Plant Engineering articles from March 2003

Plant Engineering archives from March 2003

Crockpot supporters. (Forum).(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2003... I just finished reading your editorial {"Microwaves and crock pots," Feb. 2003} and wanted to write to tell you I agree. There is one difference of opinion that I have, and it concerns the use of the word "urgent" when you were discussing root...

An Introduction to Predictive Maintenance. (Forum).(Book Review)
March 1, 2003... The second edition of R. Keith Mobley's An Introduction to Predictive Maintenance is a welcome addition to the numerous books available on the subject. Mobley has taken his first edition, published in 1990, and thoroughly updated and expanded...

Money Winners.
March 1, 2003... Money winners The following readers won a $100 gift cheque from American Express in a random drawing of Product of the Year ballots received on or before Dec. 15. Thomas E. Locke, Jr. Plant Ind. Engr Dan River Inc. Mark Hink...

Maintenance benchmark. (Forum).(Alcoa-Mt. Holly)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Alcoa-Mt. Holly (formerly Alumax of South Carolina) has been recognized as a proactive maintenance benchmark for the past 18 years. Organizations designating Alcoa's Mt. Holly operation as among the best in maintenance execution include PLANT...

Motors industry to raise prices. (Forum).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... After rising sharply in November, prices for motors and generators (SIC 3621) retreated 0.14% in December 2002. Prices for fractional horsepower engines, down 0.3%, led the deflationary charge. On the cost front, per-unit spending on...

Price/Cost/Demand Roundup.(machines)(Illustration)
March 1, 2003... Price/cost/demand roundup AVERAGE PRODUCT PRICES (1) CHANGE % DURING 12-Mo ENDING.. Industry ...

Picky, picky. (Comment).
March 1, 2003... My wife says I'm a picky eater. She's probably right. I'll grant you I have limited tastes in food. But mainly I just like to eat what I like and not experiment much with food - especially when I'm paying for it is an expensive restaurant. Some...

Employee illness: full recovery disputed. (Human Side).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... After a tough bout with pneumonia, and following nine days in the hospital, Welder Grade I Tony Molinaro telephoned his boss that he was ready to return to work. "That's good news," Maintenance Foreman Al Comanche replied. "Did you get a...

Power failure: do workers get reporting pay? (Human Side).
March 1, 2003... It was a stormy day with thunder and lightning flashes putting on a dramatic show in the sky. By 8:45 a.m. management's worst fears were realized. A power failure occurred. The outage lasted seven minutes, and was repeated twelve minutes later...

Can involvement in union activities hamper a career? (Human Side).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Claude Dubois was a diligent shop steward employed as a carpenter in an Illinois union plant. When Leadman Sam Lieberman opted for early retirement, Dubois concluded that finally his long-overdue promotion was at last forthcoming. But when...

Is fear of vertigo a reason to refuse an assignment? (Human Side).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... When Mary Orosco, a maintenance department utility worker, was assigned the task of removing the rust from a fixture located near the ceiling of Building Two, the employee blanched. "What's the problem," Maintenance Supervisor Joel Demarest...

Can a search firm recruit a person it placed? (Human Side).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Fair is fair, Assistant Plant Engineer Edgar Davis decided when tipped off that Arnold Griffen, a top-rated engineer, had been approached by a recruiter from Simmons & Lowe (name disguised), the executive search firm that had placed him 14...

Supervisor and seniority. (Human Side).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... When Assistant Maintenance Super visor Jerry Flaxman was granted a month's special leave, his boss decided to fill in with Leadman Charley Davis. Assistant supervisor was a job with management responsibility that took its holder off the time...

How important is attitude? (Human Side).
March 1, 2003... Carpenter Grade II Ed Gonzales groused to a coworker, "If I was a lily white Caucasian I would've gotten the job." His buddy's response didn't make him feel any better. "Don't gripe to me, amigo. Do something about it." Gonzales...

When worker is on vacation can you split his duties? (Human Side).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... When it comes to compensation it's human nature to want as much as you can get. But as Maintenance Supervisor Frank Johnson told Unit Representative Harold Gordon, "How picayune can you get?" Gordon appeared at his desk one morning in...

