Plant Engineering articles from September 2006

Plant Engineering archives from September 2006

A turning point for the plant floor.
September 1, 2006... Bob Vavra, Editor Hyperbole is often unnecessary and more often wrong. The media makes claims that time proves were premature or unwarranted. We also overuse the word 'superstar' so much that its meaning is diminished. Today's 'superstar'...

A business system for the shop floor.(manufacturing execution systems)
September 1, 2006... By Jack Smith, Senior Editor At a crucial time in manufacturing, MES is changing the way we work Effective automation is at the core of successful manufacturing enterprises because it provides tools to manage information and processes....

Schneider Electric to showcase innovations at company event.(Schneider Electric S.A.)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... By Staff Schneider Electric offers 'Initi@tive 2006: the Gateway to the New Electric World,' a debut trade exposition in the United States. Through product demonstrations, professional development seminars and more than 69,000 square feet...

Smart chips to cut energy costs.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... By Staff Welsh scientists are part of a consortium that has been awarded a grant of almost $1.9 million to drive forward smart microchip technology - the next generation of power electronics with the potential to radically reduce the...

MESA focuses on manufacturing excellence.
September 1, 2006... By Staff Manufacturers, solution providers, industry analysts and application vendors will gather in Orlando Oct 9-12 for the Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association International 2nd Annual Plant-To-Enterprise Conference. Titled...

AMT, Shafi reach software support accord.(Applied Manufacturing Technologies, Inc.)(Shafi Inc.)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... By Staff Applied Manufacturing Technologies, Inc., a supplier of factory automation design, engineering and process consulting services, recently entered into an agreement with Shafi Inc, to provide engineering and software services and...

Elsevier to publish "ISA Transactions".(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... By Staff Starting in Jan. 2007, Elsevier will publish 'ISA Transactions' and distribute it to an international audience via the market-leading, electronic platform ScienceDirect, which currently targets more than 10 million users. ...

ABB acquires Raffin Electric.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... By Staff ABB announced this week its acquisition of the assets of the manufacturing and industrial contracting units of Raffin Electric Company, Ltd. Based in Calgary, Raffin Electric manufactures custom power distribution centers and...

Wireless standards committee work intended to benefit end users.(ISA's Wireless Systems for Automation)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... By Staff More than 20 companies from around the world have responded to a call for proposals from ISA's Wireless Systems for Automation standards committee. The ISA-SP100 committee is establishing standards, recommended practices,...

Invensys heading to Dallas for customer conference Dec. 4-7.(Invensys Process Systems)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... By Staff Invensys Process Systems' 2006 North American Customer Conference will be held on Dec. 4-7 at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas. The Customer Conference will bring together users of Avantis, Foxboro, SimSci-Esscor, and Triconex...

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist to speak at 2006 ASME congress.(Pulitzer Inc.)(David A. Vise)
September 1, 2006... By Staff David A. Vise, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter at the Washington Post and author of the book, 'The Google Story,' will present the keynote speech at the 2006 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress, Tuesday, Nov. 7 at...

SCMEP receives energy grant.(South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership )(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... By Staff The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded the South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership a third grant as part of the USDOE's Industries of the Future Program. The grant will be used to assist the state's large energy...

ICONICS Summit is Sept. 25-27.
September 1, 2006... By Staff The 2006 ICONICS Worldwide Customer Summit, at Boston's Seaport Hotel and World Trade Center Sept. 25-27, will mark the company's 20th anniversary. ICONICS will launch Version 9 of GENESIS32 and BizViz at the event. There will...

ISA committee to revise batch control standards.(ISA Corp.)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... By Staff ISA's SP88 batch control standards development committee has formed a working group to update the first two standards in the ISA-88 series. The update project will focus primarily on ANSI/ISA-88.01, Batch Control Part 1: Models...

Auto manufacturing quality shows biggest jump in 10 years.
September 1, 2006... By Staff Despite rising vehicle costs and gas prices, consumers are giving the auto industry its highest perceived quality rating in a decade, according to the Quarterly Quality Report, released Wednesday by the American Society for...

ARC: Process optimization market will top $1 billion.
September 1, 2006... By Staff The Real-time Process Optimization and Training market is expected to grow at nearly 10% a year over the next five years. The market was about $670 million in 2005 and is forecasted to reach more than $1 billion in 2010, according...

Reader Feedback.
September 1, 2006... By Staff Do the numbers make CO2 a good refrigerant? I just read the response from Ron Vallort (August Forum page 17) which said that CO2 is a good refrigerant because of its high Coefficient of Performance. I looked up in my ASHRAE...

Training helps NJ manufacturer maintain a competitive edge.
September 1, 2006... By Bob Loderstedt, President and CEO, New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Partnership Despite mounting competitive pressures, Johanson Manufacturing intends to remain in the state of New Jersey. The family-owned-and-operated manufacturer of...

