Industrial Maintenance & Plant Operation articles from December 2003

Industrial Maintenance & Plant Operation archives from December 2003

Gas monitor.
December 1, 2003... The MultiRAE Plus gas monitor from RAE Systems combines a PID with the standard four gases ([O.sub.2], LEL, and two toxic gas sensors) in one compact monitor. It features easily accessible battery and sensors, as well as VOC detection for...

Strip door hardware.
December 1, 2003... The TMI Save-T LOC strip door hardware system is available in header-mount, wall-mount or universal-mount. It accepts strip-hole diameters from 5/16 in. to 3/4 in. The pins have three locking grooves, which are suitable for strip thicknesses...

DC power supplies.
December 1, 2003... PSP DC power supplies from AutomationDirect are available in 12V DC or 24VDC versions. They feature DIN-rail mounting, low ripple and noise, and plug-in screw terminals or cage-clamp terminals. The line offers regulated output voltage for...

A ride on Boreham St.(Editorial Comments)
December 1, 2003... Visitors pulling up to Baldor Electric Co.'s Fort Smith, AR, headquarters might notice that the complex is located on Rollie S. Boreham, Jr. St. Those who know the company will recognize this as the name of its current chairman of the board,...

Loctite[R]--the standard in proactive maintenance.
December 1, 2003... Industrial Equipment, Reliability and Maintenance has taken several major steps forward in recent history, but nothing has had the impact on the quality and efficiency of maintenance programs like liquid threadlocking and thread sealing...

States, cities challenge EPA air-rule change.(Industry Newsline)
December 1, 2003... Attorneys general from 14 states and representatives from a number of U.S. cities sought a court injunction last month to block the federal government from implementing the recent EPA Clean Air Act rule change they argued would lead to more air...

BMW to build college-based IT center.(Industry Newsline)
December 1, 2003... BMW Manufacturing Corp. announced last month it will build an Information Technology Research Center at a new research campus under construction at Clemson University in Greenville, SC. The company said it expects to break ground on the...

DuPont to sell fibers and textile unit.(Industry Newsline)
December 1, 2003... DuPont Co. announced last month it will sell its fibers and textile unit for $4.4 billion to Koch Industries, Inc., Wichita, KS. The deal is expected to be completed by mid-2004 and would be the third multibillion-dollar sale of a major DuPont...

Workplace-injury costs climb as frequency drops.(Industry Newsline)
December 1, 2003... A new report from insurer Liberty Mutual reveals that the cost of workplace injuries is going up, even as U.S. workplaces become safer. According to the company's Workplace Safety Index study, which covers statistics through 2001, workplace...

New research campus replicates industrial disaster.(Industry Newsline)
December 1, 2003... Commercial and industrial insurer FM Global opened a $78 million research campus in West Glocester, RI, last month that the Rhode Island-based company says is the first of its kind. Built on 1,600 acres, the FM Global Research Campus includes...

Ford produces 300 millionth vehicle.(Industry Newsline)
December 1, 2003... Ford Motor Co. celebrated production of its 300 millionth vehicle last month at the company's Dearborn, MI, assembly plant. The vehicle, a 2004 Mustang GT convertible, will be used next year to promote the 40th anniversary of the Mustang. The...

Despite poor 3Q, bankrupt Kaiser Aluminum predicts '04 turnaround.(Industry Newsline)
December 1, 2003... Kaiser Aluminum Corp., the nation's third largest maker of aluminum, said last month that despite third quarter losses of $88.6 million, it remains optimistic it can climb out of bankruptcy by the middle of next year. According to a report in...

American Society of Safety Engineers.
December 1, 2003... * The American Society of Safety Engineers said it will develop a standard aimed at protecting indoor-mold remediation workers. Its purpose will be to establish basic requirements and procedures employers can use to minimize employee exposure...

Society of Manufacturing Engineers.
December 1, 2003... * The Society of Manufacturing Engineers, Dearborn, MI, announced the online availability of what it said is the world's largest full-text database in manufacturing engineering. The subscription-based, interactive collection is available to...