Compulsive job hopper. (Human Side).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Violin virtuoso Jascha Heifetz once said during an interview, "There is no point so high that one can say, 'This is the peak.'" Most employment experts will agree that healthy ambition keeps people on their toes and productive. However...

Can you forbid employees to disclose salary? (Human Side).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... When Jeff Turner, a bright young engineer, griped to Assistant Plant Engineer Ed Fristrom that he was overdue for a raise, Fristrom snapped back, "How do you figure that?" Turner hesitated, and then reluctantly informed the supervisor that...

Is failure to disclose an arrest grounds for dismissal? (Human Side).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Browsing through personnel folders in an effort to familiarize herself with employee backgrounds and histories, recently hired Personnel Director Jo Ann Coulter reviewed a 3-yr-old employment application for John Lawrence, a maintenance...

'Progressive' means just that. (Human Side).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Maintenance Foreman Tom Hart had the right idea about how to discipline delinquent employees, but the wrong way of carrying it out. Joel Shaine, a medicore utility worker, was a chronic absentee. Over his 2 yr of employment, he had phoned...

Go from scored to restored in less than five minutes! With CR Speedi-Sleeve[R]! (Real Conditions. Real Solutions).
March 1, 2003... Real conditions: Contaminants work their way under a shaft seal, eventually causing scoring. Consequently, the seal begins to leak, compromising protection of the bearing. You're forced to shut down and dismantle the machinery. You may need to...

Improvement projects and tools: where to start and what to use. (Management Side).(at manufacturing plants)
March 1, 2003... Two of the more common questions asked in manufacturing plants are 1) Where do we start with our improvement effort? and 2) What tools or methods best apply to our business? Of course, most plants have some form of improvement plan, and the...

Vendor viability: buyer beware. (Info Engineering).(CMMS/EAM software industry)
March 1, 2003... The CMMS/EAM industry is no different from 4 any other packaged software marketplace. Profitability is the ultimate measure of vendor success. Having the slickest solution on the block is no consolation for not making money. If a vendor cannot...

Basics of IR thermography. (Technology: Instruments & Controls).
March 1, 2003... All matter above absolute zero continuously emits energy in the form of infrared (IR) radiation This emitted energy is detectable and quantified as an object's temperature through the technique of infrared thermography. The human eye can see in...

Your source for the hardest working, highest quality bearings and a whole lot more. (Real Conditions. Real Solutions.).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... If you think bearings when you hear SKF, we understand. After all, we are the world's largest manufacturer of rolling bearings, and we offer the broadest line of high quality bearings and related products in the industry But did you know that:...

Learning from bearing failure. (Technology: Bearing/Lubrication/Instruments/Maintanance).
March 1, 2003... When a bearing in a critical piece of equipment fails prematurely, a maintenance specialist knows the failure usually indicates there is more here than meets the eye. What the untutored eye sees is a failed bearing and little more. However, a...

New standards in high-performance vision.(machine vision sensor standards)
March 1, 2003... Legend 520 The most affordable machine vision sensor in the industry utilizes CMOS imaging technology for complete machine vision inspections, barcode reading and OCR. Ethernetready and value priced Legend 540 Real-time machine...

Hydraulic torque wrenches improve bolting. (Technology: Tools/Maintenance/Fasteners).
March 1, 2003... The simplest components to maintain on equipment and machinery are nuts and bolts. However, the incorrect installation of these basic components can lead to maintenance headaches at best and disasters at worst. Through most of the...

Low-voltage circuit breaker basics. (Reference File).
March 1, 2003... A circuit breaker is designed to keep an undesirably large amount of current, voltage, or power out of a given part of an electrical circuit. Industrial circuit breaker categories tend to follow voltage classes, which are divided according...

Terminal block circuit breaker. (Electrical: Products).
March 1, 2003... TCP thermal miniature circuit breaker provides overload protection in a pluggable package for electrical installations and devices. An integrated switching function allows tripped circuits to be reenergized immediately. The circuit breaker also...

