What Types Of Businesses Use Overhead Cranes?

Overhead cranes are a common sight on manufacturing floors across the country. But, many people don’t fully understand this heavy equipment’s full value and utility. We recently sat down with Tennessee-based Integrity Crane and Hoist representatives to learn a little more about overhead crane systems.

Q: What type of applications are an overhead crane and hoist system useful for?

Integrity Crane and Hoist: There are many different reasons that a business might use an overhead crane. They are most often found in industrial settings in an assembly line, transportation department, warehouse, loading and unloading dock, or packaging station. They can be located in a single spot or designed to move about the building.

Q: Which industries most often use an overhead crane and hoist system?

Integrity Crane and Hoist: Manufacturing, construction, steel mills, distribution, mining, food processing, gas and petroleum, beverage plants, and automotive plants are the most common. In a manufacturing environment, a crane moves large and cumbersome pieces from one department or location to another. In construction, you might see an overhead crane lifting beams as a building goes erect. For mining, an overhead crane and hoist would be used to transport gravel, coal, ore, or other material from the mine or mining equipment to another location. Beverage and automotive plants deal with heavy materials and supplies. Instead of utilizing manpower, these types of businesses use cranes.

Q: What is the primary purpose of using a crane?

Integrity Crane and Hoist: Safety is the number one reason that businesses use cranes. However, they also create a more efficient work environment, and cranes can free up floor space from large items and materials being transported through a warehouse.

Q: What are some common bits of terminology that someone new to the manufacturing or construction industry might need to know about overhead cranes?

Integrity Crane and Hoist: Overhead crane and hoist systems are built of many different components, including the girder, end truck, and trolley. You might also hear terms, such as axial load, drag brake, running speed, and span, thrown around in any of these settings. Our best advice for anyone thinking about a career in an industry that utilizes a crane and hoist system is to ask lots of questions and, if possible, receive professional training on the equipment.

For more information about Integrity Crane and Hoist, visit the company online at Integrity-Crane.com.

No Typewriter, No Problem: Mechanical Keyboards Are Back

ImageQuest If you grew up in the 1990s, you probably remember your first typing class, which either took place on an actual typewriter or an old-fashioned computer complete with a mechanical keyboard. According to cybersecurity service firm ImageQuest, these were replaced in the late 90s and early 2000s by membrane-style keyboards, partly because they are cheaper to manufacture. But, the clicky-clack you remember is back in style, and ImageQuest explains why.

Q: What is the difference between a membrane and mechanical keyboard?

ImageQuest: A mechanical keyboard has a faster response and offers tactile feedback when typing. A membrane keyboard feels a bit like pushing into a deflated balloon filled with sand. Mechanical keyboards are often larger, and they can be fully customized for each user with things like larger letters, lights, and special shortcut keys.

Q: Why would anyone want a louder keyboard?

ImageQuest: It’s easy to wonder why you would not want something completely silent while you work. But, if you’ve ever worked in cybersecurity service, IT, or writing, you know the satisfaction of the feedback from the keys. Gamers, especially, like the quickness and precision of mechanical keyboards. IT professionals across the globe treat them as prized possessions, often showing them off in the office as something to be envied.

Q: What are the drawbacks of a membrane-style keyboard?

ImageQuest: A membrane keyboard has advantages, for sure. However, when you type more than just a few minutes each day, it’s easy to see that your productivity goes down. Membrane keyboards typically offer a less pleasurable tactile experience and, due to the innate design of the equipment, they are actually much less accurate for people who type quickly.

Q: Are there any safety considerations to allowing my employees to bring their own mechanical keyboards to the office?

ImageQuest: There can be, yes. Mechanical keyboards often come pre-equipped with gaming software or additional USB ports. If you are one of our cybersecurity service customers that strictly adhere to our recommended “Zero Trust” security model, you should implement procedures and safeguards that prohibit employees from using these ports or installing software.

Q: Where can I get a mechanical keyboard?

ImageQuest: There are many different ways that you can buy a mechanical keyboard for yourself or for your staff. We recommend Nashville-based Mechanical Keyboards.com, which offers fully assembled keyboards as well as materials that let you build your own.

Curious about the Zero Trust security model? A cybersecurity service expert from ImageQuest can fill you in and help you take control of your company’s digital security. Visit ImageQuest.com for more information.

Why Should I Consider An Educational Evaluation For My Child?

Children with known or suspected learning differences may not thrive in a conventional academic environment. If you think your son or daughter has ADHD, dyslexia, or another processing disorder, an evaluation can point you in the right direction of tools and services that can help them overcome their challenges. Today, Currey Ingram Academy, one of the most sought-after boarding schools in the South, shares insight on three important educational evaluations: psychoeducational, speech-language, and occupational therapy.

Q: What is a psychoeducational evaluation?

Currey Ingram Academy: A psychoeducational evaluation can be summarized as a professionally performed assessment that helps identify a child’s weaknesses and strengths. A parent might seek this type of assessment if they notice persistent behavioral problems, social withdrawal, and poor basic academic skills in foundational areas, such as writing, reading, or math. Many students undergo a psychoeducational evaluation after receiving low standardized test scores or based on a teacher’s recommendation. While not all boarding schools in the South offer psychoeducational evaluations and assessments, Currey Ingram Academy’s Diagnostic Center is open to non-students from ages three into adulthood.

Q: How do I know if my child needs a speech-language evaluation?

Currey Ingram Academy: Speech disorders are not uncommon, but they can derail a child’s academic experience. Whether your child attends one of the private boarding schools in the South or is registered for public education, their ability to sequence information, retell stories, and speak clearly is crucial to their academic success. A speech-language evaluation can help by identifying delays or auditory, verbal, or communication impairments so that your child can receive the help they need to intake, output, and process information clearly and completely.