National Association of Manufacturers.
December 1, 2003... * According to the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), 92% of smaller manufacturers polled by the Washington, D.C.-based trade group favored passage of the comprehensive energy legislation bill before Congress last month. The main...

Ford Motor Co.
December 1, 2003... * Ford Motor Co. celebrated production of its 300 millionth vehicle last month at the company's Dearborn, MI, assembly plant. The vehicle was a 2004 Mustang GT convertible. The last production milestone for Ford was its 250 millionth vehicle in...

In a ceremony last month at its Franklin, NJ, facility, cosmetics manufacturer L'Oreal USA pledged to achieve OSHA Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Star Status at all nine of its U.S. manufacturing plants within live years.
December 1, 2003... * In a ceremony last month at its Franklin, NJ, facility, cosmetics manufacturer L'Oreal USA pledged to achieve OSHA Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Star Status at all nine of its U.S. manufacturing plants within live years. Four of the...

Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America and its subsidiary Bodine Aluminum, Inc., broke ground in Jackson, TN, last month for an engine-block casting plant that will employ 200 workers and produce 1 million units annually.
December 1, 2003... * Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America and its subsidiary Bodine Aluminum, Inc., broke ground in Jackson, TN, last month for an engine-block casting plant that will employ 200 workers and produce 1 million units annually. Construction is...

Calendar.(Calendar)
December 1, 2003... * Dec. 7-10 * 18th Annual International Maintenance Conference; Clearwater, FL; Reliabilityweb.com; 239-985-0317; reliabilityweb.com. * Jan. 26-28, 2004 * AHR Expo; Anaheim, CA; American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and...

Temperature controllers.(Product roundup: instrumentation)
December 1, 2003... The E5AR 1/4- and E5ER 1/8-DIN temperature/process controllers monitor temperature, pressure and humidity. All models have selectable inputs for thermocouples, analog current or analog voltage. The controllers display PV, SP and MV data...

Engine test system.(Product roundup: instrumentation)
December 1, 2003... The DynoLAB PT test cell supervisory system for engine and powertrain evaluates performance, component durability, quality control, and depreciation. It is available with flexible I/O hardware configurations. This test cell system offers a...

Inspection equipment.(Product roundup: instrumentation)
December 1, 2003... The VideoProbe 300 system features video imaging for inspections. It consists of a hand-held controller with video monitor; an insertion tube with tip articulation; 24-W light source; and a storage case. Accessories include external retrieval...

Temperature transmitter.(Product roundup: instrumentation)
December 1, 2003... PC-programmable temperature transmitter and alarm trip offer 20-bit input resolution, signal isolation, RFI/EMI protection, and rugged metal housings that snap onto DIN-style rails. They accept a direct signal, ready for direct interface with...

Torque motor.(Tech specs: power transmission)
December 1, 2003... * T-Series NEMA 23 high-torque step motor is available in standard and custom configurations for system integration * Torque per frame up to 380 oz-in., 2.7 N-m * Standard options include leaded or terminal box construction, encoders...

Caliper brake.(Tech specs: power transmission)
December 1, 2003... * The Air Champ VCS00 compact, single-post, spring-actuated caliper brake works with discs of various sizes * Compact footprint area, suitable for installations * Operates at 60 psi * Zero reduction in brake torque over the life of...

Servo motor.(Tech specs: power transmission)
December 1, 2003... * The SM3416 NEMA 34 SmartMotor with the cube design of previous models is an integrated servo motor * Complete, compact and user-friendly integrated control system * Features include a brushless DC servo motor, motion controller,...

Selecting a maintenance-proof handheld computer.(CMMS Solutions)
December 1, 2003... Because maintenance activities are frequently performed ill gritty, harsh work environments, maintenance tools need to be rugged. Today. this applies to tools generally not considered "tough," such as handheld computers and personal digital...

Best practices: Baldor Electric Co.: wired for quality: in its 83rd year, the Arkansas-based electric-motor manufacturer continues to deliver high-quality products and customer-focused value through good times and bad.(Cover Story)
December 1, 2003... Talk to anyone from Baldor Electric for more than a few minutes and you're going to learn about the company's value formula. For the Fort Smith, AR-based builder of motors, drives and generators, the value formula is shorthand for its core...

