Plant Engineering articles from May 2004

Plant Engineering archives from May 2004

AFE creates new credential.(Certified Plant Supervisor)
May 1, 2004... Applications are being accepted for the Association for Facilities Engineering's new credential, Certified Plant Supervisor. CPS was developed to demonstrate a facilities professional's preparedness and/or proficiency in the world of first-line...

Dual Power Source.(Certified Plant Supervisor)(Editorial)
May 1, 2004... I acknowledge the fact that the "Dual Power Source" of the Solutions section of the March 2004 issue of Plant Engineering was designed to show how the alligator clips could be used as the main power connection for the portable air compressor in...

Construction materials carry higher price tags.(Certified Plant Supervisor)(Illustration)
May 1, 2004... Some key construction materials have seen some wicked price hikes in early 2004. Most notably, oriented-strand board (OSB), the structural wood panels that have been replacing more expensive plywood products, saw prices soar 47% from January to...

Now there are two.(Comment)(North American Maintenance Excellence Awards)
May 1, 2004... For much of my career, I didn't put much stock in awards--especially not journalistic awards. Most awards programs, I argued, were more about impressing a small group of judges than about doing your job, day in and day out, in an exemplary...

Accommodating disabilities: can demands be unreasonable?(Human Side)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Bert Kriegman, a service mechanic with a badly crippled leg incurred in an automobile accident a year before, complained that the company was not doing enough to accommodate his disability. He contended that as a long-time employee he deserved...

Does it deserve priority over departmental duties?(Jury Duty)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Decision makers are sometimes called upon to pass judgment on the weirdest situations. Instrument Repairman Tom Kramer's jury duty notice couldn't have come at a worse time. The maintenance department was up to its neck and beyond in a backlog...

Can you let a persistent harasser get away with it?(Human Side)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Electrician Grade II Jerome Shea filed a grievance after having been fired for sexual harassment. When, after undergoing arbitration he was reinstated, it appeared to some that the arbitrator had harassment tendencies of his own. Shea had...

Rules only work when they have teeth.(Human Side)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Rule 114 B reads: "Drinking on the job, or coming to work under the influence of liquor, is inconsistent with productive enterprise. The imbibing or possession of alcoholic beverages on the premises of this plant is strictly forbidden and will...

Can an embarrassing environment constitute grounds for litigation?(Human Side)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Maintenance department clerical employee Rose Malkowitz, after once having dated Group Leader Hank Kurso, subsequently rejected all his further advances. After a while Kurso gave up on Rose and set his sights on Sally Rich, an attractive air...

Can sick leave double as a job-seeking opportunity?(Human Side)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Joe Mancuso, a maintenance department welder, presented Maintenance Supervisor George Van Delft with a doctor's note recommending that he take two weeks off to recover from a throat operation. The employee's sick leave was approved without...

Must you give him severance pay?(Human Side)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... From a performance standpoint Mechanic Grade II Marcel Drummond left much to be desired. From a human decency standpoint he fared even worse. He had a foul mouth, was disrespectful of coworkers in general, and women in particular. One day,...

Employee FMLA.(Human Side)(Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Do you know what to do when an employee on medical leave has used up her 12-week FMLA entitlement? The question is posed by HR Matters E-Tips published by Personnel Policy Service, Inc. The answer is, it depends. The question cropped up at...

Leveraging TPM to the corporate bottom line.(Management Side)(total productive maintenance)
May 1, 2004... This is Part 1 of a two-part series. The second part will appear in the June issue. Total productive maintenance (TPM) was first introduced in Japan by Seiichi Nakajima in the early 1970s. The purpose of TPM is to maximize equipment...

Basic electronics: what is inductance?(Plant Electronics)
May 1, 2004... An inductor is a device that, when subjected to an increasing electrical current flow, generates a back voltage that opposes this current. Inductance quantifies how much energy an inductor can store. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] An inductor...

