Category Archive: Uncategorized
Crazy John’s Filter Factory
As far as it goes, we tell the tale of snow.
The overworked Customer Service
Not ours of course, they keep us afloat.
We sing of jolly snowmen,
And a reindeer with a nose.
That if you look so slightly,
He claims that it glows.
But deep in the snowy belt,
Lives an elf for whom we don’t talk about.
An elf that wanted nothing more,
Than to be the best filter manufacturer.
Crazy John was his name,
And making Santa filter elements was his game.
One could find, they say,
That Crazy John lived in his Filter Factory.
All through the year, Crazy John worked and worked.
Like a great big ol’ fashion TF1 group.
Crazy John couldn’t stop,
And I’ll tell you why,
It’s because Crazy John knew a guy.
Every year, around the 24th of December,
Crazy John knew it would be a day to remember.
He knew that St. Nicholas would be suspended solid.
Tangled up, sleigh risked being spotted!
So he did what an elf could possibly do.
He worked his fingers through and through.
He knew that if he fit it right,
That perfect Hydraulic filter could keep the sleigh in flight.
But the Saint, himself, could come any day.
The Filter Factory where John slept, worked and play.
So as Crazy John settled down,
A distress call came without a sound.
“John! John!”
The voice did cry,
“I’m test flying
My sleigh
And it
Cannot fly.”
“Oh, John!
Oh, John
He cried
And cried,
“I’ve got to get
To the kids
On Christmas Night.”
Crazy John got up out of kilter,
And worked harder than a Pressure filter.
All came down to a night so dreary,
That behold Santa needed a quick delivery.
“But the filter
Is not ready”
Said John,
And he knew it.
Santa needed a filter for a special type of hydraulic fluid.
The resin was drying, ready for the 25th.
But Santa needed data, no time for a blip.
Crazy John plowed through the snow.
A sight in which he did not know.
And though his bones were a bit shivery,
He set out on a quest to make that day delivery.
Crazy John was parched roughly halfway farther.
But Crazy John forgot his special drinking water.
Nevertheless, it was not the time to distress.
Crazy John’s Filter Element was almost at it’s best.
John had an idea to dry it much quicker.
He’d place it in a Plastic tank in hopes to
Protect it from the bitter.
Alas, he made it to the North Pole, at last.
Now to find St. Nicholas; a challenging task.
Crazy John looked tall scaling every last brick, stone and double wall.
He searched through the ranks;
Searching high and low in Santa’s Storage tanks.
Crazy John popped his head,
In the event that he missed him.
But saw a dark puff,
Black smoke from the hydraulic system.
“Oh John! Oh John!
I’m glad that
You’re here!
We haven’t much time
Christmas is
Almost here!”
Crazy John examined the vessel with care.
And realized the high pressure on the sleigh that stood there.
The Schroeder GZT Crazy John usually worked,
Was not the right solution, no matter how much he twerked.
The presents got heavier as the years went on,
And a typical metal hydraulic tank would not be good for Blitzen or Don.
“There’s not enough
Time for me
To go back.
If only there
Were magic
Still left
In the sack.”
St. Nicholas stopped with a doubt of thank.
He inquired with “Crazy”
About his polyethylene tank.
“What’s that
Crazy contraption
You’ve got there?”
“Why it’s a
TNK7 from
Schroeder Industries,
mon frère.”
“Well, what’s it do,
That tank
You have with you?”
“It’s said to reduce
The weight.
It’s a special
Hydraulic tank.”
It was that moment when a lightbulb went off in Crazy John’s head.
“Santa! That’s It!”
Said John,
In a spit.
“The filters
Not the problem,
It just
Won’t fit!”
So Crazy John pulled out his crazy build on.
He replaced that rusty weighed down Highland.
John retrofitted his tank on top was neither.
That good ol’ GZT and a neat little Air breather.
With a bit of magic and good team building,
St. Nicholas’s sleigh rose up
“For the children!”
Crazy John had a blast on his little vacation,
But starting tomorrow, it was back to
Hydraulic filtration.
Crazy John returned to his Factory alone.
Listened in to hear his silent phone.
Innovation was the reason that saved a good night.
Crazy John began preparing for next year’s flight.
