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Many people across a wide range of industries, including maintenance and manufacturing, use gases from compressed gas cylinders. High-pressure gas cylinders are also known as gas bottles. They are a convenient way to transport and store gases under pressure. These gases can be used for many different purposes, such as welding, soldering and flame cutting, chemical processes, medical and laboratory uses, breathing (for diving or emergency rescue purposes), water treatment, heating and cooking, dispensing beverages, fuel for vehicles, extinguishing fires or else.

Every gas cylinder must be designed and manufactured to an approved standard, so it can withstand everyday use, but also to prevent any potential hazards. Furthermore, every gas cylinder must be initially inspected before it’s put into service to ensure they meet the approved standard and then be periodically examined regularly to make sure they are safe while in service.

To reduce the risks of failure anyone who examines, fills, refurbishes, or uses a gas cylinder should be properly trained and have all the necessary skills to carry out their job safely. For proper handling and use, there are a few rules that must be followed. However, one of the most frequently asked questions is if cylinders need to be restrained and here is what you need to know about using gas bottle holder restraints.
dual cilinder conversion kit

Do Gas Bottles Need to Be Chained?

To begin with, use gas bottles in a vertical position unless specifically designed to be used otherwise. You can find gas bottle holder restraints for the cylinders you’re using, and prevent them from falling or being knocked over. Before making a purchase, make sure to double-check if the ones you’ve selected are the right ones for your gas bottles.
welding gas cylinder for mig and tig welding

Gas bottle restraints and brackets are extremely durable, versatile and adjustable. Make sure to choose restraints that conform to all relevant Australian standards and keep in mind that the brackets are not meant to be used as a weight-bearing device, but on the ground or truck body, not hung up away from the ground. They provide a simple, yet effective method of securing gas bottles to walls and within laboratories or calibration facilities.

For non-refillable cylinders, the restraints are bolted to the wall to provide a secure position and are very useful for placing the cylinders near a technician’s workbench or a docking station. For gas bottles, restraints are available in single, two- and three-cylinder versions, and each restraint is bolted to the wall to secure it in place. Belt straps offer an easier and more efficient method over chains for securing the cylinders in place.

Gas Cylinders in Seismically Active Areas

Gas bottle holders are sufficient at preventing your cylinders from tipping over. In seismically active areas, more than one strap should be used to keep each cylinder in place. Gas cylinder securing systems should be anchored to a permanent building member or fixture. This is necessary for preventing movement during a seismic event.

Transportation of Gas Cylinders

Also, gas bottle holders are used for restraining gas cylinders in transport in passenger or commercial vehicles. It’s important to follow safety instructions for the transportation of both full and empty cylinders. Gas bottle restraints can help you secure all cylinders from moving during transport, considering the forces generated in a traffic accident as well.
safety transportation of gas cylinders

Restrain cylinders by lashing them to the vehicle body using straps, or containing them in a purpose-built frame if transporting them upright against a headboard. LPG gas safety requires outdoor storage in a well-ventilated area, valves firmly closed and LPG gas cylinders to be always transported and stored upright. LPG may be non-toxic, but it’s flammable and potentially explosive.

Never use elastic straps, rope or duct tape for restraining cylinders. If transporting cylinders lying down, make sure to place them lengthwise on the deck. Position the valve facing rearwards, so the base is blocked against the headboard or another strong part.

Make sure to know your gases, and if a gas leak occurs during the transportation, stop and park your vehicle as far away as possible from people and other vehicles, leave it and report the issue. In case of fire or a road accident, do the same and make sure to always advise them of the details of your load, and your location.

Storing Your Gas Cylinders

For proper storage of your gas cylinders, you need to make sure they are outside the building, nominally at ground level and never under a building or stairway. They need to be on a firm, level and non-combustible base and secured to a solid structure. Your gas bottles must be clear of combustible materials and positioned in a way that the safety valves point away from adjacent structures and cylinders.
Gas Cylinder Storage

Lastly, gas cylinders are not dangerous if handled, used and stored properly for gas cylinder safety. They can be dangerous if mishandled, stored improperly or used incorrectly. Storing them indoors, not performing leak testing, not keeping them upright, storing near ignition sources and heating or transporting them incorrectly can lead to hazards, so it’s important to follow every step of the safety instructions, from proper training to regular checking and handling them with utmost care and precaution.

