Articles
Unplanned downtime due to equipment failure costs manufacturers up to 3% of their revenue each year. For a $1 billion manufacturer, that's $30 million of potential savings, directly to the bottom line. If a company has a net income of $100 million, that's... more »
Two basic styles of brush-on-ring slip rings are currently available from manufacturers internationally, with combinations of the two styles also available. The two styles include the flat or pancake style and the stacked drum style of assemblies.Each... more »
Direct drives have secured a lasting market share in many areas of the semiconductor and electronics manufacturing industries, and market share is growing in the machine tool industry. The benefits of direct drive technology are low wear, low maintenance,... more »
To understand refrigerant stacking and carryover, you must first be familiar with the cooling cycle for water-cooled chillers.The Cooling CycleTo begin, chillers circulate chilled water in a closed loop system from the evaporator to air-handlers where... more »
PVC-coated conduit is normally selected over other types for a very corrosive environment such as a food processing plant. For health reasons, corrosion is unacceptable in the food processing industry, so almost all products used in food processing plants... more »
With so many products to choose from, making sure you select the proper sealant is especially important.Selecting the wrong industrial sealant, or applying the correct sealant in the wrong manner, can have serious consequences.Keep the eventual application... more »
In the world of solid imaging with UV-curable stereolithography resins, the management of these chemically reactive systems is often key to avoiding costly machine downtime.Every vat of stereolithography resin goes through a natural aging process, where... more »
For maintenance professionals, selecting the right hydraulic lubricant is critical to maximizing the service life of equipment.Almost every oil company -- from major lubricant suppliers such as ExxonMobil to small independents -- sells hydraulic oils.Coinciding... more »
Thermal prototyping is a challenge for design engineers, many of whom do not understand that a heater must be properly configured to the thermal demands of the intended application in order to perform most effectively.The complex physics of heat transfer... more »
Accidents involving personnel performing work on energized electrical equipment have been occurring ever since electricity was first generated and distributed for industrial applications. Recent changes to standards like NFPA 70E 2004/Standard for Electrical... more »
The Low Voltage Distribution Equipment (LVDE) Section of NEMA, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, has published a white paper on arc-flash analysis that highlights the need for utility system parameters in the selection of personal protective... more »
As the cost and demand for energy increases, large businesses are increasingly adopting demand control strategies to help reduce costs by limiting the amount of power drawn from the electricity grid at any one time. Enterprise energy management (EEM)... more »
Testing of rotating machines like gears, engines, and complete cars is a demanding task. High accuracy and dynamic load control -- that is, control of torque -- is needed for day-in/day-out testing, but excels, specifically, on those tests with new complex... more »
Is your facility running too hot? Heat is often an early symptom of equipment damage or malfunction, making it a key performance parameter monitored in predictive maintenance (PdM) programs.Technicians who practice infrared predictive maintenance regularly... more »
Hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, lightning storms, and high winds killed and injured thousands in 2006. Economic losses from these events, especially in the Gulf Coast region, totaled billions of dollars. The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI)... more »
Proper ventilation is a must for boiler plants that are located in areas where colder weather is prevalent. During cold or inclement weather, plant personnel reduce ventilation in the boiler plant by closing doors and windows to maintain internal boiler... more »
OEMs that source thermoformed parts expect to receive high quality within tolerance of the part's specified dimensions. Thermoforming presents special challenges because of the expansion and contraction the plastic undergoes as it is heated and cooled,... more »
A first-time back injury can cost as much as $10,000 when drugs, doctor visits, and physical therapy are factored in.And it gets worse.According to a recent study published by Ohio State University, severe back injuries that occur when a person is hurt... more »
For industries that rely on steam as an integral part of their process, more horsepower is not always the solution to meeting increased demand -- even when existing boiler capacity just cannot keep up.When steam demand fluctuates up and down throughout... more »
Outsourcing in recent months has become a contentious issue for the public. Even government officials are feeling the pressure as they try to cut bottom-line costs by outsourcing jobs overseas.Plant managers have been feeling similar pressures. Caught... more »