Electrical Apparatus
The Magazine of Electrical &
Electronic Application & Maintenance

December 2003 Columns and Departments

Items in columns and departments from the December 2003 issue, Vol. 56, no. 12, © 2003 Barks Publications, Inc. See also  December 2003 Table of Contents and Previous issues 

• Editor's Comment Perspective on current and upcoming issues.  In this issue: Closing in on the rainbow - it's time to think positively ... The 2004 EMBR ... Coming next month: Our annual 5 year Index of Articles ... by Horace B. Barks, Editor and Publisher

• Let's Solve Your Problem The longest-running and one of our most popular features, Let's Solve Your Problem answers real questions posed by people in plants and service shops around the U.S. and abroad. Selected Q&A's from this column are available in our popular Let's Solve Your Problem books. This month's problems include: Blocking interference requires magnetic conduit .. Is there any need to prebalance test shafts? ... Does lower motor current mean higher power factor?  ... Preventing cross-talk between control circuits .. What makes a circuit fault self-limiting? .... What is a thermal time constant? ... In infrared testing, how hot is too hot? ... How low a voltage is still safe? ... What frequency for an armature core test? ... Is wire the only issue in inverter-duty motor? ... Division 2 motors: what repair liability? Edited by the EA staff 

You are invited to send questions to this department. Your identity will be kept confidential, but we ask that you include your name, affiliation, postal (not e-mail) address, and telephone number. If you'd like a pre-publication reply, enclose a stamped envelope and we'll try to respond promptly. We cannot provide personal consultation or supply winding data.

• Letters  In this issue  - Thanks for "how tight is tight" (October EA) and a  memory of a Clemson University class, from Johnny Douglass, Senior Industrial Engineer, Washington State University Energy Program, Olympia, Washington .. Thanks for "The Why and How of Transposed Conductors" (April EA) and appreciation of the German and Spanish translations, from Henry Henriksen, HConsulting, West Columbia, South Carolina ... Looking for information about silicone gasses and carbon brushes, from Paul Sellers, C.W. Silver Industrial Services, Salt Lake City, Utah ... Thanks for all the information and the cartoons, from Bob Williams, G.E. Specialty Chemicals, Westover, West Virginia...

Electrical Apparatus invites letters, 250 words maximum. All letters, including e-mail, must include name, company, title or position, phone number, city, state or province, and country. We may edit your letter for clarity and space.— Editor

• Trade associations,  professional societies and government activities  News of non-profit  government, and other organizations serving the electrical mechanical industries.  This issue: NEMA gets federal aid for China office ... The National Association of Electrical Distributors seeks to form a centralized industry training clearinghouse of distributor resources at www.naed.org ... The American Society of Mechanical Engineers to hold 2004 Heat Transfer and Fluids Engineering Summer Conference ... Refrigeration Service Engineers Society presents Paul B. Reed Award, John Spence Award and Imperial Award (www.rses.org)    Edited by Joseph Hoff 

  Note:  the 2004 EMBR lists contact information for more than 140 associations ... Update or add your listing to the 2005 EMBR.

• Electrical Manager ...A potpourri of news and features, selected and edited for maintenance and service managers.  In this issue: Holiday party don'ts ... When it's time to sue ...

  "Electrical Manager" is a copyrighted feature of Electrical Apparatus.  Any kind of reproduction, including electronic transmission, without permission of Barks Publications is illegal and is prohibited. 

• Business Briefs Business news and announcements, including facility briefs, financial briefs, certification achievements, and distribution news. In this issue:  Lincoln Electric buys Clore Automotive welding business ... Eaton renames its controls business ..A pair of supplier awards for Motion Industries .. Rising European market seen for switchgear and fusegear ... Solidstate Controls earns certification for its UPS's ... ABB, Inc., sponsors four women's scholarships ... Magitrol celebrates its 50th anniversary... KJ Electric plans move to larger facility in Colonie, N.Y. ... UK servicer Wood Group Rotary Electrical Co., Ltd.  moves to new location  ... Black and Decker tax issues ... Financial briefs MagneTek, Inc. .. General Cable Corp ... Hubbell, Inc. ... Lincoln Electric ...Thomas & Betts Corp ..  ..Edited by Kevin Jones, EA Senior Editor

• Calendar Briefs - Upcoming trade shows, symposia, and events, from December 2003 through September 2004... Edited by Joseph Hoff

• Training Briefs Announcements of workshops, seminars and instructional materials, and our Training Index, listing program topics featured in Training Briefs in the past year.    In this issue: Electronics and Drives from Drive Systems, Inc. www.drivesys.net or www.electricaltrainingUSA.com ... Motion Control, from The Motion Institute ... Spring 2004 seminar schedule, from the ELectrical Apparatuss Service Association www.easa.com ... Inverter, vector, servo and d-c drives basics seminar from Michigan Industrial Controls, Inc. ... Electronic thermal design and analaysis, from Sensor Products, Inc., www.sensorprod.com Edited by Joseph Hoff 

Producers of workshops, seminars, and instructional materials are encouraged to mail announcements to Training Briefs Editor, Electrical Apparatus. There is no charge.

• Say It Right ... The popular column about language in the workplace. In this issue:  Which end (of a motor) is which? ...    by Richard L. Nailen, P.E., EA Engineering Editor 

• Web briefs ...  Selected websites for the electromechanical specialist, annotated with details of especially valuable content  In this issue:  Communication Specialties, Inc. -  www.commspecial.com ... Bolt Science, Ltd.  - www.boltscience.com ... P. J. & P. J. Taylor Pty., Ltd. - www.polpphaz.com ... Information Ventures, Inc. - www.infoventures.com ... IPC Resistors - www.ipc-resistors.com ... C&B Technologies, Inc. - www.cdpowercom.com ... iNetMedia - www.motionalcontrol.com -- National Industrial Belting Association - www.niba.org ... Akron Electric, Inc. - www.akronelectric.com ... Emerson Process Management - www.comsys.com ... Schmersal Safety Switches LLC - www.schmersalusa.com ... MagnaDrive Corp - www.magnadrive.com ... Edited by the Electrical Apparatus staff. 

