Plant Engineering articles from January 2004

Plant Engineering archives from January 2004

Solutions.(Forum)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... I enjoy your magazine, especially the "Solutions" article. This is the first thing that I look for in your magazine. I have just received your Dec 2003 issue and was reading the "Solutions" section and your solution to portable air tank I...

Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day.(Forum)(National Engineers Week Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day is Thursday, February 26, 2004)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... National Engineers Week Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day is Thursday, February 26, 2004. More than 125 organizations will mobilize 11,000 women engineers--along with strong support from their male colleagues--to reach an estimated one...

New books of note: maintenance and regulation.(Forum)(Maintenance Management and Regulatory Compliance Strategies )(Brief Article)(Book Review)
January 1, 2004... Maintenance Management and Regulatory Compliance Strategies by Terry Wireman is an unusual, but important, book. Unlike any other resource in the field, this text is designed to demonstrate how a company's maintenance management function can...

Sellers of operating materials and supplies hit rough patch.(Forum)
January 1, 2004... If the folks who sell you operating materials and supplies say that manufacturers are having a tough time making a buck, you better believe it. In October 2003, five industries registered record-low levels of margins. A year ago, only one,...

Unresolved resolutions.(Editorial)
January 1, 2004... I'm not really into New Year's resolutions anymore. I decided a number of years ago that I was just setting myself up for failure, since I never really kept any of them. But I am into New Year's reflections a little bit. You know, the...

Applicant turndown: is hearing impairment valid reason?(Human Side)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... When Administrative Assistant Jenny Rudin opted for early retirement at age 57, it left Maintenance Supervisor Harold Griffin in a bind. Rudin was a quick study and a lady of diversified skills. She had been employed at a host of clerical tasks...

Firing a worker: can a past lie be used?(Human Side)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Maintenance Foreman Frank Fillipini had to admit he had done some dumb things in his time, but one of his dumbest was to hire Electrician Grade II Charley Brogan. The second dumbest was not to have fired him long ago. His marginal performance...

Must you pay him for the time?(Human Side)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... When Maintenance Utility Worker Jim Asnew was injured while painting ceiling trim from a scaffolding, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration sent an inspector to investigate. Two days later, a Review Board official subpoenaed Art...

Pregnant job applicant.(Human Side)
January 1, 2004... The maintenance department's clerical overload was getting out of hand. Payroll audits, freight bill checking, inventory of selected supplies, and most backlogged of all, file maintenance. Two innovations were needed to upgrade the system: 1....

Put your money where your mouth is.(Human Side)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... A New England manufacturing plant had a much-publicized policy of caring and compassionate human relations. One day Alice Daly, a maintenance department clerical employee, decided to put it to the test. Daly, a recently widowed mother of a...

Striking the boss.(Human Side)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Not only is taking a whack at your boss a sure-fire way to flunk out on the job, in virtually any company you could name it's a sure-fire way to get fired. Unless... In an Atlanta manufacturing plant, an argument between Maintenance...

Starting up new plants overseas.(Management Side)
January 1, 2004... Your company's executive team just approved investing $3.2 billion in a new refinery and petrochemical plant 7000 miles from your corporate offices, and you were selected to be the program director. They asked you, "What are the key tasks we...

Basic electronics: what is capacitance?(Plant Electronics)
January 1, 2004... A capacitor is a device capable of storing an electrical charge. Capacitance is a measure of the amount of the electrical charge a capacitor can store. Electrical current is the movement of electrons. Everything contains electrons, but...

Exclusive 2003 plant engineering salary survey.(Part 1: Salary Survey)(Cover Story)
January 1, 2004... After losing ground in 2002, compensation levels for plant engineers have rebounded--from an overall average of $74,560 to $76,922 (a little over 3%)--according to results from the latest survey conducted for PLANT ENGINEERING. Salaries had...

Corporate profile.(SKF Reliability Systems)(Advertisement)
January 1, 2004... Drawing on nearly 100 years of SKF[R] experience in improving machine and process operation, SKF Reliability Systems provides an impressive breadth of services, supported by real-world application expertise that spans virtually every industrial...

10 Trends that will change your job: like it or not, you'll be dealing with these issues in the months and years ahead.(Part 2: Trends)(Cover Story)
January 1, 2004... Now here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that.--Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] While...

AC motive power takes off.(Material Handling/Lift Trucks)
January 1, 2004... Key Concepts * AC drives are becoming the preferred drives for electric lift trucks. * AC motors are inherently simpler and require less maintenance. * Controllers in ac drives provide more even performance over the life of a...

Troubleshooting VFDs.(Electrical/Maintenance)(variable-frequency drives )
January 1, 2004... Key Concepts * Check the VFD display first to determine whether the problem is internal or external to the drive. * Loose power connections cause a variety of problems--including VFD damage. * Contamination is a preventable cause...

Distributed control saves time and money.(Instrumentation and Controls/Distributed Controls)
January 1, 2004... Key Concepts * Companies are replacing traditional control loops with simple, decentralized systems. * Distributed systems excel in applications requiring an advanced level of process automation. * Managing a solution according to...

Bearing repair: an alternative to replacement.(Power Transmission/Maintenance)
January 1, 2004... Key Concepts * Bearing repair can save 50% to 90% of the cost of a new bearing. * There are three classes of bearing repair. * Bearing repair should be done by qualified personnel. ********** Bearing repair is not a new...

