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Monitoring Solutions for Semiconductor Subfabs

A semiconductor transistor is a part with specific electronic properties that allow it to serve as a component in microchips and modern electronics like phones, laptops, and more. As these components are small and require precise manufacturing methods, there are facilities dedicated to their manufacture. 

These facilities consist of several levels including air handlers and scrubbers for exhaust, HEPA room, fab cleanroom, and subfab areas. The control of pressure, flow, and temperature within the facility is essential. 

Semiconductor subfabs are located directly below the cleanroom. Here you will find an array of ancillary equipment, such as vacuum pumps, abatement systems, chillers, gas cabinets, and other equipment to keep process tools functioning efficiently. The equipment within the subfab is interconnected with the tools found within the fab cleanroom itself; these separate but connected areas work together to make sure the facility runs smoothly.  Continue reading “Monitoring Solutions for Semiconductor Subfabs”

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The Importance of Water in Concrete Mixing

Concrete is used all around us as foundation for buildings and exterior surfaces, parking lots, sidewalks, countertops, and more. Although walking or riding a car on concrete is a daily occurrence, it’s easy to overlook the basic elements that go into this essential of modern living. 

Concrete is made of a few basic components:

  • Sand and/or aggregate
  • Cement, comprised of limestone and clay that have been crushed and mixed into a fine powder solution
  • Water

Of these components, the ratio of water to cement is particularly important. Continue reading “The Importance of Water in Concrete Mixing”

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How the Dwyer Series IEF and IEFB Overcome Typical Sources of Error

There are a wide variety of technologies that can be used for fluid flow measurement, such as differential pressure, paddlewheel, electromagnetic, and ultrasonic. Furthermore, each technology has multiple installation configurations. It is important to understand the nuances of different technologies and installations in order to pick the right flowmeter for your application. 

When purchasing a flowmeter for an HVAC application, such as boiler feed water monitoring or chilled/condenser water monitoring, we found that our customers value the ability to hot-tap (or pressure tap) a pipe to install an insertion flowmeter. This is done by installing an isolation valve in a pipe, allowing an insertion flowmeter to be placed into and removed from a live system without having to drain it. Draining a system is time consuming, costly, and generally not a good option for HVAC systems in buildings because it requires the entire system to be shut down. Permanently installing a hot-tap valve followed by an insertion flowmeter (with hot-tap capability) is an ideal alternative to a costly inline meter. 

When considering an insertion flowmeter for an HVAC application, there are four key sources of error to be aware of:  Continue reading “How the Dwyer Series IEF and IEFB Overcome Typical Sources of Error”