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Since its inception, marketing has been a competitive field. But with the digitalisation of almost everything, it has now become more important than ever for businesses to make their presence felt. For restaurants, it’s all about the online menus, the insta-worthy pictures and customers being able to make reservations without any hitches.
With digitalisation, crafting marketing strategies to help promote your restaurant has become a bit tricky. But the good news is, there are several ways and methods that you can use to attract customers. All you have to do is channel a bit of creativity when brainstorming ideas to market your restaurant. When you find the sweet spot, you’ll be able to hook your customers in while keeping them coming back for more.
So, with that thought in mind, let’s take a look at 6 marketing strategies that will help you promote your restaurant.
Get on the Social Network Bandwagon
We live in an era of foodgasm and social media is key to breathing life into pictures of the delicacies you prepare in your restaurant. The power of these enticing food images is so strong and alluring that it makes the thriftiest people spend some extra bucks.Â
If your dream is to get a truckload of orders, you have to get on social media platforms to create a buzz online. Now the question is which platform is the best to promote your restaurant online. Given the popularity, Instagram is where you must go all out to promote yourself. You can use Facebook as well but not as extensively.
Ensure that you get a great content creator on board, someone who has a way with words to appeal to your target audience. Invest in food photography to get high-resolution pictures of your delicacies and add some amazing video content in the mix as well. Get a social media expert on board for valuable insights on social promotions.
Create Your Own Website
If you have big plans for your restaurant, then it would do you good to have your own website. Having a website opens up a world of opportunities for you so you can take advantage of this. When you are on Google’s radar, your chances of being on your potential customer’s radar increases exponentially.
The key is to be found and with a website, you can make it happen although there’s so much more to it than that. Initially, you might think that this is excessive work that you can absolutely do without. But once you take into account the mountain of rewards waiting for you on the other side, you would scramble to find a web developer to get the job done!
Collaborate with Local Influencers and Bloggers
One of the greatest marketing techniques of the digital world is to make the most of the influence of other business networks. As a restaurant, you can reach out to popular bloggers and influencers in your vicinity. Connect with them and get them to share content related to your business. This works as barter as you can provide discounts, free meals, goodies or promotional beer mats in exchange of popularity for your brand in their established network.
Make the Most of Contests
Once your social media is all set, its time to make the most of contests. The power of freebies cannot be underestimated and with social media contests, you can restaurant promotion fun and entertaining. You can organize a giveaway contest where you ask people to tag their foodie buddies. This will help add to your following and give your brand visibility a boost. If the winner has never dined in your restaurant, you can offer a free meal or an impressive discount.
Pay Special Attention to Your NAPs
Your name, address and phone number and the way it appears online is extremely important. Google’s spiders crawl the web looking for basic information relating to your business. So it’s crucial that these three elements appear consistently everywhere on the web. Google gives preference to information that’s consistent thereby improving your chances of ranking higher on the search engine result pages.
Get Listed on Food Applications
Food applications have become extremely popular as its more convenient for customers to simply look for a place online. Ordering online saves a lot of effort as there’s no following of directions involved and food can be enjoyed within the comforts of one’s home. This makes it really important for restaurants to be listed on popular applications like UberEats and Yelp to not miss out on a potential business.
When you are listed on food apps, consumers don’t have to scroll through boring directories or search the web for several minutes to find something they like. All they have to do is to hit a search on one of these popular food applications and rest is taken care of.
Make the most of this technological wave by partnering with food apps to ensure that your restaurant gets listed.
Take Good Care of Your Online Reputation
One bad review can tarnish the image of your restaurant business. Think about it, who wants to come to eat at a place that is known for the blandness of its food or bad customer service? All your online efforts will count for naught if you don’t pay attention to your online presence and persona.
Put emphasis on online reputation management simply by responding to queries and reviews posted online by customers. Respond to both positive and negative reviews in a manner that paints your restaurant in a good light.
You can hire someone specifically to manage and take care of your online reputation.
Try New Things and See What Sticks
As is the case with most businesses, being flexible with your marketing strategies is very important. At times, some tactics might just not work no matter how hard you try. When this happens, the whole point is to not get stuck and tweak things to see if it works. You can always fall back on techniques you know are bound to work. It’s about finding your corner and it’s going to happen only when you dabble with a few things.
There are so many creative ideas out there just waiting to be tried out.
Note: Amidst, the COVID-19 breakout, it’d be a good idea to look into automatic door installation in your restaurant to promote minimum touching of communal surfaces.
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Launching a new business website might seem a little daunting if you have no web experience, but it doesn’t need to be complicated. While large websites will often need the support of an experienced web professional, there are some basics you can start with that can help you start a smaller, more basic website.
Web Hosting
Web hosting is almost like having to pay rent for your site’s place on the internet. It is the place to store your pages, content, images and more. It is then accessible to users via a web server. So, you can build a user-friendly website on your computer, but your audience will not be able to access it without web hosting.
While there are free web hosting options available, you must be cautious when opting for those services, as they may offer a low server space, require you to run ads and they may come with a bandwidth limit. Always read the small print and consider paying for an affordable monthly hosting fee.
Register a Domain Name
Your domain name is the URL internet users will type into a browser to visit your website. It is, therefore, an essential part of your brand, so you must pick a name that reflects your company, content, products and services. Keep it simple and ensure it is easy to remember for visitors. You can often register a domain name and web hosting from the same provider within one account.
Website Planning
Think carefully about the type of website you want to create. Is it an e-commerce website, informational or entertainment site or a non-profit, charitable website? The content will determine the design, content and user experience.
You must also consider the navigation design carefully, as this will determine how easy it is for visitors to use the website. How they move across the site will impact the information architecture and the overall user experience. We, therefore, suggest planning your pages in advance, before creating a sitemap and a navigational structure.
