3-CI Today

Scoliosis - The Unnecessary Painfull Companion

2009-12-14T12:09:00.000-08:00

In line with our corporate responsibility philosophy we have chosen to do our part. Ergo an endeavor to spread awareness on the often overlooked disorder - scoliosis.

Scoliosis is defined as:

A medical condition in which a person's spine is curved from side to side and may also be rotated. On an x-ray, viewed from the rear, the spine of an individual with a typical scoliosis may look more like an "S" or a "C" than a straight line. It is typically classified as either congenital, idiopathic or neuromuscular .

-Wikipedia (Scoliosis)

If caught early enough, especially before skeletal maturity, this unfortunate disorder can be cured almost altogether; if discovered late, one must endure severe pain and potential surgery, stressing the importance of early detection.

Symptoms can include:

Diminishing lung capacity, putting pressure on the heart, and restricting physical activities.
Uneven musculature on one side of the spine.
A rib "hump" (Pectus carinatum) and/or a prominent shoulder blade, caused by rotation of the ribcage in thoracic scoliosis.
Uneven hip, rib cage, and shoulder levels.
Asymmetric size or location of breast in females.
Unequal distance between arms and body.
Slow nerve action (in some cases).

To understand how you can benefit local scoliosis efforts within Western Canada contact scoliosis@3-ci.com today.

Like our Brass Nuts?

2009-12-10T15:30:00.000-08:00

As per a recent customer request we have been mandated to create a custom brass nut for a specialized assembly.

After a pass through our R&D department and then again through operations we managed to turn out yet another formidable assembly complete with some serious brass nuts.

Scroll down for some pictures showing the evolution of the custom brass connector nut.

To learn more about what we can do to beef up your operations email us at info@3-ci.com or call us at 403-250-2271.

What will NOT happen to your 3-CI Cable

2009-12-09T13:25:00.000-08:00

If you've kept up to date with our posts you know that 3-CI takes a great deal of pride in quality and workmanship. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for all cable manufacturers in the market.

While over-molded assembly is a niche in today's market there are a hand full of firms who claim to specialize in this process. This said, we must ask what is the point of over-molding if a cable cannot stand up to the harsh environments the process is designed to overcome. Indeed over-molding is not a simple one-step-shot method; rather its a science which involves careful consideration of all relevant factors. Failure to do so can leave a client with high expectations and little to show for them save serious breakage related hassle and cost.

One such customer brought us an unfortunate and costly personal example. These units are typical of units which have not been adequately bonded and contain no custom back-shell; two essential portions of a robust assembly. They had been manufactured by an assembly house who claimed to produce robust over-molded assembly but who's workmanship said otherwise.

Below are pictures of the assemblies. Notice no back-shell whatsoever and completely inadequate bonding.

3-CI Cable come standard with custom aluminum back-shells and molecular polyurethane bonding to keep you working so you don't need to worry about breakage of this nature. Contact 3-CI at info@3-ci.com or 403-250-2271 for more information.

Thanks Again!

2009-12-03T09:48:00.000-08:00

Today we received another customer testimonial and it really made us feel great. So, of course we thought we'd post it here for all to see.

Enjoy!

3-CI supplies our company with heavy duty weatherproof transmission shifter harnesses for on-highway passenger coaches as well as petroleum industry drilling rigs and well servicing equipment.

Their products are extremely well made, fully tested for continuity and are consistent in fit, form and function.

Additionally, 3-CI staff has provided us with valuable assistance during the R&D period on new and unique applications.

(edited for privacy purposes)

Thanks for the kind words yet again.

For more information about what 3-CI can do for you contact us at info@3-ci.com 403-250-2271.

The New & Improved 3-CI Website

2009-12-01T15:47:00.000-08:00

*Extra! Extra!*

The new & improved 3-CI is on the verge of its debut; scroll down for a sneak preview of the homepage.

Thats right, we are planning a full release of 3-CI's long awaited new website packed with tons of cool new features and information with that same pop and posh you have come to expect.

The exciting new site will feature product sheets, downloads, and even a fully interactive e-store.

Stay tuned for this slick new development and keep your eyes peeled for the official launch post here on 3-CI Today; and remember we thrive on your feedback so shoot us a comment and let us know what you think and how we can improve your experience.

On The Topic of Testimonials

2009-11-13T11:07:00.000-08:00

If you've read some of our previous posts you've noticed a glowing endorsement from one of our clients.

With 2009 drawing to a end, and with a new year on the dawn, we felt that it may be well worth our time posting a few more testimonials which have found their way onto our desks this year.

We're not in the habit of gloating, but hey, sometimes it feels just nice to receive positive feedback and it always feels good to share it.

