Electrical Apparatus September 2008
Featured articles  

  • Photos from the 2008 EASA Show, p. 14 of the September 2008 Electrical ApparatusTrade Shows - Playing hard, working harder: Another look at the recent convention of the Electrical Apparatus Service Association  By the EA Staff
     
     
     
     
  • At work at Shoemaker Industrial Solutions in Columbus Ohio - September 2008 issue of Electrical Apparatus magazineService and Sales Companies - Changing with the times: How Shoemaker Electric Company in Columbus Ohio has undergone several transformations over its 70 years in business. By Richard L. Nailen, P.E., EA Engineering Editor
     
     
  • Power Systems - Earth: electrical conductor or not?  Why practical application of this electrical principle was long in coming   By Richard L. Nailen, P.E., EA Engineering Editor (Read an online summary)
  • Printing barcodes, in the September 2008 Electrical ApparatusAutomation - Printing barcodes: Several methods exist, each suited to different conditions  By David P. Tryling, EA Electronics Editor
     
  • Managing diabetes, from the September 2008 Electrical ApparatusSafety and Health - Diabetes discrimination: A new headache for employers - How do you deal with an employee who has his disease under control? By Richard B. Elsberry, EA Contributing Editor
     
  • Accounting - Beware of state taxes Doing business across state lines can expose companies to tax liabilities- By William H. Wiersema, CPA, EA Contributing Editor

Departments and Columns (for additional information or to submit material, see the Departments and Columns page.)