Electric Hydraulic Systems: The Future of Hydraulics
The mobile hydraulics industry is going through a major transformation – moving towards electric hydraulic systems. Electric hydraulic systems hold the potential to be drastically more energy efficient than the typical hydraulic systems that exist today.
To simplify how this is possible, electric hydraulic motor-pump units only operate when flow and pressure are required to perform the working task at hand.
When there is no flow or pressure required, the electric hydraulic motor-pump unit switches to zero energy-mode, saving the consumption of energy and increasing the system’s efficiency. This is what we call Energy efficiency.
Energy efficiency simply refers to the process of reducing one’s system energy. This can be achieved by lowering the amount of energy consumed to accomplish an equivalent output (e.g. halt of use when not in operation).
Think about some of the newer car models in the market today.
Some of the higher-end models shut down every time the car stops at a stop light. Since the car is in idle at that stop light, why would the car continue to place tension and wear the performing components when they’re not performing their sole duty – to drive?
This theology and way of thinking is slowly creeping into hydraulics too. Experts are now looking at ways to incorporate these (and other) types of electric energy to power hydraulic machines.
This is called electric hydraulics.
With the rising trend of electric drive vehicles and utilizing efficient energy throughputs, there is now a need to reduce power consumption and extend the battery life through increased hydraulic efficiency.
That is where Schroeder’s Electric Drive media can help.
The use of Schroeder’s GREEN, Electric Drive (E-Drive) Media filtration technology guarantees safe and reliable equipment operation, all-while conserving the use of energy.
Part of Schroeder’s Energy Saver initiative, filter elements made using the all-new E-Drive Media are characterized by an unusually low pressure drop, making them suitable for low energy requirements compared to conventional hydraulic elements under the same ambient conditions.
E-Drive Media is the clear choice for use in electric hydraulic drive motor-pump units. Use it for conserving energy bills and wherever high viscosity fluids are employed – especially at low temperatures that produce a cold start behavior.
Schroeder’s E-Drive Energy Saving Features:
- Retains low resistance of flow to reduce the ΔP across the element.
- The filter media construction consists of multi-layered, synthetic fiber material with support.
- Great for cold start conditions where a low pressure drop is required.
Technical Specs:
- Element Collapse Rating: 145 psid (10 bar)
- Temperature Range: -22°F to 212°F (-30°C to 100°C)
- Flow Direction: Outside to Inside
E-Drive Media is currently rated for 8, 10, & 15 µm filtration.
To see if Schroeder’s Energy Saving Initiative E-Drive Media can be the right solution for your electric hydraulic systems, email us at sisales@schroederindustries.com or leave a comment in the blog post below.
Contamination in hydraulic fluid – a myth or reality?
How often have you been told from an asset manager,
“My oil is clean?” Or how about,
“I don’t see any contamination in my oil,” as a bottle of hydraulic oil is held up to light?
You might have even heard other common adages, such as:
“The oil supplier wouldn’t send me dirty oil.”
“I have a filter on the tank to catch the contamination,” later finding out that the filter element has clogged and the filter in bypass, or that the filter element was missing altogether!
“My reservoir is sealed. How did water get in there?”
And the list goes on and on…
Contamination control is an important part of operating and maintaining hydraulic systems.
It starts with the identification and measurement systems of the different forms of contamination. Once a company has identified the contaminants and source of the contaminate, they can develop a strategy for an efficient, real-world method of controlling and maintaining acceptable contamination levels in a hydraulic system.
The result will be improved fluid condition and consequently extend life expectancy of fluid and equipment resulting in significant cost savings.
Types of Contamination
Various types of contamination occur in fluid power systems: solid contaminants, liquid (e.g. water), gaseous (e.g. air) and gel-like contaminants.
Another often-overlooked source for premature fluid degradation and consequent system damage is heat. This is especially important if the tanks size is small and the fluid does not have enough time to properly cool down.
Contamination can cause substantial damage in fluid power systems if they are not removed as quickly as possible. Preventive measures should be taken to reduce the ingress of contaminants in systems.
The contamination that can be most detrimental to a system in operation is one not visible to the naked eye. To put it into perspective, an average healthy human eye can see items down to approximately 40μm (Microns) in size. In comparison, a human hair is 70 to 80μm in size.
