Stalwart International

World Cancer Day

We are pleased to announce Shree Krishna Fabricators Pvt. Ltd. (Stalwart International) is now ASME 'U' Stamp Certified for designing & fabrication of Pressure Vessels AND 'R' Stamp in accordance with the National Board Inspection Code ANSI/NB-23.

A big thanks to the ASME (The American Society of Mechanical Engineers) and Bureau Veritas Group for guiding us to achieve this milestone.

https://www.stalwartint.com/

The laboratory reactor is equipped with a vessel with a wide mouth for convenient loading of components. In this case, the reaction flask must be tightly closed to prevent splashing and reduce heat loss.

The laboratory reactor is equipped with a vessel with a wide mouth for convenient loading of components. In this case, the reaction flask must be tightly closed to prevent splashing and reduce heat loss.

So, the lid serves for:

• tightness of the container;

• isolation of content from the external environment;

• connection of additional equipment to the reactor.

Laboratory reactor covers are usually produced with several outlets for connecting auxiliary devices. Usually these are overhead stirrer, temperature sensor, drip funnel, heaters. Other instruments, measuring devices can also be used.

Caps, like reactors, depending on the purpose of use, are made of different materials:

• laboratory borosilicate glass;

• plastic;

• of stainless steel.

Varieties of cover designs

Suitable lids are available for reaction vessels of different sizes. By the nature and type of reaction, it is necessary to use a certain amount of additional equipment, therefore they differ in the number of outputs. The number of taps in the lids of laboratory reactors ranges from 1 to 5-6, in industrial ones there may be even more. If any of the bends is not used during the task, it is plugged with a plug.

For reactions where a tight connection is required, or vibration is observed in the process, it is recommended to use closing elements with outlets on thin sections or made for screw connections. For the possibility of connecting flexible pipes, hoses, special pipe bends are made.

There are models with a flat rim along the edge, which is needed to fix a special holder on it that secures the lid.

Stirred laboratory reactors: description and application

The result of many technological processes related to chemical reactions, as well as laboratory experiments, depends on the quality of mixing of the components. Reactions go on for some time, and aggregates of a certain type are used to maintain the desired state of substances.

From a design point of view, it is a vertical overhead stirrer reactor. The stirrer shaft is inserted into the center hole of the cover, and when the motor is turned on, the stirrers mix the contents.

The characteristics of the stirrer, such as the type of stirring attachment, engine power, rotation speed, are selected depending on the characteristics of the chemical process.

Application

Stirred laboratory reactors are used in particular for:

• increasing the reaction rate;

• mixing of liquid, pasty, pasty and bulk materials;

• mixing several media into a homogeneous mass,

• ensuring the same temperature throughout the volume.

The solution to these problems is required in various industries: chemical, pharmaceutical, petrochemical, mining, food, etc.

Here are just a few examples of the use of stirred laboratory reactors.

• They are used in processes based on flotation methods for mineral processing or water purification. They are irreplaceable in the development of new products in the cosmetic, perfumery and food industries: creams, perfumes, sauces, drinks.

• Units equipped with a stirrer and heating system are used to monitor the progress of the reaction: they measure the temperature profile, heat distribution over time, enthalpy, etc.

• Agitators are common in leach reactions. In this case, the material of the reaction vessel is important. It must be made of a material that is insensitive to aggressive media, such as polypropylene.

Laboratory reactor is a device based on a metal frame on which a reaction vessel is installed, as well as other accessories and components, the set of which may vary depending on the experimental conditions.

The main thing in the device is the reaction flask, in which the chemical reaction takes place. The vessel is made of materials that are resistant to aggressive environments. Most often it is borosilicate glass, stainless steel; there are plastic vessels, Teflon ones are especially popular.

The containers are produced in different shapes, but most often they are:

 � Cylindrical or round;

� have a drain hole at the bottom;

� are closed from above with a lid. Lids for such vessels are produced with several outlets for connecting equipment.

Design principle

Laboratory reactors are designed and assembled in a modular fashion so that they can be assembled in accordance with the tasks. For example, glass and Teflon vessels are used when the material cannot interact with metals.

