Logistics is a discipline we often associate with choosing the best transportation routes. The discipline is also applicable configuring and organizing interior work environments to operate more productively. Simply put, with the right logistics in place, processes that involve moving from point A to point B happen in the smoothest, least time consuming, most efficient way.
In this entry, we focus on the hybridization of both of these logistical concerns, as it applies to implementing solvent replacements. Considered in light of logistics are the following aspects of solvent replacement: solvent delivery, solvent storage, solvent recycling, and solvent disposal.
- Solvent Delivery
If you order a custom solvent replacements that are formulated from scratch, the time required to formulate them often results in taking longer to deliver them than stock solutions that are available for immediate shipment.
A second factor that has a significant impact is what type freight shipping model you use. For example, less-than-load (LTL) shipping is a highly affordable shipping model, but it can be quite slow for one reason: Multiple partial orders are placed in a full-size freight trailer and dropped off one-by-one along the delivery route. If you’re near the route’s end, you could wait awhile.
- Solvent Storage
Next, we move inside the facility, and consider the logistics of solvent storage. For business-critical solvent operations to remain efficient, the solvent supply chain in the facility must be streamlined to provide the right solvent, when it is needed, where it is needed. Where the solvent is stored can have a major impact on these goals.
Ideally, solvent should be stored closest to the point of use, without complicating egress flow in the work area, violating fire safety protocols (if the solvent has a low to midrange flashpoint), or needing to be handled in some way before Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is in place.
- Solvent Recycling
Using parts washing systems that recycle solvent can significantly streamline the logistical process of filling the machine with parts washing solvent. Systems that purge waste solvent, and then return it to the machine’s solvent basin for reuse essentially eliminate logistical concerns. The clean solvent is back in the basin quickly, ready for another wash cycle, until it has been cycled through as many times as possible, while still retaining its original efficacy.
- Solvent Disposal
For most operations that make frequent use of industrial grade solvents, the most logistical way to dispose of them is placing them in a chemical waste trap, from which a chemical waste company removes them.
Trying to keep toxic solvent out of the waste trap is a noble, eco friendly effort. However, if waste will go in the trap, be sure that the waste removal company arrives frequently enough to keep the trap emptied well below the fill mark at all times. An overflowing waste trap could create a logistical nightmare for a facility in more ways than one.
Who We Are
Ecolink is a provider of industrial garden cleaning solutions that address the needs of a wide range of users. We provide solvent replacements in the form of stock solutions and custom solutions for work processes that range from the tough, industrial cleaning jobs to light cleaning for everyday surfaces.
To inquire about our products and services, call us today at (800) 563-1305, or use our contact form. We look forward to hearing about your cleaning needs and presenting great options.
Choosing Automotive Cleaning Solvents for Heavy Duty Vehicles: 4 Scenarios
/in Ecolink News/by Industrial DegreasersUnless you’re in the business of producing automotive cleaning solvents, the prospect of choosing them may feel like reading Shakespeare in Greek. But, in all fairness, as the customer, you’re the one who must make an informed choice. Regarding automotive cleaning solvents for heavy duty vehicles, such as the ones listed below, that’s what we’re here to help you do.
Dump trucks unusually encounter the most wear in the rear holding compartment, but the compartment is designed to be banged with heavy objects and filled with oversized loads year after year. In most cases, more important than cleaning the carrier bin is degreasing the truck’s motor and associated parts. Dump trucks for industrial facilities and big construction projects can remain in motion for several hours — and for some projects, usage is around the clock.
Potential Solution: Consider using NAVSOLVE Low VOC Degreasing Solvent. You can learn about the solvent here.
We all know what an army tank does: It cruises over rough terrain with ease and threatens enemies with the ability to deliver a cannon blast that can level buildings. Because the effectiveness of tanks ultimately depends on their speed and mechanical reliability, the wheels and tracks of the tank often receive the thoroughest maintenance focus. However, practically every motion a tank makes signifies the need to degrease the parts that facilitate movement.