• New Books Recently published books, reviewed by our editors.  See also Books for the Plant and Shop from Barks Books, including titles from the editors of Electrical Apparatus, including our latest new book, Let's Solve Your Problem - Volume III.

• Names and Faces ... In this issue: Bill Grubb of NC Servo Technology (left)  ... Michael Cronin and Jill Curry, ofQuad Tech, Inc. ... Lou-Anne Annino of GE Supply ... Jeffrey M. Roberts (right) and Mike Mininger of Cooper Wiring Devices ...Patrick Bartling of Chromalox, Inc.   Edited by Joseph Hoff

• Automation briefs  - the latest in products for electronics and systems applications ... In this issue - in Encoders - miniature magnetic rotor encoders from Renishaw ... multi-bus absolute encoder from Baumer Electric ... miniature position transducers from SpaceAge Control ... Drive technology:  smart motor from Animatics .. BASIC-language programmable servo drive from AC Tech ... Grab bag: data-logging laser thermal scanner from Extech Intruments .... alternating-current sensor from ABB ... vision system controller from Omron ... Edited by David P. Tryling 

• Standards briefs  ...In this issue: UL engineers to become more proactive ... NEMA outlet box standards revises ... Motor noise limit standard undergoes revision .. Residential genset standard approved ... Comments sought on liquid-filled transformers ... NEMA, UL standards adopted by ANSI .... Edited by the Electrical Apparatus staff. 

• Product briefs Photos and announcements of new products ... In this issue, insulating yarns from Conneaut Industries ... NEMA C-face reaction torquemeter from S. Himmelstein & Co ... infrared thermometer with a hygrothermometer from Extech Instruments Corp ... vapor corrosion inhibitor from Michelman, Inc. ... high-power density turbinegenerators from Kato Engineering ... Switching mode d-c power supplies from Diversified Technologies, Inc. .. brushless d-c kit motors from Servo Magnetics Inc ... 3/8 hp V three-phase gearmotors from Baldor Electric ... low-voltage a-c drives from ABB automation Technologies .. electrician's calculator program  from Dolphins Software, Inc. www.dolphins-software.com ... illuminated and non-illuminated pushbutttons from NKK Switches.   Edited by the EA Staff.

Mail announcements of new products and literature to Editorial Department, Electrical Apparatus (page 2). No faxes, e-mail, electronic submissions (CD-ROM's, etc.) or follow-up calls, please. There is no charge for publication, which does not constitute endorsement, nor can we verify product claims.

• Braintrainers  Puzzles you and your colleagues can solve for fun and, if your answers are correct, for recognition in Electrical Apparatus. This month - congratulations to J. Tim Barnhart, first to send the correct solution to the "Flagstones" braintrainer and Alan Lewis of Lewis Electric Motors, Eureak, Mo., who also answered correctly.  The current puzzle is Weighing In ...    by Lillian Nielsen, Special Correspondent 

• Direct and Current Breaking news of interest to the industry, from The Editors of Electrical Apparatus. In this issue: Auto mileage rates go up next year ... Threats to Microsoft by the Justice Department ... After the great August Blackout ... Using elevators in high-rise buildings during a fire ... A contract for magnetic cooling research .. U. S. sales of heat pumps and central air conditioners ... by the Editors

• Accounting for management  This issue: Changes in federal tax laws may provide some relief   A summary of the changes affecting both business and individuals going into effect next year.  By William H. Wiersema, CPA, EA Contributing Editor and author of the recently published book, Steps to a Successful Service Shop.

• Safety and health in the workplace This month - No 'good vibrations from vibratory hand tools Wherever one works, whatever the job, feet are constantly exposed.  By Richard B. Elsberry, EA Contributing Editor

• Deaths  - Obituaries of industry people.

• EA reader at ease  ... Stories featuring unusual or interesting avocational interests of our readers.

  Do you know someone working in the electrical aftermarket with a hobby or interest that could be featured in "EA reader at ease"? Tell us who they are, what they do, and how we can contact them to find out more about their special passions. Send your suggestions to Electrical Apparatus, 400 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 900, Chicago, III. 60611; (312) 321-9440; Fax (312) 321-1288; e-mail eamagazine@barks.com .

• Literature Announcements of guides, catalogs, brochures, product specifications and other literature.  Edited by the EA staff

  Mail announcements of new products and literature to Editorial Department, Electrical Apparatus (page 2). No faxes, e-mail, electronic submissions (CD-ROM's, etc.) or follow-up calls, please. There is no charge for publication, which does not constitute endorsement, nor can we verify product claims.

• Question of the month

• Trilingual summary For our international readers, each month one featured topic is presented in French, Spanish and German. This month: "Dealing with corrosion  Shaking the Rust from Electrical Equipment "

• Classified Advertising Equipment, jobs, businesses, business opportunities and services.

• Cy's Super Service, Motorhead and Generatorhead Comic strips featuring characters from our favorite cartoonists. 

• Electripix  Photographs of people, places, equipment and more ...

• Utility Briefs   .. Edited by Kevin Jones

• EMBR update  - changes to the Electromechanical Bench Reference 2004, the annual buyers' guide that readers received with their December 2002 Electrical Apparatus.  Following publication of the directory, corrections and additions appear in subsequent issues of the magazine. 

• Advertising Index  An easy to use reference to the advertisements in Electrical Apparatus magazine.