Everything You Need to Know About Mud Tanks

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Mud tanks are an integral part of oil rigs. While these storage tanks are often overlooked, they have several essential functions.

However, what exactly is a mud tank? Read on to find out.

What Are Mud Tanks?

A mud tank is a sizable storage container, typically with an open top. In the past, people called it a mud pit because it used to be just a pit dug out of the earth. It’s used to hold drilling mud.

Mud tanks are constructed from welded-up steel plates and tubes. The bottom of the tank can either be square or cone-shaped. A tank can have several compartments.

For safety reasons, a catwalk with guard rails may be installed at the top of the container. This allows workers to inspect the drilling fluid without the danger of falling into it.

The Role of Mud

Drilling generates much heat from friction. Even small hand-held drills produce a lot of friction heat.

Now imagine a drill many times larger and spinning with more power digging through the earth. This is the case when drilling boreholes for oil and gas extraction or core sampling. The friction generated can cause severe damage to drilling equipment.

This is where drilling mud or drilling fluid serves a critical function. It acts as a lubricant to reduce friction and heat produced by drilling. It protects the drill and the hole formation from damage.

Another role of mud is to act as a carrier for materials that you’re trying to dig up. The materials are suspended in the mud, carried to the surface, and subsequently filtered out.

Drilling mud requires a special formulation taking into consideration factors such as viscosity and density. In fact, you’ll need the expertise of a mud engineer to determine the type of drilling mud suitable for your rig.

Active and Reserve

A mud tank is classified as either active or reserve. You can find many tanks in one oil rig. While the rig doesn’t use all the tanks at once, it does use several.

An active tank holds the mud that circulates during drilling. The number of active tanks depends on the volume of mud required to keep the hole full. It’s also vital that the amount of mud is sufficient for proper circulation.

An active tank can have different compartments with different roles. For example, the suction tank is where the pump picks up the mud that is used for the hole. The active tank can also have a chemical tank for mixing different chemicals and additives.

The reserve mud tank is not a part of the drilling process, but it has some critical functions. It can store excess mud and sometimes heavy mud for emergencies.

Crew members also use the reserve tank for mixing different types of mud.

Keep on Tanking

Every part of an oil rig is essential. Mud tanks are no exception; they are needed to make your oil rig run like clockwork.

Are you in the market for tanks and other oil rig equipment? Kor-Pak can provide you with quality parts such as brakes, friction materials, and hydraulic power units. Be sure to contact us.

5 Oil Rig Work Safety Tips

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The rate of fatality in the oil and gas industry is seven times higher than for employees in any other employment sector. That’s why safety is a huge issue in the field. 

Since the oil and gas boom from 2003 to 2013, oil and gas companies have made significant strides in improving workplace safety. Automated technologies and land transportation safety policies have helped decrease fatality rates across the board. 

Regardless of these improvements, oil and gas extraction is a dangerous profession. Check out these work safety tips to remain safe on the job.

1. Choose a Safety Program

Employees on a rig need to work together. When choosing a safety program, choose one that emphasizes camaraderie. One employee’s negligence can lead to another employee’s injury or death.

With a safety program that emphasizes open communication, trust, and respect, employees are more likely to help and protect one another daily. This reduces the risk of death or injury. 

2. Local Emergency Response Resources

Employers and employees alike should know how to contact the local emergency response services should an emergency arise. 

Beyond calling the responders, employers can reach out to these services before an emergency occurs. Responders can visit the job site and be made aware of potential hazards.

Safety emergencies on an oil rig can be detrimental to the local population, and local emergency responders should be interested in helping keep everyone safe.

3. Wear the Right Gear

All employees should know the proper gear they need to wear daily. Supervisors should monitor employees to make sure they comply with these safety regulations.

Things like protective goggles, respiratory protection, facial protection, and gloves help prevent workplace injury or death on an oil rig. 

4. Regular Maintenance

Many workplace mishaps can be attributed to failure to maintain equipment. Accidents and injuries resulting from improper handling or maintenance of energized or mechanical equipment can be decreased through proper training as well as regular checkups and maintenance.

