Technical Terms

Question:

We are in the process of upgrading our paint line. I was speaking with a chemical supplier about a three-stage washer. He used the terms “windage” and “drafting.” I have never heard these expressions used in industry. Can you please tell me what he meant? J.O.

Answer:

What kind of headgear was he wearing? Was it a coonskin cap or a World War I helmet? Was he driving a race car? Did he look like Daniel Boone shooting a Kentucky rifle (actually, they were made in Pennsylvania) from the wall of the Alamo or Sergeant York shooting a Springfield rifle from a trench? They used the term Kentucky “windage.” If he was driving a race car and tailgating the car in front of him he could have been “drafting.”

I must say, I haven’t heard these terms used in our industry either. However, that doesn’t mean they are not used. I don’t know everything, but I am willing to learn.

I can tell you what I would do. If I don’t learn something new everyday, I feel cheated. Because I am not bashful, I would have asked him to explain what he meant by these terms. Don’t let them bamboozle you J.O. You owe it to yourself and to your company to learn and understand everything that is said in meetings with suppliers, customers and other employees as well.