2014 - 11 - Plant Engineering

81 SPECIAL REPORT: Oil & Gas 93 Lean implementation 99 Roller bearings
New C-more Touch Panels
Higher Performance, Lower Price
6 Color TFT
499.00 u.s.
EA9-T6CL-R
Serial only
10 Color TFT
1290.00 u.s.
EA9-T10CL
Serial and Ethernet
6 Color TFT
699.00 u.s.
EA9-T6CL
Serial and Ethernet
8 Color TFT
999.00 u.s.
12 Color TFT
1790.00 u.s.
EA9-T12CL
Serial and Ethernet
EA9-T8CL
Serial and Ethernet
15 Color TFT
1999.00 u.s.
EA9-T15CL
Serial and Ethernet
The popular C-more HMIs have

ALWAYS been a great value, but now
they are better than ever. We have
included some of the latest
technology into the new EA9 series C-more panels,
and all at a lower cost to you. But dont let the lower
price fool you - with a redesigned, more robust housing,
thinner bezel, LED backlights and more communications
and data storage options, the EA9 series offers even
more value and performance.
ALL EA9 SERIES C-MORE PANELS INCLUDE:
800 MHz processor
SD memory card slot for data logging
One USB 2.0 A-type and one USB 2.0 B-type port
Serial communications interface
26MB project memory space

(82MB on the 12- and 15-inch units)
CONNECT TO CONTROLLERS WITH DRIVERS FOR:

All AutomationDirect programmable controllers
Allen-Bradley - ControlLogix, CompactLogix, MicroLogix
Ethernet, SLC Series, FlexLogix, SLC 5/05 Ethernet
Modbus RTU and TCP/IP Ethernet
GE SNPX
Omron Host Link Adapter (C200/C500), FINS Serial
and Ethernet
Selected Mitsubishi FX Series, Q Series
Siemens S7-200 PPI and S7-200/300 Ethernet
(ISO over TCP/IP)
HDMI
FULL-FEATURED MODELS ADD:

10/100Base-T Ethernet communications
Additional SD card slot on 12- and 15-inch models
Two additional for a total of three serial
communications ports (RS-232, RS422/485)
One HDMI Video Output
(12- and 15-inch units only)
REMOTE ACCESS AND CONTROL BUILT-IN
No Additional Hardware required. The C-more
Remote Access feature resides in all EA9 panels
with Ethernet support, and requires no option
modules. Access real-time data or initiate an
action on a control system from anywhere,
any time.
Order Today, Ships Today!

* See our Web site for details and restrictions. Copyright 2014 AutomationDirect, Cumming, GA USA. All rights reserved.
The C-more EA9 series

12- and 15-inch panels now
have an HDMI video output
port. This allows you to
connect HDMI devices like
larger screen TVs to the
C-more panels for
longer-distance viewing
of operator screens.
Research, price, buy at:

www.automationdirect.com/c-more
1-800-633-0405
input #1 at www.plantengineering.com/information
the #1 value in automation
kaeser.com
COMPRESSORS
2014
You cant build a

reputation on what
youre going to do.
Henry Ford
Reputation matters in any industry. For years,
Kaesers compressed air systems have been rated
more highly than other compressor brands for
reliability and efficiency.*
We stay on top because we devote time, dollars and brainpower to:
Make equipment that lasts and is easier to maintain
Design plant air systems that deliver more stable pressure
Provide expert advice to eliminate wasted energy
Deliver superior service after the sale
Generations of Kaesers have followed one basic principle:

If you build a better product, youll provide better value
for the customer. To learn more about what makes our
brand the best in the business, contact us today.
Our 25-125 hp compressors feature true direct drive design,

a thermal management system plus built-in heat recovery
options for the ultimate in operational efficiency.
* Based on independent U.S. comparative brand perception surveys conducted in

2004, 2008 and 2012.
Kaeser Compressors, Inc. 866-516-6888 kaeser.com/PE

Built for a lifetime is a trademark of Kaeser Compressors, Inc.
2014 Kaeser Compressors, Inc.
customer.us@kaeser.com
DONT LET
BEES
WINGS
BE A
BUZZ
KILL
In grain-handling environments with
light and fibrous dust, the new PowerCore VL
delivers optimal filtration performance. Its innovative
design uses a downward air pattern and powerful
bursts of compressed air to push more dust directly
into the hopper, which reduces the load on the filter
packs. Incredibly, one filter pack with Ultra-Web
replaces up to eighteen 8-foot bag filters. With a
footprint up to 70% smaller than traditional baghouses,
valuable floor space remains to accommodate other
equipment. The PowerCore VL saves time, energy,
space and money so you can keep your grain moving.
Donaldson Torit
PowerCore VL Dust Collector
DonaldsonTorit.com
800.365.1331
Choose Donaldson Torit and get

EXACTLY WHAT YOU NEED.
2014 Donaldson Company, Inc.
See this video

to learn more:
www2.donaldson.com/VL
November 2014
Volume 68, No. 9
2014
Product of the Year

Finalists
Innovations from manufacturing suppliers have arrived for your review.
The next step is to vote on the best new products of 2014 and help choose this years
Plant Engineering Product of the Year winners.
35 Introduction
36 Apps for Engineers
37 Automation & Controls
39 Compressed Air
41 Electric Motors & Drives
43 Electrical Safety
45 Energy Management
47 Lighting
51 Maintenance Software
54 Maintenance Tools & Equipment
57 Manual Material Handling
57 Material Handling Systems
60 Power Transmission
61 Productivity & Training
62 Safety
PLANT ENGINEERING (ISSN 0032-082X, Vol. 68, No. 9, GST #123397457) is published 10x per year, monthly except in January and July, by CFE Media, LLC, 1111 W. 22nd Street, Suite #250, Oak Brook, IL 60523.
Jim Langhenry, Group Publisher /Co-Founder; Steve Rourke CEO/COO/Co-Founder. PLANT ENGINEERING copyright 2014 by CFE Media, LLC. All rights reserved. PLANT ENGINEERING is a registered trademark of CFE Media, LLC used
under license. Periodicals postage paid at Oak Brook, IL 60523 and additional mailing offices. Circulation records are maintained at CFE Media, LLC, 1111 W. 22nd Street, Suite #250, Oak Brook, IL 60523. E-mail: customerservice@
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to PLANT ENGINEERING, 1111 W. 22nd Street, Suite #250, Oak Brook, IL 60523. Printed in the USA. CFE Media, LLC does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any person for any loss or damage
caused by errors or omissions in the material contained herein, regardless of whether such errors result from negligence, accident or any other cause whatsoever.
www.plantengineering.com
PLANT ENGINEERING
November 2014 3
LASER & PLASMA CUTTING
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SPECIAL REPORT: Oil & Gas
81 The search for

offshore oil and gas
PlantEngineering.com
1111 W. 22nd St. Suite 250, Oak Brook, IL 60523
Ph 630-571-4070, Fax 630-214-4504
CONTENT SPECIALISTS/EDITORIAL
BOB VAVRA, Content Manager
630-571-4070 x2212, BVavra@CFEMedia.com
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ALLEN MOWERS, Production Coordinator
AMowers@CFEMedia.com
PUBLICATION SERVICES
JIM LANGHENRY, Co-Founder & Publisher
630-571-4070 x2203, JLanghenry@CFEMedia.com
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717-766-0211, Fax: 717-506-7238
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
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For custom reprints or electronic usage, contact:
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877-652-5295 x102, niademarco@wrightsmedia.com
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Lessons learned and the march

of automation advancements
have made practical what was
previously impossible: the
production of fossil energy from the ocean floor, at mitigated
risk to man and environment. The key considerations that
define the industry remain the same: safety and reliability.
88 Real-time oil and gas data in the cloud

When drilling for oil and gas, two
things must always be of primary
importance: Maintaining the
integrity of the well and ensuring
the safety of everyone working
in or around that well. Focusing
on those two priorities led PML
Exploration Services to adopt a
cloud-based HMI and SCADA
software system to share real-time
information about conditions at
well sites with management personnel and customers.
Maintenance Solutions
93 Lean implementation,
step by step
The maintenance leader is often
the key to a successful, reliable,
and performing maintenance
department. But success never
happens by pure luck. It is the
result of bold moves, relentless
work, and believing in human empowerment to solve
problems.
Mechanical Solutions
99 Choose the correct roller housed unit

You need a roller bearing housed unit. How
hard can it be to find the right one?
Choose the right one, and youll get
the performance needed for the job.
Choose the wrong one, and youll
suffer from less-than-stellar
performance, downtime, and
possibly a higher total cost of
ownership than planned.
PLANT ENGINEERING
November 2014 5
NOVEMBER
Trending
New Products
Maintenance
Electrical
Mechanical
Energy Management
Plant Automation
Safety
People and Training
Salary Survey seeks your views
Product of the Year
The 2014 Plant Engineering Salary Survey will

arrive in your Inbox this month. Its important that
you
take a few minutes
to answer theseNov.
questions.
Finalists
announced
15
The annual Salary Survey is the recognized benchThe
fi
nalists
for
the
2013
Plant
Engineering
mark for plant managers, and it provides not just
information
compensation
but also,
Product ofabout
the Year
awards willtrends,
be announced
though
exclusiveissue
Manufacturing
report,
in theyour
November
and onlinePulse
on Nov.
15.
offers a look at the key issues facing your fellow
Its the plant managers source for the best new
plant leaders around the country.
products of the year, and their chance to vote on
The Salary Survey results will appear in Plant Enthe best
of the
best inissue
manufacturing.
gineerings
annual
Forecast
in February. Its
www.plantengineering.com/poy
considered
a cant-miss issue for manufacturing
professionals. All it needs to succeed is your input.
Editorial research
VIDEO: Summit videos, presentations offer manufacturing insight

The convergence of manufacturing, technology, automation and information is driving a new way to analyze and
understand whats happening on the plant floor. Today, manufacturing takes place in real time, and the tools you
need to improve productivity, safety and reliability have changed, and continue to change almost daily.
The 2014 Global Automation and Manufacturing Summit, presented by Control Engineering and Plant
Engineering, in partnership with Hannover Fairs USA, delivered a day of content and information focused on
how manufacturers are using these tools and strategies today to affect change in their own plants.
You can view videos and presentations at www.plantengineering.com/summit
TOP 5: Searching for solutions online

In October, content at plantengineering.com was referenced more than 100,000 times worldwide as readers searched for solutions that could make their plant floor run smarter, safer, faster, and more efficiently. The
solution-based articles at plantengineering.com deliver content that addresses common plant-floor issues
as well as the latest in new product technology and innovative ideas to help
manufacturers get more out of their plant floor.
The top five stories at plantengineering.com in October were:
1. Study identifies 10 ways to improve supply chain efficiency
2. Schneider Electric to acquire Instep Software
3. Set-up and design for a team pressure reducing valve
4. Oil-fired boiler users converting to natural gas
5. In industrial settings, two-way radios still a smart choice
Research, data at your fingertips

This months PMI Report (left) from the Institute for Supply Management paints a rosy picture of manufacturing. This months PMI is at 59.0%, the highest mark in the last 12 months and a
further indication of the strength of the manufacturing sector, and the strength of
the overall U.S. economy. Plant Engineering tracks the PMI each month and reports
it on the first of each month at plantengineering.com. Its one of many pieces of
data reported from throughout manufacturing on a continuing basis. Included in
those data points are Plant Engineerings five major research projects. In 2015,
Plant Engineering will launch studies on Energy Management, Maintenance, Safety,
and Workforce Development, as well as the industry benchmark, the Plant Engineering Salary Survey. Survey
results from 2014 are available on our Website at plantengineering.com/research.
6 November 2014
PLANT ENGINEERING
On a quarterly basis, Plant Engineering conducts

research studies on various industry topics.
Access the following full reports at
www.plantengineering.com/research
Maintenance
Workforce development
Energy management
People and training
On-demand videos
Upcoming and on-demand Webcasts
Online training center
Case studies130+ all in one place
on dozens of topics
eGuides
White papers
Services available
Site search engine: Search current and
past articles at
www.plantengineering.com by topic,
keyword, author or company name to
find solutions to your plant issues.
Channels, new products: Visit our
specialized microsites providing feature
news, products, applications, tutorials
and research for engineering
professionals.
eNewsletters: Keep current with the
latest information and news with our
weekly PlantMail and topic-specific
electronic newsletters.
System Integrator Guide: Consult our
listing of more than 2,300 automation system integrators. You can find a
specific company or run a seven-way
multi-parameter search.
Predictive. Preventive. Productive.

Introducing an integrated team of tools that work
together to check, detect, isolate and report.
See MORE with the Fine Resolution capability
of the TrueIR Thermal Imager. Do MORE with
the durable Insulation Resistance Testers and
reach MORE with the Remote Link Solution
powered by the Bluetooth adapter and
remote logging display. Keep things running
faster and more efciently than ever before.
Find insights with this predictive and
preventive maintenance solution.
Keysight U5855A
TrueIR Thermal Imager
Keysight U1450A/60A Series

Insulation Resistance Testers
Keysight Remote
Link Solution
320x240 Fine Resolution, from

160x120 pixels detector resolution
Wireless testing and

report generation
Measurement distance:
Up to 100 m
4x digital zoom
Insulation resistance:
Up to 260 G
Supports up to 20 models of
Keysight handheld meters
View objects as close as

10 cm away
Adjustable test voltages:

10 V to 1.1 kV
Supports iOS and Android

smart devices
Thermal sensitivity:
0.07 C at 30 C
4.5-digit full-featured OLED

digital multimeter
Real-time wireless data

monitoring and logging
Find out more. Video available here:

www.keysight.com/find/PMinsight
USA: 800 829 4444
CAN: 877 894 4414
Keysight Technologies, Inc. 2014

Bluetooth and Bluetooth logos are trademarks owned by Bluetooth
SIG, Inc., USA and licensed to Keysight Technologies, Inc.
CONVEY
DUMP
FLEXICON Manual
Dumping Stations allow
dust-free dumping of bulk
material from bags and other
containers. Automatic reversepulse filter cleaning allows
continuous, efficient
operation. Available
with integral bag
compactors for
total dust
containment.
FLEXI-DISC Tubular Cable

Conveyors gently slide fragile
foods and non-foods through
smooth stainless steel tubing
routed horizontally, vertically
or at any angle, over short
or long distances, dust-free.
Single or multiple
inlets and
outlets.
CONDITION
FILL
BLOCK-BUSTER Bulk Bag Conditioners

loosen bulk materials that have solidified
during storage and shipment. Variable height
turntable positions bag for hydraulic rams
with contoured conditioning plates to press
bag on all sides at all heights.
SWING-DOWN, REAR-POST
and TWIN-CENTERPOST
Bulk Bag Fillers can fill
one bulk bag per week or
20 per hour at the lowest
cost per bag. Numerous
performance options.
Available to industrial
or sanitary
standards.
DUMP
CONVEY
PNEUMATI-CON
Pneumatic Conveying
Systems move a broad
range of bulk materials
over short or long
distances, between single
or multiple inlet and
discharge points in low
to high capacities.
Available as dilute-phase
vacuum or positive
pressure systems, fully
integrated with your
process.
TIP-TITE Container Dumpers

dump bulk material from drums
(shown), boxes or other containers
into vessels up to 10 ft (3m) high.
Dust-tight (shown) or open chute
models improve
efficiency and
safety of an
age-old task.
USA
sales@flexicon.com
1 888 FLEXICON
BULK-OUT Bulk
Bag Dischargers
unload free- and
non-free-flowing
solids from bulk
bags automatically.
Allows untying,
discharging, retying
and collapsing of
bulk bagsall
dust-free. Available
with weigh
batching controls.
CONVEY
FLEXICON Flexible Screw
Conveyors transport free- and
non-free-flowing bulk solid materials
from large pellets to sub-micron
powders, including products that
pack, cake or smear, with no
separation of blends, dust-free
at low cost. No bearings contact
material. Easy to clean
quickly, thoroughly.
SUCCEED
The FLEXICON Lifetime Performance
Guarantee* assures you of a successful
result, whether you purchase one piece of
equipment or an engineered, automated
plant-wide system. From initial testing in
large-scale laboratories, to single-source
project management, to
after-sale support by a
worldwide network of
factory experts, you
can trust your process
and your reputation
to Flexicon.
+56 2 2415 1286

+44 (0)1227 374710
+61 (0)7 3879 4180
+65 6778 9225
+27 (0)41 453 1871
2014 Flexicon Corporation. Flexicon Corporation has registrations and pending applications for the trademark FLEXICON throughout the world.
*See full Lifetime Performance Guarantee for details.
CC-1057
CHILE
UK
AUSTRALIA
SINGAPORE
SOUTH AFRICA
UNLOAD
IN FOCUS
Robots dont need workers compensation
Leverage total insurance costs to drive greater profitability.
Luke A. Foley and Steve Phillabaum
The Graham Company
Here a bot, there a botalmost

everywhere robots are increasing production and distribution efficiencies
while decreasing workers compensation claims industry wide. While automation is a lifetime lower-cost solution,
there are still more (often overlooked)
opportunities to extend cost reductions
through a reengineered insurance program.
Insurance savings typically dont top
the list of return on investment (ROI)
justifications when it comes to installing automation and controls, but such
savings, most often achieved through
fewer workers compensation claims,
have impact far beyond a single plant.
In fact, safer workplace conditions
across the industry will drive increased
productivity and allow owners to attract
and better compensate highly skilled
workers.
If you thought this was merely about
insurance savings, think again. This is
about leveraging insurance savings for
total profitabilitywhere motivated
skilled workers intersect with advanced
technologies to yield a plant that can
sustain growth from Millennials first
day on the job through retirement.
mation is much more than a technological advance; it is a social process

that reflects easily defined divisions
and fluctuations within our society.
Investing in automation and deploying equipment and automation systems
are always confronted by managerial
concernsincluding insurance.
Overall, those industries and companies that embrace the societal shift
and automate are also those in tune with
their risk management programs and
are likely enjoying lower costs due to
newfound control over insurance costs
and human capital management.
of employee injury, such as strains and

sprains or even major claims such as
dismemberment or death. One of the
most common types of injuries manufacturers must cope with results from
repetitive tasks that occur over time,
leading to carpel tunnel syndrome and
other similar injuries.
The cost of a typical carpel tunnel injury (from surgery to rehab)
is $60,000. Just one of these claims
can increase workers compensation
cost by 3% to 5% for three years due
to the negative impact. By installing
automated systems, the company is
Renaissance upon us
Globally, the manufacturing industry is

facing immense pressure to end cheap
labor at a time when its also facing an
aging workforce, a shortage of skilled
workers, and the need for increased
use of technology and education. Here
in the United States, a manufacturing renaissance is underway. The U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a
decrease in the need for manual labor,
but a major thrust toward skilled labor
and higher education for manufacturing activities.
But this renaissance hinges on far
more than robotics. Industrial autowww.plantengineering.com
The addition of automation leads to fewer injuries and workers compensation

claims. Automated systems use sensors and controls with software to perform
material-handling functions that humans once did. Courtesy: Motoman
Insurance cost control
The biggest effect automation has

on a companys insurance program
is workers compensation. The addition of automation leads to fewer
injuries and workers compensation
claims. Automated systems use sensors and controls with software to
perform material-handling functions
that humans once did. An automated
system greatly reduces the incidence
greatly reducing the occurrence of

these claims and will enjoy a positive
impact on insurance costs.
At the individual company level,
managements goal is to earn the lowest experience modification (mod).
The Workers Compensation Experience Mod is a factor calculated by the
workers compensation bureau based
on a companys prior loss experience.
In simple terms, if ABC Manufacturer
PLANT ENGINEERING
November 2014 9
Looking to
extend service life?
Maybe its time for a CHAINGE

www.diamondchain.com | 1-800-872-4246
2014 The Diamond Chain Company. DCPEM-0814
Diamond, the Diamond Chain logo, and Nothing Outlasts a Diamond
are trademarks of Diamond Chain Company, Inc.
nothing outlasts a diamond
TM
IN fOCUS
has lower loss experience than the average company in its
class of business, ABC receives a credit Mod (such as .750).
This credit Mod correlates to a 25% discount off of the
standard workers compensation insurance rates. The lower
a companys loss experience, the less money that is paid
for the risk management program and the more money that
is available to invest in other company endeavors.
Conversely, if ABC Manufacturer has loss experience
that is higher than the average company for its class of
business, ABC receives a debit Mod (such as 1.400). This
debit Mod correlates to a 40% surcharge to the standard
workers compensation insurance rates.
The mod factor and the industry: At the broader industry level, decreased loss ratios will help drive down the
manufacturing class code costs. Insurance companies will
pay fewer claims for these classes of business within the
manufacturing sector, in turn creating lower rates.
Innovation attracts Millennials
These new industries provide many high-salary skillbased jobs to the economyand Millennials are taking
notice. According to Deloittes 2013 Global Millennial Survey, Millennials the world over still believe that
things can changeand that business in particular can
move the world into a better place.
To that end, they want to work at innovative companies
that are improving the world in an innovative fashion,
and suddenly the manufacturing industry is an ideal fit
for this new workforce. In fact, according to the study,
most Millennials think that the technology and media
sectors are the most innovative, followed by consumer
business and manufacturing.
In the United States, over 70% of respondents identify
themselves as being innovative individuals. Millennials
knowledge of new technologies will undoubtedly define
the culture of the 21st-century workplace, and the bottom
line for manufacturers looking to attract Millennials is
the need to emphasize their innovative ways and positive
societal impacts.
Millennial risk management
While automation unlocks insurance savings that can be

reinvested in higher salaries, it is important to note that the
hiring of higher skilled, higher educated employees also
brings new risks to manage. The nature of the use of higher
technology requires updated safety plans that proactively
drive the success of the insurance program. Revised safety
plans may focus less on injury prevention because there
will be less hazardous conditions.
Fortunately, Millennial workers are committed to their
personal learning and development, according to PwCs
2011 Millennial Survey of 4,364 university graduates about
their expectations of work. The survey confirmed that professional development remains the most essential benefit
they want from employersa finding that bodes well for
manufacturers seeking to create a culture of innovation
and safety.
10 November 2014
plant engineering
One grease.
All business.
There are two ways you can look at
greases: as something that keeps
your machines running or your
business going.
With Mobilith SHCTM superbperformance multipurpose greases,
it would have to be the second.
Designed to stay on the job longer
than conventional greases in severe
conditions and perform in a wide
temperature range of applications
in a broad variety of machinery and
components Mobilith SHC helps
extend machine life and provide
better protection of your capital
investment. And, as the only grease
youll need, it can help reduce
maintenance and inventory costs.
All of which adds up to one thing:
productivity that sticks.
Beyond a revised safety program,

the new, more diverse workforce will
require the company to place additional emphasis on avoiding uncovered employment practices liability
claims such as harassment and discrimination. This would include specific anti-harassment training for all
employees on top of a reevaluation of
the companys current employment
practices liability policy. Additionally,
a stronger consideration toward adding cyber liability (insurance for cyber
security incidents) and directors and
officers liability policies is advised.
The nature of automation entails proprietary information exposure due to
remote connectivity, database management, and installing third-party
software into operational processes.
Therefore, incorporating automation
into processes creates a heightened
cyber liability exposure that must be
managed from the outset.
Workplace safety is an important
business tool. Rather than being a cost
of doing business, safety programs
reduce cost and contribute to the bottom line. As a consequence, many companies have incorporated safety into
their lean manufacturing culture. Safe
practices reduce absenteeism, increase
productivity, and improve efficiency,
quality, and morale. The Bureau of
Labor Statistics shows that the rate of
occupational injuries in manufacturing facilities has been cut in half from
1994-2007, dropping from just over
12 injuries per 100 workers to barely
more than 5 injuries per 100 workers.
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IN fOCUS
Total cost of ownership
Copyright 2013-2014 Exxon Mobil Corporation.

