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The latest Avengers blockbuster movie and the hugely popular Fortnite video game series both use powerful software to create spectacular graphics and CGI so lifelike your eyes think it’s real. But deploying similar technology to create protective coverings might be even more unexpected. On today’s podcast, our very own Bob Coulter, director of data acquisitions & technology, sat down with MarketScale Transportation to reveal how his company utilizes CGI software to create perfect-fitting protective covers.

Since its formation under the 1970 OSH Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) agency has had one primary mission: to assure safe and healthy working conditions for working men and women by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance. As such, by law, private sector, state and local government, and federal government agency employers must provide their workers with a workplace that is free of known hazards, find and correct safety and health problems, and follow all OSH Act safety and health standards. However, until a few years ago, OSHA lacked data for where and how the most severe injuries were occurring, limiting how effectively the agency could respond.

Protecting your equipment from outdoor elements is crucial during transportation and storage. Corrosion, moisture, UV rays, dust, road grime, rodents, and scratching are all hazards while in transport or storage. Although most equipment seemingly has a tough, impenetrable outer surface, leaving it unprotected will cause damage over an extended period. In this post, we will introduce some protection options available to help stop equipment degradation before it starts. Every piece of equipment is different, so be sure to fully understand your asset’s vulnerabilities before deciding which option is best.

 Machinery breakdowns can be a major expense. Some breakdowns are easily fixed with a spare part but others require hours or days to repair. The one type of damage that is most often overlooked yet easily prevented is environmental damage. UV rays cause degradation of exteriors which lead to corrosion. Dirt and dust cause sensitive components to malfunction. Environmental damage can take a machine out of commission and cause delays in production which increases the financial loss exponentially. In the case of the military, if an asset isn’t mission ready, it could mean a life or death situation. Watch below to learn more.

Shipping, on the surface, seems like a straightforward task. However, it’s a task that comes with complex issues to consider, especially when it comes to fragile or expensive equipment.

As one who served in the military for 30 years in a very maintenance intensive field (Artillery), and as someone who has also been involved in providing protective cover solutions for the military for over a decade, it was very gratifying to review the U.S. Army’s comprehensive business case analysis on the use of equipment covers for Army ground systems.

Operators of CFM-56-3, -3B, and -3C variable stator vane (VSV) bores have until August 2018 to start an inspection process to help detect corrosion. This mandate was recently issued by the federal aviation administration (FAA); now the aviation industry is even more attentive than usual to this enemy of aircraft. As MRO-Network reports:

"Corrosion has been found on the inside of the high-pressure compressor (HPC) case around the VSV bores resulting in binding, sticking, and seizure of the VSVs during engine operation,” CFM Int'l explains in the service bulletin, issued in April 2016 and updated in November, that FAA used to craft its directive. "The VSV system actuation check will aid operators in the early detection of excessive corrosion build-up on the inside of the compressor case and around the VSV bores.”

April showers bring water intrusion and water intrusion results in damaged and malfunctioning equipment. 

It never rains in Southern California, or so we thought until “El Nino” came to town.  This year is proving to be one of the wettest in recent history and not just for California.  Rainfall rates all over the country have been higher than the normal average according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) web site. Above-average precipitation was observed along the West Coast, Midwest, Southern Plains and Lower Mississippi River Valley.  Seven states were much wetter than average.  

Winter has been especially brutal in many states this year.

Ice, snow, and rain combine to produce hazardous winter road conditions. As a Southern California native winter road hazards consist of little more than wet surfaces with the occasional black ice in the coldest of areas.

On a recent excursion to the upper Midwest, I had my first encounter with these winter road conditions. Traveling through Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois, I encountered a mixture of snowy and icy roads covered with salt or some other concoctions spread on the black surfaces of the highway in what must be an effort to temper the treacherous conditions that wreak havoc on motorists.

One of the main ingredients in Transhield’s anti-corrosion protective covers are vapor corrosion inhibitors, or as we like to call them, VCIs. Transhield’s patented VCI technology is a key component for reducing corrosion by up to 85 - 95% as compared to a standard tarp made out of vinyl or canvas. But what exactly are VCIs and how do they work? The short answer is that it’s a combination of physics and chemistry.