Some laws establish how often heavy machinery needs to be inspected and maintained. Failure to do so can lead to fines. If an employee is injured or killed as a result, the company may be found liable for damages in court.

5. Keep Areas Clean

Keep floors, equipment, and work areas clean and free of loose items to prevent trips, falls, and struck-by hazards. Supply spill kits and post clear signage for other emergency and safety equipment so that workers can address hazards quickly.

More Work Safety Tips

These work safety tips are essential to the integrity of the oil and gas extraction industry. These are essential jobs that help society function, and thus, employees need to be protected. 

If you’re worried about safety procedures on your job site, bring these concerns and work safety tips to your supervisor.

 

Making the Switch to Green: Pros and Cons of Wind Energy

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In a world that’s quickly running out of natural resources, it’s only logical that we start looking at other options. Many green movements exist to limit pollution, save energy, and most importantly, find ways of creating renewable green energy. 

However, there’s much debate between green energy movements. Some even suggest they’re a bad idea. 

For example, there are both pros and cons of wind energy. Let’s take a look and them, and you can decide where you stand.

Pros and Cons of Wind Energy

The pros and cons of wind energy vary greatly depending on who you ask. We’re going to give you a non-biased look at both sides of the debate.

Pros

Wind turbines are the definition of “green energy.” The wind is a free and non-depleting natural resource. Therefore, no matter how much energy we get from wind turbines, there’s always more right around the corner.

Wind turbines, unlike solar panels, can also run day and night. They also aren’t affected by cloudy and rainy days.

Wind turbines don’t use much land, nor do they use any fuel.

For landowners who decide to put turbines on their property, there are several advantages. First, there are significant tax benefits for those who allow wind turbines to be placed on their land. 

Additionally, wind turbines don’t take up much space. This allows ranchers and framers who opt to have them on their property the freedom to continue growing crops, raising livestock, etc.

Wind turbines produce carbon-free energy. Aside from the processes of being created and installed, wind turbines are entirely green. It takes roughly nine months of operation for the energy cost and generation to break even. Then, it’s all green energy.

Finally, wind turbines are incredibly efficient. Once installed, the average wind turbine created six million kilowatts in a year. For reference, that’s enough free energy to run, 1,500 typical households.

Cons

The pros and cons of wind energy wouldn’t be complete with the latter. There are understandable reasons why some people think wind energy isn’t worth it.

First, some don’t appreciate the appearance of wind turbines. While it may seem like a silly reason not to put forward the effort to save energy, it’s very important to some.

Additionally, some wind turbines are noisy and can cause vibration. Modern turbines are less noisy than those of the past, but for some people, it’s a deal-breaker.

In some places, wind turbines may also affect wildlife, primarily birds and bats. Continued research and monitoring systems are needed for each wind facility to determine the potential impact and ways to deal with it.

Finally, wind turbines operate off of the wind. If there’s no wind, there’s no power being generated. However, this is why most wind turbines are installed in notoriously and consistently windy locations.

Wind Options

Now that you know the pros and cons of wind energy, you can form your own opinion on wind turbines. 

For those who are on board or already operating wind turbines, consider us a solid resource for parts and pieces.

Crane Wheels 101: Guide on How to Pick The Best

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When you have any crane in operation, you need to make sure that all parts are operating at their full capacity.

That includes the crane wheels. If your crane wheels show signs of flange wear or breakage, they need to be replaced. How can you tell what crane wheels are the best to buy?

Read on to find out.

1. Manufacturing Specs

The first place to start is with your crane’s manufacturer. They will have specs available as to what you need to replace the wheels. For example, Demag Cranes have a wheel range for their cranes.

Buying crane wheels outside of the specs could result in damage to the crane, or worse, accidents or injuries.

2. Operating Conditions

Your crane wheels not only need to meet the specs of the manufacturer, but they also need to meet the load and operating conditions of your business.

You want to make sure that the crane wheels will be able to withstand the load. If the wheels are overloaded, you’ll have to replace them much faster.

3. Order Fulfillment

For many crane wheel orders, there are unique customizations. There are also instances where you need crane wheel replacements in a hurry.