Particles that cause problems in high performing, high pressure hydraulic systems are in the range of approximately 5 to 15μm. 1μm is equal to 0.001 mm or 0.000039 Inches.
Particulate contamination in a system is often reports as an ISO (International Organization for Standardization) Code. The objective of the ISO Standards 4406:1999 is to classify quantity of particle contaminants in hydraulic fluids by particle size. Particle counts are determined cumulatively, i.e. > 4 μm, > 6 μm and > 14 μm, and coded for easy comparison. The following table explains how the ISO code is determined for a particular fluid sample:
Sources of Contamination
The source for particulate contamination is often found to be the hydraulic reservoir.
Often the reservoir is filled with fluid without first being cleaned. Dirt can be added during maintenance cycles, the tank is open to the environment and missing or has low quality air breathers installed on the tank.
New fluid coming into the plant (in a drum, tote or truck) is generally dirtier than what a system, and specific components in the system, would require for proper performance and/or adequate life expectancy. Over time, pipe scale/rust, pump wear and dirt on rods/cylinders can add contamination to the fluid.
Particulate contaminants circulating in fluid power systems cause surface degradation through general mechanical wear (abrasion, erosion, and surface fatigue). This wear causes increasing numbers of particles to be formed, the result being that wear increases if the “chain reaction of wear” is not properly contained (by reducing contamination). Gaps grow larger, leakage oil flows increase in size and operating efficiency (e.g. of pumps, cylinders) decreases.
Water contamination in the hydraulic systems can be caused by moisture from ambient air, leakage of cooling systems or process water, leakage of seals and chemical processes such as combustion, oxidation and neutralization. As more water enters the fluid, the fluid will develop a haze to milky/stratified appearance when fully saturated.
Dissolved Water is responsible for:
- Faster oil oxidation: Accelerates this form of oil degradation, leads to oil acidity, thickening, varnishes, sludge & resins
- Reduced Fatigue life: Propagation of fatigue cracks in metals
- Demolition of Ester-based fluids and additives: Reacting with esters – hydrolysis, results in formation of acids, gels, and loss of additives
Free Water causes:
- Corrosion: Corrosion pits, rough surfaces and release of abrasive flakes into the fluid
- Microbial colonization / Bacteria: Odors, acids, slime, and health problems
- Loss of lubricity: High friction, wear and seizure of components due to additive reduction/depletion seen with high water content
- Additive depletion: Free water retains polar additives
Design issues in the hydraulic system can contribute to air/gases in hydraulic fluids. If the return line is above the fluid level in the tank, air can be mixed into the fluid. Incorrect motor speeds, unprimed pumps, suction lines too small, suction lifts too high and blocked inlets are among other reasons for air contamination over time.
Air effects:
- Oil oxidation: Mostly oxygen reacts with oil resulting in premature degradation (oil aging)
- Varnish formation – lacquer like deposits as shown in photo (oil aging)
- Cavitation: Formation and collapse of gaseous oil cavities causes decrease in pump efficiency and damage to pumps
- Micro-Diesel-Effect – Air bubble implosion generating high heat which “burns” the oil surrounding the air bubble
- Change of viscosity
Hydraulic component clearances are critical and require strategic filtration designs to remove damaging particles. In hydraulic systems, 70 to 90% of wear and failure is contamination related. Only 10 to 30% can be traced back to misuse, defects or age. Contamination cannot be stopped, only slowed down!
System efficiency can drop by up to 20% before an operator even detects a problem, such as cylinder drift, jerky steering, erratic operation or slower performance. Overall, contamination results in shorter service intervals, higher operating costs and lost productivity.
Next Month: Effective methods to measure the contamination present in a hydraulic system
Thanksgiving 2020! A message from Gus Schroeder, President – Schroeder Industries
In the age of transparency, we believe that companies should highlight their strengths (and sometimes weaknesses) especially during a pandemic. Our goal with this post is to shine a light on what we feel we’ve done right and possibly spark ideas for growth, for others, in an otherwise stagnant time.
This email was sent to staff on Monday, November 23. We feel it exhibits strong leadership and pays tribute to a team and not just an individual or select group. This pandemic has really challenged all of us and it really takes all of us to triumph over it.
