 The last year has been slow for the oil and gas industry, but lately there have been signs that it is recovering. With this turnaround will come demand for all the materials that go along with exploration and drilling – building supplies, pipeline components, electronics, and much more. Some of the most important parts of any drilling setup are the subs.
Subs – the connections to drilling lines that allow it to change direction, sizes, flow rates, and so on – have very precise specifications and come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and functions. At 3-Ci, we offer a full array of options to make sure that you can get the parts you need in order to finish the job. When you contact us with a request to manufacture your turning subs, crossover subs, circulating subs, or any other component, we make sure to deliver a high-quality product that will perform exactly as you need it to when you’re out in the field. We know it will, since we use certified North American materials, API gauges, and independent Quality Assurance to inspect them before they go back to you. If you’re part of an oil or gas company that’s ready to get back to work, and you need properly made subs for your drills – let us know! We manufacture for all different types of hardness, and we work not only with all industry-standard measurements, but often with custom sizes as well, such as with our basket subs. We accommodate your needs, and with a few bits of key information from you when you order, we can create all the parts you require. Another way we can help is if you are already engaged in the manufacturing of subs, and you are swamped with deadlines fast approaching. As more work pours in and more rigs reopen, the demand for subs is going up, and it can be tough to predict how much you will need to make. If you’re falling behind, we can help by taking on some of your back orders – let us be the “other” machine shop. We don’t need to know who your customers are; we just want to help fill the orders and get them out, so that you can keep your clients happy and satisfied, and ready to work! There is plenty of information about the subs we have available over on our Machining Page, so take a look there if you want to read up on what we do and make. You can also visit our offices in Calgary at Bay 18, 5555 51 Ave SE, or call at 403-250-2271 to talk to one of our knowledgeable sales staff. We also have an office based out of Houston, TX for all of our customers further south, which you can reach at 1-713-614-1858. We look forward to hearing from you!
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 When it comes to cars, it’s all about constant improvement: going just a bit faster and a bit farther by using energy more efficiently than before. It’s an idea that has governed the automotive industry since the first combustion engines were invented.
But that was over a hundred years ago. Combustion engines – that is, engines fueled by gasoline, diesel, propane, etc – are now starting to gain a reputation as heavy on pollution, a drain on finite resources, and incompatible with a true long-term plan for global transportation. But what is the alternative? Up until recently, no one option was able to fill every need of modern consumers. But current research into the science of electronics, wireless charging, efficiency, and infrastructure have combined to create an exciting new world of electric vehicles – and they are so well-built that they even have their own racing championship: the Formula E. Inaugurated in China in 2014, the race used a new class of electric vehicles – able to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 3 seconds, maxing out at 225 km/h, and easily able to keep up with most traditional cars. However, the big drawback is the range – once their batteries are depleted (around 200 km), charging is necessary to get moving again. If you had one of these cars on a trip, and this happened far from a charging station – uh oh, you’re out of luck! But modern technology is starting to change that. Innovations in the Formula E have given rise to a special kind of electric engine that is able to charge itself – wirelessly. Just get the car onto the charging pad, and it works on its own. And how does 3-Ci fit in? As you can imagine, these engines are incredibly complex to build and maintain, and house hundreds of separate components. Everything must be shaped and fitted to exact specifications in order for the wireless capability to work. And, well…that’s what we do best! We make the full molded assemblies used in situations like these, and design connectors, like the customizable Souriau military-grade spec connector, that are meant to withstand extreme conditions such as those found on the racetrack. When a vehicle is constantly stopping and starting, getting turned around and pushed to its limits, and all the while heading through dust, rain, or harsh sun….at 3-Ci, we build our components to function perfectly, we base them directly on your needs, and we fully invest in their potential, both in the workshop and the field. As this technology becomes more ubiquitous, more people will turn to us to help smooth the transition into 21st-century transportation. Even now, as places like London introduce buses that charge wirelessly on-the-go, innovations highlight the need for solutions that use energy more responsibly. And at 3-Ci, just like the Formula E, we are committed to improvement, problem solving, real-world applications, and being a leader for everyone who may follow. Contact Us today to find out more about our products, and how we are looking ahead to the future!  Here at 3-Ci, we have products and services that go far beyond the city limits – to the oil sands and distant mines, and everywhere in between. But even while we extend farther than ever, we consider it important to help out in our own community, and that’s why we’ve begun to focus on improving transit capabilities.
