Plumber Vs Plumbing Engineer - What's the Difference?

We've heard, read, seen, listen all about chemical engineering as web 2.0 evolves... Some of us knows the what is chemical engineering and chemical engineer... Some knows the differences between a chemist and a chemical engineer. If you still don't, please Google...

Well, I'm not going to blog about that, instead I want to share something else...When I surf the net just now, I came across this interesting article, "Plumber Vs Plumbing Engineer - What's the Difference?" After reading through, I thought it might be worth sharing in this blog. This article was written by D. Michael Kirby, a freelance writer who loves to share a lots of thing especially about technology. Check it out... and at the end I attached a cool video you don't want to miss... :)

The phrase "plumbing engineer" might just sound like a fancy five-dollar term to use when "plumber" sounds too pedestrian. Like, if your stodgy old eighth-grade English teacher comes to visit, and the toilet breaks, you might say something like, "Alas! It seems as though it may be time to avail myself of some of my local plumbing engineer's finest handiwork! Forsooth, and such."

Luckily, your stodgy eighth-grade English teacher didn't bring your persnickety eleventh-grade science teacher with her, because you'd be wrong.

You call a plumber to fix a broken toilet, repair a leaky pipe or unclog a stubborn drain. Plumbers are a vital component of the professional engineering community, but a plumber just is not the same as a plumbing engineer.

So what is a plumbing engineer, you ask? The easiest way to make the distinction is to think of the plumbing engineer as the guy who designs the system, and the plumber as the guy who maintains it. You'd call Jack the plumbing engineer to map out the hot and cold water system in the new home you're building; you'd call Joe the plumber to fix it when a gasket wears out.

Plumbing engineering relies on design, planning, creation and implementation. A plumbing engineer draws up a pipe system for a new building or series of buildings, makes sure every pipe connection is solid and every delivery method is efficient. He chooses the right materials to make sure the system lasts for years with minimal maintenance. If you get a top-notch plumbing engineer, you probably won't need to call the plumber very often.

The Whole Building Design Guide, an expansive web-based information resource for contractors, designers and architects, provides a good working definition of plumbing engineering:

The Plumbing Engineer is involved with systems that overlap into the mechanical, civil, and chemical engineering disciplines. The Plumbing Engineer is in a key position to influence the water efficiency, sustainable site, energy, fire protection, and pollution systems of a facility.

Plumbing engineers are qualified to oversee a wide array of public and private building projects:

• When a new shopping center needs a stormwater management system, the engineering firm designing the center would hand the job over to a plumbing engineer.
• A plumbing engineer might work closely with a fire protection engineer to to make sure a new sprinkler system is in good working order.
• An entire team of plumbing engineers might design a sewer system for a new housing development.

D. Michael Kirby is a freelance writer living in California. He writes about travel, technology, home improvement, and a plethora of other topics. One of his clients, Enerdyne Engineering, is the premier provider of plumbing engineering services -- and a whole raft of other engineering consulting services -- in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Delaware.

Visit Enerdyne here: http://www.enerdyneinc.com.

After reading the article, I strongly believe you want to see this interesting video clip about the perfect plumber OR is it a disastrous plumber?!!! It sounds like Irish slang...not sure...Enjoy...


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Resign Peacefully

As some of you have noticed, I have resigned from my job as a process engineer last June. Since then, I have set few targets to be achieved in my professional career as an engineer (in the academic line). Among the target is for me to be a professional engineer. I have registered with Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM) and Institution of Engineers, Malaysia (IEM). However, after meeting my mentor last week, I was informed by him that my log book record is missing something. I did not get my previous job record verified by my superior. I need to the signature and stamp of my ex-boss. I totally missed that. All this while I thought that I only need my mentors signature and stamp.

That's fine. I need to contact my ex-boss. I have mixed feeling before contacting him. What if he decline to approve my previous job activities? I called him and he asked me to email the job record. 36 hours after that he replied my email and after a series of email, he asked me to come and meet him the following day. To cut the long story, and to make it short, I finally got my ex-boss verification and I'm very delighted. I really appreciate my ex-boss time and effort to assist and support me. Now, I need to compile and get my job record for this year and submit them to IEM.

What's the morale of the story here? Of course there are few but for me, there is one significant morale that I want to share...

If you want to resign, then resign in a good manner.

Resign peacefully. Off course I felt uncomfortable informing my ex-boss that I want to resign. However, after explaining my reasons and my ambition, he understood and respect my decision. All my friends in my previous work place were very supportive. They know that I'm going to have a better career. After leaving the company, I still continue good relationship with all levels of staff from my ex-company. I established some kind of informal collaboration with my former company and I hope it can benefit both parties.