So with no further delay allow us to present five of this year’s spotlighted testimonials:

“We power our instrumentation with 3-CI cables. I used to have regular breakage problems before I started using them. I hated thinking about downtime due to a broken connection or something... (3-CI) have even implemented new ways for us to streamline our setup with custom products”

-Client Specializing in Field Information & Measurements Acquisition

“We’ve replaced all of our PVC jacketed cables with 3-CI Polyurethane molded assemblies. 3-CI products are so much more rugged & reliable that we consider them a must for the numerous different industries that we serve with our control products & systems. The annoyance of cable related failures & downtime has been virtually eliminated.”

-Client Specializing in Motion Control Products & Services

“In my field you need to be able to depend on the integrity of our systems. Cable and connections need to work - that’s all there is to it. 3-CI has kept us working the way we want.”

-Client Specializing in Stimulation Equipment for the Oil & Gas Industry

The cables [used prior to 3-CI units] were not polyurethane; as the crew was rolling up the cable, at -30° C, the jacket started to shred off and fly all over. All of the cable was replaced with polyurethane ones from 3-CI. Their cable was flexible and suffered no damage when it was rolled up in -40° C. The jacket stayed flexible and pliable which saved us from building new cables. The cables even rolled out on the next work site, remained flexible and worked when hooked up."

-Client Specializing in Remote Field Satellite Communication

The cables that where sent with the NX-100 Controller to a HP50-35 from Yaskawa Electric did not last after a year in the water environment that we use to cut out our Spas. The cables became dangerous to use; they started shorting out and maintenance had used duct tape to fix the cables. Shorting out became a very big concern; if the controller got a shot it was possible that it would short out and not work which is $1000.00 to fix. 3-CI supplied polyurethane cables with an overmold on the connector which went into our production facility and onto our robots. These cables are functioning very well in the wet conditions that the robot unit is in. The new cables are holding up and working better than the original cables.

-Client Specializing in Fixture Fabrications

Well there you have it folks; a few words straight from the people we work for everyday. As you can see we are committed to our workmanship and service. We hope to continue doing a top-notch job for all our customers in the present and future.

If you would like to know more about 3-CI products and services don't hesitate to give us a call at 403-250-2271 or email us at info@3-ci.com.

"EVERYBODY Was Copied On It!"

2009-11-12T11:52:00.000-08:00

OK so this week we had a little occurrence which turned out to be quite a positive.

You see, one of our good customers checked out the 3-CI Today site and noticed a few items we did R&D work, and then eventually built for him.

Having a good relationship with our company he decided to send an email as a joke to one of our Accounts Managers to the tune of a complaint. Naturally we jumped into action with concern that a customer of ours was something less than completely satisfied with our product and service.

Well, all it took was one phone call for our customer to insist that he was simply pulling our leg much to our relief. Sensing our concern he immediately wrote us an email which we were grateful for. We've posted it below along with a sincere thanks to him for such a glowing endorsement.

As can be expected we have removed his name for privacy purposes.

The email follows:

“Hi Charles,

Please disregard that last email as it was meant to torture you only!

The truth is that we are very impressed with the work you & 3CI have done on all the products we have received & it was nice to see that some of our custom work made it into your display.

We certainly look forward to working with you in the future as you have proven that there are many applications that you can find solutions for – especially with our demanding requests & nearly impossible time-lines!

We appreciate your service & apologize for any misrepresentation this may have caused.

I am sending this to everyone such that they realize we are extremely happy with your service; product & 3-CI’s quality & workmanship.”

(Edited for privacy reasons)

Stay tuned for the Franken-Connector...

2009-11-06T13:59:00.000-08:00

We've been reinventing the wheel here at 3-CI and and among the square, triangle and other designs has emerges a little jewel of interest.

Yes it came bubbling out of our lab just yesterday fresh with that out of the oven new-prototype-smell.

We'll be sure to do a writeup about this unit soon enough. Although I'm sure those of you who deal with connectors enough already have an inkling about the prospects of this unit... but I digress.

Wait no more and check out some brand new pictures of our new connector-mold hybrid.

Corrosion Proof Connectors

2009-11-06T10:26:00.000-08:00

All Mill-Spec connectors in the market today are susceptible to physical corrosion simply due to the simple fact that they are comprised of a metal or some metallic compound.

Extended field use, especially in challenging environments, will eventually lead to the deterioration of connections and thus expensive diagnosis and replacement costs. To mitigate this problem one must be discerning when it comes to connector composition.

The ideal connector would be one made of a highly stable compound such as iron or titanium, however as you may have already guessed the costs would also be prohibitive.

Enter anodized connectors - units treated to enhance longevity in harsh environments.

To learn more about the anodization process please view the following Wikipedia article: Anodizing.

Within category of anodized connectors exist 2 major distinct form of connectors:

Black anodized connectors
Electroless nickel plated anodized connectors

Each has distinct advantages and vary according to price however 3-CI offers a third option: The Type III Black Zinc Cobalt Plate Anodized Connector. This connector has been shown to be almost on par with stainless steel in terms of strength and slightly better in terms of salt spray resistance.