All rights reserved. All trademarks used herein are trademarks
or registered trademarks of Exxon Mobil Corporation or one
of its subsidiaries unless otherwise noted.
The cost savings on the insurance program allows manufacturers to expand

into opportunities once thought
unachievable. Increased automation in the manufacturing sector will
help U.S. companies expand into the
global marketplace. The companies
that effectively plan how their operations will function, how it affects
their insurance program, and how to
employ the workforce will see the
most growth.
Manufacturers venturing into new
countries will create a need to evaluate current insurance programs, as the
12 November 2014
plant engineering
exposures worldwide are much different abroad. Automation will have a

positive effect for those who expand
around the globe, and embracing automation sooner than later creates the
foundation for growth. PE
Luke A. Foley and Steve Phillabaum
are producers for The Graham Company, involved in risk management and
insurance for manufacturers. Edited by
Mark T. Hoske, content manager, CFE
Media, Control Engineering, mhoske@
cfemedia.com.
5 considerations
with automation
Insurance implications extend
beyond workers compensation. The
cost of workers compensation coverage will decrease most significantly
when operations are automated, but
there are several other insurance
implications that must be addressed.
If youve recently automated some
or all of your operations, dont overlook these top 5 questions:
1. Has new automation equipment

been appraised and insured to
value?
2. Have property and general lia-
bility exposures been reevaluated?
3. Is it time to remarket the busi-
ness to insurance carriers?

(Automation makes companies
more sophisticated and attractive to carriers.)
4. Increased production leads to

more distribution and contracts
with new companies. Has your
broker reviewed all contracts
with business partners?
5. Have safety procedures been
reevaluated to ensure alignment

with new automated production
processes?
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Your machinery drives your business. Downtime, high maintenance costs, or unexpected stoppages will all slow your ascent.
So Mobil-branded industrial lubricants help you get the most out of your machinery. We have an exceptional product range, a
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All trademarks used herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Exxon Mobil Corporation or one of its subsidiaries unless otherwise noted.
IN fOCUS
CMMS with OPC interface creates real-time savings
Paul Lachance, Smartware Group
Integrating a computerized maintenance

management system (CMMS) with an open
platform communications (OPC) server can
result in fewer breakdowns, less manual
entry, and fewer lost bags at the airport.
OPC technology essentially works as
a conduit for transporting and translating
data. It picks up information from hardware
sources and sends it directly to a robust
CMMS without needing a technician.
Maintenance managers get information
in real time, as the OPC interface scoops
up readings from data points and instantly
delivers those readings to the CMMS.
For example, a food processing company
had to flush fresh vegetables with water
before processing. The issue of managing
wastewater was crucial since that water had
to be treated and deemed clean enough for
discharge into a local river.
Searching for a solution, the company
had a database expert retrieve data from
the enterprise resource planning system

while other personnel gathered data from
its SCADA system and from the separate,
stand-alone CMMS. All of the data was
disjoined and required a significant amount
of manual manipulation.
By using the OPC interface to connect
the other systems with the CMMS, maintenance managers were able to analyze the
problem by viewing 20 data points delivered in real time. They discovered clogged
filters were causing the wastewater tank
to overflow.
Instead of continuing to replace the
pumps, managers harnessed data from
the OPC interface and directed it to the
CMMS to set up preventive maintenance
tasks and work orders to change the filters
and pumps on a regular basis. With this
strategic approach to integrating technology and data, the company saved money
and reduced water waste.
Adding an OPC interface to a CMMS
gives maintenance teams another impor-
tant advantage: mobility. An oil and gas

company used that advantage to streamline
operations. At one time, engineers in the
field would take readings from flowmeters
and then travel back to the main office
to examine production data on a particular well. Essentially, the engineers were
locked out of their own data when they
worked anywhere other than the office.
Since OPC technology can translate
data across various platforms and programming languages, the company was
able to use it to break the lock on the
information the engineers needed. Now,
data from the CMMS and other systems is
decentralized and the engineers can access
what they need when they need it using
mobile devices. Again, production went
up and costs went down. PE
Paul Lachance is president and
chief technology officer for Smartware
Group, Inc. Contact Paul directly at
paul.lachance@bigfootcmms.com.
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IN fOCUS
Guide your talent: Sustainability in 5 straight steps
Dirk Frame, T.A. Cook Consultants, Inc.
For almost every business in almost

every industry, sustainable improvement represents a constant struggle.
Even when steps have been taken to
implement improvements, they are only
effective when the employees concerned

are engaged and supported by managers
toward long-term change.
With reference to operational improvement in the fast-moving consumer goods
(FMCG) sector, this article looks at
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how an honest, realistic evaluation of

skills and consistent reinforcement
are the key factors which will make or
break your sustainability initiatives.
1. Establish reach
Before addressing the skills you have

or need, the first question that must be
answered when striving for improvement
is: To what extent do you want sustainability? This might seem obvious, but
it is extremely difficult to achieve sustainability in all areas of a business and
many well-intentioned programs fail by
trying to do too much at once. However,
by carefully defining the exact target of
improvement measures, the focus will
be easier to maintainin turn making
the project far more likely to succeed.
2. Do an As Is analysis
Conducting an As Is analysis of the

part of the business you will focus on is
vital. Questions regarding your businesss
particular situation must be answered honestly and must include, for example, the
situation and location of the bottling plant
you manage. Is it close to a university or
training center that you could use at a later
date? Is the plant in the middle of nowhere
and therefore reliant on high salaries to
attract talent? Do you pay your workers
well, or have you recently lost part of the
team to better-paying competitors? If
workers have left, do you know why? Are
longtime workers who are doing a good
job being rewarded? Is your plant a family
business that attracts long-term employees
or does it have a high turnover? Are the
people who work for you happy to do so?
The answers to these questions may in
some cases be painful to answer honestly,
but it is extremely important to understand
the opportunities first before developing
and implementing any long-term changes.
3. Age and experience
As experience tends to go hand-in-hand

with age, being aware of the professional
maturity of your employees is the key.
Many companies suffer deeply when
older employees retire, as a huge amount
of knowledge that has been built up over
decades leaves with those employees
and no one knows how, for example, to
16 November 2014
plant engineering
IN fOCUS
evaluate the relative worth of preventive
routines, or to pull up a history on a particular component or machine. Whats
more, there is no one to train the younger,
less experienced workforce that is coming
in, which will have a negative impact on
productivity.
Having a deep understanding of where
you stand in that respect is vital. The
transfer of knowledge between employees at all levels of experience will not
only insure you against the problems
mentioned, but will foster a culture of
exchange as workers naturally discuss
what works and what doesnt, often suggesting great ideas for improvement.
expectation is realistic. Asking too much

of people at lower levels by bombarding
them with too many new processes or
almost impossible targets will mean that
those changes will eventually be ignored
or discarded.
If improvements are workable, teams
are supported in implementing them, the
benefits are consistently communicated,

and above all, workers are given recognition for their efforts, the improvements will remain in place long into the
future. PE
Dirk Frame is managing partner at T.A.
Cook Consultants, Inc.
Those shiny new bearings

you just installed
4. Create the appropriate processes
The preceding steps should have helped

you to gain a realistic comprehension of
both the skills you have and the skills
you need. The next stage is to design and
develop processes that are appropriate to
those needs. For example, if your employees are highly skilled and experienced in
their particular fieldssuch as food packaging requirements, refurbishing old or
hard-to-get parts, or on-the-fly reactive
repairsbut are not good at the paperwork
associated with it, then for traceability and
record keeping you will need a process
that makes computer or administrative
requirements minimal.
Equally, if you have a large group of
graduates who are eager to learn and
move up the ladder but arent ready to
take on more responsibility, you will need
to ensure that training is made available
to them to provide hands-on experience.
Practically, a mentoring program where
senior workers guide and coach more
junior ones will help to cement the sense
of opportunity and teamwork within the
business while also taking major steps
toward continuity.
Actions that are difficult to understand or require extra effort which
employees cannot see value in will not
survive long-term, so adapting mechanisms to suit the highest number of
people will have a beneficial effect.
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Perhaps the most important step
toward ensuring that changes remain
in place is to ensure that managerial
plant engineering
November 2014 17
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IN fOCUS
10 questions to ask when managing a shutdown
Mike Gehloff
Allied Reliability Group
It may be hard to believe, but the

success or failure of your shutdown
(outage, turnaround) is determined long
before you shut down the equipment
and begin the event. While many treat
the shutdown as a marathon event that
must be survived, the insightful among
us know that it is the actions that occur
in the T-minus 12 months, T-minus 6
months, T-Minus 2 weeks, and even
T-Plus 2 weeks time frames that really
determine the success or failure of our
efforts.
Successful shutdown management
requires a well-established process that
pulls the entire organization together
in preparation for the event, working together as a team to meet clearly
defined goals and objectives. To reach
these goals, each team member must
clearly understand:
The process we will follow to get
there
The milestones and deadlines we
must meet
Their individual contributionin
both activity and decision making
The organizational structure as it
applies to the shutdown itself
Specifically how we will measure
success.
I like to test peoples knowledge of
this information, informally and on the
spot, to determine how well they are
informed. If they cannot provide clear
and accurate answers to these questions,
it means that I have not done a good
enough job at communicating and that
I have much more work to do. If people
Seek to find ways to

answer these questions
yourself, but more
importantly, to make them
an integral part of your
organization.
18 November 2014
plant engineering
cannot produce a passable answer off

the top of their heads, then they are
unlikely to be influenced by the process
as they make their day-to-day decisions
to prepare for the shutdown.
Building the type of coalition necessary to ensure success represents a
social science and not a physical science, and as such, there can never be a
single formula for success. Each organization must look at what has worked for
others and adapt these lessons learned
into their own way of thinking, communicating, and interacting toward the
common goal.
Here are some questions to ask when
establishing your own process that will
fit your needs. If we are to have a successful shutdown, we must have clear
and repeatable answers to these questions at a minimum.
Successful shutdown
management requires a
well-established process
that pulls the entire
organization together in
preparation for the event.
10 questions for successful shutdown
managers:
1. How do we measure the success
or failure of our future shutdown
(budget, time, safety, percentage of work completed)? Are
our measures of success clearly
understood by everyone affected
by the shutdown?
2. When will we stop allowing new
work to be added to our shutdown
plan? What is our cutoff date?
3. How do we ensure that the
ideas of all parties are integrated into one single plan that
drives the organization forward?
How will we communicate this
plan to everyone affected by the
shutdown?
4. If an emergency arises after the
cutoff data and we absolutely
must add work, who will approve

this and what is the formal process for justifying this addition?
5. How do we pick that small
handful of jobs that will occur
during that shutdown that pose
the greatest risk to our success,
and how to we prepare ourselves
for those factors that are likely to
go wrong on these jobs?
6. When must all of our procurement activities be completed?
7. How will materials be stored
and delivered during the shutdown?
8. How will we prepare the contractors prior to the start of the
shutdown so that they can engage
the moment the shutdown begins
without delay?
9. How will we perform a final
check just prior to the shutdown,
and are there any conditions,
should we find ourselves in that
situation, that would cause us to
wave off or delay the start of our
shutdown?
10. How will we ensure that we
measure and communicate
our success after the fact and,
equally as important, integrate
the lessons we learn into our next
shutdown preparation?
So I have probably given you more
questions than answers in this posting, but in the end, when moving an
organization forward, your ability to
answer these questions for yourself is
more important than blindly following
someone elses path.
Seek to find ways to answer these
questions yourself, but more importantly, to make them an integral part of
your organization. Use the spot-check
method I described above as a test of
your efforts to engrain these elements
into your way of doing business. PE
Mike Gehloff is with Allied Reliability Group, a Plant Engineering content
partner. He is a contributor to The Maintenance Phoenix blog.
5 things to consider when selecting a site for your new plant

Jim Hale, Stellar
While communities dangle expensive

bait in hopes of catching job creation, its
skewing the site-selection process, resulting
in plants built in unfit locations.
You have to be sure that the site will meet
your plants needs and business plan before
cashing any checks.
The first step is to detail facts include:
The goods the plant will produce
The quantity of goods the plant will
produce
Five years of production planning
Future growth expectations
Defining these facts is key. They impact
various aspects of a site ranging from size
requirements to energy availability. First
check to see if your organization even needs
a new site. If your organization does require
an entirely new plant, here are five factors
to consider that will help keep you on track
during your site-selection process:
1. Local geography: A site may require
additional land depending on local con-
ditions such as topography, drainage or

governmental regulation. Dont forget to
investigate these factors.
2. Daily operations: Consider activities such as raw ingredient delivery, finished product distribution and the facilitys
internal material movement. Ask yourself
additional questions such as, Will the
plants operations require rail access? or
Is interstate accessibility high priority?
Aim to answer these early on to help clearly
define the logistics of your new plant.
3. Utility and water costs: Determine
the square footage you will require, and
use a utility matrix to estimate its utility
requirements.
When selecting a site, ensure an adequate
energy supply source is readily available.
Review your water and wastewater requirements. Water consumption costs are heavily influenced by wastewater pre-treatment
costs or additional wastewater surcharges.
Having estimates of these costs can help
qualify your prospective sites.
4. Distance: Identify the location of

your customers and distribution centers.
Pinpointing these can help determine the
ideal location of your new plant.
Keep transportation costs in mind, as
well. Understand that costs vary between
inbound material and outbound product.
Your organization should strive to minimize
the total transportation cost over simply
minimizing the mileage between customers, materials and your plant.
5. Environmental issues: This is a
crucial consideration for food processing
plants. Examine nearby industrial sites. Do
they emit dust? Is there air pollution? What
about odors? Noxious or toxic elements? If
the site is contaminated, its absolutely not
suitable for a food processing facility. These
issues are typically covered in a Phase I
environmental assessment.
Jim Hale is a senior civil engineer, he has
more than 30 years of experience in project
engineering and project management.
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IN fOCUS
10 ways to ruin your PdM program

Predictive maintenance (PdM) applies to a large percentage of your equipment, and it
requires a much larger investment in equipment and training.
By Doug Plunkette
While preventive maintenance only

applies to at best 11% of your components,
predictive maintenance (PdM) applies to a
much larger percentage of your equipment,
and it requires a much larger investment
in equipment and training. Just the same,
I have been in the business long enough to
see more than a handful of companies have
to reinvent their PdM program as a result
of one or more of the following mistakes.
In case you didnt notice, I used the
words reinvent their PdM program
because its very difficult to just start the
program over again and say someone
made a huge mistake; it sounds much
nicer to say we reinvented it. We typically call it something different the second time around, some folks might call it
condition based maintenance, condition
based monitoring, or even on-condition
maintenance. However, the truth is that if
you have to start over, a few people really
messed up by doing one or more of the
following on my list of things that can
ruin your PdM program.
1. Not completing the PdM tasks on

time: This might be the most common
way that companies ruin their PdM program, and those who do so usually start
out doing well with their PdM program.
They might even have a year or more of
good data along with several significant
finds with one or more of the technologies.
Then the company adds several new pieces
of equipment or takes on more work, and
the next thing technicians know, they have
a huge amount of emergency and demand
maintenance and the workload begins to
back up.
Those who have been in the business a
number of years know you can get away
with skipping a task or two and hope like
heck that youre lucky, but once you begin
missing defects or potential failures and a
major asset crashes, all of the sudden your
PdM program is not looking very effective. Let it happen more than a couple of
20 November 2014
plant engineering
times and someone will tell you it doesnt

work and isnt needed.
You have to complete your PdM tasks
on timeall the timeif you want the
program to be effective. Taking a chance
by skipping these tasks is a bad gamble!
2. Not correcting the defects detected

by PdM: In a similar situation, when our
PdM technicians do detect defects/potential
failures, we need to act on them as soon as
possible. It doesnt do any of us any good
to detect a fault, write a work order to have
the fault corrected, and then allow the fault
to occur. It makes the program look bad,
and when your program looks bad, people
begin to question what it costs.
Now, some maintenance folks will sit
back and smile and say, We told you it was
going to fail and you didnt give us the time
to fix it. Well, last I checked, the job of
planning and scheduling maintenance work
belongs to those who work in maintenance.
If the technologies detect a fault and the
equipment needs to be repaired, we need
to get it done.
3. Using one technology to detect all
failures: I once attended a class on vibration analysis where the instructor told the
group he could detect steam trap faults with
vibration analysis. Now I have no doubt
that one could actually do this, so the better
question becomes why would you do this?
When there is a technology that costs far
less and you can very quickly determine
if the trap is working or not working properly in less than a minute, why in the world
would you use a technology that costs five
times as much and takes 10 times longer to
determine if the trap is working correctly?
By the way, the instructors answer was,
Because I can.
My answer is slightly different. I believe
in using the right tool for each job. It helps
things get done in a more efficient and costeffective way. The strategy of using one
PdM tool to do the job of a different tool
that has been proven far better at detecting
a specific fault is foolish, and a waste of
time and money.
4. No one understands the reports:

This might be the most common problem
I see. While lots of companies are getting
involved with PdM, the greatest percentage
of companies I work with bid out their PdM
work to a contract company that specializes
in providing PdM services. They get started
and the next thing they know, they have
piles of paper or digital reports that show
dozens of their assets in alarm.
The maintenance supervisor and manager open the reports and cant make sense
of what they are looking at. Worse than this,
they now have a decision to make: do they
take action on what they dont understand?
If youre going to have a PdM program,
you need to have people trained to a level
that they can read and understand the
reports that come from your contractor.
5. Performing your PdM tasks at the
wrong interval: This problem is typically
one we see with new and inexperienced
companies. They want to be able to use the
technologies but have yet to put the business case together that shows how valid
these tools are: how the investment in the
tools and training will bear fruit in reduced
equipment failures, reduced equipment
downtime, and lower maintenance costs.
We get these results only if we perform each
technology at their prescribed intervals.
Nearly 15 years ago I worked with
a company that lost what I would call a
mature PdM program because it allowed
someone to just walk in and change the
intervals on all of the companys PdM tasks.
Harold the Hero claimed he had worked for
a company that only did vibration analysis
on critical assets once a quarter and once
every six months on non-critical assets.
Two years later, the company had pumps,
motors, and gearboxes failing without
detection, and months later it said goodbye to its entire PdM group. Five years
later, Harold the Hero moved on, and his
old company had to reengineer its new
condition based maintenance program.
This may sound strange to some of you,
but that new CBM program looks a heck
of a lot like its old PdM program.
6. Forget the training, just use the

technology: This is kind of like the old
comedy routine where someone says,
You know your PdM program is in
trouble when...
Well, you know your PdM program is in
trouble when your boss says go ahead and
buy that new ultrasound tool, and when
you let him know it is $17K for the tool
and the training, he replies, How much
for just the tool?
Trust me, the technologies require both
training and experience to work. You really do need both. If you cant afford the
training, dont buy the tool.
7. Using PdM to advance your runto-failure program: Lets just say I have
worked with a few companies over the past
20 years that have this worst practice
down to a science. With the understanding that the term worst practice is the
opposite of best practice, worst practice
companies want to use their PdM technologies to get every last second possible
out of a failing asset.
Now, I understand that there are times

where one might want to attempt to finish
a run or an order, but using the technologies to temporarily delay the inevitable is
not what the technologies were designed
or invented for. When your technicians
inform you that they have detected a
potential failure, you should immediately
look for the next window to change the
component as soon as possible.
At a customer site several years ago,
I walked into the building one morning
where you could hear a low-speed piece
of rotating equipment squealing as soon
as the door opened. On the way to the
maintenance shop, I walked by one of the
companys PdM technicians; he was carrying his vibration analysis equipment. I
stopped him and asked him where he was
going, and he smiled and replied, Im
going to take readings on that bearing
you can hear squealing.
Now I dont claim to be a Level 3
vibration analyst, but something tells me
that the bearing he was going to check
was in the process of failing and needed
to be replaced. And, less than two hours

later, it seized and the drive shaft fractured as well. If youre going to invest
in the tools, you need to believe in them
as well.
8. Using the inexpensive solution

instead of the right solution: Like
nearly everything else in the world, you
have the option to buy the real deal or a
cheap solution. Eight years ago, I worked
with a client on the West Coast that had
its operators taking single point readings
with IR pens with the belief that he had
an infrared inspection program. While
taking temperature readings of different
equipment on a daily basis might seem
like a good idea, unless someone is
recording and trending the data, a single
point reading is not the best option.
The shame is that with just a few thousand dollars more, the company could
have a camera that would have given it
far more. The same can be said for every
technology on the market. Do yourself
and your company a favor: research the
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options and purchase equipment that has
a proven track record.
9. Taking on too much at the start:

Starting a PdM program is exciting. I have
to say it feels good to finally move into
the next generation of maintenance where
we actually have the tools available to be
proactive in detecting potential failures

and correcting them before the equipment
actually chews itself into thousands of little
pieces. This excitement can also lead to
biting off far more than you can chew.
If you want your new PdM program
to work, please take my advice and start
this with your critical assets only. Get the
Line 4 just
went down.
but youre
not worried.
Your IDC Distributor Is on-call with

the products and expertise you need.
www.IDC-USA.coop/difference
most critical assets under control with

the top five technologies before you even
consider looking at the balance of your
plant. Break your plant equipment into
blocks starting with the most critical and
then moving on as you get each list into
your CMMS , on your routes, and under
control.
10. The boss knows nothing about

maintenance: Its quite common today
to have an engineer move into the role
of maintenance manager or supervisor,
and while that person might be a fantastic engineer, upon transitioning into this
role he or she knows little or nothing about
maintenance and can make some very rash
decisions. While there are lots of good
books on how to manage a maintenance
and reliability program, few courses available that can bring someone up to speed
in a short time.
The reality is that those of us who have
careers in maintenance are no different
from the rest of society where blame is
an acceptable excuse for failure. I look at
this a bit differently: in the world where
we are viewed as a burden, we must use
data and facts to support the decisions
we make.
If your company has made the transition into PdM, there should be a business
case to support the program, making it
bulletproof to changes at any position. I
would even say that those who have found
success in this business did so by showing
the data and results of each change they
made to move in the direction of building
a proactive maintenance culture.
I have seen six companies that have
solid PdM programs in place. While I
looked for common ground, there were
only two things they all had in common:
1. Each of the six companies actively
used data to show how their PdM program
was improving equipment reliability and
saving money.
2. Each followed, and stuck to, the
industry standards for how often they
should perform their PdM tasks and had
a 90% completion rate or better.
Its no secret that PdM works, but you
have to be committed to the process. PE
Doug Plunkette is a principal, worldwide RCM discipline leader at Allied
Reliability Group.
22 November 2014
plant engineering
Highest standards.
Lowest life-cycle cost.
The excellent reputation of FS-Elliott and

their easy to maintain compressors were
signicant factors in our decision.
FACILITIES ENGINEERING MANAGER ,
AUTOMOBILE COMPONENT MANUFACTURER
It became clear that FS-Elliott truly

values each customer when I visited
their manufacturing facility and received
personal attention from the CEO himself.
MAINTENANCE MANAGER ,
CAST IRON FOUNDRY
Our reputation as having the highest quality standards in the industry did not
happen by chance. For over 50 years, FS-Elliott has been at the forefront of
centrifugal compressor design and engineering. This experience allows us to
deliver reliable and energy ecient air compressors with low life-cycle costs.
724.387.3200
fs-elliott.com
APPS FOR ENGINEERS
Featured apps
CFE Medias Apps for Engineers is an interactive directory of more than 265
engineering-related applications for Android and Apple iOS operating systems,
created by various companies. The app helps users do their jobs better and save
time, providing a pre-sort of relevant mobile engineering applications loaded
with various calculators, catalogs, file viewers, measurement tools, and more.
www.plantengineering.com/appsforengineers
Relays Visual Product Configurator

iOS 4.3+, Android 2.2+
Cost: Free
Company: ISchneider Electric USA, Inc.
Website: www.schneider-electric.us/
The Plug-In Relay Visual Product Configurator is an interactive tool which simplifies the
selection of Schneider Electric Zelio plug-in relays, sockets and available accessories.
Users select a relay type, its available options (such as contact configuration and voltage), then add available sockets and accessories. The selected items are added to a
parts list which contains links to each part numbers detail page on our web site. The
parts list can also be sent out via email.
BIMx Building Information Model eXplorer

iOS 6.0+, Android 4.0.3+
Cost: Free
Company: Graphisoft SE
Website: www.graphisoft.com/bimx
The BIMx app enables devices to become a 3D communication and presentation tool.
With the app, interactively explore architectural designs through the BIM. The app also
provides an info tool to gather BIM element information.
Build My Roof
iOS 5.0+, Android: 3.0+
Cost: Free
Company: Firestone Building Products
Website: http://firestonebpco.com
Use this interactive tool to design a roof that meets the full RoofPoint guidelines, as well
as Firestones own Platinum level of products.
Autodesk ForceEffect
iOS 5.0+, Android 2.2+
Cost: Free
Company: Autodesk Inc.
Website: www.autodesk.com/AutodeskForceEffect
Autodesk ForceEffect is a mobile engineering app for simulating design concepts in the
field or office.
24 November 2014
PLANT ENGINEERING
INTERACTION.
COMMITMENT.
INNOVATION.
These are the drivers that have
helped Atlas Copco develop industryleading compressed air systems.
Our revolutionary development of
the VSD compressor, now a standard
in the industry, has taken another
step forward with Atlas Copcos own
engineered variable frequency drive,
we call the NEOS. A more robust
design, reduced footprint and
increased efficiency - all you need and
nothing you dont want.
When youre looking for a compressed
air solution, look no further than
Atlas Copco.
www.atlascopco.us 866-688-9611
2014
INTHE PLANT
Dynamic logistics critical to

manufacturing excellence
By making operational changes, Bosch-Rexroth is speeding the time to market.
By Manfred Hahn and Andreas Torell, Bosch Rexroth Corporation
he advent of just-in-time business supply chains has led

many manufacturers to undertake significant modificationsin reality, almost complete transformationsof
their core operating processes, manufacturing systems,
business planning, and personnel management.
Unless manufacturers can organize their operations to smoothly
integrate with their customers supply chain requirements, they
cannot compete and sustain long-term, profitable customer relationships. To be successful, manufacturers need to be responsive,
logistics-driven operations, with dynamic systems and resources
in place that maximize their agilityand their ability to quickly
meet rapidly changing customer requirements.
Responsive, logistics-driven manufacturers organize their operations to function as a highly optimized part of their customers
supply chain. Its more than just delivering products on-timeits
organizing your business processes, supplier relationships, manufacturing systems, and workforce skills so that there is sustained
awareness of your contribution to your customers ultimate business performance.
Figure 1: A local for local strategy that locates new plants

or manufacturing expansion in relation to key customers and
markets not only shortens lead times, it also more directly
aligns your R&D, product design, and manufacturing resources with local and regional requirements. All images courtesy:
Bosch Rexroth Corporation
It is critical to have systems in place to anticipate and track

changes in market and customer product and performance requirements, with a particular emphasis on unique regional and industry
sector needs; if a particular sector, such as mining or consumer
electronics, undergoes a dramatic shift in demand or consumer
preferences, a logistics-driven and responsive manufacturer is
able to cost-effectively shift in response.
This takes investmentin improved, Lean manufacturing capabilities, educated workforces empowered to be actively involved in
continuous improvement within their organizations, and expanded
26 November 2014
PLANT ENGINEERING
use of intelligent technology across manufacturing, distribution,

and customer communications channels, to establish strong, mutually beneficial customer-supplier relationships.
Bosch Rexroth has identified several areas where it has made
substantial investments to strengthen these capabilities within our
North American operations. In the process, we have improved our
responsiveness, enabled personnel throughout every level of our
organization to contribute ideas for improvement, and deployed
technology in ways that enhance our ability to deliver the products
our customers need, when and where they need them.
Infrastructure: Local for local
Aligning production capabilities to increase responsiveness can be

accomplished, in part, through careful consideration of plant location in relation to key customers and marketsa global strategy
that Bosch Rexroth calls local for local and which has guided
key expansion decisions in several regions.
Shortening delivery distances can also reduce logistics costs,
and help companies control their carbon and emissions footprint
by locating both production and distribution resources closer to
their customers.
In the past, companies may have chosen to increase manufacturing in low-cost countries, then export those products to high-cost
countries. We now invest in more complete local manufacturing
and support capabilities, with regional resources capable of supplying the production, added value, and sales volume a given
region requires.
There are unique dynamics that can quickly arise when localizing
your supply chain and more directly aligning R&D, product design,
and manufacturing resources with local and regional requirements.
For example, Bosch Rexroth has experienced significant growth in
demand for off-highway hydraulics technology in the Americas.
By increasing our manufacturing depth in North America, there
is greater control over product design and R&Dit is more directly
tied to customer requirements across the Americas.
Eliminate waste to improve agility
Logistics-driven manufacturers can improve their ability to

stay aligned with customer supply-chain requirements through
sustained investments in Lean manufacturing. Since Lean
production is demand-driven, pull production implementing
Lean practices can help identify bottlenecks, tighten production
workflows, and create dynamic processes for communicating
customer requirements throughout your manufacturing operationsup to and including your own supply chain.
By investing in Lean, manufacturers establish responsive processes. This means that, instead of having to improvise every
IN the plaNt
Figure 2: Logistics-driven manufacturers organize their operations business processes, supplier relationships, manufacturing
systems, and workforce skillsto function as a highly optimized part of their customers supply chain.
time a customer or market requirement changes, you have built

solid processes that enable you to sustain quality, control costs,
and still make the changes necessary to stay aligned with new
demands.
For Bosch Rexroth, our investments in manufacturing agility
include new production platforms at our expanded Bethlehem,
Pa., industrial and hydraulics facility. These platforms are a
mixture of highly automated robotics for machining applications
with linked, semi-automated manual production cells. These
technology choices were designed following our Bosch Production System Lean manufacturing principles and guidelines.
Workforce: Educated and empowered
Equally critical to the success of any logistics-driven manufacturer is a skilled and empowered workforce. In our experience,
all the Lean technology and process documents in the world
cannot deliver a true logistics-driven manufacturing operation
unless the people who work within it have the power to make
changes and implement solutions.
As manufacturers in many industries re-shore production to
improve proximity to end-user customers, it is critical to build a
strategy to invest in workforce skillsets and to increase the readiness of key capabilitiesthis includes production, engineering,
and logistics personnel.
To ensure we align our production with both customer requirements and Lean production principles, Rexroth personnel are
fully immersed in Lean processes and actively contribute on a
daily basis to continuous improvementon the factory floor
and in our distribution operations. They are empowered to treat
problems as opportunities, to ask questions and contribute practical solutions, to resolve problems and eliminate waste and
supply chain disruptions.
We also have benefitted from supporting workforce training
and engineering education programs, as part of a long-standing
global commitment by Bosch Rexroth to education for professional and manufacturing personnel. In North America, in
collaboration with the Bosch Community Fund, we have been
working closely in all Bosch Rexroth communities to find innovative ways to build the workforce of the future.
From a fully equipped apprentice lab in our Fountain Inn, S.C.,
facility, to grants weve recently awarded to four Pennsylvania STEM-related programs, to collaboration efforts with local
technical colleges at many of our sites, we know that we cannot
stand by and simply hope that the skilled workforce we need will
evolve on its own. Our efforts in our community, including environmental efforts like our zero landfill initiative, are helping
28 November 2014
plant engineering
us to build a sustainable business model for the long term. These

efforts have helped us to win the Pennsylvania Governors Job
ImPAct award for job growth, and a Top Workplaces award
for Ethics in the Workplace in our local community
Delivery: When you need it
The broad shift to just-in-time logistics models can present

manufacturers with a dilemma: how to schedule production runs
against tight turnarounds and the desire to minimize inventory
within your plant and within a customers plant.
One way Bosch Rexroth has responded to this challenge is
by streamlining access to our most popular drive, motion, and
control products with our GoTo Focused Delivery Program.
We organized product management, production, and delivery
channels to be dedicated to making these products available fast,
without additional expediting or handling.
This program required investments throughout our manufacturing and supply chains. Extensive product management time was
spent identifying the products for inclusion in the program, structuring manufacturing in multiple plants so that GoTo products
were identified and managed according to program guidelines,
and creating dedicated inventory and delivery processes to meet
program commitments.
It also required investments in communications toolswebsites, special catalogs, mobile apps, and multiple promotional
and information materialsto add speed to the customer journey
with GoTo.
Dynamic manufacturing is logistics-driven
For Bosch Rexroth, our investments in manufacturing and distribution resources have been made to match rapidly changing
markets and customer needs, and to continuously improve our
alignment with those needs and our ability to respond. As much
as possible, we believe it is critical to examine and refine our
manufacturing and logistics capabilities on an ongoing basis,
identifying waste and removing obstacles to efficiency.
This requires a focused commitment to Lean manufacturing
and continuous improvement processes; deploying intelligent
information, communication, and automation systems to leverage
the latest technologies; and fully supporting and empowering
associates at every level to be responsiveand responsiblefor
ensuring the highest levels of customer satisfaction. PE
Manfred Hahn is vice president, technical plant manager and
Andreas Torell is vice president, commercial plant manager
for Bosch Rexroth.
Understanding Materials Handling

Applications, Solutions for the
Paper Industry
The paper industry is an intense, fast-moving
environment with little tolerance for downtime in
operations running 24 hours a day, seven days a week,
365 days a year. Because of these demands, operations
are looking for equipment that can withstand the abuse
with minimal downtime.
This white paper explores environmental impacts and
operating conditions in the paper industry and
provides an overview of materials handling equipment,
attachments and options that can enhance paper
industry productivity.
Paper is produced in several manufacturing steps

pulping, manufacturing, convertingthen distributed
and may finally be recycled. Each step of the process
involves materials handling activities, where raw
materials, paper, other paper products and waste paper
have to be moved, stored, loaded or unloaded.
usage; however,
warehouse lift trucks
are found in the paper
industrys distribution
functions, where
end products are
typically palletized
to be moved.
Because of the unique operational challenges with the
paper industry, many lift trucks may require specialized
attachments to accommodate oversized, bulky or
oddly shaped loads. The white paper emphasizes the
importance of understanding attachment types to know
how they could help productivity in a particular paper
application. For example, forks features, clamps and bin
dumpers are all attachment options, but knowing their
different applications and specifications is critical.
As demonstrated in this white paper, the paper industry
continues to be a challenging environment for materials
handling equipment. The harsh operating conditions
and round-the-clock operations demand the very best
in lift truck durability and features to ensure the best
productivity. With the right lift truck and the right
attachments and options, any paper and pulp operation
can be well equipped to successfully meet its materials
handling needsultimately benefitting the operations
bottom line.
The white paper outlines these differing applications

found in the paper products industry, including pulp and
paper mills, converting facilities and recycling plants.
Paper applications are dominated by Class IV and V trucks
due to harsh applications and rough, dirty, high-hour
Download the paper at:

http://bit.ly/1rHHYPk
andrea.simrell@jacksonmg.com
Hyster.com
Enhance Power Equipment

Reliability with Predictive
Maintenance Technologies
S. Frank Waterer | Electrical Engineering,
Fellow Schneider Electric USA, Inc.
Industry trends point to reduced maintenance staffs

and budgets as well as aging electrical equipment. An
efficient maintenance strategy will identify the type
and amount of maintenance to be performed as well as
the frequency for maintenance activities to be carried
out on each piece of electrical distribution equipment.
Depending on the process, operating environment or
age of equipment, companies may adopt one or more
of the following maintenance strategies:
Reactive Maintenance: Repair work conducted after
a failure or breakdown; the most costly of all
maintenance strategies.
Preventive Maintenance: Routinely performed
maintenance based upon a specified scope of work;
more cost-effective than reactive maintenance.
Predictive Maintenance: The least expensive active
maintenance program. Any actual physical
equipment maintenance on de-energized
equipment is scheduled based upon diagnostic
evaluations from installed and active sensors.
Often referred to as condition-based maintenance,
predictive maintenance tools monitor the condition of
in-service equipment, either continuously (online) or
at periodic intervals. Disruptions to facility operations
can be reduced, since many predictive maintenance
technologies are performed on in-service equipment.
Having regular access to the current state of the
equipment provides valuable information to determine
when maintenance
should be performed.
From a cost-effective
standpoint, it should
take place before the
equipment loses optimum performance. Conditions that
can be monitored in electrical equipment include:
Transformer - Temperature, SF6, insulation breakdown
Tap Changer - Operating time
Circuit Breaker - Opening, closing time, available
magnitudes of It energy
Switchgear - Temperature of connections,
insulation condition
Motor - Starting time, number of operations, power,
insulation breakdown
Cable Connections - Insulation breakdown
The benefits of incorporating predictive maintenance
technologies into a companys maintenance
strategy include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Determines the operational status of equipment

Evaluates present condition of equipment
Detects abnormal conditions in a timely manner
Initiates actions to prevent possible forced outages
frank.waterer@schneider-eelctric.com www.schneider-electric.com
To download the whitepaper go to: SEreply.com and enter Keycode - k176u
A Blueprint for Managing Automation Obsolescence

Lonnie Morris | Senior Manager, Rockwell Automation
Managing automation obsolescence is an
increasingly critical step for manufacturers
and other industrial operations. As assets
age and spare parts and support for these
assets dwindle, migration is required.
Proactive, strategic planning can help you
save time and money, and improve the
overall effectiveness of upgrade projects.
In the past, automation suppliers often
continued to support products long after
their original expected life. This is no
longer the case. The recent recession forced
the entire chain of automation users to
re-evaluate their business models,
permanently altering the flow of products
and services.
pe201411_whitePpr_rckwellHLF.indd 1
According to ARC Group, more than $65 billion

worth of legacy automation assets operating
today are reaching the end of their useful life.
With complex challenges such as cyber security,
regulatory initiatives and attrition of technically
trained experts affecting todays production
environment, the risks associated with the
threat of a failing legacy system increase. Yet
few companies have a formal plan for managing
the lifecycle of their equipment.
Now is the time to plan for the future and
invest in your production facility automation
infrastructure. Taking a strategic approach to
obsolescence planning can maximize the
effectiveness of the migration.
Read this paper to understand,

identify and mitigate risk with
strategic migration planning.
Download this paper at:
www.rockwellautomation.
com/go/pewpcnov14
lrmorris@ra.rockwell.com
www.rockwellautomation.com
10/17/2014 11:18:46 AM
Considering Alternative Materials to Lower Maintenance and Costs

Jeff Finley | Industrial Products Manager, Strongwell
Almost $18 billion
in annual cost is
attributed to corrosion
in manufacturing
environments.
Maintenance-free
industrial materials
reduce maintenance
and safety concerns,
allowing plant staff to
focus on increasing
operational efficiency.
pe201411_whitePpr_Strongwell.indd 1
In this case study-based handrail guide on fiber reinforced

polymer (FRP) rails, you will learn:
How a highly abrasive coal preparation plant in Illinois went from
replacing carbon steel every two years and stainless every six years to
FRP rails and walkways which are still in place over sixteen years later.
Why round FRP handrail was chosen over traditional materials to build
an OSHA-compliant bridge fender handrail system in Florida.
Why Latin Americas second largest petroleum company chose FRP over
steel to provide safe access to living quarters on its offshore platform
while saving weight and preventing corrosion.
The structural and aesthetic features and benefits of round, square
and channel top handrail systems offered by Strongwell.
How FRP addresses specific corrosive materials and environments.
The differences in installation and fabrication of FRP handrail as a
replacement for traditional materials (steel/aluminum) or as a
new installation.
How FRP complements safety management through its low thermal
and electrical conductivity.
Receive this
Case Study-based
information at:
http://strongwell.com/
whitepaper1114
jfinley@strongwell.com
www.strongwell.com
10/8/2014 4:48:58 PM
Accurately Monitor Moisture

in Compressed Air Applications
Monitoring and controlling moisture in compressed
air is critical to ensuring a contaminant-free process
and equipment reliability.
Learn how Air Handling Equipment Inc. uses Vaisala
dew point instruments for accurate monitoring in
commercial air dryer applications.
This paper covers solutions to selecting a dew point
meter that accurately measures dew point in both
refrigerant and desiccant air dryers.
pe201411_whtPaper_VAISALAHlf.indd 1
Download the case study at

www.vaisala.com/AirHandlingStory
instruments@vaisala.com
www.vaisala.com/compressedair
10/16/2014 9:01:52 AM
Supporting Engineers In-Person, Offering

High-Value Content In-Print and Online
For more than 66 years, PLANT ENGINEERING has helped
plant engineers, plant managers, maintenance supervisors
and manufacturing leaders understand how to make their
operations run more efficiently and effectively.
PlantEngineering.com: The engineers most popular Website for

up-to-the-minute information and the latest top stories, webcasts,
podcasts, blogs, and videos.
Three unique programs honoring Manufacturing:
Leaders Under 40
Top Plant
Product of the Year
Webcasts: Plant Engineerings successful Webcast series bring the top industry experts together to
discuss key issues facing plant managers and examine best practices and strategies for improvement.
Subscribe today at
www.PlantEngineering.com/subscribe
ple2014_inPrntHALF.indd 1
1/15/2014 8:54:17 AM
PLANNED
EVENT
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ONE NAME YOU CAN COUNT ON
Whether youre powering a sporting event, or supporting recovery efforts following an ice storm or flooding, your Cat
dealer has the equipment to help you solve the challenge. As part of the Caterpillar dealer network, your local Cat dealer
has access to a vast rental fleet of power generation and temperature control equipment specifically designed to meet the
requirements of commercial, industrial, institutional and manufacturing applications, capable of supporting even the most
critical operating systems.
Whether youre dealing with an emergency, or planning ahead for scheduled downtime, Cat Standby Power equipment
can be on its way in minutes. Visit us online today at www.NECatDealers.com/power
SINCE 1927
SINCE 1948
SINCE 1957
SINCE 1923
SINCE 1960
SINCE 1916
Alban CAT
Cleveland Brothers
Foley, Incorporated
H.O. Penn Machinery
Milton CAT
Giles & Ransome Inc.
www.albancat.com
Baltimore, MD
800-492-6994
www.clevelandbrothers.com
Murrysville, PA
888-232-5948
www.foleyinc.com
Piscataway, NJ
732-885-5555
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Poughkeepsie, NY
845-437-4051
www.miltoncat.com
Milford, MA
866-385-8538
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Bensalem, PA
877-RANSOME
2014 Caterpillar All rights reserved. CAT, CATERPILLAR, their respective logos, Caterpillar Yellow, the Power Edge trade dress as well as corporate and product identity used herein, are trademarks of Caterpillar and may not be used
without permission. www.cat.com www.caterpillar.com
2014 FINALISTS
PRODUCT
of the year
fter five years of solid growth in

manufacturing, it appears the
industry is shaking off the rust
and getting ready to expand and
improve. The 96 finalists for the
Plant Engineering 2014 Product of the Year
program offer the innovation needed to
help that expansion take off.
This years finalists stretch across 14 categorieseverything from the latest mobile
applications for smart devices to
motors, automation, and maintenance. Together they provide
the new ideas needed to help
manufacturers improve their
operation, better measure and
manage the resources they use
each day, and keep plant operation running at peak efficiency.
The following products offer
an opportunity to improve operations, and all of these finalists
should be carefully reviewed to
determine what current needs
in your plant can be met and to
see some new products that may
spark ideas in areas you havent
yet considered.
Our readers play a crucial role
in our annual Product of the Year
program. They are the people
who vote on the best of these
great innovations. There have
been many amazing innovations in the 26 years Plant Engineering has offered the Product
of the Year program, but one
thing has remained constant: our readers

are the sole judges of who wins. This isnt
a public relations content. The only votes
that count are the votes from the Plant
Engineering subscribers who have the buy/
specify authority in their plant. The people
who vote on the products are the people
who will be responsible for their use on a
daily basis. It is their voice that matters
most, and Product of the Year is designed
specifically to listen to that voice.
Prior to casting your vote using
our online-only ballot located at
www.plantengineering.com/poy,
www.plantengineering.com/poy
please take a few minutes to
review the following 2014 finalists. Voting will conclude on Jan.
9, 2015.
The 2014 Product of the Year
award winners will be invited to
CFE Medias annual Engineering Awards in Manufacturing
dinner in Chicago on March 23,
2015. Attendees of this event will
meet the Product of the Year winners, the Control Engineering 2015
Engineers Choice Awards winners, the Plant Engineering 2014
Top Plant recipient, and the CFE
Media 2014 Engineering Leaders
Under 40.
Your vote is what begins the
annual process for these manufacturers, and we hope it also
brings you insight on whats new
in the world of manufacturing
today.
By Bob Vavra, Content Manager, and Amanda McLeman, Project Manager
PLANT ENGINEERING
November 2014 35
2014
Product of the Year
Apps for Engineers
Measurement app, cloud storage

