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Dell Computers has led the ‘custom built’ PC market since the early 1980s. Michael Dell started his business from his University of Texas dorm room before laptop computers even existed. Dell has managed to establish a reputation for hitting the sweet spot of price and performance for most users, and regularly updates their brand lines to match the latest specifications.

The Dell laptops are parceled into two lines: the business-centric Dell Latitudes, which usually enjoy more RAM, battery life, and disk drive space at the expense of video card, and the Inspiron line. The Inspiron trades battery life and RAM for a better video experience. Inspirons are generally geared towards college students and ‘consumer’ laptops.

The first Inspirons performed very well. Though they never challenged for powerful performance, they were usually comparable to a 6 to 9 month old ‘top of the laptop.’ Early Inspirons came with the Celeron 1.4 GHz processor, and then got a line refresh in the early 2000s with a Pentium M, which was quickly supplanted by the Centrino processor. During this span of time, the motherboards also grew in capabilities, adding more USB ports, onboard power management, and the batteries grew denser in terms of their energy storage capabilities. It was the higher density batteries that caused the laptop recall of mid 2006, as the new batteries could result in significant overheating, damaging internal components on the motherboard, or potentially, burst into flame on a high run charge cycle.

Other persistent technical problems with the manufacture of the line include a problem with a tab applying pressure to one of the chips on the motherboard when pressure was applied consistently on the left side lower edge of the keyboard/touch pad area. This would slowly break the soldering links from the chip to the motherboard; symptoms included random shutdowns of the computer. This was eventually settled with a class action lawsuit, and many Inspiron 5150s are covered by it in the US.

Dell ultimately completed a total overhaul of their manufacturing facilities. They sold some of their manufacturing plants and hired third party manufacturers to cover the costs. The overhaul of their manufacturing process has seemingly paid off. The newest lines of Dell Inspirons have not suffered from the same faults. There are now several Inspiron models available, ranging from the budget conscious 13″ notebook market, to the behemoth 17″ widescreen laptops. All of these models are typical Inspirons: they are not geared towards the cutting-edge consumer (Dell recently acquired the Alienware brand for that market). Dell Inspirons are meant to be a good value for the average consumer.

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Filed under: Computers & Technology

MAINTENANCE

Proper operation of a seamless gutter machine-and a long machine life-is highly dependent on regular maintenance and care given to the machine. All the machine manufacturers will tell you a machine can last 20, 25, or 30 years, perhaps even more. A few older firms will say a few of their machines have operated for more than 40 years. But you will also hear that the life of a machine is more dependent on the owner and operators and they way they treat a machine than on what the manufacturer did in designing, building, and testing the machine

In the opinion of at least one machine manufacturer, the most successful gutter companies use an enclosed trailer, van, or truck to transport their gutter machines. Why does this make such a difference? Because it keeps your machine clean and dry. Dirt, debris, and the direct effects of weather can prematurely age your machine and turn a valuable asset into a sad piece of junk. So, how successful do you want to be?

MAINTENANCE PLAN

In order to protect your investment and assure proper and timely operation of your machine at the jobsite, you should develop a plan for maintenance, inspection, and cleaning of the gutter machine. Implementation of this plan will require the involvement and participation of the machine operators as well as the individual tasked with lubrication, inspection, and cleaning of the machine.

Each day, before operating the machine, the operator should inspect the electrical components and wiring. Look for loose wires or components, discoloration that might indicate overheating, or any other signs of damage. While performing this inspection also look for any dust, dirt, or debris inside the machine. If any is detected, it should be removed before commencing operations.

LUBRICATION

Lubricate the shear blade daily with the recommended lubricant. Often this will be one that contains Teflon or silicone. Avoid overspray on parts where it doesn’t belong. Lubricate the other parts of the shear mechanism WEEKLY with oil (sometimes SAE-90 non-detergent oil is recommended, other manufacturers recommend chain oil).

Lubricate the drive chain MONTHLY with a recommended lubricant (maybe motorcycle, farm, or industrial chain oil). Check the tension of the chain. Adjust it if necessary.