To witness how the 3-CI Type III fares in comparison to a standard form of anodized connector please scroll to the images below. The black unit is a 3-CI Type III which has been in a harsh environment for several years. Note that it has only a topical buildup, which can be easily removed with a household agent such as C.L.R., and has sustained no structural damage. The second unit is a standard anodized connector which has been used in a comparable environment over a comparable duration of time; note it's severe structural corrosion.

3-CI Type III connectors offer the dependability required in sensitive field operations and come at a fraction of the price compared to other industry alternatives with similar resilience. An extra point of interest you may want to keep in mind, and please don't mind our gloating, is the 3-CI over-molds which have sustained virtually no damage over the years which have severely tested grit of the connectors they bind.

To find out how using a Type III connector can benefit your company please contact 3-CI at info@3-ci.com or 403-250-2271.

Vivid Color Coding

2009-08-26T14:55:00.000-07:00

Get a side order of color with your 3-CI cable assemblies.

Arrange to have molds color coded to match terminals and facilitate quick setup and take down or just to give your project that extra flare.

Yes we realize that ascetics aren't always on the forefront of your mind when you rig up a well site or setup an ocean buoy but keep in mind that there is much more value then just style with our vivid over-molds. An employee will make less mistakes when there is more than figures and schematics to follow during setup. Help by color coding terminal layout to correspond to pallet and decrease setup time and error; also color code connections to alert employees in regards to sensitive connections and attention zones.

To learn more about 3-CI vivid color coding email info@3-ci.com.

Power, Signal... and Winch?

2009-08-26T13:48:00.000-07:00

3-CI has developed a unit for the marine research division of one of the world's leading exploration companies.

This assembly was custom made to act as a power, signal and winch-line for a deep-sea exploration unit.

This 3-CI design has incorporated a unique polymer also found in racing sails, armor and other high stress applications

—chosen for its strength-to-weight ratio and its ability to resist high temperatures and maintain strength and resilience down to cryogenic temperatures (-196°C).

The exact details of this unit are confidential but to learn more about this or other 3-CI custom applications please email info@3-ci.com.

Another Bright Light

2009-08-25T15:40:00.000-07:00

As of today another fancy new idea has come bubbling out of the 3-CI R&D labs.

As a response to customer request 3-CI has developed a custom machined PU over molded "key" with an LED built right in for the purpose of allowing an agent to quickly assess the state of a connection.

In short our LED inclusive molds will allow you to see whether a circuit is complete at a single glance.

GPS Sensor Equipment Reinforcement Component - SR60

2009-08-25T15:01:00.000-07:00

So we've recently developed a line of fixture terminals under the SR series title. What they are is basically a solid polyurethane enclosed fixture with a terminal conversion and mounting arrangement. All in all these units are interesting but their application is by far much more intriguing.

These SR series fixtures are designed to basically reinforce (strain relief) portions of a sophisticated person-operated GPS and sensor system. This system is part of an extensive full-body suit worn by an agent who, along with the assistance of various other devices, carries through as part of a complex surveying and information gathering exercise.

The suit consists of a GPS unit, various other sensors, a sophisticated hand-held tri-node looking scanning device, various cables and I'm sure, among all the rest of it, a flashlight. While the rig-up looks something short of the Iron Man costume it was burdened with an array of cables which 3-CI has managed to mitigate along with the addition of several tote links for streamlining cable and of-course to minimize load.

What is Polyurethane

2009-08-25T09:42:00.000-07:00

What is Polyurethane
A polyurethane, commonly abbreviated PU, is any polymer consisting of a chain of organic units joined by urethane (carbamate) links. Polyurethane polymers are formed through step-growth polymerization by reacting a monomer containing at least two isocyanate functional groups with another monomer containing at least two hydroxyl (alcohol) groups in the presence of a catalyst.

Polyurethane formulations cover an extremely wide range of stiffness, hardness, and densities. These materials include:

Low-density flexible foam used in upholstery and bedding
Low-density rigid foam used for thermal insulation and RTM cores
Soft solid elastomers used for gel pads and print rollers
Hard solid plastics used as electronic instrument bezels and structural parts

Polyurethanes are widely used in high resiliency flexible foam seating, rigid foam insulation panels, microcellular foam seals and gaskets, durable elastomeric wheels and tires, automotive suspension bushings, electrical potting compounds, high performance adhesives and sealants, Spandex fibers, seals, gaskets, carpet underlay, and hard plastic parts.

Polyurethane products are often called "urethanes". They should not be confused with the specific substance urethane, also known as ethyl carbamate. Polyurethanes are not produced from ethyl carbamate, nor do they contain it.