You want to make sure that the order can be fulfilled quickly. We have a large inventory and can handle these circumstances.

Prevent Crane Wheel Damage

When you do order and replace your crane wheels, you want to make sure that you maintain them and use them properly to extend the life of the wheels and minimize damage to your crane. 

Much like you’d rotate or replace the wheels of your car in pairs, the same principle applies to crane wheels. When you replace your crane wheels, you should replace them in pairs. That’s the case even if only one wheel has damage and needs to be replaced.

That can be due to a misaligned crane wheel or load imbalance Replacing two wheels at the same time will ensure that the crane wheels will be aligned properly. That will extend the life of the wheels and minimize other damage to your crane.

If you’re replacing your crane wheels due to cracked wheel flanges, it could be a sign of a misalignment issue. You want to make sure that your crane is inspected as you replace the crane wheels. This will prevent you from having to replace the wheels a short time later.

How to Pick the Best Crane Wheels

Your business largely depends on cranes operating at full capacity. Every part has to be in top shape to withstand the loads and working conditions.

When your crane wheels need to be replaced, it’s important to remember that your wheels should be following your manufacturer specs and be able to withstand the loads and conditions that you’ll put them under.

Are you ready to order crane wheels? Start by contacting us today to find out more about crane wheels.

 

 

The Top 3 Best Crane Runway Products

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Because of stiff competition in the market and rapid changes in technology, many companies across different industries have had to boost their production speeds through the use of overhead cranes, popularly known as bridge cranes. Bridge cranes assist in the transport of loads from one place to another over short distances. If you own a bridge crane, then you are familiar with the importance of equipping your machine with state of the art crane runway products that work to make your crane runway system a lot more efficient.

Here are three of the best crane runway products that you might need to add on to your machine if you want to bolster your business operations.

Crane Rails

Crane rails rank highly among the top crane runway products to add to your machine and are essential for loading heavy loads on to a railroad, especially where freight handling is involved. They are mainly used in shipyards, ports, and warehouses.

Crane rails are made of hardened steel, and the steel determines how the amount in weight the machine is capable of bearing. They vary across different types in diverse sizes and strengths such as special crane rails or the ordinary crane rails. Cranes that function from the ground use ordinary crane rails while overhead cranes tend to use special crane rails.

Crane Runway Beam

Crane runway beams are an integral part of any bridge crane. The crane runway beam component of a bridge crane may be either an I-section or a rolled I-section which is essential for the transport of horizontal loads. However, they can be used in suspended cranes functioning without a rail.

Crane rails are placed above the runway beams with the rail wheels moving right above the beams. The weight of the load that crane runway beams can bear is determined by various factors such as the weight of the hoist load, the weight of the crane, and the acceleration of the crane bridge. Due to its delicate functions and necessity, it is imperative that you look out for the best runway beams when conducting your crane runway search.

Crane Wheels

Bridge crane wheels are probably the most critical components of all runway products for cranes. They are made to carry hefty loads and to perform this function; the crane wheels are designed and manufactured from various steel alloys. Carbon and steel alloys are popular because the raw materials are available and cost friendly.

Various crane wheels are depending on the function required such as the non-flange crane wheels, the double flange crane wheels, and the single flange crane wheels. These wheels vary in durability depending on the hardness of the alloy, so they are quite vulnerable. The harder the crane wheel, the better it is at its functions.

Need Crane Runway Products? Start Here!

If you have been trying to find crane runway products, then look no further. Installing crane runway products is an investment not only on the efficiency of your business but on your employees as well. Feel free to contact us today so we can get you started!

Crane Modernization Upgrades: When Is It Time?

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When you make a significant investment in equipment like an overhead crane, you know that investment will last for years and pay off dividends.

Like with any machinery, technology evolves, and new features appear on newer cranes. Does that mean that you have to get a brand new crane? No, but you can upgrade or modernize your crane for far less money.

Keep reading to find out if it’s time for your company to upgrade your overhead crane.

1. Wear and Tear of Crane Components

Over time, the components of an overhead crane will experience wear and tear. Pads will get worn down, and ropes can start to fray.

