Electrical Apparatus October 2004
Featured articles  

  • The meaning of 'neutral' - p. 21, October 2004 Electrical Apparatus Codes and Standards   - Few codes or standards offer a clear definition.  
    In both single-phase and three-phase a-c power systems, one of the most frequently encountered terms is “neutral”—as in “neutral conductor,” “grounded neutral,” or “line-to-neutral” load connection or voltage. But “neutral,” in an electrical context, should not always be associated with definitions such as “safe to touch” or “not presenting a shock hazard.” While under certain conditions those presumptions may be correct, this important article explains why neither will be true under all electrical system conditions. By Richard L. Nailen, P.E., EA Engineering Editor (Read an online summary)
     
  •  Shop Equipment Showcase  - Examining the new and old at electrical manufacturing show A special section devoted to equipment and materials used in apparatus service. We roundup of the latest in machines, testing equipment, tools, apparatus, protective gear and other innovations designed to improve the efficiency and increase the profitability of electrical servicing operations. Edited by the EA Staff
  • Past predictions, p. 29, October 2004 Electrical Apparatus Industry History  - "Back to the future II" - The more we predict things will change, the more they may stay the same. Photo: The 'home of tomorrow' as envisioned in 1989 - a fully electrified 'Plastics Living Environment.' By Richard L. Nailen, P.E., EA Engineering Editor 
     
     
  • Identifying conductors by color, p.33, October 2004 Electrical Apparatus Wire & Cable - Which phase is which? Assigning colors is the most popular method. Matching phase sequence to motor rotation, load balancing and electrical system troubleshooting requires clear identification of the conductors in three-phase feeder circuits. But the usual system standards don’t specify specific methods. This important feature provides a guide to the most commonly used conductor color-coding systems. By Richard L. Nailen, RE., EA Engineering Editor
  • Safety and Health  -   Is knee surgery in your future? The likelihood of worn-down ligaments and cartilage increases as we age By Richard B. Elsberry, EA Contributing Editor
  • Accounting  -  Is exporting right for your company? An alignment of economic factors may make exporting feasible for smaller firms. 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 A year after the blackout, politicians are still in the dark ... The Maytag-Galesburg Refrigeration Products plant - once a good story now has a bad ending ... Steve Darby weighs in on overweight smokers ... by Horace B. Barks, Executive Editor
  • Let's Solve Your Problem Do motors need to be UL-listed? ... Are V-belts usable only in matched sets? ... Is reduced-voltage starter worth it? ... Surge protection: what's the right terminology? ... Why not silver-plate hot contacts? ... Intermittent-rated motor may allow continuous duty ... Ground RTD leads during megohmmeter test? ... Why the vibration in ASD motors? ... Why no current unbalance on standby source? ... How important is damper bar positioning? ... Which space heater formula is correct? ...No load vs. full load: how do currents compare? ... Does grease influence bearing clearance? ... Diagnosing breaker or starter contact integrity ... Shielded bearings, not what they used to be...  Edited by the EA staff
  • Letters Updating 'Managing Motors,' from Mark Jones, Director of Engineering, Nord Gear Corp, Waunakee, Wisconsin Electrical
  • Business briefs Wisconsin servicer L&S Electric acquires Antec Motor Services ... Regal-Beloit Corp. buying GE's ac motor business ... Motion control businesses Motorsoft, Inc. and Fisher Electric Technology join forces ... 3-D Service is authorized lubricant distributor for Anderol, Inc. ... Beckwith Electric in power quality alliance with Inepal S.A. de C.V. ... Animatics suit against Quicksilver Controls settled without damages trial ... National Electrical Manufacturers Association indices show 'robust' control growth ... Edited by Kevin Jones
  • Certification briefs Trans-Coil, Inc. ... Iris Power Engineering ... Edited by Kevin Jones
  • Financial briefs Reports from Baldor Electric Co. and American Superconductor ... Edited by Kevin Jones
  • Trade associations, professional societies and government activities  National Association of Electrical Distributors education fund at $2.2 million and counting ... SMMA - The Motor and Motion Association fall conference is about motors and drives ... Gaylord Opryland site of EASA 2005 annual convention and exposition ... National Electrical Manufacturers Association challenges industry to prevent electrocution deaths ... European Union employers required to assess worker exposure ... American Society of Safety Engineers Foundation announces safety and health scholarships ... ASTM International announces that U.S. and China groups sign agreement to strengthen their relationship ... Refrigeration seminar holds seminar on choosing the right lubricants ...Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association revises membership rules Edited by the EA staff
  • Calendar Briefs - Upcoming trade shows, symposia, and events, from October 2004 through June 2005... Edited by Sarah E. Wittliff
  • Gregg Hazen, automation design engineer with Ace Equipment in Cleveland, and his wife Arlene with their refurbished 1975 Gran Torino - from the October 2004 issue of Electrical Apparatus EA reader at ease Gregg Hazen, automation design engineer with Ace Equipment in Cleveland, has an interest in restoring old cars - specifically, the Gran Torino models seen on the television series Starsky & Hutch and in the movie that bears the same name. 
     