  • Editor's Comment In this issue - Changing with the times isn’t easy... How is your shop changing with the times? ... Always essential: Training and standards ... Proper recycling and reuse of electrical power equipment is essential ... for more information see the PEARL Web site (www.pearl1.org ). 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 - Do more efficient motors tolerate more abuse? ... Preventing a coil from moving in vertical motor ... Why is a compressor causing lights to flicker?... Is ‘saturation’ a sharply defined point? ... What’s the difference between a motor’s service factor and its duty factor? Current, not voltage, displays heater function ... Why not use conductive epoxy in stator fit? ... How can ASD motor efficiency be measured? ...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.
  • Calendar In every issue and updated on the web. See our Calendar page for current offerings.
  • Trade associations, professional societies and government activities  News of non-profit government, and other organizations serving the electrical mechanical industries.  In this issue -  The Professional Electrical Apparatus Recyclers League of Aurora, Colo. releases a set of 40 technical low voltage standards... Roy Patterson, past president of Flanders Electric Motor Service in Evansville, Ind., receives the Exceptional Achievement Service Award at the convention of the Electrical Apparatus Service Association in Dallas...the Chicago-based Power Transmission Distributors Association presents its Motion Control Tech Conference at the 2008 Industry Summit in Miami Beach Oct. 31 and a hands-on product application workshop Nov. 18-20 at Henry Ford Community College in Dearborn, Mich....Three more technical sessions have been added to the education program at the annual conference of RSES: The HVACR Training Authority, scheduled to be held at the Hilton Indianapolis Hotel in Indianapolis Sept. 16-20. ... The Manufacturers’ Agents National Association, of Lake Forest, Calif., introduces a new Manual for the Creation of a Rep/Principal Contract ...The St. Louis-based National Association of Electrical Distributors now provides Continuing Education Units, accredited through the American National Standards Institute and the International Association of Continuing Education and Training. NAED also promotes its second annual HR & Training Conference, being held Sept. 15-17 in St. Louis, and announces a study to examine liabilities faced by electrical distributors... St. Louis-based Cooper Bussmann contributes $500,000 to the Arc-Flash Collaborative Research Project organized by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the National Fire Protection Association ... The American Society of Safety Engineers will hold a symposium about preventing injuries and deaths from crane accidents, falls, electrical accidents, and drug abuse and will publish a slip, trip, and fall prevention guide... ...Edited by the EA staff Note: the 2008 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 - Chicago-based industrial products distributor W.W. Grainger buys interest in Asia Pacific Brands India Ltd., an industrial and electrical wholesale distributor in India... Darby Electric Co., Inc., of Anderson, S.C., is made a Stearns distributor ... Tyco Electronics cuts about 100 jobs in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Michigan, Mexico, and Canada... Stahlin Non-Metallic Enclosures of Belding, Mich., manufacturer of fiberglass enclosure products, has entered a distribution agreement with Lord Electric of Edmonton and Calgary... U.S. Congress sides with The National Electrical Manufacturers Association on safety... Ametek, Inc., of Paoli, Pa., buys the programmable power business of Xantrex Technology, Inc., of San Diego... Financial briefs - Regal Beloit Corp.... A.O. Smith ... Emerson... Industrial services provider Miscor Group Ltd., of South Bend, Ind., reports record quarterly results ... Alliance Engineering, a part of Houston-based energy service company John Wood Group PLC, was recently awarded ISO 9001 certification... Two plants owned and operated by Chromalox are granted ISO 9001:2000 quality certification... Edited by Kevin Jones
  • Eric Jena celebrates his win of a 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 Hemi pickup truck recently awarded by Chicago-based Klein Tools - featured in the September 2008 Electrical Apparatus Eric Jena (right) of Atco, N.J., was the winner of a 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 Hemi pickup truck recently awarded by Chicago-based Klein Tools. The keys were handed over by Klein Tools chairman Mat Klein. Second prize, consisting of $1,000 worth of Klein Tools products, went to Elizabeth Garner of Spring, Tex., while a third prize of $500 in tools went to Erin Zieroth of Oak Forest, Ill. —Klein Tools photo
  • Utility Briefs  News of the utility industry. In this issue - West Virginia seeks transmission line tax ... Florida Power & Light Co. could get largest solar plant ... Edison Electric Institute and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association create the EEI Premium Efficient Transformers Purchasing program , designedto help utilities incorporate energy-efficient transformers into their distribution grids more quickly ... Officials in Delaware approved a plan by Delmarva Power and a wind farm developer to build a wind farm off the Delaware coast. ... A joint venture between American Electric Power and Duke Energy will build 240 miles of extra-high-voltage transmission lines in Indiana ...  Edited by Kevin Jones
  • Standards briefs  Updates of standards and related information. In this issue -  Underwriters Laboratories opens North America’s largest commercially oriented photovoltaic testing and certification facility ... The National Fire Protection Association announces revisions to BSR/NFPA 110-200x, Standard for Emergency and Standby Power Systems and BSR/NFPA 111-200x, Standard on Stored Electrical Energy Emergency and Standby Power Systems...  American National Standards Institute is soliciting public comment by Sept. 16 on adoption of BSR/IEEE C57.147-200x, Guide for Acceptance and Maintenance of Natural Ester Fluids in Transformers... Edited by the Electrical Apparatus staff. 
  • Ohio State University Nanotech Wet director Bob Davis looks at micro-electronic device structures - p. 16 of the September 2008 Electrical Apparatus 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. In this issue - Nanotechnology in the Buckeye State (featuring students from the Ohio State University College of Engineering, University of Dayton, The University of Akron, University of Toledo, Kent State University, and Wright State University) ... Johns Hopkins University students’ Johns Hopkins University tudents pictured with lightweight aluminum frame they designed - p. 18 of the September 2008 Electrical Apparatusdevice protects utility workers...  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
  • Dave Humphrey, predictive motor analyst with Allison Transmission in Indianapolis, builds houses for Habitat for Humanity - featured on p. 17 of the September 2008 Electrical Apparatus magazine EA reader at ease Spotlighting the off-work activities and interests of members of the electromechanical industry. In this issue - Dave Humphrey, predictive motor analyst with Allison Transmission in Indianapolis, builds houses for Habitat for Humanity Send your suggestions for Profiles to Electrical Apparatus, 400 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 900, Chicago, III. 60611; (312) 321-9440; Fax (312) 321-1288; e-mail eamagazine@barks.com .
  • Training Briefs Announcements of workshops, seminars and instructional materials, in every issue and updated on the web. See our Training page for current offerings.  In this issue - Welding, from The Lincoln Electric Welding School, www.lincolnelectric.com   ... Fire systems, from Fire-Lite Alarms, www.firelite.com  ... Ultrasonics, from Branson Ultrasonics Corp., www.bransonultrasonics.com  ... Plant maintenance, from All-Test Pro LLC, www.alltestpro.com  ... Relays and substations, from Megger,  www.megger.com/us  ...  Corrosion prevention, from Corrosion College,  www.corrosioncollege.com  ... 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. Edited by Bill O'Leary
  • Trilingual summary For our international readers, each month one featured topic is presented in French, Spanish and German. in this issue - Earth - electrical conductor, or not? Ist die Erde ein guter oder eher ein schlechter elektrischer Leiter? ...  La terre est-elle oui ou non un conducteur électrique ? ... ¿La Tierra es o no conductor eléctrico?
  • Electrical Manager ...A potpourri of news and features, selected and edited for maintenance and service managers. In this issue - Thinking the unthinkable: Could my bank fail? ... The wise use of classified advertising ... Small biz sees no benefit from ‘stimulus’ checks ... "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. 
  • Say It Right ... The popular column about language in the workplace. In this issue - How often is ‘frequently’? ... by Richard L. Nailen, P.E., EA Engineering Editor
  • Electrician's Exam Preparation Guide, reviewed in the September 2008 Electrical Apparatus New Books Recently published books, reviewed by our editors. In this issue - Electrician's Exam Preparation Guide. By C. Dale Brickner and John E. Traister. Craftsman Book Company, $49.50, 350 pages. 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.
  • Safety and health in the workplace How companies and their employees can guard and enhance their health and safety. In this issue - Diabetes discrimination: A new headache for employers - How do you deal with an employee who has his disease under control?... By Richard B. Elsberry, EA Contributing Editor
  • Accounting for management Business financial planning, tips, information and best accounting practices. In this issue - Beware of state taxes. Doing business across state lines can expose companies to tax liabilities ...By William H. Wiersema, CPA, EA Contributing Editor and author of the recently published book, Steps to a Successful Service Shop.

  • Mark Armstrong of Robroy, featured in the September 2008 Electrical Apparatus Jan-Erik Schmitt of Vision Components, featured in the September 2008 Electrical Apparatus Mike Mattei of Leviton, featured in the September 2008 Electrical Apparatus

  • Names and Faces ... News and photos of industry people on the move and in the news. In this issue - Erica Fisher and Mark Armstrong of Robroy (pictured, above left) ... Tim Cortes of Richmond-based Power Distribution, Inc.... Jan-Erik Schmitt of Vision Components GmbH of Ettlingen, Germany (pictured, above center) ... Greg Behler of EFC International ... Richard Waterman of The National Association of Electrical Distributors ... Mike Mattei of Leviton (pictured, above right)... Charles Chiappone of Alloy Polymers, Inc. ... ...Edited by Bill O'Leary
  • 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 - July manufacturing output gains ... Electroindustry business confidence slips ... Federal minimum wage increases... Anti-counterfeiting trade plan advances ... Answers sought in Iraq electrocutions ... from The Editors of Electrical Apparatus.  

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Electrical Apparatus - September 2008
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