Electrical Apparatus
The Magazine of Electrical &
Electronic Application & Maintenance

January 2004 Columns and Departments

Items in columns and departments from the January 2004 issue, Vol. 57, no. 1, © 2004 Barks Publications, Inc. See also  January 2004 Table of Contents and Previous issues 

• Editor's Comment Perspective on current and upcoming issues.  In this issue: The Five Year Index of articles tells us what we are (and what we are not) -- there's a lot about the whole electromechanical spectrum, including trade association activities, in every issue .... What is a 'service job'? -- good electromechanical service jobs are available in all parts of the country ... EMBR update -- let us know of listing changes in the 2004 ElectroMechanical Bench reference ... 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: Converting induction generator to motor ... What service factor for interter-duty motors? ... How to check flat belt tension? ... How does RTD location relate to winding phase? ... Interpreting ball bearing identification markings ... Dup0lex thrust bearings: Mix and match now OK? ... Stacked trust bearings offer limited benefit ... Sizing the motor grounding conductor ... Tape versus wrapper for formed coils ...  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  - Curing motor shakes, from Quentin M. Halsey, Machinery Data Analysis, Inc., Oak Brook, Illinois ... Arguing about windings, from Fernando Leal, San Francisco Mass Transit Agency Motor Shop, San Francisco, California ... observations about the September EA cover, from Fred McNeeley, Harrison Electric, Inc., Michigan City, Indiana ...

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

• Say It Right ... The popular column about language in the workplace. In this issue:  Avoid flare-ups over the word  flammable - confusion over the meaning of the word inflammable has created the need for the word non-flammable ...    by Richard L. Nailen, P.E., EA Engineering Editor 

• Trade associations,  professional societies and government activities  News of non-profit  government, and other organizations serving the electrical mechanical industries.  This issue: Seven industry leaders are recognized by the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute  ... The seventh annual PEARL recyclers' meeting will feature manufacturing and marking (email pearl@pearl1.org) ... the annual Technical Conference of the International Electrical Testing Association will focus on electrical safety (www.netaworld.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.

• Business Briefs Business news and announcements, including facility briefs, financial briefs, certification achievements, and distribution news. In this issue:  Rockwell Automation and Krauth Electric agree to acquisition of Entek IRD by Krauth ... Eurotherm consolidates sales and marketing of Action Instruments and Eurotherm Controls ... A.O. Smith wins Johnstone Supply award ... Mr. Electric added 42 franchisees in 2003 ... Industry recruiter Lisa Lineal of Trumbull Connecticut visit Chuck Croker, Industrial Repair Service, Farmington, New Mexico ... U. K.'s Home Secretary Dvid Blunkett visits Wood Group Rotary Electrical Co., Ltd.  .. Power Partners granted woman-owned status by the Woman's Business Enterprise National Council and the Georgia Women's Business Council ... The National Electrical Manufactures' Association surveys members for reactions and opinions about China and its emerging industrial economy ... Certification Briefs - Ekstrom Industries, Inc ... San-tron, Inc. ... Sotek, Inc./ Belrix Ind.  ...Edited by Kevin Jones, EA Senior Editor

• 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: EASA announces schedule of Spring 2004 seminars - www.easa.com  ... Drive Systems Inc's Basic Industrial Electronics and A-C Drives Application & Maintenance - www.drivesys.net ...  Michigan Industrial Controls, Inc.'s inverter, vector, servo and d-c drive basics seminar ... Sensor Products, Inc.'s electronic thermal design seminar - www.sensor-prod.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.

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

• Standards briefs  ...In this issue: International Electro-technical Commission to shorten development time for issuance of new standards ... Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers revises timetable for phasing in metrication in published standards ... American National Standards Institute adopts revised NEMA and UL standards ... The National Electrical Manufacturers Association presents all NEMA standards for Magnet Wire in a single four part binder ... Underwriters Laboratories announces North American standards harmonized .... Edited by the Electrical Apparatus staff. 

• Trilingual summary For our international readers, each month one featured topic is presented in French, Spanish and German. This month: "Is a repaired motor less reliable?  Is there reason to suppose a properly repaired motor is less reliable than a new machine?"

• Safety and health in the workplace This month - Head protection is a top priority 12,000 persons sustain head injuries on the job every year  By Richard B. Elsberry, EA Contributing Editor

• Utility Briefs  This month:  Pratt & Whitney turbines bought by New Zealand ... California gives the nod to cable in gas pipelines ... KeySpan in venture with American National Power  .. Edited by Kevin Jones

• Product briefs Photos and announcements of new products ... In this issue, adhesives and sealants from Epoxies Etc., and Devcon ...  Lubrication from Henkel Loctite Corp .. Drives and Inverters from ABB, Inc., ... Measuring Equipment from mExtech Instruments Corp., Infrared Solutions, Electronic Educational Devices and Electro Industries/GuageTech ... Power quality from Megger ... Motors & Gearmotors from Imperial Electric Co., Servo Magnetics, Inc., and Leeson Electric ... Safety from Magid Glove and Safety Manufacturing Co., ATC and Ideal Industries, Inc. ... Test instruments from AEMC Instruments ... Tools from The Eraser Co., Klein Tools, and Bahco North America Inc ... Controls from Chromalox, Inc., and ABB Low Voltage Products & Systems ...   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.

• 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.

• EA reader at ease  ... Stories featuring unusual or interesting avocational interests of our readers. In this issue .. robot builder Dave Temple, of Temple Electric`, Faribault, Minnesota

  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 .

• Direct and Current Breaking news of interest to the industry, from The Editors of Electrical Apparatus. In this issue: The proposed U.S. supplemental $87 billion for rehabilitation of Iraq ... Underwriters Laboratories 100th anniversary ... Canadian Standards Association - UL agreement ... New U.S. air conditioning minimum efficiency standards ... Companies and associations petitioning Congress to change pension plan funding rules ... Auto mileage rates  ... by the Editors

• Electrical Manager ...A potpourri of news and features, selected and edited for maintenance and service managers.

  "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. 

• Web briefs ...  Selected websites for the electromechanical specialist, annotated with details of especially valuable content  ...Edited by the Electrical Apparatus staff. 

• Automation briefs  - the latest in products for electronics and systems applications ...  Edited by David P. Tryling 

• Braintrainers  Puzzles you and your colleagues can solve for fun and, if your answers are correct, for recognition in Electrical Apparatus. by Lillian Nielsen, Special Correspondent 

• Accounting for management  This issue: Is it time to sell your business?   The opportunity may come along only once, so make sure you do it right  By William H. Wiersema, CPA, EA Contributing Editor and author of the recently published book, Steps to a Successful Service Shop.

• Deaths  - Obituaries of industry people.

• 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

• 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 ...

• EMBR update  - changes to the Electromechanical Bench Reference 2004, the annual buyers' guide that readers received with their January 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.