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  • Web briefs ... Stock Drive Products/Sterling Instrument - www.sdi-sp.com  ... CSB Battery Company - www.csb-battery.com  ... Dranetz-BMI - www.dranetz-bmi.com  ...RSG-Technologies - www.icesonic-usa.com  ... MCG Surge Protection - www.mcg-surge.com  ... International Magnetics Association - www.intl-magnetics.org  ... Magnetic Materials & Components - www.mmc.magntics.com  ... Hobart Welders - www.hobartwelders.com  ... Phase Technologies LLC - www.phaseperfect.com  ... Vibration Eliminator Co, Inc. - www.vib.com  ... National Center for Photovoltaics (U.S. Depart. of Energy ) - www.nrel.cov/ncpv  ... Ferraz Shawmut Canada, Inc. - www.circuitprotection.ca  ... Steel Tube Institute of North America - www.steelconduit.org  ... Gates Corp - www.gates.com  ... NTN Bearing Corp of America - www.ntnamerica.com  ... Raytek North America - www.raytek.com  ... Lexseco - www.lexseco.com  ... Tecumseh Group, Inc. - www.eng-tips.com  ... Edited by the Electrical Apparatus staff
  • Electrical Manager Three who listen to 'the voice of the customer' - Jim Pancero of Jim Pancero, Inc. ... Rich Hartfelder of Watlow Electric Manufacturing Co ... and ZMichael Marks of Indian River Consulting Group
  • 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 - Pressure sensitive adhesives, from The Adhesive and Sealant Council's Education Foundation, www.ascouncil.org/meetings  ... Motor application and maintenance, from the Electrical Apparatus Service Association, www.easa.com  ... High-voltage maintenance from Dan Ninedorf - www.corona-tecnology-course.com  ...Facilities professional certification, from the Association for Facilities Engineering, www.afe.org  ... Safety seminars from Behavioral Science Technology - www.bstsolutions.com/leadingwithsafety.htm  ... Drives, controls and hydraulics, from Bosch Rexroth Technical Training Department, www.boschrexroth-us.com  ...Infrared thermography from the Electrical Apparatus Service Association - www.easa.com  ... . Edited by Sarah E. Wittliff  
    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.
  • Say It Right What's 'Average'? In motor technology, there are a few different meanings by Richard L. Nailen, P.E., EA Engineering Editor
  • Trilingual summary When a 'neutral' isn't neutral .Wenn 'neutral' nicht neutral ist ... Lorsqu'un 'neutre' n'est past neutre ... Cuando 'Neutral' No Es Neutral ... (read an online summary in English) ... by Richard L. Nailen, P.E., E.A. Engineering Editor
  • Accounting for management Is exporting right for your company? An alignment of economic factors may make exporting feasible for smaller firms By William H. Wiersema, CPA, EA Contributing Editor and author of the recently published book, Steps to a Successful Service Shop.
  • Safety and health in the workplace s knee surgery in your future? --The likelihood of worn-down ligaments and cartilage increases as we age... About 300,000 total knee replacements are done annually, with a 99% success rate. By Richard B. Elsberry, EA Contributing Editor
  • Steven Specker of Electric Power Research Institute, in the October 2004 Electrical Apparatus Shelly MacDonald of Plymouth Electrical Tape, in the October 2004 Electrical Apparatus Nic Gihl of Schneider Electric North American Operating Division, in the October 2004 Electrical Apparatus Tom Insprucker of Schneider Electric North American Operating Division, in the October 2004 Electrical Apparatus Bob Carratura of The P. D. George Co , in the October 2004 Electrical Apparatus   
  • Names and Faces  Jim Feeney and Chris Hartmann of Thomas and Betts Corp. ... Steven Specker (above left) and Kurt Yeager of Electric Power Research Institute ... Michael Adeleke of Penn-Union Corp ... Shelly MacDonald (second from left) of Plymouth Electrical Tape .. William K. Mc Donald of Teledyne Wah Chang honored by the American Society for Testing and Matierlas ... Bob George and Daniel Skinner of Ameek Solidstate Controls ... Nic Gihl (center) and Tom Insprucker (second from right) of Schneider Electric North American Operating Division ... Bob Carratura (right) of The P. D. George Co ... David Early, Mark Mancini and Badasee Nanan recognized by The Refrigeration Service Engineers Society ... Bob VanHoven of Stahlin Non-Metallic Enclosures...Edited by Sarah E. Wittliff
  • William W. Saunders, remembered in the October 2004 Electrical ApparatusDeaths Wiliam W. Saunders, 87, President of Lenawee Electric Company, Adrian, Michigan, until his retirement in the early 1980's. Mr. Saunders was widely known in the electrical contracting and electromechanical service industries, holding offices in the Electrical Apparatus Service Association and the National Electrical Contractors Association.  
     
