Author: Christine Tarlecki

How an East Coast Rail Company Prevents Their Locomotives From Freezing

/ 0 Comments / in News, Product, ThermOmegaTech / by Christine Tarlecki

The GURU® Plug – The #1 Freeze Protection Valve

Freeze protection is essential for locomotives during winter months to prevent catastrophic damage to equipment. A diesel locomotive’s cooling system is at risk of freezing when the locomotive is turned off. If the cooling water freezes, it can cause the piping and tanks to crack, resulting in extensive damage, lengthy repairs, and interrupted schedules.

GURU PLUGOperators could keep their locomotives running at all hours to prevent a freeze-up, but that can contribute to air pollution and fuel waste. Another more cost-effective and efficient way is to install ThermOmegaTech’s GURU® Plug.

The Opportunity

The GURU® DL2.1  thermostatic drain valve is installed at the lowest point within the cooling system and automatically responds to engine coolant temperature.

The Plug will snap open and drain the system if the water temperature reaches the Plug’s set point, typically 35°F. This provides almost a full one-inch bore to rapidly drain a typical locomotive’s coolant system before freeze damage can occur. The Plug can be reset when the operator is ready to refill the locomotive and return it to service.

SMS Locomotive using GURU Plug

SMS Rail Lines, a one-stop provider of rail distribution services to businesses along the Washington, D.C. to Boston corridor, is based in Bridgeport, New Jersey, and has been using ThermOmegaTech’s GURU® Plugs for over a decade on their locomotive cooling systems and compressors.

SMS Rail Lines operates over 6 miles of track throughout Pureland Industrial Park in Bridgeport, New Jersey, providing service daily, including on-demand rail switching and daily interchange with Class I railways CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Corporation.

SMS Rail Lines also offers rail-to-truck and truck-to-rail transloading, warehousing, distribution services, and rail car storage at this location, with 12 locomotives in service at any given time. Additionally, the company restores, maintains, and operates historic Baldwin diesel locomotives.

Utilizing the GURU® Plug

“We normally have 12 to 14 locomotives in service at any given time,” General Manager Brian Murray explains. “Some of our locomotives have only a single GURU if they are plumbed in a way where everything can drain to a central location. We have a couple with a second GURU to handle additional low points in the cooling system. Our GE locomotives have 4 GURUs. They have 2 GURUs to handle low-point general draining and 2 on the low-pressure heads of the water-cooled air compressor.”

SMS operators have previously used other freeze protection devices on their locomotives. “We initially used ‘that other name brand.’ It would occasionally open while the engine was hot and running,” said GM Murray. Because of this, he looked for another solution and was introduced to ThermOmegaTech’s GURU® Plugs over ten years ago by then-product manager Dana Logue.

The GURU® Plug Rebuild Program

The GURU® Plug satisfied their needs and came with an additional perk – the GURU® Rebuild Program. ThermOmegaTech® offers a rebuild program for the self-actuating GURU® Plug, which protect thousands of locomotives from freeze damage annually. The program allows customers to return their old GURU® Plugs to be cleaned, refurbished, retested, and returned, so customers get back an almost brand new valve.

“We are very happy with ThermOmegaTech® and think the GURU® Plug is terrific. We have never had a GURU fail to open when necessary. As the end user, we should probably do a better job at keeping track of which GURU plug is in which locomotive and how old they are,” stated GM Murray.

Brian with Guru Plug

Luckily for SMS Rail Lines, there’s an easy way to track that!

Each GURU® Plug has a yearly-rotated color cap which is also laser marked with its month and year of manufacture. ThermOmegaTech® recommends changing the GURU® Plugs every 18-24 months, as the GURU® Plug’s actuator loses a small amount of stroke as it ages beyond one year. This stroke loss causes the release temperature and the manual reset temperature to creep upward. While this is a “safe” tendency for freeze protection, the upward creep can eventually cause nuisance dumping.

The colored caps rotate through 5 colors over 5 years and visually indicate the year it was built. Maintenance personnel can compare the cap’s color against our chart to determine when it needs to be sent back for rebuild. SMS has taken advantage of this perk and utilizes the rebuild program yearly.

“We send in about 4 or 5 valves per year for rebuilding to have them on hand. Our cost savings are significant as we have a lot of older GURUs around, so it makes sense to rebuild them,” says GM Murray.