On-demand arc flash safety
BeSecure is a unique solution that equips facility

owners, contractors, and employees with their own arc
flash safety system. The BeSecure system includes a
mobile app that provides on-demand arc flash safety information in the palm of your hand. The system
enables users to upload existing study data to the
BeSecure Manage website and then extend their study
to additional equipment with the mobile app. With the
BeSecure Extend app, a worker can determine the arc
flash hazard and personal protective equipment (PPE)
requirement on demand, when and where it is needed.
BeSecure is designed for equipment that is < 600 V
and is fed from molded case circuit breakers or fuses
that are < 600 A.
The Fluke Connect system allows engineers to wirelessly transmit measurement data from their test tools to
their smartphones for secure storage on the cloud and
universal team access. More than 20 Fluke tools connect
wirelessly with the app, including digital multimeters and
infrared cameras. Engineers can AutoRecord measurements and infrared images to Fluke Cloud storage from
wherever they are working. Everyone on the team with
a smartphone and the app can see the data. The Fluke
Connect app features EquipmentLog history, which allows
engineers to assign measurements to specific equipment,
creating a cloud-based history of test measurement data.
Fluke Corp.
www.fluke.com
Excel BeSecure Solutions LLC

www.besecuresolutions.com
Remote HMI monitoring, operation
The Vijeo Design Air and Vijeo Design Air Plus from
Schneider Electric enable remote monitoring and
operation of an HMI terminal from a users tablet or
smartphone. Both allow operators to view, operate,
and adjust automation processes remotely. The applications are compatible with Magelis Graphic Display
HMI. These new offerings allow users to view machine
and process alarms, events, and other information on
a smartphone or tablet from any place on a factory floor. Both also offer security features that manage local
and remote users to reduce opportunity for unintentional equipment operation.
Schneider Electric
www.schneider-electric.com
36 November 2014
2012
PLANT ENGINEERING
Automation & Controls

Industrial barcode readers
The DataMan 8050 series of industrial handheld barcode readers are

designed with ruggedized housing to handle harsh factory floor conditions
and equipped with Cognexs barcode reading algorithms to make reading
even the most challenging barcodes a quick and easy task. The 8050 series
utilizes Cognexs patented 1DMax+ with Hotbars algorithms to provide
high-speed reading performance even with damaged, low-contrast, or
direct inkjet barcodes. Cognexs 2-D algorithms allow the 8050 to rapidly
decode a variety of 2-D symbologies, including DataMatrix, QR, PDF417,
and Aztec codes. The modular design of the DataMan 8050 adapts to
customers changing communication needs.
Cognex Corp.
www.cognex.com
Industrial stacklights
The SL series is Eatons newest range of stacklight solutions

designed to improve control
over key processes and enhance
machine availability in industrial
applications. With the ability to
display up to five processes at
once and configure a range of
audible notifications, the Eaton
SL series stacklights enable
safe and convenient oversight of
machine processes. The modular and compact design of the
SL7 and SL4 stacklights allows for easy configuration even in
applications where space is limited. A unique twist-and-lock
feature enables easy dismantling and mounting of complete
towers in the field, allowing modules to be interchanged
with a simple twist.
Eaton
www.eaton.com
Performance
diagnostic tool
ControlSofts INTUNE+
I&C INSIGHT for power
plants informs instrumentation and controls
engineers and technicians about the results
of performance diagnostics on process controllers and plant floor final
elements. INSIGHT gives
crews the crucial ability
to view and access how
process variability propagates through various process areas and the control hierarchy. Unique features
include: performance diagnotic messages, process
fault root-cause analysis, real-time status overview,
tuning status for DCS PID controllers, easy access to
color-coded list of performance indicators, and customization and expansion for specific customer needs.
ControlSoft Inc.
www.controlsoft.com
Ethernet/IP CPU controller
AutomationDirects Productivity3000 controller supports the ODVAs EtherNet/IP as a

standard protocol. Through its embedded Ethernet port, the P3-550 CPU can support
EtherNet/IP configurable as a scanner or adapter. The P3-550 CPU can communicate
to devices using explicit messaging or implicit I/O messaging methods. These common
implementations offer access to the majority of the EtherNet/IP devices available. In
scanner mode, the P3-550 CPU supports up to 128 total connections with a maximum of
32 devices. Enabling the CPU to support and exchange EtherNet/IP messages requires
completing fill-in-the-blank style configuration and message instruction windows in the
software.
Facts Engineering & AutomationDirect
www.facts-eng.com, www.automationdirect.com
plant engineering
November 2014
2012 37
2014
Product of the Year
Wireless access point
The Allen-Bradley Stratix 5100 wireless

access point (WAP) extends the reach
of EtherNet/IP and offers detailed, easily accessible production data. Users can
access data from remote and difficultto-reach areas, and can share this data
between automation systems or feed it into
information systems. Unlike typical wireless
clients that connect only a single IP address,
the Stratix 5100 WAP enables engineers to
connect up to 19 IP addresses simultaneouslyhelping reduce design time when
integrating machines and equipment into the
industrial control network. The Stratix 5100
WAP is ideal for industrial networks needing
secure and reliable wireless connectivity.
Fail-safe controller
The SIMATIC S7-1518F is a powerful fail-safe controller

with a bit performance of 1 ns. Designed to increase flexibility, safety, efficiency, and productivity at the plant floor
level, the safety controller is suitable for demanding standard
and safety-related machine and plant automation applications. Its integrated technology functions for motion, control,
counting, and measuring. It also accommodates up to 128
drive axes, operates isochronously in 250 s, and features
onboard display where diagnostics messages can be seen
without the need of a programming device. The display also
shows safety status (activated/deactivated), safety signature,
and last fail-safe modification.
Siemens
www.siemens.com
Rockwell Automation
Distributed I/O platform
The Weidmuller u-remote distributed I/O platform

delivers a streamlined design with features that
include hot-swappable slices, an integrated selfconfiguring web server interface, simple plug-in
connections, and LED indication at each point.
The u-remote design ensures fast installation and setup, and improved machine performance and productivity. At only
11.5 mm wide per I/O slice, its slim design and high-channel density make it a feature-rich distributed I/O platform.
Using Weidmullers Push-In wire technology, each point is clearly visible with LED status indication. The card slices are
hot-swappable and can be installed, updated, and removed without the need for any tools.
Weidmuller
www.weidmuller.com
38 November 2014
2012
PLANT ENGINEERING
Compressed Air
Heavy-duty
inverter drive
High force air nozzle
The Neos is a comp a c t a n d re l i a b l e

inverter drive that is
designed to operate exclusively with
Atlas Copcos variable
speed drive compressors in heavy-duty
applications. The
robust design allows
the drive to operate at
continuous full load in
the dustiest, hottest,
and dirtiest working
conditions. The Neos drive operates at continous full
load until 122 F ambient, 140 F de-rated. An IP5x-rated
enclosure greatly reduces the risk of drive failure by
blocking the introduction of outside contaminants into
the electronic drive.
Exairs PEEK 3/8 NPT Super Air Nozzle is engineered

to produce the highest performance attainable. Protective aerodynamic slots guide the airflow to a single point
of convergence for hard-hitting force and noise reduction over typical blowoffs. Its PEEK plastic construction
provides nonmarring protection to production items and
excellent resistance to damage from harsh chemicals,
and it operates
in temperatures
up to 320 F. The
PEEK Super Air
Nozzle is suitable for blowoff, cooling, and
drying applications located in
general industrial or corrosive
environments. High amplification of airflow produces a
blowing force of 1.9 lbs, with air consumption of only 35
SCFM at 80 psig.
Atlas Copco
www.atlascopco.us
Exair Corp.
www.exair.com
Ionizing bars
Exairs Long Ion Bars are manufactured up to 96 in.

long and can be used across large production lines to
eliminate a 5,000-V static charge in 0.18 s. A high concentration of positive and negative ions produce fast
static decay, neutralizing any surface within 2 in. of the
bars. The compact 1.1- x 0.5-in. profile can fit in the
confined spaces of machinery where static electricity
is generated. Ideal for the tight spaces found in printing, paper, or film manufacturing as well as form, fill,
seal machinery, the bars prevent jamming, tearing, poor print quality, and shocks to personnel. The design of the
shockless Ionizing Bars offers improved performance and reliability in industrial applications.
Exair Corp.
www.exair.com
Long air knives
The longer Super Air Knives from Exair are available up to 108 in. long
with a one-piece construction to minimize profile dimensions and provide
seamless airflow. Available in aluminum, 303SS, and 316SS, these Super
Air Knives feature an energy-efficient design to minimize compressed air
use by entraining 40 parts room air to 1 part compressed air. They are
ideal for use on wide parts, webs, and conveyors. The Long Super Air
Knives provide a uniform, high-volume, high-velocity curtain of air that
is infinitely adjustable from gentle blowing force to a hard-hitting blast of
air. The Long Super Air Knife is quiet, maintenance free, has no moving parts to wear out, and is CE compliant.
Exair Corp.
www.exair.com
PLANT ENGINEERING
November 2014
2012 39
2014
Product of the Year
Compressed Air
Centrifugal
compressor control
The Regulus Control
System (R1000) features
a 9-in. full touchscreen
display and resembles the
user interface of a tablet
device. Navigating the
control system is an intuitive experience that simulates application-based
computing. The R1000s
ambient compensation
control ability automatically adjusts the compressor surge line based
on changes in ambient
conditions. As a result,
the traditionally static surge line becomes a dynamic entity,
allowing the compressor to be safely controlled closer to the
true surge line. This feature allows operators to reduce waste
by maximizing turndown and minimizing bypass air, ensuring
energy savings at off-peak operation.
FS-Elliott Co. LLC
www.fs-elliott.com
Precision air nozzle
Exairs PEEK Pico Super Air Nozzle

is engineered to produce the highest
performance attainable from a tiny
nozzle. It delivers one of the smallest, most precise blowoffs available
with an efficient, high-volume, highvelocity airflow. The overall length of
the air nozzle measures only 0.63 in.
with a diameter of only 0.20 in., permitting installation in tight spaces. Its
PEEK thermoplastic construction provides self-lubricating qualities with a
low coefficient of friction to produce
nonmarring protection for sensitive
materials. The PEEK Pico Super Air
Nozzle is suitable for blowoff, cooling, and drying applications located
in general industrial or corrosive environments.
Exair Corp.
www.exair.com
Refrigerated compressed air dryers
Secotec TF dryers feature the proprietary Secopack LS

thermal storage system, which contains a phase-changing
material that stores thermal energy as it cycles from a solid to
a liquid and back. This latent
heat storage medium has up
to a 98% higher thermal storage density than comparable
designs, allowing Secotec TF
dryers to provide the same
thermal storage capacity in
a far more compact package. Secotec TF dryers
reduce pressure loss across
the dryer to 2.2 psi, and the
lack of a pre-filter provides
additional initial investment
and maintenance savings,
as well as an overall lower
system pressure differential.
Kaeser Compressors
http://us.kaeser.com
40 November 2014
2012
PLANT ENGINEERING
Electric Motors & Drives

Electric motor with carbon brush
Scalable servo drive
The
Baldor
S u p e r- E m o t o r
with Baldor Shaft
Grounding Brush
is a NEMA Premium
electric motor that
can operate efficiently and effectively on a variable
speed drive while
reducing the potential for premature bearing failure
caused by internal shaft currents. The compact yet robust
carbon brush design is mounted internally to the motor,
removing the potential for contamination or damage from
the outside environment, while providing a solid connection from the rotating shaft to ground. This line of
motors, available from stock, includes 1 to 50 hp totally
enclosed fan-cooled (TEFC) or open drip-proof, footmounted designs, along with 0.5 to 5 hp TEFC, C-face
foot-mounted designs.
The Rexroth IndraDrive CL/

ML is a scalable, energy-efficient high-power electric drive
for applications requiring more
force, including metalforming,
plastics, metallurgy, marine,
and offshore. These drives are
optimized for efficiency and
function according to machine
demand, with numerous opportunities for energy recovery. In
multi-axis systems, the drives
enable the use of braking energy
via a dc-bus coupling whereby
excess energy can be fed back into the network.
The drives also include the ability to store static
and rotational energy, with Smart Energy Mode
functionality that manages a consistent energy
demand from the mains side to save energy and
avoid voltage spikes.
Baldor Electric Co.

www.baldor.com
Bosch Rexroth Corp.

www.boschrexroth.com
Remote switch actuator
The CBS ArcSafe RSA-161A remote switch actuator allows technicians to remotely
operate the Schneider class 9421 type L circuit breaker mechanism with the short
3-in. handle from a distance of up to 300 ft while stationed outside of the arc-flash
perimeter. The RSA-161A is compatible with all 3-in. handle versions of the type L
circuit breaker mechanism that operates circuit breakers or interrupters of 75 to 250 A
at up to 600 V. The RSA-161A is lightweight, portable, and ideal for remote operation
in difficult-to-access areas; the quick and simple setup of the RSA-161A is streamlined for repeated operation and requires no modifications to the users equipment.
CBS ArcSafe
http://cbsarcsafe.com
Adjustable frequency drive
The Eaton DG1 general-purpose drive is part of the Eaton next-generation PowerXL
series of adjustable frequency drives specifically engineered for demanding commercial and industrial applications. Designed for global customers, the drives help
reduce energy consumption compared to traditional control methods, while improving
safety and supporting reliable operations. With Eatons patented Active Energy Control
algorithm, these drives are programmed to dynamically adjust their operating point
to minimize energy consumption. Applications that already incorporate adjustable
frequency drives may realize additional energy and emissions savings of up to 10%
by switching to the PowerXL DG1 drive.
Eaton
www.eaton.com
PLANT ENGINEERING
November 2014
2012 41
2014
Product of the Year

Explosionproof variable
frequency drives
Medium-voltage drives
Eatons SC9000 EP medium-voltage drives are engineered to help customers achieve dramatic energy savings while reducing downtime during routine maintenance
through an encapsulated
powerpole (EP) and modular
inverter design. The powerpole inverter with heat pipe
technology provides a high
power density in a compact
footprint while enabling the
drives to withstand harsh
environmental conditions. By incorporating a 3-level neutral point clamped inverter topology, the drives reduce
the number of power switching devices in the inverter,
improving reliability. The drives are also designed to help
customers reduce costs, beyond driving energy efficiencies that lower utility bills.
Eatons Crouse-Hinds ACE Series 75

hp explosionproof variable frequency
drives (VFDs) can be safely and reliably
installed in Class I, Division 1 or 2 hazardous areas. Available up to 75 hp, the
ACE Series features a NEMA 7 enclosure with patent-pending active cooling technology that allows a VFD to be
housed inside the classified enclosure
without the risk of overheating and failing. ACE VFDs allow a motors power
level to be adjusted exactly to performance needs, significantly lowering energy consumption.
Built-in diagnostics constantly monitor equipment information and operating conditions, bringing real-time visibility
to potential problems, which can prevent plant downtime.
Eaton
Eatons Crouse-Hinds Business
www.eaton.com
www.crouse-hinds.com
Shaft grounding, monitoring ring
Electro Static Technologys AEGIS iPRO-MR ring combines shaft voltage bearing protection with the capability of continuously monitoring shaft voltage levels from a remote
locationall in real time. It is ideal for the protection of motors in remote locations that
cannot be easily monitored or maintained. The rugged, highly reliable, and maintenancefree split-ring AEGIS iPRO prevents damage that could otherwise cause generator or
motor failure, unplanned downtime, costly repairs, and lost revenues. Available in a range
of sizes to accommodate even the largest motor shaft diameter, the iPRO shaft grounding
ring comes in mating halves to facilitate field retrofits on coupled equipment.
Electro Static Technology
www.est-static.com
Integrated safety
servo drive
Pump
monitoring, control
management
The Allen-Bradley Kinetix

5500 servo drive with integrated
safety helps machine builders
reduce development and installation time while increasing
machine flexibility by using the
EtherNet/IP network to streamline machine safety functions. The drive allows safety signals
to travel via the same wires and IP addresses used for control
and motion. This eliminates the need for a hardwired safety
system and a dedicated motion network, reducing cabling by
up to 60%. It also removes the need to create gateways to get
information to or from secluded networks. The Kinetix 5500
servo drive provides best-in-class power density that reduces
the size of the drive and cabinet space required by up to 50%.
The PumpSmart MV is an
integrated process pump
monitoring and control management system. Consisting of a modern variable frequency drive, patented logic control, and pump display
visibility; this product provides key performance indication and control for higher energy pumping systems. This
process control system looks beyond just amps, power,
and speed. With accurate and dynamic pump visibility
during operation, the PumpSmart MVs automatic alarm
systems are designed to warn of impending danger.
PumpSmart MV provides real-time feedback of where
the pump is operating relative to peak efficiency and
overall energy usage.
Rockwell Automation
ITT Goulds Pumps Inc.

www.gouldspumps.com
42 November 2014
2012
PLANT ENGINEERING
Electrical Safety
Remote switch
actuator
Power distribution fuse block
The CBS ArcSafe

RSA-187A remote
switch actuator
allows technicians
to remotely open
and close TE and TF
frame molded case
circuit breakers from
a distance of up to 300 ft while stationed outside of
the arc-flash perimeter. The RSA-187A is compatible
with all TE and TF molded case circuit breakers with
ratings of 15 to 250 A at up to 600 V that are primarily
used in switchboards, motor control centers, lighting,
and customized power and control panel boards. The
RSA-187A is lightweight, portable, and ideal for remote
operation in difficult-to-access areas; the quick and
simple setup is streamlined for repeated operation
and requires no modifications to the users equipment.
Eatons Bussmann business has introduced an innovative

product that combines a Class J fuse block with a power
distribution block, creating a solution that uses up to 50%
less panel space and reduces installation time and labor
by 33% when compared with traditional solutions. The
power distribution fuse block is available with ratings of 100,
200, and 400 A and represents
an industry-first solution that
enhances overall system
integrity. It utilizes safe, reliable technology to help both
OEMs and end users save
valuable panel space and
reduce overall installation
cost. Furthermore, the compact design uses fewer wire
connections, which reduces
watts loss and overall operating temperature.
Eatons Bussmann Business
www.bussmann.com
CBS ArcSafe
Control circuit selection program
Eatons Bussmann business has extended its

Fuses Made Simple program to include control
circuits. This program is an easy and fast way to
select and specify the right control circuit fuse. The
program helps enhance the control fuse selection
process and safety in a variety of commercial and
industrial environments. It is designed to eliminate
guesswork in the selection and specification process
of supplementary control circuit fuses by utilizing a
color-coding system. Each control circuit fuse has
a different color label based on maximum voltage
rating. The Fuses Made SimpleControl Circuits
program features six color codes categorized by
maximum voltage rating.

www.bussmann.com
Universal receptacles, back boxes
PowerGard receptacles and back boxes are engineered to supply power to lighting systems and panels
in challenging environments. These universal receptacles and back boxes meet and exceed power needs
with a universal footprint suitable for rig maintenance,
retrofits, and new builds. PowerGard connectors offer
longer product life, reduced maintenance, enhanced
safety, and easy installation, and provide field flexibility for retrofits or installation in tight places. Featuring high impact strength, copper-free, aluminum
housing, PowerGard connectors reject standard plug
configurations that could potentially cause an arc in
hazardous areas.
plant engineering
November 2014
2012 43
2014
Product of the Year
Electrical Safety
Type U fitting
Multi-pin, single pole connectors
The Roughneck multi-pin and single pole line are

configurable connector platforms with options ranging
from high-amperage single pole power to multiconductor control and instrumentation applications. The connectors are primarily used on land-based and offshore
drilling rigs and can power equipment ranging from the
top drive to the instrumentation in the operators house.
The line includes harsh/industrial and hazardous location
connectors for use in Class I, Zone I applications. All
products are certified to an IP68 environmental rating.
The Roughneck line can be configured to suit user needs
with options from 1,135 A rated single-pole power to
smaller gauge multiconductor inserts.
Eatons Crouse-Hinds Type U Condulet fitting provides a universal solution for industrial applications.
Enhanced design features include a smooth pulling
surface that mimicks the sweeping bend of a factory
90 elbow and eases the burden of hand and mechanical wire pulling to deliver faster wire pulling. The Type
U fittings angled cover opening addresses system
access for splicing and future maintenance in corners
and access points where installation of a LL, LR, LB, or
factory 90 with a C fitting is not considered ideal. With
a greater internal capacity than a standard Condulet,
the Type U fitting provides a 40% wire fill rating and
listing of the product as an enclosure.