Welding is a process that is universal. Even if you don’t use it in any of your day-to-day activities, many of your possessions are made with at least some degree of welding. It’s widely used in construction, heavy fabrication, shipbuilding and many other industries. In the simplest terms, it’s the process of joining two materials together by heating them to a melting point. The materials can be metals, thermoplastics or wood, so there are plenty of possibilities. Furthermore, it’s an amazingly creative activity with many things to make. As such, it can be a great hobby or business. You can make something personal for yourself, like cool-looking figures, for example. And from a business aspect, you can make something that you could sell, like metal fences.
welder work on a workbench

It’s a productive activity with many choices to make, like the method of welding you need and the necessary equipment. Also, it is vital to have the right gun at all times, as it’s what melts the materials. However, one paramount set of equipment needed for the job is safety equipment. Your welding gear is not complete without them, and you risk injuries and other bodily harm. There are many complicated choices to make, so here are the essential ones.

Helmets

A common staple of any Australian welding supplies kit is a good helmet. If you’re looking to buy a safety welding kit, but it doesn’t include a helmet, you’re leaving one of the most sensitive and vital parts of your body exposed. This exposure can lead to long-term harm to your eyes, ears, mouth and face area from the sparks and heat. Furthermore, light radiation can cause injuries to the eyes.
welding helmet welder

Types of Helmets

To choose the right helmet for your needs, you must account for what you’ll be working on and with what method. After all, TIG and MIG are entirely different. There are two types of helmets, auto-darkening and fixed shade. The second type is the traditional one, in which you have to move the shade up and down when you’re welding and when you make pauses to inspect your work. On the other hand, auto-darkening helmets can instantly go from light to dark. They do this by using ultra-sensitive sensors found in the front. Once they feel any heat, they instantly switch to dark mode.

Extra Features

Welding helmets come with many settings and features that can help you in your work. One such feature is the extra viewing area that allows you to have a better overview of everything. Moreover, there are settings like shade control and memory function. Shade control allows the operator to set the variable welding shades the helmet will switch to when needed. Memory function, however, lets the operator optimise the helmet to their needs in three aspects. One of them is the previously mentioned shade control, but there are also sensitivity and delay options. Sensitivity is the point at which the helmet changes to dark mode and delay determines the speed at which it will change.
mig welding welder working

Accessories and Variations

Helmets have some extra accessories and beneficial variations as all other welding supplies. One of the best, in my opinion, is the one that completely covers your face, including your neck, ears and part of your chest. Although these variations don’t have the auto-darkening feature, they’re great protection. Still, if you’re worried about not breathing properly in the helmet and if it feels suffocating, there are air filters that can feed you air through a tube. Thereby, you’ll always feel in control and with enough air to breathe freely. Another important piece of equipment that all guides recommend is the goggles. Even with a helmet on you, never forget the goggles.

Gloves

The part of your body that is closest to the gun and the welding material is your hands. Accordingly, they need the best possible protection from the dangers of fire and heat. If you start welding without gloves or take them off at times, you’ll learn quickly never to touch anything without them, unless you want to risk a burn injury. Additionally, the type of gloves you need is decided by the welding you do.
welding gloves

Stick and Heavy-Duty MIG

If you’re working with a stick or heavy-duty MIG welding, you need the strongest gloves to protect you from the powerful heat and spatter. Gloves for these types of welding are made with flame-resistant construction and many layers of insulation. Plus, they come with silicone patches for extra protection. You can notice them by their heavy stitching.

Standard MIG

On the other hand, standard MIG gloves are made from leather and offer more dexterity for the price of less insulation. It’s the classic case of a trade-off of one quality for another.

TIG

Lastly, TIG gloves don’t trade-off or sacrifice anything. They’re a combination of durability and flexibility. They’re made of soft, heat-resistant leather, which can protect you and enable quick reactions to get your job done.

Body Protection

Australian welding supplies stores have a large assortment of welding equipment to protect your body. Jackets and pants shouldn’t be forgotten when buying protective welding equipment. They protect the entirety of your body and prevent any of the sparks from landing on your normal clothes.

Our economy is intricately connected to uninterrupted power supply. It applies to all sectors of economic activity regardless whether you are dealing with production and retail or you are simply solving administrative tasks in an office. At the same time our power grid is not perfect (as much as we would like it to be) and interruptions, shortages or inconsistencies are common. So, in essence, you are bound to experience some issue with the power supply, and you should be aware of the pattern in such disruptions. If there is one and you identify it, you can take further steps to solve the issue as long as this is under your control. Power quality analysis is very important for assessing the integrity of power supply systems. The typical indicators are swells, sages and interruptions in voltage, exceedance of power, disturbances and harmonic thresholds. There is more than one tool to measure them, though.