We never know when we need a favour from them. Like me, I turned to my ex-boss and ask a favour from him. What if I resigned in bad manner? What if I resigned and my ex-boss hated me? Definitely the job record verification process will be a "mission impossible" process... Then, to solve the problem, I might do something that may not be ethical. In other words, chances for me doing a "don't" in the engineering ethics is high! Then everything will not be right. Everything will be totally wrong. We need to do it the right way everytime. We need to maintain our good reputation. Engineer need to be a reliable and trusted person, not a man with illusion. Just be honest and be good.

Leaving good reputation with your ex-company will make you special. You'll be welcomed any time you return. Isn't that great. I easily entered the company premises and various level of staffs called and waved at me. I chatted with them, asking how they are doing and other catching up talks. My fellow friends, supervisor, security guards, supervisors, technician, fitters, canteen lady etc greeted me with cheer and asked how I was doing in my new career. That's really a good feeling... What about you...? Any experience you would like to share?

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Problem: Flash Fire Problem

2 weeks ago, Professor Silveston from Waterloo University Canada came to Universiti Teknologi Malaysia for an assignment. While he was around, he gave a workshop on problem solving. It was really a very interesting workshop and we learnt how to think critically on how to solve problems (it can be any problem including chemical engineering operation problems).

I would like to share one problem that he gave us and I want to see some ideas. Please feel free to gave your opinion on the answer for the problem.

Flash Fire Problem

Heavy naphtas are converted into high octane gasoline in platformer. By products of the reaction include LPG and hydrogen rich gas containing 6-80% by volume hydrogen. The products from the platformer reactor (at 700 psig and 500 oC) are heat-exchanged with the naptha feed to the reactor. This preheats the feed. The platforming catalyst is rapidly fouled and must be generated by blowing with steam or waste gas. Thus the process is cyclic. A battery of reactors maintains a steady flow.

In three weeks since the startup, there have been four flash fires along the flanges of the heat exchanger. The plant manager claims that because of the differential expansion within the heat exchanger, because of the diameter of the exchanger and the stream hydrogen is rich these flash fires are bound to occur. The maintainance mean have broken 6 bolts trying to get the flange tighter, but they just cannot get it tight enough. The excahanger costs $200,000 and the whole plant costs #39 million. The technical manager says that the plant must be safe in 3 days.

What will you do?
What are the actions?
Can you think and share with us your action plan...

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World Congress of Chemical Engineering (WCCE8)

Have you been to Canada? I haven't. Now, here is one good reason to visit Canada next year. enjoy beautiful Canada and attend the World Congress of Chemical Engineering (WCCE8). This time it will be held in Canada.

You can now submit your technical papers and please do that before 30th November 2008. For more details on the paper format, please click here. For more information on the congress, click their official website here. I love the website. It's attractive, very informative - it contains information from the congress program up to career fair.

I'm not sure whether I'm going or not. I'm going to think what paper I can write for WCCE8. I hope I can attend the congress with my wife, present paper and do some networking.

Here's something that I picked from the official site.

Canada and Montréal will welcome the international chemical engineering community to the 8th World Congress of Chemical Engineering (WCCE8), at the downtown Palais des Congrès de Montréal, August 23 to 27, 2009. WCCE8’s technical program will emphasize the key role played by chemical engineers from all around the world in developing the processes and products needed by humanity in a more sustainable way—as highlighted in the Congress’s overall theme “Challenges for a Changing World”.

On behalf of the Organizing Committee, I look forward to welcoming you in Montréal on August 23, 2009.

Philippe A. Tanguy
Congress Chair

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What is it Like Being a Chemical Engineer?

When I was a chemical engineering student, I always wonder how a chemical engineer works. Now, it's my turn to share my experiences to the juniors and that's also one of the reason this blog is created. Today's student have better advantage on learning what chemical engineering is all about. There are websites, blogs, videos, pictures and all are easily available. Enough about that... if you are still a student and wonder who does it feel to be a chemical engineer, check out the following video showing some chemical engineers explaining how they feel being a Chemical Engineer.




The second video shows some idea on what chemical engineers do...

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Can I Learn and Master Everything?

My original ambition was to be an architect! My father, my mother and my uncle knows about this. I love sketching and drawing. I drew modern buildings, I imagined a sky scraper university and sketched too. After my secondary school, I had to made a decision whether to choose architecture or something related to chemistry. If you want to know how I develop my interest in chemistry / chemical engineering, feel free to read my about me story.

I have to choose the direction of my tertiary education (end 1993). I'm confused... Should I choose architecture or Chemical Engineering? I love them both. I want to make a career out of both of them.

