Electrical Apparatus
The Magazine of Electrical &
Electronic Application & Maintenance

May 2007 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 What to look for in this issue - Going to the EASA Show? We have suggestions -  Review the convention program, make notes, plan to visit Minneapolis/St. Paul, too ... Working with the bank ... Machine toxic metals ... Efficiency vs. Reliability (read an online summary of the article) ... the many meanings of "safety" ... 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.  In this issue - Can nameplate data support relay settings? ... Will CT's work on shielded cable ... Bearing replacements: are they really necessary? ... European terminology may not mean what you think ... Closed damper means less fan torque? (Not always.) ...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.

• Trade associations,  professional societies and government activities  News of non-profit  government, and other organizations serving the electrical mechanical industries. In this issue - National Association of Electrical Distributors plans its "Focus on the Future" annual meeting in Washington, D.C. ... EASA names officers for 2007-8 administrative year ... National Electrical Manufacturers Association backs efficiency initiative ... ASTM International initiates a case study competition and $25,000 prize ... Chicago-based Power Transmission Distributors Association welcomes new members ... Edited by the EA staff

  Note:  the 2007 EMBR lists contact information for more than 140 associations ... Update or add your listing to the 2009 EMBR.

• Business and financial briefs  News of expansions, relocations, annual reports, and more, about companies serving the electrical mechanical industries. In this issue - Motion Industries buys Jonesboro Bearing & Supply ... Kingsbury, Inc., opens California facility ... Coleman Cable Inc and Copperfield LLC to merge ... Littlefuse offshoring two Chicago-area units ... Lincoln Electric Holdings acquires stick electrode maker Spawnet Sp. z.o.o. ... City Machine Technologies earns quality certification ... Stahlin Non-Metallic Enclosures is named one of "Western Michigan's 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For" ...Edited by Kevin Jones

• Names and Faces ... News and photos of industry people on the move and in the news. In this issue -Scott Pearsall (pictured, left) and Ron Ritter of John C. Dolph Co. ... Neil Hoehle of Inpro/Seal Co ... P. K. Sen, Ravel Ammerman and Tammy Gammon of the Arc Flash Collaborative Research and Testing Project (joint effort of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the National Fire Protection Association) ... Ben D'Accounto of Eurotherm (pictured, right) ... Steve Donithan of A.O. Smith Corp ... Jim Perkins of ABB ... Edward Orlet and Barry Boyer of the National Association of Electrical Distributors ...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 - Maintaining Mission Critical Systems in a 24/7 Environment, by Peter M. Curtis.

• EA reader at ease  ... Stories featuring unusual or interesting avocational interests of our readers.

  In this issue - RV enthusiast Odd Brevik of New England Pump and Valve, Inc, is the featured Reader at Ease in the May 2007 Electrical Apparatus. His trips have taken him to Yellowstone, Michigan, Maine, and Prince Edward Island in Canada, among other journeys.

  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 .

• Safety and health in the workplace How companies and their employees can guard and enhance their health and safety.  In this issue - Machine toxic metals require special safety precautions ...   By Richard B. Elsberry, EA Contributing Editor

• Accounting for management  Business financial planning, tips, information and best accounting practices.  In this issue - Working with the bank - Think like a banker to get the best financing  ...By William H. Wiersema, CPA, EA Contributing Editor and author of the recently published book, Steps to a Successful Service Shop.

• Utility Briefs  News of the utility industry. In this issue - Environmentalists celebrate court decision re: whether hourly or annual emission rates should be used to determine plant upgrades ... European Union seeks to force infrastructure sales ... Hearing set on North Dakota wind farm ... Dynegy completes Illinois Land transfer...Vermont approves Green Mountain Power Corp buyout by Northern New England Energy ... Edited by Kevin Jones

• International Trade Shows  Information and calendar for upcoming shows around the globe. In this issue - Electrix in Australia ... Electrical Expo and Electronics Expo in India ... EDA and Test Taiwan in Taipei ... Electronics Manufacturing Technology South China ... Austronics in Australia ... Electronics & Power Engineering in the Ukraine ... Eltech in Bulgaria ... Enelexpo and GasSUF Expo in Russia ... Eltefa Expo in Germany  .. Edited by the EA Staff

• Electronics (Automation briefs)  - the latest in products for electronics and systems applications. In this issue - keyboard, video and mouse switch from CyberResearch ... Plastic Connectors from Tyco ... Transformers from Foster Transformers ... Routers from INSYS Microelectronics ... Integrated circuits from Saelig ... Wireless pressure transmitter from Adalet ... Programmable chip-based controller from Saelig ...  Edited by David P. Tryling 

• 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 - Hazardous materials training and handling from Environmental Research Center, www.ercwb.com ... Servomotor training, from Quality Solutions Co., www.motor-solutions.com ... Plant Maintenance from American Trainco, www.americantrainco.com ... 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.

• Calendar Briefs - Upcoming trade shows, symposia, and events. In this issue - events from May to November 2007 ... Edited by the EA Staff

• Trilingual summary For our international readers, each month one featured topic is presented in French, Spanish and German. In this issue - Motor efficiency versus reliability: Is it an issue?  (read an online English summary)

• Direct and Current Breaking news of interest to the industry. In this issue - Sales of transmission and motion control products are up ... Lamp makers voluntarily cap mercury content ... GE Earnings affected by subprime mortgage woes ... East Coast wind farm clears state hurdle in Massachusetts ... Electrical Safety Foundation International and National Electrical Manufacturers Association welcome Federal battery advisory... from The Editors of Electrical Apparatus.

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

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