NGR monitoring relay
The SE-330 is an advanced

ground-fault and neutral-grounding resistor (NGR) monitoring
relay. It measures neutral current,
neutral-to-ground voltage, and
neutral-to-ground resistance.
This relay provides continuous
monitoring of the neutral-toground path to verify that the
NGR is intact. The SE-330 can
be used with low- and mediumvoltage transformers and generators with low- or high-resistance
grounding used in processing, manufacturing, chemical,
pulp and paper, petroleum, and water-treatment facilities. Significant advancements of this series includes a
100-event data log with time-and-date stamp, replacing
a 10-event non-time-stamped data logger, and a miniUSB interface.
Littelfuse Inc.
www.littelfuse.com
44 November 2014
2012
PLANT ENGINEERING
Combination plug, receptacle,

disconnect switch
Meltrics DSN150 is a combination plug, receptacle,
and disconnect switch in one device. With the DSN150,
installed workers can safely make and break live electrical
connections up to 150 A or 75 hp. Safety features protect
workers from electrical hazards and simplify NFPA 70E compliance. A safety shutter on the
receptacle shields workers from
live parts, and enclosed arc chambers prevent arc flash exposure.
The DSN150 is the first model to
be offered by Meltric Corp. that
is UL listed with six optional contacts for control or monitoring of
auxiliary equipment. The optional
auxiliary/pilot contacts make last
and break first when the plug is
engaged or disengaged from the
receptacle.
Meltric Corp.
www.meltric.com
Energy Management
Live data remote access software
Rack power distribution units
Eatons ePDU third-generation (G3) platform balances technological innovation with functionality and
cost. The ePDU G3 features a patent-pending IEC
outlet grip designed to eliminate the common and
costly problem of plugs falling out of IEC outlets due
to bumps or vibrations. The grip can help eliminate
additional expenses related to cable trays or special
power cords, which can increase rack PDU purchase
costs up to 50%. The grip feature pairs with energyefficient technology aimed at reducing cooling costs
and extending the life of hardware for added reliability.
The ePDU G3s high operating temperature (up to
140 F) helps meet new temperature guidelines for
cooling set by ASHRAE.
The Power Xpert Multi-Point meter helps facilities of

all sizes increase the effectiveness of energy management programs. The product offering was expanded
with an Energy Portal Module, which incorporates a
built-in Web server for remote access to view live data
and graphical trending displays without the need for
additional software. Shown in the Web portal is a dashboard view that displays the load trend of this week
versus last week. Also included is a summary table of
energy values and live energy and voltage values per
phase. Trended and graphed phase voltages, phase
currents, and power factor metrics are also available
for individual and system meters.
Eaton
www.eaton.com
Eaton
www.eaton.com
Power, energy monitoring software
Power Xpert Insight is a power and energy monitoring software that helps industrial facilities proactively reduce
energy consumption, control costs, and improve reliability by providing a comprehensive, real-time view into
power and energy information. In addition to
real-time monitoring, the software allows users
to view and compare trends from any number
of channels across all devices. With the click of
the mouse, users can generate bar charts or line
graphs from the collected data, and configure
data collection parameters over time to meet the
needs of evolving energy management programs.
That energy data can then be downloaded as a
CSV-format file for deeper analysis.
Eaton
www.eaton.com
PLANT ENGINEERING
November 2014
2012 45
2014
Product of the Year
Energy Management
Variable refrigerant flow zoning system
Dock shelter
The Hyper-Heating Inverter (H2i) R2-Series variable

refrigerant flow zoning system uses patented flash
injection technology to provide up to 100% heating
capacity at 0 F, simultaneous cooling and heating at
-4 F, and 85% capacity at
-13 F. The systems ability
to meet extreme conditions
without backup heat sources
enables year-round operation without reliance on fossil fuels, saving installation
time, improving energy efficiency, and reducing the
space needed to accommodate mechanical systems.
The unique two-pipe configuration and compact system
components allow for convenient applications to both
retrofits and new building construction.
In a single piece of equipment, the Eclipse dock shelter

provides a tight, consistent seal all the way up trailer sides,
across the top, and at the corners. On the sides of the
trailer, durable GapMaster hooks wrap around swing-open
trailer doors, sealing the gaps created by the door hinge
gaps that amount to more than 2.5 sq ft of open air if
left unsealed. The hooks
are constructed of a rugged, premium material for
extreme durability, and
are wrapped with a flexible vinyl sleeve that conforms around the hinges
for a better seal. Side
curtains are built with
high-strength Durathon
fabric, which features a
unique, friction-resistant
surface to resist wear.
Mitsubishi Electric U.S. Cooling & Heating Division

www.mehvac.com
Rite-Hite
www.ritehite.com
Double conversion UPS
Mitsubishis 9900C provides more than 1 MW of

power in a single UPS. Modular in design, the 9900C
is capable of providing redundancy up to 700 kW in
a single enclosure. Delivering up to 97%
e f f i c i e n c y,
it is the first
true on-line
double-conversion UPS
at this power
level to deliver
the highest efficiency at all load levels. In addition, it is smaller in
size and lighter in weight than competing products.
The 9900C can be paralleled with up to eight units for
capacity or N+1 redundancy and delivers the highest
power density per sq ft of floor space. The 9900C
UPS features an intuitive LCD touchscreen, providing
quick access to system measurements, diagrams,
and alarm status.
Now
the vote
is yours
2014
Qualified
subscribers of Plant
Engineering products
are invited to submit their
votes using the online 2014 Product of
the Year ballot. Simply fill it out, and
click Submit. Then, in the April 2015
issue of Plant Engineering, meet the
2014 Product of the Year award winners
honored at our 2015 Engineering Awards
in Manufacturing Dinner in Chicago.
Vote at www.plantengineering.com/poy.
Mitsubishi Electric
www.mitsubishielectric-usa.com
46 November 2014
2012
PLANT ENGINEERING
Lighting
High-efficiency LED
LED emergency light
The Big Ass Light LED is a high-performance, highefficiency fixture engineered to address issues in industrial and commercial environments. This LED features an
easy-access panel that allows users to swap out drivers
and other components so the fixture never becomes
outdated. The Big Ass Light LED also addresses common failings of existing fixtures such as the vulnerability of LEDs to dust and debris, excess heat output,
and poor adaptability. The key difference between this
LED and other industrial light fixtures is longevity. The
Big Ass Light LED features ribbed fins to quickly dissipate heat, ensuring the fixtures LEDs stay brilliant
for 150,000 hours.
Dual-Lites EVHC high-lumen LED emergency light

is ideal for warehouses, office buildings, schools plant
facilities, and other applications. The low-profile, architectural design of the EVHC provides optimized multiple unit spacing and single unit coverage with bright
and even illumination patterns from high-power LEDs.
With up to 83 ft of spacing between units, coverage is
provided by two integrally mounted lamp-heads, each
using three high-powered LEDs. The fixture requires
only 2.3 W at 120 Vac. Whether wall or ceiling mounted,
the EVHC delivers bright and even illumination with
a long life of over 100,000 hours and a lithium iron
phosphate battery life of 5 to 7 years.
Big Ass Light

www.bigasslight.com
Dual-Lite, a Hubbell Lighting brand

www.dual-lite.com
Outdoor wireless control, monitoring system
Specifically designed for area/site and parking garage/canopy applications, the LumaWatt system features multifunctional,
factory-installed sensors that incorporate motion sensing, daylight control, power metering, event monitoring, and performance
reporting. The systems flexible programming optimizes energy
savings and light quality while taking into account the unique
challenges of different spaces. The system manages luminaire
lighting levels according to pedestrian and traffic safety needs
and allows products to reduce light levels during low usage hours
or to harvest daylight. It can also increase the lighting on demand
with occupancy sensors.
Eatons Cooper Lighting business
www.cooperlighting.com
plant engineering
November 2014
2012 47
2014
Product of the Year
Lighting
LED high bay luminaire
LED parking garage, canopy luminaire
The Metalux SkyBar luminaire is an energy-efficient,

unique, and aesthetic LED alternative to traditional
linear fluorescent, HID, and LED high bay solutions.
Incorporating WaveStream LED technology, this product offers light distributions to meet specific application needs and provides an easy-to-install solution.
The aesthetic design allows the product to be used in
more ambiance-sensitive environments, while eliminating the cave effect found in traditional high bay
solutions. The WaveStream LED technology features
laser-precise AccuAim optics arranged in exacting patterns, providing unparalleled brightness control while
delivering the maximum amount of light on task.
For retrofit and new construction, the TopTier luminaire delivers a combination of performance and
visual comfort. Patented WaveStream LED technology blocks the line of sight from LED light sources to
the observer, while extracting the maximum amount
of light on task, resulting in a high level of uniformity
and vertical footcandles that enhances safety in the
application environment. The patented optical control
and patent-pending design improve visual comfort
to enhance safety while providing maximum energy
savings. Its UL/cUL listed for wet locations, and IP66
and 3G vibration rated. WaveStream LED technology transforms the LED point source into an elegant
luminous panel.


High-lumen luminaires
The Champ LED high-lumen luminaires range from 13,000 to 25,000 lumens
(400 to 1,000 W) and are designed for mounting heights of up to 60 ft. Available
in both hazardous area and ordinary location versions, the high-lumen fixtures
provide a safe, long-lived, and energy-efficient option for areas where continuous and consistent light levels are crucial. The luminaires are suitable for use
in heavy industrial applications where vibration and adverse environmental
conditions are common. The Champ LED family is designed to transfer heat
safely and reliably from the LED assembly to the outside environment, resulting
in low operating temperatures and sustained, long-term lighting performance.
48 November 2014
2012
PLANT ENGINEERING
Lighting
High-lumen
LED high bay
Hubbell Industrial
Lightings Lunabay LED
high bay provides efficacy of up to 95 lumens/W
and can deliver up to
23,650 lumens. Available in 12,300, 18,000,
and 23,650 lumens, the
Lunabay LED high bay offers an unmatched combination
of efficiency, long life, and low glare light to attractively
light large interior spaces. A key feature of the Lunabay
is the patented low-glare LED light optical system. The
fixtures unique optical system mixes the light of all LEDs
to create consistent, low-glare light with a smooth, even
distribution and a CRI of 68. Both the crystal clear 22-in.
refractor and aluminum 23-in. reflector options have
an uplight component, 10% and 20%, respectively.
Hubbell Industrial Lighting, a Hubbell Lighting brand
www.hubbellindustrial.com
Now
the vote
is yours
Hubbell Outdoor Lightings DDL multi-purpose dusk-todawn LED luminaire is a high-performance and versatile
LED security luminaire. The stylish, rugged, and efficient
luminaire features multiple distributions, zero uplight performance, and versatile mounting options in a single
stock keeping unit. The flexible luminaire provides general
purpose area/security, roadway, and landscape lighting
with up to 3,437
lumens at over 86
lumens/W75%
m o re e ff i c i e n t
than a similar
HID product. The
luminaires refractor provides enhanced security and LED brightness
control, and comes with a symmetric LED lens installed
standardbut also comes with a field rotatable asymmetric LED lens.
Hubbell Outdoor Lighting, a Hubbell Lighting brand
www.hubbelloutdoor.com
LED architectural wallpack
2014
Qualified
Dusk-to-dawn LED luminaire
Hubbell Outdoor Lightings LNC2 wallpack is designed

for entry/perimeter illumination for safety, security, and
identity. With options delivering up to 3,600 lumens
at 87 lumens/W, the LNC2 delivers bright and uniform
illumination on the exterior of buildings. With up to a
5:1 spacing-to-mounting-height ratio, there is greater
coverage from one
LNC2meaning fewer fixtures
to install and less
energy consumed.
Features and
expanded options
include a battery
backup for egress
application that
provides 1 footcandle average over 16
by 48 ft at 11-ft mounting heights. Available in 3,000,
4,200, and 5,100 K LEDs, the LNC2 also offers 347- and
480-V versions for industrial applications.
www.hubbelloutdoor.com
plant engineering
November 2014
2012 49
2014
Product of the Year
Lighting
High bay LED luminaires
AccuLite Highbay LED luminaires offer energy-efficient, high-quality illumination for industrial or commercial high bay lighting applications. These fixtures
allow for powerful illuminationequipped with options
for 8,000-, 16,000-, and 24,000-lumen outputand a
safe working environment, with optional lenses that
reduce visual intensity and provide comfort levels
comparable to traditional fluorescent fixtures. These
luminaires offer energy-saving efficacies of as much as
108 lumens/W. Engineered for longevity and upgradeability, the robust design features thermal separation
of the heat source and critical electronic components,
resulting in extended driver life.
LED dock light
Juno Lighting Group

www.junolightinggroup.com
Rite-Lites Flex Neck LED dock light features a

multi-articulating arm made from molded nylon links.
The links offer multiple bend points for increased
flexibility at the loading dock. The bend points can be
easily modified in the field to address unique needs,
or obstructions that may be encountered at a dock
opening. In addition, the links can be tightened, if
necessary, to eliminate the sagging that often occurs
with traditional metal snake arms. The LED dock light
incorporates a variety of other features, including
four different settings with visual indicators to clearly
identify the current level of lighting, allowing users
to select the desired level of light output.
Rite-Hite
www.ritehite.com
Architectural LED luminaires
The Indy Designer Series architectural LED luminaires use nextgeneration, high-power LEDs to produce 1,100 to 3,000 lumens
from 11, 15, 26, or 34 W of energy. Fixture efficacies reach up to
70 lumens/W, while still producing prodigious amounts of light and
consuming as little as 20% of the energy of CFLs. The latest version
of luminaires offers black body dimming technology, with which color
temperature warms from 2,700 to 1,800 K, following the Black Body
Locus throughout the dimming range. They meet the requirements
of such sustainability initiatives as Energy Star for select trims, have
no UV or IR emissions; no dangerous mercury, lead, or PCBs; and
are fully RoHS compliant.
Juno Lighting Group
www.junolightinggroup.com
50 November 2014
2012
PLANT ENGINEERING
Lighting
High-efficiency LED high bays
Sports arena LED
Sportsliter Solutions ArenaLED is an energy-efficient

lighting solution for todays sports arenas. Designed
specifically for interior sports and civic arenas, the ArenaLED produces optimal television and live audience
viewing, as well as low-glare light for player comfort.
The individually engineered LED optics of the ArenaLED
provide the highest level of uniformity and distribution
to playing surfaces and minimize wasted angles of light
typically emitted by traditional sources. Unlike current
sports arena lighting fixtures that require motorized
shade options for the instant blackout effect, LED is
a solid-state lighting solution that delivers immediate
on/off capabilities.
Technical Consumer Products high-efficiency LED high

bays add brilliance and exceptional light distribution in
environments requiring mounting heights from 20 to 40 ft
and are ideal for warehouses, commercial facilities, manufacturing facilities, and open and stack aisle applications.
The lumen package is an advanced replacement solution
for traditional metal-halide and linear fluorescent high bay
systems, with a full body assembly that features highefficiency drivers and high-output LEDs. The high bays
heavy-duty 20-gauge housing and 8-gauge wireguard is
code gauge steel, and all componentsexcluding the
wireguardare post painted with a glossy, high-reflectance
white paint.
Technical Consumer Products
www.tcpi.com
Sportsliter Solutions, a Hubbell Lighting brand

www.sportslighting.com
Maintenance Software
Web-based assessment tool
World Class Reliability Benchmarking (WCR-B)

is a streamlined hybrid assessment benchmarking
tool built from the experiences, tools, and methods
deployed during years of benchmarking hundreds of
companies. WCR-B is cost-effective, Web-based,
fast, role-based, safe, and trusted. The assessments
that make up WCR-B are divided into two categories:
sustainability base and reliability elements. With 51
sections across the 13 assessments, WCR-B measures
an organizations maturity against a total of 293 elements. To assist users in completing the assessments,
a number of resources and supplemental information
are built into WCR-B, making the assessment tool a
learning tool as well.
www.alliedreliabilitygroup.com
plant engineering
November 2014
2012 51
2014
Product of the Year
Sensor, software technology platform
IntelliSense gathers real-time data to enable users to identify

whether a component is achieving its desired performance specification. The platform combines sensors, cylinders, and software
to deliver this data and enhance productivity without sacrificing
quality or efficiency. The intelligence is embedded inside the sensor
interface module, a remote monitoring device connected to sensors attached to cylinders using pneumatic fittings. Users receive
operational insights about cylinder condition, cycle time, pressure,
and temperatures. IntelliSense also delivers predictive intelligence
for pneumatics in the form of up-to-date condition information to
predict when a cylinder will fail.
Bimba
www.bimba.com
Circuit breaker testing software
The CBAnalyzer for Windows 7 is a tool that tests the mechanical condition of circuit breakers with vibration analysis combined with Internet data
transfer and sophisticated, condition-based analysis. With any Windows
7 supporting tablet or PC, the CBAnalyzer for Windows 7 can perform
tests without removing the breaker from the cubicle and without any
electrical connections. Vibration data created by the breaker is captured
and analyzed, and the result is instantly returned to the device. The data
is saved in the users online account for equipment management, data
trending, and further analysis, including specialized issue diagnosis.
Circuit Breaker Analyzer
www.circuitbreakeranalyzer.com
Portable vibration analyzer
Emersons CSI 2140 Machinery Health Analyzer is a complete portable tool

for assessing the machinery health of rotating equipment and identifying potential problems before they lead to unplanned downtime. This analyzer delivers
four-channel simultaneous data collection plus phase functionality, wireless
and Bluetooth communication, and a full-color touchscreen. The CSI 2140 also
delivers fast route collection capabilities, reducing collection time by 30% to
60%. The analyzers ergonomic shape and light weight make data collection
routes easier on users. Faster data collection minimizes the time in the field
spent in uncomfortable or dangerous environments.
Emerson
www2.emersonprocess.com
52 November 2014
2012
PLANT ENGINEERING
Mobile maintenance data access
MC Express provides maintenance departments

with the ability to access Maintenance Connection
software anytime on most mobile devices. MC Express
can easily be configured to mirror any organizations
business practices and is an invaluable tool for improving productivity.
The application
decreases workflow timeframes
by giving both
technicians and
managers immediate access to
real-time information. Technicians can receive
alerts about new
work assignments instantl y, a n d w o r k
requesters can
obtain minuteby-minute status updates. Critical documents can
also be added to work orders and be accessed from
anywhere with MC Express, to save time and improve
productivity.
Vibration monitoring, diagnostic software
Maintenance Connection Inc.

www.maintenanceconnection.com
Metrix Instrument Co.

www.metrixvibration.com
Setpoint condition monitoring software (CMS) is

designed to help Metrix customers diagnose machinery
malfunctions quickly with an intuitive user interface that
borrows its navigation from stock trading interfaces. It
allows users to zoom in on a time of interest, select specific
data, and diagnose the condition of critical machinery
assets. Setpoints intelligent patent-pending data storage process ensures that vibration data is always there
without complex alarm configurations that store data only
after the alarm occurs. When viewing data, users see all
of their dynamic waveform and spectrum plots and will
also experience an 80-ms trend interval.
Web-based equipment
communication service
Phoenix Contacts mGuard Secure
Cloud (mSC) is a Web-based service that allows FL mGuard users to
securely communicate with and support
industrial equipment over the Internet.
The mSC uses FL mGuard hardware
to give OEMs, machine builders, and
system integrators a secure, easy, and
cost-effective way to remotely access
machines and systems. This improves
service and reduces travel and costs
associated with providing customer support. The mSC utilizes the IPSec VPN protocol with high-level security, including
AES-256 bit encryption, two-factor user/technician authentication, and X.509 certificates for machine authentication.
Phoenix Contact
www.phoenixcontact.com
plant engineering
November 2014
2012 53
2014
Product of the Year
Asset maintenance management system
Web Work Azzier is the premier asset maintenance management

system for operations with demanding asset maintenance, scheduling,
planning, and corporate interfacing requirements. While out-of-the-box
maintenance systems force users to conform, the Azzier computerized
maintenance management system (CMMS) is completely tailored to
meet user and administration needs. Azzier is Web-based and ready for
any PC, tablet, or mobile device running a popular browser. The Web
Work Azzier CMMS maximizes the performance and lifecycle value of
complex company assets, and aligns maintenance performance with
overall business strategies and objectives.
Tero Consulting Ltd.
www.azzier.com
Maintenance Tools & Equipment

Extended desiccant breathers
The EX-4 Extended Series of desiccant breathers

feature an integrated standpipe that promotes even
airflow distribution throughout the unit, preventing
inaccurate readings
of desiccant saturation. It also provides
excellent vibration resistance and
dissipates impact
throughout the
unit, enhancing the
strength and durability of the product.
These breathers use
the patent-pending
Honeycomb Oil Mist
Reducer which mimics a honeycomb
design and allows
oil mist to coalesce
and drain back into
the reservoir, rather
than compromising
the desiccant material. Six high-quality umbrella
check-valves are located underneath the unit for
added protection from wash-down environments.
Des-Case
http://descase.com
54 November 2014
2012
PLANT ENGINEERING
Laser assignment tool
The Fixturlaser EVO laser alignment tool is highly

compact, durable, and lightweightmaking the unit
easy to handle, but rugged. With its intuitive interface,
realistic 3-D animations, and a display unit that weighs
less than 1 lb. with a 5-in. full-color touchscreen, the
EVO feels more like a tablet than an industrial alignment
device. The screen is also trans reflective, which means
the animations still come through crisp and clear even
in direct sunlight. The EVOs wireless sensors are the
smallest on the market, and are equipped with 30-mm
CCD detectors, making it easy to get precise, reliable
readings even in tight spaces.
Fixturlaser
www.fixturlaser.com

Industrial
vending machine
Mid-range shaft alignment sensor
The AutoCrib TX750an

industrial vending solutionfeatures a flexible,
rolling dual-tambour-style
door that dispenses square
boxes and other MRO-related items with no repackaging required. The TX750 is
ideal for maintenance, plant
services, and manufacturing
environments that need to
dispense large square- or
rectangular-shaped products not supported by traditional helix/coil or carousel-type machines that use pie-shaped bins. Using
a patented rectangular bin shelf system, the TX750
offers a 30% increase in capacity. It virtually eliminates the vertical bin height waste associated with
fixed-door machines and supports up to 900 bins in
a very small footprint.
The Optalign Smart RS5 is a highly accurate sensor for

the mid-range shaft alignment market segment. Its XL HD
detector combined with powerful InfiniRange functionality
makes its measurement range virtually unlimited, even
over long spans of 33 ft. Its 5-axis technology enables it
to offer simultaneous Live Move tracking in both planes
for machine corrections. This allows live monitoring of
horizontal and vertical machine corrections at the same
time, with the sensor at any rotational shaft position. The
powerful synergy between the fast CPU and the MEMS
inclinometer ensures a finer and faster acquisition of misalignment data during a continuous sweep.
Ludeca
www.ludeca.com
AutoCrib Inc.
www.autocrib.com
Infrared camera
The Fluke Ti400 infrared camera features LaserSharp Auto Focus, which uses a laser to
pinpoint exactly where the camera should focus for precisely focused images. This tool features wireless connectivity to easily transfer images from the cameras directly to PCs or iOS
devices, which can then be imported into Flukes SmartView software, a professional suite
of analysis and reporting tools for optimizing and analyzing infrared images and producing
professional reports. The Ti400 is part of the Fluke Connect system, which allows maintenance
technicians to wirelessly transmit measurement data from their test tools to their smartphones.
Fluke Corp.
www.fluke.com
Dial indicator kit
The Fixturlaser dial indicator kit is a brushed aluminum and polished metal tool
that partners with a mobile application for iOS and Android devices to walk users
through the alignment process with a detailed 3-D graphical interface. The kit
includes two dial indicators and two V-brackets pre-assembled with chains for
mounting to shafts up to 6 in. in diameter. The kit also comes with three pairs of
rods in three lengths to maximize mounting options; the rods are hollow to help
reduce rod sag. When paired with the optional Google Nexus 7 Tablet, installed
with the Fixturlaser Dials app, users have a powerful combination of time-tested
analog alignment methods and modern technology.
Fixturlaser
www.fixturlaser.com
plant engineering
November 2014
2012 55
2014
Product of the Year