Then, I made my decision. I'll study Chemical Engineering and learn Architecture (on a part time basis). The place where I studied before, Pusat Pendidikan Persediaan Institute Teknologi Mara (PPP ITM), that time, also offers architecture course on top of engineering courses. I thought I can learn architecture on my free time while being an engineering student.

Luckily, the class I was in combined 6 architecture students with the rest of the engineering students (about 25 of us). This was such a great opportunity for me because I have architecture students friends at class and at my hostel. This means I can easily learn architecture from them. Once in a while, after completing my engineering tutorial, I went to my architecture student friend apartment and browsed through their books, flipped pages, checked out his sketches and drawing. I made few drawings as well and they acknowledged my work. I was very delighted with that.

But then, as time goes by, the engineering subjects became tougher and tougher. I had to pay more attention on pure mathematics, mechanics, physics and chemistry subjects. I need to get a good grade for my A-Levels, if not, I'm not going overseas. So, there goes my architecture dream... drifting away...and away....from me. I no longer have the time to entertain my artistic desire. I have to focus and work hard on my chemical engineering degree.

I am those type of person who don't spend money for fun or leisure. My pocket money was always channel to buy books, magazine or any reading material that I'm interested in.

Well, that was about 13-14 years ago. Now the same issue emerge again.

I graduated as a chemical engineer, got a masters degree, work few years in the industry and now I'm an academician. I still have the same desire - to learn and master everything. I want to be good at almost everything. I want to be good in lecturing, research work, consultation, web 2.0., professional involvements, sports and many more. The fact is I'm just a normal human being. I need to be realistic. I can't learn everything even if I spend 24 hours a day. I have limited hours and I need to wisely manage my time to do all my activities especially the learning stuffs that interest me. I need to prioritize what I should learn.

Believe it or not, I have tonnes of ebooks. Some related to chemical engineering while the rest not related. I also have hundreds of technical paper in my hard disc. I'm not sure when i can read them. It's just too much. Short answer is I need to again - prioritize.

So the conclusions:

1. In our life, we have a lot of responsibilities and good desires.
2. We only have 24 hours a day.
3. We have to be realistic on what we want to do.
4. So, we need to prioritize our tasks. We need to focus on certain areas. Establish your own skill
and area.

I'm sorry ramble. There are too much inside my head. I want to do a lot of thing but I can't. i have to do it one at a time. If only I can duplicate myself...

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ChemEng08 : ONLINE WEBCASTING!!

Just to share a quick information that I received from IChemE Facebook - posted by Tanya Graham about thee ChemEng08 held in Birmingham.

Not being in Birmingham, UK at ChemEng 08 doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the biggest IChemE event of the year!!

For just £20.00, from wherever you are in the world, you can tune in LIVE to the ChemEng08 webcast and view all of the main sessions from the Global Forum Theatre.

After the event, as part of the online registration fee, you will also have online access to view over 15 of the sessions from the technical programme.

Wednesday highlights include: Opportunities and Challenges of Emerging Markets (Chaired by David Smith, Economics Editor at the UK’s Sunday Times); Education and Skills – Bridging the Gap (Chaired by Colin Grant, Dean of Engineering at University of Strathclyde); and seminar programmes dedicated to Health, Safety & Environment; Sustainable Technology; and Energy.

Thursday opens with IChemE President, Professor Richard Darton delivering his presidential address before the Global Forum Debate – Chemical Engineers believe the world needs more innovation and less regulation. Appearing on the panel are Judith Hackitt, Chair of the UK’s Health & Safety Executive; Nigel Hirst, Managing Director of Haden Freeman Ltd; Ian Shott, IChemE Deputy President and President & Chief Executive of Excelsyn; and Peter Davidson, Innovation Advisor at BERR and DIUS.

Other Thursday highlights include an update on the progress of the Institution’s Technical Roadmap by IChemE Chief Executive, Dr David Brown; and seminars programmes dedicated to Food & Drink; Water; and Biosystems.

Registration is £20, check this amount in your local currency at: www.finance.yahoo.com/currency

The webcasting is open to both members and non-members of IChemE.

To register for the ChemEng 08 webcast, go to www.chemeng08.com

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Premiership Footballer Wants to be A Chemical Engineer

It's a fact that playing football in Barclay Premier League (BPL) must be very lucrative. However STOKE star Seyi Olofinjana has a different view of it. He wants a new career in the later when he retire from football. He wants to join the oil industry.

The 28-year-old midfielder already has a degree in chemical engineering and wants to top that.

He is paying 12,000 pounds sterling for a distance learning course in subsea engineering with Aberdeen University and hopes to work in the huge oil industry back home in Nigeria one day.

Middlesbrough is not a dream day out for many people — but the chemical plants of Teesside could provide a glimpse into Olofinjana’s future.

