WCI's Cold Test

The Real Cold Test

2011-02-24T10:12:00.000-06:00

As mentioned in this blogs header area, Cold Test is usually a step in our procedures for repairing liquid cylinders. Well, I felt it would be a complete injustice if I did not, at some point, explain the blogs namesake, and I figured now was as good a time as any to do it.

Okay, first, lets talk about liquid cylinders themselves. What are they, you ask? Well a liquid cylinder, just like a high pressure cylinder is a tool used to move molecules, such as nitrogen, oxygen, argon and carbon dioxide. A high pressure cylinder is very simple and can hold molecules almost indefinitely. Liquid cylinders are much more complicated vacuum insulated vessel that can hold more than ten times the amount of molecules a high pressure cylinder can contain. So, basically, liquid cylinders are giant, complicated, expensive thermoses that are used pretty much anywhere for pretty much anything. Pretty neat family business, huh?

Well, the key to these cylinders and their epic abilities is all in their vacuums. If your vacuum goes bad, there goes your product, along with your profits. The vacuum of a liquid cylinder is made in it's annular space,
Read more »

"This is a Man's World..."

2011-02-22T15:45:00.003-06:00

"But it wouldn't be nothing, nothing without a woman or a girl."

James Brown isn't exactly who pops to the forefront of everyone's minds when talking about sexism in the workplace, but I could have played that song on loop a couple of weeks ago after a visit from a particularly rude person to our place of business.

As I'm sure we all know, the cryogenics industry is definitely dominated by men. But, as a young, college educated woman in the 21st century, I did not think much about sexism in the workplace. I had thought that it was something that employee handbooks and company policies had to cover, but was pretty much a de-facto non-issue. Perhaps I was being naive, or perhaps it has something to do with my blood relation to my boss, but I just didn't think discrimination based on gender would be a problem for me. Boy, was I wrong.

Read more »

Online "Synergy"; Facebook, Email, Websites and Marketing

2011-02-08T12:32:00.003-06:00

Part 1

Typically, I would advise most people to steer clear of ambiguous and pretentious words like "synergy", but for the purpose of this post, I feel that this word (borrowed from 1998 ad execs.) is pretty darn appropriate. The Internet and it's subsequent marketing contrivances have changed the way the world now does business. With careful planning, the synergy of the many optional and all-too popular social media and internet technologies can turn a remote business into a celebrated industry leader. The question is, with all the options available to today's small business owner, which new marketing avenue is the best investment of time/money?

Read more »

New West Cryogenics Blog

2011-02-03T16:02:00.000-06:00

Cold Test is here! Normally, cold test would be a part of our liquid cylinder repair procedures, but today, it is the outlet for a young professional who has just entered the world of cryogenics. Ok, to be fair, I (Morgan) have been near cryogenics most of my life, but up until about six months ago, I was not all too familiar with what exactly it was that my family business did. Now I am slowly learning to navigate through the complicated world of cryogenics and vacuum repairs. Wanna watch? Then keep coming back and see how I fare.