Diesel generator set. (Electrical: Products).
March 1, 2003... PowerCommand 2.7 MW diesel 1800-rpm generator set can be used for large standby applications, although it is optimized for utility peaking and distributed generation using multiple units. Optional selective catalytic reduction (SCR)...

NEMA Premium motors. (Electrical: Products).
March 1, 2003... Medallion is a line of industrial motors designed to be in compliance with the NEMA Premium program for energy efficiency. The TEFC designs feature high-grade steel motor core, increased copper in motor windings, and optimized core dimensions,...

AC drive with vector control. (Electrical: Products).
March 1, 2003... PowerFlex 700 ac drive with Vector control regulates motor speed to 0.001% over a wide operating speed range, offering full torque at zerospeed. The drive is available in ratings from 0.37 kW (0.5 hp) to 110 kW (150 hp) and voltage ratings from...

Humidifiers. (Air conditioning: Training).
March 1, 2003... Humid-A-Ware is humidifier software that takes the guesswork out of sizing and selecting humidifiers. This easy-to-use, interactive software works with Windows 9X, NT (4.0), 2000, and XP. It overcomes critical obstacles in building...

A/C seminars. (Air Conditioning: Training).
March 1, 2003... Basic Air Conditioning and Refrigeration I and II are 1-day seminars designed to give a broad introduction to the most common and important components, principles, and concepts. Part II builds on the fundamentals presented and goes into...

Urethane hose. (Air Conditioning: Products).
March 1, 2003... MORR-LITE urethane hose is clear and concentric, making it ideal for air and material handling applications. The hose has superior abrasion resistance and an ultrasmooth bore for excellent flow. The clear tube enables the user to visually...

RH meter. (Air Conditioning: Products).
March 1, 2003... DirectSense RH is an innovative %RH meter that utilizes the power of laptop computers. WolfSense software allows for a real-time display of up to seven simultaneous measurements plus data-logging and long-term trending. Measurements include:...

Fume arms. (Air Conditioning: Products).
March 1, 2003... This is a line of 4-in., 6-in., and 8-in. diameter standard and stainless steel extractor arms. They are designed to provide a noncorrosive, easily adjustable means to extract harmful fumes. The arms have no encumbrances inside, which allows...

Duct components. (Air Conditioning: Products).
March 1, 2003... Metflo duct components for dust, fume, trim and waste removal feature a rolled lip end that, together with a stainless steel lifetime clamp, allows for fast and easy installation. If the clamp wears out, a replacement will be provided, free of...

Hybrid reel. (Fluid Handling: Products).
March 1, 2003... ReelTek is a hybrid reel design that includes a base and arm made from steel, a spool constructed of lightweight, engineered composite components, and an industrial-grade swivel. The spool contains a drive spring that protects it from the...

Lighted flow indicator. (Fluid Handling: Products).
March 1, 2003... Sight-Rite flow indicator is recommended for applications where visual inspection is critical and liquid output is required for safety. The unit couples the reliability of an electric indicator with the simplicity of a flow sight. It permits...

Pump parts. (Fluid Handling: Service).
March 1, 2003... ProCast manufactures OEM-quality replacement parts for pumps and has developed a web site that simplifies parts purchasing. It allows customers to search, identify, and order parts on the Internet anywhere and anytime. The web site features...

Venturi blowers. (Compressed Air: Products).
March 1, 2003... Venturi blowers offer the perfect solution for quickly and easily moving fumes that may be poisonous, explosive, or hazardous. Four models feature a sturdy, steel, galvanized diffuser, single-piece, cast aluminum inlet housing and a convenient...

Regen blowers. (Compressed Air: Products).
March 1, 2003... A series of large regenerative blowers offers performance to 800 scfm rated to 30 hp. Now these blowers can be used to replace positive displacement blowers. Features include: premium efficient motors, Class H motor insulation, high-temperature...

Membrane dryers. (Compressed Air: Products).
March 1, 2003... SMART Dryer membrane air dryers are for applications requiring 35-F dew-points and flow rates up to 200 scfm. They offer lower operating costs and better performance than noncycling and cycling refrigerant dryers. The dryers eliminate downtime...