While 3-CI works with a variety of plastics in the creation of durable cable assemblies polyurethane remains the choice plastic when it comes to cable assembly due to its durable and inert nature.

Health and Safety
Fully reacted polyurethane polymer (CAS registry number 9009-54-5) is chemically inert.

In the United States, no exposure limits have been established by OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) or ACGIH (American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists). It is not regulated by OSHA for carcinogenicity. Polyurethane polymer is a combustible solid and will ignite if exposed to an open flame for a sufficient period of time. Decomposition products include carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen, and hydrogen cyanide.

In the United States, additional health and safety information can be found through organizations such as the Polyurethane Manufacturers Association (PMA) and the Center for the Polyurethanes Industry (CPI), as well as from polyurethane system and raw material manufacturers. In Europe, health and safety information is available from ISOPA, the European Diisocyanate and Polyol Producers Association. Regulatory information can be found in the Code of Federal Regulations Title 21 (Food and Drugs) and Title 40 (Protection of the Environment).

For more information regarding PU cable and its characteristics please contact info@3-ci.com.

Injection Molding - A Brief Insight

2009-08-24T18:30:00.000-07:00

Injection Molding

Injection Molding is a manufacturing technique for making parts from thermoplastics and thermosetting plastic materials. Various molten plastics are injected at high pressure into a precision-machined custom mold made in the 3-CI Machining Laboratory.

The world’s most commonly used thermoplastic materials are:

Polystyrene - Low cost and relatively low quality
ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) - A terpolymer used for everything from lego parts to electronics housings
Polyamide - Chemical and heat resistant, tough and flexible
Polypropylene - Also tough and flexible
PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) - Common in extrusions used for pipes, window frames, or as the insulation on wiring where it is rendered flexible by the inclusion of a high proportion of plasticizer.
Polyethylene

This said, 3-CI focuses on the innovation and use of a unique and resiliant plastic known as Polyurethane.

3-CI HDMI Cable

2009-08-24T14:59:00.000-07:00

Overview of HDMI

Developed by Hitachi Ltd., Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (Panasonic), Philips Consumer Electronics International B.V., Silicon Image, Inc., Sony Corporation, Thomson, Inc. and Toshiba Corporation, the High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) is the de facto global standard for connecting HD components and bridging the gap between CE and PC products. The HDMI specification combines uncompressed high-definition video and multi-channel audio in a single digital interface to provide crystal-clear digital quality over a single cable. For end-users, use of a single cable for audio and video dramatically simplifies home theater system installation and eliminates the cable quagmire typically associated with home theater system components.

Most importantly, HDMI offers significant advantages over analog A/V connections, including the ability to transmit uncompressed digital video and audio content. In addition to numerous device and display manufacturers, major motion picture studios and cable and satellite operators also support HDMI. To date, more than 600 makers of consumer electronics and PC products worldwide have adopted HDMI.

3-CI HDMI Cable Compliance Standard
3-CI currently supports version 1.3 which increases the single-link bandwidth to 340 MHz (10.2 Gbit/s). It supports Deep Color, with 30-bit, 36-bit, and 48-bit xvYCC, sRGB, or YCbCr, compared to 24-bit sRGB or YCbCr in previous HDMI versions.

It also supports output of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio streams for external decoding by AV receivers. It incorporates automatic audio syncing (audio video sync) capability, as well as Type C compliant cable and sink modifications, source termination recommendations, removed undershoot and maximum rise/fall time limits. It also has improved CEC capacitance limits, clarified sRGB video quantization range, and CEC commands for timer control were brought back in an altered form, with audio control commands added.

3-CI HDMI
3-CI HDMI 1.3c standard cables are rated:

Voltage: DC 300V 5M ohm/10ms
Contact resistance: 2 ohm MAX
Fully HoHS compliant

Furthermore 3-CI cables feature:

24K gold plated connectors
High purity OFC conductors
Oxygen free copper
Aluminum braiding
Triple shielding
Dual ferrite

For more information and pricing or to receive a 3-CI HDMI brochure please email info@3-ci.com

Hello World

2009-08-21T14:56:00.000-07:00

Over the last year or so we have been working on a lot of really cool and cutting edge stuff here at 3-CI.

These efforts really haven’t gotten the sort of publicity they’ve deserved and so the Development department here has decided to form this outlet (http://today.3-ci.com) to give you some insight into what’s going on in the 3-CI labs.

Aside from some terrific collaborations, some snazzy new technologies we’ve developed as well as our new Japanese operation, we’ve been super busy with a revamped customer support system and much more.

You will notice information on everything from new product development and corporate news highlights to general musings from our R&D department throughout the days to come.

While all that is exciting we do give pause for a moment to ask you to submit ideas and feedback as you see fit. You can provide your insight through this site or email us at info@3-ci.com

We look forward to having you check back and connecting with us in the days to come.