Reactors operating at high pressure are equipped with metal flasks, and they are also often installed in explosion-proof systems. Metal is still stronger than even the most durable glass, therefore it is safer when working with explosive mixtures and with strong pressure drops.

Flask features

Laboratory devices are usually equipped with glass vessels – the transparency of the material allows you to monitor the progress of the reaction. Glass containers should:

� have high strength;

� be thermally resistant;

� resist thermal shock.

Laboratory borosilicate glass meets these requirements. To increase the mechanical resistance, the vessels are made thick-walled, and they undergo multi-stage hardening to relieve mechanical stress.

A classic chemical reactor for laboratories has a tank with a drain at the bottom and a jacket. The jacket is needed to heat or cool the vessel; a coolant circulates inside it. There are flasks with two jackets, they are also called three-walled. This design is used for processes at very subzero temperatures, it prevents the formation of frost. Also used in very high temperature applications to reduce heat loss and protect against burns.

Application

Reactors with a glass reaction flask are most often used in:

� food;

� pharmaceutical;

� biological;

� paint and varnish;

� polymer industries.

Of course, they are irreplaceable in chemistry and biochemistry due to the high chemical and thermal resistance of glass and transparency.

Metal devices, usually stainless steel, are commonly used for reactions such as hydrogenation, carbonylation, and the like.

Reactor laboratory systems (pilot plants)

After the completion of the product development or process technology, a series of tests is carried out. First it is testing in a laboratory environment, also called pilot testing, and only then does production begin.

Usually, by the time of pilot testing, the technology has been tested in a research laboratory or designed only on paper or in a computer program. This means that many of the real parameters are unknown. The main purpose of laboratories for pilot tests and reactor plant systems in them is testing samples, developing and testing processes for pilot industrial or batch production.

Description

A technologist, having received a technique from a developer, must have at his disposal a flexible device. Often, the installation is a complete reactor system with the ability to connect evaporators, a pH meter, stirring elements, dispersion nozzles, temperature sensors and more.

Pilot reactors are equipped with instrumentation and have several sampling points, where they measure:

� flow directions;

� product purity;

� the amount of technological waste.

The reactor system has, as a rule, the following qualities:

� the volume of the vessel is usually in the range from 1 to 200 liters, depending on the task and scale of the laboratory;

� the material of the reaction vessel is borosilicate glass;

� cylindrical shape of the reaction vessel;

� operating temperatures ranging from -60 to +180 ??;

� availability of a mixer or the ability to connect it.

The most significant parameter for unworked processes is the chemical resistance of the materials interacting with the test sample. Borosilicate glass is the most suitable option. It is resistant to most reagents, including aggressive ones. Transparent, so a chemical technologist can observe the process and influence it by correcting or stopping it in time.

Borosilicate glass is known not only for its transparency but also for its strength. However, the pressure in such installations is limited – usually from full vacuum to a maximum value of 0.5 bar (glass remains glass and can burst at higher pressure). To protect against explosion, the electrical parts of the reactors: the control panel, the stirrer motor and the electrical equipment, are protected with special covers.

What are they used for?

First of all, for the development of production technology; to find ways to speed up, simplify, make it cheaper. Usually, in industrial production, raw materials are no longer as high purity as were used in laboratory studies. Therefore, one of the goals of the tests is to make adjustments to the quality requirements for the raw materials and materials used, since this can significantly affect the process.

The reactor plant system can produce enough product for testing and pilot operation for customers. Thus, they conduct pilot tests, and at the same time begin to offer customers a new product.

In many chemical processes, liquid has to be fed into laboratory reactors gradually, rather than immediately. There are two ways to do this: the most common method for feeding liquid substances into the reactors is with the help of a dropping funnel, and in pilot reactors, a dosing tank is used.

Glass chemical drip funnels are designed for chemical processes where it is necessary to slowly add liquid to a vessel with a reaction mixture. They are produced, like reactors, of a wide variety of volumes – from several milliliters to liters, with and without a measuring scale.

Design

The dropping funnel for regulating the supply of liquid to the container has a tap on the drain spout. Outwardly it resembles a dividing one, but has some differences:

• the tap is located directly under the vessel;

 • they are thinner and lighter;

• have a longer nose.