Q: What does an occupational therapy evaluation look for?

Currey Ingram Academy: A typical occupational therapy evaluation assesses a child’s gross, fine, and visual-motor integration skills. We will look at their ability to perform common self-care acts as well as their handwriting and other actions that require physical, spatial, and coordination skills. Deficits in any of these areas can have a significant and negative effect on a child’s experience at home and at school. It can also affect relationships from the playground and friendships early in life to relationships with colleagues and the boardroom later in life.

Q: What type of therapy or intervention services should I seek after an evaluation?

Currey Ingram Academy: There are many different types of services you might consider for your child. Once you’ve undergone a psychoeducational, speech-language, or occupational therapy evaluation, the test administrator and their team can offer specific suggestions. You will have lots of options, including private therapy or enrolling in one of the boarding schools in the South that specialize in educating children with learning differences.

The Diagnostic Center at Currey Ingram Academy is located in Brentwood, TN, just south of Nashville. We offer services to both students and nonstudents, and our primary concern is ensuring that no child is left behind. For more information, visit us online at CurreyIngram.org.

Don’t DIY Your Business’s Cords And Cables

Clear Link Systems If you’ve ever avoided moving your TV, surround sound, game systems, and modems because of the mess of cords behind your entertainment system, you already know how disorganized cables can get. Now, imagine how chaotic your business’s computers, servers, and other equipment might be if you ever have to rewire. Expert cabling solutions can help.

Today, we speak with Nashville, TN-based Clear Link Systems about how keeping your equipment’s cables organized can benefit your business.

Q: What does “cabling solutions” mean?

Clear Link Systems: This is essentially the process of keeping data cords and cables organized. A professional data cabling service can implement a system to track which wires go to what equipment. There are many benefits to this, including reduced downtime and cost efficiency when it’s time to add or remove equipment from your tech system set up.

Q: How does organizing cables reduce downtime?

Clear Link Systems: First, if you have to reorganize your office, somebody has to disconnect all of your equipment. This is not as simple as simply removing a plug and hoping the power cord matches when it’s time to reconnect. Most of your systems are interlinked not only to power but also to servers, the internet, and often each other. A professional cabling solutions provider will know which cords to uninstall and reinstall and in which order so that only certain your equipment is off-line for as short a time as possible. This allows for some members of your organization to continue working and, perhaps most importantly, reduces the possibility that your customers will miss out on contacting you if needed.

Q: What is a core organizational layout?

Clear Link Systems: A core organizational layout is essentially a diagram of the infrastructure of your cables. Your cabling solutions provider can reconfigure your cables and track where each goes. In some cases, wires may be color-coded so that your IT team can more easily recognize each type of cable.

Q: What type of equipment can benefit from cable organization?

Clear Link Systems: For the most part, anything that deals with communications is a great candidate for professional cabling. Your VoIP phone systems, fiber optics, audio, alarms, security cameras, network, video cabling, and even your wireless network can all benefit from cabling solutions that keep you organized and on top of your game.

If you’re looking for a cabling solutions provider in Nashville, Clear Link Systems has you covered.

Spring Spruce Up Tips For Your Roof

QE Roofing Spring cleaning season is here, and that means you’re already prepared to get your hands dirty. But, if you’re not also ready to take your efforts outside, you are doing yourself a disservice. Now is the perfect time to show your roof and gutters a little bit of love.

When you live in the South, your roofing system gets to experience all four seasons (sometimes during the same week), so it has to work 100% of the time. Today, QE Roofing of Franklin, TN answers a few questions about spring roof maintenance.

Q: How often should I clean my gutters?

QE Roofing: That depends on where you live and how clogged up they might get. Middle Tennessee is a great example of a location where homeowners may need to clean their roofs and gutters more often than normal. Where we are located (in Franklin, TN), we have lots of trees. Roofing and gutter systems can get overwhelmed with falling leaves. Ideally, you’ll clean your gutters out at least twice each year, at the beginning of spring and once the leaves begin to fall come September/October.

Q: How can I clean my gutters safely?

QE Roofing: Start by assessing your comfort with heights. Then, make sure that you have another person to hold the ladder steadily. Grab a pair of heavy gloves and a gutter scoop or large, rigid cup. Stand where your eyes are approximately three feet above the top of the gutters, which gives you ample arm reach to work in three to four-foot sections. Once each line of gutters is clean, have your helper on the ground hand you the water hose so you can give them a quick flush.

Q: What are some things that I can look for on the roof that might indicate a problem?

QE Roofing: You should examine your roofing system at the beginning of each season and after strong storms, including tornadoes and heavy snowfall. If you are already on the ladder, take a quick look at the shingles. Are there any missing or damaged? Is the flashing around your chimney or air vents still in place? When you are satisfied that things look good from the top, take a walk around the perimeter of your home. If you see any holes or indentations, you might want to call a roofing inspector to see if there is something you’re missing. Similarly, if you notice discolorations on your ceiling, you may have a leak.

Q: I have a metal roof. How can I keep it in top shape?

QE Roofing: Keep debris cleaned off your roof. If any grime is present, use a soft-tip pressure washer and gently wash the roof. It’s best to be on a ladder or rope and harness since once metal becomes wet it is very slippery. Do not pressure wash screws as this can damage the neoprene washers that seal them. If you ever have any doubt, call a professional like QE Roofing.

Your springtime cleaning efforts should not end with the pantry and the floors. Make sure your entire house is ready for the tumultuous spring season by channeling some of your energy onto the roof.

QE Roofing provides professional residential and commercial roofing services in Franklin, TN and the surrounding areas.