Posted by William Vander Plaats on Thu, May 10, 2012 @ 01:53 PM
Standing close to where the World Trade Center Towers once stood proud and tall, the Freedom Tower is now piercing the Manhattan skyline as New York City’s tallest building. Since the terrorist attacks on U.S. soil on 9/11, more than 200 iron workers have been vigorously working to construct the soon to be 1,776 foot high tower. Now at over 1,244 feet high, the 104 story tall Freedom Tower has surpassed the height of the Empire State building.
The new Freedom Tower has been designed with safety as a number one priority, a role in which steel manufacturing is very important. Built to withstand future possible terrorist attacks, the new tower is equipped with more than 70 elevators, escalators, and steel counterweights provided by the largest steel manufacturers in the world. The steel counterweights alone will total 800,000 pounds!
Constructing such a colossal structure requires talented professionals and the finest quality steel that can be produced. Steelmakers know there are no shortcuts to producing product, and the proper use of filtration within a steel mill has become vitally important and a Best Practice among the world's top steelmakers.
AIST Steel Technology Conference Highlights Filtration
At the AIST Steel Technology Conference and Exposition this week in Atlanta, the newest innovations and Best Practices in steel and metals production were shared with industry professionals. Filtration solutions took center stage displaying products and techniques designed to deal with solids removal from scale pits, preventing spray nozzle clogging, and protecting pump seals. Effective filtration reduces unscheduled downtime, product rejection and energy consumption.
New Case Study: Filtration at a Metals Manufacturer in Kentucky
A new Case Study highlights the challenges of effective steel production. One large rolled metals producer in the USA was having trouble with metal scale re-entering their water loop system, clogging their heat exchangers and spray nozzles. It was forcing them to halt production and manually clean the tank as many as three times per week, and also was affecting the overall quality of the product.
They examined different options and determined that a LAKOS filtration system was the perfect answer. The plant has saved thousands of dollars in maintenance and energy expenses, and paid off the initial cost of the separator in just months. Their labor savings alone equal $18,000 per year.
Download the FREE Metals Manufacturing Case Study
Get this new Case Study and read details of the installation, including full color photos and return on investment information. Learn how filtration can help improve your industrial product manufacturing process.
Posted by William Vander Plaats on Wed, Apr 04, 2012 @ 03:21 PM
Last year’s “Where in the World is a LAKOS Solution?” photo contest was a huge success. People from all over the world submitted installation photos of their LAKOS filters and separators. That’s why LAKOS is bringing back the popular contest for 2012.
Revamped with even more prizes and chances to win, the “What’s Your LAKOS Story?” contest is again asking you to submit your stories and photos of LAKOS products wherever they are installed. With a new focus on the entry description and less on just the photo itself, you don’t have to be a professional photographer to win - the more detailed and descriptive your entry is, the better your chances to win! And don't forget how easy it is to shoot a quick video with your smartphone !
More Prizes Than Ever!
Any LAKOS filtration installation is eligible. From decades old to brand new, irrigation to comfort cooling, residential to industrial - as long as there’s a LAKOS story, it can be entered!
Each quarter will have:
- A Grand Prize. The grand prize winner will have the choice between either a $500 Amazon gift card or a new Apple iPad (commonly referred to as the iPad3).
- Second and Third place finalists. Each will be awarded $50 Amazon gift cards.
LAKOS judges will base their choices on the details and uniqueness of the stories, as well as the quality of the photos included. Each quarter the winners will be announced on our website, as well as the LAKOS Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and Google+ accounts.
Enter The Contest Today!
So What’s Your LAKOS Story? Click here to enter today! Simply fill out the form and attach your photo or short video. At the end of each of the remaining quarters in 2012 (ending in June, September, and December) the judges will vote and announce the winners! It could be YOU, and you will have your choice of a new iPAD or $500 worth of Amazon merchandise, including products ranging from expresso machines to wine racks to netbooks to fishing and hunting gear !
Posted by William Vander Plaats on Thu, Mar 15, 2012 @ 02:05 PM
Cooking oil isn’t just for french fries, potato chips, and corn dogs any more. In addition to those common uses, it is also being used for biodiesel and even to generate heat for the home. With gasoline prices on the way up again in the U.S., many automobile drivers are looking towards alternative fuel sources. Cooking oil has grown to be a very versatile and valuable commodity.
Increased prices and popularity means that cooking oil theft is also on the rise. With prices skyrocketing, criminals have made a lucrative business stealing and then reselling used cooking oil for as much as 40 cents per pound on the black market (up from just 25 cents per pound in 2010). It’s becoming increasingly more important to find more ways to save oil, and therefore money, in industries that rely on cooking oil.