Reactor assembly

Drip funnels are usually included in the finished laboratory reactor as part of the kit. Attach them to the reaction vessel on a grinding joint, if any, or with a cork or rubber stopper.

Application features

Liquid from the dropping funnel flows down into the reaction flask, provided the device is open. In reactions when the liquid must be isolated from the external environment, the dropping device is closed with a stopper. In these cases, a pressure balancing model is used, which is achieved by a side tube on the separating funnel. This type of device is needed if the chemical process takes place under vacuum or reduced pressure.

A liquid reagent from a dosing tank or funnel is fed into the reactor through a glass tube, sometimes a Teflon tube is used instead. Initially, the liquid is loaded into the fixture using a vacuum.

Types of reaction tanks for laboratory chemical reactors

Reactors, from the point of view of heat exchange, are divided into three types: without a jacket, with one or with two. The shirt is a little larger than the reaction vessel, the container in which it is placed. A smooth steel jacket can be welded to the reaction flask, glass is fixed in another way. The main purpose is to carry out heat exchange: heating or cooling, as well as maintaining a constant temperature.

Industrial reactors are:

• coil-type;

• with dents;

• frame shirts.

For chemical laboratory reactors, such designs are usually not used.

Types of laboratory reactor vessels

Classic with shirt

The temperature regime is provided by supplying a heat carrier with a given rate of a certain t. A conventional smooth jacket is effective when the speed of movement in the heat exchange layer has little effect on heat transfer, for example, when heating with steam. When using a liquid coolant, a spiral is welded to the metal reactors to increase the speed of its movement. Laboratory or industrial thermostats are often used with glass.

Double (vacuum) jacketed

At especially low negative temperatures, three-walled reactors with two jackets are used. Coolant circulates inside the first, and the second creates an additional barrier to the external environment, thereby reducing heat loss.

Such a laboratory reactor can maintain temperatures from minus 40 ° C to +200 ° C. To obtain lower temperatures, down to minus 90 ° C, additional thermal insulation is used.

Units with triple walls can have both laboratory (on thin sections) and semi-industrial (on flanges) execution.

With shirt and ring baffles

This design is quite rare and is used for particularly accurate temperature maintenance.

Glass ring baffles force the coolant to circulate evenly over the entire area of ​​the tank. High accuracy of maintaining t is achieved due to the increased contact time with the coolant and its distribution over the entire surface without “dead zones”.

Application

The choice and use of a reaction vessel is primarily determined by the temperature at which the reaction is to proceed and the importance of maintaining it accurately.

• Vessels without jackets are used when it is not necessary to maintain a certain temperature of the reaction mixture.

• Double-wall reactor is used for organic synthesis, distillation, refluxing, polymerization. Wherever it is important to maintain the temperature of the mixture.

• The apparatus with annular baffles is used for applications where very precise temperature control is required, for example, for the oxidation of aromatic hydrocarbons. However, in most cases this quality can be achieved using a good quality thermostat and a “normal” reaction vessel.

• Three-walled laboratory reactors are used more often for low-temperature processes. This design prevents the formation of frost during reactions at low temperatures and allows you to monitor the progress of the reaction.

Would you like to read everything about Industrial Engineering? In that case, the first thing you should know is that it is one of the most attractive degrees, ideal for those who are looking for more and better opportunities in the work environment.

If you have read a little about this degree and consider that it matches your vocation, the first thing you should know to confirm it is what aptitudes, abilities and characteristics are needed to study it.

For this reason, it is appropriate for us to talk to you about the entry profile of this career, which trains engineers capable of planning, programming, controlling and evaluating production systems, as well as other operational aspects of companies.

Admission profile

If we talk about everything about Industrial Engineering, it is important that we mention that, in addition to being an exciting career, it is also very specialized and comprehensive. To take it and exercise it successfully, it is important that you develop certain skills and learn about various disciplines.

Below we will mention 6 qualities that a student who hopes to become an industrial engineer must have:

Inclination for teamwork

Although in almost all careers it is important that students have the facility to collaborate with other people for Industrial Engineering, it is especially important.

