Electrical Apparatus
The Magazine of Electrical &
Electronic Application & Maintenance

June 2004 Columns and Departments

Items in columns and departments from the June 2004 issue, Vol. 57, no. 6, © 2004 Barks Publications, Inc. See also  June 2004 Table of Contents and Previous issues 

• Editor's Comment Perspective on current and upcoming issues.  In this issue: The expanding electromechanical aftermarket .. Readers reaching to one another ... What's coming in July and August EA ... by Horace B. Barks, Executive Editor

• 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: How is inverter-duty wire tested? ... What's the cause of bearing noise? ... What's the effect of service factor load? ... Does inrush current vary with motor temperature? ...Sizing capactiros for a group of motors ... How is winding temperature related to motor load? ... Be careful with cable voltage ratings ...   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  - Straightening cable length, from Jeff Raefield, Regional Manager, Phasetronics/Motortronics, Clearwater, Florida ... Renewable link fuses, from Douglas K. Smithman, P.E., President, EMP Engineering Services, Dresher, PA ... Finding rotor bar defect, from Johnny Yu, Consultant, Centerville, Ohio ... Kind words, from Thomas J. Graf, Process Manager, Electrical Maintenance, UCAR Carbon Co., Inc., GrafTech International Ltd., Clarksburg, West Virginia, and F. Lee Bondor, Owner, Bondor Pump Repair Co., Geneva, New York ...

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: EASA convention program is new and different ... The Electricity Innovation Institute will award grants for research into nanotechnology  - www.e2i.org ... Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineers committee protests its headquarters' chargers... CSA International and Underwriters Laboratories sign agreement to make exporting easier ... Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute urges its members to vote - www.voteforbusiness.com/portal/arl.asp  ... American National Standards Institute urges refrigeration standards to maintain safe food supply .. Department of Energy to train pump specialists ... Graybar Electric makes $100,000 education and research gift to the National Association of Electrical Distributors ... The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors joins the Power Transmission Distributors Association to launch an industrial distribution curriculum for community colleges ... Seven distributors honored by the National Association of Electrical Distributors ..  Refrigeration Service Engineers Society to meet in Calgary ... Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute issues standards, white paper, and studies ... The Canadian Institute to hold pricing conference - www.canadianinstitute.com ...  Edited by the EA staff

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

• Business briefs  In this issue:  International Motion Control buys Turn-Act ... Bosch Rexroth buys Skatec Co., Ltd. ... Transformer Service, Inc. expands in Ohio and Delaware ... Ballard Power System names Heliocentris Energy Systems a distributor of the AirGen portable fuel cell generator ... Granite City Electric Supply Co, GE Lamp, Lightolier, Square D and WEEI offer New England Little League and Junior softball and baseball teams a chance to win stadium lighting ... MACtac expands Indiana plant ... Certification briefs  Ametek Solidstate Controls de Argentina ... Lincoln Electric Co.   Financial briefs  A. O. Smith Corp ... Emerson ... Baldor Electric ... Rockwell Automation ... W.W. Grainger .. Lincoln Electric .. ABB  New sales reps  Bridgeport Fittings, Inc.  names Gormley Farrington, Inc.  rep   Edited by Kevin Jones

• Calendar Briefs - Upcoming trade shows, symposia, and events, from June  2004 through June  2005... Edited by Sarah E. Wittliff 

• Trilingual summary For our international readers, each month one featured topic is presented in French, Spanish and German. This month: "Flat belts:  Are they still around?" - They still have their place, especially with small pulleys and high speeds .. by Richard L. Nailen, P.E., E.A. Engineering Editor

• Safety and health in the workplace This month - Chronically fatigued? Tired blood? You may be anemic -- Treating a condition that reduces quality of life and can even speed death   By Richard B. Elsberry, EA Contributing Editor

• Accounting for management  This issue: Getting the most from each department    Building profits with more complete productivity and budget information  By William H. Wiersema, CPA, EA Contributing Editor and author of the recently published book, Steps to a Successful Service Shop.

• 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.