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close-up of led warning light for car
Source: pinimg.com

Despite the consistent efficiency and positive aspects of the massive traffic infrastructure, it can still be dangerous. Yes, well-built roads and the transport system have brought us closer together, but injuries and accidents can happen. You can do everything in your power to be a safe driver, but someone else might not pay attention and miss you. Another aspect of traffic is how full it is, and you might need to get somewhere quickly as part of your job. You might be a security company, an ambulance, police, etc. And instead of worrying about what might happen and fruitlessly using your horn, there is another, better solution.

That solution for your personal and industrial needs is LED warning lights. LED, which stands for light-emitting diode, is now a widely-spread and helpful technology. It’s an excellent and reliable light source that has found many uses in personal life, like camping, on your car, as well as more industrial-like applications on building sites. Nonetheless, there are certain restrictions as to who’s allowed to use them and how. Due to the many benefits and uses and the limitations, I decided to write this article. The goal, of course, is to explain them in detail. More specifically, what you should look out for when buying one and the technical features they have.

Characteristics and Restrictions

emergency light installed on a car
Source: amazon.com

This part of the article will focus on the technological aspects and how to consider them. These tips will be particularly helpful for buying LED warning lights for cars. Furthermore, it will go into the legislature of Australia in regards to them. 

Technology

LED lights work very similarly to regular ones, except that there’s no filament. To compensate for this, it produces it as the electricity passes through the path of its semiconductor. This movement, in turn, creates radiation which we people can see. And this detail makes all the difference. 

Quality

That said, the crucial two aspects that define the lights’ quality are the number of LEDs and the colours available. The first one is how strong your warning light will be when you use it. Meanwhile, the second one is the array of colours you can use. Some of them can be more helpful in certain situations, like red when it’s raining or similar. The spectrum of colours, however, is defined by the voltage that the light can use, which in turn is restricted by the semiconductor compound it uses. 

But, what’s important to know is what colour uses what voltage. Infra-red wastes the least with 1.2V, but it isn’t common. Red wastes 1.8V, and it is widely spread. Ambres is 2.2V and yellow is 2.2V. On the other hand, green uses 3.5V, the most out of all the common ones. The colour white, which is also present sometimes, uses 4.0V. And while this might seem like a small detail, it makes a difference because the light can sometimes go up to 50 degrees Celsius. 

Modes

Aside from the previously mentioned quality of light, another distinguishing quality is the modes. They determine how the LED acts. The most common one is steady, as it doesn’t shift or change. If you’re looking for a light that rotates, then the rotating configuration is the one for you. Furthermore, this configuration can have multiple options. But, if you want a light that flashes on and off, you need the flashing configuration. Same as the previous one, it also comes with multiple options. Additionally, if you want some sort of alert noise, some of them also come equipped with an alarm. 

Durability

If you’re afraid of the warning lights falling off or malfunctioning, don’t worry. There are several extra features just for this. First, you want to make sure that it’s waterproof, especially if you’re using it outdoors. Another mechanism, if you’re worried about someone tampering with it, is a locking apparatus. There’s also the anti-tamper locking screw as an alternative. Lastly, if you don’t want it to fall off, stainless steel fixings are known for being durable and great for any occasion.

Usage in Australia

As previously explained, using LED lights without a good reason or legal basis can be illegal. As such, you should make sure that you won’t have any trouble. However, the government does regulate some of the colours at the state level. The State and Federal Police forces, Military Police and Border forces, for example, use red and blue. Red exclusively means a risk-to-life situation. Accordingly, ARFF, mines rescue, and Western Power uses them. Blue, on the other hand, is for emergency motor vehicles, like ambulances, fire, police vehicles, etc. 

Benefits

led warning lights for car
Source: pushauction.com

When it comes to the benefits of using LED warning lights for cars, there’s honestly just too many. But I’ll try to go over some of the main ones.

Efficiency

close-up of warning light
Source: pinimg.com

This advantage is multi-faceted as it spans across several areas, kind of similar to how the light spreads. The primary characteristic which sets it apart is how much little electricity it wastes compared to normal ones. Consequently, you spend less money. As you spend less electricity, it’s also environmentally friendly. The colour green isn’t always present in these lights, but they are definitely “green”.

Furthermore, they don’t require any maintenance, and you’ll never have to change another lightbulb. This is due to them being extremely long-lasting. The average lifespan is 50.000 hours, which is much longer than other ones.
Finally, if you’re worried about how you can use them, they’re easy to control, and they instantly light up. And the lights can be much more pleasant to the eye compared to fluorescent or incandescent.