Vinyl floor tile.(Buildings & Grounds Maintenance)
December 1, 2003... Designed for heavy-duty use in industrial facilities, Century Industrial solid vinyl floor tile contains a hidden Tuff-Seal interlock system. For most applications, no adhesive, special tools or installation are required. Since no solvents,...

Repair cement.(Buildings & Grounds Maintenance)
December 1, 2003... The Hy-Speed 500 instant "concrete-in-a-can" expands as it sets, locking in a permanent patch. It needs no priming, leveling or troweling, and comes in 5-gal. pails. Just add water, mix, then pour. In one hour, the cement becomes a...

Roofing membrane.(Buildings & Grounds Maintenance)
December 1, 2003... DynaGrip is a self-adhering roofing membrane that incorporates the features of a polyester mat with a blend of styrene-butadiene-styrene rubber and asphalt. Suitable for low-slope applications requiring two or more plies, this material is...

Hydraulic excavator.(Buildings & Grounds Maintenance)
December 1, 2003... The 321C LCR hydraulic excavator features a compact swing radius for tight areas. It has been designed to rotate with little to no counterweight extending beyond its tracks. To further minimize the working envelope, the boom is positioned...

Blower.(product news)
December 1, 2003... The Omega Plus tri-lobe blower is a positive-displacement, rotary blower. It features impellers with stiff rotors for operation at high pressures. Pressure equalization channels reduce pulsations in pneumatic conveying and other process...

Waste compaction.(product news)
December 1, 2003... The Rotorpac, designed for the factory floor, can be placed at a waste source. The compaction arm rotates and compacts continuously so personnel can drop in waste and walk away. The result is a heavy-gauge polyethylene bag that holds wet or dry...

Grounding assembly.(product news)
December 1, 2003... The retractable grounding assembly reduces the bound-charge hazard by equalizing the floating roof and tank-wall potential. This reduces any secondary arc hazard which can ignite fires or explosions in flammable-liquid storage tanks. Lightning...

Gas-cylinder sling.(product news)
December 1, 2003... The BoaGrip gas-cylinder sling is an adjustable tool for gripping, carrying and suspending compressed-gas cylinders. The tool consists of a nylon sling with a sewn eye at one end and an oblong steel ring at the other. The polymer grippers...

Cut costs with automated tank cleaning.(Tech Check)
December 1, 2003... Chances are, tank cleaning in your facility is a simple procedure. Workers physically rinse, wash and sanitize them. Or the tanks are rinsed, filled with cleaning solution and water, drained and rinsed again. These manual methods, however, may...

Kaizen training.(Training Aids)
December 1, 2003... Three- and five-day workshops teach how to implement improvements according to lean manufacturing. Teams discover "what is in it for them," and then are motivated to work on the current project. The goal is to continuously improve equipment,...

Motor seminar.(Training Aids)
December 1, 2003... The spring 2004 schedule includes a course in principles of large AC motors, to be held Jan. 30-31 in St. Louis, MO. It will examine motor applications, safety considerations, and reconditioning. Also offered is a course on mechanical repair...

Material handling sessions.(Training Aids)
December 1, 2003... The Material Handling and Logistics Show and Conference, to be held Mar. 29-Apr. 1 in Cleveland, OH, will feature three forums and more than 50 educational sessions. Forums will provide perspective from industry leaders on operations, RFID and...

Electrical-product CD.(New Literature)
December 1, 2003... Consolidated compact disk contains volumes 1, 2 and 3 of the 2003 electrical component catalogs, plus updated product information. It features an advanced search function to find products by name, description or catalog number, and a function...

Process automation literature.(New Literature)
December 1, 2003... The Simatic PCS 7 process automation system is the subject of a six-page color brochure. It describes the control system "at-a-glance" in a bulleted list. System schematics are included. Benefits such as scalability, engineering cost savings,...

Ball bearing brochure.(New Literature)
December 1, 2003... A six-page brochure profiles "made-to-order" (MTO) ball bearing products, services and advantages. In addition to a product overview, the brochure describes the MTO program. This provides users a source for discontinued, hard-to-find, or...