Electrical Apparatus
The Magazine of Electrical &
Electronic Application & Maintenance

November 2007 Columns and Departments

Back issues
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• Editor's Comment In this issue - This month's cover story - a different kind of plant ... The NEC, 2005 and 2008 ... Just around the corner - the 2008 EMBR  ... by Horace B. Barks, Editor and Publisher

• 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 - How much energy does vibration waste? ... What's known about arc blast? ... Efficiency difference: generator vs. motor .. Why isn't bearing insulation effective? ... Locked-rotor current:  is '600%' accurate? ... Why no visible build from VPI process? ... Using capacitors with a solid-state starter ... Cooling the drive end of a TEFC motor ... 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  Comments and questions from readers of Electrical Apparatus. In this issue - The meaning of effective grounding, from George R. Estabo, CPE, American Electrical Testing Co., Canton, Mississippi ... Check with utility soft starting, from James R. Johnson, Willamette Area Engineer, Pacific Power, Albany, Oregon ... Can't see the cover for the mailing lable, from Paul Tabone, Patchogue Electric Motors, Inc., Patchogue, New York ... Kind words, from Michael Mimnagh, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Machinery Research and Silencing Division, Greenville, Delaware ...

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

• Trade associations,  professional societies and government activities  News of non-profit  government, and other organizations serving the electrical mechanical industries.  In this issue  - Special PEARL meeting addresses counterfeiting ... EASA reverses decision to cut telephone support ... Metric labeling postponement is cheered by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association ...Planning for corrosion is topic of Florida ASTM International meeting ... Electrical Distributors receive education grant from Hunzicker Brothers, Inc. ... Lack of support is top threat to safety, say safety engineers ... New CD-ROM covers structured home wiring, from the Cooper Development Association of New York  ...  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 - Volland Electric Equipment Corp forms joint veture with On The Road Machining .. Schneider Electric buys Brazil manufacturer Atos Automacoa Industrial Ltd., ... Leeson Electric and Lincoln Motors consolidate gear reducer marketing ... Advanced Rotors moves to larger facility ... Cooper Industries partners with Nature Science and Technology Co of Zhejiang province, China ... Emerson Electric acquires Motorola unit ... New England Walco opens Mexico office ...Edited by Kevin Jones

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

  In this issue - The featured Reader at Ease in the December 2007 Electrical Apparatus is marksman Terry Hatfield, retired from HECO Inc. (His three sons have taken over the company.)

  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 .

• Utility Briefs  News of the utility industry. In this issue - Outsourcing of nuclear plant review questioned ... TVA seeks license for nuclear plant ..Utilities disclose recent lobbyist hires ... Three former executives of Dynegy, Inc., agree to pay fines for role in accounting fraud without admitting or denying guilt ... Edited by Kevin Jones

• Say It Right ... The popular column about language in the workplace.  In this issue - Motor curves: Which ones do you want?  Different specifiers might mean different things ...  by Richard L. Nailen, P.E., EA Engineering Editor

• Calendar Briefs - Upcoming trade shows, symposia, and events. In this issue - events from November 2007 through June 2008 ... 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 - A closer look at voltage drop - Customary ways of looking at the resistance found in conductors don't tell the whole story (read an online English summary)

• Training Briefs Announcements of workshops, seminars and instructional materials.  In this issue - Machine alignment from Machine Dynamics, Inc. ... Servomotor training from Quality Solutions Co ... Arc-flash protection from American Trainco ... UPS's and batteries from Ametek Solidstate Controls ... Welding from the Lincoln Electric Company ... Embedded networks from CAN in Automation ...  Power quality from PowerCET Corp ... Motor & drive application from Baldor Electric ...Drives and Controls from Bosch-Rexroth Corp ... High-voltage maintenance from Ox Creek Energy ....  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.

• Safety and health in the workplace How companies and their employees can guard and enhance their health and safety.  In this issue - Eye safety and sun safety should be a top priority - There's more to protecting one's vision than meets the eye ...   By Richard B. Elsberry, EA Contributing Editor

• Accounting for management  Business financial planning, tips, information and best accounting practices.  In this issue - Where to go for private lending - Exploring the alternatives to conventional bank loans ...By William H. Wiersema, CPA, EA Contributing Editor and author of the recently published book, 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 - Charles Jirek of Dreisilker Electric Motors ... Charles Fisher (pictured) of Rea Magnet Wire Co....Vince Guillory, Linda Scott (pictured) and Scott Rosendahl (pictured)  of Johnstone Supply... Katherine Morgan, Teresa Cendrowska and Jeff Grove of ASTM International ... John McKenna, of Ashcroft, Inc. and Nagano Keiki Co. Ltd.  ...Marc Amato  (pictured) and Michael Ursillo of Walco ... Peter Baka  (pictured) of Lincoln Electric Co ....Edited by the EA Staff

• Web briefs ...  Selected websites for the electromechanical specialist, annotated with details of especially valuable content. In this issue - Danish Wind Industry Association— www.windpower.org/en/core.htm  ... The Solar Guide— www.thesolarguide.com  ... SolarEnergy.com— www.solarenergy.com  ... Advanced Energy Group— www.solarpower.com  ... Monachos— www.monachos.gr/en ... MGE UPS Systems Inc.— www.mgeups.com  ... Magnet Sales and Manufacturing Co., Inc.— www.magnetsales.com  ... National Institute of Standards and Technology— http://standards.gov  ... Techkor Instrumentation— www.techkor.com  ... Edited by the Electrical Apparatus staff. 

• Standards briefs  Updates of standards and related information. In this issue - Underwriters Laboratories (UL) presses forward with harmonization ... Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) revises Gold Book ... International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) extends its global influence ... UL revises two standards pertaining to cables and introduces a new one  ... National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) publishes new efficiency and safety guidelines ... American National Standards Institute (ANSI) announces adoption of three standards from the National Electrical Contractors' Association (NECA)...  Edited by the Electrical Apparatus staff. 

• Literature Announcements of guides, catalogs, brochures, product specifications and other literature.  In this issue - arc welding guns from Lincoln Electric ... principles of meter mix dispense systems from Sealant Equipment and Engineering ... brushless d-c motor/driver packages from Oriental Motor USA Corp ... Fall protection and rescue from Capital Safety .... Plastic fastening components from Richco, Inc. ... Power lifting and handling equipment from Interthor, Inc.  ...  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 - Adhesives and sealants from Epoxies Etc. ... Interconnections from Bridgeport Fittings, Inc. and Richco, Inc. ... Lighting from Hubbell Building Automation ... Measuring Equipment from Flir Systems and Amprobe Test Tools ...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.

• Deaths  - Obituaries of industry people.   In this issue - Herbert Bert Magney, founder of Magney Electric Motors, Lancaster CA and Tempe AZ, and Harold Leviton of Leviton Manufacturing, Little Neck, NY

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

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

• Direct and Current Breaking news of interest to the industry.  In this issue - Electroindustry confidence stabilizes ... Sales of power transmission products fluctuate ... Weak dollar continues to fuel exports ... Pace of economic growth is slowing ... Importers unfazed by China quality scares  ... from The Editors of Electrical Apparatus.