Quality component parts: OE, OER, OEM and ODM and what they mean Summary: OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer. Most often, OEMs purchase parts from other manufacturers or suppliers and use them to assemble their finished products. OEMs also make parts and sub-assemblies that are resold to other companies who assemble them into their own finished products.   Introduction The...

Improved Navigation and User Interface

Our previous website was a good website. Over time though, we found ourselves wanting to improve functionality and navigation beyond what it was capable of. Added to that were occasional customer requests for more features, services and capabilities we really wanted to provide.

Well, after a lot of work and planning, we launched our new website and it has the design ...

The new ISM Vacuum Pressures Unit Conversions Chart (Absolute and Relative) is now available as a downloadable PDF Introduction Vacuum systems are used in a wide range of industrial, material handling, food processing and laboratory applications. Wherever vacuum is used, questions come up about vacuum or negative pressure. What it is, how it is measured and how one vacuum measurement...

One-way foot valves with built-in 40 mesh strainers prevent coarse particle contamination About the CVSF valved suction strainer Our featured new product is the CVSF series of valved suction strainers, also called suction filters or foot valves. The design of these valved strainers is a spring loaded ball check valve combined with a 40 mesh stainless steel domed strainer. The CVSF series...

The ISM Difference - It matters every time you contact your partner vendor for help and advice

When using a supplier website or contacting them for a component part, you have some specific ideas in mind. It can be surprisingly difficult though, finding something that works right off-the-shelf.

What to do next? Rethink the ...

The ISM Difference - Keep inventory under control so you can focus on what you do best The key to manufacturing competitiveness is taking care of valuable resources. Businesses that reduce management distractions, minimize inventory-carrying costs and focus on core competencies improve their competitive advantage. Outsourcing inventory management can be useful for achieving these goals. Introduction Inventory management is important...

The Clear-VU in-line filter is the best choice when flexibility and ease of installation matter The ISM Clear-VU filter is a versatile and useful addition to any design, maintenance or repair parts kit. It comes with filter element choices ranging from 10 to 250 microns. Color coded by micron rating, these filters are a smart choice for demanding environments where easy installation...

Full port ball valves provide almost no resistance to flow through the valve

Summary: The flow path through a full port valve body is the same size as the flow coming into the valve and leaving it via its tube or pipe connections. Standard port valves have smaller bodies overall with a corresponding narrowing inside the valve body.

Introduction
Questions about the differences between full port or full bore valves and standard valves come up pretty regularly for us. I am going to try to answer some of them in this post. I’ve included some related information in the form of a short FAQ list...

We are pleased to announce the newest members of the ISM team!

Mark Glazener joined ISM’s warehouse efficiency team and assists with processes involving inventory and shipments. His position as a Warehouse Associate is vital in assuring we deliver when we promise and that our inventory is methodically organized and counted. His long time experience in warehouse and production ...

About the featured miniature diaphragm check valves

Our featured check valves are the compact A1172 (blue) and A1173 (black) plastic diaphragm check valves. They are designed for vacuum and low-pressure systems and only need very low pressure differences to open or close.

The valve bodies are made of quality heat stabilized Nylon resins. They are manufactured in the US using automotive grade component........