Most machine manufacturers object to the use of WD-40 as a lubricant. It is intended more as a penetrant, and has the effect of removing oil or grease from the parts. Check your operating manual and follow the recommendations of the machine’s manufacturer.

CLEANING

A thorough cleaning of the machine should be done regularly. Be sure the machine is turned off and disconnected from the electric power source while you are performing the cleaning. A monthly cleaning is considered optimum by some machine manufacturers. Remove any dust, dirt, or debris from inside the machine. This can be done with compressed air or a vacuum hose. If compressed air is used, avoid blowing dirt or debris onto moving parts or the motor.

Some manufacturers suggest using a pressure washer. If this technique is used care must be taken to avoid spraying the pressure wash on or in electrical boxes or components.

Empty the shear chip bin. Be careful not to spill any chips or debris inside the machine. Look for any sign of burrs, chips, or buildup on the guides and rollers. If buildup is present, clean the parts using the recommended solvent on a soft, clean rag. The solvent should be one that will not leave any residue on the parts. Acetone, paint thinner, or lacquer thinner are often recommended-check your operating manual.

REMOVING RESIDUE BUILDUP

If cleaning with solvent and a rag does not remove any marks, burrs or buildup, try to remove them by lightly sanding the part with fine Emery cloth. Polish out any remaining marks with a Scotch Brite pad.

Keep covers and safety panels closed except when working on the machine. Never have the panels open when running gutter.

ABOVE ALL, PROTECT THE MACHINE FROM DIRT, DUST, WORK SITE DEBRIS AND FOREIGN OBJECTS OF EVERY KIND.

In just a few seconds a nail or screw can be pulled through your machine, inflicting $1,000 of damage or more. How many jobs do you have to complete to earn $1,000 of profit to pay for the repairs?

STORING YOUR MACHINE

If you will not be using the gutter machine for 30 days or more, store it in a well-protected area (preferably indoors). Make a plan to run it for a few minutes every week, just to keep the lubricants on the bearings and chains smoothly distributed. This gives better protection against any rust or corrosion.

MACHINE ADJUSTMENTS AND REPAIRS

Incorrect alignment of the material in the machine is cited as the most common cause of incorrectly formed gutter. The machine was carefully aligned at the factory. Technicians from the factory or from a regional dealer are available to make alignments and corrections when required. Because this is something they do regularly, they are skilled in making such adjustments.

Although the proper adjustment technique is complicated and involves many steps, some manufacturers recommend that someone in the company be trained to make these adjustments. This may merely serve as an emergency backup to outside service personnel, or the owner may elect to undertake the alignments when they are needed. It is generally recommended that, after learning to make such adjustments, you will be better off to alter the adjustments as infrequently as possible. The tendency to tinker with the adjustments often creates more problems than it solves.

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Selecting the machinery in which you will invest for your new seamless gutter business is a major step and will be the foundation on which your future success will be based. It deserves your attention, care, research, and careful decision making.

There are about a dozen machine manufacturers in the U.S. Some machine manufacturers have been in the business for more than 40 years, others for perhaps 10. In addition to a seamless gutter machine, you will probably need equipment to make downspouts and elbows.

What style of rain gutters?

First you must decide what kind of metal rain gutters you are going to market. Rain gutters can be produced in various different shapes and sizes. Do you want to sell K-style, box, half-round, fascia, or OGEE-style gutters? Your choice will probably be dictated by the demands of your customers. The most common residential gutters are the K-style, but local markets can vary with differences in styles as well as different widths to accommodate different rainfall amounts. There are also special market niches that can be profitable. It is important to know the market in which you intend to compete.

Seamless Gutter Machines

A seamless gutter machine is a type of roll forming machine that shapes flat metal stock to form a rain gutter. Roll forming metal is a technology that dates back about 100 years, although it was not applied to the gutter field until around 1960. A gutter machine makes sections of variable length, as required by the specific installation. Each machine is designed to create a very specific shape. A machine designed to make a K-style gutter can produce only K-style gutters.

