Watch How the New Easy-to-Squeeze Fuel Lever Really Works

The innovative EZ Lever, the new easy-to-squeeze fuel nozzle lever from Husky Corporation, requires about half the force to begin dispensing fuel compared to a standard fuel nozzle lever. This short demonstration video shows how it operates and some of the design features that went into EZ Lever,

EZ Lever features a unique two-piece design to open the poppet, or main fuel nozzle valve, with approximately five pounds of force. Standard single-piece levers require 10 pounds of force or more to begin dispensing fuel. As a result, EZ Lever adheres to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines. The design also permits exceptional fingertip control that allows purchases to be rounded off to the exact desired amount.

Recognition for Two Decades of Continuous Quality Improvement

The desire to improve business processes and product quality has become a driving force for companies that strive to be the best in their industry sectors. Husky Corporation was recognized recently for sustaining its management systems certification under ISO: 9001 standards for 20 years by DQS, Inc. a third-party firm that audits and certifies companies seeking continuous improvement.

DQS noted that improvement requires persistence and dedication in the face of the inevitable changes that take place both inside and outside organizations.

"By maintaining organizational focus on continual improvement in their business processes and management systems companies such as...Husky Corporation...have demonstrated a clear vision, leadership commitment and exceeded stakeholder expectations," Ganesh Rao, DQS President and CEO wrote in a newsletter announcing the recognition. "Every business metric in these organizations reflect their business excellence, and they are each recognized as leaders in their industry sectors."

 

 

A link to the full DQS newsletter is provided here. https://dqsus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/DQS-Q2-2016-Impact-1.pdf 

 

Husky was asked to submit an article about its journey toward 20 years of ISO: 9001 certification, which we share in the space below.

Husky Corporation: A Quality-Driven Legacy

Companies that stand the test of time frequently point to quality as a characteristic of their success. Husky Corporation, which since 1947 has set the standard for developing general fueling and related products in the transportation sector, places quality as one of its key pillars.

Husky Corporation manufactures fuel nozzles, Safe-T-Breaks®, swivels and accessories from production facilities in Pacific, Missouri. Customers all over the globe expect these products to work flawlessly each time they fuel their vehicles. That is a primary driver behind the company’s pursuit of certified quality management systems more than 20 years ago.

“ISO was getting national and international attention at the time. Plus, Husky was dealing with several large customers including BP, Shell, Exxon / Mobil, which we believed were going to require quality certification by their vendors,” said Husky Corporation Vice President Brad Baker. “Coincidentally we needed to upgrade our processes. ISO provided a structure to formalize our processes.”

Continuous Improvement in Action

The quality policies, document control systems and methods to monitor key metrics that resulted from the initiative helped Husky develop processes for continuous improvement which continue to help drive the company from $7.5 million sales in the mid-1990s to approximately $35 million in 2015.

“ISO:9001 provides a foundation, baseline and a goal. If utilized correctly, you can have an established core for continuous improvement,” said Husky Quality Assurance Manager Steve Baynham. “In itself, ISO won’t allow continuous improvement. But it establishes a core, with key metrics in place, as a benchmark for improvement.”

The fact that auditors review processes frequently provides both third party validation and sharing of best practices. 

“There are many continuous improvement activities, investments in new equipment, new technologies, and new software to better analyze the data that’s collected,” said Blake Sommer of DQS, Inc., a third-party registrar that audits company’s like Husky to the international standards. “I’ve seen a lot of that happening, which is exactly what should happen.”

The next steps will encompass Process Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (PFMEA) improvements around the entire company – order entry, purchasing, manufacturing, shipping and customer contact. The upside proactively detects issues before they occur.

“Husky is focusing on the cutting edge. Six sigma methodology and PFMEA are tool sets we are putting in place to keep the company on the cutting edge,” Baynham said. “We don’t want to inspect parts after the fact, which has zero value. We want to make sure the process is monitored to ensure it is sound and will deliver consistently high quality parts at the end. That is where there is value.”

Working the Plan and Planning the Work

Company leaders believe in ‘working the plan and planning the work’ as a strategic growth formula. Husky Corporation recently acquired fluid line kit supplier S.U.R.&R., which was made possible in part due to Husky’s focus on maximizing value from is its production processes.

“Another strong thing here is communication between management and the personnel. They hold monthly meetings with all personnel to keep them abreast as to new business, performance and efficiency,” Sommer said. “There are daily toolbox meetings to discuss issues. The employees are kept informed and they like that.”

In recent years Husky has also acquired BJE lube and oil products along with Hewitt aviation fueling products. Both utilize the company’s internal systems and production facilities. Husky also has strategic partnerships or alliances with Benecor DEF dispensing and storage products, Enevo logistics optimization systems, and RS liquid loading arms.

“A lot of companies just want to get a certification for its own sake,” Baynham said. “Husky is doing it because we truly see the cost benefit and the value created olf having quality processes in place that are utilized for continuous improvement.”



How the Roman Seliger Hose Loading Arm Works

This field demonstration shows how Roman Seliger Hose Loading Arms make transferring bulk chemicals safe and easy. Husky Corporation is the authorized U.S. representative for RS Hose Loading Arms.

 

 

Chemical companies need a better way to deal with bulk liquids that require special handling. 

Hawkins Incorporated in Minnesota uses the Roman Seliger SGA Hose Loading Arm to load and unload hazardous chemicals…safely…simply…quickly.