It is also recommended you have a clear content strategy in place before you create any pages or start the designing process. You can also consult with design agency london This will play an integral role in the success of your website, as it can drive traffic, increase your brand awareness and improve online engagement with your brand.
Web Design
Web design can be a complex task if you lack the knowledge and skills to build a user-friendly, aesthetically-pleasing site. You can take advantage of the many free website themes online, but we suggest learning HTML (HyperText Markup Language), which will allow you to enjoy greater flexibility and design control. You can also change the visual appearance of a theme by learning CSS. If in doubt, we suggest consulting a Durham website design service, who have the knowledge and skills to create your ideal website.
Promote Your Website
Once you have built and designed your website, the next step is to start promoting it online with search engine optimisation, which allows your site to be easily found in the search engine results pages. Other marketing tactics to use to promote your site include social media, email marketing, traditional advertising and, of course, word of mouth.
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If you’re launching an online store, then there are some fundamental things you need to get right. First of all, you need to have a great looking website, with your products or services laid out clearly; it also needs to be easy to navigate and simple for customers to head to the checkout and make a purchase. However, it’s no good having all this jazz if you have no-one visiting you on the net. Your website needs to be found amid that big maze of other online retailers, and that means thinking about SEO, or search engine optimization.
Standing out
The web is big. There are estimated to be over a billion sites now online. Your store is not alone. When shoppers hunt for a product or service online, the big search engines trawl a lot of content to find the most relevant results using special formulas. They have a lot to look through.
What you should be aiming to do with your site is getting those engines to notice it. The more attractive the content on your site is, the more likely it is to be picked up – and end up in the natural listings, those that you don’t have to pay for. This will get your site noticed and hopefully drive up your traffic figures. You can hire in experts to develop your website and SEO. Check out bigcommerce design partners – they can help you make the most of your online store.
SEO tips
You need to do lots of research to make a success of SEO or hire an SEO agency London. You need to identify the keywords and phrases your customers, and target market, are using in searches on the web. This helps to optimize the content of your store’s website.
It doesn’t mean that you fill all of the content with the same keywords and phrases. The search engines are not stupid, and they could view these pages as of low quality. The overall organization of your site is also important for search engines to understand what it is all about and to index it. And, again, this will help with the rankings.
Particularly with eCommerce sites, it’s crucial that you spend time on perfecting product details. You should always explain what it is, no matter how simple – and remember to include some of those keywords that will strike a chord with your customers and the search engines.
A lot of online stores now have sections dedicated to user reviews. You should think about including these too, as these also generate content that can be picked up by those crawling search engines. And, for customers on your site, it’s an added bonus as they browse what’s for sale.
Think mobile
Don’t just assume that everyone who is visiting your online store is doing so on a desktop computer. Many people surf on the go, on their mobiles. So, you need to make sure your site is also optimised for mobile use – so you don’t lose any potential customers!
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Introduction
After a long, hard day at work, all you want is a deep and relaxing sleep. Your bed is responsible for the most part of it. A wrong sleeping position can hamper your sleep and therefore, you stay tired throughout the day. So you need a bed which caters to all your lying and sleeping requirements. Adjustable beds in Melbourne are the best choices available for this purpose. You are the one who controls their adjustments, and so they can take care of you according to your exact comfort needs. On top of this, they also have massive health benefits. They sure are a bit more expensive than the other beds available in the market, but they are absolutely worth the extra mile, as you will find out in this article.
What is an adjustable bed base
An adjustable bed base is just what the name says - it is a bed with multiple hinges and can be adjusted based on sitting or lying preferences. In these kinds of beds, the upper and the lower parts of your body can be adjusted independently of each other; along with the height of the bed. Sometimes there are more parts in the bed all of which can be independently managed.
Although the biggest use of it is in the health sector for the elderly and patients with mobility issues, nowadays it is being heavily used by people simply to obtain more comfortable sitting and lying positions, and a more rested night’s sleep since in these you can tweak the position you sleep into your precise specifications. Moreover, adjustable bed frames offer a zero-gravity position, alleviating pressure from your spine, and at the same time, a leisure position great for reading in bed. Some of the luxury varieties of them even have built-in massage units and timer options for changing the inclination of the bed after the owner falls asleep.
Adjustable beds in Melbourne, also known as electric beds, have many varieties; but all of them fall into two major categories:
Lifestyle beds: Lifestyle electric beds usually offer a ‘sit up’ function to make it more comfortable to read or watch TV in bed, however, you will rarely find different sleeping positions or adjustable height options in them.
These are mostly used for comfort rather than health conditions.
Profiling beds: Profiling beds, also known as variable posture beds, offer more flexibility; with a variety of positions and features. You can control them manually or electrically with a remote.
These are more suitable for people with specific medical conditions.
5 reasons why adjustable bed bases are worth the cost
Sleeping is one of the most basic necessities for you to stay energetic and go about your chores of the day. Adjustable beds prioritise not only your comfort, but also your health; and that is why they are the best choices.
Reduces all sleep troubles
If you have any sleep problems, switching to adjustable beds can do wonders for you.
Sleep apnea:
Restrictive sleep apnea stops one’s breath in the middle of the night and makes him/her wake up. A lack of sleep this way makes one tired and enhances the chances of heart disease. With an adjustable bed base, you can sleep at an elevated position, allowing air to pass more easily and hence maintaining a better blood circulation.
Snoring:
When you lie on a flat surface to sleep, your neck puts extra weight on the windpipe and closes it, making you snore. Adjustable bed base lifts your head, hence the weight is taken off the windpipe because of gravity, thus reducing snoring.
