Plant Engineering articles from January 2003

Plant Engineering archives from January 2003

Life cycle maintenance requirements. (Forum).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Siemens Energy & Automation announced a reorganized and refocused national industrial services organization called Siemens Industrial Services. The new name replaces the former Siemens Westinghouse Technical Services and signifies a...

Reader response.(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2003... Wire corrosion This is in regards to the waterproofing wire connections solution in the November issue. If you do not use the correct type of silicone sealant meant for electronic applications, the ordinary household type will cause...

Cost trends. (Forum).(Illustration)
January 1, 2003... Industry margins fall below average Inflationary pressures for manufacturers of factory operating materials and supplies are on the rise. The problem is that costs are high while the ability to hike prices has been weak. End result:...

Being there. (Comment).
January 1, 2003... Jack Welch, the former CEO of GE, called it a "digital cockpit." Others frequently refer to it as a "dashboard." No matter. The concept is the same: a group of numbers or graphs that allow you to constantly check the pulse of your plant or...

Human side.
January 1, 2003... Prohibited offenses: Must violation be on the list to warrant discipline? The plant's policy manual included a list of offenses likely to result in disciplineLi up to and including termination. * Being under the influence of alcohol...

Beyond the quick fix: true problem solving involves analyzation, not shortcuts. (Management Side).
January 1, 2003... Good problem solvers are among the most highly sought after individuals in existence today. In most cases companies and organization have already identified their skilled problem and consider these individuals to be among most valuable assets....

MRO e-procurement: where is it now? (Info Engineering).(maintenance, repair, and operations)
January 1, 2003... I first became enamored with the proposition of purchasing maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) parts over the internet at a trade show five years ago. Here was a technology that could make a significant impact on both purchasing and...

Plant Engineering: compensation survey. (Special Report: Your Career-Part 1).(Illustration)
January 1, 2003... Economic conditions of the past year or so appear to be reflected in the compensation levels of plant engineers. In fact, compared to last year's survey, salaries and total compensation have actually decreased slightly. Those decreases...

Certification programs for plant engineering professionals. (Special Report: Your Career-Part 2).
January 1, 2003... There are a number of opportunities to help you gain recognition as a true professional. And the money isn't bad, either. Certification has become a popular concept for recognizing professional competency. Virtually all certification...

Building reliable, practically leak-free thermal fluid systems. (Technology: HVAC/Fluid Handling).
January 1, 2003... L.W. (Budd) Lee Thermal fluid systems using synthetic organic and silicone-based heat transfer fluids are used in industries as diverse as pharmaceutical production, petrochemicals, and environmental test chambers. Regardless of the type...

Basics of flexible screw conveyors. (Technology: Material Handling).
January 1, 2003... In basic form, a flexible screw conveyor consists of a spring steel or stainless steel flexible screw that is enclosed in a flexible or rigid plastic tube or a rigid steel tube (a small diameter, plastic inner tube may also run the entire...

Integrating EAM software. (Software & Computers: Case History).(Metaldyne's Sintered Components plant)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Responding to a corporate initiative to standardize its enterprise ERP systems, Metaldyne's Sintered Components plant in St. Marys, PA, required a migration from a heavily used enterprise asset management (EAM) software program to a system that...

HART configuration. (Software & Computers: Products).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... CONF 401 is a configuration software package that enables a desktop PC to serve as a full-featured configurator and device manager for HART protocol instruments. Designed to run on both Windows and UNIX platforms, it provides a user-friendly,...

Plant asset monitoring. (Software & Computers: Products).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Asset Manager PKS is a program designed to increase control system effectiveness by automatically and continuously monitoring the condition of plant assets. Embedded with Expenon PKS, it enables employees with knowledge-driven applications and...

Conceptual modeler. (Software & Computers: Products).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... PLS-Router is a simple to use conceptual modeler, designed for use in front-end engineering design (FEED), built on Bentley's MicroStation platform. It is the combination of a process plant layout system and an automatic 3D pipe routing system....

Bearing problems web site. (Power Transmission: Suggestions).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... A web site, tec.nsk.com, is available for maintenance professionals who need definitive answers to bearing questions. It has six sections, including a troubleshooting segment that provides photos of bearing failures and the steps to take to...