The email read…
“From: Schroeder, Gus <schroederindustries.com>
Sent: Monday, November 23, 2020 6:02 PM
Subject: Thanksgiving 2020! Thank You
All,
2020 has been a year like no other!
Thank you to everyone for the commitment, the sacrifices and the continued efforts to succeed in a very different and difficult working environment.
I am thankful for our team! I am thankful for our teams ability to stay as connected and as well-functioning as possible and as I reflect I think its important that we recognize everyone and their role in making this year work.
Thank you….
To the sales/ marketing and product teams who have been upended and challenged in every way. Selling is an active process where communication is everything. From calls with the team every morning in the beginning to make and change plans, to all new ways of selling, we planned to win as much as possible and we keep doing it.
Thank You To all of you who have been working remotely for the first time in the past 8 months. Thank you! Purchasing, CS and Most of Engineering Thank you! Keep your heads up ! Remain as connected as possible even though you are remote! Talking with people is one way to do that. It’s important for your mental health and it is enjoyable when we solve problems, introduce new ideas and make them come to fruition.
Thank you to all of you who have been in the office, the lab and on the production floor every day! I cannot thank you enough and I am so proud of your efforts, commitment and your ability to be safe at work no matter how much all of us dislike wearing masks, dislike the ever changing rules, and dislike the constant uncertainty that every day brings.
Production, Quality and Production Planning: You are the heart of our team and in times when we were all truly unsure of the environment, you stayed together no matter how frustrating the day became. We have longer to go in this fight but I am truly thankful for all that you have done!
The Lab: I am thankful for the commitment from the lab. In this environment, their work has helped more than ever to deliver additional new business. It has not been easy without getting the immediate answers, the answers that are attainable when we are all here.
Accounting: I want to thank accounting who has maintained constant contact and flexibility with our customers.
Thank you to our HR department! I cannot remember a year where there was so much pressure on the HR department. They have had to maintain sanity in what has been a less than sane world. I am thankful for your commitment to all of us, to our safety and again we must remember that there will soon be a day when we return to normal.
Finally, I am thankful that we are in manufacturing! It is a difficult job and the world has changed but we know one thing… Our work has value! We know this because our jobs are essential and we are able to work. We can work because without our efforts, the world will not function for long! Yes we suffered this year, and yes some days in 2020 have tested us all, tested us all in different ways, but we made it in one piece.
We will make it the rest of the way in 2021 and we can have our Thanksgiving dinner knowing that better times will come. I always say it before the holidays but as we celebrate this holiday, more than ever, BE SAFE, Be smart in your choices and remember that we are going to look back on this time and know that as a team we are doing our best and for everyone’s effort, in that, I am thankful.
Thank you all again & have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Gus Schroeder
President
Schroeder Industries
www.schroederindustries.com”
To not show our biases, we believe this email was well thought out and motivational to all employees. What do you think? Leave your comments below.
Schroeder Passes Re-Certification for ISO 9001:2015
On Friday, November 6, 2020 at 4:01 PM, we received the good news from our Quality Manager…
“Our Re-Registration Audit…was successful as we were granted conditional approval for re-certification to ISO 9001:2015.”
This [news] came after a several-day long audit given by the Performance Review Institute.
During these audits, our teams in Quality, Engineering, Purchasing, Marketing, and Customer Service have to answer and provide evidence that we are properly implementing and adhering to the ISO Quality Management System (QMS).
And because of the diligent work of the Schroeder team, not just during the audit but from those committed to the quality processes all year round, our ISO Surveillance Audit was successful!
View our latest ISO 9001:2015 certificate online here!
Schroeder Industries now holds the title of ISO 9001:2015 certified until November 30, 2023 – at which time, we will welcome the next phase in the ever-growing world that is quality performance.
We would like to thank the ISO Organization, our entire staff, and our auditor for accommodating us and providing us the tools to navigate as an ISO certified organization through these trying times.
What can we do to help your organization on the road to an ISO certification? Let us know in the comment section below.
It happens every year.
While you sip your morning coffee, or watch the morning news, there are soldiers that are starting their mornings a little differently.
