Electrical Apparatus
The Magazine of Electrical &
Electronic Application & Maintenance

September 2004 Columns and Departments

Items in columns and departments from the September 2004 issue, Vol. 57, no. 9, © 2004 Barks Publications, Inc. See also  September 2004 Table of Contents and Previous issues 

• Editor's Comment Perspective on current and upcoming issues.  In this issue: Change is what we are about - Success in business can be measured by progress, and progress depends on change.  For a quick look at changes, attend the Electrical Manufacturing Expo in Indianapolis ... IEEE honors Dick Nailen ...Where the jobs are (staying) ... Remembering Joe Buresch... by Horace B. Barks, Executive Editor

The Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers will present the Industrial Application Society's prestigious Richard Harold Kaufmann Award for 2004 to EA Engineering Editor Richard L. Nailen in Seattle. The award was established in 1986 for outstanding contributions in industrial systems engineering. An honors graduate of the University of Santa Clara, Dick has been writing for EA since 1968, and, since his retirement from the Wisconsin Electric Power Company, where he was concerned with the application and maintenance of the many motors in the utility's generating stations, he has commuted to our Chicago office weekly from his Milwaukee home. He has made countless trips for EA across the U.S. and Canada, as well as overseas, to write and illustrate articles about electro-mechanical service and manufacturing facilities. His work has overflowed into six books currently in print. All of this, along with lecturing and consulting, have made him a familiar figure throughout industry. His many contributions to EA, together with articles in various professional and technical journals, total more than 750, including eight prize papers. He has taught numerous university extension courses and workshops. The list of credits goes on and on. So congratulations, Dick, IEEE couldn't have honored a more deserving person.

• Deaths  - Obituaries of industry people.   In this issue, we remember Joseph E. Buresch, 87, a nationally syndicated cartoonist and creator of the Electrical Apparatus monthly strip "Cy's Super Service." Mr. Buresch was the creator of "Dinah Mite" and "Fletcher the 4-H'r," both nationally syndicated newspaper single-panel cartoons. He began drawing "Cy's Super Service" in 1978.  Mr. Buresch was born in Pittsburgh and moved to Sarasota in 1966. He played softball in the "Over-60 League of Sarasota" and continued drawing "Cy's Super Service" until shortly before his death. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Orel Jean; a daughter, Linda Urgo of Sarasota; and a grandson, Chris Urgo.

• 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 super is superconducting wire? ... How should motor leads be terminated? ... Motor starting current not affected by load ... Starting power doesn't equal starting current ... What's a digital low-range ohmmeter? ... What causes a 'good' motor to blow fuse? ... How much margin in relay protection is safe? ...  What governs number of turns in motor fields? ... What causes unequal pump motor vibrations? ...   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  - Service factor facts, from David Lavallee, Baldor Electric Co., Fort Smith, Arkansas ... Kind words from John Ranieri, Ranieri Electrical Motor Service, Dafter, Michigan

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

• Business briefs  In this issue: Three S. D. Myers units  - Ohio Transformer, S.D. Myers Substation Services, and S.D. Myers Engineered Transformer Products - bought by GE Energy ... Adhesives firm ITW Performance Polymers buys Spanish materials supplier Krafft SA ... Eaton and Johnson Controls in supplier pact ... Omron IDM Controls, Inc. transfers controls business to Yaskawa Electric America, Inc. ... MagneTec Inc. receives order for rail power systems from Firema Transporti SpA ... Fluke multifunction tester wins industrial design award ... New 3M Aluminum Composite Conductor Reinforced (ACCR) conductor in commercial application - will be installed on ten mile transmission line in the Twin Cities region ... New England electrical distributor Granite City Electric Supply Company opens two outlets in Pittsfield and Lowell, Massachusetts ... Resister manufacturer IPC Power Resistors control panel shop certified ... "Jeopardy" contestants stumped by "Baldor is the USA's leading maker of industrial electric ones." (As our editor wrote, "I'll take electric motors for $1,200") ...Edited by Kevin Jones

• Financial briefs  In this issue: Lincoln Electric shows net income increase ... Emerson Electric reports mixed financial news ... increased revenues from A. O. Smith ...   ...Edited by Kevin Jones

• Trade associations,  professional societies and government activities  News of non-profit  government, and other organizations serving the electrical mechanical industries.  This issue: American Society of Safety Engineers finds that homicides are the third highest cause of on-the-job deaths ... National Electrical Manufacturers Association says U.S. standards challenged by overseas bureaus ... Fred S. Stephens of Commercial Electric Co. receives the Electrical Apparatus Service Associations' Exceptional Achievement and Service Award ... Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute and Consortium for Energy Efficiency launch on-online HVAC equipment directory ... National Association of Electrical Distributors reports financial improvement ... New EASA leader Bill Neilsen warns against status quo ... $300,000 in grants go to Electricity Innovation Institute and Electric Power Research Institute nanotechnology  researchers ... Refrigeration Service Engineers Society to award specialist certificates ... Air Conditining and Refrigeration Institute and Korea Refrigeration signs pact with Air Conditioning Assessment Center .. 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.