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• Names and Faces ... In this issue: Michael Carter, of StacoSwitch ... Dean Cleveland, Leslie Rice and Chris Harris of Darby Electric ... Scott Brower of JLG Industries ... Thomas Butler and Hylton Bennett of Power Measurement ... Michael Miller of Electric Power Research Institute ... Dave Witwer of Minarik Drives ... Lisa Cawley and Kimberly Stone of Linpac Materials Handling ... Larry Fite of 3-DService ... Hongwei Hsiao of the American Society of Safety Engineers ... Christopher King of Eurotherm... John Henckel of LEDtronics ... Joel Manharris of Leviton ... Edited by Sarah E. Wittliff

• Automation briefs  - the latest in products for electronics and systems applications ...  In this issue:  Industrial PC's and components from CyberResearch, Z-World and the Saelig Co ... Drives and controls from Nyden, and Chromaslox ... Sensors from Omron Electronics, MTS, Baumer Electric and Renishaw ... Control components from ATC-Diversified Electronics, HBControls, Sola/Hevi-Duty and Divelbiss Corp ...   Edited by David P. Tryling 

• Standards briefs  In this issue: UL standards accessible online from Underwriters Laboratories ... Recent approvals from the International Electrotechnical Commission ... IEEE standards adopted by the American National Standards Institute ... Rating and performance standard revised by the International Electrotechnical Commission ...  Edited by the Electrical Apparatus staff. 

• 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: Electrical contracting from the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee of the organized electrical construction industry - www.njatc.org/nti.htm ... Cold spray technology from The Thermal Spray Society of ASM International  - www.asminiternational.org/events ... Motor/generator rewinding from Jarsco Engineering Corp - jaoliver003@aol.com ... Relay testing from Megger - relay-conference@megger.com ... Overcurrent protection from Cooper Bussman - www.bussman.com ...  ...Edited by Sarah E. Wittliff 

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

• Product briefs Photos and announcements of new products ... In this issue, dozens of products from our EASA Convention Preview, plus varnished dacron glass tape from Plymouth Electrical Tapes ... enclosure viewport with fisheye lens from Mikron Infrared ... cast-iron junction boxes from EGS Electrical Group ... irreversible compression grounding system from FCI-Burndy ... EMT steel compression-type couplings and connectors from O-Z/Gedney ... GU/GT flooded batteries from EnerSys ... Tamper-evident brass padlocks from Brooks Utility Products Group ... 75 kilowatt power converter for photovoltaic systems, from Ballard Power Systems, Inc. ... environmental sensor from MGE UPS Systems ... Fluid-film thrust and journal bearings from Kingsbury, Inc.  ...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.

• Electrical Manager ...A potpourri of news and features, selected and edited for maintenance and service managers. In this issue:  Creating a sales plan ... Watch out for skimmers ...Using the right words ...

  "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. 

• Literature Announcements of guides, catalogs, brochures, product specifications and other literature. In this issue ...Wayne Products' catalog of cabinet ventilating air and cooling equipment ... Pressure and temperature switches, sensors and transducers catalog from United Electric Controls Co ... magnetic shielding newsletter from Magnetic Shield Corp ... Peer-to-peer communication protocol product information from Cooper Power Systems ... Steel enclosure systems catalog from Middle Atlantic Products, Inc.   ...   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.

• EA reader at ease  ... Stories featuring unusual or interesting avocational interests of our readers. In this issue ..  Since retiring, Power Flow Technologies' Jack Heinz has found time to pursue his passion for boating and fishing By Joseph S. Hoff, EA Special Features Editor.

  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: Last Fall's blackout was caused by a single utility's failure to trim trees... The World War II Memorial dedication .. Importance of wearing insulated gloves ...Hybrid auto production is expanding ... computer viruses ... .. by the Editors

• Say It Right ... The popular column about language in the workplace.... by Richard L. Nailen, P.E., EA Engineering Editor

• Deaths  - Obituaries of industry people. 

• Electropix  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 January 2003 Electrical Apparatus.  Following publication of the directory, corrections and additions appear in subsequent issues of the magazine. 

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

• 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 

• 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. 

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