Potential Solution: Consider using BULLDOG Maximum Effectiveness Degreaser. You can learn about the solvent here.
3. Police Tank
Lots of police officers are ex-military. So, some people who wear the blue uniform should feel right at home behind the steering mechanism of a tank. Unlike tanks that are used in military campaigns, police tanks — both the military variety that has no barrel and the ATV variety that’s comprised of bullet proof surfaces — are only used in special situations. As they wait to be deployed, these tanks need to be cleaned inside and out as a part of general maintenance.
Potential Solution: Consider using PREPTONE Low-VOC Handwipe Solvent. You can learn about the solvent here.
4. Asphalt Machine
If you drive an asphalt machine down a roadway or across a parking lot, it means one of two things: you’re a rich, eccentric thrill seeker, or you work for an asphalt company. Probably the latter. If you know about operating asphalt machines professionally, you understand that the holding unit of the machine accumulates layer after layer of tar quickly. What should you do to remove those seemingly irremovable, black accretions?
Potential Solution: Consider using ECOLINK 2005 Non-flammable Contact Cleaner. You can learn about the solvent here.
Need Cleaners for Heavy Duty Machinery?
If so, give us a call, and let us help you select the best automotive cleaning solvents for your needs. We don’t supply solvents for the average car owner, but we do specialize in industrial grade cleaning solvents for the toughest applications. Reach us at (800) 563-1305, our use our contact form. We look forward to supplying solutions for your heavy equipment cleaning needs.
Cancer Causing Chemicals – Cheap Chemicals Are Costly in the End
/in HAPS/by Industrial DegreasersWhen it comes to cancer risk, using cancer causing chemicals in the workplace is similar to smoking cigarettes. People are often exposed to cancer causing agents countless time before they develop the disease that ends their life. But some people, as if they thumbed their nose at fate, never develop the disease.
Even so, betting against scientific evidence and continuing to use inexpensive cancer causing chemicals like trichloroethylene (TCE) and 1-bromopropane (nPB) is bad business, to say the least. Just ask attorneys that specialize in chemical injury lawsuits. They try and win thousands of chemical injury lawsuits each year, costing companies millions of dollars in settlements and legal fees.
Chemical Injuries Galore
Chronic chemical injuries from substances such as TCE and nPB usually rear their ugly head over a period of years. Like a smoker who religiously puffs away at cigarettes for decades, until a amalgam of abnormal symptoms leads to a diagnosis of the “big C”, a worker who inhales hazardous chemical vapors can go for years without showing chronic ill effects, but the exposure often takes its expected course and turns him into a walking dead man.
Courtesy of Resource4thePeople — an online source for free legal help and information — the following statistics from the past year give a ballpark idea of how many chemical injury cases are likely to see the inside of a courtroom and generate six-figure and seven-figure settlements.
According to Willens Law Offices in Chicago, “More than 10 percent of the occupational deaths are attributed to environmental and chemical exposure.” It’s a sobering statistics for companies that use cancer causing chemicals for solvent applications. It’s also a statistic that’s preventable when a company replaces toxic chemicals with non-toxic ones, and equips workers with personal protective equipment (PPE) that eliminates remaining exposure risks.
Choosing Replacement Solvents
Over the years, companies have elected not to replace solvent with cancer causing chemicals for various reasons. Two of the biggest reasons have been difficulty finding substitute solvents that don’t have cancer causing chemicals and deliver the same power, and difficulty finding a replacement solvent that can be “dropped in” without requiring downtime during the changeover.
From a business perspective, there was a time when these concerns were legitimate, but they aren’t anymore. Solvents that have a better safety profile than ones such as TCE and nPB and have just as much cleaning power are available online. Ecolink has emerged as one of the top destinations for these solvents.
