Electrical Apparatus
The Magazine of Electrical &
Electronic Application & Maintenance

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August 2006 Columns and Departments

Items in columns and departments from the August 2006 issue, Vol. 59, no. 8, © 2006 Barks Publications, Inc. See also  August 2006 Table of Contents and Previous issues 

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•     Editor's Comment Perspective on current and upcoming issues... by Horace B. Barks, Executive Editor 
  In this issue: Show time again: Electrical Manufacturing Expo opens September 18 in Indianapolis ... More about the EASA Show ...

• 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: Wiring color codes not a universal standard ... Cable voltage rating unrelated to ampacity ... How cable surrounding affect voltage drop .. Cause of porosity in cast aluminum rotor? ... Size of terminal hardware based on current? ... Why the mismatch in motor circuit wiring? ... Is a DA test right for random windings?

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:  Reading nameplates from Larry Ninis, Dreisilker Electric, Glen Ellyn, IL ...

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

• Associations,  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  - Refrigeration Service Engineers' annual meeting to be held in Atlanta October 3-7 ... Online "Warehouse Pro" from the National Association of Electrical Distributors trains managers and students ... National Electrical Manufacturers Association provides aid to flood-damaged facilities with free downloadable booklet, available @ http://nema.org/prod/be/enclosures/upload/guidelines_handling_water_damaged_elect_equip.pdf ...

  Note:  the 2006 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   In this issue --Kadon bought by Siemens Canada Ltd. ... Rexel Group acquires GE Supply ... Littelfuse buys Taiwan varistor supplier ... Emerson wins Canadian automation contract ... Magnetek introduces product, receives warning from NYSE ... The Bosch Group to acquire Telex Communications Holding, Inc. ... Regal-Beloit selling cutting tools unit ... French utility buys Pratt & Whitney turbine ... Systems Material Handling reorganizes ... U.S. Filter is now known as Siemens Water Technologies ... New sales representatives for American Sensor Technologies and Peerless Electric ... Balmac, Inc., celebrates its 30 year anniversary ... Certification briefs: Two Technologies, Inc.   Edited by Kevin Jones

• EA reader at ease  ... Stories featuring unusual or interesting avocational interests of our readers.
  In this issue - Peggy Parker, owner of Allen's Electric Motor Service, is an extraordinarily active volunteer and community leader.
  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

• Say It Right ... The popular column about language in the workplace  In this issue - What do we mean by "similarity"?  All things being equal, very few things really are...  by Richard L. Nailen, P.E., EA Engineering Editor 

• Calendar Briefs - Upcoming trade shows, symposia, and events... Edited by the EA staff
  In this issue - conferences, meetings, conventions and more, from August 2006 through June 2007.. Edited by the EA staff

• Standards briefs  updates of standards and related information.  In this issue - International views of insulation and EMF from the International Electrotechnical Commission ... The latest opinions on transformer efficiency from the U. S. Department of Energy ... a series of U.S. - led standards development training and cooperation seminars will be presented to Chinese industry and government officials by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association ... 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:  Drives and controls from Bosch Rexroth Corp, www.boschrexroth-us.com  Pump maintenance from Pumping Machinery LLC ...  A-C drive troubleshooting, from EMA Electronic Maintenance Associates, www.emainc.com ...  Corrosion testing, from ASTM International ... Power quality, from PowerCET Corp., www.powercet.com/download/courscat.pdf ... Motor & drive application from Baldor Electroic ... Servo motors, from Quality Solutions Co., www.motor-solutions.com ... Motor service and repair, from the Electrical Apparatus Service Association, www.easa.com  ...Also in this issue - Flowserve Corp opens new pump training center (pictured) ...  Edited by the EA staff

  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 - Skin effect: what it is, what it does (read an online English summary)

• Safety and health in the workplace   In this issue - Pain killers: why you need to read the label before using. Know what you are using, and remember: the doctor knows best..
  By Richard B. Elsberry, EA Contributing Editor

• Accounting for management  In this issue - Watch those supply costs! How controlling payments for materials and suppliers can enhance profitability.
  By William H. Wiersema, CPA, EA Contributing Editor and author of Steps to a Successful Service Shop.

• Names and Faces ... News and photos of industry people on the move and in the news.  In this issue  -Mike Fahrio and John Toraason of B&B Electronics Manufacturing Co ... Brian Hansen (pictured), Steven McCurdy (pictured), Dan Munson and Carol Lynch (pictured) of Leviton Manufacturing Co. ... Rob Bullock of Bison Gear and Engineering ... Schris Schneider and Chris Webber of Mead Supply division of Volland Electric Equipment Corp ... Matt Thrasher and James Keig (both pictured) of Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. ... Sarah Sutton of A.O.Smith Co ... Daniel Doimo of MGE UPS Systems ... Johanna Glode of Johnstone Supply Co ... Michael Eledrege of American Senior Technologies and Tom Giannone of Cushman & Wakefield (pictured together)   ...Edited by the EA Staff

• Deaths  - Obituaries of industry people. In this issue - Randy Gillitzer (l.) of Equipment Maintenance Services, Inc., and Dean Lloyd, former president of Lloyd Electric Company.

• Electronics  - In this issue, new products - Input modules from Dataforth Corp ... Testing devices from Keystone Electronics ... Programmable logic controllers from Divelbiss ... Interfaces from EAO Switch ... Computer software from Yaskawa Electric America and Dolphins Software ... Edited by David P. Tryling

• Literature  - In this issue, adhesives and potting compounds from the TriggerBond company ... Fire-rated poke-through products from Hubbell Wiring Device-Kellems ... Edited by the EA Staff

• New Books  - Recently published books, reviewed by our editors.  See our Book Review webpage, and 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. 
   

• In this issue - Grid Integration of Wind Energy Conversion Systems, by S. Heier, John Wiley & Sons Inc.

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

• Direct and Current Breaking news of interest to the industry, from The Editors of Electrical Apparatus. In this issue - A looming health care crisis ... Last month's heat wave ... 121,000 non-farm jobs added in June ... Distributors net profit gains ... IRS warms of email identity scams ... Cyberthieves...
  By the Editors

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

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