Plant Engineering articles from December 2006

Plant Engineering archives from December 2006

Best Practices in Manufacturing.
December 1, 2006... By Staff There's an old expression that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. That's not always true in manufacturing. Each step in the manufacturing process is designed to output exactly what is needed to complete the finished...

The making of a Top Plant takes more than machines.
December 1, 2006... By Ron Moore, The RM Group, Inc. How do we get our plant to be a Top Plant so that we can improve our competitive position in global manufacturing? Many manufacturers apply various tools and strategies to achieve this, while others simply...

Hydraulics.
December 1, 2006... By Rick Russo, Senior Lubrication Engineer, ExxonMobil Lubricants & Specialties For many plant managers, achieving hydraulic system efficiency is an enigma. Growing sophistication in system components and increasing complexity of...

Infrared thermography.
December 1, 2006... By NASA and Flir Systems, edited by Bob Vavra Following the 2003 Columbia space shuttle disaster, NASA was looking for a way to measure post-liftoff damage to the shuttle's heat shields while in space. That started NASA on a project to use...

Direct part identification.
December 1, 2006... By Staff How can plant engineers ensure that a part is easily identified by machine vision systems? Justin Testa, senior vice president of ID Products for Cognex Corp., suggests these considerations: Code selection - The ANSI code...

Workforce development.
December 1, 2006... By Bob Vavra, editor Business is booming at Lincoln Machine, a 70-employee machine shop at the east end of Nebraska's state capital. With local clients such as Kawasaki, Goodyear and Square D, the facility hums with activity. It is a...

Lubrication.
December 1, 2006... By Kevin Campbell, Senior editor Among the many tasks and conditions plant engineers must contend with on a daily basis are maintenance and downtime. When these two aspects are minimized, production can be enhanced and the impact on the...

Even without a round number, 2007 can be a milestone year.
December 1, 2006... By Bob Vavra, Editor At the end of the year, we spend a lot of time to take stock of what has been gained and lost in the preceding 12 months. In 2006, there has been much to tally up on both sides of that equation. Looking back is...

New machine health classes offered.
December 1, 2006... By Staff Machinery Health Management is the topic of four new classes added to Emerson Process Management's educational services offerings for in 2007. The courses reflect technology innovations released by Emerson in the last seven...

ControlNet chosen as Chinese standard.
December 1, 2006... By Staff ControlNet has been adopted by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of the People's Republic of China as part of a machinery industry standard for that nation. This adoption extends nearly the entire family of CIP...

NAM offers proposal to provide environment, public health benefits.
December 1, 2006... By Staff In comments submitted recently on the Environmental Protection Agency's New Source Review proposal, the National Association of Manufacturers urged the EPA 'to continue efforts that will simplify the regulatory permitting process...

NAM: GDP numbers encouraging.
December 1, 2006... By Staff While the economy grew by a subdued 1.6% in the third quarter, the slowest quarterly pace in 3.5 years, it was the housing sector that provided the overall drag. Outside of housing, a recent Commerce Department advanced report...

ASHRAE, Canada Green Building Council partner to advance sustainability.
December 1, 2006... By Staff The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers and the Canada Green Building Council recently signed a memorandum of understanding to advance buildings that are healthy, productive, environmentally...

NEMA pushes for EU to reduce the burden of regulations.(National Electrical Manufacturers Association)(European Union)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... By Staff While the National Electrical Manufacturers Association has been closely following European Commission vice president Guenther Verheugen's Better Regulation Initiative, it has yet to see meaningful reduction in the amount of red...

ISO explores hydrogen fuel cell storage for safer transport.
December 1, 2006... By Staff An ISO technical specification defining safety requirements for the transport of long-lasting fuel cells heralds a new era for handheld consumer devices such as laptops and mobile phones. Hydrogen can be stored and transported...

Survey: Outsourcing is the 'in' thing.
December 1, 2006... By Staff Facility managers remain confident in the ability to save money and improve quality through the use of outsourcing, according to 'An Inside Look at FM Outsourcing,' a new research report from the International Facility Management...