Avoid the misguided application of the maintenance planner scheduler.
September 1, 2006... By Tim Kister, Life Cycle Engineering If you consider all of the organizations and companies that have maintenance departments, typically only one third of them have the planner/scheduler position in place. Within that group of companies,...

Technology, culture changes drive improved maintenance.
September 1, 2006... By Mark Nord, Asset Optimization Consultant, Emerson Process Management An audit completed recently at the utilities section of a large U.S. paper mill revealed that overtime was accounting for 38% of maintenance activities. Work orders...

Water hammer in steam systems: cause and effect.
September 1, 2006... By Bill Harms, Spirax Sarco, Inc. Heat transfer systems in almost any form - hot water, high temperature oil and steam - require careful design and operation because of the temperatures and pressures involved. Generally speaking, steam...

Plant floor, enterprise intersect at "manufacturing intelligence".
September 1, 2006... By Edward Toung, Senior Director, Product Management, Informance International Manufacturing continues to be the engine that drives economies around the world. With competition mounting from global suppliers, and an ever increasing push...

Focus of October Webcasts is wireless, safety issues.
September 1, 2006... By Staff Wireless applications and plant floor safety are two topics all plant managers deal with, and PLANT ENGINEERING editors will bring together industry experts to talk about both subjects in a pair of Webcasts scheduled for October....

An island adventure right on your desktop.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... By Staff Users are already finding a visit to Smiley's Island to be both fun and educational. The new survival game delivers automation information by building Smiley an automation system on a desert island. The game, sponsored by...

Kaman contest to find best Dow hot melt sealant uses.(Hot Melt Application Contest)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... By Staff In an effort to learn how customers are using Dow Corning's hot melt silicone sealant, Kaman Industrial Technologies is sponsoring a contest to find the best plant applications of this product. The adhesive/sealant provides high...

Johnson Controls starts energy efficiency blog.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... By Staff Johnson Controls recently launched http://www.yourenergyforum.com , an Energy Efficiency and Sustainability Blog. The blog covers virtually any facility-related energy issue applicable to residential users, as well as large...

Hearingportal.com set up by Bacou-Dalloz.(Hearing Conservation )(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... By Staff The Bacou-Dalloz Hearing Safety Group's website has recently been expanded to provide a wide range of resources to help safety officers and industrial hygienists implement better hearing conservation programs worldwide. In the...

Digital manometer.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... By Staff The HHP-2000 Series handheld air pressure meter is designed for one-handed industrial or laboratory use. The custom molded case allows this manometer to withstand continual heavy use and operation in industrial or humid...

Industrial gloves.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... By Staff G40 latex-coated gloves have a tear rating of 4 out of 4 (EN388) and are manufactured to reduce latex proteins. Suitable for general-purpose industrial applications, they provide enhanced dexterity, grip and hand protection...

Synthetic greases.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... By Staff The company has upgraded its entire line of Mobilith SHC greases, a family of high-performance synthetic greases that are designed to extend the life of bearings. Formulated with proprietary lithium-complex thickeners, the greases...

Screw plug terminal.
September 1, 2006... By Staff The E4TP is a lightweight, high-strength thermoplastic material that is suitable for use in harsh environments, has a range of applications and combines the strengths of multiple designs into one cost-effective and versatile...

Safety switches.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... By Staff The KB plastic series and KM metal of series safety switches are compliant with IEC/EN 60947-5-1. Both safety switch families are available with either a hinge operator or a slotted lever, or they can be key operated. The switches...

Roller curve conveyor.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... By Staff The company's accumulation conveyor features noncontact, zero-pressure accumulation that stages from the discharge end around virtually any degree of curve. The PosiGrip design is used in the computer and electric component, food...

Corrosion inhibitor.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... By Staff Cosmoline PTC (for pipe, tubing and concrete), is a new water-based coating that inhibits rust and corrosion on pipes and tubing. When applied during the manufacturing process, it improves the ability of pipes and tubing to resist...

BTU meter.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... By Staff Designed for smaller systems (0.8 to 38 GPM), the System-30 BTU meter is an inline flow meter/integral BTU computer combination that provides thermal energy measurement in chilled water, hot water and condenser water systems. An...

Storage wall system.
September 1, 2006... By Staff The wall system is a modular drawer, shelf and roll-out tray storage system used for the safe, secure and organized storage of preset CNC and perishable tooling. It is available in two depths, with a variety of heights and widths....

Vehicle mount computer.
September 1, 2006... By Staff The vehicle mount computer features a rugged construction and the company's fanless, mobile MPC 5/110, and a touchscreen PC for indoor and outdoor vehicles, including forklifts and construction machinery, in logistics operations....

Impact sockets.
September 1, 2006... By Staff The company introduces a comprehensive line of impact sockets for industrial, automotive and assembly professionals. With more than 800 socket SKUs, these SAE and metric sockets come in a variety of drive sizes with deep,...