And it is that the work dynamics of the graduates of this degree includes the coordination and evaluation of different work teams, so it is vital that you are able to join forces with other professionals in search of a goal.

Even during the degree, you will participate in different practical exercises that will simulate common situations in the world of work and you will have to design action plans and strategies together with your colleagues.

Passion for leadership

As we mentioned earlier, industrial engineers usually have the responsibility of managing teams and coordinating work areas, since their main mission is to ensure the quality of processes within companies and their proper functioning in general.

Due to this, it is necessary that the students of this career are willing to assume leadership tasks and have the facility for it.

If you dream of having a high-ranking position and leading work teams, the Industrial Engineering career is for you!

Basic knowledge of physics and chemistry

If during high school you paid a lot of attention to the subjects of Physics and Chemistry, you will have a great advantage when entering the Industrial Engineering career.

By having basic notions of the properties of matter and energy, one of the aspects studied in Physics, you will be able to easily understand professorships related to the control of production and design of facilities suitable for work.

Chemistry, by focusing on the composition, structure and properties of matter, is another discipline that you need to know before diving into aspects of production itself.

Logically, this does not mean that you must be an expert in these areas to be able to study Industrial Engineering.

You simply need to review some of the aspects of these subjects that you studied in college and high school.

Capacity for analysis and synthesis

The Industrial Engineering career will challenge you through practical exercises such as simulations of complex problems related to the operation of companies and, specifically, their production systems.

For this reason, it is important that you focus on developing your capacity for analysis and synthesis.

In other words, this means that you must know how to evaluate different variables to make diagnoses about a certain situation and, despite the fact that the information is very broad, you must synthesize it and find the essential aspects, which will finally help you solve the problem.

Inclination for technology

When talking about everything about Industrial Engineering, technology cannot be left out.

And it is that it must constantly adapt to new programs, tools and technological devices in the industry and, especially, to the management of those related to business intelligence.

Therefore, having an inclination for technology and valuing it as an instrument capable of facilitating multiple tasks and processes, will allow you to understand how business management software and various systems in charge of optimizing production work.

Logical thinking

In careers related to the exact sciences, including Industrial Engineering, logical thinking is one of the most important qualities for students.

This term refers to the ability to relate different actions, objects or events, as well as find their differences, analyze and compare them.

If you consider that you can develop this skill, like the previous 5, great! You can become a brilliant student of Industrial Engineering.

Processes and engineering have remained a fundamental part of chemical plant design and surely will continue to be. Chemical engineering processes include thermodynamics, transport phenomena, reactor engineering, and process design and control. But advancing the fundamentals of process and product science and engineering is also essential to the vitality and effectiveness of chemical engineering.

According to the above, it is necessary to include five new areas in the design: process-product co-design, high-tech processes, analytics and automated learning, sustainability and the expansion of biotechnology.

Co-design process – product

Chemical engineers are increasingly involved in the design and development of new specialized products, formulations and materials whose properties are often sensitive or determined by optimal design and operational processes.

By integrating processing with product design in chemical plants, both processes can be enriched. Therefore, experts hope to establish particular methods and tools for the design and development of multifunctional materials such as catalysts, polymers, nanoparticles, among others.

Eventually, new tailored functional devices and products will be developed on a routine basis for different industrial sectors (chemical, pharmaceutical, food and beverage). In addition, products manufactured using 3D printers will also be available in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

High-tech processes

Unit operations have represented a powerful concept in chemical plant design. However, additive manufacturing, for example, goes beyond existing unit operations.

Manufacturing products such as automobiles and appliances has been characterized by a mix of machining (subtractive manufacturing) and assembly, but additive manufacturing provides a degree of design flexibility that represents unprecedented opportunities for process integration, including the rapid creation of prototyping and manufacturing of consolidated parts with improved heat and mass transfer and reaction characteristics.

Where once there was a small set of polymers that could be 3D printed, many different materials can now be printed, including metals, biological tissues, and food.