Insomnia:
Not being able to find the right position to sleep in can be a big reason behind your insomnia. Adjustable bed bases let you position the hinges to your exact requirements, bringing maximum comfort - even subtle changes this way can completely transform your night’s sleep.
Gives you relief from tons of health issues
Adjustable beds bases are often recommended by doctors as they take care of you in a number of health problems.
Edema:
This is a condition of swelling in your legs, ankles, or feet; typically occurring to the elderly, pregnant women, and people who work on their feet all day causing fluid retention in the leg area. Even though it is not very painful in the beginning, if left untreated, blood circulation can get interrupted, and can even lead to skin ulcers.
Keeping your leg at an elevated position while sleeping helps disperse this liquid, reducing the problem - which adjustable bed bases give you the option to.
Pain in joint and ligaments:
Arthritis is a universal problem among the elderly, stiffening the bone joints, and hence causing inflammation around them. Adjustable beds can adapt to the most comfortable resting position for them which helps with the pain as well as makes entering and exiting the bed easier.
Back pain:
Incorrect sleeping posture and wrong neck and spine support are the main causes of pressure on the sciatic nerve, resulting in back pain. As a matter of feature, adjustable bed bases offer a solution to this.
Asthma:
Sleeping on a flat surface can make mucus accumulate in the chest, provoking asthma. Secretions from nasal passages can drip into breathing passages and make you cough and wheeze, interrupting your sleep. An elevated sleeping position has been proven to improve the condition, which is provided by adjustable beds.
Indigestion:
Whether you have a digestive issue or are simply snacking right before going to bed, lying flat to sleep can cause indigestion. The stomach acid can also come upwards, giving you chest pain - a condition known as heartburn or acid reflux. With your upper body elevated by 6-8 inches, digestion becomes more natural and efficient.
Boosts your health as a whole
For the optimal quality of sleep, you need a prime circulation throughout the night, to be performed by your heart. The adjustable bed base aids you to fine-tune sleep positions to provide your body with the right pressure and support to allow a blood-flow to your heart, and thereby throughout the body. A healthy heart and a sound sleep are two pillars of your overall health.
Makes your life easy
The major benefit an adjustable bed base offers is convenience. It lets you accomplish certain tasks like writing, reading, eating, folding clothes, and more from the bed itself; while receiving the proper back and neck support. The wide variety of positions that can be controlled in this bed decreases the effort for aged, overweight, or physically challenged people to get in and out of the bed as well; taking everyone a little bit towards complete self-sufficiency, even at the time of sickness or mobility trouble.
Makes intimacy better
Adjustable beds in Melbourne deliver a feature to station the two sides of a bed to different angles. This allows couples on the same bed to find their own suitable sleeping positions without disturbing the other. This and other features of an adjustable bed are really advantageous for intimacy adventures as well.
Conclusion
As you can see, adjustable beds not only help you to sleep well at night and help you through a number of health issues, they also enrich your overall lifestyle. Nonetheless, remember, if you buy a wrong bed, it can have the exact opposite effect. So if you have some medical condition, consult your doctor before going to the shop. More importantly, buy your adjustable bed in Melbourne from a certified and reputed shop with expert and knowledgeable salespeople who can guide you in the right direction before you choose your pick.
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The healthcare industry today operates in a connected environment with tablets, smartphones, heart-rate monitors, laptops, and so forth. The hospital Wi-Fi solutions and hospital Wi-Fi network cannot, therefore, be anything less than the best that is possible on any given day. The population of devices competing for connectivity to the Wi-Fi in your healthcare organization is rising perennially. But, this growing traffic can present bottlenecks leading to total Wi-Fi failure.
With the number of end-users in hospitals always on the high side irrespective of who is accessing the network, quality connectivity is paramount and is on equal footing with quality healthcare. If hospitals deny Wi-Fi access to guests or offer slow connections, that would impact patient satisfaction even when the health care provided is superior. In modern times, instant access to the internet is an abject necessity than an option and the number of connected devices and connected homes make it even more critical.
With Wi-Fi 5 having already transitioned to Wi-Fi 6, it bodes well for hospitals and other healthcare facilities to revisit the Wi-Fi network in their facility and upgrade or even completely replace the existing system to be compatible with modern-day needs. There are many reasons why hospital Wi-Fi solutions and hospital Wi-Fi networks can be compromised or become sub-par and the following are among major causes.
The usage pattern of each device
To evaluate the Wi-Fi network performance it is important that the IT wing of healthcare facilities understand the usage pattern of various devices that access the network irrespective of whether the devices are used by patients or the hospital employees. Doctors can be using the network for uploading or downloading patient information while patients may be streaming movies when they are waiting for their turn. Some of these tasks may consume more bandwidth compared to the others. Therefore, a deep understanding of the usage pattern is the first step towards sprucing up the Wi-Fi network in the hospital. A professional assessment of the Wi-Fi network is the best way to fathom the usage pattern. A superficial analysis may drive you to think that patients/guests are draining the bandwidth available, while the culprit may be an EHR system or some other critical medical application.
Ensure the security of every device
In a hospital setting, hundreds of users may be accessing a singular Wi-Fi network that you provide and many of them may also be using multiple devices. Therefore, the security of each of these devices becomes paramount. If the security of individual devices is not addressed adequately, the hospital is risking not only its own financial stability but also the privacy of healthcare data of the patients.
According to recent reports, the cost of data breaches is the highest for the healthcare industry and each data breach on an average is costing about $4 million in damages. Further, about 90% of healthcare organizations have suffered serious data breaches in recent years and the cost of every hack is put at about $2.2 million. The best way to prevent such crippling financial consequences is to ensure optimal network security in your hospital or healthcare facility.
Absence of segmented access
If your guest network and the central network are not properly segmented, patients and other visitors to your healthcare facility/hospital can unknowingly be accessing unsecured networks. But when the network is properly segmented, you are limiting the chances of dangers that patients may cause to sensitive areas within your network.
