Plant Engineering articles from May 2003

Plant Engineering archives from May 2003

Convergence, transparency seen as leading trends in electrical systems. (Forum).
May 1, 2003... PLANT ENGINEERING recently met with Jean-Pascal Tricoire, executive vice president, Schneider Electric International Div., and Chris C. Richardson, president and CEO, Schneider Electric - North American Div., to discuss trends in industry....

Reader feedback.(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2003... What is a fahrenheit? I read your article on IR thermography in the March issue and would like to point out a common mistake. On page 41 the temperature difference between 1563 F and 1600 F is called 37 deg F. It should read 37 F deg,...

Industries face low margins. (Forum).
May 1, 2003... Plant engineers who have to buy construction and maintenance supplies are facing a veritable minefield of negotiation problems. That's because a whopping seven industries are suffering under-record or near-record-low manufacturing margins, as...

Embedded understanding. (Comment).
May 1, 2003... Do you ever feel like General Brooks at one of those Iraq war CENTCOM briefings? You know, you're trying to explain a complex project and the people in your audience keep asking those same, dumb, unrelated questions? Are they stupid, or...

Safety violation: Withdraw the suspension? (Human Side).
May 1, 2003... More often than not, discipline stands up when a safety rule is violated. Rightly so. Safety rules are set up and enforced to avoid employee injury and the loss of corporate assets. But the way rules are enforced plays a critical role in a...

Retirement: making it palatable. (Human Side).(encouraging an employee to retire gracefully)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Maintenance Planner George Luckman wasn't the same man he was a decade or two ago. At age 65, he was slower on the uptake, made occasional errors, and too often fell behind schedule. Maintenance Foreman Jake Norton stated the case to...

Employee refuses temporary transfer. (Human Side).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... In most cases, management reserves the right to make temporary transfers to fill short-term gaps in the workforce. Where no definition appears in the labor agreement, 'temporary' is often restricted to a 30-day limit. But does that mean a...

Must you pay for holiday that falls during vacation? (Human Side).
May 1, 2003... Most arbitrators rule that eligible employees are entitled to holiday pay even if the holiday falls while the worker is on vacation. Some employers, however, feel they can get around this requirement. Sarah Manginello, a utility worker in...

What happens to seniority when companies merge? (Human Side).
May 1, 2003... When a small company -- we'll call Apex -- was acquired by a medium-size company -- we'll call Ajax -- employees of both plants were apprehensive. Ajax workers worried their seniority would be jeopardized. Apex people feared they would be stuck...

When do job changes warrant a pay rate increase? (Human Side).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The small-to-medium-size processing plant, a division of a large eastern paper products manufacturing company, was a progressive, up-to-date operation. Over the course of the past year or so, a number of machine changes and procedural...

Should he be paid travel time for emergency work? (Human Side).
May 1, 2003... Several people told Repair Specialist Luke Rudiwitz he was nuts working at a plant an hour and a half from his home. But Rudiwitz enjoyed his work, and he liked his company. When hired 18 yr before, he lived less than a half hour from work. He...

Overtime compensation. (Human Side).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... With the economy faltering, it was belt-tightening time at the plant. This put Maintenance Supervisor Gus Lee in a bind. The plant manager's "no overtime" mandate was in effect. Only in the case of emergency could an exception be made. ...

Reliability program: how to sell, implement, and sustain one. (Management Side).
May 1, 2003... This article is the first of a two-part series. It is based on a paper originally presented at the Process Plant Reliability, 8th International Conference and Exhibition. You are sleeping soundly, dreaming about that big rainbow trout you...

The future of the CMMS/EAM industry: a look at the National Plant Engineering & Facilities Management Show. (Info Engineering).
May 1, 2003... Last year yielded mixed results for the CMMS/EAM industry. Some vendors had a respectable year despite uncertain economic times, while others struggled. The same can be said for their customers. I wasn't surprised by the continuing downward...

Essentials of industrial air quality. (Technology: HVAC/Environmental).
May 1, 2003... No other standards in the United States exist for air quality inside industrial plants aside from OSHA's Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs). OSHA laws on interior air pollution control concern air contaminants inside industrial buildings. The...

Reduce maintenance costs with faster instrument calibration. (Technology: Instruments and Controls/Automation/Maintenance).
May 1, 2003... Calibration is a time-consuming maintenance activity that must be performed periodically on every field instrument to assure efficient operation of the process and to satisfy the requirements of regulatory agencies. Calibration can take from...

Guidelines for the proper use of lifting eyes. (Technology: Maintenance/Safety).
May 1, 2003... Lifting eyes, also commonly known as eye bolts, have widespread use in industrial plants. They are commonly used on dies, cabinets, compressors, heat exchangers, motors, molds, and other equipment to facilitate their movement, either when being...

Tracking trends in CMMS/EAM. (Special Report).
May 1, 2003... Although CMMS has been around for more than two decades, the marketplace is relatively stable, despite high industry vendor turnover in its early days. Only a few new faces appear each year; only a few disappear. EAM is no longer a topic...