Safety

car with warning lights
Source: bradfordfireapparatus.com

The biggest benefit of these lights, when used in traffic, is the absolute condition of safety. They quickly and easily attract attention from anyone else in the environment. And as previously mentioned, they’re easy to control with many modes that can be a lifesaver in difficult situations. Although, as already mentioned several times in this text, you can only use these lights if you have a valid reason to do so. Otherwise, you face the risk of legal problems.

As consumers, we dispose of tones of packaging materials each year, including plastic, paper, glass, tin and more. But they don’t simply disappear into thin air. Small steps are the key to living a more sustainable life and making a positive difference in protecting our environment. It’s important to realise that as long as it’s collected and disposed of properly, plastic packaging can be a green option.

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When assembling an arsenal of tools for taking care of your garden, don’t forget to add a leaf blower as well. Leaf blowers are quite practical garden tools that can be used in a variety of clean-up tasks around your property. Although you may think that such a tool does only one job, in fact, you can use it for various things besides cleaning leaves and dirt in your yard.

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Packing items at home or in an industrial environment has seen a great benefit from stretch wrap. This elastic film is a combo of resin (which is essentially polymeric feed stock), tackifiers, a pigment to make it either opaque or tinted and UV resistant additives. Stretch wrap film is available as cast or blown film. Cast plastic film is made by first melting the thermoplastic material which goes through a flat die onto a chill roll where it solidifies. The melted thermoplastic material of the blown film goes through a circular die with the help of a large air bubble blown inside. The difference between the two is that blown film is opaque and it makes a lot more noise than cast film during the unwrapping process.

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With the need for using renewable energy sources increasing, solar power has become almost ubiquitous all around Australia. In order for your devices to take advantage of the solar power that’s harnessed by the solar panels, you need a solar inverter to transform the DC energy that comes from the sun into AC power. DC power flows in one direction and provides current when there’s no electricity. It can be used for a wide range of small appliances that have their power stored in a battery. AC flows both ways, and it goes back and forth inside the circuit. This power is used for household devices.Solar-Inverters-Evolution-Solar-Kingaroy

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Storage facilities oftentimes need to load pallet trucks, forklifts, trolleys and other material handling equipment into containers, which can be inconvenient if you don’t have the assistance of a container ramp. Container ramps are the ideal solution when loading products on low heights safely and conveniently. However, with so many different types of ramp container models available, how do you decide which one is best for you?

industrial ramps

Source: niuli.com.au

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rubber-supplies1

In order to keep rain and the cold from entering your car, the doors, or rather their contours, need to be covered in a material that enables the proper sealing. Seals ensure a snug and tight fit on your vehicle’s doors, but not just any type of seals but pinch weld seals. These pieces of rubber basically fill up the space between the door and the jamb, and although they may seem complicated, they are actually fairly simple. Fitting them may not require as much skill as it does patience, but a bit of knowledge on the matter can go a long way.

What You Will Need

For this fitting to take place, you need certain things that will make it happen. You’ll need a drill driver for the panels, a cloth to clean up the dust, side cutters and a razor to get the correct length of the pinch weld seal. As with all rubber supplies of this sort, you’ll need to stick the ends of the pinch weld seal, for which you’ll need super glue and soapy water. You’ll also need a rubber mullet in order to place the seal inside as tightly as possible.

rubber-supplies2

Out with the Old

To get rid of the old used up seal, you’ll need to remove the panels that cover the pinch weld, loosen up the top panels of the door and then completely remove the threshold plate. Afterwards, you’ll need to pull out the weatherstripping by starting at the bottom of the door opening where you will find a tube that prevents the two ends from sagging. By keeping the rubber firm, the tube eliminates wind noise and water leaks. You should start removing the rubber seal from the vehicle’s pinch-weld by gently pulling it away. After that, give it a good wipe down so there’s no debris and dust in the pinch-weld.

In with the New

Once you’ve removed the old weatherstripping, it’s time to put the new one in place. You will do this by placing the U channel of the pinch weld seal around the whole perimeter using a rubber mullet. When doing this, try to get in as much as you can in order for the fit to be as tight as possible. This should be done because rubber supplies like the pinch weld seal shrink as they age. You will be left with an excess of about 3 mm, which you will need to cut out and superglue them together or sprinkle some soapy water on the tube to fit the two ends with the tube inside. In the end, put the top panels and the threshold plate back in place and you’re done.

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