Contact Us About Cancer Causing Chemical Replacements
If you use solvents that have cancer causing chemicals, don’t wait until Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) bans them, or the solvents cause workers to develop health problems. Save money, the health of your workers, and the hassle of replacing solvents on short notice by getting started on selecting replacements today. Call us at (800) 563-1305, or send us an email through the contact form on our website.
nPB Safe Alternatives According to GHS Hazard Statements
/in N-Propyl Bromide/by Industrial DegreasersAlso referred to as 1-bromopropane and n-propyl bromide, nPB has been used as an industrial solvent for many years with great success. However, based on research that led the U.S. Department of Health’s National Toxicology Program (NTP) to identify nPB as a solvent that is “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen”, companies and organizations that use the solution in have started to implement nPB safe alternatives that are safer for workers to use.
What Defines nPB Safe Alternatives?
There are plenty of efficacious nPB alternatives on the market, but how do you determine which of them are actually safer than nPB? One way you can make the assessment is by referring to “hazard statements” that are a part of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). So, a safe alternative for nPB would not have the following hazard statements from the GHS.
This hazard statement indicates that nPB is a “highly liquid flammable and vapor”. To reduce the risk of fires and burn injuries, choose an alternative that has a high flashpoint or is unflammable.
Indicated by this statement is the fact that nPB “causes skin irritation”. Because some solvents that have a better safety profile can cause skin irritation, too, consult your solvent supplier about the level of irritation in relation to the level of exposure time before choosing an alternative.
This hazard statement sheds light on the fact that nPB “causes serious eye irritation”. Because some solvents that are safer can also cause skin irritation, consult your solvent supplier about the level of irritation in relation to the level of exposure before you select an alternative.
As indicated by this hazard statement, one of the most common negative health effects that nPB exposure causes is “respiratory irritation”. When identifying alternatives, focus on solvents that have less volatility and contain no hazardous air pollutants (HAPs).
This hazard statement identifies nPB as a potential cause of “drowsiness or dizziness”, which could place workers at greater risk for workplace injuries. Again, When identifying alternatives, focus on solvents that have less volatility and contain no hazardous air pollutants (HAPs).
Yet another hazard statement that addresses the negative health effects of nPB, H360 identifies nPB as a cause of potential harm to “fertility or the unborn child”. By implementing an alternative that doesn’t pose the risk, you better protect both workers and their unborn children.
This hazard statement addresses one of the most toxic effects of nPB on human physiology: “damage to organs”. Damage typically occurs after “prolonged or repeated exposure”. Implementing an alternative that contains no toxic ingredients is the best way to prevent the negative outcome.
Searching for nPB Safe Alternatives?
If so, and you need guidance on selecting the best alternative regarding your specific cleaning operations, our team of experienced chemists is here to help. Once we know why and how you use nPB, we identify stock solutions that serve as ideal replacements. Or, if stock solvents don’t address your needs, we produce a custom solvent that does. In either case, you can receive a free product sample to test the efficacy of the solution.
To get started on identifying safe solvent alternatives for nPB, call us today at (800) 563-1305, or fill out the contact form on our website. We look forward to helping you protect the health of your workers.
Finding nPB Solvent Replacements: How Using Free Samples Can Help
/in N-Propyl Bromide/by Industrial DegreasersnPB (a.k.a. 1-bromopropane and n-propyl bromide) works great as an industrial solvent for several types of applications, including asphalt production, foam cushion gluing, and general cleaning. However, the solvent’s chemical efficacy is overshadowed by the U.S. Department of Health’s statement that nPB is anticipated to be carcinogenic to humans — a finding based on experiments that studied the effects of the solvent on mice in a controlled laboratory setting.
Benefits of Using Free Solvent Samples
The health risks nPB poses have also led the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set usage limits on the solvent, regulations that make it difficult for industrial outfits that use nPB in large volumes to continue the current level of usage without incurring penalties.
So, companies and organizations have at least two good reasons to look for nPB solvent replacements, but that doesn’t make the selection process any easier. One thing that can simplify the process is receiving free solvent samples to test potential alternatives before you officially order a replacement solution. Using free solvent samples in this capacity offers the important benefits below.
From a standpoint of cost effectiveness and productivity, the last thing you want to do is purchase a supply of solvent that doesn’t meet your requirements. You may not be refunded for opened containers — and even if your unopened containers are refunded, you’ll have to wait at least a few days for the solvent to be returned, and then replaced with a more effective one.