He said: "I could be working out on the oil rigs when I’m 35, you never know."

The key thing is to get myself prepared. You need to fall back on something. No matter how well you do in football, it’s not for ever.

Source: The Sun Newspaper

It's very interesting to know that a professional footballer like Seyi have an interest and degree in chemical engineering and looks forward on his new career later. Not a lot of footballer will have radical career plan change like him. Let's just see his new career after retiring from soccer.

My 2 cents: I hope he'll be a successful chemical engineer (and hope to see him wear coveralls and safety helmet...).


More information about Olafinjana's profile as a footballer:
Wikipedia.org/wiki/Seyi_Olofinjana
4thegame.com

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Pinch Valve Sleeves

Many industries use specific valves, called pinch valves, to control fluids, waste water, slurries, abrasives and corrosive chemicals. Pinch valves are constructed of a heavy-duty, rugged pinch mechanism that positions a sleeve. The valve offers maximum durability and ensures precise flow control in many industrial processes.

Inside every pinch valve is a sleeve that is crucial to the performance success of the valve. This sleeve enables a pinch valve to have a bi-directional, drop tight shut off with which to control flow. Most pinch valve sleeves are made of flexible elastomer compounds, many of which resemble rubber in composition and feel. Because a sleeve's composition is crucial to the success of the valve's application, valve manufacturers offer different elastomer options from which the sleeve can be constructed.

The many uses of the pinch valve

Because pinch valves are useful in a wide range of industries, the ability of a purchaser to choose the desired sleeve composition is paramount. Commonly used in the mining industry, a pinch valve's tough construction makes it ideal for use on harsh and abrasive mining slurries. Pinch valves can also be useful in demanding wastewater treatment applications. For example, a pinch valve's accurate, repeatable linear flow control and drop tight, bi-directional shut off make this valve type a good choice for sludge and raw sewage control.

In the power industry, pinch valves are an important component used in lime and ash handling - two tough services commonly found within a power plant. The abrasion-resistant, self-cleaning, and flexible elastomer sleeve of a pinch valve won't scale, bridge, plug or freeze on slurries. Pinch valves can also work in the treatment and handling of corrosive chemicals. Because there is no packing to maintain and no cavities, seats, or cam action to bind valve operation, pinch valves are often used in corrosive chemical applications.

Pinch valves can also be used in pulp and paper mills. Pulp stock, coating and recycled paper lines are some of the most difficult applications for a valve. The flexible elastomer sleeve of a pinch valve are able to withstand these abrasive services. Pinch valves can also be a great asset in food and beverage plants, cement/sand/silica factories, refineries, pneumatic conveying, and scrubbing.

A sleeve elastomer for every application

The multitude of uses for pinch valves require that purchasers be able to choose specific sleeve compositions and styles for various applications. A pure gum rubber sleeve, for example, is not suitable for the handling of strong acids, but might be appropriate for food manufacture or alcohol distillation. The application of a particular pinch valve, including the temperature range to which it will be exposed, dictates which sleeve elastomer a valve customer should choose.

Pure gum rubber sleeves are resilient and abrasion-resistant. They can handle an incredibly wide temperature range, from -50 F to 180 F, and they are extremely flexible, as well as non-marking. They are composed of natural rubber, and are most suitable for organic (or, carbon-based) acids, and mild chemical compounds, including alcohols. Strong acid and basic solutions, oils, and solvents are some of the chemicals that this type of pinch valve sleeve is ill-equipped to handle.

Neoprene pinch valve sleeves are synthetic rubber sleeves composed of chloroprene polymers. They handle a slightly wider temperature range than pure gum rubber sleeves do, working well with temperatures up to 220 F. Neoprene is chemically inert, and works best in the handling of moderate acids and other chemicals. Unlike pure gum rubber, it is strong and resilient enough to handle products containing ozone, as well as some oils and fats. Neoprene is more resistant to abrasion than is gum rubber; however, it can be eroded or weakened by oxidizing acids, ketone, ester, and chlorinated hydrocarbons.

Sleeves composed of chlorobutyl elastomers, or chlorinated butyl rubber compounds, handle major temperature ranges, from -60 F to 300 F. These sleeves are known for their good abrasion resistance and their ability to handle animal and vegetable fats. However, other types of oils are too heavy for chlorobutyl elastomers to handle -- as are solvents, which can break down the rubber.