For older cranes, you have to take into account lost time and production to have the crane out of service. You would be better off modernizing the crane, rather than have it out of service frequently for repairs.

2. Issues Discovered During Inspection

During daily or periodic overhead crane inspections, problems may appear. If there were issues discovered during the inspection, they need to be addressed before you put the crane back into service.

That could require part replacement or upgrade.

3. Change in Operations

Your business may be experiencing a change in operations, which means that your lifting requirements have changed, too.

For example, a crane may need to make more lifts each shift, or you need to lift different types of materials than before. These changes could impact the load factor of the crane and cause more wear and tear on parts.

You want to make sure that your overhead crane is upgraded to meet the needs of your changing business operations.

4. Replacement Parts May Be Discontinued

As cranes get older and manufacturers release newer overhead crane models with updated features, your crane may no longer be supported.

Manufacturers may stop making replacement parts for older cranes, choosing to focus on their current line of cranes.

In this case, you’ll want to upgrade your crane and stock up on replacement parts.

5. Make Safety Improvements

Safety is always a priority for your business and your workers. It may be time to perform an upgrade to meet changing safety standards.

Since the technology of cranes is improving, safety standards of various industry organizations like ASME change as well. You can upgrade your overhead crane to meet these changes.

Upgrade Your Overhead Crane

An overhead crane can be challenging to maintain, especially as it gets older. Crane technologies change, and new features are added all the time.

The ways you can tell if an overhead crane needs an upgrade is if there is wear and tear of the components, replacement parts are being phased out, or if you want to improve the safety of the crane.

Would you like to know more about overhead crane parts to upgrade your crane? Contact our sales team today.

The Impact of Factory Safety and Why It’s Important

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According to the Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA), the top causes of workplace injury come from a failure in the following areas: 

  1. Machine Guarding,
  2. Lock Out/Tag Out,
  3. Hazardous Communication,
  4. Respiratory Protection,
  5. Electrical,
  6. Powered Industrial Trucks,
  7. Personal Protective Equipment, including Occupational Noise Exposure,
  8. Working and Walking Surfaces,
  9. Process Safety Management.

Workplace injuries cost companies approximately 1,100 per employed worker with total costs to companies estimated at 161.5 billion in 2017. These costs do not include OSHA fines or impact on company morale.

Read on to learn more about why factory safety is so important.

Impact of Factory Safety

Failing to focus on factory safety can be costly, in both dollars and lives. The majority of the time, it is as simple as failing to follow the safety standards for your industry.

For example, some companies believe that they can avoid costs by not inspecting their overhead cranes. The cost of the yearly inspection, end of life inspection, and critical component inspection is small compared to the cost of OSHA fines and medical expenses due to injuries or death.

Servicing companies provide these services in a manner that keeps you OSHA compliant while not breaking your budget. 

Negative Press and Damage to the Brand

On top of fines and medical expenses. Press releases from OSHA and news reports from family members can cause significant damage to your companies reputation. 

This content is often published in online sources and is easily found by current and potential customers. You can rest assured that competitors will exploit this content for an increase in market share.  

Increased Costs in Insurance and Administrative Time

Injuries to employees, especially those that are the result of negligence, will increase your worker’s compensation and medical insurance costs. 

If you fail to follow industry safety standards, it will cost your company money from increased labor time. You’ll have to divert staff to investigate the situation, bring in attorneys to defend your actions, and you may need to hire additional workers if injuries do occur. 

Emotional Toll

When injuries occur, it will take a toll on your other employees. You may see an increase in resignations, increased expenses in hiring, and loss in productivity.

Introducing a workplace safety program increases job satisfaction and production. Failing to follow safety standards does the opposite.

Often, the effects on your business linker for years, mainly if failure to follow safety standards results in significant injury or loss of life.  

Are You Ready to Get Serious about Work Place Safety?

If you use overhead cranes in your factory or job site and are serious about factory safety, contact us. Our team can help you maintain OSHA compliance and effectively address deficiencies before an industrial accident.

The Top 5 Industrial Couplings Providers Represented By Korpak

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Drive train applications are stressful to manage. Thanks to the introduction of industrial couplings, optimal use of equipment is possible. With a variety of the industrial couplings, it gets confusing on which type of coupling to choose.