Apart from segmenting access for patients and visitors, managers should also focus on policies for employee access. Identify areas of your network that can be restricted to just a handful of senior management personnel or the owners. Similarly, every employee at varying levels of the organization should be aware of the privileges within the network that they can access.
Consider maintenance upgrade Â
High device volumes can lead to multiple vulnerabilities and the hospital administration or the IT department should be capable of recognizing signs of sub-par performance from the hospital Wi-Fi solutions and hospital Wi-Fi network. Investing in upgrades is a desirable measure for overcoming various challenges including:-
Old equipment
When you experience excessive time consumed in troubleshooting, upgrading the old systems must be considered. There are two ways to do this – the first is a complete replacement of all your outdated and old networking hardware – and the second is to approach this more proactively by replacing critical network components every year so that over time the whole system gets updated and you are safe from constant failures. But, if your existing system is experiencing intermittent failures, then the phased approach may not be viable for you.
Inefficient wireless design
The Wireless design for your hospital should fully reckon the RF environment. A competent site survey will help in identifying potential trouble spots in the hospital network and provide the required information for designing appropriate solutions.
Inadequate APs
Access points around your hospital property should be deployed in a way that ensures maximum connectivity. The best way to achieve this is once again a competent site survey that helps with upgradation, replacement or addition of more APs. With no ‘one size fits all’ solution available, unique design is essential for distributing the APs.
Not being tuned to the latest developments in wireless technology
Given the pace at which technology is evolving, it is essential that all those who rely on digital technology for work and pleasure are continuously updated on how things are changing and changing for good. Healthcare facilities and hospitals are increasingly reliant on hospital Wi-Fi solutions and hospital Wi-Fi networks for the transmission of mission-critical tasks including in cardiology, radiology, telemedicine, imaging, electronic medical records, handheld scanners, etc. The secure and efficient working of these applications is possible only with high-capacity, high-performance and pervasive wireless networks.
Upgrading to Wi-Fi 6 is critical for hospitals today particularly because it offers astonishing speeds up to 9.6 Gbps opposed to 3.5 Gbps from the earlier Wi-Fi 5, apart from improved network efficiency and greater control. The upgrade should also factor in quality cabling to maximize effectiveness.
Conclusion
The connected world, in which we live today, makes it imperative that hospitals and other public utility areas have the best in class Wi-Fi connectivity as an integral part of the enterprise and not an option.
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Tree stump removal or tree stump grinding becomes essential when large trees need to be removed from your yard. Obviously, you would have hired a tree removal agency to get the targeted tree removed and they will leave you with a completely professional job and any potential danger posed by the ageing tree is extinguished. But, the tree stump still remains in most cases unless you had specifically included stump removal in your contract with the tree removal agency. Stump removal Melbourne is generally not part of a tree removal task and needs to be dealt with separately. You now have two options – try to remove the stump over a weekend using multiple tools and equipment that you have in your garage – or engage a tree stump removal/tree stump grinding service for the task and which option you go with is entirely up to you.
As you have already noticed there are two ways to get rid of tree stumps. The first method is to remove the stump altogether while the second one grinding the stump down so that the remains of the stump do not lead to any danger in your yard and the chance of the tree sprouting back is also extinguished.
Not removing the stumps using either of the methods can present multiple problems. They can be an eye-sore and particularly so, when everything else around your landscape is absorbing and beautiful. Further, if you are about to sell your home, a rotten tree stump can significantly impact the value of your property.
Apart from the beauty or visual aspect, stumps can also be dangerous posing to elders and children who run around or walk around your yard. If the stumps are also low-cut, it is probable that weeds or grass cover the stump over a few weeks and members of your family can trip over. Worse still, if it is a neighbour or a guest who trips over and suffers serious injuries, you may even be liable for his/her injuries. Similarly, stumps can also be dangerous for your lawn equipment and if you happen to run your lawnmower over the stump, the resulting damage can put the equipment beyond repair.
New growth from the stumps
If the roots of the stumps are intact, you will experience new growth and if you still leave the stump unattended, it can quickly grow into a tall tree taking you back to square one. New vegetation coming up around the stump can also eat away the nutrients in the soil which may be useful for other plants.
Stumps also attract pests and bugs like termites, ants, wood-boring pests, and beetles. Though they may not be a big problem in the yard, they can quickly invade your home making it a tough challenge.
Stump grinding
Stump grinding is a faster process compared to stump removal and in most cases, you can complete the whole process in about a few hours, opposed to several days for stump removal. Stump removal employs a machine to accomplish the task and there is less labour intensive. Further, the mulch generated from stump grinding can be useful for other plants and trees in your yard. Stump grinding involves grinding out the stump to about 10 to 12 inches below the ground level and allowing the roots to decay naturally over a period of time.
Stump grinding is also environment-friendly and does not involve the use of chemicals. Stump grinding is also relatively less expensive compared to stump removal.
Stump grinding, however, has a limited number of cons including:-
The roots are still surviving and therefore you have a distant possibility of the tree sprouting back
You cannot grow another plant/tree on the same spot again
Root decay beneath the surface may give rise to pests like ants and termites
Stump removal
Stump removal will eliminate all the remnants of the tree stump and any new growth from the stump is completely eliminated. Once the stump is removed, you can do replanting at the same site.
But, stump removal is time-consuming and can take up several days. Depending on specific circumstances, holes may have to be drilled around the stump and then treated with chemicals to soften the surrounding soil and break down the stump. These chemicals may be allowed to stay in the holes for as long as 2 weeks before a professional tree service personnel comes back with the necessary equipment and continues the work.