Cost estimating handbook. (Facilities: Answers).
May 1, 2003... Facilities Manager's 2003 Costbook with CD-ROM provides access to 20,000 up-to-date costs covering new construction, repair, remodeling, and maintenance for all types of buildings. Geographic cost modifiers are provided for 233 regions and...

Concrete stain remover. (Facilities: Answers).
May 1, 2003... Pour-N-Restore removes oil, grease, transmission and brake fluids antifreeze, and even wax stains from concrete and masonry. It works by penetrating into masonry or concrete where is captures the staining modules. As it dries, it changes into...

Concrete mixes. (Facilities: Training).
May 1, 2003... "Admixtures for Use in Concrete" (CD039) provides a course on the mainstream chemical admixtures used in concrete: air entrainment, water reducers, accelerators, and retarders. Users learn how these mechanisms affect fresh and hardened concrete...

Roof coatings. (Facilities: Products).
May 1, 2003... Energy Seal roof coatings include ceramic and butyl-based coatings to stop leaks, save energy, and extend the lives of roofs. They can be used over built-up, metal, single-ply, modified bitumen, and polyurethane foam roofs. Cost is usually less...

Crack filler. (Facilities: Products).
May 1, 2003... CON-CRAX is a self-leveling, pourable, gray crack filler for exterior concrete. Acrylic sealant is usable from the squeeze bottle and repairs cracks to 1/2-in. wide and 1-in, deep. Flexible sealant requires no troweling and dries quickly. One...

Door safety zone. (Facilities: Products).
May 1, 2003... I-Zone Area Detection System utilizes infrared technology to sense pedestrians before they are in the door opening and prevents the door from beginning to close when a person enters the 7ft safety zone. Each JR sensor looks out in front of both...

Industrial Floor Finish. (Facilities: Products).
May 1, 2003... Ultimate Industrial Floor Finish is a multipurpose coating designed to be applied by inplant personnel. The 100%-epoxy, two-step finish is resistant to chemicals, oils, tire marks, steam, water, heavy traffic, and many other materials....

Flooring underlayment. (Facilities: Products).
May 1, 2003... Dex-O-Tex Vapor-Shield is a polymer-modified, trowel-applied compound designed for use under finished flooring where high levels of moisture vapor transmission are present in the concrete substrate. It also serves as an underlayment for...

Durable roofing system. (Facilities: Products).
May 1, 2003... RubberGard Platinum roofing system comprises a durable 90-mi-thick EPDM membrane fully adhered to HailGard composite insulation and seamed with the QuickSeam tape system. Membrane provides uninterrupted, weatherable surface without internal...

Crevice filler. (Facilities: Products).
May 1, 2003... Fixmaster SuperGrout is an aggregate filled epoxy system that allows for grouting as deep as 18 in. The 100%-solids material is nonshrinking and chemical resistant. Stronger than concrete, it withstands high torque loading, is self-leveling,...

All about hydraulics. (Power Transmission: Training).
May 1, 2003... Three-day hydraulic training sessions are held from May to August throughout the country. They cover principles, pumps, motors, cylinders, fluids, valves, auxiliary devices, transmission lines/fittings, basic circuits, electro-hydraulics, and...

Hydraulic tank breather. (Power Transmission: Products).
May 1, 2003... Des-Case Hygroscopic Breathers remove moisture and particulate from wet, dirty air entering hydraulic tanks, gearboxes, or large tanks. The device employs a desiccant to extract water vapor from the air and a microglass, pleated filter to...

In-line gear reducers. (Power Transmission: Products).
May 1, 2003... A series of gear reducers are compatible with any positive displacement pump or other equipment needing speed reduction. The input and output shaft are in-line for easy alignment and space savings. Ratios vary from 2.6:1 to 35.1:1. Horsepower...

Digital gauge. (Power Transmission: Products).
May 1, 2003... DGR-1 digital pressure gauge is battery-operated, providing up to 1400 hr of continuous operation and displays pressures up to 15,000 psi. Features include: readings in bar, Mpa, kPa, and mbar at the touch of a button, automatic shut-off,...

Tough hose bends easily. (Power Transmission: Products).
May 1, 2003... 472TC hose is for high-impulse applications requiring superior flexibility. It features a one-half SAE 100R12 minimum bend radius and exceeds SAE 100R16 specifications, meaning installation is easy and less hose is used. With a 15% to 35%...

Tough shaft seals. (Power Transmission: Products).
May 1, 2003... ROTAFLON seals are available in MC series, a polymer seal lip with or without an embedded spring, and RB series, a polymer sealing surface bonded to an elastomeric seal lip. Seals can be used at surface speeds up to 5900 fpm and temperatures...

Fast servo valves. (Power Transmission: Literature).
May 1, 2003... Servocartridge valves feature a poppet and sleeve design. DSHR valves have flow rates up to 165 gpm at 72.5 psi pressure drop and a 12 msec step response time at 100% stroke. SE 3 valves have a frequency response of 170 Hz at -3dB and a 12 msec...