Return on steam efficiency investment.(Heating/Management)
January 1, 2004... Key Concepts * Average return on investment was shown to be 1.7 yr. * Plant engineers must show a contribution to plant as well as financial performance. ********** An addendum to this article, with an example of cost savings,...

Products: I/O block.(Instruments & Controls)
January 1, 2004... Inline Block I/O is a new family of block-style I/O modules. Units include 16 and 32-channel digital block modules and are compatible with fieldbus protocols that include Interbus, Profibus DP, DeviceNet, and CANOpen. Sensor and actuator cables...

Products: multifunction calibrator.(Instruments & Controls)
January 1, 2004... QuikCal 190 Series multifunction calibrator includes a built-in pump for fast pressure calibrations at the touch of a button. This upgraded version features additional ESD protection, enhanced reliability, and increased longevity of plug-in...

Products: smart camera.(Instruments & Controls)
January 1, 2004... Series 550 smart cameras operate up to 8 times faster than previous generation vision sensors. Incorporating Texas Instrument DSP processor, increased RAM, and flash memory, this next-generation smart camera family features gray scale and...

Products: distributed I/O.(Instruments & Controls)
January 1, 2004... Advantys STB modular distributed I/O system integrates I/O modules, power distribution, and device integration into a single design that simplifies engineering, wiring, and connectivity issues. System makes it possible for only one fieldbus...

Products: digital gauge.(Instruments & Controls)
January 1, 2004... Service Junior is a hand-held gauge that automatically records momentary pressure spikes on hydraulic and pneumatic systems. Unlike oil-filled gauges that require constant monitoring of bouncing needles, this gauge locks minimum and maximum...

Products: serial device microserver.(Software & Computers)
January 1, 2004... IServer, an addition to the EIS-W Series is a simple, economical way to connect serial devices to an Ethernet network and the internet. Web pages allow quick and easy device configuration for your specific application without special software....

Products: lockout software.(Software & Computers)
January 1, 2004... FactorySolutions is a web-based software program that provides a systematic solution to OSHA lockout standard, 29CFR1910.147 and includes a continuous compliance process, plant-wide audits, machine-specific graphical lockout procedures with bar...

Web: industrial products web site.(Paints & Coatings)
January 1, 2004... Centralized web site features catalog pages for the company's industrial MRO products, an MSDS browser, technical data sheets, and search capabilities. Products include industrial paints and coatings, lubricants and specialty chemicals, caulks...

Literature: lining steel vessels.(Paints & Coatings)
January 1, 2004... The Society for Protective Coatings (SSPC) and NACE International have issued a joint application standard titled SSPC-PA 8/NACE No. 11. The document specifies procedures for the design, installation, and inspection of thin-film organic linings...

Products: get rid of mist.(Compressed Air)
January 1, 2004... Mist Eliminators trap, collect, and remove liquids and soluble particulate matter from compressed air. They use depth of bed coalescing technology instead of conventional pressure drop technology which achieves 100% efficiency in removing...

Products: nozzles use less air.(Compressed Air)
January 1, 2004... Energy Saver nozzles force compressed air through a 0.002-in. annular orifice to accelerate airflow and entrain ambient air at a 25:1 ratio. Less compressed air is required. There is also a drastic reduction in noise, so they can be a solution...

Products: condensate filter.(Compressed Air)
January 1, 2004... Kaeser Condensate Filter (KFC) is designed to filter out oil and other contaminants, making the water safe for disposal. The key is a three-stage, self-contained plastic filter cartridge, which is convenient for disposal and replacement. No...

Literature: brushless servo.(Electrical)
January 1, 2004... Color 4-p brochure about BSM C-Series Brushless servo motors describes brushless servo motor design characteristics, dimensions, performance data, and mounting information. The brochure indicates that the C-series is available from 21 lb-in. to...

Literature: wire and cable CD-ROM catalog.(Electrical)
January 1, 2004... A 600-p master catalog is available in CD-ROM format, which is organized into 16 major sections and presents more than 3000 wire and cable products. The CD contains PDFs linked with a comprehensive bookmark system. Users can access information...

Key keeper.(Solutions)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... * Problem: Many small drill presses and small milling machines don't have a convenient tool holder. How can chuck keys and small bits be kept handy? [GRAPHIC OMITTED] * Solution: Place a large bar magnet inside a plastic bag and place...

Rolling snake.(Solutions)(Pushing a wire snake through conduit )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... * Problem: Pushing a wire snake through conduit can be difficult; the snake can get hung up. Is there an easy way to make the snake behave and move through the conduit? [GRAPHIC OMITTED] * Solution: Drill a hole through a wooden ball...

Save pallet lumber.(Solutions)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... * Problem: Sometimes large pallets can't be reused but have good pieces of lumber on them. Is there a way to salvage the lumber without wrecking it? [GRAPHIC OMITTED] * Solution: Use a 3/4 in. hole saw with pilot drill. Run the hole...

Safety first ...(Solutions)
January 1, 2004... In all cases, even if not specifically mentioned in the writeups, verify that the tip does not violate any relevant code, standard, or practice. Always use the appropriate safety equipment and procedures when applying the maintenance tips. ...