Dual-channel accelerometer
GTI has created a wireless accelerometer that also

enables wireless balancing. Designed for use with GTIs
iPad Predictive Maintenance platform, the hardware was
left open via a standard USB connection to be used on
other devices. A second input port on the accelerometer
facilitates wireless balancing and can be used for either
a second accelerometer or a tachometer. A zero latency
signal is streamed live for both channels in real time, not
in data packets and not periodically. The end user sees a
live waveform and spectrum, but without the hassle and
safety concerns of wires. The receiver can pair to over 700
accelerometers.
GTI Predictive Technology Inc.
www.gtipredictive.com
Roof leak diverter kit
The PIG Spring-Open Roof Leak Diverter Kit is

designed to quickly deploy from its storage bag and
provide a fully functioning leak diverter in less than
2 minutes. The diverter is easy to hang in trouble
spots to catch nuisance leaks and channel them to
a floor drain or collection container. A rigid outer rim
allows the diverter to spring open for quick, easy
handling. The attached straps and hooks can then
be easily positioned to keep the diverter in place
while it collects overhead leaks. After positioning, a flexible PVC drainage hose can be clicked into place with
the preinstalled quick-connect adapter. The diverter resists punctures, UV damage, and mildew.
New Pig
www.newpig.com
Vacuum interrupter test set
The Magnetic Atmospheric Condition vacuum interrupter tester (MAC-TS4) is a

third generation test set that determines the condition of vacuum interrupters. The
MAC-TS4 can prevent unnecessary damage to circuit breakers and contactors
by predicting the usable life of the vacuum interrupter. The MAC-TS4 can easily
determine the pressure inside a vacuum interrupter andalong with wear and
number of operationspredict the usable life of the vacuum interrupters used in
circuit breakers and contactors. The unique, patented flexible magnetic field test
coil enables vacuum interrupters to be tested in-place, while installed in a circuit
breaker or contactor.
Vacuum Interrupters
www.vacuuminterruptersinc.com
56 November 2014
2012
PLANT ENGINEERING
Manual Material Handling

Sectional dock/ramp door
The QxV is a flexible sectional dock or ramp door

with high-performance flexible PVC panels that resist
damage from impact better than steel panels. As durability and soaring energy costs continue to be a challenge in the loading dock industry, DL Manufacturings
QxV eliminates air and light gapsin turn, reducing
energy costs. The rugged, flexible PVC panels with
R-22 insulation values resist damage
from impact better
than standard steel
panels, surpassing
the performance
of other sectional
doors. The QxV is
available in vertical,
high, and standard
lift installations.
DL Manufacturing
www.dlmanufacturing.com
Dock light
system
BeLight is a
dock light in a bollard designed to
be indestructible
and also protect
the door jamb from
forklift abuse. The
bulb is activated
by a sensor in the
bollard that reads
the position of the door. The light turns on automatically
when the door is opened. BeSafe is a BeLight with an inside
and outside communication light package. This system
is controlled by a sensor inside the bollard that reads the
position of the door. The Twins consists of two BeLights
or two BeSafe systems, a heavy-duty guard rail system,
and removable dock door track guards. This system also
protects the dock light and the dock communication system.
Jamas Enterprises LLC
www.jamasenterprises.com
Material Handling Systems
Pressure, clamp force control system
TFC-Touch Force Control is a revolutionary touchscreen

pressure and clamp force control system designed to
improve load handling in warehousing operations. The
state-of-the-art, visually interactive system builds on the
growing trend of touch-based technology, facilitating smart
and easy interaction for lift truck drivers to consistently
select the perfect clamp force. The driver simply identifies
the product type and load configuration, and the system
then automatically activates the appropriate clamp force
for that load. TFC is an easy-to-use and very accurate
driver-friendly system that eliminates the potential for drivers to use excessively high pressure settings.
Metal loss monitor
The Eriez Metal Loss Monitor (MLM) lets scrap metal

recyclers know how much valuable metal is passing
through their fluff stream without being recovered. The
MLM does this by continuously scanning the residue
stream for metal that has escaped and is headed for landfill
disposal. The counter on the MLM is key to its function. It
can be reset hourly, daily, or even for each disposal truck
load. If a disposal truck is judged to be heavily loaded with
valuable metal, management can prevent it from being
landfilled. The MLM Data Acquisition and Reporting package extends possibilities for process improvement using
trend analysis and statistical process control.
Cascade Corp.
www.cascorp.com
Eriez
www.eriez.co
plant engineering
November 2014
2012 57
2014
Product of the Year

Heavy-duty
lift truck
The Speed-Guardian 4000 H high-performance security door with high lift tracks is specially designed for
applications that have obstructions around the floor
opening. The panel is guided inside higher than usual
vertical guide tracks to the point where there is enough
space for the horizontal track to run. This flexible mounting design allows the door to be installed behind or
above supply lines, crane tracks, or support beams. A
bolt mechanism with counterweights reduces wear for
reduced maintenance costs. This door fits into confining
areas where conventional overhead doors and other
high-speed doors do not.
The Hyster S80120FT lift truck

is designed to
i n c re a s e e n g i n e
cooling capabilities while providing
superior durability. Ideal for heavy-duty applications,
the hydraulic controlled cooling fan boosts performance and nearly eliminates the likelihood of engine
overheating. It matches cooling fan speed directly to
engine temperatures, regardless of engine speed, while
allowing more cooling at idle speed to maintain proper
engine and transmission temperatures. When the need
for cooling is low, the fan speed reduces significantly,
even at wide-open throttle, allowing trucks to run an
entire shift without having to stop and cool off, while
reducing noise levels.
Hrmann Flexon
www.hormann-flexon.com
Hyster Co.
www.hyster.com
High-speed roll-up door
Compact lever hoist
The Ingersoll Rand KL

Kinetic lever hoist is built
with a corrosion-resistant,
fused brake disk design
for longer brake life and an
ergonomic grip to reduce
operator fatigue. The hoist is
built with bearing constructioncaged ball bearings
on the load sprocket and
caged roller bearings on the
main shaftto minimize the
manual effort required by
the user, which makes for
an overall smoother operation. The solution is ideal for
industrial and manufacturing applications in refineries
and the construction, power
generation, ship building, and
workboat markets. The lifting capacity of the lever
chain hoist ranges from 0.75 to 9 metric tons.
Ingersoll Rand
www.ingersollrandproducts.com
58 November 2014
2012
PLANT ENGINEERING
Now
the vote
is yours
2014
Qualified

Lightweight lever hoist
The ultra-compact SideKick

Series lever chain hoist weighs
less than 10 lbs for maximum
portability and is compact to
fit into the tightest spaces. The
SideKick Series hoist is an ideal
lifting companion for users
requiring a highly portable lifting solution. The SideKick hoists
incorporate a double pawl, disk
brake system for dependability
and heat-treated side plates for
additional durability. The hoists
feature grade 80 zinc-plated
loan chains to provide exceptional corrosion resistance and
increased durability. Models
come in a variety of lifting capacity ranging from 0.25 to 0.75 metric tons with 5- and 10-ft chains.
Each KX lever hoist comes with a
heavy-duty carrying bag.
Ingersoll Rand
www.ingersollrandproducts.com
Sectional dock
door controller
Engineered to meet rigorous OSHA requirements for

traditional loading docks, the Dockzilla mobile loading
dock is fully loaded with exclusive safety and performance features that surpass any yard ramp in materials handling. These colossal workhorses improve productivity by up to 80% over hand unloading, without
the expense of traditional loading dock construction.
These maneuverable docks withstand the daily rigors of
trailer impact load force, yet are thoughtfully designed
for easy relocation by a forklift. This portable product
allows growing, space-leasing, and seasonal businesses
to significantly improve loading dock operations.
Leum Engineering Inc.
www.leumengineering.com
Walkie pallet truck
The BeLock Controller

de-energizes dock equipment when a sectional
dock door is locked, preventing damage to dock
door hardware by premature activation of the
dock leveler, door operator, dock light, and other equipment. The controller
can switch inside and outside communication lights
based on whether the door is locked, increasing
safety on the dock as the warehouse staff and truck
drivers will know when the door is closed and locked
or when it is open and unlocked. The controller also
tracks door usage with time stamping, allowing users
to gather data on time between trailer drops, peak
activity, time between loading/unloading completion,
and trailer pulls.
Jamas Enterprises LLC
www.jamasenterprises.com
Mobile loading dock
The Yale MPB045-VG

walkie pallet truck offers
innovative features and a
design built around the operator. Engineered with a small
footprint, the walkie is an ideal
solution for busy operations,
allowing loads to be moved
quickly and efficiently in tight
spaces. The walkie is available with Yale Smart Lift, an
industry-exclusive, patented
featured that can reduce cycle
times by up to 25%. Smart
Lift increases efficiency by allowing the operator to begin
transporting the pallet before the unit is at full lift. It automatically permits the pallet to rise to maximum fork height
without the operator having to continually hold the lift button, creating simultaneous lift and travel.
Yale Materials Handling Corp.
www.yale.com
plant engineering
November 2014
2012 59
2014
Product of the Year
Power Transmission
Helical-bevel gear reducer
Baldors Dodge Quantis Ultra Kleen is a helical-bevel gear reducer

for the food and meat processing industries. Featuring stainless
steel construction and a maintenance-free design, this gear reducer
is capable of withstanding the toughest washdown environments.
Quantis Ultra Kleen meets principles of Sanitary Equipment Design
(ref. AMI Foundation, January 2014 edition). Features for sanitary
equipment design include: AISI 300 series stainless steel construction, curved product surfaces designed to eliminate water pooling
and to be self-draining, laser-etched gear reducer identification
to provide both sanitary and permanent product identification,
and more.
Baldor Electric Co.
www.baldor.com
Now
the vote
is yours
High-amperage combiner boxes
Eatons Crouse-Hinds business thirdparty certified high-amperage solar combiner boxes are designed for use in PV
systems with T-junction cable harnesses,
and help to optimize the photovoltaic (PV)
system and reduce labor and materials.
When used at each panel row-end, the
T-junctions reduce one positive and one
negative string per row down to one positive and one negative string for every two
rows of panelscutting material and labor
costs by up to 20%. Engineered to meet
the continually evolving designs of grid
connected PV solar systems, the combiner boxes are designed to handle the
increased amperage of T-junction cable
system inputs.
2014
Qualified
Eatons Crouse-Hinds business

60 November 2014
2012
PLANT ENGINEERING
Productivity & Training

Process automation solution
Infor Factory Track provides a comprehensive solution for manufacturers to increase their productivity and
operational efficiency and improve visibility across the
warehouse and the shop floor. From top to bottom, this
solution supports all the functions of the enterprise and
has the capabilities to increase inventory accuracy, reduce
inventory carrying costs, reduce overhead, capture the
true cost associated with labor, create strategic plans,
increase compliance and traceability, and gain a competitive advantage. In addition, users can align with lean
manufacturing principles by eliminating waste and better
optimizing processes.
Infor
www.infor.com
Data historian,
reporting bundle
The Wonderware Historian Online Edition
is a SaaS offering that enables companies
to safely share operating and maintenance
data from many sites while lowering their
IT burden. Its tiered database architecture
stores data from multiple local plant-level
historians onto a cloud-hosted, enterprise
historian. Data flows only one wayfrom the
local historians to the online historianand
is protected from cyber intrusion, improving
troubleshooting, reporting, and analytics. It
leverages Windows Azure cloud services
from Microsoft Corp., so there is no software to install or set up, saving on valuable IT
resources and reducing capital requirements.
Schneider Electric
Entry-level
maintenance
tests
Electrical Entry,
Mechanical Entry,
and MultiCraft
Entry measure the
basic knowledge
and skills required
to perform maintenance functions
in an industrial or
commercial environment. Ramsay
Corp.s series of tests for entry-level personsthose
with less than 1 year of training or experiencewill help
identify those candidates who will be most successful.
Organizations are then able to use the entry tests to select
individuals for electrical, mechanical, or both electrical
and mechanical jobs. With on-the-job experience and
classroom or vendor training, entry-level candidates can
become journey-level maintenance employees who are
well trained to perform industry specific tasks.
Ramsay Corp.
www.ramsaycorp.com
plant engineering
November 2014
2012 61
2014
Product of the Year
Safety
Remote switch actuator
The CBS ArcSafe RSA-174F remote switch actuator

allows technicians to remotely open and close the ABB
Tmax T7 frame molded case circuit breaker from a distance of up to 300 ft while stationed outside of the arcflash perimeter. The RSA-174F is compatible with all ABB
Tmax T7 frame molded case circuit breakers equipped
with the over-toggle operating mechanism and with ratings of 1,000 to 1,200 A at up to 600 V. The RSA-174F is
lightweight, portable, and ideal for remote operation in
difficult-to-access areas; the quick and simple setup of
the RSA-174F is streamlined for repeated operation and
requires no modifications to the users equipment.
CBS ArcSafe
Explosion isolation valve
The Stinger explosion isolation valve protects

against combustible dust explosions while offering combined benefits of tested and certified
performance, rapid reaction speed, energy savings, and maintenance ease. A key feature is
a lightweight, patent-pending composite blade
that reacts with the highest possible speed in
the event of an explosion. Because of its light
weight, less pressure drop is needed to hold the
blade open during normal flow, saving on energy
use. Also, the composite material has a smooth
surface and does not use stiffeners that can allow
dust to build up on the blade to compromise
performance.
Camfil Air Pollution Control
www.farrapc.com
Surge protective devices
Eaton SPD MAX Series side-mount surge protective devices (SPDs) offer maximum safety, flexibility, and protection from the dangers of power transients. The
products help shield technicians from danger with innovative barriers that block
access to harmful voltages. Lockout provisions are also available on models with
a circuit breaker option. To simplify management, dual-color LED lights show protection status for the unit as a whole, or any of its phases on three-phase devices.
An additional dual-colored LED indicates the power and protection status of the
neutral-ground connection in models that require a neutral wire.
Eaton
www.eaton.com
62 November 2014
2012
PLANT ENGINEERING
Safety
Removable forklift dock barrier
The Dockshield removable forklift barrier provides a heavy-duty pedestrian and forklift guardrail
with the flexibility to be easily removed, stacked,
and reconfigured. Dockshield combines employee
fall protection via 42-in. personnel guards with
heavy-duty 12-in. high-impact barriers and an
engineered embedded floor sleeve. The forklift
barriers floor sleeve creates solid ground support by transferring load impact forces to the
concrete. Installed flush to the floor, the product
reduces trip hazards when barriers are removed.
The Dockshields guardrail posts feature integral
fork pockets, enabling a forklift to easily lift and
maneuver each 10-ft unit of barrier.
www.leumengineering.com
Pop-up drive-over barrier
The PIG Build-A-Berm Self-Rising Drive-Over Barrier

features an innovative, self-rising side-wall that allows
easy access to containment areas for cart, forklift, or
foot traffic, and is always ready to rise and contain
any spill or leak that happens. The Berms wall lays
flat to allow
forklifts, pallet jacks, and
drum trucks
to driveover for easy
access to
the contaiment area.
In the event
of a spill,
the driveover gate will
automatically
rise with the
spill level to
keep liquids
contained.
This product also aids facilities in compliance with
regulations 40 CFR 264.175, 40 CFR 122.26, and 40
CFR 112.7.
Software-configurable safety relay
Machine builders can easily implement required safety

functions while improving productivity with the AllenBradley Guardmaster 440C-CR30 software-configurable
safety relay from Rockwell Automation. Users can program
the safety relay through the free Connected Components
Workbench software from Rockwell Automation. Connected Components Workbench software reduces programming time and helps increase productivity by allowing
users to create, control, and monitor a safety system in the
same software environment as their standard control. The
Guardmaster 440C-CR30 software-configurable safety
relay meets PLe, SIL 3 per EN ISO 13849-1, and IEC 62061.
Rockwell Automation
New Pig
www.newpig.com
plant engineering
November 2014
2012 63
2014
Product of the Year
Safety
Pre-assembled fire protection valve, trim
The FireLock Series 745 Fire-Pac is a pre-assembled

fire protection valve and trim that is pre-wired to a fire
alarm control panel and enclosed inside a metal cabinet.
The Fire-Pac features sealed cabinets with heating and
insulation for outdoor installations, while maintaining a
small footprint reducing space requirements, more inlet
pipe and drain connection options, and a greater ambient
temperature range. The minimized footprint allows for
greater usable floor space and eliminates the need for
mechanical closets. It is an ideal option for installation
of the FireLock NXT dry, deluge, or preaction systems.
Victaulic
www.victaulic.com
Floor tapes
The ShieldMark Mighty Line floor tapes were

designed to help managers improve the safety, organization, and productivity of their facilities. The easyto-apply floor marking products can be used for a wide
variety of industry applications and boast long-lasting
durability and labor-saving advantages. Mighty Lines
essential attributes include quick application, long life,
and critical safety warning messages. Mighty Lines
advanced floor marking tapes provide non-invasive
floor marking installation and removal. They can also
be cleaned with industrial brush scrubbers, resist damage from wheeled forklife traffic, and are fume-free.
ShieldMark Inc.
www.mightyline.com
Fire sprinkler coating
The Victaulic VC-250 sprinkler coating for maximum

corrosive protection is UL listed and FM approved for
corrosion resistance. The VC-250 coating is applied to
fully encompass the sprinkler frame at a uniform thickness
to prevent areas of vulnerability seen in other coatings.
Each FireLock sprinkler surface is fully coated to ensure
maximum coverage and protection. Sprinklers with the
VC-250 coating are designed for service in a wide array
of corrosive environments such as water treatment, food
manufacturing, ethanol production, and pickling stainless
steel lines. Third-party corrosion tests have shown it shows
no visual change against physical damage and weathering.
Victaulic
www.victaulic.com
64 November 2014
2012
PLANT ENGINEERING
2014
Product of the Year Index
COMPANY
PRODUCT
CATEGORY
World Class Reliability Benchmarking (WCR-B)
51
Atlas Copco
Neos - Inverter Drive
Compressed Air
39
AutoCrib Inc.
TX750 Vending Solution
55
Baldor Electric Co.
Quantis Ultra Kleen
Power Transmission
60
Baldor Electric Co.
Super-E Motor with Baldor Shaft Ground Brush
41
Big Ass Light
Big Ass Light LED
Lighting
47
Bimba
Intellisense
52
Bosch Rexroth Corp.
IndraDrive CL/ML High-Power Electric Drive
41
Camfil Air Pollution Control
The Stinger Explosion Isolation Valve
Safety
62
Cascade Corp.
TFC - Touch Force Control
57
CBS ArcSafe
RSA-161A
41
CBS ArcSafe
RSA-174F
Safety
62
CBS ArcSafe
RSA-187A
Electrical Safety
43
Circuit Breaker Analyzer
CBAnalyzer for Windows 7
52
Cognex Corp.
DataMan 8050 Series Industrial Handheld Barcode Readers
37
ControlSoft Inc.
INTUNE+ I&C INSIGHT
37
Des-Case
Des-Case Extended Series Breather
54
DL Manufacturing
QxV Flexible Sectional Dock Door
57
Dual-Lite, a Hubbell Lighting brand
EVHC High Lumen LED Emergency Light
Lighting
47
Eaton
Eaton ePDU third-generation (G3) platform
Energy Management
45
Eaton
Energy Portal Module with E-Allocation Software
Energy Management
45
Eaton
Power Xpert Insight
Energy Management
45
Eaton
PowerXL Series DG1 adjustable frequency drive
41
Eaton
SC9000 EP medium voltage drives
42
Eaton
SL Series Stacklights
37
Eaton
SPD Max Series Surge Protective Devices
Safety
62
Class J Power Distribution Fuse Block
Electrical Safety
43
Fuses Made SimpleControl Circuits
Electrical Safety
43
LumaWatt Outdoor Wireless Control and Monitoring System
Lighting
47
McGraw-Edison TopTier LED Parking Garage and Canopy Luminaire
Lighting
48
Metalux SkyBar High Bay Luminaire
Lighting
48
ACE 75HP Explosionproof VFD
42
Champ LED Luminaires 13,000 - 25,000 Lumen Series
Lighting
48
High Amperage Solar Combiner Boxes
Power Transmission
60
PowerGard Universal Receptacles and Back Boxes
Electrical Safety
43
Type U Condulet Fittings
Electrical Safety
44
Eatons Crouse-Hinds Connectors
Roughneck Multi-pin and Single Pole Connectors
Electrical Safety
44
AEGIS iPRO-MR Ring
42
Emerson
CSI 2140 Machinery Health Analyzer
52
Eriez
Metal Loss Monitor
57
EXAIR Corp.
3/8 NPT PEEK Super Air Nozzle
Compressed Air
39
EXAIR Corp.
Long Ion Bars
Compressed Air
39
EXAIR Corp.
Longer Super Air Knives
Compressed Air
39
EXAIR Corp.
M5 x 0.5 PEEK Pico Super Air Nozzle
Compressed Air
40
Excel BeSecure Solutions LLC
BeSecure
Apps for Engineers
36
Facts Engineering
Productivty3000 Ethernet/IP
37
Fixturlaser
Fixturlaser Dial Indicator Kit
55
Fixturlaser
Fixturlaser EVO
54
PLANT ENGINEERING
PAGE
November 2014
2012 65
2014
Product of the Year Index
COMPANY
PRODUCT
CATEGORY
Fluke Corp.
Fluke Connect
Apps for Engineers
PAGE
Fluke Corp.
Fluke Ti400 Infrared Camera
55
FS-Elliott Co. LLC
Regulus Control System
Compressed Air
40
GTI Predictive Technology Inc.
GTIs Wireless Dual-Channel Accelerometer for iPad
56
Hrmann Flexon
Speed-Guardian 4000 H - High Speed Door with High-Lift Track
58
Hubbell Industrial Lighting, a Hubbell Lighting brand
LUNABAY High Lumen LED High Bay
Lighting
49
DDL Multi-purpose Dusk-to-Dawn LED Luminaire
Lighting
49
LNC2
Lighting
49
Hyster Co.
Hyster S80-120FT
58
Infor
Infor Factory Track
61
Ingersoll Rand
Ingersoll Rand KL Kinetic Series Lever Hoist
58
Ingersoll Rand
Ingersoll Rand SideKick Series Mini Lever Hoist
59
ITT Goulds Pumps Inc.
PumpSmart MV
42
JAMAS Enterprises LLC
BeLIGHT/BeSAFE Twins
57
JAMAS Enterprises LLC
BeLOCK Controller
59
Juno Lighting Group
AccuLite LED Highbay Luminaires
Lighting
50
Juno Lighting Group
Indy Designer Series Architectural LED Luminaires
Lighting
50
Kaeser Compressors
Secotec TF Refrigerated Compressed Air Dryers
Compressed Air
40
63
36
DOCKSHIELD Removable Forklift Dock Barrier
Safety
DOCKZILLA Mobile Loading Dock
59
Littelfuse Inc.
SE-330 Series Neutral-Grounding-Resistor Monitor
Electrical Safety
44
Ludeca
OPTALIGN SMART RS5
55
Maintenance Connection Inc.
MC Express
53
Meltric Corp.
DSN Series Switch-Rated Plug and Receptacle
Electrical Safety
44
Metrix Instrument Co.
SETPOINT CMS Condition Monitoring Software
53
Mitsubishi Electric
9900C
Energy Management
46
Mitsubishi Electric U.S. Cooling & Heating Division
Hyper-Heating INVERTER (H2i) R2-Series Variable Refrigerant