And when they come back, rebuilt, and refurbished, GM Murray says they are good as new, and they’ve never had any issues.

The Result of the GURU® Plug

GURU Plug on locomotive

“In my experience, all the folks at ThermOmegaTech® are genuinely interested in providing to the railroad industry effective, reliable solutions. The staff is always accessible and willing to work cooperatively with the customer to examine the need and suggest the appropriate product,” says James Pfeiffer – Superintendent of Operating Practices.

“Customer feedback is welcomed, technical questions are quickly answered, and the engineering department is seemingly always working on something new and improved. And they do all this while maintaining first-class customer service.”

If you are interested in hearing more about Locomotive Freeze Protection and how the GURU® Plugs can help save you time, energy, and money, we’d love to help. Contact us today.

Read the full GURU® Plug case study here.

Hear how it works with our Talking With TOTS video!

Industrial Cleaning Hot-Cold Washdown Stations, Steam

Full Steam Ahead: Sanitizing with Steam and Water Mixing Stations Whitepaper

/ 0 Comments / in Product, ThermOmegaTech / by Christine Tarlecki

Washdown stations ensure cleanliness in food processing, dairy, breweries, wineries, chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, and other industrial facilities where a high-temperature washdown is required.

Traditional cleaning methods include soap, hot water, and sometimes chemical disinfectants. These procedures may require breaking down equipment to ensure all components are efficiently cleaned and sanitized. If chemicals are used to sanitize a processing plant, especially in food and beverage, labor costs, the possibility of safety hazards, and the overall sanitization time increase.

Utilizing a Steam and Water Mixing Valve to Sanitize Processing Plants

Sanitizing your facility or plant using a steam and water mixing valve is one of the most efficient ways. Using steam to heat the water is more beneficial than chemical cleansing because it avoids chemical agents and can reduce labor times and water consumption.

Steam and water mixing valve stations provide instantaneous high-temperature steam-heated water with pressure behind it, which can kill bacteria, sterilize, and break down greases and other residues in processing plants. The World Health Organization states that bacteria are rapidly killed at temperatures between 149°F and 185°F degrees.

There’s also less downtime for dismantling and reassembly when utilizing steam-heated water to sanitize manufacturing equipment. Steam is sterile as well as being an excellent carrier of heat. Harmful chemicals are also used less or not at all, allowing for more uptime and a safer environment for personnel; while they are doing their jobs.

Not just anyone can utilize high-temperature steam and water mixing washdown stations. Plant personnel must be trained on proper use to ensure safety because the goal is to sanitize, and the goal of the plant is safety.

STVM® Steam & Water Washdown Station

STVM Steam and Water Mixing Valve Washdown Station

ThermOmegaTech’s STVM® Steam & Water Washdown Station has been designed to put the safety of maintenance operators first. Every STVM® Washdown Station is built-to-last and has two built-in safety features – interlocking ball valves to prevent steam-only operation and an automatic shut-off when output is 15°F over the unit’s temperature set-point (either 150°F or 185°F) or when cold water flow is interrupted.

This Washdown Station also incorporates unique Venturi mixing technology to deliver water at the required temperature quickly, quietly, and on demand.

The ‘ST’ in STVM stands for ‘Silent Type,’ meaning it is quieter than other washdown mixing stations. The Venturi effect mixes water in smoother than other steam-to-water mixing stations on the market, which can cause cavitation downstream of the mixing valve.

The steam-supplied station is a self-contained mechanical control unit, so it doesn’t require external hookups for electrical, instrumentation controls, or compressed air.

Find out how the STVM washdown station can efficiently clean your facility. Read more and download the Full Steam Ahead Whitepaper.

2022: ThermOmegaTech’s Year in Review

/ 0 Comments / in CircuitSolver, News, ThermOmegaTech / by Christine Tarlecki

2022 was a fantastic year, thanks to our customers! ThermOmegaTech® has been able to meet its goals despite facing industry-wide supply chain issues. Let’s celebrate ThermOmegaTech’s Year in Review!