The exact design of the gutter formed by different machines also varies. The most critical issue is the width of the gutter to be produced. Machines are available that can produce 5-, 6-, or 7-inch-wide K-style gutters. Wider gutters can carry more water, but use more material and are therefore more expensive. Which size do you want to market? What size is in most demand in your market? Is there a particular market niche that you want to try to fill?

It is possible to buy a seamless gutter machine that can make two different sizes of gutters, for instance both 5-inch and 7-inch K-style gutters? These machine are more complicated (and more expensive) than a single-size machine, but if both sizes are in demand in your market it could be a good investment.

Other Design Features

Some models are trailer mounted, others are not. To make gutter of different colors you will need different rolls of stock material. The gutter machine should be able to hold more than one spool of material. Also, the stock can be aluminum, galvanized steel or copper, and of different gauge/thickness. What does your customer require? Does the machine run all three materials and all gauges? What kind of adjustments of the machine, if any, are required if you change the kind of material or gauge? How hard and time consuming is the adjustment process? How much material is normally consumed in the adjustment process?

Some machines require that material be loaded in the machine when the machine is transported to prevent damage to the drive rollers. Polyurethane drive rollers eliminate this need. This can be an advantage. Do you want hard chrome steel rollers or stainless steel rollers? What about power requirements – 110V or 220V AC, 60Hz or 50Hz? New equipment or used? There is a lot to think about, many choices to be made.

Buy from Factory, Dealer or Current Owner

About a dozen companies in the U.S. make equipment for making gutter system parts. Will you try to buy from the factory or from a nearby dealer? If the dealer is nearby he may be able to provide both service and parts in a timely fashion. Does the manufacturer have a reputation for good service and support? What about the dealer?

There are also foreign manufacturers. Can a foreign company provide comparable support to you in the U.S.? Will foreign exchange rates adversely effect parts and service costs?

Service, Support, and Warranty

Who will service your machine when repairs and adjustments are required? If it will be a local dealer, by whom were they trained? What is their availability? The factory service department is probably more skilled, but what is their availability? How will waiting for service impact your job completion? What about parts? For how long is the equipment warranted? What warranty applies for service and replacement parts? All these things can have an effect on your bottom line

Competition and Market Prices

There is very strong price competition between manufacturers in this market, resulting in a relatively small spread of prices for comparable machines. Also, there is a relatively small difference between the prices for new and used equipment. As new machines have the most current technologies, and will include warranty coverage, this may weigh heavily in your selection

Many factors are involved in selecting your seamless gutter machine, the secondary machinery for downspouts and elbows, and the source from which you decide to purchase. But with good maintenance, service, and care this equipment will provide the foundation for profitable business operations for 20 or more years. Weigh your options carefully.

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It is a fact that most masses realise felt unsure at one time or other but not everyone who appears to be shy can be noted as having any social troubles. For instance, some people are naturally calmer than others and opt to get on with small groups of people. While some are only shy in particular positions they feel uneasy with, such as meeting people for the first time, there are others who feel shy more often.

It is a sort of nonrational fear that makes people want to avoid what is making them feel haunted or careful. Although shy people know there is no logical system in bearing the way they do, they can’t seem to prevent it, all the same. For shy or socially anxious people, it makes no conflict, since they can’t help being uneasy or behaving that way.

Luckily, shyness is now being acknowledged as a real social problem and there is appreciable enquiry being conducted toward trying to find resolutions to help shy people. It is thought that one of the best ways to handle shyness is through self-acceptance and by trying to focus on the positive views of introversion and building upon these positive features.

There is absolutely nothing false with being shy. There are many grand qualities to be found in many shy people, although their condition tends to make them draw into a private universe of their own and because they do not socialize much with other people, they sometimes do not notice many of the things happening around them. Their lack of interaction and socializing also makes it difficult for them to adapt to fit definite types of careers, which can necessarily lead to them selecting careers that are well below their natural talents and capabilities. In more extreme places it can also lead to unemployment.

Obviously, some occupations are more suited to shy people than others but what are they?