Choosing a compressed air dryer.(Compressed Air)
May 1, 2004... KEY CONCEPTS * Air coming out of a compressor always contains moisture. * There are four basic types of dryers. * Dryer final selection should be done by a professional. ********** Ambient air entering an air compressor...

NFPA 70E-2004: what you need to know.(Electrical Safety)
May 1, 2004... KEY CONCEPTS * NFPA 70E has been updated to increase the technical accuracy of the document, and improve its user friendliness. * The 2004 edition of 70E defines terms such as flash protection boundary, incident energy, and flash...

Hose assembly safety surveys.(Fluid Handling/Safety)
May 1, 2004... KEY CONCEPTS * Manufacturers and distributors can be strong allies in safe hose usage. * Survey teams should be comprised of hose experts and plant personnel. * Follow up should include reports and training sessions. ...

Benchmarking or performance measurement: which is right for your plant?(Maintenance)
May 1, 2004... KEY CONCEPTS * Benchmarks and performance indicators are not necessarily the same. * Benchmarking is a process for continuous improvement that involves both metrics and methods. * Performance indicators can be used to support the...

Fixture hangers.(Illumination: Products)
May 1, 2004... Flexible swivel fixture hangers are used in light industrial applications where HID high bay and low bay lighting fixtures are used. Sheet steel hangers are suitable for use with 1/2-in. or 3/4-in. fixture conduit stems, allowing the fixture's...

Lighting control system.(Illumination: Products)
May 1, 2004... Powerlink NF1000G3N2, an extension to the POWER-LINK G3 lighting control system, connects directly to a Johnson Controls N2 network providing full control over POWERLINK G3 remotely operated circuit breakers. Controlling electrical loads by...

Compact Coriolis meters.(Fluid Handling: Products)
May 1, 2004... F-Series Coriolis flowmeters maintain superior measurement accuracy of flow and density within a form factor that is compact and drainable. The meters are available in sizes from 1/4 in. to 2 in. Features include: a variety of process...

Tough pressure transmitter.(Fluid Handling: Products)
May 1, 2004... Industrial pressure transmitters combine the reliability of solid-state design with the durability of stainless steel. A patented media stop contains process media if burst pressure is exceeded. Transmitters are available in 16 pressure ranges...

Valve has linear flow.(Fluid Handling: Products)
May 1, 2004... Series LEF pre-pinched control valve offers excellent linear flow characteristics. Precise control is easily obtained at valve openings from 15% to 80%. The smooth, unobstructed design provides very low restriction to the media flow path,...

Relief valves.(Fluid Handling: Products)
May 1, 2004... Series 211 and 632 safety valves are for air, gas, steam, and liquid applications from 5 to 250 psi. They provide reliable overpressure protection for compressors, pressure vessels, piping, boiler, accumulators, and process equipment. They...

Threadlocker stick doesn't drip.(2003 Product of the Year Grand Award)
May 1, 2004... Henkel Loctite's 248 medium-strength threadlocker stick delivers proven performance, will not leak or drip, and can easily be carried in a pocket or stored in a toolbox. The stick can be used with all types of threaded metal fasteners,...

Circuit monitors.(Electrical: Products)
May 1, 2004... PowerLogic 3000 and 4000 series circuit monitors have been reengineered to include wave shape analysis and disturbance alarm data. Disturbance detection feature characterizes disturbances as upstream or downstream with a confidence indication...

Inverter/PLC combo.(Electrical: Products)
May 1, 2004... The 3G3MV-P10CDT-E onboard PLC installs directly on an Omron 3G3MV inverter to provide intelligence and autonomy for tasks such as positioning and synchronization. The combination of PLC and inverter eliminates the cost and delay of...

Modular switchgear.(Electrical: Products)
May 1, 2004... PMX modular metal-enclosed switchgear is available with 600-A continuous current bus and up to 25-kA short-circuit interrupting capability. Any number of modules can be joined together by means of bus through-bushings. Switchgear can be...

