Electrical Apparatus April 2009
Featured articles  

  • Talking motors and drives in Orlando, page 10 of the April 2009 Electrical Apparatus Associations, Conventions & Trade Shows -  Motor and drive makers talk tech and business: Efficiency is tops among concerns at Orlando exposition   By Richard L. Nailen, P.E., EA Engineering Editor, and Elizabeth Van Ness  
     

     
  • Asset managemen at York Repair, page 19 of the April 2009 issue of Electrical Apparatus magazineService & Sales Companies  - In the eye of the storm: How York Repair of Bay City, Michigan operates a thriving industrial service business amidst the struggling auto industry By Kevin Jones, EA Senior Editor
     
  • Arc flash safety standard, page 23 in the April 2009 Electrical ApparatusCodes & Standards  - Working safely with electricity: the new NFPA 70E standard....A document covering arc flash hazard and more remains a work in progress  By Richard L. Nailen, P.E., EA Engineering Editor
     
     
     
  • Simple servo uses, page 32 of the April 2009 Electrical ApparatusDigital Electronics  -  Simple servo uses: With the controllers now available, developing and completing a motion application can be accomplished with confidence  By David P. Tryling, EA Electronics Editor 
     
  • Safety and Health  -   Is OSHA’s voluntary protection program right for your firm? Those who sign up are given an inspection exemption  By Richard B. Elsberry, EA Contributing Editor  
  • Accounting  -  Pricing when sales are slow: Charging for all the services you provide is critical.  By William H. Wiersema, CPA, EA Contributing Editor

Departments and Columns

  • Editor's Comment Perspective on current and upcoming issues... In this issue - Dealing with unexpected changes in your customer base...  We take safety very seriously... 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 - Field coils wound on pole vs. mould-wound... What reasonable life for switchgear insulation?... How tight is a tight fit?... When an insulation test is 'destructive'... What’s the best type of thermocouple?... Terminal box change OK in Division 2 location?... What limits apply to inter-turn voltage?... Is motor efficiency subject to tolerance?... Edited by the EA staff
  • Ellen Keller of Service Pro Electric Motor Repair, featured in the April 2009 Electrical ApparatusEA reader profile Stories featuring Electrical Apparatus readers on the job. In this issue - Ellen Keller is a driving force behind the sustained success of Service Pro Electric Motor Repair, Inc. "We are a full-service motor shop," she says of the business, which is located in Bensenville, Illinois. "Nothing is too big, or too small."  By Joseph Hoff.
     
     
     
  • Letters Comments and questions from readers of Electrical Apparatus. In this issue - Dale Hamil, President of Illinois Electric Works, Granite City, Illinois, differs with EA's recent safety and health article which questioned how well employers have provided worker protection: "We have the safest workplaces that have ever existed in the world at any time in human history," he writes.
  • Attendees at PEARL's conference will receive two training guides - from the April 2009 Electrical ApparatusTrade associations, professional societies and government activities News of non-profit government, and other organizations serving the electrical mechanical industries. In this issue - What's in the stimulus bill for electrical industry? - EA's engineering editor Richard L. Nailen analyzes a summary published by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association... The Electrical Testing Technician Certification Institute of Kalamazoo, Mich. offers certification program for would-be Certified Electrical Testing Technicians and Assistant Technicians... What customers can teach us about safety  - a message to members of the Electrical Apparatus Service Association from Mike Darby of Darby Electric Co... The Twelfth Electrical Safety and Reliability Conference & Exhibition, being held April 18-20 at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta under the auspices of the Professional Electrical Apparatus Recyclers League, will feature a one-day hands-on lab workshop... Virtual and in-person symposium to be held in Houston April 19-23 by the International Society of Automation ... The Hydraulic Institute announces its 2009 board of directors and officers... ...National Association of Electrical Distributors plans 2009 National Electrical Leadership Summit, for May in Fort Lauderdale, Fl... Edited by the EA staff
  • New facility for Crawford Electric Supply, featured in the April 2009 Electrical ApparatusBusiness and financial briefs News of expansions, relocations, annual reports, and more, about companies serving the electrical mechanical industries. In this issue - Crawford Electric Supply, a subsidiary of Sonepar USA, has moved one branch and opened another. 60,000-square-foot facility in Metairie, La. (pictured, left.) Inpro Seal Co. reports record 2008 sales ...Harrington Hoists expands California plant in Corona, CA... Magnetek, Inc. launches a new drive repair and re-certification program...  Commtest Instruments Ltd. decides to hold prices... E-Switch chooses Master Distributors Master Distributors of Santa Monica, CA as authorized distributor... Carbone of North America selectes North American Wind Service Alliance as its distribution channel... Cable tie maker Hayata Ltd.expands into Asia...Stahlin Non-Metallic Enclosures donates trailer to high school robotics team...  Staco Energy Products Co. selects Thomas & Betts for UPS support... New certifications for Associated Research, Inc.... Chromalox achieves European certification... Edited by Kevin Jones
  • Standards briefs Updates of standards and related information. In this issue -  Canadian Standards Association has issued Z462, Work­place Electrical Safety, the first such standard in Canada (see http://learningcentre.csa.ca )..  National Electrical Manufacturers Association  (NEMA) active in Mexican standards ...  (see www.nema.org/stds/sg10.cfm ) ... Recent American National Standards Institute (ANSI) adoptions and approvals ... Edited by the EA staff.
  • Say It Right The popular column about language in the workplace. In this issue  - Approximations don’t count: Precise results may be impractical or costly, but they cannot be expected from vague terminology ... by Richard L. Nailen, P.E., EA Engineering Editor
  • Calendar Briefs - Upcoming trade shows, symposia, and events....  See the most current list here. Edited by Bill O'Leary
  • 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, with titles from the editors of Electrical Apparatus, including our latest new book, Let's Solve Your Problem - Volume III.    Introduction to Electrical Power Systems, reviewed in the April 2009 Electrical ApparatusIn this issue -
     