Hydraulics courses. (Power Transmission: Training).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... A series of training courses is designed for those who maintain hydraulic systems. The courses are held throughout the year in the U.S. and Canada. Among the courses are: "Basic Industrial Hydraulics," "Maintenance, Repair, and Setup of...

Ventless gear reducer. (Power Transmission: Products).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Dodge TIGEAR-2 has a totally enclosed, ventless sealing system and comes standard with a factory-filled synthetic lubricant meeting Hi foodgrade requirements. The lubricant accommodates a wide range of operating temperatures and runs cooler...

I/O interface. (Instruments & Controls: Products).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Bus Works 900PB Series I/O Modules interface analog and discrete I/O signals directly to a Profibus-DP network. The twelve-channel I/O modules do not require a separate bus coupler like block 110. Modules are only an inch wide for compact...

Vibration monitor. (Instruments & Controls: Products).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... VSI vibration monitor minimizes the risk of catastrophic equipment failure and expensive shutdowns by detecting under and over vibration conditions that could signal trouble. Vibration levels over a preset alarm limit could indicate equipment...

IR temperature control. (Instruments & Controls: Products).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... OMEGA iR2 is an ultrahigh-performance temperature measurement and control system designed for difficult and demanding applications such as semiconductor processing. It uses a 2-color ratio technique for precise measurement and control of...

Heavy load roller. (Material Handling: Suggestions).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Tri-Glide three-point heavy load moving system creates a stable, secure platform to safely move heavy, cumbersome equipment. Steerable front swivel unit and adjustable-width, dual rear dolly units handle loads up to 6, 12, or 18 tons, depending...

Fork-mounted front loader. (Material Handling: Suggestions).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Change a lift truck into a handy front-end loader with this 1 1/3-cu yd loader that will handle up to 4000 lb of snow, gravel, or other materials. Beveled front edge and 90-deg dump angle provide efficient loading and dumping. Dumping is...

Indicator for onboard weighing. (Material Handling: Products).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... UMC222 weight indicator attaches easily to lift truck and plugs into 12, 24, 36, or 48-V dc supply. Data and inventory management features include time, date, sequential ticket numbering, and calculated weight totals. Front-panel calibration...

Control solution. (Material Handling: Software).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... BOSS is a 100% PC-based control solution developed exclusively for material handling applications. Combining machine control, data collection, system diagnostics, and HMI into a single, integrated software package, it allows users to manage and...

Optimizing compressor selection. (Compressed Air: Suggestions).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Designing Your Compressed Air System is a guide that takes you through the process of selecting and determining a compressed air system. Five elements are considered: demand, supply requirements, storage, distribution system, and layout...

Buy compressed air. (Compressed Air: Suggestions).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... OptimAir Service is a unique contract commodity air service specifically designed to meet dynamic compressed air needs. A unit is delivered to a facility via a highly sophisticated, modular, self-contained compressed air power plant. Each unit...

Direct drive compressor. (Compressed Air: Products).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... These 300-hp and 350-hp air compressors provide positive alignment and operating efficiency by being directly connected to the motor. An updraft cooler, mounted directly on the frame, allows for a smaller footprint than current models. Remote...

Nozzle cuts air use. (Compressed Air: Products).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Super Air Nozzle provides a high-thrust, concentrated stream of high-velocity air. The sound level is extremely low at 74 dBA when supplied with an 80-psig compressed air supply. The nozzle is ideal for reducing air consumption and noise levels...

Air flow meter. (Compressed Air: Products).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Model 10A compressed air flow meter is ideal for compressed air flow measurement because it has a very wide turndown and measures directly in standard cubic feet per minute without pressure or temperature compensation. The sensor is constructed...

Breathable air. (Compressed Air: Products).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Use of compressed air as a source of breathable air for hazardous and toxic environments is well established. Breathing Air Filtration wall-mounted panels incorporate 2-stage filtration with a water separator system. A pop-up indicator shows...

Internet connection: visit the following company web sites.
January 1, 2003... For more information on how to advertise in PLANT ENGINEERING'S Internet Connection, call Jim Langhenry at 630-288-8789 alias.ltd.uk Alias Limited specializes in the delivery of piping solutions that can bring significant benefits to...

Solutions.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... ** No drill wander * Problem: Trying to start a drill bit on a flat surface usually results in the drill bit wandering if there is no center punch. How can this be stopped if a center punch is not handy? * Solution: Cross two pieces of...