they do and the materials used are top quality.

When you order one you need to have a lot purchased for where you intend to place it. You'll need to pour the foundation (or put in a basement) and then they'll come out and setup the rest of the house for you.

You write one big check (or the bank does) and move in. Simple. Who ever thought you could buy a house like you were shopping in a catalog? Oh ya, sears had been doing it for years. I guess this is a spin off of that.

There are many different types of fasteners that are available. So, what are the criteria that you should focus on when looking for the right fastener manufacturer for your specific product demands?

First of all, you need to know that there are a wide range of fastener varieties to choose from, which includes screws, bolts, rivets, double end studs, etc... to name a few.

Fasteners are made of various types of materials and this is due to the nature of how they are used. You need specific materials for every different fastener. Stainless steel has always been the first choice for the manufacturing of fasteners. Some say that it is due to its ability to stand against the cosmetic corrosion, and also due to its nature that is much less magnetic compared to regular steel fasteners.

For your fast reference, there are many types of materials that can be chosen. It could be platinum, common steel, plastic or any other materials for custom made fasteners depending on their purpose.

One important aspect that you need to put into consideration before ordering your fasteners is to find out what technology is in place to manufacture it.

Implementing cold form technology allows fastener manufacturers to produce higher quality fasteners while keeping the production cost low. This technology also enables fastener manufacturers to provide fasteners with greater strength, reliability, and durability. It could also help to reduce the waste of raw materials compared to screw machining.

Another advantage would be that cold form technology enables engineers to prepare complicated fastener design and shapes in a single operation thus saving time and production cost.

Specialty Screw Corporation would be happy to help you with any questions regarding you fastener concerns. Please feel free to visit our site at http://www.SpecialtyScrew.com

Specialty Screw Corporation located in Rockford Illinois is a manufacturer of Ball Studs, Cold Headed Fasteners, Cold Headed Products, Cold Headed Special Fasteners, Collar Studs, Collar Bolts, Automotive Screws, Automotive Fasteners, Metric Fasteners, Special Automotive Fasteners, Bolts, Special Bolts, Engineered Fasteners, Special Cold Forming, Special Cold Heading, Special Fasteners, Special Pins, Special Rivets, Tapped Valves, Double End Studs, and Synergistic Assemblies.

Markets served include the Automotive, Electrical, Recreational, Hardware, Outdoor Power Equipment, Lawn & Garden, Distribution, Hand Tools and Molded rubber/plastic products industries. Specialty Screw Corporation is also licensed to manufacture MAThread® and MATpoint®.

MAThread® and MATpoint® are patented thread designs.
MAThread and MATpoint are registered trademarks of MAThread Inc.

During recent maintenance work on the chiller plant room at a large server room in the centre of London, things started to go wrong and temperatures started rising fast!

The maintenance contractor was faced with overheating servers and potential failure due to the unexpected problems.

The maintenance work was started due to an ongoing problem where several air conditioning compressors had failed; however things really started to heat up when further failures were experienced. All Seasons Hire rushed to site and things were cooled down fast when they installed 20 water cooled 22000btu portable air conditioning pack units.

Commercial Director Andy Hamilton stated “the project had gone unexpectedly wrong due to the failure of the fixed chiller units. However we were able to get to site very fast and within 2 hours we had stabilized the server room temperatures. We would normally have installed a portable chiller unit connected to air handling units but there were time and space constraints on site and so we decided to use our water cooled pack units.

They are perfect for server room applications, they are water cooled split units capable of delivering 22000btu of cooling and the heat exchanger can be placed as far as 30mtrs from the indoor air conditioning unit”.

All Seasons Hire deliver a wide rang of portable air conditioning and heating solutions; their hire fleet consists of portable air conditioning units from 4kW to 10kW, portable chillers ranging from 20kw to 550kW, air handling units, portable heaters and a wide range of portable electric, oil and gas fired boilers from 22kW to 550kW.