Plug and receptacle.(Electrical: Products)
May 1, 2004... DS100C switch-rated 100-A Decontactor series plug and receptacle function as a line-of-site disconnect switch, allowing users to make and break motor connections under full load. The front shutter prevents user access to live parts. ...

Safety networking system.(Instruments & Controls: Products)
May 1, 2004... Safety at Work (SaW) system integrates standard mechanical safety devices into most standard PLCs and operates on one 2-wire flat cable that carries power and signal to each safety device, eliminating the need to wire them to the main cabinet...

Level controller.(Instruments & Controls: Products)
May 1, 2004... LVCN-300 series process level controller is designed from an operator's point of view, making any process and alarm points visible on the multicolored display graph. High visibility indicators provide at-a-glance status, showing tank level with...

Safety relays.(Instruments & Controls: Products)
May 1, 2004... PSR compact safety relays in ME 22.5 mm housings are equipped with 2-8 normally-open (NO) release current paths and one normally-closed (NC) signaling current path. Modules are available with screw and spring terminations and are designed...

Temperature controllers.(Instruments & Controls: Products)
May 1, 2004... Bulletin 900-TC temperature controllers feature multifunction control, easy-to-view LED displays, autotuning and self-tuning, and small footprint. Controllers offer PID or on/off control, up to three alarm outputs, and keypad programming and...

New Browning[R] TorqTaper Plus helical shaft mount reducer from Emerson Power Transmission.(Product Mart Showcase)
May 1, 2004... New Browning[R] TorqTaper Plus helical shaft mount reducer from Emerson Power Transmission. The shaft mount is available in sizes 107 to 608. Available ratios are 5, 9, 15, 25, and 35:1. This new line incorporates two patented features-a unique...

Industrial water filter.(Product Mart Showcase)
May 1, 2004... Conserves Rinse Water [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * Automatic Self-Cleaning * Line Pressure Power * Screens down to 10 microns * 1" to 20" line sizes * Single Unit flow rates to 8,100 gpm Orival, Inc. ...

CADDY[R] SLICK Strut Nuts offered at new lower price.(Product Mart Showcase)
May 1, 2004... CADDY[R] SLICK Strut Nuts from ERICO[R] are now being offered at new pricing comparable to hard-to-handle spring nuts. Recent investments in automated equipment have allowed us to pass on the savings. CADDY SLICK Strut Nuts provide fast,...

Krytox[R] Fluorinated lubricants.(Product Mart Showcase)
May 1, 2004... Krytox[R] Fluorinated Greases and Oils are chemically inert, insoluble in common solvents. Temperature range -103[degrees] to 800[degrees]F. Compatible with plastics, rubber, ceramics and metals. Nonflammable, oxygen compatible, no silicones or...

All-products catalog.(Product Mart Showcase)
May 1, 2004... New 12-page brochure shows the complete line of commercial and industrial fans and blowers along with steam heating products. Convenient charts assist in matching application requirements to fan capabilities by presenting flow and pressure...

You know you need clean dry air.(Product Mart Showcase)
May 1, 2004... And so does Airtek, that's why we manufacture the best compressed air dryers on the market today. Airtek refrigerated dryers give you the dew point guarantee of 33[degrees]F to 39[degrees]F. With sizes from 10 to 20,000 scfm Airtek has the...

Inpro/Seal isolator applications.(Product Mart Showcase)
May 1, 2004... Four-color brochure with Important information about the company and its bearing isolators, including: product data, capabilities, specifications and more. It should prove of value to anyone involved in the maintenance, repair and operations...

Hole in one.(Solutions)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... PROBLEM: An existing hole in an electrical box is too small for the next conduit size. Lacking a knockout but having a hole saw of the correct size, how can the existing hole be made larger? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SOLUTION: Use the...

A wire tail.(Solutions)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... PROBLEM: After pulling multiple wires through a conduit, it is sometimes time-consuming to remove the electrical tape holding the wires to the fish tape. How can the tape be easily removed? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SOLUTION: After taping...