There are deal of books and other resources available on the subject of careers.
Nevertheless, not many books are written specifically from the perspective of shy or socially anxious people and they tend not to take into account the social issues that present shy people on a daily base.

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Filed under: Careers

You have invested a lot of money in your seamless gutter machine. It is the very cornerstone of your gutter business. So long as it is working well you can have a successful operation producing good, quality gutters that will satisfy your customers and bring in those sales dollars. If the gutter machine isn’t working right, you find you have bad gutters, dissatisfied customers, and missed deadlines that can affect your business reputation. How you maintain and store your gutter machine can make the difference between smooth operations and constant frustration.

The manufacturer and/or dealer want you to be happy and productive. They want your machine to have a long and trouble-free life. They will have provided you with an operating manual that includes information on what to do to keep your machine clean, properly lubricated, and correctly adjusted. The principles are simple and straightforward:

Keep the machine clean Perform regular inspections Regular lubrication with recommended lubricants Timely service and repair Proper storage practices

Cleanliness

Few things are as important in keeping your gutter machine happy and healthy as keeping it clean. Any kind of material loose in the machine can be carried through the rollers with the metal stock. Such material can act as an abrasive and accelerate wear (that’s how the Colorado River made the Grand Canyon). It can damage rollers and guides. It can damage the gutter you are trying to make.

Important Cleaning Issues Your efforts to assure the cleanliness of the machine should have started before you installed the machine in a truck or trailer. The floor under the machine should have been made tight so dust and dirt from roads or construction sites cannot come through cracks and holes and up into the bottom of the machine. If you did not provide such protection, go back and fix it before too much damage is done. Regularly clean the machine and the rollers. This should be done with a solvent that will not damage the machine and will not leave a residue on the parts. Any residue of the solvent can catch and hold new dirt, which is exactly what you don’t want. Acetone and paint thinner are generally recommended, but check the operating manual for your machine and follow the directions. If there are any signs of paint flakes from the gutter inside the machine, shut down immediately, correct the problem, and clean the machine before proceeding. Paint flakes in the machine may cause damage to both the rollers and the gutter. Whenever loading a coil onto the machine, make sure the loading area is clean and free of any debris. The shear chip bin should be regularly emptied.

Inspections

Carefully inspect sections of gutter from the machine and note any irregularities or defects. If there are any signs of surface damage to the gutter or flaking or chafing of paint from the gutter, shut down the machine to immediately correct the problem.

Regularly inspect the machine in accordance with the operating manual. Check the machine for general cleanliness. Perform cleaning if required. Inspect the entrance guide system, in particular checking for any burr deposits that might have developed. Check guide bars and rollers for damage, markings, burrs, or any buildup of materials which might mark or damage the gutter. Inspect the rollers for damage or foreign material. If you find any, get it fixed immediately. Machines that are adjustable can also experience parts vibrating loose. When they loosen the critical adjustments that produce good gutter, instead of scrap, are lost. Regularly check to make sure all the bolts and nuts remain tight.

Lubrication

The operating manual will identify lubrication points, lubricants, and frequency. These may include: Chains should be lubricated with the recommended chain lube monthly. The guillotine or shear parts should be lubricated daily. The shear blade should be lubricated daily The adjustment screws should be lubricated monthly so they will afford easy adjustment, if required. Other items as specified in the operating manual.

Service and Repair

Some manufacturers claim that if you properly maintain your gutter machine, you may not require a factory service call for as long as five years. Some say their design goal is a machine life of 35 years or more. In any case, prompt service and repair will keep your machine on line and earning money for you.

Storage

The manufacturers generally recommend you store your machine indoors if possible. This will protect it from blowing dirt and dust and precipitation in the form of rain, snow, sleet, etc. Whether stored outdoors or indoors, it is a good practice to cover the machine with a tarp when not in use. You also want to protect the machine from condensation due to humidity and temperature cycles. Also, before storing a machine, be sure to apply fresh lubricant to all the areas requiring lubrication to give them an extra margin of protection.

You have invested a lot of hard-earned money in your gutter machine. With some careful maintenance and handling it can be with you for many years.

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Filed under: Sales