Plant Engineering articles from January 2005

Plant Engineering archives from January 2005

Moving on.(career growth)
January 1, 2005... When I came to PLANT ENGINEERING as an associate editor in 1969, I didn't know what plant engineering was. I just had an idea that I wanted to be a writer or journalist in some technical area. PLANT ENGINEERING seemed a good place to start. ...

Double trouble for those seeking operating materials.(Forum)(Two trends will be converging to push up prices.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Plant engineers who need to stock up on operating materials and supplies may be facing a double whammy this spring. Two trends will be converging to push up prices. One: The majority of industries that make operating supplies appears to be...

Price/cost/demand roundup.(Forum)(Illustration)
January 1, 2005... Price/cost/demand roundup Operating materials & supplies AVERAGE PRODUCT PRICES (1) % CHANGE Industry 3 months ago Current month Wood pallets 1.94 2.40 Polishes...

Cash or check: can management switch how you're paid?(Human side)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... As far back as most employees could recall, they had received their compensation in cash. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When Plant Engineer Sam Lipsky voiced the opinion that the policy of paying wages in cash was behind the times, the...

Rules: how sacrosanct are ones you set?(Human side)
January 1, 2005... Robert Burton, a 19th century cleric and philosopher, wrote that No rule should be so general as to admit of no exception. It's an interesting observation and in wide dispute among executives and supervisors in the nation's offices and...

Management limited in making policy changes.(Human side)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... The company had for years resisted human relations and personnel department suggestions to initiate a drug testing policy. But following an unpleasant incident that involved an employee's brush with the law in response to a drug violation,...

Is lack of morality grounds for dismissal?(Human side)(unmarried mothers)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Everyone in the plant was talking about Mary Ann's pregnancy. Everyone but Mary Ann. The stockroom attendant's obviously impending motherhood was of particular interest because she was unmarried. Some things can be deferred for just so...

Mandating physical for recalled employee.(Human side)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Mechanic Grade II John Wilson, 64, after more than three months on layoff, heard via the grapevine that a recall notice had been mailed to other laid off employees, some with less seniority than himself. Wilson showed up at the plant next...

Let employees know risk in accepting promotion.(Human side)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... When an opening for Instrument Repairman was posted, Mechanic First Grade Harry Lucowski was one of the first to apply. Along with two other applicants, he was given a test by Maintenance Supervisor George Boroni. No applicant's...

Moonlighting problems.(Human side)(work performance)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Project Leader Ralph Hammer posed the question to Chief Engineer Joe Turner, "What should we do about Arnold?" Arnold Duckoff was a young engineer whose work performance had been sliding of late. Skimming down a recently submitted progress...

Don't cut capital costs.(Management side)(Pharmaceutical company is spending several million dollars on an additional production line.)
January 1, 2005... There is an old adage that goes like this: "Be careful what you wish for, you might get it." Consider the case of that all-too-frequent occurrence, the drive to cut capital expenditures. The dictum comes down: "We need to reduce our capital...

Replacing incandescent lamps with LEDs.(Plant electronics)(Light Emitting Diode)
January 1, 2005... Currently, there is interest in high efficiency, long-life, light emitting diode (LED) lamps for use in factories, institutional, and commercial applications, because the costs of electricity for lighting and labor for bulb replacement are...

Complying with new electrical safety regulations.(Electrical Safety)
January 1, 2005... KEY CONCEPTS * Industrial control panels must now be labeled with short-circuit current ratings. * Although the Code change affects OEMs and panel shops primarily, it also affects your plant. * NFPA-70E-2004 110.7 says that...

Understanding synchronous belt drives.(Power Transmission/Maintenance)
January 1, 2005... KEY CONCEPTS * There are two tooth profiles in use, trapezoidal and curvi-linear. * Proper tensioning brings a belt into proper mesh with the sprocket. * In emergencies, some belts and sprockets with different profiles can be...

Basics of power boilers.(Process heating)(Power boilers can form N[O.sub.x] both from fuel and from temperature.)
January 1, 2005... KEY CONCEPTS * Many industrial boilers can operate on both natural gas and fuel oil. * When it comes to boilers and the EPA, size matters. * Power boilers can form N[O.sub.x] both from fuel and from temperature. **********...

Elements of breathing-air compressor systems.(Compressors Safety)
January 1, 2005... KEY CONCEPTS * Details of breathing hazards in the plant must be documented. * A trained professional should do airline respirator selection. * Rotary screw compressors are ideally suited for breathing-air systems. **********...

Analog addressable fire alarm systems compared to conventional systems.(Safety Fire protection)
January 1, 2005... KEY CONCEPTS * Unlike conventional alarms, analog addressable systems allow an exchange of data between the panel and the activated sensor or sensors. * Due to drift compensation, analog addressable systems are less likely to...

Making up for lost raises: our annual compensation survey shows significant increases in average incomes for plant engineers.(SPECIAL REPORT)
January 1, 2005... After several years of unimpressive increases (in fact, overall average income dropped slightly from 2001 to 2002), average compensation for plant engineers jumped sharply in 2004. Both salaries and bonuses showed nice progress. Average...

Self-configuring level meter.(Instruments and controls: Products)
January 1, 2005... OPTIFLEX 1300 C TDR level meter measures distance, level, and volume of liquids, pastes, and solids. It is available with five different probes--single rod, double rod, single cable, double cable, and coaxial. Meter's maximum measuring range is...

Analog-style voltmeter.(Instruments and controls: Products)
January 1, 2005... SP5 1710-BL voltmeter has a large LCD that shows a 17-position analog-style display. The voltmeter has a full-scale deflection of 1 V with needle indication that can be center or left justified. Display features permanent color scale and...

