Monday, February 29, 2016

New Diesel Exhaust Fluid Nozzle Makes Dispensing More Economical


Husky Corporation Unveils the X DEF Nozzle for Retail and Commercial Customers

PACIFIC, MO – Husky Corporation has introduced a new version of its highly successful “X” family of nozzles for safe and economical dispensing of Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF). The X DEF Nozzle contains all of the model’s standard functionality and features, coupled with components compatible with dispensing urea-based DEF, which can be corrosive to aluminum and other materials.
 
 
The X DEF Nozzle contains 100 percent ISO-recognized DEF-compatible components including Stainless Steel spout, polymers and O-ring materials.  The nozzle contains an automatic shut-off feature, Husky’s Streamshaper® to reduce splash back, a three-notch hold open clip lever, and a plastic handguard design. Even with those features the X DEF is lighter and less expensive than comparable DEF nozzles.
 
 
“Many DEF nozzles can be quite expensive because of the materials required to handle it. But we have found a way to bridge the gap with a fully functional version of Husky’s most popular nozzle that reduces the cost to dispense DEF,” said Husky Corporation Product Engineer Roger Wiersma.
 
The Husky X DEF nozzle is made with UL recognized components. It is offered with three-quarter NPT or BSPP thread. It is ideal for retail outlets and commercial customers including vehicle dealerships, repair shops, oil change facilities, fleet-service centers and other locations that regularly dispense DEF from bulk tanks or above ground storage systems.
 
To learn more about the X DEF Nozzle and all the other Husky Corporation Diesel Exhaust Fluid dispensing products call the company toll-free 800-325-3558.

Monday, February 22, 2016

On Site Environmental Chamber Takes Product Testing to a New Level

Husky Corporation recently installed a state-of-the art environmental chamber at its production headquarters in Pacific, Missouri. Nozzles, swivels and other fueling products can be subjected to extreme temperatures, ranging from +185 degrees to -85 Fahrenheit, in an effort to make sure the products are constantly improving.

This short video shows how it works.


 
Engineers wanted to replicate, and even surpass, the conditions safety regulators put in place when they test products. To learn more about Husky Corporation's quality processes, contact the company directly at 800-325-3558 or husky.com


Wednesday, February 17, 2016

New Resources Available to Prevent Misfueling in General Aviation

The consequences of placing the incorrect grade or type of fuel in an aircraft are very serious. This situation is referred to as "misfueling". In General Aviation (GA), where the majority of aircraft are fueled over-the-wing, there is a significant risk of misfueling which can lead to vapor lock, ignition failure or total engine failure. However, following proper safety measures will prevent potential disaster. 

The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) has launched the "Safety 1st Misfueling Prevention Program: Awareness Training for Line Service Professionals, FBO Managers, Customer Service Representatives and Pilots".  

http://nata.aero/Education-and-Training/Misfueling-Prevention-Program.aspx 


The program includes short videos that provide education about simple steps that can be taken to prevent misfuelings. A quiz follows the video presentation, after which individuals who pass can print a certificate of completion. NATA says the program is not intended to be a comprehensive training program, which must be completed before individuals attempt to fuel an aircraft. But it covers essential elements that serve as a good primer for those in each outlined job category.

The “Big Three”

NATA focuses on what it calls the Big Three items required to get the right fuel into aircraft every time: Proper fuel orders, the use of selective spouts, and grade verification.  

Let's take a moment to focus on spouts. Industry standards and best practices require that selective spouts be installed on all aviation overwing nozzles, which in essence are designed to prevent jet fuel from being inadvertently put into aircraft requiring Avgas.  

The Jet A Wide Oval Spout, also known as duckbill or J-Spout, is designed so it cannot be placed into most fuel openings for Avgas powered aircraft. However, some Avgas aircraft may not have restricted size filler ports. Other exceptions potentially include helicopters.  So the selective spouts only provide a layer of protection against misfueling; they are not fail-safe. It is up to the ground fuel handler to make sure they have covered the big three fueling checks before dispensing the fuel into the aircraft.  There are no exceptions to these checks. 

One interesting point of the NATA online presentation is that if you want to use jet fuel, but need to use a round spout, the round spout can only be used temporarily. And it must be immediately removed after use.  This is a very important practice to prevent any mistakes during the next refueling.

Additional Safety Practices

One additional layer of protection that is found in the field for Aviation nozzles is the use of colored nozzle handles. Black handles are in place for nozzles using Jet fuel. Red handles depict nozzles that dispense Avgas. Hewitt always asks customers about the type of fuel to be dispensed and the handle-color required before orders for nozzles are entered.   

An additional resource with detailed information on preventing misfuelings is NATA Safety 1st eToolKit which is available at the following link.

http://nata.aero/data/files/safety%201st%20documents/etoolkit/safety1st%20etoolkit_24_%20jul-aug%202006.pdf.

Information on Husky /Hewitt nozzles can be found at  www.husky.com.  Be sure to check out our Osprey and Eagle Nozzles.