by admin on August 31, 2009
For the past few months we’ve been participating in Hakko’s Silver Lining promotion which has been buy three of any part numbers in the promotion (there’s 27) and get a fourth item for free. This deal is in addition to our 15% off sale.
But effective September 1, 2009 and while supplies last, Hakko’s promotion is now buy 2 get 1 for free.
The promotion includes Hakko’s popular products including the FX951-66 soldering station, the HJ3100 fume extractor and the FR801-11 hot air rework station, among 24 other Hakko products.
In case you didn’t know, here’s how the promotion works.
- Buy any two Hakko Silver Lining promotion products
- Once your order has shipped, we will call you to find out what free Hakko product you would like (you have to choose from the 27 products in the promotion)
- We will then relay the information to Hakko and the product will ship to you directly from Hakko
For questions regarding this promotion, contact our customer service reps via phone (1-800-537-0351) or e-mail sales@all-spec.com.
by admin on August 27, 2009
Earlier this week, a bunch of us met with a representative from Aven who was singing the praises of stainless steel tools. I was curious so he sent me an informative white paper on benefits of stainless steel tools (.pdf) and the downfall of carbon steel tools. Here is the entire white paper on stainless steel tools (.pdf); below are the basics.
Using carbon steel to manufacture tools has several benefits including being really hard and less expensive than stainless steel but carbon steel is also knows for being corrosive. The iron oxide (rust) is a major source of contamination in cleanroom environments. Also, tools used in cleanroom environments are regularly run through an autoclave to sterilize the tool but the plating on the carbon steel will flake off and those particles are also a source of contamination.
Stainless steel is a homogeneous material in which no plating will flake off. The flaking could compromise sterilization efforts, and this is why stainless steel has become the standard for the pharmaceutical, electronic, biotechnology and food processing industries.
Biggest benefits of stainless steel tools:
- Tools made out of other metals can contaminate sterile environments with iron particles
- Carbon steel tools degrade and release chrome flakes after repeated autoclaving
- Stainless steel tools offer long-term cost savings and cleanliness
- The corrosion-resistant layer of chromium oxide on stainless steel tools repairs itself
Choose your tools based on the job. A tool made of the hardest metal doesn’t mean it’s the best tool for every task and if you’re not worried about sterility then you probably don’t need to spend the money on stainless steel tools.
by admin on August 21, 2009
Cleanroom is a term that is thrown around a lot but what does it really mean? Cleanrooms are more than just a clean counter and a swept floor.
First off, according to Global Spec a cleanroom is an environment that is contaminant-free and often used for high-tech assembly and manufacturing.
There are several different classes of cleanrooms, each with their own standards, and these standards limit the number of particles in the air per cubic meter. Cleanrooms are classed from FED STD 209E Class 1 to Class 100,000 or from ISO 1 to ISO 9. FED STD 209E used to be the standard but was replaced with ISO 14644 in 2001 by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA); but FED STD 209E is still widely used.
To put things into perspective, outside air in a typical city may have as many as 35,000,000 particles (size 0.5 μm and larger) per cubic meter but an ISO 5 cleanroom will have a maximum of 3,520 particles (size 0.5 μm and larger) per cubic meter. To give you an idea of how involved these rooms are, here’s an article in which Intel explains the process of entering a cleanroom; according to Intel there are over 40 steps that must be repeated every time someone leaves and re-enters a cleanroom.
So what is a contaminant? Most cleanroom contaminants seem innocuous in every day situations but they do cause problems in contamination-free environments. According to Coast Wide Labs, most contaminants come from five sources; people, tools, facilities, fluids and the product being manufactured. Cosmetics, perfume, floor finishes, aluminum particles and yes, even vibration, are just a few common contaminants.
Controlling contaminants is all dependant of the class of the cleanroom but some key components include:
- HEPA air filters – this is probably one of the biggest elements to a cleanroom – these filters can remove particles that are as small as 0.3 microns and highly efficient (remove at least 99.97% of airborne particles)
- Design of the cleanroom – this has to do with airflow; little airflow causes turbulence which can cause particle movement
- Special garments – these garments range from cleanroom coveralls to masks to booties and gloves – cleanroom garments reduce the lint and particles in the air
- Cleanroom furniture such as workstations and chairs –this equipment has the same result as the garments mentioned above
- Cleaning – the specialized rooms must be cleaned with special materials, substances, etc…
This is just a brief overview; cleanrooms are very complex and can vary from company to company.
by admin on August 4, 2009
Ergonomic is a fairly common word these days; ergonomic tools, ergonomic mouse, ergonomic keyboards, etc… Anything that has been ergonomically designed is more comfortable and allows the user to work more efficiently and safely; ergonomic chairs are no different.
Most people think sitting is a relaxing position but that’s not the case for extended periods of time. Sitting puts stress on the back from the weight of the upper body; there is increased pressure on the intervertebral discs and it slows circulation in the lower extremities. Ergonomically designed chairs can prevent all theses problems.
According to Spine-Health.com, here are some features of a good ergonomic chair:
- Seat height – adjustable…feet should sit flat on the floor and thighs should be horizontal to the ground
- Seat depth and width – Ideally a seat should be 17-20” wide and have enough depth to allow the user to sit with his/her back against the back rest and still have 2-4” from the seat of the chair to the back of the knees
- Lower back support – this is essential in a good ergo chair…a good chair should have lumbar adjustment to support the lower back’s inward curve
- Armrests – these should also be adjustable and should allow for arms and shoulders to rest comfortably without the forearm on the armrest
In the market for an ergonomic chair? All-Spec has a promotion on all our Bevco chairs (standard and ESD-safe) from now until September 30, 2009.
