Plant Engineering articles from March 2007

Plant Engineering archives from March 2007

Embracing innovation at the source leads to technology breakthroughs.
March 1, 2007... By Dr. James Truchard, National Instruments At the heart of National Instruments' success over its 30 years is a culture of innovation. The founders - Jeff Kodosky, Bill Nowlin and I - were young, and possibly naive. However, not knowing...

Motion control advancements drive flexibility, performance.
March 1, 2007... By Michael Perlman, Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc. Motion control is one of the fastest growing global automation technologies. With a compound annual growth rate of 6% expected in North America through 2010, motion control in the plant...

Repeating the message not a waste of energy.
March 1, 2007... Bob Vavra, Editor Last September, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded its first Energy Star awards to manufacturing plants. The awards went to automakers Ford, Toyota and Nissan; cement industry leaders Ash Grove Cement...

Plugged into bright ideas.
March 1, 2007... By Bob Vavra, Editor Energy strategies pay for themselves. Do you have one? If a light bulb goes on every time a plant manager gets a great idea on how to save energy, it's likely going to be a compact fluorescent light bulb. With...

Circuit breaker technology reduces arc flash risk.
March 1, 2007... By Patricia E. Chandler, Eaton Corp. Monitoring a breaker's operational statistics and controlling it over the Web gives today's engineer access to vital system and component information in real time, from anywhere. Circuit breakers...

Manufacturing Summit generates excitement in Chicago April 2-3.
March 1, 2007... Staff One of the keys to a successful manufacturing process is making every day an efficient one. PLANT ENGINEERING Manufacturing Summit April 2-3 in Chicago offers attendees a chance to learn about three crucial issues on the plant floor...

Square D employees get a peek at Top Plant award at event.
March 1, 2007... Staff The formal presentation of the 2007 Top Plant awards comes on April 2 at the Plant Engineering Manufacturing Summit, but Square D employees in Lincoln, NE got a sneak peek at the trophy during an event Feb. 8 to recognize the award....

Kaman honors winners of hot-melt sealant contest.(Kaman Industrial Technologies Inc. awards Karl Hester, Charlie Peters, Frank Sanford)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Staff Three winners were selected from a field of entries in Kaman Industrial Technology's contest to determine the best use of Dow Corning's hot melt silicone sealant. First prize was a $200 Visa gift card, a hot-melt applicator and a...

Updating OSHA directives.
March 1, 2007... Staff Last week, my time was spent preparing for the final stages of a process I've worked on for well over a year. I've been developing a directive, which is OSHA's way of transmitting information to OSHA field offices across the country....

ICONICS plans national strategic operation forums.
March 1, 2007... Staff ICONICS, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner provider of Web-enabled, OPC-based, HMI/SCADA visualization and manufacturing intelligence software for Microsoft Windows operating systems, announced its 2007 free seminar series...

Tie Lean, Six Sigma strategies to plant worker's knowledge.
March 1, 2007... Bob Vavra While manufacturing improvement strategists have their supporters, researchers who look at the implementation of such programs understand that engaging workers at the plant floor level is crucial to success. "Most people on...

Siemens Energy & Automation Summit slated for June 12-15.
March 1, 2007... Staff "Automation, Innovation, Inspiration" is the theme of the 2007 Siemens Energy & Automation Users Conference, to be held June 12-15, 2007 at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, FL. "The Siemens Automation Summit is an...

Today's flashlights built for performance – and safety.
March 1, 2007... By Dawn Dalldorf-Jackson, Streamlight, Inc. For plant engineers, high performance and safety go hand in hand. And today's flashlights are up to the challenge. The comprehensive array of flashlights - from compact, super-bright lights that...

For managing inventory, technology counts.
March 1, 2007... By Kevin Campbell, Senior Editor Controlling inventory can be an agonizing task for a manufacturer. Keeping track of raw materials, works-in-process and finished products is obviously critical to a company's bottom line; these items have...

When source capture isn't an option.
March 1, 2007... By Paul Sawyer, United Air Specialists, Inc. Dust, fumes, oil smoke and coolant mist collection are just a few of the dilemmas plant managers face in ensuring high air quality in their facilities. Here are a few ideas for when contaminants...

Lead your organization with a higher purpose.(leaders verses managers)
March 1, 2007... By Ron Moore, The RM Group, Inc. Leadership is an essential and even dominant element in any company's business success. Data from benchmarking studies and subsequent analysis through statistical correlations indicate 'leadership' to be...

Infrared thermometer.
March 1, 2007... Staff The Omegascope handheld infrared thermometer series is designed for non-contact temperature measurement. The portable thermometers provide adjustable emissivity ranging from 0.10 to 1.00, in 0.01 increments, and can measure a variety...

Lever hoists.
March 1, 2007... Staff The SLB Silver Series lever hoists features a light-weight construction and impact resistance for durability. The lever hoists are suitable for a variety of material handling and industrial applications, including maintenance and...

Remote viewing system.
March 1, 2007... Staff The FireSight high-temperature remote viewing system continuously and safely permits viewing of flame quality and impingement, if present, on the tube walls of petrochemical process heaters. The system allows an operator to view the...