You need to do a careful selection, installation, and maintenance of your industrial couplings. The strategy helps you cut costs and downtime. Kor-pak distributes high-quality industrial couplings.

Partnership with competent and authentic distributors makes it possible.

Read this article to identify the top 5 coupling providers represented by Kor-pak.

1. TB Woods

TB Woods is a global leader in industrial couplings design and manufacturing. The company’s operations in the industry last since 1857.

With all these years producing industrial couplings, what are your expectations? Top-notch and quality couplings. You’re not wrong. The couplings features outshine other competitors.

  • High torque ratings
  • Longer life
  • Better value
  • Interchangeable
  • Atex compliant

TB Woods provides a wide range of couplings. This includes Sure-flex plus, Form-Flex, G-Flex, L-Jaw, and Dura-Flex, among others.

2. DESCH Flexible Couplings

This coupling provider offers complete solutions for every industry. The company is a technology-centric. It ensures high innovative products are in the market.

Are you wondering what type of couplings the company provides?

  • Flexible couplings
  • Rigid coupling
  • Gear couplings

Desch offers you economical and torsionally high-quality couplings. Cost is a crucial concern for many. With Desch, you get affordable and long-lasting industrial couplings.

3. Stromag Couplings

Stromag’s popularity trends at a global scale. The company is famous for developing and manufacture of innovative power transmission components.

If you’re looking for the latest design technologies and energy-efficient industrial couplings, Stromag got you.

Below is the list of industrial couplings offered by Stromag.

  • Offset couplings
  • Plug-in
  • Multi-segment
  • Universal couplings
  • Support couplings

4.  Altra Industrial Couplings

Altra Company provides a wide range of industrial couplings from a single source. With more than 150 years of experience, the company can satiate the client’s needs.

So, what makes Altra Motion offers the best?

  • Highly engineered industrial couplings
  • Infusion of current technologies
  • Superior designs and
  • High quality

Altra motions aim in providing high-quality mechanical couplings. They have a long-lasting performance in all types of environment. 

Our decision to represent a provider depends on authenticity, customer value, and high-quality products. 

5. Bibby Turboflex Couplings

Bibby Turboflex is a global leader in the production of highly-engineered industrial couplings. The products are customer-centric, which eliminates downtime and maximizes efficiency.

With such a firm brand name, you must wonder whether it’s credible. 

Bibby has more than 100 years’ experience.

  • Its couplings are easy to assemble and replace.
  • The couplings have high torque rates
  • Part-for-part interchangeable

Bibby offers a wide range of industrial couplings that suits your needs perfectly.

Final Thoughts

Kor-Pak credibility to its client’s matters. We represent outstanding coupling providers to ensure consistency in the distribution of high-quality products.

Don’t presage your equipment with faulty industrial couplings. Order your preferred industrial couplings from us. We work with the best coupling providers.

Are you in need of industrial couplings? Don’t hesitate to contact us. We’ll respond to you immediately.

Top 3 Signs Your Overhead Crane is Due For Inspection

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On overhead crane is a significant investment that you want to see last for years to come.

Overhead cranes may seem indestructible, but they require inspection, maintenance, and repair, just like any other piece of equipment or machinery.

Not doing so can result in accidents and injuries. There are about 200 crane-related deaths a year, mostly due to a worker being hit by an object from a crane.

Read on to learn the top signs that your overhead crane is due for inspection.  

1. Poor Records of Crane Inspections and Maintenance

It can be challenging to run a construction operation and keep adequate records of your equipment. OHSA requires that you maintain records of your inspections for seven years.

If you find that your inspection records are inadequate, your best bet is to start over and schedule an overhead crane inspection.

Your company should have checklists that show daily inspections for excessive wear and deterioration. Monthly inspection checklists should check for wear as well as inspecting rope and connections for wear.

Your records should also include what precautions and remedies were taken if your inspections showed any signs of repair or wear.