Schneider Electric acquires APC.
December 1, 2006... By Staff The announcement in November that Schneider Electric has agreed to purchase American Power Conversion for about $6.1 billion was seen as a complimentary purchase between a company that wants to expand its electrical distribution...

ASME names Zamrik president.(American Society of Mechanical Engineers)(Sam Y. Zamrik)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... By Staff Sam Y. Zamrik , a technical consultant and professor emeritus of engineering mechanics at Penn State was named president-elect of ASME during the 2006 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress in Chicago. His one-year...

Cory N. Welch joins Invensys.
December 1, 2006... By Staff Invensys Process Systems has named Cory N. Welch as practice director, enterprise network and security services. In this capacity, Welch will help Invensys develop and deliver a new suite of comprehensive enterprise network and...

Arc flash research findings presented at PCIC.(Petroleum and Chemical Industry Committee)
December 1, 2006... By Staff 'Effect of Insulating Barriers in Arc Flash Testing' is the title of a paper that circuit protection company Ferraz Shawmut presented at the IEEE PCIC, the annual technical conference of the IEEE's Petroleum and Chemical Industry...

Coating thickness gauge.
December 1, 2006... By Staff The DTG-500 coating thickness gauge facilitates convenient, one-handed coating thickness measurement. It features a backlit, three-digit LCD with a maximum readout of 1,999 counts, and units are user-selectable between micrometers...

Incremental encoders.
December 1, 2006... By Staff DRS61 CoreTech 60-mm diameter incremental encoders allow users to program the number of lines from 1 to 8,192, as well as the width of the zero pulse using a simple USB connection and programming software. Their flexibility allows...

Personal toes heater.
December 1, 2006... By Staff Toasty Toes provides thermostatically-controlled heat to feet and legs. It has three positions: mat, ergonomic footrest and vertical heat panel. The compact and portable unit measures 12x18x5 inches and weighs 5 pounds. It draws...

Capping machine parts.
December 1, 2006... By Staff Replacement tightening discs, gripper rubbers, quills, quill discs and other contact parts are available to fit virtually any capping equipment. Standard designs are available for many types and sizes of equipment used to apply...

Infrared imaging system.
December 1, 2006... By Staff The GS110 process imaging system for low emissivity glass is designed to monitor one-side coated flat glass. The system can also be used for non-contact infrared temperature measurement in other secondary glass-processing...

Analog proximity sensors.
December 1, 2006... By Staff AccuProx analog inductive proximity sensors can sense objects up to four times that of typical shielded and unshielded tubular analog sensors, without compromising output accuracy. With long-range, tight repeat accuracy and linear...

Discrete I/O modules for DeviceNet.
December 1, 2006... By Staff BradControl discrete I/O modules are suitable for use with material handling equipment and automated assembly machinery. The Classic 60-mm wide family of IP67 BradControl discrete I/O modules for DeviceNet comes in an eight-port,...

DDR cable assemblies.
December 1, 2006... By Staff Extended-reach DDR cable assemblies are small, lightweight cables that reduce cable bundle size, allowing for increased system airflow along with ease of routability and flexibility. They offer improved performance resulting from...

Lubricants.
December 1, 2006... By Staff CorrSurface Protect (CSP) coatings and lubricants are designed for maintenance of critical equipment used by corrugated box manufacturers. CSP 3560 coating pretreats trays, allowing ink and starch to be hosed off easily and...

Industrial bolting catalog.
December 1, 2006... By Staff Featuring 40 pages of impact tools and accessories for industrial professionals, the company's industrial bolting catalog highlights a variety of tools for lightweight jobs and demanding tool applications. Separated by super-duty,...

Ultrasonic flowmeter.
December 1, 2006... By Staff The Optisonic 6300 clamp-on ultrasonic flowmeter is designed for easy installation and reliability in heavy industrial and hazardous environments. It offers performance capabilities that exceed those of the Model UFM600 T,...

Compact CNC platform.
December 1, 2006... By Staff The IndraMotion MTX compact is a CNC solution for high-production machining centers, handling systems or simple auxiliary units. It provides high performance in a small footprint while improving machine cycle times and part...

Tagging relays.
December 1, 2006... By Staff Tagging relays are designed with a serial communications capability that can be used to optimize automated breaker control schemes in new or existing power distribution systems. The relays can also be used to control remote...

