You're not alone in your efforts to get around the economic killing fields of the lingering recession. The 12 companies represented in our Industry Outlook 2009 "have your back." ]]> Sat, 01 Aug 2009 06:00:00 +0100 http://www.mt-online.com//index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1340:industry-outlook-the-best-value-for-less&catid=252:august2009&directory=90 AutomationDirect has always tried to provide the ‘best value' to our customers, and this economy has forced us to evaluate ways to do even better. On nearly every front, we have taken some measures to help our customers economically.

A workplace that has workers walking around wearing Personal Protective Equipment, such as safety glasses, gloves and ear plugs, may look safe—but looks can be very deceiving. Accidents in the workplace can happen if the right products are not used; they also can occur if employees don't understand what really makes a work environment safe.

The National Safety Council found that the average lost-time injury costs nearly $30,000. And, under the current administration, many customers are anticipating that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will develop more stringent safety regulations and enforcement. Given the potentially high cost of accidents, companies are looking for the right safety products to prevent workplace accidents—and lessen the severity of any that do occur.

Providing a safe workplace is not an option.Safety is everybody's concern
As the largest safety products distributor in North America, Grainger has learned that helping create a safer work environment starts with listening to our customers. We take the time to find out what safety issues are at the top of their minds, including their concerns about compliance with OSHA standards.

Our safety sales specialists work with customers to help them achieve their safety goals and can bring key safety suppliers on-site to provide technical expertise that includes surveys, hazard assessments and compliance audits. We can also partner with our suppliers to bring in samples of products for employees and conduct safety product training to ensure that employees are comfortable with these products—and know how to properly use them.

Grainger's products and services

• We recently published our 2009 Occupational Health and Safety Catalog that organizes safety solutions by key safety issues and OSHA standards. Our safety offering, which has doubled in size, includes more safety footwear, clothing and training and reference materials than before to make it easier for customers to remain in compliance and find the right solutions for their safety-related needs.
• Our customers can stay current on the latest trends in safety through our free "On the Job" Webinars that feature third-party industry experts speaking on a variety of safety topics, including arc flash, lockout/tagout and fall protection. If customers still need help with a safety product question, we have a team of technical product support specialists standing by.
• We also work with customers to help them manage their inventory of safety supplies, including first aid cabinets and eyewash stations, through our Inventory Solutions Program. As a result, those customers save time, reduce the possibility of stock outages, streamline processes and optimize inventory.

In good economic times or bad, providing a safe workplace is not an option. Safety, however, does not happen right out of a box—it happens when an organization creates a safe work environment that fits like a glove. With our vast safety expertise, relevant resources and broad product offering, Grainger is uniquely positioned to help our customers with workplace safety. MT

For more info, enter 7 at www.MT-freeinfo.com

The need for new technologies
More recently, however, we have become particularly concerned about energy conservation, believing that reduction of electrical usage is crucial to the building of a sustainable future. We're now working hard to develop the very types of technologies that will help our customers do just that.

Most end-users are well aware of the energy-intensive, short-lived characteristics of contact seals in bearing protection—that's why countless operations have now turned to non-contact bearing isolators. Everyone, however, is not as knowledgeable as they should be with the use of Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) for powering centrifugal pumps and fans.

Alternating current (AC) motors normally run at a constant speed, according to the frequency of the line supply and motor architecture. Only direct current (DC) motors inherently run at variable speed, according to demand. To control the quantity of flow and the system pressure of a centrifugal pump or fan, valves downstream would open or shut. That's tantamount to constantly driving your car at 100 mph and trying to control it with the brake—it's both inefficient and destructive.

Protecting your VFDs
Now, consider the VFD, something that has been drastically modified and improved over the past few years. It lets the common 3-phase AC induction motor run at variable speed according to system demands and do it with very significant savings in energy consumption.

For example, if a motor is adjusted back to 90% speed, flow will be reduced by 10% and the pressure that is produced will be around 80%. On the other hand, the power requirement will be reduced to 73% of what would have been required at full speed. That's a power savings of almost 30%!

The demand for VFDs is increasing exponentially. According to industry sources, 40% of the motors being produced and installed throughout the process industries are already equipped with these types of drives. Soon, according to those same industry sources, that number is expected to increase to 80%.

Centrifugal pump selections are usually made with the maximum flow rate and pressure head performance in mind. Only rarely does a pump operate at that point of the system-head curve. The drive motor is capable of handling the pump at the maximum performance rating.

If a pump operates at the best efficiency point (BEP) at the maximum impeller trim, it is easily cut back in speed so as to follow the affinity laws downward as they intersect the reduction of impeller velocity. That's like trimming the impeller on the fly, while reducing flow, head pressure and energy requirement according to system demand—all without an energy-wasting control valve in the pipeline.

Only easily mitigated stray shaft currents generated by the VFD and normally routed through the bearings to ground could contribute to early maintenance costs. A current diverter ring (CDR) can solve that problem. That's why we're now producing these products.

As we at Inpro/Seal see it, entering into the arena of bearing protection from stray electrical currents is only a logical move—and another great way to help our customers. MT

For more info, enter 8 at www.MT-freeinfo.com

Symptom:
"Dear Dr. Lube: In one of your previous articles, you stated that about 70% of mechanical failures are directly, or indirectly, attributable to poor or ineffective lubrication practices. Can you explain the basis of this statement?" ]]> Sat, 01 Aug 2009 06:00:00 +0100 http://www.mt-online.com//index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1353:the-green-edge&catid=252:august2009&directory=90

It's Easy Being Green

Is it a good idea to go green with your facility during a recession? The decision-makers behind two of America's skyscrapers think so. ]]> Sat, 01 Aug 2009 06:00:00 +0100 http://www.mt-online.com//index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1354:capacity-assurance-marketplace&catid=252:august2009&directory=90 Adding "Eyeballs" To HMI/SCADA Systems

Longwatch has added new features and functions to its Video System Version 5.0 to make it easier for users to integrate cameras in local and remote areas, combine video data with a wide variety of plant information and enable operators to access video data from HMI terminals, cellphones or on a PC via the Internet. The enhancements integrate local and remote video systems, using existing plant infrastructure such as fiber and wireless networks, and a distributed system architecture that delivers scalability, performance and fault tolerance. Among other things, the Video Historian feature links to the plant's HMI/SCADA system, making it possible to store video with real-time plant data, so that operators can see what happened during various events. The Video Historian can then play a sequence back at any time, along with images from similar sequences for analysis purposes.

Longwatch, Inc.
Norwood, MA

For more info, enter 38 at www.MTfreeinfo.com

New Gearbox Upgrade Drives Higher Tech Specs

Wittenstein's alpha SP+ and alpha TP+ gearboxes have a slightly new look and higher technical specifications these days. The changes will not affect critical external and connecting dimensions. The technical specifications are already available online and in the 2009 printed Wittenstein (alpha) catalog. The torques of the new look are significantly higher (up to 25%, depending on the version), which raises the power density of the units. Users can reap energy savings from this extra torque by selecting a smaller, more cost-effective gearbox without compromising on specifications.

Wittenstein
Bartlett, IL

For more info, enter 39 at www.MTfreeinfo.com

Successful maintenance organizations track a number of KPIs. This article continues a discussion of some of the best ones to use. ]]> Sat, 01 Aug 2009 06:00:00 +0100