Pushbutton switches.
March 1, 2007... Staff The IPP series of pushbutton switches facilitates customization options such as customer-specific markings, backlit legends, custom molded caps and wire assemblies. The switches are suitable for most applications that require a...

M-grade embedded automation computer.
March 1, 2007... Staff The UNO-3074 comes with two RS-232 ports, two RS-232/422/485 ports with RS-485 automatic flow control, two 10/100 Ethernet ports, four USB ports and four PCI-bus expansion slots for versatile applications. It supports Windows XP...

Attenuator relays.
March 1, 2007... Staff A152 relays are suitable for attenuating RF signals in 50-ohm systems over a frequency range from dc to 5 GHz. The relays are hermetically sealed against inclement weather and extreme environments. The relays feature high isolation...

Ethernet diagnostics.
March 1, 2007... Staff ConneXview industrial Ethernet diagnostic software provides industrial network management. The software combines the capabilities of IT-based network management programs and web-based control technology to map, monitor and...

Adhesives brochure.
March 1, 2007... Staff Schober USA introduces a full-color brochure highlighting the Dragon, a technology for converting multi-layered, self-adhesive products in a single pass. Detailed in the eight-page catalog is a central converting drum with five...

Motion control design module.
March 1, 2007... Staff The SoftMotion development module empowers machine builders and original equipment manufacturers to create customized motion controllers using software and deploy them for any NI hardware platform. OEMs and machine builders can use a...

Pressure gauges.
March 1, 2007... Staff Tube-ended pressure gauges are available in lower mount and center-back mount configurations and are 360-degree positional. Designed to monitor vacuum, compound and positive system pressures, they are suitable for use in industrial...

Cushioning machine.
March 1, 2007... Staff The Airplus machine can produce 1/2-inch wave cells or A3/4-inch quilt cells at a speed of 30 FPM using ambient air. On-demand production frees warehouse space. A 30-pound roll of 13-inch film produces a full 12-inch web, which is...

Belt scale.
March 1, 2007... Staff The Milltronics MBS belt scale provides dynamic weighing information for process indication. A basic, modular, medium-duty belt scale suited for applications involving aggregates, sand, gravel or crushed stone, the belt provides...

Sanitary flowmeter.
March 1, 2007... Staff HART-compatible Foxboro Model 84S sanitary vortex flowmeters are designed for use in sanitary liquid, gas or steam pharmaceutical applications. The series provides accuracies of A0.5% of reading with liquids, and A1.0% of reading...

Connectors.
March 1, 2007... Staff M40 powerfast connectors are designed for use in motor applications, handling up to 600 V and 55 A. As an option, a braided shield can be connected directly to the coupling nut to completely shield the M40 powerfast cordsets. This...

Control software.
March 1, 2007... Staff AristaControlCenter software works in conjunction with ArtistaNET or ArtistaUSB display controllers to control multiple displays simultaneously, displaying similar or different content with just one user PC via connection to a LAN or...

Wireless pressure transmitter.
March 1, 2007... Staff The AWI-P wireless pressure transmitter is designed for use in rugged industrial areas where accurate pressure measurements are needed. Available in battery-powered and ac-powered versions, the pressure transmitter includes the...

Variable-area flowmeter.
March 1, 2007... Staff The VA 40 variable-area flowmeter is designed for industrial furnaces and for primary use in heavy industrial applications. Equipped with a glass cone that offers durable performance capabilities for measuring a variety of gases,...

Nickel-cadmium batteries.
March 1, 2007... Staff Varta R-series nickel cadmium (NiCd) batteries include the RL (long duration), the RM (medium duration) and the RH (short duration) batteries. The batteries operate over a temperature range of -40 to 50 degrees C (-40 to 122 degrees...

DIN-rail circuit breakers.
March 1, 2007... Staff An expanded circuit breaker product line includes UL-1077 supplemental protection, UL-489 branch circuit protection and a new dc breaker family with UL-489 listing. One feature of the breakers is their high-density, 13-mm housing...

High performance ID reader.
March 1, 2007... Staff The DataMan 100 provides code-reading and simplicity in a package that's smaller than a flip phone, using IDQuick software for fast reading of well-formed codes. All DataMan 100 readers offer easy setup with integrated illumination,...

Website upgrades will feature a virtual plant resource guide.
March 1, 2007... Staff When PlantEngineering.com upgrades its functionality on April 15, visitors will find new information and new ways to access all kinds of information for the plant floor. "Website content has typically been text-driven," said...

Summit Website includes current event information.
March 1, 2007... Staff The deadline is approaching rapidly for the 2007 PLANT ENGINEERING Manufacturing Summit in Chicago, and the list of speakers and attendees continues to grow. Schneider Electric president and CEO Dave Petratis will deliver the...

Website assists in changes to Daylight Savings Time.
March 1, 2007... Staff Square D has launched a Website to assist electrical contractors, system integrators and commercial building owners and managers in updating lighting control products for the coming changes in Daylight Savings Time. The Energy...

MTS Systems rolls out updated Website design.
March 1, 2007... Staff The sensors division of MTS Systems Corp. has finished the first phase of its world-wide Website redesign. The new site features easy-to-use navigation menus for quick access to information and downloads. Content is customized for...