It’s no surprise that outdoor vehicles in Canada have to take a lot of environmental punishment, and even more so in Calgary. Between the chinook winds, the temperature shifts, the baking summers, and the frosty winters, the vehicles that crisscross our city are exposed to some of the most intense conditions in the country. This includes the LRT trains that serve hundreds of thousands of people who live and work here. Riders demand a lot of an LRT system, and it can interrupt the flow of the entire city if there are major problems along the line. That’s why we’ve developed new technology that assists in keeping trains running. It’s just one less thing to worry about! For example, exposure to the elements and constant wear-and-tear can result in damage to connectors, cable harnesses, and other components. In a system that is entirely electric, these faulty pieces can knock entire sections offline – and they stay that way as the source of the problem must be identified, located, and repaired. This quickly becomes both time- and cost-prohibitive… …and that’s why we address problems just like this one. By building customized, overmolded solutions that combat existing issues (like moisture, extreme temperatures, and expansion/contraction issues), we can reduce the risk of such component failures and be much more confident in their reliability. And, by implementing these cables in areas such as LRT critical safety systems, we increase the safety and confidence of every person who depends on it to get around. This even has a trickle-down effect of making the entire system more cost-efficient, keeping prices lower! As time goes on and transit becomes more appealing to an ever-increasing population, it is imperative that everything runs smoothly. So why use outdated, non-customized technology when better options are right in front of you? If you’re looking for that extra something that will keep your vehicles going for longer, contact 3-Ci’s in-house Solutions & Engineering team today for a personalized approach – and find out why our products are perfectly built for industry!  Trucking can be a tough business – whether you’re dealing with thousands of miles of highways, extreme temperatures, dirt and dust, or just the wear and tear of years of service, it’s important to make sure all the parts of your tractor and trailer are working properly. And if those parts aren’t built to suit the job, they’re not going to last very long at all.
At 3-Ci, we realized this very quickly, and wondered what we could do to help. After all, some of the most important – and sensitive – parts of the entire system are the electronic cables that connect the tractor to the trailer. Besides powering the lights, they also control the brakes and signals…so it’s imperative that they work just as well at the end of the trip as they did at the beginning! So here’s what we did, because it’s what we do best: We built a better cable. The 3-Ci Tractor Cable is a heavy-duty solution to the standard tractor cable hook-up found on most tractor-trailers. Rather than making it in pieces and assembling it after, we designed the entire piece as a single molded unit – which means there are no exterior strain release joints or weak spots to wear out or get dirty. It’s made out of polyurethane, and tested to ensure it works in all kinds of weather, from the bitterest cold (-50°C) to the most blazing heat (85°C). The cable conforms to industry standards for pins and connections, so compatibility won’t be an issue either. So what does this all mean? It means less maintenance time checking your cables for faulty parts. It means more confidence that you’ll be safe on the road as you haul your cargo to its destination. And it means more reliability in the places where you need it most. Contact Us to find out how we can suit your trucking needs and get you equipped with the next step in advanced cable technology. We’re looking forward to hearing from you! Have you ever tried out some of the connectors, casings, Cables, and components available on the market today and thought to yourself: “There has to be a better way to do this!” Well, we have, and we did. And now, there is a better way to meet your Input-Output needs: the 3-Ci Intelli-Block.  Unlike other remote I/O systems, the Intelli-Block is a solid state device that is completely enclosed in overmolded polyurethane. This means that it does not suffer from expansion, contraction, water or solvent damage, corrosion, or any of the other common degradations of quality that tend to happen on very small scales. In keeping with this toughness, it operates at temperatures between -40° C and 65° C, and weighs less than a kilogram. It is also immune to normal levels of shock and vibration force, so you don’t have to worry about jarring it loose. Speaking of loose, though, we’ve also thought of that – and designed the Intelli-Block so you can mount it wherever you like (especially externally). This eliminates expensive junction boxes, unlike other I/O systems, and can even do double-duty: when mounted in suitable external areas, such as on coil tubing injectors, you can then utilize the Wi-Fi option and eliminate the MODBUS cable altogether! And let’s not forget the hardware, either. All of the included modules (4, 6, or 8 sets) have built-in barriers for intrinsic safety, right off the manufacturing line. There are programmable tri-colour LED lights to check the status of your analog connections– we currently offer voltage inputs, as well as dry contact and 4-20 mA input/outputs. You can also choose to port MODBUS data through a RS485 or Ethernet cable, or simply through a wireless connection. Check out the full list of specifications and available modules below. Talk about flexibility!  So don’t waste any more time with old cables and connections that just don’t cut it anymore. When you need reliability, options, and power – all within one extremely well-protected shell – just look for the 3-Ci Intelli-Block!
