Electrical Apparatus
The Magazine of Electrical &
Electronic Application & Maintenance

October 2004 Columns and Departments

Items in columns and departments from the October 2004 issue, Vol. 57, no. 10, © 2004 Barks Publications, Inc. See also  October 2004 Table of Contents and Previous issues 

• Editor's Comment Perspective on current and upcoming issues.  In this issue: A year after the blackout, politicians are still in the dark ... The Maytag-Galesburg Refrigeration Products plant - once a good story now has a bad ending ... Steve Darby weighs in on overweight smokers ... 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: Do motors need to be UL-listed? ... Are V-belts usable only in matched sets? ... Is reduced-voltage starter worth it? ... Surge protection: what's the right terminology? ... Why not silver-plate hot contacts? ... Intermittent-rated motor may allow continuous duty ... Ground RTD leads during megohmmeter test? ... Why the vibration in ASD motors? ... Why no current unbalance on standby source? ... How important is damper bar positioning? ... Which space heater formula is correct? ...No load vs. full load: how do currents compare? ... Does grease influence bearing clearance? ... Diagnosing breaker or starter contact integrity ... Shielded bearings, not what they used to be  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  - Updating 'Managing Motors,' from Mark Jones, Director of Engineering, Nord Gear Corp, Waunakee, Wisconsin

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: Wisconsin servicer L&S Electric acquires Antec Motor Services ... Regal-Beloit Corp. buying GE's ac motor business ... Motion control businesses Motorsoft, Inc. and Fisher Electric Technology join forces ... 3-D Service is authorized lubricant distributor for Anderol, Inc. ... Beckwith Electric in power quality alliance with Inepal S.A. de C.V. ... Animatics suit against Quicksilver Controls settled without damages trial ... National Electrical Manufacturers Association indices show 'robust' control growth ...  ...Edited by Kevin Jones

• Certification briefs  In this issue: Trans-Coil, Inc. ... Iris Power Engineering ...  Edited by Kevin Jones

• Financial briefs  In this issue: Baldor Electric Co. ... American Superconductor   ... 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: National Association of Electrical Distributors education fund at $2.2 million and counting ... SMMA - The Motor and Motion Association fall conference is about motors and drives ... Gaylord Opryland site of EASA 2005 annual convention and exposition ... National Electrical Manufacturers Association challenges industry to prevent electrocution deaths ... European Union employers required to assess worker exposure ... American Society of Safety Engineers Foundation announces safety and health scholarships ... ASTM International  announces that U.S. and China groups sign agreement to strengthen their relationship ... Refrigeration seminar holds seminar on choosing the right lubricants ...Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association revises membership rules   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.

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

• EA reader at ease  ... Stories featuring unusual or interesting avocational interests of our readers. In this issue - Gregg Hazen, automation design engineer with Ace Equipment in Cleveland, has an interest in restoring old cars - specifically, the Gran Torino models seen on the television series Starsky & Hutch and in the movie that bears the same name.

  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 .

• Web briefs ...  Selected websites for the electromechanical specialist, annotated with details of especially valuable content.  Stock Drive Products/Sterling Instrument - www.sdi-sp.com ... CSB Battery Company - www.csb-battery.com ... Dranetz-BMI - www.dranetz-bmi.com ...RSG-Technologies - www.icesonic-usa.com ... MCG Surge Protection - www.mcg-surge.com ... International Magnetics Association - www.intl-magnetics.org ... Magnetic Materials & Components - www.mmc.magntics.com ... Hobart Welders - www.hobartwelders.com ... Phase Technologies LLC - www.phaseperfect.com ... Vibration Eliminator Co, Inc. - www.vib.com ... National Center for Photovoltaics (U.S. Depart. of Energy ) - www.nrel.cov/ncpv ... Ferraz Shawmut Canada, Inc. - www.circuitprotection.ca ... Steel Tube Institute of North America - www.steelconduit.org ... Gates Corp - www.gates.com ... NTN Bearing Corp of America - www.ntnamerica.com ... Raytek North America - www.raytek.com ... Lexseco - www.lexseco.com ... Tecumseh Group, Inc. - www.eng-tips.com ...    Edited by the Electrical Apparatus staff. 

• Electrical Manager ...A potpourri of news and features, selected and edited for maintenance and service managers. This issue:  Three who listen to 'the voice of the customer' - Jim Pancero of Jim Pancero, Inc. ... Rich Hartfelder of Watlow Electric Manufacturing Co ... and ZMichael Marks of Indian River Consulting Group

  "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. 

• 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: Pressure sensitive adhesives, from The Adhesive and Sealant Council's Education Foundation, www.ascouncil.org/meetings ... Motor application and maintenance, from the Electrical Apparatus Service Association, www.easa.com ...  High-voltage maintenance from Dan Ninedorf - www.corona-tecnology-course.com ...Facitlies professional certification, from the Association for Facilities Engineering, www.afe.org ...  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  ...Infrared thermography from the Electrical Apparatus Service Association - www.easa.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.