Flow Zoning System
Energy Management
46
New Pig
PIG Build-A-Berm Self-Rising Drive-Over Barrier
Safety
63
New Pig
PIG Spring-Open Roof Leak Diverter Kit
56
Phoenix Contact
mGuard Secure Cloud
53
Ramsay Corp.
Entry-Level Maintenance Tests
61
Rite-Hite
Eclipse Dock Shelter
Energy Management
46
Rite-Hite
Rite-Lite Flex Neck LED Dock Light
Lighting
50
Rockwell Automation
Allen-Bradley Guardmaster 440C-CR30 software-configurable safety relay
Safety
63
Rockwell Automation
Allen-Bradley Kinetix 5500 servo drive with integrated safety
42
Rockwell Automation
Allen-Bradley Stratix 5100 WAP
38
Schneider Electric
Vijeo Design Air and Vijeo Design Air Plus
Apps for Engineers
36
Schneider Electric
Wonderware Historian Online Edition
61
ShieldMark Inc.
Mighty Line
Safety
64
Siemens
SIMATIC S7-1500F Safety Controller
38
Sportsliter Solutions, a Hubbell Lighting brand
ArenaLED
Lighting
51
Technical Consumer Products
LED High Bays
Lighting
51
Azzier
54
Vacuum Interrupters
Mac-TS4
56
Victaulic
FireLock Series 745 Fire-Pac
Safety
64
Victaulic
VC-250 Sprinkler Coating for FireLock Sprinklers
Safety
64
Weidmuller
u-remote - Remote I/O
38
Yale Materials Handling Corp.
Yale MPB045-VG
59
66 November 2014
2012
PLANT ENGINEERING
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
2014
Youve met the finalists for Product of the Year. After youve
completed the online ballot, you can learn more about the
finalists and their manufacturers. Our special Product of the Year
advertising section provides a way for you to learn how to make
plants run more efficiently, safely, and productively.
Companies interested in entering the 2014 Product of the Year competition may do so before the August 28, 2015
deadline. Details and entry forms will be available April 1, 2015 at www.plantengineering.com/poy.
PLANT ENGINEERING
November 2014 67
UPTIME
Predictive Failure
diagnose cylinder issues
before they happen
Machine Efficiency
measure optimal
stroke time
Remote Monitoring
collect data on cylinders
from multiple locations
Production Improvement
move from emergency repair
to proactive upgrades
WELCOME TO THE PNEU AGE OF CONDITION-BASED MONITORING

Introducing IntelliSense, a one-of-a-kind technology platform that delivers real-time
performance data on standard Bimba pneumatic devices for maximum uptime.
See the future at bimba.com/smarter
Copyright 2014 Bimba Manufacturing Company. All Rights Reserved.
2014
Perfect clamp force every time

No more guesswork.
TFC - Touch Force Control

TFC is a
Plant Engineering
Product of the Year
Finalist.
See us in the
Material Handling
section and dont
forget to vote!
An innovative new clamp force control

system with touch screen interface that
allows drivers to easily select the proper
clamp force every time.
Up to 486 different load configurations
without the need to remember any clamp
force settings or consult complicated charts.
TOUCH FORCE CONTROL
800 CASCADE (227-2233)

www.cascorp.com
Touch, clamp and go. Its that easy.
For a TFC Investment Analysis and more information

visit http:\\connect.cascorp.com/tfc
INTRODUCING THE
NEW EXTENDED SERIES
DESICCANT BREATHERS
2014
PROTECT YOUR LARGE ASSETS FROM

MOISTURE AND CONTAMINANTS
Nylon standpipe with NEW integrated oil

mist reducer for even airflow
4lbs of desiccant provides more adsorption

capacity and elongates breather life
High airflow (37 CFM)
Six high-quality umbrella check-valves

isolate equipment from ambient conditions
Female threaded mountings for durability

and stability
Ideal for: Storage Tanks, Wind Turbines,

Remote Applications, Large Gearboxes
& Hydraulic Reservoirs
Try one for free! descase.com/sample

2014 Des-Case Corporation. All rights reserved. Des-Case is a registered
trademark of Des-Case Corporation. *Specifications for DC-EX-4 Model.
Loading up on innovation.
At DL Manufacturing, we understand that every loading dock is
different. We craft customized solutions with state-of-the-art
products, developed and built especially for you right here in
the U.S.A. all so your dock can be as safe, efficient and productive
as possible. With our team on your side, theres no such thing as
a heavy lift. Here are just a few examples of our innovation at work.
The future of energy-efficient

dock doors is here.
Protect your building with

advanced pneumatic technology.
TM
Designed with rugged, flexible PVC

panels measured to surpass the
performance of other sectional dock doors
Eliminates air and light gaps
Ideal solution for cold storage applications
and behind vertical storing dock levelers
2014
Product of the Year finalist for Plant

Engineering magazine
Eliminates shock and releases

impact energy
Minimizes load on the building
Rugged material can withstand the
constant abuse of dock collisions
Reduces damage on truck trailers
Product of the Year award winner
for Plant Engineering magazine
visit our new website at
dlmanufacturing.com
My vibration routes seem endless.

I need to collect data faster, so I can
spend more time fixing problems.
YOU CAN DO THAT

Spend time on high impact tasks with faster
data collection. The CSI 2140 enables fast data collection. With
triaxial accelerometer and four-channel monitoring capabilities,
you can finish your route in half the time. Use your valuable time to
solve problems instead of collecting data. Scan the code below or
visit www.EmersonProcess.com/WorkFaster to learn more.
The Emerson logo is a trademark and a service mark of Emerson Electric Co. 2014 Emerson Electric Co.
CSI2140_AD_Pumps_7inX10in_POY.indd 1
10/21/2014 12:34:34 AM
The Truth About Compressed Air!

If you think compressed air is too expensive and noisy - read this. The facts will surprise you!
Compare these Blowoffs
Facts about Blowers
There are a variety of ways to blow the water from the bottles shown in the photo below,
but which method is best? To decide, we ran a comparison test on the same application
using four different blowoff methods: drilled pipe, flat air nozzles, Super Air Knife (each
using compressed air as a power source), and a blower supplied air knife (using an electric
motor as a power source). Each system consisted of two twelve inch long air knives. The
following comparison proves that the EXAIR Super Air Knife is the best choice for
your blowoff, cooling or drying application.
Energy conscious plants might think a

blower to be a better choice due to its
slightly lower electrical consumption
compared to a compressor. In reality, a
blower is an expensive capital expenditure
that requires frequent downtime and
costly maintenance of filters, belts and
bearings. Here are some important facts:
The goal for each of the blowoff choices was to use the least amount of air possible to
get the job done (lowest energy and noise level). The compressed air pressure required
was 60 PSIG which provided adequate velocity to blow the water off. The blower
used had a ten horsepower motor and was a centrifugal type blower at 18,000 RPM.
The table at the bottom of the page summarizes the overall performance. Since your
actual part may have an odd configuration, holes or sharp edges, we took sound level
measurements in free air (no impinging surface).
Filters must be replaced every

one to three months.
Belts must be replaced every
three to six months.
Typical bearing replacement is at least once
a year at a cost near $1000.
Drilled Pipe
Blower Air Knife
This common blowoff is very

inexpensive and easy to make. For this
test, we used (2) drilled pipes, each
with (25) 1/16" diameter holes on 1/2"
centers. As shown in the test results
below, the drilled pipe performed
poorly. The initial cost of the drilled
pipe is overshadowed by its high energy
use. The holes are easily blocked and
the noise level is excessive - both of
which violate OSHA requirements.
Velocity across the entire length
was very inconsistent with spikes
of air and numerous dead spots.
The blower proved to be an expensive, noisy

option. As noted below, the purchase price
is high. Operating cost was considerably
lower than the drilled pipe and fl at air
nozzle, but was comparable to EXAIRs
Super Air Knife. The large blower with
its two 3" (8cm) diameter hoses requires
significant mounting space compared to
the others. Noise level was high at 90 dBA.
There was no option for cycling it on and off
to conserve energy like the other blowoffs.
Costly bearing and filter maintenance along
with downtime were also negative factors.
Flat Air Nozzles
EXAIR Super Air Knife
As shown below, this inexpensive

air nozzle was the worst performer.
It is available in plastic, aluminum
and stainless steel from several
manufacturers. The flat air nozzle
provides some entrainment, but suffers
from many of the same problems
as the drilled pipe. Operating cost
and noise level are both high. Some
manufacturers offer flat air nozzles
where the holes can be blocked an OSHA violation. Velocity was
inconsistent with spikes of air.
The Super Air Knife did an exceptional

job of removing the moisture on one pass
due to the uniformity of the laminar
airflow. The sound level was extremely
low. For this application, energy use was
slightly higher than the blower but can be
less than the blower if cycling on and off
is possible. Safe operation is not an issue
since the Super Air Knife can not be deadended. Maintenance costs are low since
there are no moving parts to wear out.
Blower bearings wear out quickly due

to the high speeds (17-20,000 RPM)
required to generate effective airflows.
Poorly designed seals that allow dirt and
moisture infiltration and environments
above 125F decrease the one year
bearing life.
Many bearings can not be replaced in
the field, resulting in downtime to send
the assembly back to the manufacturer.
Blowers take up a lot of space and often
produce sound levels that exceed OSHA
noise level exposure requirements. Air
volume and velocity are often difficult to
control since mechanical adjustments are
required.
To discuss an application, contact:
EX AIR Corporation
11510 Goldcoast Drive
Cincinnati, Ohio 45249-1621
(800) 903-9247
Fax: (513) 671-3363
email: techelp@exair.com
www.exair.com/79/423.htm
See the Super Air Knife in action.

www.exair.com/79/akvideo.htm
The Super Air Knife is the low cost way

to blowoff, dry, clean and cool.
Blowoff Comparison
Comp. Air
Type of blowoff
SLPM
Horsepower
Required
Sound
Annual Approx. Annual
Purchase
Level
Electrical
Maintenance
Price
dBA
Cost*
Cost
First
Year
Cost
PSIG
BAR
SCFM
Drilled Pipes
60
4.1
174
4,924
35
91
$50
$4,508
$920
$5,478
Flat Air Nozzles
60
4.1
257
7,273
51
102
$208
$6,569
$1,450
$8,227
Blower Air Knife
0.2
N/A
N/A
10
90
$5,500
$1,288
$1,500
$8,288
Super Air Knife
60
4.1
55
1,557
11
69
$550
$1,417
$300
$2,267
*Based on national average electricity cost of 8.3 cents per kWh. Annual cost reflects 40 hours per week, 52 weeks per year.
Common Applications
Motor Plugs
Increase Maintenance Efficiency

Safely make and break electrical loads and quickly repair or
OFF replace equipment without needing an electrician on site.
Cord Drop Disconnects
Button
Simplify NFPA 70E Compliance

Exclusive safety features prevent access to live parts,
protect from arc flash, and make lock-out easy.
Minimize Equipment Costs

UL switch ratings eliminate the need for
mechanical interlocks and safety switches.
Washdown Connections
Power + Control
UL Ratings
up to 200A,
75 hp, Type 4X
VOTE FOR MELTRIC

DSN150 MODEL!
Other Product Lines

Hazardous Location
Multipin
Power Distribution
meltric.com 800.433.7642
High Ampacity
2014
The New 9900C from Mitsubishi

is a work of art.
2014
One megawatt of power in a single UPS

The smallest footprint delivers the highest power
density per square foot in the industry
Up to 97% efficiency
Unprecedented 15 year capacitor life
Can be paralleled with up to 8 units for capacity or
N+1 redundancy
Three year parts and labor warranty
Contact us for more information on this masterpiece!
www.meppi.com
UNINTERRUPTIBLE POWER SUPPLIES
724.779.1664
UP
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ER
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T D P T D P .. UD P .. U UPT .. U UP M I UP M I TE M I TE
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A C E O P T E D P EPAT E D P EPAT E D P E AE R R U P TE R R U P TEER R U P T E N I N T E R RN I N T E RNR I N T E R RN D . . . U N INND . . . U NNI ND . . . U N I N F M I N D..F M I N D.F M I N D. A C E O F MA C E O F AMC E O F ME D P E A CEED P E A CEED P E A C ER U P T E DR
High Efficiency
LED High Bays
FROM TCP
TCPs LED High Bays superior lumen package is ideal for replacing
traditional metal halide and linear fluorescent high bay systems.
Benefits include high efficiency, excellent
color rendering, long life, instant on, and
improved uniformity.
Instant Energy Savingsup to 56% less
energy than HID alternative.
Long Life: 50,000 hoursminimizes
replacement and maintenance cost.
Low Heat Generationless
energy wasted.
Ideal for Mounting Heights
from 20 to 40 feet.
Brilliant
Technology
visit tcpi.com to learn more
we know light.
light
Check out some of our

Plant Engineering webcasts:

ARC FLASH
MANUFACTURING
SAFETY
ENERGY MANAGEMENT
and more!
Learn about the latest engineering technologies and applications

from your desktop or mobile device.
www.plantengineering.com/webcasts
Industrial Grade
Performance
using standard off-the-shelf Schedule 10S pipe
Vic-Press
FOR SCHEDULE 10S
THE ONLY PIPE-SIZED PRESS SOLUTION
No specialty pipe Vic-Press is

the only solution using off-the-shelf
ASTM A-312 Schedule 10S pipe
Allows for easier supply chain
and inventory management
Type 304 and Type 316
SURPASSING INDUSTRY STANDARDS
Vic-Press provides pressure

performance up to 500 psi
Accepted for use on ASME B31.1,
B31.3 and B31.9 systems
In accordance with ANSI
Class 150 standards
NSF 61 Certified up to 180 F/82 C
for EPDM and HNBR seal materials
APPLICATIONS
Potable water
Service air/water
Petroleum oils
Hydraulic fluids
Organic fluids
Lubricants
Hydrocarbons
And many more!
ENGINEERED FOR DEMANDING

INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS
Pipe wall thickness provides up to

3 greater strength, 2 greater
durability and 52% greater flow
performance than tube
SUPPLYING THE
COMPETITIVE
ADVANTAGE
Most comprehensive stainless steel
COMPLETE LINE OF FITTINGS,
VALVES AND ACCESSORIES
line in the industry, from " to 24"
For more information, visit www.vic-press.com

2014
More Performance. Simplified.

u-remote.
Weidmullers new distributed I/O system is small in size (11.5mm).
u-remote offers a simple, reliable plug and go set up.
Ultra high density, up to 32 connections in one module.
Individual LEDs for each I/O point.
Its incredibly fast station bus delivers high performance and real-time process mapping.
The integrated web server offers remote testing and diagnosis.
Hot-swappable modules
Lets connect.
www.weidmuller.com/u-remote
See u-remote in Action
SpecialrepOrT: Oil & Gas
The search for

offshore oil and gas
Automation improvements make deep offshore drilling economically feasible,
while maintaining safety and reliability.
Eugene Spiropoulos
Yokogawa Coporation of America
he quest to produce energy from

increasingly remote locations has
driven the adoption and evolution
of advanced exploration, drilling,
and production methodologies. An
ever increasing amount of oil and
natural gas is being produced by techniques
that were once considered unconventional: tar
sand extraction, fracking, and deep offshore
drilling. As the value of oil and gas production
has gone up and the cost of these extraction
methods has gone down, the range of economically recoverable deposits has increased.
This has been particularly the case with deep
offshore oil and gas fields.
Drilling for oil in areas covered by water is
as old as commercial oil production. Beginning with wells drilled from piers to todays
highly sophisticated floating platforms,
technologies have advanced year by year.
The water and rock depth penetrated have
increased as new drilling methods make it possible to reach deeper deposits, and data from
the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
points to more drilling in ever deeper water.
While most active platforms are in relatively
shallow water, the largest number of active
leases and approved applications to drill are
at depths greater than 1,000 m (see table on
page 86).
Some of the most extreme examples of deep
offshore drilling are the subsea fields off the
coast of Brazil in the Santos Basin. The Lula
field is already producing even though the
reservoirs are below 2,000 m of water and
5,000 m of salt, sand, and rock. Estimates of
recoverable oil from these deposits are around
7.5 billion barrels, but until recently, this kind
of oil would have been considered impossible
to exploit.
Challenges such as these would have been
insurmountable before the last decades, but
lessons learned and the march of automation
advancements have made practical what was

previously impossible: the production of fossil
energy from the ocean floor, at mitigated risk
to man and environment. The technologies
may have changed over the past decades, but
the key considerations that define the industry
remain the same: safety and reliability.
Dealing with unique challenges
Several challenges arise in the deployment,

successful operation, and maintenance of
deep-water production assets:
Economics of subsea and topside installations, particularly instrumentation and
wiring, require precision engineering
and coordination of field work as controls and communications become ever
more critical.
Operational challenges and risk amplify
with increased manpower and weight of
topside platforms, and with disparate and
disconnected subsea and topside production systems. More equipment is being
moved to the sea floor to reduce the size
and weight of platforms, but this makes
accessibility far more complicated.
Safety factors are highly dependent on
proper maintenance philosophy, including
device statuses and performance, valve
signatures, periodic testing, etc. These
tasks can be costly, but failures are far
more conspicuous and expensive. One
only needs to consider the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster to be reminded. The
visibility of operations and maintenance
information is a major challenge when
considering the complexity of equipment
installed on the seafloor, on platforms, and
onshore. Invariably, systems from several OEMs are typically involved; making
collection, consolidation, and analysis of
available information problematic.
Maintaining subsea and topside assets
plant engineering
November 2014 81
Figure 1: At the Troll C platform off the coast of Norway, water depth typically is
between 950 and 1,150 feet.
Courtesy: Statoil.
over their operating lifespan, while allowing for optimum profitability, minimal
risk, system reusability, and end-of-life
decommissioning, requires management
of enormous amounts of information over
decades from subsea field installations.
This typically includes valve activity, well
performance, human activity, and much
more. Historically, this has emerged as a
problem equal to issues related to drilling
through kilometers of material, as data
management concerns have been a major
roadblock to the feasibility of deeper
projects.
The cost of an abnormal situation or critical safety response involving a shutdown
or subsea repair is enormous in terms of
operating cost and lost production, and
environmental consequences can be potentially significant. For this reason, the technology to predict, report, and respond must
beat normal industry requirements for
traditional land-based operations. To put
the figures in perspective, the combined
costs associated with a single trip, shut
down, period of lost production, repair,
and environmental impact from an event at
a sea-floor wellhead may exceed the entire
control and functional safety preventive
measures project expense. This places a
lot of responsibility on the shoulders of
offshore operations to have all process
equipment and automation and safety
systems performing flawlessly.
Minimizing risks
As the amount of equipment moved to the seafloor increases, producers have to go to great
82 November 2014
plant engineering
lengths to minimize the risks given the enormous costs of performing even simple maintenance operations at the depths involved.
Common goals include:
Reduce the engineering risks in terms
of cost and operational errors across the
whole project
Shorten the turnaround time to design,
engineer, deploy, and commission the
entire project, subsea and topside
Reduce the human safety and environmental risks associated with operations
Create engineering designs that are easy
to manage and reuse so that replicating
wells and other production assets can be
implemented efficiently
Integrate disparate subsea and topside
systems to present one operational and
engineering interface and, very importantly, one consolidated system for data
management, and
Capture and organize automated information from all devices, systems, and
activities over the entire lifecycle of the
production asset to improve operational
efficiency, system reliability, operational
safety, environmental risk, and profitability for the stakeholders.
Applying automation technology
Automation suppliers that compete within

this demanding space must offer products
and solutions that cover the entire project
lifecycle from initial design phases through
deployment and operation over the increasing
life span of the platform. This includes many
individual elements:
Design, engineering, and commissioning solutions for standardization, project
schedule reduction, and risk management
Reliable core platforms for control and
safety
Complete subsea and topside integration
capable of seamlessly integrating platforms and equipment from multiple vendors into one platform for operation, safety, engineering, and information access
Full integration of the subsea MCS (master control station) with the TPU (topside
processing unit) for control, engineering,
asset maintenance, and information access
functions, and
Field hardware and process simulation to
support project phase validation, testing,
and commissioning.
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exactly how all these elements can be drawn
together, particularly given the variety of possible combinations of configurations, equipment choices, and manufacturers. Selection
criteria may hinge on previous experiences
with specific companies and industry reputation. Each situation is different, but often the
ability to integrate all the disparate parts into
one operational whole proves to be the most
Figure 2: Automation on
oil drilling platforms, especially those at the ocean
floor, must be monitored
constantly. Courtesy: Yokogawa.
84 November 2014
critical element.
Operational integration and lifecycle
Making everything work together as one

unit is the key to effective and safe day-today operation. Subsea and topside control
interfaces must integrate seamlessly using
advanced operator-centric design and operation with the core control platform. Creating
consistent HMIs is critical for safety and
shutdown systems so operators dont have
to mentally sort through various possibilities
when facing an abnormal situation.
For example, the operation to close a valve
or shut off a pump has to be the same from one
end of the system to the other. This calls for
consistent application of high-performance
graphic standards throughout. Designs based
on ISA 106 serve as a basis for standardizing
operating procedures and best practices for
predictable and profitable activity. Alarm and
abnormal event management spanning topside,
subsea, and onshore systems should be based
on ISA 18.2 and EEMUA191 guidelines, with
automatic KPI derivation and reporting.
Safety function monitoring of ESD (emer-
plant engineering
gency shutdown) systems during normal and

testing operations should be determined based
on LOPA (layers of protection analysis) and
HAZOP (hazardous operation) analysis and
safety requirements.
All automation assets, especially those
deployed on the seafloor, must be monitored
using an appropriate asset management platform. This includes field devices such as
valves and transmitters, and also
controllers and software. The
ability the track the behavior and
degradation of assets over time is
absolutely critical to predict maintenance requirements and reduce
costs of remote and inaccessible
equipment.
In industrial applications it is
common to talk about difficult
environments, but there is little in
a normal refinery that compares to
operating on the seafloor. Maintaining production depends on
resilient sensors and other equipment that can resist substantial
pressure, which means most
traditional process equipment
is simply unsuitable. Likewise,
hardened communication media
such as subsea fiber-optic cable
are needed, along with satellite
communication and highly deterministic protocolsall required to handle the
huge environmental obstacles related to subsea
integration and production.
Key architectural elements
Control systems for offshore applications

have many similarities to conventional landbased counterparts; however, additional elements are needed to support more complex
installations.
The subsea MCS has to interface directly
with the TPU on the platform. Given the complexity of the systems on the floor, there can
be more than one control system, and multiple
vendors and communication protocols may be
involved. The MCS has to be able to speak
all these natively so control can be fast and
efficient to:
Execute valve commands and interlocks,
automatic shutdown, choke control, etc.
Receive and monitor subsea instrument
process and diagnostic data
Monitor the subsea control module, and
Provide HMI functions for control, alarm
handling, and trending.
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Design patterns for hardware and software
control applications should allow a great
deal of standardization and reusability. Stan-
Remote system access