2022 HIGHLIGHTS

Here are some of the significant accomplishments we are celebrating from our Industrial Market:

  • Andy Reichlin joined our team in March as our Industrial National Sales Manager. Andy has held roles in communications, marketing, and sales, managing national distribution networks for various industrial products, including bearings and pumps, over the last 20 years. His expertise has helped us to grow our distribution network and support our authorized distributors.
  • We hosted our first inaugural Distributor Advisory Council, which included representation from six authorized distributors. This was incredibly beneficial as they were able to tour our facility, and we could share ideas and resources for the upcoming year.
  • We also added two new U.S. distributors, Industrial and Construction Enterprises and Schimberg Co., and two new International distributors, Glotex and Tubes International.

NEW LITERATURE & VIDEOS

  • We launched an eBook with Food Processing Magazine in November ’22 on how sanitizing food processing facilities with steam-heated water provides a simple and efficient way to maintain a sterile work environment. Download it here.
  • We created a whitepaper on the Steps to Developing an Effective Sanitization Procedure in plants and facilities, which you can download here.
  • We also released this application sheet on Thermostatic Control Valves for Cooling Balancing Applications.
  • We were excited to release this video on HCX and HCS Washdown Stations for Breweries, Wineries & Other Facilities Without Steam. To ensure a high-powered wash that guarantees cleanliness in production facilities, ThermOmegaTech® offers the most economical, safe, and efficient washdown systems and equipment.

TRADESHOWS WE ATTENDED

ASSP Expo 2022: Industrial Safety Trade Show

We had a great time networking and meeting associates at the 2022 ASSP Expo.

Here are some of the great accomplishments that we’d like to share with you from our Rail Division:

  • Increased sales steadily as we moved out of the pandemic and remained the leader in locomotive freeze protection for all the Class I’s in North America.
  • Significant growth in the passenger car freeze protection market thanks to a big focus on the GURU PC® with its electric heater assembly to ensure prospects are aware of the need for freeze protection and options available for passenger cars.
  • Dana Logue, Engineering Project Manager, and Glenn Quinty, Senior Engineering Product Specialist, participated in RT&S Railway Age Virtual Conference: Winter Preparedness. Watch it on demand here!

Here are some of the outstanding accomplishments that we’d like to share with you from our Commercial Plumbing Division, CircuitSolver®:

  • We launched the new CircuitSolver Union Cold Water balancing valve (CSU-CW). This valve automatically and continuously balances a cold water recirculation system to discourage Legionella bacteria colonization and reduce stagnation.
  • Project Manager Eric McTee of ME Engineers details his experience specifying CircuitSolver® over the last few years in this testimonial.
  • We released two new videos, a How it Works video on CircuitSolver® and one on the new Cold Water CircuitSolver® valve.
  • Read more about CircuitSolver’s Year in Review on the CircuitSolver® website.

Here are some of the great accomplishments that we’d like to share with you from our Aerospace and Defense Division:

  • We hired Josh White as our A&D Business Development Manager and are excited about his work in the Aerospace and Defense Division. Josh is a former Air Force One pilot with over 20 years of operational military aviation experience. His expertise and skills in the aerospace industry will help us to develop new processes and streamline our strategies to serve our customers better.
  • We have brought on a new A&D rep J.D. Technologies Global, who works with high-quality, complementary manufacturers of products and services that serve the aerospace, military & defense, medical, and industrial markets. We are very excited about this partnership and proud of the work we’ve done with them in 2022, and looking forward to 2023.
  • Read more about our A&D Division’s Year in Review on the Aerospace & Defense website.

Looking Forward

Our Electronics Affiliate, TJM Electronics, has merged with ThermOmegaTech® and will now operate under the ThermOmegaTech® brand as our Electronics Division! Read about this breaking news here!

Thank you for being a part of our journey, and have a happy New Year! We look forward to working with you in 2023!

Protect Your Employees From Freezing with Thermostatic Valves

/ 0 Comments / in Product, ThermOmegaTech / by Christine Tarlecki

Thermostatic Freeze Protection: Winter is the time to protect your pipes and personnel.

Water-bearing piping must be appropriately winterized to keep temperature-sensitive processes and equipment functioning optimally throughout the freeze season. When water lines to cooling and condensate systems, safety showers, and eyewash or facewash stations are left exposed to the elements, or their heat tracing fails, freezing temperatures can cause frozen or burst piping. This can lead to overheated equipment and severely dangerous working conditions for your employees, which can interrupt systems, burst piping, and cause lengthy and costly repairs.