Since stump removal involves removing everything from deep below the surface, including the last bits of roots, it is more difficult and a more involved process. Trump removal will also leave a gaping hole when the job is completed and proper planning to fill the hole should be in place when the job is completed.
Trump removal is not environment-friendly like stump grinding. Harmful chemicals are employed and these can impact the health of other vegetation in the peripheral areas. You will also have to put thought to disposing of the removed stump in an appropriate manner.
The choice between hiring a professional and DIY
Once you have decided between tree stump removal or tree stump grinding, the next step is to determine whether you will handle the job yourself or hire a professional. If you are taking the DIY route, you may still need to hire appropriate equipment and generally you pay a certain amount per day. If you are targeting only one or two stumps, you should carefully consider how the two options pan out economically. Professionals generally charge you by the hour and therefore that could be a better choice for small jobs.
When you hire the equipment, you should also get conversant with their working and the controls. More importantly, you should also wear ear and eye protection when you are working with these pieces of equipment. Further, you may also need a trailer to bring the equipment from the rental agency since the combined weight is around 1000 pounds. Optionally, you may incur additional charges for delivering and collecting the equipment back.
Conclusion
Tree stump removal involves hard labour and therefore you should carefully consider your physical ability to take the DIY route for this job.
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Introduction
If you are in the packaging and delivery industry, you must know how important it is to deliver a package to a customer’s home with both the item that is packed and the packaging intact. Not only delivering the item in the right state is critical, but the packaging also matters as that’s what creates the faith in your customers’ minds that the package has not been tampered with. Even if they do have faith, it is always exciting to receive a gift with cool packaging! In this article, we have listed a few steps you can take to maintain the best packaging and industry level strapping.
Best Practices for Packaging and Industrial Strapping
While you are running a business and doing your packing and strapping on the industry level, there are certain considerations you need to make.
Choose the right strapping material for your package
A strap that is used in a semi- Automatic strapping machine is a flexible, flat material. The correct strap to use varies for different types of packages.
Steel: Steel is used for heavy duty packaging where the requirements are of a strong grip and minimum stretch. Sometimes the steel is provided with a surface finish such as paint, paint and wax, bluing, or zinc and wax - to make it more suitable for certain tasks. Wax is used to balance out the tension effectively among a lot of bundles tied together. It is used for certain types of products like steel coils, bundles of metal, baling wire, bricks and pavers, and roll end-binding.
Polypropylene: Polypropylene strap (oriented) is designed for light to medium duty strapping. You can find a whole range of width and thickness, as well as polymer types (for example, copolymers) for this kind of strapping. Mostly this material is embossed or printed for the highest quality and precision. The material has high elongation, but less elasticity and breaks down if stretched a lot for a long time. It is important to know that polypropylene loses 50% of its tension within 1 hour of applying it and has the risk of coming loose after a few hours. Especially if there is a bad weather element involved, this breakdown is accelerated. It is also susceptible to UV degradation; so to protect it from the sun, sometimes it is painted with black paint or a UV inhibitor.
Polyester (PET): Oriented or tensilized polyester is one of the strongest plastic strapping materials and is used as a viable alternative to steel strapping in some industries. It retains tension very well, and does not break down easily. For different weather conditions, different types of straps can be used. For example, in cold climates, a strap bonded in hot melt glue is used for being weather-proof.
Nylon: Nylon strap is the best among plastics for its super strength. Even so, it is rarely used because of its high cost. However, in very cold weather, it is often the only choice as it is the only material that does not get deformed in cold temperatures.
Corded and woven: This system uses a buckle for a joint, and can have a larger system strength than steel banding. Also, being lighter and softer, they are also a safer alternative to steel. Corded polyester has better elongation properties, so it is often used in sea and rail shipments.
Paper: Paper strap is used to strap paper products between industrial processes. This allows the bundle to be introduced into the process without the need to cut the straps, which can lead to the product falling apart prematurely.
Composite: Composite strapping has filaments embedded in it. In the load securing industry it is often referred to as “synthetic steelâ€. It is highly abrasion resistant and has the least chance of breaking when used with a buckle or in bad weather conditions.
The straps need to be chosen keeping the following factors into consideration:
the weight, stability, or fragility of the package,
if the package can get deformed under any condition,
how often the package will be in the loading-unloading process,
the place of its storage - inside or outside and the ambient factors of such place,
how long the package is going to be stored there,
how the strap will be applied - manually or with the use of a machine,
the required number of packaging to be done each day, and
how mobile your packaging station is going to be.
Maintain the appropriate break load for your package
The break load (or break strength) of a strap is the amount of force required to break it. For your package to be secure while transitioning, the break load of your strap should be well above the estimated force that it will be subjected to. However, this estimation should be done as accurately as possible. The precise break load depends on the total weight and size of your load, the number of straps you are using to secure it, and the forces it will be subjected to during transit - may be due to road conditions. Using a stronger strap for a lighter package makes no sense and is also a wastage. Stronger straps cost more too, so you need this estimation in order to be economical.
Apply the right tension for your load
Packaging will have to be done under tension, but the amount of tension will be varied based on the strapping material that you will be using, since every material has different elongation, recovery and retained tension properties. You need to do a near exact estimation of this tension as well so that you can use the right material and the right tension. However, you have to keep in mind that all strapping will relax a bit after tensioning, so you should allow room for it in your calculations. Although this will not be an issue if you are using an automatic strapping machine, as it does this calculation all by itself. So if you have a lot of packaging needs, and especially if you need to use a variety of straps and weights, it is a good idea to have at least one auto strapping machine at your disposal.
Use the right sealing for your strap
The appropriate sealing procedure is very important while packing, in order to ensure the security of your package at the time of transportation. However, all the straps require different kinds of seals and sealers. If the seal you use is not compatible with your strap, the seal might come loose later.