Efficiency and Safety When Using Cooking Oil
With these expanding uses, becoming efficient when using cooking oil is more important than ever. So how do you stretch the longest life from cooking oil? When used to deep fry foods, the efficient removal of crumbs and fines from the oil will allow the oil to be used and reused through more production cycles.
Effective filtration is the key.
Safely Extend The Life Of Your Cooking Oil With Filtration
Filtration is the perfect answer to cooking oil woes for fried food companies looking to reduce labor costs, recycle oil, and improve product quality. A LAKOS Centrifugal Separator can do this efficiently and safely. Used alone or as part of a turnkey system, a specially-designed centrifugal separator is the ideal filtration solution for manufacturers who not only want to save money on oil costs, but also improve product appearance and flavor.
Large Chip Manufacturer Installs Filtration and Saves $62,000 In Labor Alone
One snack food company on the east coast of the U.S. switched to LAKOS for their cooking oil filtration, and now saves over $62,000 per year in reduced labor costs alone. In addition, the installation also resulted in:
- Improved employee safety
- Reduced cooking oil costs
- A better appearing and tasting product
Download the FREE Case Study Today!
Details of this installation, including color photos and cost saving details are included in our FREE Case Study. Download it today, and learn how the best snack foods manufacturers around the world consider installing LAKOS Filtration one of their Best Practices in successful hot oil food processing.
LAKOS will be at the Snaxpo Exposition in Phoenix this weekend, so if you want stop by and see a complete cooking oil filtration solution up close and personal, please stop by booth #240.
Posted by William Vander Plaats on Mon, Mar 12, 2012 @ 03:06 PM
From the Thames River in England to Mitchell County, Georgia, this winter’s lack of rainfall is causing historical droughts all over the globe. This means that groundwater levels are at an unprecedented low, hitting hard in agriculturally rich areas like the Central Valley of California and many others. The most recent reports show that the California mountain snowpack is only at 30% of its historical average. That means farmers could get only 50% of the water requested for them by the public agencies that supply water for nearly a million acres of irrigated farmland in California.
This Week Is National Groundwater Awareness Week In The USA
With these record low levels of groundwater all over the world, it is important now more than ever to do our part to protect this precious resource. NGWA’s National Groundwater Awareness Week comes at a perfect time, as the weather starts to warm up and more water is needed for crops and other uses.
One of the best ways to preserve groundwater is by adding filtration to a water system. Residential filtration or filtration during irrigation are great ways to not only clean water from unwanted solids, but are also efficient ways of saving water. Sand build up can clog pipes, water treatment systems, appliances, and create problems for water heaters or pressure systems. A clogged solenoid or control valve stuck in the "open" position can cause over watering. Filtration can protect your water system from all sorts of problematic solids, such as sand, silt, grit, and algae. With increasingly limited amounts of available groundwater, it’s important that we use what we have to its fullest potential.
Growing Future Generations of Groundwater Preservers
As with all precious resources, having a protective industry is key to groundwater’s preservation. A network of thousands of professionals work every day to help conserve this natural resource. LAKOS is dedicated to expanding this important industry to future generations.
That’s why LAKOS is once again offering the annual Ben Everson Scholarship. The $1,000 scholarship is awarded each year to two students pursuing a college degree in a water related field.
Apply For FREE College Money TODAY!
Click here to see all of the details and to download the application form. The deadline to apply is July 1, 2012. All high school seniors and current college students are eligible to apply, but applicants must have a family tie to someone in the groundwater or irrigation profession. Let’s all stay focused on making the best use of water that we possibly can -- and continue to encourage new ideas and products that help use it in the most efficient ways possible.
Posted by William Vander Plaats on Fri, Feb 03, 2012 @ 10:27 AM
At the end of each football season, millions of people around the world gather in front of their television sets to watch the biggest sporting event in the United States -- the Super Bowl. This Sunday’s Big Game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis appears as if it will be no exception to this trend, as media buzz builds excitement until the time for the opening kickoff has arrived. The game will pit conference champions against each other as the New England Patriots face off against the New York Giants. But even before those two teams take the field in the heat of battle, another huge challenge will be faced by a 3rd team -- the team of highly talented professionals responsible for keeping the air and water temperatures comfortable throughout the game -- for the players as well as the estimated Lucas Oil Stadium crowd of 63,000 screaming fans.