Analytics and machine learning

Products, operations and supply chains will change rapidly to benefit from the analysis of useful information in data, especially large data sets. The power of analytics will come from countless sensors that feed data through radio frequency identification and wireless technologies.

A broader application is smart manufacturing, which enables improvements in business and operational decision making through data analysis. Highly automated processes and controls will produce a level of data output and connectivity that has not been seen before in the industry, which could connect directly with consumers and perhaps move further towards personalized medicines.

Sustainability

Analyzing the long-term result of the social, environmental and financial impact is the basis of decisions oriented to sustainability about products and processes in chemical plants. Decisions based on sustainability can become the norm, relying on responsibility for decisions that can affect us now and for generations to come.

The industry is subject to continuous changes that promote its productivity, integrate new technologies, or make it more respectful of the environment. But it is the concept of the Smart Factory or intelligent factory, without a doubt, that is called to revolutionize the industrial sector in all these aspects.

What does Smart Factory Mean?

The term “Smart Factory” refers to highly digitized and connected production facilities. It is a dynamic within Industry 4.0, which considers these types of factories as the factories of the future, and which is already beginning to be implemented.

The technologies used for this purpose range from Artificial Intelligence, through Internet of Things connectivity, two of course the already used robotics. These highly flexible factories that can “learn” or refine the processes could become almost autonomous.

In this way, we go to a factory where each link in the production chain, each process, each robot, constantly emits data so that it can be collected and analyzed later (Big Data).

But not only does it allow to improve production at the level of efficiency, this digitization encourages greater dynamism, being able to adapt production to each client, to each product or specific need.

Benefits of Smart Factories

Connectivity, autonomy and a huge amount of useful data are just a few brushstrokes of the advantages that a Smart Factory can provide. But they are not there:

·         The environment will benefit from more efficient manufacturing processes, for example through additive manufacturing that uses less material and reduces waste. On the other hand, the Smart Factory is also called upon to integrate renewable energies, thus also reducing their environmental impact.

·         The interconnection of the elements of the factory will allow obtaining a proactive environment. You can even connect with external agents such as suppliers or specific customers, which could allow you to accept orders, start production when there is demand, or report the status of an order already placed.

·         Other tasks associated with the smart factory, such as logistics, could also benefit.

Expectations and challenges for the implementation of Smart Factories

Since the Internet of Things itself is under development, Smart Factories are still in an early stage today.

However, the Smart Factory is expected to become popular reaching all of the industry fields. Something that will happen, yes, progressively.

There are some technologies that are already mature and are used in the most advanced industries, but there are still some pitfalls to spread them widely. The first of these is the lack of specialists in Big Data.

The amount of data that can be obtained from an installation of this type is enormous and is worth its weight in gold, however, without a suitable “sieve”, without interpreting it; it is very difficult to use it for personal benefit.

New equipment requires, on the other hand, not only qualified professionals and technicians, but new machinery that is often expensive. Although this machinery is profitable in the long term and its cost can be assumed by the heavier industries, it is not easy in the case of small and medium-sized factories.

There is a particularly problematic point, which is the transition between the conventional factory and the Smart Factory. During this time window, losses may occur due to stoppages or slowdown in production. In any case, they are problems that a competent project manager can minimize.

Compared to the traditional model, in which the design is carried out in a chronological and orderly manner, concurrent engineering – also called simultaneous engineering or total engineering – is a methodology that allows working in coordination and in parallel.

The basis of this working model is that the developers take into account all the stages that the product goes through, from the original idea to delivery to the customer. This ranges from concept design to completion, including quality, available budget, market demand, and positioning against the competition.

Objectives of concurrent engineering

Concurrent engineering has its roots in the aerospace industry of the 1980s, and is now widely used in other sectors such as the automotive industry.

As we have seen, the traditional model conceives the process in stages, where each phase is carried out after the other. The different departments (design, engineering, plant manufacturing, distribution …) do their work in a compartmentalized way, which first of all involves a significant expenditure of time, since each team must become familiar with the product and its specifications at different times of the work flow.

This fragmented information is also a source of coordination errors, since each department operates with different instructions and objectives. For example, if a department does not agree with the material that reaches it at a certain point, it can force a repeat of the previous work. This causes an unnecessary waste of time, money and human resources.