Then, November 11 comes around and we are reminded of the sacrifices and honor those who chose to risk their lives so we can continue to live ours.
But Veteran’s Day is not the only day an American Manufacturer thinks about the soldiers.
Every day that we wake up and go to our respective work stations, we reflect.
It’s because of the brave individuals that we get to go to work each day and build. We’re building products from American processes for American processes.
We should all take a moment today and consider what we take for granted and how we might not have that privilege if it weren’t for the brave individuals who woke up and decided to sacrifice their lives so that you could drink that cup of coffee grown on American soil, jam out to that American band that takes you back, or type a blog post on a computer built in an American factory.
“We owe you our freedom and without you, we would not have the opportunity to do the work that we do here today! Thank You!” – Gus Schroeder, President.
Do us all a favor and thank a Veteran for us today.
And if you have served, leave a comment below so we can thank you ourselves.
From: Schroeder Industries’ Fuel Filtration Center of Excellence
For those of us in the Northern hemisphere, Fall has arrived!
For our friends in the Southern hemisphere, October brings the welcoming warmth of Spring and return of the rainy season.
As we transition through the change of seasons, the diesel fuel blends in many regions will soon change as well to accommodate the lower or higher temperatures.
This is a great time to do preventative maintenance, clean, polish, and upgrade fuel systems where needed.
Additionally, many of our customers are reviewing their year-end budgets and may find that they have funds remaining that could be allocated to make those system upgrades and improvements.
With that in mind, it’s critical that fuel-coalescing and particulate removing solutions be integrated into ALL fuel polishing, transfer and clean-out systems.
The GHCF, GHPF, BDS particulate and coalescing filtration, along with the bag filters we offer utilize the same replacement elements across the Fuel Filtration Product Lines. This makes reordering filter elements simpler while providing better and higher performing systems than our competitors do.
Filter Cart Systems / Mobile Filtration Units
The BDFC Bulk Diesel Filtration Cart provides exceptional single pass or kidney loop filtration with both high efficiency particulate and coalescing filtration integrated into one compact filter cart.
The BDFC is ideal for fuel maintenance operations.
It is portable and very easy to use and operate.
Offers flow rate options of 14 gpm (53 l/min) or 25 gpm (95 l/min).
The BDC Bulk Diesel Cart offers higher flow rate options with considerably more dirt holding capacity and throughput for larger operational needs for fuel polishing.
These systems are available in standard flow rated options of 25 gpm (95 l/min) or up to 70 gpm (265 l/min)
The BDC incorporates the BDS particulate and coalescing solution along with a bag pre-filter.
These systems are ideal for environments experiencing microbial growth or blooms or for higher capacity systems where larger throughput and capacity is required. The three integrated filters combine the economy of a bag element with Schroeder’s high performance synthetic media and our patented water removal technology.
It’s important to note that these systems are all designed to operate on North American electrical standards.
We understand these are not the same globally; therefore, we have designed these systems with slotted mounting holes designed to accommodate NEMA-style motors, which allow for easy adaption of these systems in other parts of the world.
They can be shipped with or without pump and motor groups to enable local sourcing and installation to match regional electrical requirements. We also have the ability to ship these units complete with your local requirements, but this would require a minimum purchase of 10 pcs to accommodate that request.
For more information about diesel fuel cleanliness specs as well as past successes we have had with applications utilizing these products, please contact us.
Manufacturing Day is not unlike any other Friday for Schroeder Industries…
The fresh steel rods arrive at our dock, the machine shop hustles to innovate new and familiar parts, and the filtration products you’ve come to love are being built and shipped right out of Pittsburgh, PA.
What is different is the year 2020…
It’s been a year with challenges.
One with alternating schedules and one with furloughs and lay-offs.
The manufacturing world has not been immune to these trying times.
But we have made the best of them.
We are grateful to say that the manufacturing industry has been recognized as “essential”.
This ordinance enabled us to continue manufacturing many of the critical products necessary for industry.
It has also helped us keep the team we’ve built and are so proud of together and ready to provide these products, as well as support to one another, as quickly as possible – especially in emergencies.
We are essential in keeping the world moving.
In 2019, Schroeder Industries represented the
“Face of Hydraulic Filtration” in the Fluid Power Journal Publication.