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Citizens Thermal The Champions Before The Game Begins
The team behind the scenes will use state-of-the-art district energy techniques and equipment to ensure that heating and cooling systems inside the stadium operate without any problems and at maximum efficiency. District management experts Citizens Thermal provide steam heat and chilled water for cooling to more than 250 commercial buildings in the downtown Indianapolis area, including Lucas Oil Stadium -- the home of the Indianapolis Colts and Super Bowl 2012.
Citizens Thermal has relied on LAKOS Filtration Solutions for over a decade to remove unwanted solids from chilled water production. Keeping the chillers clean is essential for maintaining efficiency. Without proper filtration, district energy plants are forced to work harder to maintain proper temperatures, wasting time, energy, and water. LAKOS keeps the chillers running at their highest efficiency, therefore helping to keep both teams and fans at the Super Bowl comfortable, and the stadium equipment running smoothly.
Download the FREE District Energy Case Study and Read More Details
Citizens Thermal are experts at the techniques of cooling tower filtration and district energy management, and opposing teams should study their playbook. Downtown Indiananpolis is a shining example of their expertise, and the Citizens Thermal Case Study describes their success there in some details. Color photographs from the Indianapolis installations are included. Download the FREE District Energy Case Study today, and read how these champions in their field play their game, and make winners of all their customers.
And if you are in the Virgina area next week, stop by the LAKOS demontration (Table 40) at the International District Energy Association’s Annual Campus Energy Conference taking place in Arlington, VA from February 6 - 9.
Posted by William Vander Plaats on Thu, Jan 26, 2012 @ 02:17 PM
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is charged with protecting the environment, and utilizes public awareness and education as two methods to achieve this goal. The organization has just released a new software tool that provides important information about pollutants that are released into local waterways. It is called the Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR) Pollutant Loading Tool, and it brings together millions of records and allows for easy searching and mapping of water pollution by local area, watershed, company, industry sector, and pollutant. Americans can use this new tool to protect their health and the health of their communities.
Environmental and Energy-Conscious Movements Around The World
The Richborough Cooling Towers have dominated the Kent skyline east of London since the 1950’s. The massive hourglass shaped towers are a regional landmark, piercing the 
horizon (see photo), and serving as a constant reminder of the area’s rich, industrial traditions. However, in the coming months, the famous towers that once cooled coal and oil burning power stations will be torn down to make room for a “green” energy park.
Traditional methods of cooling need be updated in order to stay competitive as new green technologies continue to grow. In both new constructions and older ones, proper filtration is an excellent way to increase the efficiency of cooling tower systems. Not only does filtration keep cooling towers operating in the “greenest” way possible, they also save energy, water, and money.
Environmental Agency Saves Water and Energy With Filtration On Their Cooling Tower
Perhaps no organizations are more concerned with keeping their operations environmentally friendly than the government agencies which oversee compliance with environmental regulations. One of the largest of these agencies recently faced escalating costs for cooling tower operations at a laboratory in Texas. Inefficiencies due to dirt and particulate accumulation in the cooling tower basin were causing major problems. They wanted a solution that was effective but also friendly to the environment.
They decided to install an automated cooling tower basin cleaning system, and the results have been overwhelmingly positive.
Download the FREE Case Study Today!
Download the full case study with all the details and color photos of this green installation. See how proper filtration can turn your HVAC nightmare into a water, energy, and money saving system.
Posted by William Vander Plaats on Tue, Dec 06, 2011 @ 01:46 PM
Groundwater Innovation Moves Forward
Water in itself doesn’t seem new and exciting. It hasn’t changed much since the Garden of Eden. But the process in which we treat this precious resource is constantly evolving to be faster, cleaner, and more efficient. Groundwater plays an increasingly important role in ecosystems across the globe, so new technology and forward thinking are necessary to keep it clean for generations to come.
TwistIIClean Filter A Winner in Product of the Year Competition
Each year the organizers of the World Ag Exposition select their Products of the Year. Yesterday they made their selections for 2012, and the TwistIIClean sediment filter from LAKOS has been named to their list! The newest filter from the most trusted name in separator filtration eliminates cleaning hassles and keeps sand out of residential water supplies. The TwistIIClean will be on display at the World Ag Exposition in Tulare (California) on February 14-16, 2012, along with many other LAKOS Groundwater and Agricultural filtration products. The TwistIIClean received a Top-10 Honorable Mention in the competition.
Homeowners and Installers Alike Praise the TwistIIClean Filter
The World Ag Expo team of judges are not the only ones who have been impressed by the effectiveness of the TwistIIClean. Read some comments and testimonials from people who have already tried this product.
