The Midwest Insulation Contractors Association (MICA) is pleased to announce the release of The Industrial and Commercial Mechanical Insulation Standards Manual, Edition 7. The revision process began in October 2009 with Committee Chair Ray Stuckenschmidt from Systems Undercover and members Rob English from Pittsburgh Corning, Ricardo Gamboa from IIG, Pete Gauchel from L & C Insulation, Gary White from Iowa-Illinois Taylor Insulation, Jim Pfister from Ludeman Insulation & Supply, Alec Rexroat from M & O Insulation, and Tom Shimerda, Executive Director of MICA.

The committee decided, with the approval of the Board of Directors, to make some significant changes to the previous manual versions. Previous committees worked tirelessly to create this document that has become the standard of the insulation industry. New technology, along with new methods of communication, enabled the 7th Edition committee to improve the existing work.

Some of the changes in Edition 7 are:

• 11 New Plates
• for mechanical pipe systems
• for high-temperature flat work
• for trapeze and clamp type hanger systems
• showing vapor dams on below-ambient systems
• Many plates now show location of vapor dams, which are critical in below-ambient systems, on pipe and equipment systems.
• New formatting of all existing and new plates. Plates are easier to read and include more information.
• Text has been formatted to reflect textbook style verbiage.
• The plates have been numbered to keep specific systems in the same group. This will allow for future plate additions to the systems, keeping them in the same category.
• The Materials Property Section has been udpated, including tables. (Tables conform to ASTM Standards.)
• The 7th Edition uses the English measuring system instead of the metric and has included temperature ranges consistent with ASTM, NIA, MIDG, and other major mechanical insulation data.
• The Glossary of Terms has been reviewed and revised to include the newest ideas and materials.
• The Specification Writing Section has been simplified to reflect the needs of the installers, contractors, and end users.
• Reinsertion of Key Items—Importance of Clearances, Scope of Work
• The importance of proper clearance so mechanical insulation can be installed has been highlighted. The importance of clearly identified scope of work has also been highlighted.

One of the key provisions of the new manual is that it can be updated quickly because it is a complete digital document. The committee can add or delete plates, materials, and systems quickly.

The Manual is available in book form along with an interactive online version. For more information or to order, visit www.micainsulation.org.