Performing trial and error with prospective replacement solvents can become time consuming and expensive if you acquire a salable supply of each solvent you test. Using free solvent samples both helps you avoid paying for ineffective solvent and avoid creating room in the solvent storage area to store potential replacement solvents while they undergo testing.
When testing nPB solvent replacements, the goal is to test solutions that figure to be a good fit for your requirements. A provider of free solvent samples, such as Ecolink, helps you refine the solvent selection process by targeting solvents that match your needs. Unless you refine solvent selection in this manner, you could literally end up testing hundreds of different solvents.
In most cases, free samples of nPB solvent replacements are stock solvents that are available for immediate shipment. However, if it turns out that you need a custom solvent that is tailored to address unique requirements, testing stock solvents can quickly lead you to the right conclusion. When the custom solvent is ready, you can test a free sample of it, as well.
Looking for nPB Solvent Replacements?
If the answer is yes, why not let us supply you with a free sample of a replacement solvent that’s a good fit for your needs? All you need to do is request a free sample through our website, and then test the sample to see if it fully complies with your requirements — no strings attached.
If you wish to speak with our chemists before placing a sample order, please call us today at (800) 563-1305. We look forward to providing you with a safe replacement for nPB solvent.
4 Logistical Considerations When Selecting Solvent Replacements
/in Solvent Replacement Strategies/by Industrial DegreasersLogistics is a discipline we often associate with choosing the best transportation routes. The discipline is also applicable configuring and organizing interior work environments to operate more productively. Simply put, with the right logistics in place, processes that involve moving from point A to point B happen in the smoothest, least time consuming, most efficient way.
In this entry, we focus on the hybridization of both of these logistical concerns, as it applies to implementing solvent replacements. Considered in light of logistics are the following aspects of solvent replacement: solvent delivery, solvent storage, solvent recycling, and solvent disposal.
If you order a custom solvent replacements that are formulated from scratch, the time required to formulate them often results in taking longer to deliver them than stock solutions that are available for immediate shipment.
A second factor that has a significant impact is what type freight shipping model you use. For example, less-than-load (LTL) shipping is a highly affordable shipping model, but it can be quite slow for one reason: Multiple partial orders are placed in a full-size freight trailer and dropped off one-by-one along the delivery route. If you’re near the route’s end, you could wait awhile.
Next, we move inside the facility, and consider the logistics of solvent storage. For business-critical solvent operations to remain efficient, the solvent supply chain in the facility must be streamlined to provide the right solvent, when it is needed, where it is needed. Where the solvent is stored can have a major impact on these goals.
Ideally, solvent should be stored closest to the point of use, without complicating egress flow in the work area, violating fire safety protocols (if the solvent has a low to midrange flashpoint), or needing to be handled in some way before Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is in place.
Using parts washing systems that recycle solvent can significantly streamline the logistical process of filling the machine with parts washing solvent. Systems that purge waste solvent, and then return it to the machine’s solvent basin for reuse essentially eliminate logistical concerns. The clean solvent is back in the basin quickly, ready for another wash cycle, until it has been cycled through as many times as possible, while still retaining its original efficacy.
For most operations that make frequent use of industrial grade solvents, the most logistical way to dispose of them is placing them in a chemical waste trap, from which a chemical waste company removes them.
Trying to keep toxic solvent out of the waste trap is a noble, eco friendly effort. However, if waste will go in the trap, be sure that the waste removal company arrives frequently enough to keep the trap emptied well below the fill mark at all times. An overflowing waste trap could create a logistical nightmare for a facility in more ways than one.
Who We Are
Ecolink is a provider of industrial garden cleaning solutions that address the needs of a wide range of users. We provide solvent replacements in the form of stock solutions and custom solutions for work processes that range from the tough, industrial cleaning jobs to light cleaning for everyday surfaces.
To inquire about our products and services, call us today at (800) 563-1305, or use our contact form. We look forward to hearing about your cleaning needs and presenting great options.