Pressure transmitter.(Instruments and controls: Products)
January 1, 2005... Series 626-GH industrial pressure transmitter offers 0.25% full-scale accuracy whether measuring vacuum or pressure. Unit can be vacuum, combination vacuum and pressure, or pressure. Standard pressure ranges are 0-5 to 0-5000 psig. Stainless...

Pressure transducer.(Instruments and controls: Products)
January 1, 2005... Model 528 strain gauge pressure transducer is designed for robust industrial and submersible applications such as hydraulic test, bore-hole level, and vehicle test applications that require high performance in extreme environments. Suitable for...

Paperless recorder.(Instruments and controls: Products)
January 1, 2005... RD8900 series paperless recorder saves space, requiring less than 7 in. behind panel. Unit monitors, records, and evaluates data from many automation applications, and presents them in real time on a high-resolution, color display. Users can...

Remote I/O modules.(Instruments and controls: Products)
January 1, 2005... BusWorks 900EN series I/O modules interface up to 12 analog or discrete I/O signals to an EtherNet/IP network. Each remote I/O module can operate independently of a buscoupler. Available modules include discrete I/O; analog input modules, which...

Clamp-type ground tester.(Instruments and controls: Products)
January 1, 2005... DET10C and DET20C ground testers are designed to measure earth/ground resistance and current flow without disturbing existing connections. Testers employ clamp-on technology, ensuring safety and convenience. Units are suitable for measuring...

Paperless chart recorder.(Instruments and controls: Products)
January 1, 2005... Model RH520 humidity and temperature paperless chart recorder may be desk or wall mounted and provides simultaneous numerical and graphical displays of humidity from 20%-95% RH and temperature from -20 to 140 F. Recorder also calculates dew...

Digital color camera.(Instruments and controls: Products)
January 1, 2005... TMC-6700CL progressive scan CCD digital color camera features 1/2-in. CCD imager with 640X480 pixels resolution at 60 frames per sec (fps). Camera uses Bayer RGB color filter array with onboard color interpolation using real time digital signal...

PDA calculation software.(Software and computers: Products)
January 1, 2005... The Electrist is an industrial software suite for the Palm PDA operating systems. Software contains electrical and electronic calculations, and more than 90 formulas and variations. Electronic calculators include Ohm's Law, resistor color code,...

Flat panel monitor.(Software and computers: Products)
January 1, 2005... LUX20-H flat panel monitor is a 20-in. retrofit package for the Honeywell TDC3000 console. Specialized LCD system is designed for compatibility with the older process control video output and to mechanically mount into the console furniture....

Manufacturing intelligence.(Software and computers: Products)
January 1, 2005... Activplant Performance Management System delivers actionable manufacturing intelligence for a broad array of automotive, CPG, food and beverage, and forestry product plants with different profiles designed for specific types of production...

Scalable software suite.(Software and computers: Products)
January 1, 2005... Industrial Application Server 2.0 is designed to address life-cycle engineering costs associated with automation projects, is built on the ArchestrA software architecture, and is the core distributed applications processing element of...

Ethernet switches.(Automation: Products)
January 1, 2005... Managed Compact Switch (MCS) incorporates the complete message filtering and plant floor diagnostics capability of the recently introduced Modular Managed Switch (MMS) in a compact, fixed 16-port 10/100 TX housing. Switch contains the message...

Custom I/O.(Automation: Products)
January 1, 2005... Custom I/O modules provide users with the exact combination of features for their applications. I/O modules can be manufactured from users' designs or can be designed to meet specific requirements. Engineers provide systematic approach to...

Data collection.(Automation: Products)
January 1, 2005... DataLynx data collection software is a data logging and storage package for remotely located PLCs or other devices that support MODBUS and a modem connection. Ideal for collecting data from remote locations or relaying data from multiple...

SCADA alternative.(Automation: Products)
January 1, 2005... Vijeo Look 2.5 is a low-cost alternative to SCADA software for small and stand-alone machines, and is designed for easy use on a standalone HMI system. Automation software combines the ease of use of a web browser with the functionality of...

Legacy machinery data collection.(Automation: Products)
January 1, 2005... FIN EX data collection system is designed to enable the collection of valuable information from legacy and base-line machinery that lacks built-in data gathering capability. The data collection tool helps to diagnose operator and line issues,...

Ethernet/fieldbus controller.(Automation: Products)
January 1, 2005... The 750-841 series Ethernet TCP/IP programmable fieldbus controller (PFC) has been upgraded with new functions such as multitasking operating system, the ability to complete online programming changes, and double the data memory (to 256 kb)....

DAQ and PID application tool.(Automation: Products)
January 1, 2005... ioProject 6 is a Microsoft Windows-based suite of interoperable applications, programming tools, and diagnostic utilities designed for the company's hardware systems. The complete set of tools includes a flowchart-based programming application...

Taking down lamps.(Solutions)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... PROBLEM: Large high-pressure sodium lamps and other lamps are hard to grasp. Is there an easy way to grab them for removal? SOLUTION: Take an old leather welding sleeve, remove the metal snaps and buckles, and slip it over the lamp. The...

Checking rotation.(Solutions)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... PROBLEM: You have installed a new ventilation blower and forgotten to check it for rotation. There is no visual access. How can the blower rotation be easily checked? SOLUTION: Don't hold a strip of tissue near the duct outlet. It will...

Wrapping rubber.(Solutions)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... PROBLEM: The metal hose fitting at the point of attachment to an air-operated tool often cuts the rubber hose causing leaks. Is there a quick and easy way to make a repair? SOLUTION: Place rubber shrink wrap over the leak in the hose. Use a...