• Say It Right ... The popular column about language in the workplace  In this issue: What's 'Average'?  In motor technology, there are a few different meanings by Richard L. Nailen, P.E., EA Engineering Editor

• Trilingual summary For our international readers, each month one featured topic is presented in French, Spanish and German. This month: When a 'neutral' isn't neutral ... Few codes of standards offer a clear definition (No Standards Yet for 'Small Motor' Efficiency) (read an online summary in English)  ... by Richard L. Nailen, P.E., E.A. Engineering Editor

• 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.

• Accounting for management  In this issue: Is exporting right for your company?   An alignment of economic factors may make exporting feasible for smaller firms 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 - Is knee surgery in your future? --The likelihood of worn-down ligaments and cartilage increases as we age... About 300,000 total kneww replacements are done annually, with a 99% success rate.   By Richard B. Elsberry, EA Contributing Editor

• Names and Faces ... In this issue - Jim Feeney and Chris Hartmann of Thomas and Betts Corp. ... Steven Specker (pictured) and Kurt Yeager of Electric Power Research Institute ... Michael Adeleke of Penn-Union Corp ... Shelly MacDonald (pictured) of Plymouth Electrical Tape .. William K. Mc Donald of Teledyne Wah Chang honored by the American Society for Testing and Matierlas ... Bob George and Daniel Skinner of Ameek Solidstate Controls ... Nic Gihl (pictured) and Tom Insprucker (pictured) of Schneider Electric North American Operating Division ... Bob Carratura (pictured) of The P. D. George Co ... David Early, Mark Mancini and Badasee Nanan recognized  by The Refrigeration Service Engineers Society ... Bob VanHoven of Stahlin Non-Metallic Enclosures...Edited by Sarah E. Wittliff

• Deaths  - Obituaries of industry people.   In this issue, we remember Wiliam W. Saunders, 87, President of Lenawee Electric Company, Adrian, Michigan, until his retirement in the early 1980's.  Mr. Saunders was widely known in the electrical contracting and electromechanical service industries, holding offices in the Electrical Apparatus Service Association and the National Electrical Contractors Association.

• Automation briefs  - the latest in products for electronics and systems applications   In this issue - motors and controllers... PC control ...  Backup and power generation ... Network devices ... Programmable logic controllers ... Phase angle controller ... Test equipment  ...  Edited by David P. Tryling 

• Literature Announcements of guides, catalogs, brochures, product specifications and other literature.    In this issue - Industrial switch nameplates, handles and accessories literature from Electroswitch ... Catalog of test and measurement instruments and calibrators from Transcat ... sourcebook of electrical products from Del City ... brochure describing severe duty a-c motors from Baldor Electric Co ... interactive electronic motor, drive and generator catalog, also from Baldor ... electrical safety testing of power tools and electrical equipment booklet from Clare Instruments ...  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, solid-state annunciator target relay from Electroswitch ... multiple pump controller from SymCom ... air cooling systems for electrical panels and enclosures from ITW Vortec ... pin and sleeve plugs and receptacles from Appleton EGS Electrical Group ... cable ties and accessories kit from Richco, Inc. .. self-mount cable ties, also from Richco ... Four Electrician's tool sets from Klein Tools ... lubricant to prevent frost and corrosion in pneumatic tools from Keystone Lubricants ... Glass fiber surface preparation brushes from Eraser Co ... shorter-handle 1/2" drive ratchet from Wright Tool Co ... emergency lighting online three-phase UPS from Staco Energy Products Co ... Simalube automatic single-point lubricator from Companion Products, Inc. .. ThermaCAM P65 infrarred camera from Flir Systems ... infrared cameras from Infrared Solutions ... beam clamp from Erico Inc. ... protection reactors from Allied Industrial Marketing ... biodegradable liquid bird repellent from BirdShield ... plug-and-play power distribution units from MGD UPS Systems ... brushless d-c servo motors from Bodine Electric ... a-c motors for agricultural applications from A.O.Smith Corp ... miniature two-phase stepping motors from Oriental Motor U.S.A. Corp .. electric motor test system from Sakor Technologies, Inc. / DynoLab ... personal voltage detector from AEMC Instruments .. non-contact high-voltage detector also from AEMC Instruments ... multi-function electrical safety tester from Clare Instruments US, Inc. .. high capacity fused test probes from Cal Test Electronics ..  ...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.

• Standards briefs  ..  Edited by the Electrical Apparatus staff. 

• Direct and Current Breaking news of interest to the industry, from The Editors of Electrical Apparatus. In this issue: Safer electric auto window controls ... Ford GM and Chrysler will comply slowly with safer switches ... High Tech jobs decline ... High-tech job losses highest in San Francisco ... Inflation and interest rates will rise ... the highest paid persons in manufacturing are chief executive officers, median income $214, 966 ...  by the Editors

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

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

• 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.