Author: Business News

Are You a Consumer Who Is Ordering More and More Items Online?

Reusable clamshell

The shipping delivery that arrived at your door today was fast, but it was anything but green packaging. In fact, the dozen air filters for your air conditioner came in a box so big you initially feared that you had made a mistake on an order that you placed yesterday. You were fairly certain that the love seat cover and the two chair covers that you ordered yesterday were being sent to your daughter’s college dorm address. The box that showed up at your front door, however, was so big that you feared that the slipcovers had been accidentally shipped to your home instead of the dorm.
As you unpacked the large box from the major distribution center, you were shocked to find out how light the actual package was. After unraveling a large piece of brown paper cushioning the box inside the outside shipping box, you finally pulled out the inside package. It was so light you realized that it could not be the furniture covers, opened the box and realized that your husband had simply restocked his supply of AC filters.
You were relieved that you had not accidentally sent the dorm package to the wrong address, but you were disappointed to know how much packaging had come into such an inexpensive purchase. You know that your husband would have found a good price and that he gets very shipping on these packages, but you really wondered what was the benefit. Wouldn’t it have been better to just drive to the closest store and purchase these items at a slightly higher price than feel guilty about all of the packaging that was wasted and the carbon foot print from all of the delivery costs.
Will the Nation Make Significant Moves Toward Green Packaging As More Consumers Order Online?
A recent National Public Radio (NPR) story focused on the implications of rural areas not having access to broadband and faster internet access. Part of the story talked about how a growing number of brick and mortar stores are closing and people are ordering their items online. Some people are even ordering baby food online and having those items delivered to their doors. As online ordering continues to grow in popularity, it should come as no surprise that more and more retail packaging companies are moving toward the development of green packaging options. From environmentally friendly custom clamshell packaging solutions to a variety of other options, online retailers are striving to find an affordable, effective, and green solution.

Top 3 Reasons to Contact an Environmental Consultant

Environmental

We depend on rain and water in our lives. Every day we need water. We use it for bathing and cleaning, drinking and cooling. We use it for food and transportation, recreation and livelihoods. It is an integral part of our lives that many of us take for granted. About 25% of rain becomes groundwater, makes up our rivers, streams, and lakes. Eventually that water can become our drinking water. But sometimes the water becomes polluted on its journey. Environmental engineers can work to remove the contamination and restore the water to it’s natural, clean, beautiful state. Here are the top 3 reasons for environmental engineering.

1. The pesticide use in America is large. Americans use 2.2 billion pounds of pesticide per year. This can be for crops in the fields or just maintaining green lawns. All that pesticide has to go somewhere. Much of it gets washed away or gets soaked into the soil. Those chemicals that that keep the pests away from our plants and from ourselves get trapped in the soil or carried away by the water.

2. Water quality is decreasing. Water reports state that as much as 47% of the lakes and 45% of the streams are polluted. There is only so much water in this country and we need to protect what we can. Environmental engineering can help clean some of the pollution and help restore our waterways.

3. Our groundwater, the rivers, streams, and lakes, becomes our drinking water. And if our ground water is contaminated, our drinking water maybe also. Studies have found 73 different kinds of pesticide have been found in our groundwater. Unless the water is adequately filtered, these contaminants can be present when the water becomes drinking water.

If you are concerned about your drinking water or your favorite swimming hole, call an environmental engineering firm today. They can perform water quality monitoring, groundwater modeling, and possibly do an aerial survey. Environmental engineering firms want to restore the water we desperately need to its own natural, useable state. It is time for the water that is supposed to grace this Earth to be found once more. Whether contaminated from agricultural run-off, from suburban green lawns, or from other human activities, environmental engineers can help the planet and maybe even help your health.

How PCB Prototypes Are Being Made Faster, Better And Smarter

Printed circuit board prototype

How often do you use your phone, computer or tablet? Probably every day, right? It’s easy to take for granted the technology we use to move throughout life, whether it’s going to work every morning or contacting a loved one in light of an emergency. The brilliant minds behind circuit board prototype know this, too, and work every day to provide people with the highest quality circuit boards possible. Circuit board prototyping and assembly has changed a lot over the years, due in no small part to increasing demand and gradual awareness of superior crafting methods. How do PCB assembly services work? Where will circuit board prototyping go from here?

Let’s take a look and appreciate the little things that get us through the day.

Old Methods

Circuit board prototyping hasn’t always been a fast and efficient process. Decades ago circuit boards were crafted by hand, relying on the careful touch of experienced artisans and engineers to get from the beginning stage to the final product. Quick turn PCB prototypes are now done with the aid of machine assembly, able to create a much higher amount of circuit boards with a reduced margin for human error.

Technology makes it easier than ever to have the best of both worlds.

New Results

Modern circuit board prototyping does best when mixed with the efficiency of machines and the nuanced viewpoint of the human eye. There are three methods used to print legends. These include component designators, switch settings, test joints and a few other indications that make assembling and testing circuit boards a smooth process. There’s also silk screen printing, liquid photo imaging and ink jet printing for factories to choose from.

What are circuit boards made of, however, and what’s most important to know?

Necessary Materials

Circuit board assembly creates the best results when every stage of the process is handled to the furthest of its ability. PCB design does best when artistry is matched with integrity. FR-4 glass epoxy is the primary substrate that most rigid PCBs are produced. These are crafted by putting a thin copper layer to either one or both sides of a given panel. The iconic circuitry connections will then be etched onto the layers. More complex PCBs can be done with multiple layers.

What does this mean for your business’ production?

Turning To PCB Assembly Services

PCB assembly is an industry that only grows faster by the day. With circuit boards used in so many modern appliances and customers’ demand for quality becoming more refined, it stands to reason there should be no stone left unturned for the best methods possible. A good PCB assembly process should use accurate stencils, maintain steady temperatures and provide a variety of printing methods to handle any task that comes your way. Together, PCB services and modern businesses can keep the world going strong.

Will you help create the next great PCB prototype?