The trademarked name of nitrile (a triple-bonded carbon-nitrogen compound), Buna-N can be used to make sleeves suitable for -40F to 240 F temperature ranges. These types of sleeves can be useful in chemical manufacture and chemical engineering because they can handle chemicals and solvents. They are not suitable, however, for ozone, ester, ketone, or nitro/chlorinated hydrocarbons. Meanwhile, Hypalon, a trademarked name for a chlorosulfonated polyethylene compound, is used to construct sleeves suitable for temperature ranges between -60 F and 275 F. This durable compound can handle quite strong acids and bases, as well as freon, ozone, alcohol compounds, and alkalines. This type of pinch valve sleeve should not be used with ketone, ester, or various aromatic and chlorinated hydrocarbons. Hypalon resists weathering quite well, however.

EPDM (or ethylene propylene diene monomer) valve sleeves are excellent for use with fats and oils. These valves -- made of the material used to seal vehicle doors, windows, and the like -- can withstand temperature ranges between -60F and 300F. They should not be used, however, to work with mineral oils or solvents. They also weather well. Viton, a type of synthetic rubber used commonly in O-rings, can also be used with animal and vegetable oils, as well as with acids. Though this type of sleeve performs poorly at temperatures lower than -10 F, it performs quite well at temperatures up to 400 F. Viton sleeves also display excellent tensile strength.

Each of the many uses of pinch valves requires careful consideration of the valve sleeve that is most appropriate to the process for which the valve will be used. With the variety of sleeve elastomer options available, it is no wonder that pinch valves are applicable in so many situations and for so many processes.

Red Valve, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, manufactures custom pinch valves, including air operated, control, and manual pinch valves, along with pinch valve sleeves. For more information, visit Red Valve's Web site.

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Chemical Engineer Elected As UTM New Vice-Chancellor

The guessing game is finally over after the new Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) is elected. Datuk Prof. Dr. Ir. Zaini Ujang, 43, is officially the new Vice-Chancellor of UTM, replacing Tan Sri Professor Dr Mohd Zulkifli Tan Sri Mohd Ghazali, whose tenure ended on the 30th of September 2008.

Datuk Zaini, a chemical engineer, joined UTM in 1988. He was the director of the Water Resource and Environment Institute from 2001 to 2006 and promoted to deputy vice-chancellor last year.

More news:
NST
Bernama
Topix

Chemical Engineer Heads UTM

MALAYSIAN CHEMICAL ENGINEER Zaini Ujang has been appointed vice-chancellor of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM). The role begins immediately and lasts for three years. At the age of 43, he is billed as the youngest person to lead a Malaysian public university.

Zaini served UTM as deputy vice-chancellor for research and innovation from March 2007. Prior to that, he was dean of UTM’s Faculty of Chemical and Natural Resources Engineering, beginning July 2006, and director of UTM’s Institute of Environmental & Water Resource Management from 2001 to 2005.

On receiving the post, Zaini said: “I thank the government for being bold enough to appoint a relatively young person to the post of vice-chancellor. I will aim to improve the standard of higher education and implement the National Higher Education Strategic Plan.” This aims to improve Malaysia’s competitiveness, productivity and innovativeness.

Zaini received his undergraduate degree in chemical engineering at UTM, and went on to complete an MSC and PhD in environmental engineering at Newcastle University, UK. He began his academic career at UTM in 1988. He is lauded as a Malaysian expert in matters concerning water and wastewater treatment, and has held posts advising the government’s education department.

News is adopted from TCEToday.

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Melamine - What is Melamine?

Melamine? Dead Infants? China? What's wrong?

The news about dead infants + melamine + milk + China has heavily reported, discussed and reasearched. I was slightly aware of the incident occuring in China, but recently, when my government took some action on investigating our own dairy products on shelves, I need to pay extra attention on what Melamine is all about. What is the fuss about Melamine? When my wife asked me what is Melamine, I can't provide her the answer. Thus, I know, I need to technically know this chemical and what's the hazardous implication towards us... I need to be aware and

 protect my family.

Anyone can easily get details on melamine from Google - Wikipedia, but let me just share the info... 

What is Melamine?

The following description about Melamine is adopted from Wikipedia:

"Melamine is an organic base and a trimer of cyanamide, with a 1,3,5-triazine skeleton. Like cyanamide, it contains 66% nitrogenby mass and, if mixed with resins, has fire retardant properties due to its release of nitrogen gas when burned or charred, and has several other industrial uses. Melamine is also a metabolite of cyromazine, a pesticide. It is formed in the body of mammals who have ingested cyromazine.^[2] It has been reported that cyromazine can also be converted to melamine in plants.^[3][4]

Melamine combines with cyanuric acid to form melamine cyanurate, which has been implicated in the Chinese protein export." 

Further description on Melamine... (from Wikipedia/melamine)

"Melamine is a man-made substance commonly employed in a variety of industrial products and processes, including the manufacture of synthetic countertops, dry erase boards, fabrics, glues, housewares, flame retardants and dyes. Nitrogen rich, it is sometimes illegally added to food products in order to increase their apparent protein content. Introduced to milk, it can help conceal its fraudulent dilution with water.^[7] Common nitrogen-based protein level tests used in China, such as the Kjeldahl and Dumas methods, fail to distinguish between melamine and naturally occurring milk proteins, allowing the protein levels to be falsified."