- "Once again LAKOS has come up with a functional and easy-to-use product. The TwistIIClean not only efficiently traps sand and sediment, but with a simple turn of the handle to flush and clean the unit, maintenance is a snap. From a company that always listens and responds to its customers, I would expect nothing less."
- " ...The fact that the TwistIIClean filter can be purged and cleaned without shutting down the pump, makes this filter the best I have used without doubt!"
The innovation that can be found in the TwistIIClean carries over into all of the LAKOS products, including separators that prevent sand damage to pumps and valves in water wells.
Pump Protection Separator Saves City Water Well
One city in Illinois desperately needed some filtration innovation at one of their municipal water wells that was supposed to provide clean water to residents.The well was so contaminated with sandstone grains that it had to be shut down. It seemed like their only option was to go through a rehabilitation process that could cost the city upwards of $150,000.
A LAKOS Pump Protection Separator (PPS) was installed in order to save the well that had been previously deemed unusable. For a fraction of what a complete rehabilitation would have cost, LAKOS successfully removed the sandstone grains that were infiltrating the city’s water.
Download The FREE City of Rochelle Case Study
Get the whole story on how LAKOS saved the City of Rochelle’s municipal water well from expensive well rehabilitation. Download the full case study with color photos here and quotes from the customer.
Posted by William Vander Plaats on Thu, Nov 10, 2011 @ 10:35 AM
Over a year ago, we noted here how farmers and ranchers were embracing the latest communication technology in their normal work day. Thanks to the ever expanding digital world that we live in, agriculture technology has come a long way since that time.
Smart Phones and Mobile Apps On The Farm
It’s no secret that smartphone usage is on the rise. According to one Nielsen report, as of July 2011, 40% of mobile phone usage was with smartphones, and mobile data traffic has doubled in the last 12 months. Another stunning report shows that in the first six months of 2011 alone, Americans sent and received 1.138 trillion text messages. For farmers and ranchers, development of mobile applications running on these smart phones is also on the increase. Today there is a wide variety of mobile phone "apps" to choose from, including: seed selection tools, irrigation management, news and weather. Many more may be on the way, as recent trends indicate 2011 may end with 8 billion Android app downloads and 6 billion for the Apple Iphone. The two combined for 4 billion downloads in 2010. The modern farmer can carry all this technology around conveniently in his pocket. Together with Global Positioning Systems (GPS), this technology is changing the way farming is done.
For many in rural areas, utilizing the web through smartphones, tablets, and laptops is faster, cheaper, and more convenient than more traditional methods of communication. In the last 10 years, Internet access on farms has grown nearly 20%.
Cattle Ranchers Also Doing Things Differently
Technology is also changing life on the ranch -- and today's modern cattleman does things quite differently than Ben, Hoss, and the other Cartwrights did years ago (watch a rerun of Bonanza if you don't recognize those names). For instance, radio frequency identification (RFID) chips inserted into cattle ear tags help track their movements and determines how often they have been to a feeding area or other areas on the ranch. Electronic Identifcation readers (EID) mounted on posts and other locations read the tags as the cattle pass by (much like a bar code wand can read a bar code in a physical goods inventory). Other pedometry tools measure cow leg activity as a predictor of preferred breeding times.
One family-run dairy farm that has been in operation since 1783 recently installed fiber optics lines, web cams, and wireless internet throughout their new, state-of-the-art barn. Now they can remotely keep an eye on a pregnant cow, or even know when one in the herd might be sick. Computers track the milk production of each cow, and when averages are low, it can indicate an illness.
Other Innovative Agricultural Products
Innovation is not limited to improved communication devices, but includes other products used on the farm as well. Many farms and ranches rely on wells for fresh water to feed crops and cattle, and with that can come unwanted sand and contaminants in the water supply. Sand can clog or damage the impellers and bearings in submersible and turbine pumps. Filtration solutions can prevent this from occuring. As an alternative to filtering the sand before the water leaves a well, solutions also exist to deal with sand as it enters a residence. A new filtration combination can be the answer to dirty water problems at homes and on farms and ranches throughout the world.
One family in Arizona was facing a severe sand problem in their residential water supply. They found the answer to their water dilemma in a powerful centrifugal separator and sediment filter. They installed a LAKOS SandMaster Plus alongside a TwistIIClean sediment filter, with each handling a different part of the problem. Together that combination saved countless dollars by preventing sand damage to home appliances and other equipment repairs.
Download the Latest Case Study Details NOW!
Click Here to download your FREE copy of this new case study - complete with color photos and installation details - to see how the LAKOS SandMaster Plus and TwistIIClean saved the day for this Arizona family!