  •  Automation briefs The latest in products for PC control ... Backup and power generation ... Network devices ... Programmable logic controllers ... Phase angle controller ... Test equipment ... Edited by David P. Tryling
  • Literature Industrial switch nameplates, handles and accessories literature from Electroswitch ... Catalog of test and measurement instruments and calibrators from Transcat ... sourcebook of electrical products from Del City ... brochure describing severe duty a-c motors from Baldor Electric Co ... interactive electronic motor, drive and generator catalog, also from Baldor ... electrical safety testing of power tools and electrical equipment booklet from Clare Instruments ... Edited by the EA staff
  • Product briefs Solid-state annunciator target relay from Electroswitch ... multiple pump controller from SymCom ... air cooling systems for electrical panels and enclosures from ITW Vortec ... pin and sleeve plugs and receptacles from Appleton EGS Electrical Group ... cable ties and accessories kit from Richco, Inc. .. self-mount cable ties, also from Richco ... Four Electrician's tool sets from Klein Tools ... lubricant to prevent frost and corrosion in pneumatic tools from Keystone Lubricants ... Glass fiber surface preparation brushes from Eraser Co ... shorter-handle 1/2" drive ratchet from Wright Tool Co ... emergency lighting online three-phase UPS from Staco Energy Products Co ... Simalube automatic single-point lubricator from Companion Products, Inc. .. ThermaCAM P65 infrared camera from Flir Systems ... infrared cameras from Infrared Solutions ... beam clamp from Erico Inc. ... protection reactors from Allied Industrial Marketing ... biodegradable liquid bird repellent from BirdShield ... plug-and-play power distribution units from MGD UPS Systems ... brushless d-c servo motors from Bodine Electric ... a-c motors for agricultural applications from A.O.Smith Corp ... miniature two-phase stepping motors from Oriental Motor U.S.A. Corp .. electric motor test system from Sakor Technologies, Inc. / DynoLab ... personal voltage detector from AEMC Instruments .. non-contact high-voltage detector also from AEMC Instruments ... multi-function electrical safety tester from Clare Instruments US, Inc. .. high capacity fused test probes from Cal Test Electronics ..Edited by the EA Staff
  • Direct and Current Safer electric auto window controls ... Ford GM and Chrysler will comply slowly with safer switches ... High Tech jobs decline ... High-tech job losses highest in San Francisco ... Inflation and interest rates will rise ... the highest paid persons in manufacturing are chief executive officers, median income $214, 966 ... by the Editors
  • Classified Advertising
  • Cy's Super Service, Motorhead and Generatorhead Comic strips
  • Advertising Index .

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Electrical Apparatus - October 2004
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