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October 2011 - Issue 125
e-news for Flow Control Solutions
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Kitting
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at Smart Products
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With over three million possible combinations of our valve components, kitting plays an extremely important role in our manufacturing process. Smart Products’ valves are used in a wide variety of applications and control flow of an even larger spectrum of liquids and gasses. Thus, ensuring the exact plastic body material, o-ring material, and opening spring pressure are kitted correctly is an essential step to building the right valve for your unique design criteria.
After receiving your purchase order, we review it and create a work order for manufacturing, kitting, and assembly. After the plastic body material is injection molded, it is ready for kitting where we have a well-organized room (pictured) with every component offered by us. For accuracy, we keep bar codes on each bin of a part number and control number. Each customer’s purchase order also has a bar code on it that will be scanned as each requested component is gathered to make sure all scans match or to alert us if there is a mismatch.
Components are counted out by weight and then stacked in containers. At this point, the Assembly Supervisor double-checks the work order and examines the kitted parts by-hand to ensure they continue to be correct. After the first valve has been assembled, it is given to QA, and they also review the order and product for accuracy.
Our accurate kitting system also allows us to re-trace any components, if necessary. For example, if a customer has a problem with an o-ring we can track an identical o-ring from the same bin in the kitting room, which allows us to quickly resolve the issue.
Work orders are unique to each customer’s purchase order and reviewed several times during each manufacturing phase. Each valve is also tested by assembly and undergoes a 100% leak test. And, as with all of our processes, we follow our ISO Certification standards. All manufacturing is completed at our main facility in Morgan Hill, CA.
Questions about kitting? Call us at (800) 338-0404 or email sales@smartproducts.com.
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Smart Products Valves in Koi Fish Ponds
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providing smooth aeration flow for koi fish
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 If you’ve ever admired the serenity of a koi fish pond, then you might be interested to know that our Series 300 Check Valves are able to maintain aeration for these environments.
Popular for their colorful appearance and ability to adapt to a variety of climates, koi fish can be found anywhere from homes to a wide variety of businesses including restaurants, hotels, and corporate offices – for anyone that watches the popular U.S. TV show, The Office, you will recall the Koi Pond episode of Season 6.
In our experience with koi ponds, a polypropylene plastic, buna-n o-ring, and stainless steel spring (with available opening pressures ranging between 0.11 to 17 PSI) would work great in typical settings. However, it is always important for us to know anything the valve could be exposed to – in case a component needs to be adjusted to fit the design criteria.
 Series 300 valves are a great choice due to their mix-and-match versatility, which allows an easy connection to a drain circuit or between an air pump and filter. Once installed, koi pond owners and operators can rest easy knowing the valve will ensure precise and reliable flow control of air into the pond. And, like all Smart Products’ valves, it is designed for continuous use over a long period of time.
From high-speed hydroplane engines to tranquil koi ponds, we offer low pressure, low flow solutions for your application needs at a minimum valve order of 25 units. Contact a Product & Application Specialist for more information at (800) 338-0404.
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Featured O-ring Material: Silicone
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With an excellent rating for sealing (versus other o-rings), Silicone works well with all eight plastic body materials offered by Smart Products. This particular o-ring material seals best because its compounds are very soft and will seat better with poppets and/or external bodies versus a harder material like Viton®. Silicone rubber also stays flexible over a wide temperature range, and its softness gives it better conformability than other rubbers.
These o-rings are odorless and non-toxic, and they will work between -65°F to 450°F. Silicone is available in a 50, 60, or 70 durometer (hardness of the o-ring) size.
 Another bonus for our Silicone o-rings is that they are FDA Approved, which makes them a popular choice for certain applications within the medical or food and beverage industries. We can also offer Silicone with a Class VI status, upon request. For devices requiring gamma sterilization, ETO sterilization, and/or autoclaving, Silicone is an excellent choice because it shows no visual or functional changes when exposed to these processes. Click here to view complete test results of Gamma Radiation Effects at High Dosage (39.9 kGy) that we conducted in February 2010.
Silicone works especially well with:
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Dry Heat
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Sunlight
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Ozone
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Weathering
As you will see in the chart below, Silicone has an “excellent” rating for both compression set and permeation resistance, and a “poor” rating for wear and short-term resilience.
For questions about any of the o-ring materials we offer, give us a call at (800) 338-0404.
Upcoming Tradeshows
 Design 2 Part - Kissimmee, FL
Date: October 19 & 20
Time: 10:00am – 3:00pm
Location: Gaylord Palms Convention Center
Booth: #235
www.d2p.com
Design 2 Part - Houston, TX
Date: November 16 & 17
Time: 9:30am – 4:00pm
Location: Reliant Center
Booth: #206
www.d2p.com
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This Issue
Kitting 