Electrical Apparatus
The Magazine of Electrical &
Electronic Application & Maintenance

July 2005 Columns and Departments

Back issues
Save postage and handling fees: Order back issues direct from our online webstore.  Current and back issues are $5.00 each. To purchase copies by mail or telephone, using credit card or check, contact Barks Publications, 400 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 900, Chicago, IL 60611-4104  (312) 321-9440 tel, (312) 321-1288 fax. Non-credit card orders add postage and handling:  $1.25 for first copy, plus $.50 for each additional copy. (No postage and handling is charged for orders placed on the web.)

We welcome your comments and inquiries re: subscriptions and advertising. Please include your name and contact information.  

• Editor's Comment Perspective on current and upcoming issues... by Horace B. Barks, Executive Editor 
  In this issue:  Energy education begins in grade school - two Massachusetts elementary school are recognized for their promotion of primary energy education ... Not too early to plan for EIC/EME - the Electrical Insulation Conference/Electrical Manufacturing Expo will take place October 24-26 in Indianapolis ...  ... Coming up in EA: August will feature an on-site report of an industrial controls service company and a roundup of June's EASA Convention in Nashville; the September EA will include pre-show details about the EIC/EME Indianapolis Show ... About our cartoons  ...

• 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: Why use stainless steel for shimming machines? ... Two questions about space heaters ... Must surge suppression involve capacitors? ... Temperature variation can vary angular alignment ... Can motor protection be determined by test? ... When to disconnect starting capacitors ... Phase belts - another term for "coil Groups" ... How real is apparent power?  

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:  Calculating voltage dip, from Robert A. Porlick, Porlick Poliquin Samara Consulting Engineers, South Miami, Florida ... Kind words from Dave Moeller, Spokane Washington

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 July edit your letter for clarity and space.— Editor

• EA reader at ease  ... Stories featuring unusual or interesting avocational interests of our readers.
  In this issue - A man for all seasons   Austin Bonnett, with Emerson Electric for 35 years and an EASA consultant, today manages a 280-acre farm in Gallatin, Missouri.
  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

• 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 - Stuart Irby, Edwin Kanner, Francis Piscitelli and David Crum honored by the National Association of Electrical Distributors ... Germany says its challenges are like those of the United States re: outsourcing and job losses ... the Refrigeration Service Engineers Society announces sessions for its annual convention (see www.rses.org ) ... The U.S. Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute signs a memorandum of understanding with the China Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Association ... Schneider Electric makes a $25,000 donation to the Electrical Safety Foundation International ... the InterNational Electrical Testing Association seeks papers for its annual technical conference ... Concerned scientists urge increased use of renewable energy sources ... the Independent Infrared Conference will be held in Sarasota Florida in January (see www.snellinfrared.com) ... National Association of Electrical Manufacturers and the American Hospital Association release a new agreement concerning the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. 
  Edited by the EA Staff

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

• 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: Wood Group Power Solutions, Inc. wins multimillion dollar Colombia turbine contract ... American Sensor Technologies acquires Macro Sensors ... General Cable Corp to close two plants ... Anniversaries celebrated by ACE Equipment Co. and Dreisilker Electric Motors ... Ametek HDR Power Systems receives certification ... Financial briefs for American Power Conversion, Littelfuse, Heinrich Industrie, Bosch Rexroth, Baldor Electric and the Dräger Safety Company.

• 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 the EA staff
  In this issue:  Electrical safety testing from Associated Research ... Electrical grounding, from Lyncole XIT Grounding ( www.lyncole.com ) ...  Maintenance management, from the New Standard Institute ( www.newstandardinstitute.com ) ... Drives and controls, from Bosch Rexroth Corp ( www.boschrexroth-us.com ) ... Industrial truck safety, from Vast Consulting and Marketing ... Servomotor training, from Quality Solutions Company ( www.motor-solutions.com ) ... Infrared thermography, from Infrared Training Center  ... High voltage maintenance, from Dan Ninedorf ( www.corona-technology-course.com )

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

• Trilingual summary For our international readers, each month one featured topic is presented in French, Spanish and German. In this issue - "Understanding Apparatus Temperature Ratings" (read an online English summary)

• Calendar Briefs - Upcoming trade shows, symposia, and events... Edited by the EA staff
  In this issue - conferences, meetings, conventions and more, from July 2005 through March 2006 ...

• Safety and health in the workplace   By Richard B. Elsberry, EA Contributing Editor
  In this issue - When it gets too hot to work - Minimizing the effect of summer's heat on employee productivity. 

• 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 - Billing what it's worth.  Superior technology and service can justify higher prices.

• New Books Recently published books, reviewed by our editors. In this issue - Power System Capacitors by Dr. Ramasamy Natarajan, CRC Press. One of the book's several virtues is that higher mathematics is resorted to only as necessary ... another is the extensive bibliography ... a third is Chapter 19, "Maintenance and Troubleshooting." Reviewed by RLN.

• Names and Faces ... News and photos of industry people on the move and in the news...Edited by the EA Staff
  In this issue - James Riney of Guarantee Electrical Contracting ... Power Measurement's Jamie Caplan, David Jackson and Ruston Johnson ... Chris Hermsen of Minarik Automation and Control ... L. Edward Ralston of Baldor Electric.

• Deaths  - Obituaries of industry people.  In this issue - C. Hewlett Raines, founder of Gainesville Industrial Electric Co. and R&R Welding Supply ... Donald Speer Jr. of MagneTech, the P.D. George Co. and the U.S. Navy.

• Direct and Current Breaking news of interest to the industry, from The Editors of Electrical Apparatus.
  In this issue: Manufacturing gains after a slow first quarter ... A bi-partisan Senate committee is organized to keep manufacturing in the U.S. ... Is another postal increase ahead? ... National Manufacturing Week moves to Rosemont, Illinois in 2006 ... Call centers in India ... the American Society of Safety Engineers reports occupational safety and health job growth ... Foreigners can now receive two-year business visas. 

• International Briefs -Edited by the EA Staff
   

• Engineering Education    By Josh Hoff
  A glimpse into today's engineering classroom in a quarterly feature which reports on college and university courses relevant to expanding electromechanical activities, as well as pre-college programs.

  Engineers in the US number more than two million, and job openings for electrical engineers are expected to increase 21%-35% by 2006.  This trend is inspiring new and diverse engineering education programs across the country, from pre-engineering to nanotechnology. Send information about engineering education programs and events to Electrical Apparatus, 400 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 900, Chicago, III. 60611; (312) 321-9440; Fax (312) 321-1288; e-mail eamagazine@barks.com

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

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

• Web briefs ...  Selected websites for the electromechanical specialist, annotated with details of especially valuable content. ... 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.

• 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 

To submit products for "Automation Briefs" include a photo and website URL to a page where our readers can learn more about your product over the web (URLS are published in the magazine.)  Fax or conventionally mail press releases or announcements to Electrical Apparatus, 400 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 900, Chicago, IL 60611; Telephone (312) 321-9440; Fax (312) 321-1288; or email eamagazine@barks.com .

• 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. 

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

• 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.

• Certification briefs  Updates on certification Edited by Kevin Jones

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

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

• 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.