The table shows the physical properties of Melamine:

What's the impact of Melamine? What's the negative effect of Melamine (taken from Wikipedia)?

Melamine is known to cause renal and urinary problems in humans and animals when combined in the body with cyanuric acid,^[7][8] sometimes present in drinking water and in animal feed^[9], so its use in food production is banned in China elsewhere.^[10]

Melamine adulteration of food products has made other headlines in recent years, including pet food recalls in Europe and the U.S. in 2007. It has also been employed as an additive to cattle feed to boost its nitrogen content, appearing in soy meal, corn gluten meal and cottonseed meal.

What is the acceptable level of melamine in food?

According to Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety, the legal limit is 2.5 part per million (ppm). The information is taken from The Star news - HK says Cadbury Melamine Levels Acceptable.

List of Milk Products being investigated... 

Following is a list of milk product being investigated under Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD Phillippines), [only applicable in Philiphines] (please refer to jpsimbulan.com). This is to give us an idea on what type of dairy products may have more dosage of melamine. These milk brands/products do not necessarily mean they are melamine contaminated. 

1. Anchor Lite Milk
2. Anchor Wam Frootmilk Drink Mango Magic
3. Anchor Wam Frootmilk Orange Chill
4. Anchor Wam Frootmilk Strawberry Spin
5. Anlene Milk
6. Anmum Materna 180g
7. Anmum Materna Chocolate
8. Dutch Lady Pure Milk
9. Farmland Skim Milk
10. Greenfood Yili Pure Milk
11. Jinwei Drink
12. Jollycow Pure Fresh Milk
13. Jollycow Slender Low Fat Milk
14. KLIM Instant Full Cream Milk Powder 1.8kg
15. M&M Chocolate Brown 40gm
16. Meiji Hokkaido Azuki (red bean ice cream)
17. Meiji Ujikintoki (red bean and green tea frozen confection)
18. Mengniu Original Drink Milk
19. Mengniu Pure Milk
20. Milk Chocolate Bars/China
21. Milk Chocolate Candies?China
22. Milkboy repacked
23. Monmilk Breakfast Milk Walnut Milk Beverage
24. Monmilk High Calcium Low Fat Milk
25. Monmilk High Calcium Milk
26. Monmilk Milk Deluxe Pure Milk
27. Monmilk Pure Milk
28. Monmilk Suan Suan Ru Sour Milk Beverage (Mango flavor)
29. Natural Choice Milk Ice Bar
30. Nespray
31. Nestle Carnation Calcium Plus Non Fat Milk Powder (1.6kg)
32. Nestle Chocolate Flavor Ice Cream Cone
33. Nestle Dairy Farm Pure Milk
34. Nestle Vanilla Flavor Ice Cream Cone
35. Nutri Express Milk
36. Nutri-Express 15 Nutritional Elements (blue, red and orange label and cap)
37. Nutri-Express Milk
38. Nutri-Express Milk Green Apple
39. Prime Roast Cereals 28gm
40. Pura Fresh Milk
41. Snickers Brown 59gm
42. Strawberry Sorbet
43. Trappist Dairy Low Fat Yogurt drink
44. Vita Fresh Milk
45. Wahaha Orange
46. Wahaha Yellow
47. Want Want Milk Drink
48. Yili High Calcium 250ml
49. Yili High Calcium Milk 1L
50. Yili High Calcium Low Fat Milk Beverage
51. Yili Low Fat Milk 1L
52. Yili Milk
53. Yili Puremilk 250ml
54. Yili Puremilk 1L
55. Yinlu Milk Peanut

Can I refer to any authority to ask further about Melamine...?

Well, of course. For the case of Malaysia (I dwell here), you can call Food Safety and Quality Division,  Ministry of Health Malaysia at

+60-3-88 83 36 55
+60-3-88 83 35 03,
+60-3-88 83 36 52
+60-3-88 83 35 00

For further information or latest update on milk products tainted with melamine issue, please access Food Safety and Quality Division website under Ministry of Health Malaysia. Alternatively, please visit WHO website to better understand about melamine contamination.

To obtain the updated list of milk/dairy products that are not affected by melamine contamination by Food Safety and Quality Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia, click here.

I'm sorry but I'm not able to provide information of the approve milk/dairy product for all countries.

Latest melamine related videos:

New tests on baby milk powder in China show no signs of melamine. The scandal that broke almost a month ago, is responsible for the deaths of four infants and sickening more than 54 thousand others. (Oct. 6). Source: AssociatedPress (AP).