We live in a world of connectivity. From the large-scale satellite communications to the microscopic circuitry inside our machines, all of this connectivity is dependent on the right signals getting to the right
places on time. And as parts become ever more complex – and our expectations of what they can do increase – it is of vital importance that the materials used are of the highest quality. And that’s where 3-Ci comes in. Lots of companies build Cables and Connectors. You can find them everywhere, because they are used worldwide. However, they are not all built equally, and we should know! Take, for example, the family of very common connectors known as DIN Connectors. While this term covers a broad range of types and forms, let’s just focus on the ones that you would find more commonly in industry – say, the ones that connect your solenoid valves and other equipment. What are some of the ways that 3-Ci ensures they stay functional? Well, like we said, lots of companies make these DIN Connectors – but none make them quite like us! We have a unique method of assembly that involves buying the circuits separately, and creating a custom Overmould structure that completely encases the connector in Polyurethane. That means less failure, breakage, and wear, because there are no separate parts to break away on the exterior of the casing. It also means that the gaskets are embedded directly into the mould, which provides superior seals, better flexibility, and zero chance that the gasket will crack or disappear. And in keeping with that, we use high-quality material that offers optimal protection from the elements – our Cables and Connectors are far less susceptible to environmental issues like extreme heat or cold, water, corrosion, dust, and cracking. And that’s not all, either. On top of our top-notch standards, we can also customize the Connector to fit your needs. Whether it’s putting them at right angles (without compromising the interior), or manufacturing them with LED indicators so you can be sure the signals are getting through, we have lots of options to make sure you are satisfied and impressed. So if you’re looking for the best place to get your Cable Assemblies, look no further! 3-Ci in Calgary, Alberta and Houston, Texas, will be happy to help you, from the first steps to the final purchase. Give us a call today at 1-403-250-2271 and see for yourself how we can make your life a little (or a lot) easier!  Molded, Non-Molded, And Strain Relief Assemblies Cables are something so ubiquitous that we hardly even stop to think about how they’re made – or how they’re designed to last. It may seem as simple as tossing a bunch of wires together and attaching them to a Connector, but there’s much more to it than that! There are all kinds of techniques we use at 3-CI to prevent breakage, to ensure safety, and to enhance reliability of the transferred signals within.
One of the most prominent types of Cable Assemblies available today are those known as Molded Assemblies. These, as the name suggests, are cables that are covered with a protective layer of material that can bend and flex, yet still maintain its tough exterior. The protective material can vary, from Polyurethane to PVC to rubber and more; they are so named because the material is injected into a mold, where it completely covers the target cable. This material can also house further components that will reduce interference and signal degradation or disruption. If you look around your house, you can see many examples of these designs on your electronics – but they are also used in both military and medical fields for their reliability and excellent abrasion resistance. All of these are in contrast to Non-Molded Assemblies, which are the opposite. They can be covered with other materials that are not injection-molded, but this limits their flexibility. Now, that sounds like it’s a drawback, but it actually makes these assemblies stronger and more rigid, lending an extra layer of protection around highly sensitive parts. Without these, it would be difficult to protect certain parts of your electronics, like very thin filaments or circuits. All of these safeguards would be useless without the help of Strain Relief Assemblies. These are our shaped, tireless friends that cover the joint where a Cable meets a Connector, and without them, we’d all have to replace our cables far more often. 3-CI makes use of these Assemblies to reduce wear and tear on Connectors, provide additional strength to the ends of the Cables, and at times we even make specialized forms that form right angles, splits, or other necessary functions. It may be easy to forget all the work that goes into customizing and creating all of the many Cables you use – directly and indirectly – every day. But here at 3-CI in Calgary, Alberta, and Houston, Texas, we’re always improving, innovating, and ensuring that everything you need is ready to perform when you need it. So give us a call today to find out how we can streamline your business! |
Author3-Ci Manufacturing is your custom solutions provider for Aerospace, Agriculture, Automation, Automotive, Entertainment, Communications, Industrial, Marine, Military, Mining, Oil & Gas, and Transport. Archives
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