Setra Blog

The Joint Commission (TJC) is a non-profit organization that evaluates and accredits healthcare organizations in the United States, ensuring that hospitals and other medical facilities are providing safe and high-quality care to their patients. Inspections occur every three years and take between 2 to 3 days. In most jurisdictions, Medicare and Medicaid funding is contingent on accreditation by TJC.

One of the most important standards scored in a Joint Commission evaluation is room pressurization (EC.02.05.01). According to ASHRAE Standard 170 (used specifically by TJC as its standard), over 60 different areas of concern within a facility need to be either positively or negatively pressured. Pressurization in these spaces is tested simply by holding a tissue at the bottom of a door and determining whether the tissue is blown back away or sucked towards the gap.

Did you know that companies spend hundreds of millions of dollars on research and development for off-highway vehicle engines? A portion of the R&D goes into developing specialized engine test stands to ensure that the engines are functioning properly.

Although hydrogen is in its infancy as a fuel source, its future is incredibly bright. The technology behind hydrogen fuel cells is improving daily and its viability as a replacement to the internal combustion engine seems likely. Hydrogen is already being used in specialty vehicles such as forklifts and buses, and it’s only a matter of time before infrastructure is in place to serve the consumer automotive market. Why do hydrogen fuel cells have such great appeal? Because their only byproducts are heat and water vapor, making hydrogen fuel cells a truly zero-emission locomotive technology.

In manufacturing, there are two standards used to measure the different grades of electrical enclosures and how resistant they are to the ingress of certain materials. NEMA ratings and IP ratings both define degrees of protection against substances such as water and dust, but use different test methods and parameters to define their enclosure types (NEMA 250 and IEC standard 60529).

Capacitance is the ability of an object to hold an electrical charge. Capacitors are components in an electrical circuit that can store a charge and are considered one of the three fundamental electronic components along with inductors and resistors.

Simply put, barometric pressure is the measurement of air pressure in the atmosphere, specifically the measurement of the weight exerted by air molecules at a given point on Earth. Barometric pressure changes constantly and is always different depending on where the reading takes place.

Looking at your electric bill can be a daunting task. There are many factors that can affect your bill’s total — factors that are only amplified in large commercial and industrial sites.

One such consideration is peak demand. Peak demand is the largest instance of power usage in a given time frame, typically a rolling fifteen minute window. Measured in kilowatts (kW), peak demand is different than consumption. Total consumption  is measured in kilowatt hours (kWh) over a given period of time (e.g. monthly, quarterly, etc.). 

When selecting stainless steel for various applications, understanding the differences between 17-4 and 316L stainless steel is crucial. Both alloys offer unique properties tailored to specific needs.

Stainless steel (SS) comes in all shapes, sizes, and compositions. It’s an alloy comprised of several different elements such as iron, nickel, and chromium with superior corrosion resistance compared to its constituent parts. Different applications require different material properties. In fact, there are dozens of individual grades of stainless steel alone, each with a unique proportion of ingredients and application benefits. This article will focus on two types in particular: 17-4 and 316L stainless steel.

Power factor is a measure of how effectively electrical power is being used. It is defined as the ratio of real power (the power that actually performs work, measured in watts) to apparent power (the total power supplied to the circuit, measured in volt-amperes).

The power flowing through an alternating current (AC) load isn’t always pulling its full weight. Every AC circuit has some degree of non-working power as part of its total power reading and this can affect the amount of power a system is truly drawing.

Many environments within a health care facility require pressure monitoring in order to protect patient health. Even spaces like hospital linen closets require some sort of indicator of positive or negative differential pressure.