ALTAIR pro detector.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... By Staff The Pro Single-Gas Detector, with replaceable sensor and battery, measures toxic gas concentrations or percent oxygen, displaying data on a large, clear, backlit LCD. Featuring superior dust and water protection, the ALTAIR Pro...

Handheld terminal.
September 1, 2006... By Staff The GuardPLC handheld terminal helps maintenance workers program and configure Allen-Bradley GuardPLC safety controllers and I/O modules without the hassle of bringing a personal computer to the plant floor. The handheld terminal...

Pressure transducers.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... By Staff Built using bonded-foil strain gage technology, the company's line of pressure transducers is suitable for industrial and military applications. The transducers feature a pressure-overload protection capability for the diaphragm...

Linear encoder.
September 1, 2006... By Staff The LIDA 200 series is a high-quality, low-cost exposed linear encoder package. The encoders can be simply and quickly mounted via a scale tape, which is supplied in rolls with reference marks and cut to the desired length by the...

Tester.
September 1, 2006... By Staff Designed specifically for earth resistance measurements, the ERT-S is an instrument controlled by a microprocessor. The tool offers extended versatility over its peers, with the capability of either two or three-point method earth...

Crane/hoist controller.
September 1, 2006... By Staff The PE Smart-Move has the exact same programming and diagnostic features of it's big brother, the Micro-Speed CX. The same reliability, high temperature ratings, and built-in regeneration resistors, the company reports, for...

Metal halide lighting.
September 1, 2006... By Staff TCP introduces a complete line of energy efficient metal halide lighting products. The Pulse Start Pulse Plus metal halide lamps are available in 50 Watts through 450 Watts and last up to 20,000 hours. These lamps are useful for...

Tubing.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... By Staff This co-extruded material has an inner liner that protects against chemically aggressive fluids, and a soft, flexible outer layer that allows it to be used in a peristaltic pump. The tubing features chemical compatibility and an...

Motion control package.
September 1, 2006... By Staff Controller-based Motion Logic platform highlights the IndraMotion MLC system, providing real-time motion control for up to 16 axes per controller in applications such as cartoners and form/fill/seal machines. The MLC is a...

Ring-lug terminal blocks.
September 1, 2006... By Staff The ring-lug terminal blocks offer a finger-safe design, which eliminates the need for standard or customized dust cover, and the hinged shroud allows easy and safe wiring. Used together, the WTL 6/4 FF (slide link terminal) and...

Crimping tool.
September 1, 2006... By Staff Offering trouble-free tool operation, the PAT750XT-18V incorporates the latest engineering technology with a patented high-speed hydraulic pump, transmission and piston design. The battery-actuated hydraulic tool provides a...

Control Loop.
September 1, 2006... By Staff EZ-ZONE ST is the first product to integrate temperature control, power control, safety shut-down and power disconnect in a single package. It features a PID temperature controller already connected to a high amperage solid-state...

C-cores.
September 1, 2006... By Staff C-Cores offer better electrical characteristics than stacked lamination cores, the company says. C-cores are bobbin-wound, a faster process than winding toroidal cores, they eliminate stacking of laminations. Alpha-Core ...

Vacuums.
September 1, 2006... By Staff Designed to meet the twin concerns of cost and performance, the SL Vacs feature solid construction and strong performance at an affordable price, making them a cost-effective solution for many companies. These vacuums...

Cable cutters.
September 1, 2006... By Staff The cutters feature a high leverage design for superior cutting ability. They are designed with a shear-type jaw for cutting aluminum and soft copper. Not for use on steel or ACSR-type cables. They cut up to 100-pair cables, and...

Carousel tape dispenser.
September 1, 2006... By Staff The new EZ-8000 automatic tape dispenser eliminates fumbling with rolls of tape or manual dispensers. It cuts tape at the touch of a button, placing cut pieces on its turntable for easy removal by either single or multiple...

Condensate system.
September 1, 2006... By Staff Disposing of compressed air system condensate is an environmental concern that the company's new Aquamat condensate management system addresses. The unit uses a unique, four-stage separation process to automatically separate oil...

Cm3 connector.
September 1, 2006... By Staff The Cm3 connector has a low profile ideal for space-sensitive applications, significantly lower installation cost and is 50% smaller and lighter than conventional circular connector designs. The connector is completely sealed and...

Study tries to model manufacturing innovation.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... By Staff A new Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI study provides a unique model of the main determinants of product and process innovation for the U.S. manufacturing sector. The model allows companies and public policy makers to have more...

Public policy program to focus on business, economic issues.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... By Staff The National Association of Manufacturers has expanded its public affairs radio program broadcasts of 'America's Business' to 43 additional radio stations across the nation, with plans to add more. The weekly program, hosted...

Sleepwalking schools are failing U.S. industry.
September 1, 2006... By John Engler, President National Association of Manufacturers If Rip Van Winkle were to awaken today after a 200-year nap, he would no doubt be stunned by the dramatic changes that had taken place - busy freeways, modern hospitals,...