• 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: A-C Drive Troubleshooting, from EMA of New York, www.emainc.net ... Motor application and maintenance, from the Electrical Apparatus Service Association, www.easa.com ... Motor and motion control from SMMA - The Motor and Motion Association - www.smma.org ... High-voltage maintenance from Dan Ninedorf - www.corona-tecnology-course.com ...Infrared thermography from the Electrical Apparatus Service Association - www.easa.com ...  Cold spray technology from The Thermal Spray Society of ASM International  - www.asminiternational.org/events ... Safety seminars from Behavioral Science Technology - www.bstsolutions.com/leadingwithsafety.htm  ... Drives, controls and hydraulcs, from Bosch Rexroth Technical Training Department, www.boschrexroth-us.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.

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

• Say It Right ... The popular column about language in the workplace  In this issue: Foot-pounds or pound-feet?  Use the terms interchangeably and people may question your technical competence  by Richard L. Nailen, P.E., EA Engineering Editor

• EA reader at ease  ... Stories featuring unusual or interesting avocational interests of our readers. In this issue - For Andy Moore, shop supervisor at Cincinnati Babbitt, Inc., in Cincinnati, what began as a cleanup job has become an avocation.  He turned an acre and a half of chose and grim disrepair into a prizewinning,  abundant oasis of trees, flowers, vegetable garden and deck.

  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 .

• Trilingual summary For our international readers, each month one featured topic is presented in French, Spanish and German. This month: No standards yet for 'small motor' efficiency - Countless single-phase motors are made without the certification required for three-phase motors  .. by Richard L. Nailen, P.E., E.A. Engineering Editor

• Accounting for management  In this issue: Finding Financing   Borrowing money may have become easier; but it still pays to shop around 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 - Contagious respiratory infections pose work force threat -- Vaccine administered nasally mean there's no longer an excuse not to be protected  By Richard B. Elsberry, EA Contributing Editor

• Names and Faces ... In this issue - Carol Gallagher, Erinne Lowery, Courtney Lucas of EFC International  ... James D. Smith of Arthur J. Gallagher Co ... Kennith D. Brock of Strategic Safety Solutions ...Michael J. Mortensen of RBI Bearing ... Chris Graham, Ron Graham, Keith Waldron, David Mislin, Dave Waldron, Rich Di Christina, Steve Fayett, and Barbara Sullivan of Volland Electric Equipment Corp ...Clay Burdette and Jess Fasold of Darby Electric ... Bryan Green of Stahlin Non-Metallic Enclosures ... Edgar Rodriguez of Selco/EEC ... Cyrilla Menon of CAN in Automation North America (CiA) ... Joe Spedale of Omron Electronics ... Rob DiGiacomo of Eurotherm ... Greg Clark of Cleveland Motion Controls  ....Edited by Sarah E. Wittliff

• Standards briefs  In this issue: International Electrotechnical Commission takes up several safety issues ... Underwriters Laboratories revises insulation system standard ... IEEE considers insulators and analog transducers. ...  Edited by the Electrical Apparatus staff. 

• 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.

• Product briefs Photos and announcements of new products ... In this issue, Prefabricated motor slot wedges from Port City Cabinet Works ... panel-mounted surge protective devices from Leviton Mfg. Co ... Caterpillar, Inc's 1,200 kVA uninterruptible power supply ...Controlled Magnetics, Inc.'s zero sequence harmonic filter transformer ... Falk Corp's conveyor gear drive assembly ...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.

• Direct and Current Breaking news of interest to the industry, from The Editors of Electrical Apparatus. In this issue: OSHA ordered to disclose safety records for worker injury and illness rates ... Buyllying is common in the workplace ... Postal rates may remain unchanged into 2006 ... Drug manufacturers raised prices 3.4% in Q1 2004 ... Shipments of central air conditioners are up .. Energy growth through 2020 will be devoted to improving living standards in many parts of the world  .. by the Editors

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

• 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.

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

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

• 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. 

• 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. 

• 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

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