Industrial Maintenance & Plant Operation articles from June 2006

Industrial Maintenance & Plant Operation archives from June 2006

Product News.
June 1, 2006... Staff FLOW METER Staff The vortex flow meter uses ultrasonic technology to measure tiny vortices that form when media in the pipe move across a strut. The RWG and RWBG vortex flow meters have no moving parts. All meters in this...

Poka-Yoke: Human-Proof Your Process.
June 1, 2006... By Gary Connor, Contributor The Japanese term refers to procedures that can help remove human error from any process. I am not an idiot. At least I have friends who tell me I'm not. But I still make mistakes. And I'm not the only one....

Product Focus.
June 1, 2006... Staff DIESEL ENGINE Staff The Vector family of industrial diesel engines consists of 8-, 12-, and 16-cylinder models. The engine features the V-type cylinder configuration with four valves per cylinder and high-pressure...

The High Cost of Under-Skilled Labor.
June 1, 2006... By Pete L. Little, PE I think we've all seen this before: The new bearing is installed with a hammer, by a technician who was never trained how to do it properly. So the equipment on which it was installed fails after six weeks. When the...

Auto productivity up in North America in '05.
June 1, 2006... Staff An annual report on the North American auto industry shows that recent quality efforts have reduced the productivity gap among the key automakers. According to the Harbour Report North America 2006, released this month by...

Merck admits Vioxx data error.
June 1, 2006... Staff Merck & Co., Inc., admitted last month that a key position it has taken regarding the safety of its arthritis drug Vioxx was based on faulty data. The drug maker said it had erred when it reported in early 2005 that a crucial...

U.S. part of global effort to build methane-fueled power plant.
June 1, 2006... Staff With input from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other federal partners, plans to build the world's largest power plant fueled by coal-mine methane have begun. Scheduled for completion in China in 2007, the project is the...

DOL offers competency model for advanced manufacturing.
June 1, 2006... Staff The U.S. Department of Department of Labor has announced the creation of a set of resources for advanced manufacturers to use in attracting and training workers for careers. Part of the President's High Growth Job Training...

News Briefs.
June 1, 2006... Staff ThyssenKrupp AG said last month that by year's end it would close a Detroit plant that has built auto parts for 81 years. The Germany-based company, which makes steel, elevators and other products in addition to auto parts, cited a...

Product News.
June 1, 2006... Staff WIRELESS HEADSET Staff Digicom full-duplex wireless headsets provide simultaneous talk communications. These digital transceivers are not voice-activated and there are no buttons to push. To operate the system, turn the...

Toyota: Still Paranoid.
June 1, 2006... Rick Carter, Editor-in-Chief Despite what Ozzy Osborne said about it, paranoia can be a good thing, especially when it comes to business. Those afflicted with the real thing - a psychotic disorder characterized by delusions of persecution...

Hoists.
June 1, 2006... Staff PORTABLE HOIST Staff The Gemini Plus portable hoist, is equipped with a non-rotating cable to prevent loads from spinning while lifting and lowering. The up-limit switch automatically stops the load when it reaches the top....

Security Equipment.
June 1, 2006... Staff INTERLOCK SWITCH Staff The EC-S2 electrically coded interlock switch and control unit monitors one or two read heads to provide a category 4 system. The unit may be combined with a control unit to guard applications with up...

Welding Equipment.
June 1, 2006... Staff TORCH Staff The Dual Guard Torch features a flash-arrestor module built into the head of the torch, which protects against flashbacks. Made of stainless steel, the torch also features reverse-flow check valves with...

When Push Comes to Pull, Kanban Wins.
June 1, 2006... By Narayan Laksham, President, Ultriva, Inc. Consumption - not forecasts - drives the kanban 'pull' system of replenishment. Implementing it can bring manufacturers closer to their distributors. Kanban is a Japanese term for "signal."...

Book Distributor Paces Demand With Automated Packaging.
June 1, 2006... Staff At a 100,000-sq.-ft. warehouse in Sparks, NV, Alibris, Inc., a supplier of new, used and hard-to-find books, receives and ships thousands of orders worldwide each day. From the moment a book enters the warehouse from a network of...

The Million-Mile March -- To Get a Part.
June 1, 2006... By Ed Romaine It's all about putting your hands on the part you need, when you need it, not later. And I guarantee that in 2006 you will have more parts to store in less space, and with less man-hours than you did in 2005. Doing more...

RFID: Trends and Considerations.
June 1, 2006... By Helge Hornis, PhD., Intelligent Systems Manager, Pepperl+Fuchs, Twinsburg, OH There is little doubt that the RFID initiative started by Wal-Mart several years ago has given this technology a level of visibility it did not previously...

Tools.
June 1, 2006... Staff METAL SNIP Staff Upright snips for cutting sheet metal feature a 90-degree handle-to-blade design The tool is rated to cut 24-gauge sheet metal (28-gauge stainless steel) Ergonomic, strong handles with an optimum...

Training Aids.
June 1, 2006... Staff LUBRICANT TRAINING Staff The Lubricants University Web site at chevron.com has added two courses: "Fundamentals of Lubricant Additives" and "Base Oils." The interactive self-study modules, present lubricant formulation...