Posted by William Vander Plaats on Fri, Oct 28, 2011 @ 01:11 PM
A photograph of a LAKOS PPS Pump Protection Separator being installed for the City of Rochelle, IL Water Utility is the latest Grand Prize Winner in our “Where in the World is a LAKOS Solution?” Photo Contest. The winning 
photographer -- Dick Milaeger -- took the winning photo and won a new Ipad2. Mr. Milaeger not only took a great photograph, but also explained in detail how the LAKOS PPS was being installed to prevent sandstone pitting and other damage to the high flow submersible pump used on one of the city's main water wells.
Photo Program Guidelines
Monthly finalists are selected from all submissions that month, based upon the (a) quality of the photograph and (b) details of the installation provided by the photographer. The monthly finalists compete against each other in the quarterly contest for a chance to win our Grand Prize, an iPad2. The contenders for this Grand Prize covered entries received from July through September. Photo entries ranged from a LAKOS HTH Separators installation in Abu Dhabi, to an ILB Separator installed at a resort in the Bahamas, to a JPX Separator system in Boise, Idaho.
Finishing 2nd and 3rd in the contest were two photographs of different LAKOS residential filtration products, including:
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2nd Place: Photographer Tim Regello with his picture of a SandMaster Plus installed near a home in San Marcos, CA. It is used to filter irrigation water from a residential irrigation well.
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3rd Place: Photographer Mike Wiesenberg with his photo of a residential TwistIIClean installation in Orlando, FL. This sediment filter is used to pre-filter water as it enters a home and prevents the whole house filter from getting clogged.
October-November-December Contest Has Begun
The contest continues each month through the end of 2011, with monthly finalists selected at the end of every month. The October deadline is coming soon. Subsequent monthly winners will be chosen after November and December entries are judged. The next iPad winner will be announced in January.
Send Us Your Photo Today!
The October competition closes in just a few days, and time is running out to enter in 2011. Don't miss out on this chance ! To enter a photo of a LAKOS product into the competition, visit photo.lakos.com. You could be the next winner of an iPad2!
Posted by William Vander Plaats on Fri, Oct 07, 2011 @ 09:45 AM
The best engineers in the HVAC industry have known for years that effective filtration is a smart move when it comes to working with cooling towers. Minimizing energy costs, keeping the entire water system operating at maximum capacity, and making water systems more sustainable are just a few perks that come along with proper filtration. Reducing health risks is also a benefit, as evidenced by repeated cases of Legionnaires’ disease around the world when these practices are not followed. Outbreaks of this dangerous type of pneumonia have been popping up all over the world in recent years, including the California State Capitol Building, hotels and hospitals in Miami and many more. Not even the Playboy Mansion has been immune. Most recently, the Aria Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada
experienced an outbreak of the disease.
According to OSHA, every year in the United States there is an estimated 25,000 new cases of Legionnaires’ Disease, 4,000 of which result in death. Almost all of these cases are a result of exposure to the bacteria from the water system in a non-residential building water system, such as a hotel or hospital.
Legionella Prevention Should Include Centrifugal Separators
Frustrations that Legionnaires’ Disease continues to occur is reaching new levels. Fines have been levied on organizations that fail to take proper safeguards, including a recent case in Great Britain where an elderly man died after contracting the disease in a hot tub at one of Scotland’s top vacation resorts. On top of a £120,000 ($193,320 US) fine, the resort could be forced to pay the victim’s family up to £1 million ($1,611,000 US) in court.
The resort has plead guilty to a lack of suitable and sufficient risk assessments. Facility managers admitted to discounting the threat of Legionella because their water systems were part of a new installation.
New ASHRAE Standard Sets New Requirements for Legionella Prevention
New ASHRAE Standard 188P is currently up for public review and is expected to be approved and published soon. The publication will specify requirements for prevention of Legionellosis associated with building water systems. 188P is different from Guideline 12 in that the new standard outlines the practice of exactly what must be done with all those recommendations.
Compliance with the Standard requires facility managers and owners to take responsibility for controlling Legionella in their building water systems. Not only that, but they will be proactively complying with what will most likely be incorporated into local building codes. At the same time it acts as a defense against accusations of negligence in cases which are caused by unknown sources.
DOWNLOAD Our FREE Filtration Return On Investment Tool
Which LAKOS product is best for your cooling tower filtration, and how much energy and water can you expect to save by installing one? Download our Excel-based software tool and determine the Return on Investment (ROI) for different options. This ROI tool is a comprehensive guide to getting started on selecting the best option for you. See how effective filtration can pay for itself in energy and water savings in a very short amount of time and reduce health risks at the same time. Download it today!