However, when working with concurrent engineering methods, all phases are set in parallel, so that the objectives are common and the advances in each field affect the overall approach.

Some advantages of this methodology are:

·         Reduce development times

·         Solve problems in early stages

·         Quick adaptation to the market

·         Position the product against competitors

Phases of concurrent engineering

Definition phase, where the objectives and functionalities of the new product are established. Here it is usual to include a comparative analysis of the competition, to see how the existing offer in the market can be improved.

Conceptual phase. Once we have defined what we want, we go to how we do it. One of the most common techniques is brainstorming, ideally with representatives of the different departments involved.

Detail and simulation phase. The design is done thanks to computer tools. At Stalwart we use BIM (Building Information Modeling), which allows us not only to work in 3D but also to integrate the different phases of the project and share it between several departments that work in parallel. Running simulations detects potential problems before they physically arise.

Production phase. First, a prototype is made and once it is satisfied, manufacturing is integrated into the factory production process, either by adapting machinery and processes, or by creating a new production line.

Marketing phase. In the spirit of continuous improvement, once the product reaches the market it is important to analyze the feedback and reactions of the end consumer, in order to make the necessary changes.

Everyone agrees that quality criteria are fundamental in the production and processes of a company. However, many organizations feel lost and make decisions without having a global vision of everything that involves working under quality standards.

By not working in an integral way, decisions are made in one part of the chain that are often not reflected in the final result or, directly, contradict what happens in another part of the process. This represents an absurd loss of resources and has a direct impact on the product that reaches the customer.

The figure of the Quality Manager comes to solve all these coordination and decision-making problems.

An expert in SQA (Service Quality Assurance) is trained to integrate quality management in all units and processes of an organization, to achieve the efficiency and competitiveness objectives that are set by the company’s management.

What exactly does a Quality Assurance Manager or Quality Manager do?

Although the exact nature of its work varies depending on the particular industry in which it is framed, its main tasks are related to ensuring that the product meets the required quality standards.

This requires a professional who not only has a high level of technical knowledge, but also leadership and teamwork skills. A Quality Assurance Manager works with staff and suppliers to establish processes and quality standards, and monitors the data based on the objectives set.

It is a high-profile position, as some of its functions are:

·         Do an exhaustive monitoring of the product life cycle (development, markets, structure …)

·         Become familiar with the work of all the units and processes of the organization, to monitor their performance and detect possible points of improvement.

·         Work with the staff of operators to establish processes, standards and quality systems.

·         Coordinate the different teams so that they all work under the same objectives.

·         Give support in the decision making of the Directorate.

·         Develop a quality management system focused on sustainability and competitiveness.

·         Determine training needs and recruitment profiles of the staff.

·         Make sure that all suppliers know and meet the quality criteria set by the company.

·         Investigate and set standards related to occupational health and safety.

In short: the SQA Manager works as a catalyst for change and improvement in quality processes, directing the objectives to maximize profitability.

What type of companies need an SQA Manager?

Although the modern figure of the Quality Manager is relatively recent, more and more companies are sensitive to the need to establish clear processes and quality controls. Thus, SQA-related jobs are increasingly in demand.

They are traditionally contemplated within the automotive industry, although new hyper specialization profiles continually appear in various sectors.

As examples of companies that demand the figure of the Quality Manager, we can think of:

·         Automotive companies

·         Engineering companies

·         Secondary sector and manufacturing and processing industries.

·         Textile companies

·         Pharmaceutical companies

·         Feeding

·         Banks

·         Universities

·         Government departments

·         IT and software development companies

In all of them, the SQA Manager is integrated into the organization to coordinate the different departments, either permanently or to organize specific projects, always thinking that the final result responds to the client’s needs.

Should I integrate the position in my organization or is it better to opt for an outsourcing service?

It is worth outsourcing if it is a specific project, such as a prototyping, or if the company has been running for a while and wants to review its quality standards. A technician hired through an outsourcing service provides a “fresh” vision of the company’s processes, and that objectivity together with their specific training allows them to make the right decisions.