    Introduction to Electrical Power Systems    . By M.E. El-Hawary. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., -  intended as a reference for technologists in the field as well as an introduction to the subject for students.    
     
     
    Electrical Distribution Engineering, reviewed in the April 2009 Electrical Apparatus
    Electrical Distribution Engineering    . By A. Pansini. The Fairmont Press, Inc. "Anyone involved in electrical distribution system design should find this a useful tool."  
     
     
     
     Efficient Electrical Systems Design Handbook, reviewed in the April 2009 Electrical Apparatus  
    Efficient Electrical Systems Design Handbook    . By A. Thumann & H. Franz. The Fairmont Press, Inc., - a “practical guide” for electrical, plant, and facility engineers responsibly involved in design of such systems. .—RLN 
     
     
     
  • Literature Announcements of guides, catalogs, brochures, product specifications and other literature. ... In this issue -- Brochure from Fibox Enclosures... buyer’s guide from Cooper Wiring Devices...  catalog of Torx products from Wiha Quality Tools... waste liquid management catalog and GripZone brochure from New Pig Corp., catalog of switch-rated plugs and receptacles from  Meltric Corp...  Edited by the EA staff

  • Leviton's David Keller, featured in the April 2009 Electrical Apparatus Leviton's Leonardo Villalobos, featured in the April 2009 Electrical Apparatus Fire-Lite Alarms's Dan Lajoie, featured in the April 2009 Electrical Apparatus Fire-Lite Alarms's Leon Parks, featured in the April 2009 Electrical Apparatus Ray Womack of the National Association of Electrical Distributors, featured in the April 2009 Electrical Apparatus Robroy Industries's Jesse Fowler, featured in the April 2009 Electrical Apparatus Robroy Industries's Kathy Richardson, featured in the April 2009 Electrical Apparatus

  • Names and Faces News and photos of industry people on the move and in the news. In this issue - Bill Ashcraft of Ohio Electric Motor ...   Leviton's  David Keller and Leonardo Villalobos (pictured, left and second from left) ... Fire-Lite Alarms, a Northford, Conn.-based manufacturer of fire alarm products and part of the Honeywell Fire Systems Group's new representatives Dan Lajoie and Leon Parks (third and fourth from left)...Robert Willis, Malinda Armstrong and Steve Duren of The Adhesive and Sealant Council...Ray Womack  of the National Association of Electrical Distributors (third from right) ... IRD LLC's Douglas Ringer ... from the Conduit Division of Robroy Industries, Jesse Fowler (second from right), Kathy Richardson (far right), and Javier Macias...Dave McKinstry awarded the Hydraulic Institute Lifetime Achievement Award —Edited by Bill O’Leary
  • John Edward ‘Ed’ Jenkins, company founder and chairman of Jenkins Electric, Charlotte, N.C, remembered in the April 2009 Electrical ApparatusBret W. Mock, president and owner of Hi-Speed Industrial Services, Millington, Tenn. remembered in the April 2009 Electrical ApparatusDeaths Obituaries of individuals of significance to the electromechanical industry. In this issue - John Edward ‘Ed’ Jenkins (left), company founder and chairman of Jenkins Electric, Charlotte, N.C, and  Bret W. Mock (right), president and owner of Hi-Speed Industrial Services, Millington, Tenn.  Edited by the EA 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. See our Training section for this month's offerings from Advanced MotorTech, Quality Solutions and The Electrical Apparatus Service Association. Edited by Bill O'Leary
    Producers of workshops, seminars, and instructional materials are encouraged to send announcements to Training Briefs Editor, Electrical Apparatus. See Contact Us page. Certain restrictions apply - contact the editors for details.
  • Classified Advertising Equipment, jobs, businesses, business opportunities and services.
  • 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 -  2009 U.S. power transmission sales grew last year ... Control shipments fell in fourth quarter ... non-residential construction is stabilizing ... EU will ban "non-efficient light bulbs ... Could a failed electrical grid topple North Korea?  - The Editors
  • Advertising Index An easy to use reference to the advertisements in Electrical Apparatus magazine.

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Electrical Apparatus - April 2009
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