Chinese candy sold in Chinatowns across the U.S. has tested positive for melamine, linking it to the tainted milk scandal blamed for at least 4 deaths and thousands of sick children. (Oct. 3). Source: AssociatedPress (AP).

BEIJING -- A Chinese dairy that sold milk powder linked to kidney stones in infants knew it contained a banned chemical weeks before ordering a recall, the health minister said Saturday. 

One child has died and an official said the number of children sickened had risen to 432. 

Investigators have detained 19 people and are questioning 78 to find out how melamine was added to milk supplied to Sanlu Group Co., China's biggest milk powder producer, officials said at a news conference. They said some tainted powder was exported to Taiwan but none was sent to other foreign markets. 

In Taiwan, authorities seized thousands of bags of Chinese milk powder. The incident reflects China's enduring problems with product safety despite a shake-up of its regulatory system after a spate of warnings and recalls about tainted toothpaste, faulty tires and other goods. 

The biggest group of victims is in China itself, where shoddy or counterfeit products are common. Infants, hospital patients and others have been killed or injured by tainted or fake milk, medicines, liquor and other products.

In 2004, more than 200 infants suffered malnutrition and at least 12 died after being fed phony formula with no nutrients. Some 40 companies were found to be making phony formula.

News and videos adopted from Youtube.com.

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Chemical Engineering Ebooks

If you need precious chemical engineering related soft copy resources from the net, I would like to recommend a site which is called ChemicalEbooks.com. There are plenty of "Chemical Engineering Ebooks" available in that site which are categorized as follows:

-Chemistry
-Design Report
-Environmental Engineering
-Fluid Dynamics
-Hand Books
-Heat Transfer
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-Mass Transfer
-Petrochemical Engineering
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-Plant Design
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There are absolutely tonnes of information and it is worth million dollars. I'm now thinking of creating my own virtual library or compilation of all these chemical engineering ebooks. I'm going to download them, print them out and put them in my office. Isn't that great?

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My Career Updates

It was quite a hectic week for me. I was busy doing some research on my future pH.D work and also for some research grant application. At the same time, I need to prepare for lectures, tests etc. There are also a few undergraduate research projects that needed some attention from me. It is quite an interesting and challenging career for me. Well, the challenge is absolutely not similar compared to the life I had while I was an engineer before.

If anybody asked me, what is the significant differences between being an engineer and a lecturer...? My short answer (without thinking) would be: Now, Nobody is scolding me.... He he.... :) . However, that is not the real answer. That's just a joke.... and my ex-colleague at my previous work place will laugh when I answered that...

The truth is, being a lecturer is really tough. Is it as tough as an engineer? It depends.... If you want to be a lecturer who only lectures, then it's not a big deal. However, if you are the type of person who want to be a very successful lecturer and really build your career, you need to do more then that... you need to work really hard. I don't feel like discussing about this now... perhaps later... (maybe when there's a request...)

Here are some updates about me and my career:

- Thinking, researching, preparing for my pH.D research. In progress.
- Thinking, researching, preparing for some fundamental research grants. In progress.
- Preparing for lectures. Continuous work.
- Collaborating with selected industries (oil and fats) to do research. In progress.
- Maintaining this blog and several others - to share stuffs... Continuous work.
- Technical paper, journal publication. In progress.
- Writing and publishing books and eBooks. In progress.
- Preparing myself to be an expert in selected areas for present and future consultancy work.
- Industrial visits. In planning stage.
- Creating a new forum for discussing chemical engineering issues. In progress...
- Maintaining "Chemical Engineering Rocks" group in Facebook. Come and join...
- Working on my professional engineer status. In progress.
- Collaborating with a multinational company to promote biofuel (especially from Jatropha). I'll be blogging about this in the near future. It's very exciting and involve donation/charity.
- Going to attend a number of training and courses in October and November.
-Just conducted a 5S audit and the faculty... to be continued tomorrow.
- .... I can't think of others....

Well are some updates from me...I hope I can handle and manage them wisely. I also hope that my spirit and energy will continue bursting...Adios...
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Profiting from Ultrasound Steam System Inspection

Just to share some info / news that was delivered to my mailbox by PlantServices.com. It's actually a webminar (web seminar) that you can enjoy from the comfort of your home / office to learn about how to profit from ultrasound steam system inspection.

From the brief information provided, it mentioned how we can use ultrasound to inspect steam traps and valves which are very critical and important in a processing plant. I remembered how crucial the steam traps were when i was working in a production plant before. Whenever some steam traps fail to function and when the boiler unintentionally sent us wet steam, our vacuum pressure will drop and hence disrupt our product quality. We were forced to regularly monitor all steam traps in our 7 storey plant and maintain a checklist. Once in a while, i personally checked some of the steam traps using my bare hands.

