A couple of weeks back we talked about designers going to great lengths to make high-tech products resemble obsolete products of the past. It was just one more of several posts we've done, and may well continue to do, on the divide between the technically inclined cognoscenti and, well, everyone else.

Today, however, we came across an example of a literally ancient device updated to the modern age. The idea of a kite-driven ship, which we learned of via Jack Moffett. Of course, this idea has the beauty of being a very easy sell because of its familiarity, simplicity, and the fact that it actually seems to work. It's the exact inverse of the problem that Richard Ziade discussed last week about certain Internet applications that, while effective, fail to pass what he calls "the mom test." As in "will my ___-year-old mom understand this product."

Ziade contrasts e-mail - which is very much like traditional mail - with more leading edge applications like OpenID and even relatively tried-and-true apps like RSS feeds. "RSS lacks a real-life sibling to help people understand its purpose and value," Ziande writes. "'It's like subscribing to a magazine' doesn't really cut it."

So, before designing a new product for the high-tech era, it's crucial for creators to consider not only whether or not the concept will work, but whether the technologically non-savvy will grasp its usefulness and, if not, just how and whether it's possible to educate users enough to grasp its benefits. Sometimes a not particularly ground-breaking product may be far easier to sell if it has a low-tech analog.

So much of the reason certain products sell has to do with our level of comfort. Consider the example of a product which we suspect is doing very well right now. The reason the Hamburger Phone is likely to sell a lot of units in the immediate future may have something to do with the luck of its placement in an unexpectedly popular Oscar-nominated comedy, but we also expect that the reason the product may perhaps continue to move units for a few years to come is that it combines two highly familiar products (i.e., hamburgers and phones) in a fun way - while being associated with the smart and likable soon-to-be teenage mother in Juno. The burger phone really passes the mom test.



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Farm buildings have a variety of applications. Buildings that fit into this category include barns, dairies, riding arenas, and storage facilities for commodities or heavy equipment. For decades, farmers and ranchers have relied on the strength, durability and value of pre-engineered steel buildings.

Prefabricated steel buildings are produced using an advanced system feature of premium components that are pre-cut and pre-drilled to precise factory specifications. In conventional construction, the majority of the work is done in the field, leaving building materials exposed to the elements and vulnerable to degradation. The controlled environment of a factory protects building components during the critical early stages of construction and allows for a higher level of quality.

When it comes time to erect your building, there is less cutting and drilling to perform on site. This means your building requires less skilled labor than a traditional building might and goes up more quickly. By utilizing steel building expert building system, your contractor saves time and money, and is often able to pass those benefits directly on to you.

Durability

Steel buildings are extremely durable and provide many years of trouble-free service. We use premium-quality components to ensure your satisfaction. Unlike pole barns, which are a combination of wood and steel, your building is composed of high-quality steel and iron. While some providers might use thinner 29-gauge, the best utilize heavy-duty 26-gauge steel for superior strength.

Steel buildings are noncombustible, and some of the problems encountered with traditional construction - such as rotting, warping, or insect infestation - simply don't apply. Prefabricated steel buildings are manufactured to be resistant to rain, snow, wind, and seismic activity, and always meet or exceed local building codes. In many cases, you may qualify for lower insurance premiums when you purchase a premium-quality steel building. Consult your local insurance agent to determine your eligibility.

Flexibility

Steel buildings provide a wealth of options. One very popular feature is the clear-span capability. Clear-span framing reduces or eliminates the need for interior support columns. With a clear-span frame, open areas up to 300 feet wide are possible, and there are no limits on length. Clear-span construction is beneficial for riding arenas, the storage of oversized farm equipment, or any purpose that calls for an open, unobstructed space.

Convenience



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Typically, a crucible is defined as a container in which metals are melted, usually at temperatures above 550 °C. These crucibles are typically made of graphite with clay as a binder material. These crucibles are extremely durable and resist temperatures to over 1650 °C. A crucible is lowered into a furnace and, after the melting; the liquid metal is removed from the furnace and slowly poured into the mold. Some old steel making furnaces (usually electrically powered) had an embedded crucible and was tilted as the metal was poured out.

Crucibles are also called pots, and used for melting small amounts of various materials, but more particularly for the manufacture of crucible general steel. For this industry crucibles are made of a high quality of clay mixed with a little powdered coke (clay crucible or white pot), or of a mixture of clay and graphite (graphite, plumbago, or blacklead crucible).

Graphite crucibles can be made to contain a heavier charge, and also last a greater number of heats. They are made of a mixture of Ceylon graphite, German clay and pure sand, the final composition being approximately: The clay is dried, ground, made into a paste with water, and the sand and graphite thoroughly mixed in, after which the mass is allowed to remain for a few days in a damp place to season or temper, i.e., be in a better condition for working. The amount of crucible material prepared at one time is called a batch. A lump of the proper size is cut off, kneaded slightly to insure its uniformity, and put inside a mold which is placed on a potter's wheel, and the mass spun up (by revolving the wheel) to fill the mold. The proper thickness of the wall is obtained by means of an arm or profile iron which descends and shapes the inside of the crucible. The excess at the top of the mold is sliced off and the mold removed. Spinning up gives better results than simple pressing because it causes the flakes or plates (in which natural graphite occurs) to take a tangential direction and intermesh, thereby binding the material together.

Artificial graphite is rarely if ever used, as it does not occur in these plates. The crucibles are now dried, first for about 24 hours, at about 20° to 25° C. (70° to 80° F.), after which they are smoothed up; and then for about three weeks at a temperature high enough to drive off the hygroscopic moisture. They are then heated (annealed or burned) in an oven (annealing oven) for about three days at a temperature of about 825° C. (2500° F.) to drive off all the combined water. The crucibles are stacked up in a number of tiers, and, as they are still very tender, they are placed in loose-fitting clay molds (seggars or saggars) which keep them from being crushed, and also prevent excessive oxidation. When crucibles of different sizes are being made they are usually nested, i.e., the smaller are placed inside the larger. The slight oxidation of carbon on the surface, which always occurs, gives the crucibles, originally black, a brownish color (the color of the clay). The covers are made and treated in a similar manner.

Clay crucibles were chiefly in England, and are manufactured from a high grade of fireclay (Burton, Stourbridge, etc.), usually mixed with about 5% of good ground coke. The mixing is done very carefully, frequently by treading the mass with the bare feet on the treading floor. A lump is then placed in a flask or mold, and a plunger having the shape of the interior is forced down, being centered by a pin passing through a hole in the bottom. The flask is removed and the top of the crucible forced inward, by means of another conical mold, to give it a shape like a barrel. After drying for a few days in the pot house (where they are made), the crucibles are further dried at a somewhat higher temperature near the flues of the melting furnaces. The hole left in the bottom is closed when the crucible is set in the furnace for use by throwing in a little sand which frits the crucible to the clay stand on which it rests.

These processes have not been used in the United States since before World War II. The modern general steel making processes is highly computerized and fields an army of robotic machinery.



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