Month: January 2018

Freight Shipping Industry Concerns

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The freight shipping industry has been on a fantastic ride for the last few years. The volume of shipments has increased exponentially and the number of freight forwarders and shipping providers has increased dramatically in order to keep up with demand. Although the freight shipping industry was impacted by the global recession in 2008 with many companies facing bankruptcy or going into receivership, overall the industry has remained bullish. The reason for the strength of the industry is simple businesses and individuals will always need to have their goods and products shipped to their customers.

Since the global marketplace has opened up drastically worldwide, it is now possible for consumers to shop twenty-four hours a day and for e-tailers to remain open in order to meet that demand. Naturally, with constant business being transacted, it means that freight shipping providers will always have work. The biggest problem currently facing the freight forwarders of the world is how to sustain the level of growth that they have been experiencing. It may not seem like a very complex issue, but it is, in fact, one of the most important that the shipping industry must resolve. The worlds shipping needs are currently being met because the infrastructure needed to sustain it is already in place. The problem arises from the fact that the current infrastructure is being used almost to capacity. If the freight shipping industry wants to continue expanding, it will have to begin creating new infrastructure to support the increase.

Now, creating the infrastructure requires financing something that the freight shipping companies may lack, and governments might not see the need to invest in building new ports, airports, railways and highways if they cannot see an immediate financial return from doing so. However, even if the governments from around the world were able to commit to building the needed infrastructure to allow the freight shipping industry to continue expanding, the creation of these new ports and airports will take time. The time needed to build the necessary infrastructure will, inevitably, have an impact on the speed of growth that the freight shipping industry is experiencing.

So, while it is true that the freight shipping sector can continue to expand for the foreseeable future, the long range forecast is far from clear. What is definitely clear is that the industry will have to begin investing in its future and also in finding ways to mitigate the eventual slowdown that all industry analysts know is coming.

The other very important point of consideration when it comes to the freight shipping industry is its negative environmental footprint. Engineers working for the shipping industry have been working on creating more powerful, more efficient engines for their sea and air carriers and they have also been working on ways of eliminating waste from their business model. However, the progress in this area is limited and still needs a lot of research and development to produce significant results. At least the reduction of the freight shipping industry footprint is on the agenda and being worked on diligently.

Pressure Transducer Uses In The Oil And Gas Industry

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The world wide oil and gas industry uses many types of pressure transducer for measurement and control in processes, drilling and down hole tools. With the need to find oil in less accessible areas the systems used in exploration, drilling and production becomes ever more complex and the use of pressure transducer products is increasing.

A few applications for pressure transducer sensors are:

Drilling Tools
Various types of pressure transducer are used in downhole tools to monitor hydraulic pressure, and pipeline oil pressure. Often a high pressure transducer is required, with a high operating temperature range due to the extreme environment. The Omni series 10 and series 8 pressure transducer models offer ranges up to 1000 bar with operating temperatures up to 150 degrees C.

Wellheads
Wellhead assemblies and Christmas tree use a range of pressure transducer sensors to monitor wellhead pressure. Due to the hazardous area the pressure transducer has to be of intrinsically safe or explosion proof design. A pressure transducer used in this application also needs to be rugged and weatherproof. The Omni series 23EXD and 23IS pressure transducer types meet both of these requirements.

Intelligent Pigs
Subsea pipe lines are tested on a regular basis with an intelligent pig. The pig may be fitted with several pressure transducer types to monitor pipeline pressure, and hydraulic pressure. Also a differential pressure transducer may be used to measure the difference in pressure between the front and back of the pig. As these devices are usually battery powered it is important to select a pressure transducer with low power consumption. The Omni series 10 pressure transducer only draws around 1mA and is ideal for these applications.

Core Analysis
In core analysis an oil sample may be forced at high pressure through a section of rock core. A pressure transducer in this application needs to provide high accuracy measurement up to 10,000 PSI and be constructed of either hastelloy or monel to avoid corrosion of the diaphragm. The Omni series 23 and 25 pressure transducer meets this
requirement.

Subsea Hydraulic Manifolds
Subsea hydraulic packs are used for various control applications in offshore oil production. Subsea hydraulic packs may use up to 10 pressure transducer units. The pressure transducer has to be made to the smallest design, and be able to work with high external case pressures. In this instance the pressure transducer may have the external housing removed with the bare PCB exposed to the environment to reduce the profile, with oil filling used to stop any seawater ingress.

Drilling Mud Systems
It is often a requirement to use a pressure transducer in mud flow lines. In these applications a pressure transducer with a flush diaphragm is required. This is because with a normal pressure transducer the pressure port is only 3 mm diameter, and is prone to clogging with mud particles. The Omni series 25 pressure transducer have a G1/2 or G3/4 flush diaphragm and can be supplied in EXD or IS format for hazardous area use.

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New Regulatory Body Set To Transform Britains Wine Investment Industry

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NFIB and WIA to Provide Better Protection for Wine Investors

Millions of Britons enjoy drinking it and many now see it as a long-term investment. Unfortunately, fine wine has also become a focus for fraudsters who trick investors into buying wines or vineyards that bear little resemblance to what they see in the prospectus, or may not even exist. The increasing number of such rorts in Britain has led to calls for action to be taken to protect investors and to increase consumer confidence in fine wines. In the upshot, the UKs National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) is joining forces with the newly-formed Wine Investment Association (WIA) to tackle the problem.

On 14 February 2013, the NFIB and the WIA jointly announced the launch of the new self-regulatory body which will aim to transform the growing wine investment industry by providing better protection for investors in the UK. The WIA has been formed by leading figures from the fine wine investment industry and seeks to support the sector’s growth through voluntary regulation, establishing best practices and setting up processes to identify fraudulent activity.