If safety shower, eyewash, or facewash station water lines freeze, personnel could be at significant risk of being unable to cleanse after contamination exposure. Condensate drain lines are also in danger of freezing even if it is electrically heat traced and the tracing malfunctions or the facility loses power.

ThermOmegaTech’s self-actuating temperature control valves are the ideal water line freeze protection solution.

HAT/FP Freeze Protection Valve

The HAT/FP valve is designed to sense the water temperature in the pipe or ambient temperature, depending on installation. The valve will gradually open to bleed off the cold water when temperatures approach the valve’s set point, typically 35°F (1.6°C).

Once the flow is initiated, the valve will remain open until the discharge water temperature is 5 degrees above that, typically 40°F (4.4°C). Once the freeze danger passes, the valve will modulate closed again to conserve water and reduce wastewater disposal costs.

These 100% mechanical valves require no power source to operate, eliminating the human errors associated with manual valves. They can also save you thousands on your water or energy bills.

Result: Guaranteed freeze protection and water savings because of the reliable and automatic HAT/FP thermostatic valves.

Read the feature on HAT/FP valves in the latest issue of Plant Engineering.

TJM Electronics to Merge with ThermOmegaTech

/ 0 Comments / in News, ThermOmegaTech, TJM Electronics / by Christine Tarlecki

TJM Electronics Merger Announcement

Electronics manufacturer to merge with affiliate company.

(Warminster, Pennsylvania) TJM Electronics is pleased to announce that it will merge with its affiliate company, ThermOmegaTech. Effective January 1, 2023, TJM will operate under the ThermOmegaTech brand as their electronics division.

TJM Electronics has been leading the way in electronics contract manufacturing since 1989. TJM became one of the first automated SMT companies certified to MIL-STD-2000 on the East coast. Since then, TJM has provided high-quality PCB assemblies utilizing cutting-edge technology to the aerospace, defense, medical, industrial, LED lighting, and non-commodity consumer electronics markets.

In 2019, TJM was purchased by Logue Family Holdings, the parent company of ThermOmegaTech, a leading thermostatic valve, and actuator design and manufacturing corporation. For almost 40 years, ThermOmegaTech has been creating temperature control solutions for a wide range of applications and currently services the railroad, commercial plumbing, aerospace, defense, and an array of industrial markets.

Last summer, TJM moved from its Bristol location to its current facility in Warminster, PA, located in the same building as ThermOmegaTech’s manufacturing plant and office space.

“This merger is a huge strategic advantage for TJM as it will help streamline processes and improve communication channels throughout the organization,” said Jim Logue, Jr., President, CEO of ThermOmegaTech and TJM Electronics. “Combining ThermOmegaTech’s mechanical design and manufacturing capabilities with TJM’s electrical manufacturing abilities will open the door to new opportunities and help to continue growth in our current markets.”

This partnership is also expected to result in greater efficiencies and eliminate redundancies in their systems, such as combining the AS9100D certification for both companies into one.

As with all important business decisions, ThermOmegaTech will work closely with its customers and employees to make the integration process as smooth as possible. Beyond the name change, customers should not see any major changes in the products and services they receive from both companies.

 

About ThermOmegaTech, Inc:

For almost 40 years, ThermOmegaTech has been a leader in designing and manufacturing self-actuated thermostatic technology valves and actuators. Founded in 1983, ThermOmegaTech is a privately held small business with 40,000 square feet of manufacturing and office facility located near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The company provides innovative solutions for various applications, including freeze & scald protection, mixing & diverting, steam tracing control, thermal bypass, tepid water delivery, washdown, balancing, drain tempering, and many others applications where temperature control is critical. Key industries it serves include railroad, commercial plumbing, aerospace & defense, and industrial.

ThermOmegaTech specializes in manufacturing prototype/small volume and highly engineered custom products utilizing phase-change thermostatic actuator technology to satisfy individual project needs.

ThermOmegaTech’s R&D, manufacturing, assembly, testing, inspection, sales, and customer service departments are all located in one facility for maximum efficiency and effective communication. Its QMS is certified to AS9100D standards demonstrating the focus on quality, and its products are distributed and used worldwide.