A new PUP. (Compressed Air: Products).
March 1, 2003... Point of Use Provider (PUP) is a compressed air treatment component that provides air filtration, a drain, and multiple-outlet distribution in one, compact package. A high-efficiency, 1-micron, coalescing filter element removes even trace...

Project management. (Software & Computers: Products).
March 1, 2003... MVP Project is a browser-based, XML-enabled project management tool. Data are transferred to the application, reducing network traffic. A copy of the data resides in the user's computer, enabling users to sort, search, and scan complex...

Handheld wireless touch display. (Software & Computers: Products).
March 1, 2003... FlexPAC with handheld wireless touch display is a compact, expandable, industrial computer family. The mobility comes from the lightweight handheld interface. The optional mobile touch screen wireless display communicates with the computer...

Quick Gantt charts. (Software & Computers: Products).
March 1, 2003... QuickGantt 4.0 project management software enables engineers, contractors, and managers to easily and quickly plan and budget projects, estimate, and schedule work and proposals. The software uses a familiar worksheet where all project...

Continuous thermal monitor. (Instruments & Controls: Products).
March 1, 2003... ExerTherm system uses small, inexpensive infrared sensors, which require no power, to thermally monitor switchgear components continually by placing sensors inside the switchgear enclosure. The signal is fed back through data acquisition cards...

Fiber optic infrared sensors. (Instruments & Controls: Products).
March 1, 2003... OS1562 and 051572 are stand-alone fiber optic infrared sensors for noncontact temperature measurement applications. The sensors are used where conventional infrared detectors are not possible. Selection criteria include the distance between the...

Signal beacon. (Communications: Products).
March 1, 2003... Werma 884 Series signal beacon uses three Fresnel lenses arranged at 120-deg angles to achieve superior visibility in adverse conditions. The three-lens system, which enhances signal effects and color recognition, is driven by a...

Enerrgy Seal Coatings. (Product Mart Showcase).
March 1, 2003... Advanced Coating Systems is proud to introduce ENERRGY SEAL COATINGS. This line of coatings includes new products such as ceramic and butyl based coatings used to stop leaks, save energy costs, and extend the life of your roof. All of our...

Hannay adds new features to N700 spring rewind host reel. (Product Mart Showcase).
March 1, 2003... Hannay Reels' popular N700 spring rewind hose reels have been enhanced with a non-sparking separate ratchet assembly that makes the reels safer to operate, and offers better access to the pawl and pin. A sealed arbor provides superior...

New line of aluminum cylinders. (Product Mart Showcase).
March 1, 2003... Enerpac has introduced a new range of single and double acting aluminum cylinders with lifting capacities of 20 to 150 tons, and stroke lengths up to 10 inches. This new tine of high-force hydraulic cylinders, the most expansive in the...

Water filters. (Product Mart Showcase).
March 1, 2003... Tekleen's automatic self-cleaning water filters save money on cleaning and replacing screens, bags, and cartridges. Stainless steel filters at carbon steel prices. (800) 336 1942 F (310) 839 6878 www.tekleen.com ...

Gates Poly Chain GT2 belts reduce lifetime drive costs. (Product Mart Showcase).
March 1, 2003... Gates Poly Chain[R] GT[R]2 synchronous belt and sprocket system will reduce lifetime power transmission costs by saving space, weight and maintenance on low-speed (less than 500 rpm), high torque synchronous drives. Gates Poly Chain GT2 belt...

More band control. (Solutions).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... * Problem: Packages and bundles arrive in the shipping department banded with steel. When it is cut, the banding can harm nearby personnel. How can banding, up to 1-in, wide, be safely cut? * Solution: Take two pairs of pliers (channel...

Flapping drill. (Solutions).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... * Problem: When drilling holes by hand it is difficult to control depth and to observe the drilling action because of drill chips. How can drill depth be controlled and chips be cleared away? * Solution: Wrap a piece of electrical tape...

Wire bundles. (Solutions).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... * Problem: Organizing bundles of wire for safety and neatness is difficult to do with tape, It is hard to undo and is messy. Is there a neat and easy way to bundle and unbundled wires? * Solution: An old telephone handset cord makes an...

Safety first. (Solutions).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... 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.