Above: Apprentices, steering committee members and the on-the-job trainers for Dixon’s competency-based, Maryland state recognized program.

It’s a common story these days that many manufacturers find it difficult to recruit talent with the technical skills necessary for today’s modern plant. Dixon is working toward a solution. By implementing its own CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machinist apprenticeship program, the company is now able to grow a highly trained workforce from within.

Quick disconnect fittings provide a convenient and efficient way to connect and disconnect fluid lines. Used across a myriad of industries and available in multiple sizes and types, misapplication of quick disconnects will cause problems if not used properly. Here, we outline five conditions under which quick disconnects are bound to fail and suggest a better solution for each application.

Ralph had been successfully selling industrial hose and other related products for more than 20 years and felt he had pretty much seen it all. During the weekly sales meeting, Ralph found out his new sales manager had signed up the entire sales crew to attend a hose and coupling workshop sponsored by a fitting manufacturer. Sales had been off recently, and Ralph viewed this day as one of lost opportunity (and lost commissions). After the meeting, Ralph met with his boss and pleaded not to go. He proclaimed that his way of doing things had worked well for quite a while and there wasn’t anything to be gained by his being at this meeting. But his boss insisted, and told Ralph that they might even teach an old dog like him a few new tricks.

Industrial hose, in general, can be used in many applications. These products convey air, steam, water, chemicals, and an almost unlimited assortment of other products from here to there. Sometimes they move under great pressure and travel great distances. When industrial hose and couplings are properly mated to the task, these assemblies perform their function flawlessly and without notice. Then again, there are tasks industrial hose assemblies should never be asked to do.

In the refined fuel transportation industries, when it comes to choosing the right gasket or O-ring for the job, it’s important to remember: not all seals are created equal.  If these key components aren’t up to the job, leaks and other problems can occur. The problem is, seals come in a variety of materials and grades—something many people don’t realize.

Life is full of choices. Each choice is a compromise. Do we take the expressway to save 10 minutes of drive time or do we take the scenic route with the great view of the lake and the countryside? Do you buy the green car that is loaded and at a great price, or the silver car with less equipment because you love the color? Do we make our own hose assemblies at the plant to save some time and money, or do we have a distributor, with their expertise, make them for us?

Tony Haston has been with Dixon for 26 years. Beginning his career with the company as a territory sales manager, he currently works out of Houston as an energy market specialist. Dixon’s market specialists provide technical and industry expertise in focus areas such as energy, fire, and food and beverage / pharmaceutical.

The salesman from XYZ Hose received an email from one of his long-standing customers. He was smiling as he reviewed the order for more chemical hose assemblies, but the words “We’ve been going through these more quickly the last several months” suddenly gave him an unsettled feeling. With hopes of resolving the problem, he quickly emailed his customer, thanking him for the order and apologizing for not stopping by in almost a year. After setting up a meeting for the next week, he phoned in the details of the order to his office.

Extracting aluminum and refining it into a substance that another manufacturer can use as an aluminum part requires many steps. The raw material, bauxite, is fed into a separator tank also known as a digester. Inside the digester tank are a series of wires that resemble a spider web. These wires carry an electrical current that separates the aluminum ore from the rest of the material. This process is known as electrolysis. The residual matter ends up layered on the walls of the tank. Periodically, this clay-like substance needs to be removed from the walls of the digester; pneumatically powered chipping guns do the job. Removing this residue is hot, dirty and strenuous work.

If you’ve ever endured road construction (and who hasn’t) while making the daily work commute or during the family vacation trip, you may have noticed the construction workers creating quite a bit of dust while using tools that sound like machine guns. Congratulations—you’ve just encountered a pneumatic jackhammer.