Bill Lesser, Global RS Manager, Husky Corporation said “The hose is supported entirely by the hose loading arm along all the links. And that allows them to move the whole arm out over the rail car and then place the moveable section over the top of the rail care and pull it down into position and connect it into the rail car.”

"This whole operation can be done with the easy movement of the whole arm. No weight or anything is forced on the operator. So he has very little chance of injury or problems when he is doing the application," Lesser said.

SGA hose loading arms are custom-engineered for each application…in lengths up to 20 feet. The loading arm installs easily and supports 1 to 4 inch hoses.

“They can either be straight arms with no adjustment. Or we could have vertical adjustment, which is 2 to 4 feet, up or down. Each arm has multiple sections. These sections are all designed to move in the same bend radius as the hose that is specified for the application. Each section has restrictors so you can’t over-bend the hose or kink the hose,” Lesser said. “One of the objectives of this loading arm is to make is so that once the hose is installed you can forget about it. You don’t have to worry about replacing hose every few months due to wear and tear."

Contact Husky Corproation…the authorized U.S. representative for Roman Seliger SGA Hose Loading Arms by calling 800-325-3558 or at http://www.husky.com/romanseliger/

Husky Unveils New Easy-to-Squeeze Fuel Nozzle Lever

Have you ever been at the gas pump trying to get exactly $10.00 worth of fuel, not $10.01, because you only have a ten dollars in your pocket? With conventional fuel nozzle levers, that can be a little like watching the wheel stop at the number just next to yours on the roulette table.

The impact of getting a precise amount of fuel dispensed has elevated importance where full service stations are still the norm, like in China for example. In some cases, gas attendants who dispense too much fuel have to make up the difference out of their own pockets. In the U.S. where self-service is by far the normal practice, squeezing an ordinary fuel lever can present problems for individuals with conditions like arthritis in their hands.

EZ Lever 

Engineers at Husky Corporation are introducing a new product that makes re-fueling vehicles easy by requiring approximately half the force to begin dispensing fuel compared to a standard fuel nozzle lever. 

EZ Lever features a unique two-piece design to open the poppet, or main fuel nozzle valve, with approximately five pounds of force. Standard single-piece levers require 10 pounds of force or more to begin dispensing fuel. As a result, EZ Lever adheres to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines. The design also permits exceptional fingertip control that allows purchases to be rounded off to the exact desired amount.

“EZ Lever is an excellent solution for anyone who has difficulty squeezing a standard fuel nozzle lever,” said Zach Holcomb, Husky Design Engineer. “By changing the fulcrum point, less force is required to get fuel flowing. At the same time it provides a great degree of control over the amount of fuel being dispensed at normal operating pressures.”

 

Positive Feedback in Test Markets

 

EZ Lever has received positive feedback from test sites in Asian markets, where fuel is more expensive and is widely dispensed at full-service operations. Fuel attendants appreciate the ease of operation and precise dispensing made possible by EZ Lever.

 

When used on Husky Model X nozzles, fuel flow will be identical to nozzles equipped with a one piece lever. Fuel pumped with EZ Lever on Model V34 nozzles will flow 1.5 to 2 gpm more than with a one piece lever at 10 psi back pressure. 

Contact Husky Corporation at 800-325-3558 for a demonstration or more information.

Fully Pre-assembled, Factory-tested, DEF Compatible Hanging Hardware Components Now Available with Two Nozzle Options

 

DEF Hanging Hardware Solution: New Husky DEF EZ-Connect

Husky Corporation, the leader in developing innovative American-made fuel nozzles, Safe-T-Breaks® and accessories, introduces the perfect hanging hardware solution for the growing Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) market. The DEF EZ-Connect is a pre-assembled, fully tested hanging hardware solution that provides fuel marketers all the components needed to deliver DEF from new dispensers or to replace existing components. 

http://www.husky.com/husky/ez-connect/ 

“The DEF EZ-Connect simplifies bulk dispensing by providing a turnkey solution. That includes the nozzle, hose assembly, Safe-T-Break®, whip hose, and even a swivel if that is desired,” said Husky Corporation Product Design Engineer Brian Wolff.  “Our team puts it all together and tests it before the hanging hardware package leaves our manufacturing facilities.” 

Available with X DEF or Polymer DEF Nozzles

All EZ-Connect components are manufactured by Husky, professionally thread-inspected according to established standards, and then pressure-tested to assure safety and top performance. DEF EZ-Connect is available according to customer specifications: 

Ø  DEF EZ-Connect Nozzle Options

o   New X DEF Automatic Nozzle

§  ¾ inch connections

§  ¾ inch single plane DEF swivel

§  Splash Guard

 

 

o   Polymer DEF Automatic Nozzle

§  ¾ inch connections

§  Splash Guard

 

 

Ø  Nine-foot, ¾ inch Softwall DEF dispensing hose

Ø  Nine-inch, ¾ inch Softwall whip hose

Ø  DEF Safe-T-Break® 

“We are pleased to offer these professionally assembled packages to make DEF dispensing as simple and reliable as possible,” said Husky Corporation Product Engineer Roger Wiersma. 

Every DEF EZ-Connect hanging hardware solution is backed by a 12-month warranty against manufacturing defects. Please contact Husky Corporation toll-free at 800-325-3558 or at the Husky Corporation web site for more information.