Director of the NFIB, Det. Supt. Dave Clark, said: “Fraudsters will always follow the money, wine investment is just the latest in a long line of investment opportunities that are being exploited and corrupted to the detriment of the industry as a whole. He added that the NFIB sees the creation of an auditable framework of self-regulation as a step towards maintaining and increasing consumer confidence, while also identifying investment companies which do not operate in accordance with the required high standards.

New Code to Tackle Wine Investment Frauds

Following an extensive consultation period, the WIA has set out the standards and procedures with which its members must comply to remain in good standing. Under the new code of conduct to be drawn up, wine investment firms will undergo stringent audits by accountancy firm Mazars. These will include checks on systems such as stock rotation and to make sure that purchase orders and invoices tally. The director of the WIA, Peter Shakeshaft, revealed that companies which successfully complete the independent audit process commissioned by the newly-formed regulatory body will bear a WIA logo offering consumers a trustworthy safety kitemark. Shakeshaft added: Our industry has been held back far too long by unscrupulous practitioners and issues around fraud. The WIA will really hold the industry to account.

Scope In Railway Industry

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Railway industry can be the perfect place for securing good job opportunities. The candidates determined enough to make their career in railway may not only secure a position that promises stability but can also have other benefits that are quite attractive. To find the suitable position can take little time for the new aspirants, and probably more enough when they are unaware for the resources that can help in finding the best opportunities for them. They should start finding the resources that offer them great opportunity in the railway industry.

While searching for the rail jobs it is quite essential to be aware of the number of railway companies that are available within the state. One of the best resources to get this information is to search through the internet to get the list of railway companies that operate their locomotives within the state. The websites also have their resource pages which allow the visitors to find out the number of rail agencies that recruit employees for them.

While one is searching for the right career opportunity, one should be able to determine the type of job that is favorable to apply. The rail jobs industry may be classified into three main categories which include mechanical, engineering and transportation jobs. The candidates applying for mechanical jobs will be responsible for ensuring that the rail tracks and other rail equipments are in good condition. Those applying for engineering jobs will require providing supporting facilities and designing new projects. The transportation jobs are related with movement of freight and other point to point operations.

There are some positions that are prevailing in the railway industry which are railroad engineers, brakemen, train driver jobs, freight conductor, road master, rail signal maintainer, Gang laborer, Yard master, Train dispatcher, and train master. There are several other positions that the applicants can apply for as these jobs. One may search through websites of different rail companies on the internet which help them to search for the best positions that are available. This may be the suitable resource to find about the various positions that have vacancies. Moreover, with these job listings one may be able to view brief history about each of the companies. Some of the websites may also have the list of benefits that the employees will receive after they are recruited. The first step however, should be to find out the agencies that hire employees for rail jobs.

There are very few railway companies that own majority of the railway network. One can find information about the positions that are available with each of the companies from their websites. Individuals may search through their websites to find out about the positions and information regarding the minimum qualifications that are required for each position.

There is huge scope for working in railway industry as the employees can have more stable positions. The rail jobsite may offer different vacancies that are available in London underground jobs as well.

The Importance of Experience in the Construction Industry

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Do you really need experience for a construction job? Several would say that experience is not really necessary, and many construction companies do hire workers with no experience for smaller jobs. But according to James Day, an experienced AECOM public health engineer, experience is vital especially for construction and engineering students. “Start looking for work experience as early as you can, even in your first year,” Day advices students. “Dont wait for your departments work placement tutors to feed opportunities to you.”

And Day isnt the only one who thinks experience is essential. Most graduate recruiters agree that construction-related experience really improves a graduates chances of landing job offers in the future. In the TARGET jobs recruiters board held last year, majority of recruiters pointed out that generally, when it came to job offers graduates who had industry work experience were better able to answer pertinent questions and tackle assessment exercises.

Benefits of Experience

The benefits of experience are not only limited to graduates, but extends to those who continue to expand their experience through the years. James Moschoyiannis, better known in the construction industry as Jim Moschoyiannis, is a director and shareholder of one of Australias leading construction companies, L.U. Simon Builders. But he didnt get to where he is now simply out of pre-graduate experience, but years of continued experience and learning. Throughout his career Jim has handled projects of every scale and from every sector, which led him to be promoted from being project manager to construction manager in just 7 years and appointed director in just 6. His long and fruitful career is evidence enough that experience is crucial not only in landing those first construction jobs but making it to well-respected positions within the industry.

Gaining Experience at the Start

For the majority of those entering the construction industry the most difficult part is finding opportunities to gain experience at the very start. Usually, recruiters wont take graduates on an unpaid basis due to minimum wage legislation, and most other companies cant afford adding paid placement students over the people they have already hired.

So what can construction students do to gain some early experience? Here are some helpful tips:
Get sponsored. Sponsorships or scholarships from construction companies will not only provide financial support to students but will guarantee work experience placements, particularly during the holidays.
Apply for paid work experience schemes. There are plenty available online for all kinds of construction-related positions from quantity surveyors to engineers to project managers.
Work-shadow. Knowing the predicament of construction students, recruiters have been very keen on giving students every possible opportunity to gain experience. One of these is work-shadowing opportunities. When students spend time observing professionals at work rather than taking on work themselves, they dont go against any legislation and still gain insights regarding the work involved. To gain this opportunity, students must write well-researched and well-written cover letters and CVs asking for permission to work shadow a professional.
Voluntary work. Its possible to do voluntary construction work during the gap year, but this may require a fee or some fundraising for certain charities.
Temp work. If possible, students should check whether they can get temp work in a related field.

Theres no doubt that experience bears a lot of weight in the field of construction. Gain it early and develop it consistently and you can achieve much success in the industry.