October 2, 2020 marks the 8th consecutive month of working without incidents.
This means that, in addition to following strict CDC guidelines, we continue to adhere to the stringent OSHA guidelines like we always have.
We are incredibly proud of our staff for taking the extra precautions and truly keeping our operation and each other safe and thriving.
“This could only have been achieved with a TEAM that cares about each other, a TEAM that cares about providing for their families and a TEAM that does what it takes to get the job done! Sacrifice and Commitment from every employee at Schroeder Industries. I am Proud of everyone here. The past few months have been trying but we are weathering the storm and coming out stronger than before!” – John Ciora Jr., Plant Manager, Pittsburgh, PA.
Our plan is to continue these safety measures well into the next year.
We hope to carry these safety practices until Manufacturing Day 2021 – and on.
So today, please show appreciation to the products that make your job easier and remember that somewhere, someone just like you is building these products to shape the future.
Plug-and-Play IoT Solutions – Local Fluid Conditioning
For the first time, fluid conditioning experts release the easiest way to automate fluid condition monitoring and sampling.
Leetsdale, PA. (September 30, 2020) – Schroeder Industries, a recognized leader in fluid engineering and condition monitoring introduces the all-new plug-and-play Condition Monitoring Starter Kits for real-time fluid condition.
In a perfect world, end-users would experience zero (0) hydraulic component failure and run their multi-million-dollar operations seamlessly. We all know that’s rarely ever the case, especially with contaminated fluid.
Contaminated hydraulic fluid is the leading cause for system downtime.
Fortunately, Schroeder Industries offers a full-line of top-tier sensors to catch less-than-ideal hydraulic fluid before it enters the system. Schroeder also understands that fluid sensors are a relatively new technology to some and anything IoT-related can be overwhelming. It’s because of this that Schroeder has developed the plug-and-play Condition Monitoring Starter Kits (#1-4).
With the Condition Monitoring Starter Kits (#1-4), Schroeder now passes their 74+ years of condition monitoring expertise for a truly seamless integration experience. These plug-and-play packages provide the technology, necessary cables, hoses, and wires all in a single purchase order. Everything operations managers need to start monitoring (and saving) their hydraulic equipment like a pro. The Condition Monitoring Starter Kits come in four (4) unique sets: Local Data Display (#1), IoT (#2), HY-TRAX® IoT (#3), and CSM-Economy (#4). All four (4) kits are now available on the Schroeder website.
About Schroeder Industries
As an ISO 9001:2015 certified company, Schroeder Industries has been designing, manufacturing, and marketing a complete range of Advanced Fluid Conditioning Solutions® for over 70 years. With products proudly manufactured in the United States, we DELIVER the fluid power industry’s most technically advanced and reliable liquid filtration products. Today our customers include a majority, if not all, of the world’s largest OEM and MRO operations.
Please contact Schroeder Industries at 1-800-722-4810 or email sisales@schroederindustries.com if you have additional questions.
World Suicide Prevention Day –
September 10, 2020
World Suicide Prevention Day is observed on September 10th each year. Every 40 seconds, someone takes their own life which is equivalent to about 800,000 worldwide every year. Suicide is the leading cause of death for people ages 15 to 29 and for every suicide that results in death, there are as many as 40 attempted suicides.
One of the main goals of World Suicide Prevention Day is to increase awareness about suicidal behaviors and how to effectively prevent them. It is a reminder that society needs consistent and increasing advocacy for mental health resources so that people struggling with mental health disorders can find the help they need.
By starting conversation and directing help to those who need it, we can help prevent suicides and save lives. Providing support services, talking about suicide, reducing means of self-harm, and following up with loved ones are just some of the actions we can take to help others.
About Schroeder Industries
As an ISO 9001:2015 certified company, Schroeder Industries has been designing, manufacturing, and marketing a complete range of Advanced Fluid Conditioning Solutions® for over 70 years. With products proudly manufactured in the United States, we DELIVER the fluid power industry’s most technically advanced and reliable liquid filtration products. Today our customers include a majority, if not all, of the world’s largest OEM and MRO operations.
If you’d like to learn more about Schroeder’s active involvement with the mental health of our partners and employees, please email SIHR@schroederindustries.com.