Anti-seize lubricants.
December 1, 2006... By Staff Permatex anti-seize lubricants protect mated metal parts against corrosion, rusting, galling, friction and seizing. They also reduce wrench torque, easing the assembly and disassembly of threaded, slip-fit, and press-fit...

Safety cell enclosure.
December 1, 2006... By Staff The Enviro Saf-T-Cell, a standardized safety cell enclosure with an integral air filtration system, is designed for robotics, metal forming and fabrication, welding, printing, manufacturing, assembly and other hazardous processes....

Fuses.
December 1, 2006... By Staff High-speed class RK1 fuses are designed to safeguard sensitive power electronics while meeting NEC requirements for branch circuit protection and performing to industry standards of a semiconductor fuse, the company reports. In...

Expanded metal fencing.
December 1, 2006... By Staff An alternative to chain link fencing, expanded metal fencing is penetration resistant and won't unravel like chain link. Stronger because it is a continuous piece of material rather than something that has been welded, expanded...

Bus coupler.
December 1, 2006... By Staff The IL MII BK DI8 DO4-PAC bus coupler allows seamless connection of Inline modular I/O to the Mechatrolink Motion field network. When used in combination with Mechatrolink-compatible drives and controls, the MII BK permits easy...

Pressure sensors.
December 1, 2006... By Staff Available in pressure ratings up to 60,000 PSIG (4,000 Bar), the AST47HP Series of pressure sensors addresses the growing need for pressure sensors with higher pressure ratings. The pressure sensors are suitable for operation in...

Universal PCI card.
December 1, 2006... By Staff The PCI-1625U is an eight-port intelligent RS-232 universal PCI communication card. It is virtually a self-contained computer with an onboard DSP processor that can take over the processing load from the host PC. The PCI-1625U has...

Website"s new information delivery won"t let you get blogged down.
December 1, 2006... By Staff With the arrival of new daily blogs and news at www.plantengineering.com , Website readers can get news and views without having to wade through a lot of extra information. 'Blogs have proven to be great ways of getting people...

White papers available on AppliedAutomation site.
December 1, 2006... By Staff AppliedAutomation , PLANT ENGINEERING 's quarterly supplement on plant-level automation strategies, has collected a series of white papers on a variety of automation topics. Among the knowledge that can be gained by visiting...

ISAjobs.org links job seekers, employers.
December 1, 2006... By Staff ISA Jobs is a new Website tool that enables job seekers to connect with potential employers that provide specialized job search functions. ISA members can post their resumes at no cost at www.isajobs.org . Employers can post their...

Parker Hannifin drives 2-D, 3-D CAD online.
December 1, 2006... By Staff Motion and control system manufacturer Parker Hannifin is providing online access to an expanded library of 2-D and 3-D CAD drawings of its products through an extension of its partnership with ThomasNet.com. The company's newest...

Ludeca launches redesigned Website.
December 1, 2006... By Staff Laser alignment and vibration measurement company Ludeca Inc. has launched its redesigned Website at www.ludeca.com . The site features demonstration videos and free products upgrades and downloads for customers. The new site also...

When a plan comes together.
December 1, 2006... By Kevin Campbell, Senior Editor BMW drives dramatic changes in Spartanburg, SC to create an ultimate success Imagine this: you manage a major automotive manufacturing plant where every two-seat roadster and every SUV that the company...

Top Plant.
December 1, 2006... By Bob Vavra, Editor The finished products could not be more different. One is the best-selling passenger car in America. Another might be the coolest thing on four wheels. The third is the gold standard for circuit breakers. The 2006...

Chasing perfection.(Company overview)
December 1, 2006... By Bob Vavra, editor The QO circuit breaker is a great product, but Square D's employees strive to make it a little better each day The QO circuit breaker is one of those inventions that stood the test of time. It's pretty much the...

Driving continuous improvement.(Company overview)
December 1, 2006... By Jack Smith, Senior editor What Toyota manufactures in Georgetown, Kentucky is more than just America's top selling automobile. We have the same equipment as our competitors, said Tom Zawacki, general manager, general administration,...