2. OHSA’s Standards

OHSA has strict standards that you need to abide by when it comes to overhead crane maintenance and inspection. You need to comply with OSHA’s standards and show that you have made inspections daily, monthly, and periodically.

There are some variations as far as periodic inspection goes. It depends on how and often the crane is in use.

OSHA’s guidelines also say that a crane that has been out of service between 1-6 months has to be inspected before resuming service.

For overhead cranes that used in normal conditions, they can undergo an annual inspection. Cranes that see heavy service should be inspected twice a year. A crane used in extreme circumstances should have quarterly inspections.

3. Damaged Parts or Recent Repairs

Has your overhead crane show signs of wear and tear? If something shows up in the inspection, the overhead crane needs to be taken offline before the crane can go back into service.

If your overhead crane had worn parts replaced or you see that parts are starting to show signs of wear and tear, you should have your overhead crane inspected before it’s in service.

Anything that appears loose or damage, such as frayed wires or hooks need to be repaired and inspected.

Get Your Overhead Crane Inspected

In a busy construction firm, it can be easy to let things fall through the cracks or put off things like an overhead crane inspection.

The more you put this off, the more likely it is that there will be an accident. That can cause injury to your employees and bystanders.

It’s a necessity to have your overhead crane regularly inspected to meet OSHA’s safety guidelines and the guidelines of your crane’s manufacturer.

Contact us today to schedule an overhead crane inspection today.

Molded Vs. Sintered Friction Material: Know the Difference

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The global market for friction materials is projected to hit $23 billion by 2020. So are you looking to differentiating molded vs. sintered friction material? This article is a guide to understanding each of these two materials.

With asbestos ruled out as a friction material in many countries, there has been ongoing research for alternatives. These two materials are among the most prevalent in the market today.

What Is Molded Friction Material?

Molded frictional materials are made through molding metals through a hydraulic pressing method.

The process of molding the frictional material includes the following;

  • Blending vermiculite particles, asbestos-free filler, and thermosetting resin
  • Placing the blended mixture into a shaped mold cavity
  • Compressing the mixture at high pressure and room temperature to form a preform
  • Hot-pressing the preform into a different mold at a temperature of about 350oF and 2500 psi

It requires the right equipment, materials, and personnel to manufacture quality products.

Application of Molded Friction Material

Molded friction materials are used in heavy machinery such as cranes, lift trucks, mining and logging equipment, draglines, and shovels. Generally, they are appropriate for heavy industrial application. For high-performance cars, they are ideal because they can withstand very high levels of heat.

What Is Sintered Friction Material?

Sintered frictional materials are made through metal metallurgy. A sintered material can come from any of these materials;

  • Nickel
  • Steel
  • Brass
  • Copper
  • Bronze
  • Aluminum

The powder is mainly formed using the atomization process. It is then taken through the process of metallurgy to manufacture friction materials.

The sintering process maintains the physical attributes of the metal.

The powder is poured into a mold or die cavity as per the shape of the desired part. It’s then compacted under high pressure at room temperature to form a solid shape.

The solid part is then placed in a furnace and heated under extreme heat. This is the sintering process, which fuses the metal particles to form a rigid product.

This process is used to manufacture clutches, brake pads, and brake linings.

Application of Sintered Friction Material

Compared to molded materials, the sintered ones have more frictional characteristics. They can be used in regular cars to heavy industrial machinery. Besides, they are inexpensive hence popular among many.

The Durability of Molded Vs. Sintered Friction Material

Sintered materials have a higher friction coefficient than the molded ones. However, both types of brake systems have high durability. It all depends on usage.

The mixture of elements gives sintered frictional material lots of friction. Also, the molded ones tolerate high temperatures while maintaining grip.

Choosing Between Molded and Sintered Frictional Materials

Selecting quality materials can be difficult. However, it’s still easy to choose the ideal one.

Molded materials function better in cold conditions while the sintered counterparts are ideal for warm conditions. Sintered ones wear down the rotor unlike the molded one. With both products being long-lasting, the ultimate decision lies with the user.

The Bottom Line

Deciding between molded vs. sintered friction material? Both of them will serve you as long as you purchase from quality manufacturers. Visit our site and access more quality industrial products.