Mostly for heavy packages, metal seals are used with steel, polypropylene, and PET straps. Nevertheless, for polypropylene or PET strapping, heat sealing is also used if the package is heavy enough to give it extra security. An electrically heated blade is inserted between the straps to melt the facing sides. Light to medium-duty packages are usually secured with metal or plastic buckles with polypropylene straps.
Using the right sealing with the right strap is one of the biggest hassles in the packaging industry. So if your company has a lot of packaging needs, it is best if you invest in a good automatic strapping machine. Most auto strapping machines come equipped with all different kinds of strapping tools, sealers, and seals; making them compatible with anything. Thus once you have an auto strapping machine, you save a lot of money as well as the hassle of buying all the different tools, seals, and sealers for different straps and seals respectively.
Keep your packages protected
At the time of loading and unloading packages, strapping can tear off; which is not a very good news for your package. So it is a good idea to use edge protectors for your packages. These corrugated or plastic devices spread the force of the strapping so that it does not cut into the edges of the boxes. In case you are delivering a fragile item, protect it with multiple straps.
Conclusion
When your packages are delivered with the packaging just the way it was intended, you start gaining a good reputation in your customers’ eyes, and it is obvious that you receive more businesses after that. So if you want to be established in this industry, take care of the best practices of packaging. Nonetheless, whenever you are in doubt, don’t be shy to contact an experienced and professional delivery company like Pack King.
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Introduction
Summers are unbearably hot nowadays, and the heat is the most significant in confined spaces like your car. It is unthinkable to survive the summer without a car air conditioner. However, the more you have to use it, the more cost it adds to the monthly expenses behind your car. Not to worry, there certainly are things you can do to cut the cost of the entire system, and yet actually improve the air conditioner itself. Read more to find out.
How your car air conditioner works
Your car air conditioner, like any other AC, works on a very simple mechanism - the evaporation and compression cycle of a refrigerant liquid. The AC system contains a compressor, powered by a drive belt connected to the crankshaft of the engine. When you switch on your AC, the compressor pumps refrigerant vapour under high pressure to the condenser where it liquifies. This liquid refrigerant is then collected into a receiver to make it moisture-free and is sent to an expansion valve. Here the pressure is released, and it is turned into vapour again in the evaporator. This process absorbs heat from the air inside the car to cool it down, and this cool air is then circulated with a blower fan. The air from outside enters the car in a purified form through a cabin air filter.
Cost-Effective Ways to Improve Your Car Air Conditioner
All you need to increase the efficiency of your car air conditioning system in the summer, in a cost-effective manner, is a bit of planning beforehand. Follow the below advice and you will not have to worry about any of it.
How to improve the cooling effect of your car AC
Use heat reflective glass on windows:
Heat reflective glasses reduce heat gain on the glass and minimize heat transmission to the car's interior. Cover all the windows, especially the windscreen, with these glasses - both when you are driving and when your car is parked. If your car’s interior does not get too hot, your car air conditioner will be able to reach the optimum cool temperature in less time. You may not even have to use the AC that much, and therefore, you will save cost.
However, it is important that you choose a good quality window shade. These might cost a bit more than the net screens, but consider this as a one-time investment which will save you a lot in the long run.
Ventilate and avoid pre-cooling:
Before you start your car air conditioning, you will need to blow out all the hot air from the interiors, particularly if your car has been sitting in the sun for too long. So open all the windows, then start your car engine and switch on the blower fan at the maximum speed. If your car has the “outside air modeâ€, make full use of that at this point to purge the hot air from inside. Close the windows only after driving a minute or two and then turn on the AC.
This being said, remember to avoid pre-cooling. It may be more comfortable for you if you can get inside an already cool car, but running your car air conditioner when the car is not moving may destroy the system by reducing your car’s battery life. Air conditioning only works best when there is good airflow, so only switch it on after you start driving.
Use an AC curtain:
A genius way to cool yourself more and at the same time cut costs for car air conditioning is using an AC curtain, a transparent plastic sheet, to separate the front and the rear seats when the passengers are only on the front seat. This way, your AC will have to work less to cool faster.
Park smartly:
Experts say that a car air conditioning system can only decrease the temperature by 40 degrees fahrenheit. So if your car is too hot, it will not cool down easily unless you drive a lot to circulate air inside. Therefore, if you can avoid making your car’s interior too hot, your car AC will automatically have to work less. Find a good shade to park your vehicle to solve this.
Be slow with the accelerator:
All the accessories inside your car, including the car air conditioner and accelerator work on the engine power. So if you accelerate too quickly, you diminish your AC’s share of that power. So when you have the AC running, accelerate gradually instead.
Be energy-efficient to cut down costs
Re-circulate at every opportunity:
The recirculation feature in your car is added so that the air conditioning system does not have to draw hot air from the outside and work hard to cool that air instead of cooling the interior. After you have run the AC for a while and cooled the inside air enough, switch on this system to save energy used by your car air conditioning, and in turn, save cost.
Check the difference between the inside and outside temperatures:
The smaller the difference between the interior and exterior temperatures, the lower will your cooling costs be. So avoid turning on the coldest temperature every time you switch on the car air conditioner.
Use a dehumidifier:
If you live in a humid region, or if it has rained a lot and made the climate humid, it takes a lot of power for your car air conditioner to cool the temperature down. Dehumidifiers suck the water vapour from the air inside your car instead of blowing air. Hence, your air conditioning can be small and still be effective enough.
Use natural refrigerants:
Using hydrocarbon refrigerants blends rather than synthetic refrigerants can help you save between 17 and 38% energy, making your unit operate more efficiently. Moreover, as the world is turning more energy-efficient, synthetic refrigerants are being phased out. So if you have synthetic refrigerant in your car, any leaks will cost a fortune to re-gas and the whole system will have to be replaced with a newer one anyway. It is best to change your refrigerant already to save money in the long run.