I guess that's enough for my rambling. What I wanted to highlight here is actually the webminar organized by Plantservices.com. If you want to learn about it register yourself for the program. I don't think I can make it there due to other commitments. Read the rest of the information....

Presented by PlantServices.com

How to profit from ultrasound steam system inspection

Sponsored by: UE Systems
Content type: Webcast
Date: Thursday, September 25, 2008
Time: 12 PM ET/9 AM PT
Length: 60 minutes

This tutorial will demonstrate how to conduct an ultrasound steam trap and valve survey. Viewers will learn the basics of ultrasound technology followed by details, including sound samples of various steam traps in good and in failure conditions. Strategies for effective trap and valve survey preparation and methods of recording, analyzing and reporting results will be included, as well as how effective steam trap inspections help conserve energy and increase profitability!

» Register Now

Featured Speaker: Douglas Waetjen - UE Systems, Inc.
Mr. Waetjen has been involved with ultrasound technology since 1986. He has lectured about the technology worldwide, written numerous technical articles, and has been instrumental in the program implementation of ultrasound for hundreds of companies. Mr. Waetjen is an active member of the Society for Maintenance and Reliability Professionals (SMRP) and is chairman of the Supplier Relations Committee for this organization. As a certified Level III, Mr. Waetjen teaches Ultrasound Level I and Level II courses. In addition to his efforts to educate and lecture, Mr. Waetjen is the director of worldwide sales for UE Systems, Inc.

© 2008 Putman Media Inc.
555 West Pierce Rd., Suite 301, Itasca, IL 60143. Phone: 630-467-1300
The content of this message is protected by copyright and trademark laws under U.S. and international law.
All rights reserved.

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How Does Actuators Works?

In actuator valve engineering and design, it is essential for engineers, designers, and manufacturers to fully understand the aspects and processes of using this particular product that would eventually help build effective engineering designs in a safe and efficient manner.

One of the most significant products of the company would be the actuators. To make this technical term simpler, an actuator is a device that transforms or converts energy into motion. Also applied as a force, an actuator usually is a mechanical apparatus that takes energy, normally constructed by liquid, air, or electricity, and converts that into a specific kind of motion. This motion can relate to anything from clamping, blocking, to ejecting. These actuators are normally used in industrial applications or in manufacturing, and may also be used in different objects such as motors, switches, valves, and pumps.

From all the actuators available in the market, the most common type would be the ones that are powered by the air, also known as the air cylinder or the pneumatic cylinder. These air cylinders are air tight, usually made out of metal, which uses the energy of compressed air in order to move a piston. In addition, air cylinders are usually used in assembly processes and in manufacturing. On the other hand, grippers, normally used in robotics, use actuators powered by compressed air in order to work similar to the human touch.

Electricity or hydraulics can be a source of power for actuators. Much like there are air cylinders, there are also electric cylinders and hydraulic cylinders where the cylinder converts electricity or hydraulics into motion, and hydraulic cylinders are often used in several types of automobiles. Most of the actuators available have more than one type of power source. For example, solenoid valves can have the ability to be powered by both electricity and air. Electricity powers the solenoid, and the solenoid, powered by air, actuates the valve. Another option for this would be that the solenoid can be powered by both electricity and the hydraulics.

Whether in a linear motion, a rotary motion, or in an oscillatory motion, actuators can still be used, that is if they can create the motion with only one direction, in a circular motion, or in an opposite direction at normal intervals. Hydraulic and air cylinders can also be classified as single acting, which means that the energy source that justifies the movement in one direction, and that a certain spring is used for the other direction. Having these interchanged, these cylinders can act as double as an acting cylinder, which means that the energy is used in two different directions. Even if actuators are usually explained in terms of mechanical implements, muscles are often given as an example of an actuator. Energy, which is created by eating carbohydrates, is converted by the muscle, which in this case would be the actuator, and transform it into motion, such as playing basketball.

The above article was authored by Christel Lumabas who is part of MEA Inc. team. MEA Inc is a world leading organization that is composed of designers, engineers and manufacturers of valves and actuator including butterfly valve, valve actuators, diverter valve, linear actuator, hydraulic check valve and electric actuator for mechanical and electrical automation systems worldwide. For more information check out http://www.meaincorporated.com.

For better comprehension, I include some photos to better illustrate the actuators:

Actuator Diagram - photo adopted from Spirax Sarco

Actuator (topside) connected to one piece ball valve - Image adopted from Randex.

Similar to the latter image, this actuator (topside) is also connected to a one piece ball valve - Image adopted from Ferret.

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