Electrical Apparatus
The Magazine of Electrical &
Electronic Application & Maintenance

January 2005 Columns and Departments

Back issues
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• From our January issue - Step by step: Machining a damaged motor shaft  At Seattle's Cascade Machinery & Electric, Shop Supervisor Roger Arns discusses the handling of a damaged motor shaft with the machinist. Our multipage article includes twelve photos and a diagram of Cascade's 20,000 square feet floor area.
  
  Every issue of Electrical Apparatus features service shops in action.  To order back issues or to subscribe, visit our online webstore.

• Editor's Comment Perspective on current and upcoming issues... by Horace B. Barks, Executive Editor 
  In this issue:  Getting the 2005 economy off to a better start ... Shows to include in your 2005 travel plans ... Our 5-year index is also a look forward ...

• 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.  Edited by the EA staff 
  In this issue:  What causes lead cable overheating? ... Frame ground only for medium motors?

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  Comments and questions from readers of Electrical Apparatus
  In this issue:  Correct engineering credit for D. Allen Crosby, P.E., Aircon Energy, Inc., Sacramento, California and Ronald M. Blue, P.E., Principal List Engineering Co., Monterey, CA  ...  Calculating voltage unbalance, from John K. Carter, P.E., John K. Carter, Inc., Camarillo, California ...

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 and financial briefs  News of expansions, relocations, annual reports, and more, about companies serving the electrical mechanical industries  ...Edited by Kevin Jones
  In this issue: Regal-Beloit agrees to buy several motor businesses from General Electric Corp ... Tampa Armature in matinenance alliance with Tennesee Valley Authority Power Services ... CAM Industries wins Kazakhstan contract ... New Johnstone Supply facility in Breiningsville, PA ... Michigan Industrial Controls named authorized service center by Phase Motion Control ... General Cable acquires data cable line .. NKK Switches appoints LXI Components as an authorized distributor ... Schneider Electric North American Operating Division pledges up to one million dollars to the National Association of Electrical Distributors Education and Research Foundation... MagneTek, Inc., names Innovatech Associates as its exclusive representative for power control products ... Plymouth Electrical Tape announces the addition of Schooler & Associates, Inc., and the Fishco Group as Midwestern sales agents ... Emerson Electric Co reports rise in October orders and announces $3.1 million contract from BGB Billiton ...

• Trade associations,  professional societies and government activities  News of non-profit  government, and other organizations serving the electrical mechanical industries.   Edited by the EA staff

  In this issue - Engineers Week will support Engineers Without Borders in its international efforts to serve some of the depressed areas of the world ... Electrical Manufacturing show (2005 EMCW Association Conference) readying October plans for the Indiana Convention Center .. Electrical distributors join "Energy Star," a voluntary public-private partnership sponsored by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U. S. Department of Energy ... annual PEARL Convention to be held in Las Vegas in February (Professional Electrical Apparatus Recyclers League) ... American Society of Safety Engineers protest health program elimination in Oregon ...

  Note:  the 2005 EMBR lists contact information for more than 140 associations ... Update or add your listing to the 2006 EMBR.

• Safety and health in the workplace How companies and their employees can guard and enhance their health and safety.   By Richard B. Elsberry, EA Contributing Editor
  In this issue - Fire down below  - Avoid acid indigestion before it becomes a chronic disruption to job performance ...

• Accounting for management  Business financial planning, tips, information and best accounting practices ...By William H. Wiersema, CPA, EA Contributing Editor and author of the recently published book, Steps to a Successful Service Shop.
  In this issue - Your company's return on investment - sales figures mean nothing if not considered along with equity investment and other factors ...

• EA reader at ease  ... Stories featuring unusual or interesting avocational interests of our readers.
  In this issue - The night rider    Kevin Margroff, Eastern Regional Sales Manager for Phenix Technologies, is a regular rider of four-wheel all terrain vehicles.  "I like night riding because you don't know what's around the next corner," admits Margroff, who once went straight ahead over a 20 foot drop, and has had other death defying encounters.  "Sales is a very stressful position," he says. "It is really good for me to go out and be able to clear my head and be able to relieve some of the stress."
  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 .

• Training Briefs Announcements of workshops, seminars and instructional materials, and our Training Index, listing program topics featured in Training Briefs in the past year  ... Edited by Sarah E. Wittliff 
  In this issue:  Testing for corrosion, from ASTM International ( www.astm.org ) ... Infrared thermography, from Infraspection Institute ( www.infraspection.com ) ... Schools earn corrosion prevention accreditation from Corrosion College in Gilmer, Texas ( www.corrosioncollege.com )

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

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

• Standards briefs  updates of standards and related information...  Edited by the Electrical Apparatus staff. 

• Say It Right ... The popular column about language in the workplace  ...  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. In this issue - How consistent are motor temperatures? (read an online English summary)

• Calendar Briefs - Upcoming trade shows, symposia, and events... Edited by Sarah E. Wittliff 
  In this issue - conferences, meetings, conventions and more, from January 2005 through October 2005 ...

• New Books Recently published books, reviewed by our editors.  In this issue, Electrical/Electronic Systems By G. A. Mazur and T. E. Proctor, American Technical Publishers, Inc. See also our Book Reviews webpage and 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 ... News and photos of industry people on the move and in the news...Edited by Sarah E. Wittliff
  In this issue - Sandra Rosecrans of City Electric Company (pictured above)... Kurt Yeager of the Rocky Mountain electrical League ... Kurt Weegmann of LEDtronics (pictured above) ....

• Deaths  - Obituaries of industry people.   In this issue - Robert E. Pearce, former CEO of Fife-Pearce Electric Co., and John Russell Fox, co-owner of Fox Brothers Electric Motor Service LLC ... 

• 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. 

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

• Direct and Current Breaking news of interest to the industry, from The Editors of Electrical Apparatus.
  In this issue: social security checks rise ... Communicating with customers by web ... The more employees, the more managers earn ... National Electrical Manufacturers Association's "Primary Industrial Control Index" improves substantially ... Stem cell research hopes now in private hands ... Mail service may begin to improve ...

• Cy's Super Service, Motorhead and Generatorhead Comic strips featuring characters from our favorite cartoonists. 
  In this issue - Cy's take on cell phones, eavesdropping and private conversations ... Motorhead's dog sled is ready for the big snow race....

• Certification briefs  Updates on certification Edited by Kevin Jones

• 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 ...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.

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

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

• Utility Briefs  News of the utility industry .. Edited by Kevin Jones

• EMBR update  - changes to the Electromechanical Bench Reference 2005, the annual buyers' guide that readers received with their December 2004 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.