Take care of your car air conditioner
Start at the lowest:
When you switch on your air conditioner, start at the lowest point, and then gradually go higher to avoid overloading your system.
Don’t let it sit for too long:
Even if you don’t need to use it, run the air conditioner at least for 10 minutes every week at the highest fan speed and coolest setting. This will maintain the gas pressure to keep the compressor working properly, and also keep your car free from mildew.
Keep an eye on the compressor:
Insufficient lubrication or maintenance may lead to failures in the compressor, so inspect it frequently.
Clean the condenser:
Pressure wash the AC condenser at least once in every three months to dramatically improve your air conditioning’s cooling.
Clean the air filter:
The air filter is the part which purifies the air from inside and ensures its smooth flow, so a dirty air filter weakens the car air conditioner’s performance. Experts say that cleaning and/or replacing filters once per month will lower your AC’s energy consumption by 5% to 15%.
Keep checking for leaks:
A refrigerant leak not only reduces the cooling but breathing in a vaporized refrigerant can also be a health risk for you. So it is crucial that you regularly check for any leak in the system. If there is one, the joints need to be sealed and the refrigerant needs to be recharged to the amount precisely calculated for your car.
Keep the radiator clean:
As the air conditioning system is placed right next to the engine’s radiator, a hot engine may noticeably impact the car air conditioning. So in summer, clean the radiator every three months.
Conclusion
Following the above advice will keep your car air conditioner running efficiently for a long time. Nevertheless, always be on the lookout for any abnormality in the system. If you notice any weird and unusual sounds coming from the compressor, or an AC gas oil stains on the compressor or the pipelines and hoses, it is time to call for help immediately.
Be that as it may, a bad servicing may mean less effective result, more cost for you later, and sometimes, the destruction of the entire system. Therefore, make sure you take your car to only a well-qualified, and reputed car air conditioning service
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Although bubble wrap insulation products were introduced to the world just about half a century ago, a series of variants like foil bubble wrap insulation and aluminium foil tape has evolved within this product for precision as well as everyday applications. The advent of the e-commerce industry has given a significant fillip to the bubble wrap industry and in modern times, nearly every individual around the globe has seen bubble wrap at least once in their lifetime. Think of all the mobile phones and other handheld devices and bubble wrap has become an integral part of their packaging. Consequently, customers are also extremely happy receiving their prized possessions in a scratchless condition. In its earliest days, bubble wrap caught the attention of the shipping trade and IBM was among the first users of the product for shipping mass-produced computers.
Let us now explore how foil tapes are helpful for you
Versatility is the top advantage of aluminium foil tapes and brings the weather-resistant sealing ability of adhesive tapes. It can be deployed a wide variety of industrial settings from construction to manufacturing. The chemical and moisture resistance, flame resistance, thermal conductivity, light and heat reflectance makes aluminium foil tape highly adaptable to varying conditions. Unlike the foil bubble wrap insulation, aluminium foil tape comes from the 18th century and has been acclaimed for its attractive appearance and protective qualities in packaging and containers. It also found wide-ranging uses during WWII for protecting packages, insulation, electrical capacitors etc. During the post-war period, it was offered for commercial applications.
Aluminium foil tape uses a metal- foil backing specially engineered for the purpose and this contributes to the conductivity, malleability and ruggedness of the product. Combination of Aluminium and glass, aluminium, copper, lead, tin-plated copper and steel are also used as carriers for this type of tapes. In modern times, the construction and building industry is a major user of aluminium foil tape.
Top reasons to choose aluminium foil tape
Aluminium foil tape manufactured by reputed manufacturers meets stringent standards and passes many national and international tests for application in the construction and building industry. The fire-resistant property of the tape calls for a composite material with a flame spread rating below 50. Check with the manufacturer on what tests the tape meets and what the findings are.
Versatility in extreme temperatures
Aluminium foil tape works in extreme temperature conditions ranging between 22 and 248oF and can also be applied in temperature conditions between 14 and 104o F. You have perhaps noticed that most tapes fail to perform in extremely cold temperatures. A major reason for this failure is that the adhesive tends to harden in severely cold conditions lowering the sticking ability of the tape. For instance, if you try to apply the tape to an ice-cube, you may notice that it just cannot stick. On the other hand, excessive heat can lead to melting of the adhesive on certain tapes making them useless.
Superior acrylic adhesive
Unlike conventional adhesive tapes, aluminium foil tape uses a superior acrylic adhesive which is also flame retardant. This special adhesive ensures that your aluminium foil tape works extremely well in extremely cold and hot conditions.
When you examine most of the other duct tapes, you will easily notice that they use rubber adhesive and that has the potential to delaminate from the backing when the temperatures rise very high. There are also adhesives made from synthetic rubber which may offer a higher temperature resistance, but their mechanical strength pegs significantly lower, poor performance when exposed to UV light, weak resistance to aging and other infirmities. Aluminium foil tape, on the other hand, is exceptional with its acrylic adhesive in offer longevity as well as superior durability compared to most other options in the same class.
Survives over time
The construction industry uses tapes with pressure sensitivity in concealed areas. This, in turn, poses problems when replacement of repair is necessitated. The acrylic adhesive in aluminium foil tapes helps in addressing this issue squarely with its better adhesion, cohesion and thermal stability compared to tapes with rubber adhesives.
In other words, aluminum foil tapes are designed to resist temperature fluctuations and exposure to UV light or other solvents which typically impact causing a breakdown of the effectiveness of the adhesive in various types of tapes. Thus, the aluminium foil tapes with acrylic adhesive rank superior for industrial as well as construction applications.
