Giglio Freeman Associates,  LLC

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How Are You Staying Competitive?

                                                                                                                                                                                              ​by Sandy Freeman

The 11% decline in domestic crude prices, according to the Wall Street Journal, has contributed to the drop in the need for pipelines, transport, storage and refining of the once hot commodity.

This challenges companies to become more efficient in their processes.  To stay competitive in any market, you need to take a second (and sometimes third) look at every step of your procedure to see how you can become more cost effective.  The pipeline industry needs to ensure fast and accurate turnaround when welding pipes.  Delays caused by do overs or arc blow can quickly get out of control resulting possible fines.

Transportation and storage of oil needs to be safe and effective.  Losses in delivery to the storage facility or to the client is unacceptable.

Refineries need to ensure their equipment is working at optimal load and downtime occurs on a scheduled basis.  Forced outages not only cause loss of man hours but replacement of expensive equipment due to damage.

Magnetism is one example of a problem that can affect every part of this industry. Not knowing you have a problem doesn’t make it go away, look beyond what you know to find those hidden saboteurs by investing in some preventative maintenance by a qualified company.

Remember, getting an outside source can save you money, time and your reputation.  Invest now or pay a higher cost later.

Giglio Freeman Associates has qualified, experienced engineers in mitigating issues resulting from magnetism.

When they say its 12”…is it really?
                                                                                                                                                                                                                by Sandy Freeman
 

That question, and the answer, cost Subway $9,000.00 in compensation and $525,000 in legal fees.  When a teenager from Perth Australia discovered the famous “foot-long” sub was not 12”, he unleashed a class action suit that ultimately cost Subway some “dough”.

When standards are subjective and tolerances are suggestions, you and your customers can pay a hefty price.

Imagine the shaft you sent out for rework came back with residual magnetic levels of 12 Gauss? Or the bearings you had Magnetic Particle Inspection done on were reinstalled with residual levels greater than 2 Gauss?  The possibility of this occurring greatly increases if the Gauss Meter being used is not calibrated.

Calibration is what ensures conformance to a standard. It determines if the measurement is within the manufacturer’s tolerance, and it produces a reliability to a product or service.  Just as processes in a plant need to be uniform for consistency, instruments used by personnel need to be calibrated to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

To ensure you are delivering to your customer’s expectations, you need to be confident in your equipment.  Look for a company that will certify traceability to the NIST and adhere to procedures that conform to the ISO/IEC 17025 competence of testing requirements.

Giglio Freeman Associates offer Gauss Meter calibrations that conform to the ISO/IEC 17025 standards and provide certificates ensuring traceability for their clients.