Bearing catalog. (Power Transmission: Literature).
May 1, 2003... Comprehensive 64-p catalog covers the latest improvements in a full line of self-aligning roller bearings. Engineering section provides information on selection and application. Other topics include: seals, mounting, load-rating tables,...

High-cycle clutch/brakes. (Power Transmission: Literature).
May 1, 2003... A 6-p color brochure highlights the 2-to-10X higher cycle rates and 5-to-10X longer operating life of the oil-shear Posidyne X Series clutch/brakes. Listed are specifications and performance charts covering torque ranges of 100 to 1000 in.-lb....

Applying the binders. (Power Transmission: Literature).
May 1, 2003... A 6-p color brochure details a complete line of general purpose, mill duty, and heavy-duty brakes as well as the Braketronic Controller. The controller provides variable torque control of thruster-operated shoe or disk brakes, replacing...

Hot/cold alignment fixture. (Power Transmission: Literature).
May 1, 2003... OL2R fixtures are easy to use and solve a major problem by measuring the true dynamic movement of rotating machinery as it goes from offline (cold) to operating (hot) conditions. This measurement provides the information to intentionally...

Submersible level transducer. (Instruments & Controls: Products).
May 1, 2003... Series 340 is a line of small-bore submersible level transducers that incorporates application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) technology, which diminishes the effects of temperature changes and improves overall accuracy. The transducers...

Digital panel meter. (Instruments & Controls: Products).
May 1, 2003... DP41-B is a 1/8-DIN meter with an accuracy of up to [+ or -]0.005% of reading, and up to 166 readings/sec. The unit handles dc voltage and current, nine thermocouple types, multiple RTDs, potentiometric inputs, and signals from strain gauge...

Function generator. (Instruments & Controls: Products).
May 1, 2003... 29A is a 10 MHz direct digital synthesis (DDS) function generator. Features include 10 ppm frequency accuracy with 7-digit resolution; multiunit phase locking; trigger, burst, gate, and sweep functions; amplitude modulation (AM),...

Membrane air dryers. (Compressed Air: Products).
May 1, 2003... Membrane air dryers provide pure, dry compressed air and offer an economical, efficient alternative to pressure swings from adsorption and refrigerant dryers' technologies. The dryer provides dewpoints as low as -40 F at flow rates up to 100...

Maintenance saves cost. (Compressed Air: Literature).
May 1, 2003... Cost Savings with Compressed Air System Maintenance is a full-color, 8-p reference manual that outlines maintenance activities for each component in the system, including compressors, dryers, filters, drains, and aftercoolers. The "Problem...

Made in the USA Edition Handbooks. (Product Mart Showcase).
May 1, 2003... The OMEGA [R] Made in the USA Handbook [TM] is a Hardbound, two-volume set of 3,000 color pages with over 100,000 products, all made in the U.S.A. This edition features many Temperature, Pressure, Force, Flow, Level, pH, Conductivity, Humidity...

Gates Poly Chain GT2 belts reduce HVAC drive costs. (Product Mart Showcase).
May 1, 2003... Gates Poly Chain [R] CT [R] 2 synchronous belt and sprocket system is ideal for drives requiring positive, non-slip performance. On HVAC drives, Poly Chain GT2 belts with save space, weight, maintenance and energy costs compared to rubber belt...

Eagle expands line of cigarette disposal products. (Product Mart Showcase).
May 1, 2003... Since 1965 Eagle has provided products for the safe disposal of cigarette and cigar butts. Now Eagle has the Original Butt Can, the Poly/Metal Butt Can and the SafeSmoker [TM]. For a complete listing of these new products go to...

Compact wastewater disposal system reduces waste volume, saves costs. (Product Mart Showcase).
May 1, 2003... The Model UF-250T Ultrafiltration System employs 1/2 inch tubular membrane technology for high-solids waste in oily applications. A 180 gallon process tank and a 50 gallon cleaning tank are integrated in one convenient unit to process 250 - 500...

Pluggable Circuit Breaker. (Product Mart Showcase).
May 1, 2003... The TCP Thermal Automatic Circuit Breaker provides effective overload protection in a pluggable package for electrical installations and devices. The circuit breaker overcomes the inconvenience of glass fuses; storing and finding the right fuse...

Hannay's N400 Series designed for twin gas welding hose. (Product Mart Showcase).
May 1, 2003... Hannay N400 Series gas welding reels are specifically designed to improve the efficiency of welding operations. the reel handles 1/4 or 3/8" oxygen/gas dual hose in lengths of up to 100 ft, and features two swivel/joint inlets and two outlet...

Solutions.(to plant engineering)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... * Fan buster * Problem: Removing fan blades or other pieces of equipment that are held in place by 1/4-in. squarehead setscrews can be a problem because of limited space. Is there an easy way to loosen these setscrews? * Solution:...