A significantly better option than mastic
As most of us do know, mastic is pretty messy and needs eye protection, old clothes, gloves, drop clothes and paintbrush, etc, for application. Conversely, the aluminium foil tapes with acrylic adhesives are free from these constraints. Additional fasteners like scrap metal, metal screws, drywall mesh, etc are also not necessary when aluminum foil tapes are employed for sealing large areas and they can also be conveniently employed in sealing air handlers and furnaces.
Conclusion
With technology evolving at a fast pace, the best products of yesterday are giving way to more innovative and convenient products with each passing day. This is true of a large spectrum of industrial as well as domestic segments. Keeping yourself continuously updated on developments that matter to you will help in ensuring that you always enjoy the state-of-the-art technology available.
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The size of a trailer is an important consideration when you begin shopping, possibly for the first trailer. Most manufacturers offer a 6x4 trailer, 7x4 trailer, 8x5 trailer, 10x5 trailer, and 12x6 trailer as standard sizes. However, in certain situations, none of the standard sizes may answer your specific needs and you need custom trailers to meet your requirement.
Trailers are a reliable and very helpful attachment to a tow vehicle for hauling fertilizer, farm produce, farming equipment, fertilizer, equipment or gadgets that you need for your business or personal use. Standard sizes like 6x4 trailer, 7x4 trailer, 8x5 trailer, 10x5 trailer, and 12x6 trailer may not answer your specific needs at times because a particular is either too small or too big and the next size also presents a similar problem. Your focus on a particular size may be driven by specific constraints and this can be addressed by choosing custom trailers. The towing ability of the vehicle you designate for towing the trailer is an important consideration in determining the size of the trailer. The trailer cannot be too big or too small for the tow vehicle since it will impact the manoeuvrability of the tow vehicle and the trailer when you are on public roads. A trailer that you cannot handle safely with the tow vehicle can be a significant safety risk to you as well as other road users.
Trailer size vs its usage
Small trailers are generally ideal for most domestic applications like moving farm equipment, the farm produces, fertilizer, etc. Tradesmen may also prefer the smaller sized trailers for moving their equipment like lawnmowers, plumbing tools, carpenter’s workbench, small lathe machines and stuff like that. On the other hand, medium-sized trailers are often employed to transport finished products or packages from warehouses to the shipping docks or shipping agents. Midsize trailers may also come in handy for delivering small equipment like washing machines, refrigerators, domestic furniture, etc. within metropolitan areas.
Open and enclosed trailers
Next to the choice of size is the option between open and enclosed trailers. When you plan to deploy your trailer to haul loads such as scrap, farm equipment, farm produce, fertilizer, mulch etc., you are better off with an open trailer. Conversely, enclosed trailers are ideal when the cargo you plan to transport is delicate and needs protection from natural elements. Further, enclosed trailers are also useful for storing your tow vehicle safely when you are on a long vacation or when the tow vehicle remains idle for several days in one go.
What are custom trailers?
As we mentioned earlier, there can be instances when none of the standard sizes fit your needs precisely and they are either too big or too small. In this case, you can always contact an experienced and reputed vendor to design a custom trailer answering your specific needs. Carefully prepare a detailed specification for your custom trailer and the vendor then gets down to create that. However, you should provide exact measurements, material to be used in constructing the trailer, non-standard fixtures, important features that you want to incorporate etc. This is a special task for the vendor and therefore you should discuss all the details, ensure that a proper document is created jointly before proceeding to construct your custom trailer. Apart from the specifications for the trailer, you should also pay attention to the hauling ability of your tow vehicle. This is crucial to comply with your local transport laws as well as the safety of other road users.
Your tow vehicle
Generally, aligning the capacity of your tow vehicle with the specifications of your trailer is easy with standard sizes like 6x4 trailer, 7x4 trailer, 8x5 trailer, 10x5 trailer, and 12x6 trailer. But, with custom trailers, this would need to be worked out carefully. Information with regard to the ability of your tow vehicle to haul a fully loaded trailer can be obtained from the owner’s manual provided by the manufacturer. If you experience any problem getting this information from the owner’s manual, you should contact the customer service department of the manufacturer and get the required information in writing. This step is crucial particularly with custom trailers since the owner’s manual gives the required information only with regard to standard sizes.
Safe driving
Similar to other automobiles, safety is a prime consideration while choosing custom trailers too. Therefore, when you load up your custom trailer on its maiden trip and take to public roads, it is essential that you take a little time familiarizing yourself with the difference in driving with no load on the trailer and a fully loaded trailer. For some people, this familiarization phase may take a few trips but it is important that you are absolutely comfortable behind the wheels with the trailer on tow. Keeping the acceleration at minimum permitted levels and moving with caution initially is the way to go.
You should also check your local laws to understand if your driver’s license needs additional endorsement for towing the trailer on public highways.
Trailer maintenance and precautions
Apart from the safe handling of the trailer, it is essential that the trailer is well maintained. Following a regular maintenance schedule will enhance the life of your trailer as well as safety when you are towing it along on public highways. Paying particular attention to the following aspects will further add to these values.
Check to ensure that all tyres have the right pressure in a cold state
Check the hub, bolt, and nuts to ensure that trailer wheels are tight
Ensure that the load on the trailer is evenly distributed and secure
Check safety hooks and chains for any sign of damage, wear or cracks
Ensure that the pintle and ring lock securely
When driving the new custom trailer on its maiden trip, stop by and check all safety aspects at intervals of every 25 miles.
Conclusion
Tests drive your trailer with and without the designated load and try to put the maximum permitted load while doing this. Use service roads or less crowded roads initially for your test drive. This way, you will be very comfortable behind the wheels when you are towing the actual load.
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