Instead of engineering each well individually, a modular approach can allow
additional well configuration (subsea
piece, topside piece, control and safety,
I/O designation, third-party subsystem
functions, etc.) to be accomplished via
drag and drop
Generic application programming and
testing
Design modifications and additions can
be done once and applied to all, and
High-fidelity process simulation validation of equipment and control applications.
When all these elements are working
together properly, the result can be a major
saving in time and cost by reducing the
design, implementation, and testing phases.
Once the system is built and commissioned,
troubleshooting is far more straightforward
with simpler change management. Systems
that are functioning reliably can be replicated as new wells are added.
The future of subsea automation
Automation technologies are not standing

still. Advances are bringing new capabilidard field-deployed I/O and controller skids ties that promise to expand opportunities
Figure 3: Seamless communication with individual
with tested, validated control layers can be going forward:
instruments and controllers
used as building blocks for very reliable and
Self-engineering, self-documenting
on a platform is crucial to
systems
highly scalable production.
maintain a safe operation.
Broader information standards and
Smart I/O can also provide modular design
Courtesy: Yokogawa.
that mitigates risks related to project delays
protocols that span production, control
and costs resulting from late project changes
room, and business layers
and additions. The ability to use some form
The IoT (Internet of Things) will offer
of smart or configurable I/O can reduce or
new functionality for production and
eliminate re-engineering due to marshalling
automation, allowing field devices to
and controller loading issues.
communicate more easily with subsea
Given the inevitability of having to inteand topside systems, and with each other,
grate multiple-vendor and third-party sysand
tems, the MCS needs both basic and sophis Greater focus on sustainability and reusability of deployed assets.
ticated integration capabilities:
Regardless of what changes these advanc Maintain HMI and alarm philosophy
consistency for topside and subsea
es bring, some elements will remain immutable: reliability and safety will
Table: Offshore statistics by water depth
not change as key design and
operating parameters. YokU.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, June 2014
ogawa is collaborating with
Water depth (m) active leases approved applications to drill active platforms
our partners to bring the future
of subsea a little closer to the
0 to 200
1,480
35,557
2,493
present-day reality. PE
201 to 400
101
1,121
20
401 to 800
256
873
10
801 to 1,000
365
580
1,000 and above
3,323
1,931
26
86 November 2014
plant engineering
Eugene Spiropoulos is a
senior technical solutions consultant for Yokogawa Corporation of America.
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Real-time oil and gas

data in the couch
Oilfield services company boosts productivity and bolsters worker safety by
sharing drilling information via the cloud.
Sidney Hill, Jr.
hen drilling for oil and gas,

two things must always be of
primary importance:
Maintaining the integrity
of the well
Ensuring the safety of
everyone working in or around that well.
Focusing on those two priorities led PML
Exploration Services to adopt a cloud-based
HMI and SCADA software system that allows
for sharing real-time information about conditions at well sites with management personnel
at PML headquarters, as well as with customers.
PML Exploration Services was founded in
Oklahoma City as Midwest Well Logging in
December 1964. In November 2006, the company was purchased by a private investment
group and renamed PML Exploration Services
to better reflect its long-term business goals.
Since the acquisition, PML has expanded its
operations across the U.S., and developed its
own gas analysis and rig data management
solutions. These solutions provide secure webbased, real-time information to PMLs customers via the cloud.
These solutions also have eliminated the
lagwhich sometimes stretched to 12 hours
between the time data collected in the field was
analyzed and reported to customers. Compressing the time between data collection, analysis,
and reporting is critical for a number of reasons.
Chief among them is ensuring the safety of the
well, and enabling offsite management personnel to make timely decisions that ensure maximum return on investment through optimized
wellbore placement.
Enhancing safety and productivity
The reports sent across PMLs web-based network contain vital information regarding crude
oil and natural gas deposits, as well as data on
critical rock structures that must be isolated
for safety and production reasons. Continuous
88 November 2014
plant engineering
monitoring of the gas components and their

quantities correlated with drilling information
is critical for ensuring safety.
To enhance safety and increase productivity, PML analyzes the rock cuttings and gases
from the drilling fluid to ascertain information
about the drilling process, commonly referred
to as mud logging.
PML also supplies gas analysis systems at
the surface of the site to provide early detection and evaluation of reservoir gases, and to
assess their potential to become hazardous
to rig personnel. Local PML data acquisition
systems can also interface with other systems
such as measurement while drilling (MWD),
thereby acting as a central data repository for
all important well site information.
When PML initially began providing gas and
geological information as well as analysis at the
rig site, there were no systems in place to give
current information to the well site managers,
or remote office staff charged with overseeing the drilling of the well. Reports were provided twice a day in order to update the rig and
office staff on gas and geological conditions.
Delays could be as long as 12 hours between
the actual analysis and the report provided to
PMLs customers.
The time delays between receiving the
reports and adjusting the drilling system to the
required specifications could cause problems.
Conditions might have changed during the
delay, putting the structural integrity of the well
in danger, and opportunities for optimization
of the drilling process could be missed. Thus,
PMLs customers needed a system that could
deliver information on a more current basis.
To provide well operators with real-time
information that would help them drill more
safely and efficiently, PML began looking for a
solution that could take advantage of web-based
applications and the extensive data-sharing
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combination of equipment, regardless of the
manufacturer. This is particularly important
at drilling sites, which typically have control
and measurement systems from various suppliers. All of that disparate equipment must
be interfaced to the HMI, which acts as the
central data repository.
The studios built-in support for the cloud
was another key benefit, because it relieved
PLM from having to invest in new IT infrastructure such as extra data storage capacity or
backup servers. Those items are all purchased,
and managed, by the cloud provider. Having
a cloud-based solution also means all patches
and upgrades happen simultaneously across
the network without any effort by PML or
disruption to its users.
Figure 1: When working an
oilfield rig, the goal is to
optimize drilling operations
while maintaining a safe
work environment. This
requires local and remote
access to real-time data.
Images courtesy of PML
Exploration Services.
Moving to real time
Before adopting its cloud-based solution,

PML researched offerings from different HMI
providers. Ultimately, it selected a software
package that is essentially a virtual studio that
enables users to configure PC-based HMI and
SCADA software into web-based applications that meet their specific data collection,
analysis, and distribution needs. For PML,
this virtual studio offered an easy, affordable
means of configuring web-based applications that facilitate remote access to real-time
information.
The studio also has capabilities for translating data into multiple languages, which
suits PMLs future plans for expanding into
international markets. It enables the use of
many different character sets, including but
not limited to the Latin alphabet, Cyrillic and
Greek fonts, Chinese characters, and Japanese Kanji. Moreover, its one-click translation would make it easy to translate the entire
application into another language.
To enhance safety and increase productivity, PML

analyzes the rock cuttings and gases from the drilling
fluid to ascertain information about the drilling process,
commonly referred to as mud logging.
The studio also provides more than 240
native drivers that communicate with every
major brand of PLC, as well as offering
OPC support, making it easy to configure an
application to communicate with any new
90 November 2014
plant engineering
Remote data access for customers
PML used this software studio to create a

solution that it calls The Edge. That solution
currently is being used on approximately 60
active rigs, giving users remote access to
data that is being collected and analyzed in
the field.
Data is monitored constantly by PML
employees at the well site, and is sent directly
to PML offices and customers desks over a
satellite connection, even if these remote users
are thousands of miles away from the drill site.
These remote users access the system via thin
client interfaces, keeping track of changing
well site conditions by simply pulling live
data and reports from the cloud.
The process begins with the rig systems
used by PML. These mobile units consist of
portable trailers where the employees assigned
to the well observe continuous gas analysis and
drilling information in addition to performing
a detailed analysis of geological samples from
the wellbore. The HMI software is installed
on a laptop PC that acts as the local server.
PMLs portable gas analyzer, controller,
and data acquisition solution incorporates a
PLC. The PLC at the rig communicates with
PC-based HMI software via Modbus communications. Other control and measurement
systems at the well site also can be connected
to the HMI. At the rig, PML employees track
changes in total gas, gas constituents, drilling
information, and geological conditions using
the softwares chart and trending functions.
The data from the SCADA software is sent
via a satellite connection to the cloud, where
it can be viewed with devices (smartphones,
tablets, thin clients, PCs, etc.) enabled by thin
client and mobile access features embedded in
the software studio. These features are easy to

configure, so its not necessary to write code
to implement the cloud-based data distribution solution.
Profiting from the cloud
With its HMI software, PML has been able to

adopt the Software as Service (SaaS) cloud
model to provide its customers with remote
access to meaningful information in real time.
PMLs customers pay a daily rental fee for its
services, and local and remote distribution of
the well site data is now included in that price.
Because the solution is cloud-based, customers dont need to install any software on their
remote devices, or make any investments in
computing infrastructure.
PMLs ability to share informationincluding wellbore characteristics such as gamma
ray, liberated gas components, lithology,
penetration rates, and directional informationwith key stakeholders in real time via
the cloud adds significant value to PMLs suite
of evolving solutions.
Rig operators and site managers have ready
access to data, even at locations remote from
the site. The native and flexible security system included in the web studio platform allows
PML to consolidate data from several wells in
the cloud, while still maintaining tight security
by restricting data access based on the credentials (user name and password) of each user
logged on to the cloud via a remote device.
PML currently has more than 60 active systems that can be placed across the country to
deliver rapid-fire results that site managers can
review on devices like smartphones, tablets,
thin clients, and PCs. Clients can also be proactively alerted to alarms and events through
text messages, SMS, or email. Upon receiving
an alert, users can log onto the system via any
smart mobile device powered by an iPhone,
Android, Blackberry, or Windows Phone 7
operating system to monitor the critical variables of their wells. For remote users at fixed
locations, thin clients and PCs are often used
for remote access.
The benefits that The Edge solution provides PML and its customers are summarized
below:
Improved productivity of drilling operations
Enhanced safety at well site
Easy scalability as wells come on- and
offline
Real-time data and analysis available
anywhere
Easy system access via smartphones and

tablets
No need for redundant backup servers
Alarm notifications via text, SMS, or
email.
By providing gas analysis, detailed geological data, and other information in real time via
the cloud, PML helps well operators optimize
their operations and protect their investment
while ensuring well site safety. With realtime data, cost-saving changes like varying
the speed, direction, and drill loads can be put
into effect the moment relevant information is
available, making the entire drilling process
much more affordable, safe, and efficient.
Customer reaction to The Edge solution has
been so positive that PML plans to further
develop the system to provide real-time geosteering of the rock bit to ensure the clients
wellbore is accurately and safely placed for
optimum return on investment.
The cloud will continue to evolve and
improve as computing costs decline and as
wireless communication speeds increase.
Smartphones and tablets will also get better,
further improving the remote data viewing
and analysis experience, and in turn allowing
companies to improve operations, cut costs,
and enhance safety. PE
Figure 2: Local and remote

viewing of real-time data
allows engineers and
technicians to improve
operations. The HMI interface automatically resizes
screens to fit on a variety of
mobile devices.
John Parsons is president and CEO of

PML Exploration Services. Edited by Sidney
Hill, Jr., a CFE Media contributing content
specialist. This article is part of the oil and
gas coverage from Control Engineering, CFE
Media publications.
plant engineering
November 2014 91
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MAINTENANCESOLUTIONS
Lean implementation, step by step
Successful TPM program generates savings of $12 million.
Luc Proulx
Prosygma Inc.
he maintenance leader is often the key

to a successful, reliable, and performing maintenance department, such as
in the case we are studying here. But
success never happens by pure luck. It is the
result of bold moves, relentless work, and
believing in human empowerment to solve
problems.
The following case study is one example of
how that can be accomplished. We used the
Lean A3 process and nomenclature to follow
step by step the exact formula
to achieve results.
As is often the case in Lean
methodology, it is important
to follow each exact step.
Also, using the plan-docheck-act (PDCA) cycle to
attain goals ensures reaching the optimum solution
and maximum success with
the tools at hand.
At the various phases of
the project, we integrated
total productive maintenance
(TPM) elements or tweaked
old ones that were already
in place, but we also closely
monitored the process over
a three-year period and its
impact on the crucial KPIs for
the business: percent uptime
(versus the more negative
term of percent downtime),
MTTR (mean time to repair),
MTBF (mean time between
failures), and maintenance
response time (MRT) to
emergency work order.
Background
In the early 2000s, the production unit in

question embraced the Lean manufacturing
philosophy, which is an adaptation of the
Japanese just-in-time philosophy described
in a book written by James Womack in
1990. Adopting the value-added philosophy
developed in the dire years after WWII by
Toyota, the high-volume, high-tech plant of

more than 750 workers was implementing
the Lean method. You could find evidence of
5S in every corner of the shop. (See Figure
1). The result was an empowerment environment for operators in which the decisionmaking process was delegated to the lowest
level and the Lean model was integrated by
stabilizing the 4Ms: manpower, machine,
method, and material, which are the cornerstones of the philosophy. (See Figure 2).
Figure 1: A map of the Lean A3 process,

which creates a step-by-step formula. All
graphics courtesy: Prosygma
With the pressure of producing and maintaining improvement trends each budgeted
year (cost reduction, productivity, health and
safety (H&S), percent uptime, and quality)
and competing in the global arena for higher
volume and technologically advanced equipPLANT ENGINEERING
November 2014 93
mAINTENANCESOLUTIONS
tenance management system (CMMS)
software, prepare a solid PM plan,
and reorganize a MRO store. However, the necessary links had not been
established between projects, resulting in a spot improvement process.
The reliability and maintenance
organizational roles were also unclear
as to who was responsible for supervising, planning, analyzing, or coordinating.
Analysis
Figure 2: The corner store

of the Lean model is the
4Ms: manpower, machine,
method, and material.
ment (to sustain those KPIs), management

had to focus its attention on the maintenance
side of the business since the gap between
production and maintenance support was
widening. Managements decision was to
pursue total assets management instead of
focusing solely on maintenance reactive
intervention or even spot improvements.
Current conditions
The maintenance department was composed

of skilled workers split in two trades, where
all the support services jobselectricity,
plumbing, cleaning, tribologywere handled
by outside contractors. This created an environment of mistrust with the in-house fulltime employees establishing a second-class
citizenship role for the outsiders. It produced
a silo-type environment where everything
was connected by arduous communication
lines and where projects were handled by
young engineers whose loose monitoring of
projects was significantly affecting the budget and day-to-day maintenance operations.
H&S rules were documented, implemented, and disseminated, but human behaviors
were not following the same path, and with
the morale of the workers at its lowest point,
problems were on the horizon.
Other impeding problems were that the
servicing of critical machines was controlled
by production people driven only by daily
throughput numbers, the average age of maintenance workers was more than 45 years, and
new machines kept arriving with equipment
standards decided by the head office thousands
of miles away.
On the bright side, efforts had been made
years before to implement computerized main-
94 November 2014
plant engineering
The first couple of weeks into the

project were dedicated to data mining and patching holes. For emergency planning, we had to redefine
the 24-hour service of each department and the weekend overlap. The next step
was to reorganize the next shutdown (to cut
it from one week to one weekend) and to get
a simple message out to the team: TPM for
all and we will have the best maintenance.
Our analysis provided the following input:
1. Machine criticality level was attrib-
uted by production people who were

more aware of their own numbers than
the overall budgeted plan. We found
out that everything was treated at the
highest level at all times, which eventually resulted in eliminating the sense
of urgency.
2. The other related issues were that the
MRT for an emergency work order was
going up and was taking a major bite
out of the MTTR.
3. Technical maintenance issues were
sometimes handled by floor production
people as part of the empowerment process, which was creating lots of complaints since people with maintenance
experience had not been consulted.
4. The percent uptime was 94.2% with a
negative outlook, and all the machines
were at the same level of criticality, including Kleenex machines (e.g.,
machines with a short life span, low
acquisition cost, and high maintenance
costs at the end of their effective life
span) that should have been disposed
of but were still in use.
5. H&S rules were becoming tougher to
apply and to follow and, at the same
time, buy-in and behaviors were following a downward spiral as maintenance employee morale followed the
same trend.
6. A higher volume of parts produced for
the best budget figures and thus maintaining jobs for everyone was equated
with operational costs going down, but
the maintenance department was considered an impediment at best when it was
time to be part of the solution.
7. Even worse, the percent plan/unplan
trends of hours worked in the last six
years indicated system deterioration.
After an early increase in the first years
of the TPM implementation, it was now
going the wrong way. The best-in-class
follows the 80/20 pattern, but in this
case almost the reverse was true. (See
Figure 3).
Goals
The project had numerous goals, but the

main ones were to:
Increase maintenance efficiency to help
production absorb 40% more production
volume in the next three years.
Improve employee morale, empowerment and involvement.
Implement real-time machine problem
monitoring and develop KPIs (MTTR,
percent uptime, and MTR) to achieve
best- in-class numbers.
Develop autonomous maintenance on
critical machines.
Improve H&S behaviors and bring the
accident rate close to zero.
Integrate the TPM concept into the workshop, training, and meeting discussions.
Keep the message simple, but hammer
it home all the time.
Countermeasures
Audit schedule done with different

rotating members each month for
every department, room, tool chest,
and workshop.
2. Training
Each type of work order (WO) is completed and recorded, which provides a better understanding of employee weaknesses
and strengths.
Twice a year, workers are evaluated on
value buy-in and performance and given
an improvement plan to follow.
TPM and 5S+1 training is given to everyone.
Each employee has to participate in
Kaizen activities (5S+1, cell layout,
quality, etc.).
3. CMMS
Lead KPIs established and monitored
closely on a weekly basis (percent uptime,
MTTR, TTR and MTBF).
Real-time data recording of all critical
machine breakdowns.
Figure 3: The percent plan/

unplan chart shows less
planned maintenance in
the three years before the
project.
Figure 4: Prosygmas TPM

system rests on nine pillars
of improvement.
The generic name for the main countermeasures was TPM, but that overall solution
has nine different pillars (on a solid 5S + 1
foundation) to implement, and each of those
has to be monitored on a daily basis. (See
Figure 4).
Each pillar had its own committee and its own
action plan deployed over a three-year period
1. 5S + 1(Safety)
Integrate concept by holding 5S + 1

Kaizen workshops every month for the
first year.
Audit process put in place to monitor
progress and sustainment over the next
two years.
plant engineering
November 2014 95
mAINTENANCESOLUTIONS
Figure 5: The TPM implementation roadmap.
Figure 6: The improvement

in maintenance response
time began after Prosygma
overcame resistance to culture change.
96 November 2014
Assessment of machine criticality and

prioritization every quarter.
Everything has to be recorded in
one of the nine types of work orders.
4. Emergency maintenance
Task the team assigned to each shift to
take care of work order emergencies.
Real-time (electronic andon board) data
to help plan and respond to work order
emergencies.
Coordinator in place to track day-today progress.
5. Corrective maintenance
Task a team of experienced workers only
on the day shift.
Engineers help determine original root
causes failure mode effects analyssc and
criticality (FMEAC) and gather technical knowledge from coworkers.
plant engineering
The MRO store will be

Lean-ified and the critical
spare parts list revisited.
6. Autonomous maintenance
Access to real-time tracking
of emergency calls for each
operator (electronic andon
board).
Each production line takes
care of its own machine
according to 5S, priority
level assertion, and basic
needs (clean, check, oil program in place).
An autonomous inspection
routine is established for
each critical machine.
One operator is delegated
by line to be trained and
coached by the maintenance
planner.
Key concept of TPM implemented: Help chain to record any problems
detected by operator on equipment.
7. Preventive maintenance
A machine binder, documentation, and
calendar board were already in place.
They were replaced by an electronic
format within a year.
Planning was improved by dividing tasks
between the maintenance planner (PdM,
PM, projects) and the coordinator (emergency, H&S, training, minor).
The CMMS planning tool was custom
made for better level loading of the
PM calendar.
8. Predictive maintenance
Analysis monitoring was improved with
the tribology expert.
The vibration routine was reorganized.
The machine calibration routine was
re-established with knowledge transfer to a younger employee.
9. Optimization
Gradual transfer of manpower to optimization task team, Lean R&D, automation and single-minute exchange of die
(SMED) teams.
Integration of engineering into each
project for budget control, planning, and
results tracking.
All new engineers have to be trained
in maintenance TPM philosophy
before going to other departments.
10. Prevention design
Years 23: Implementation of Kobe Tsu
Kaizen team.
First study performed using

FMECA as reliability centered
maintenance (RCM) choice tool.
Standards for new M/C acquisition
drawn up.
Safety guarding rules integrated
into each new design.
Plan
The plan was prepared for the next

three years according to the Toyota
typical TPM roadmap and re-evaluated
every year based on the production
volume, new technology, and market
demand. (See Figure 5).
You can see in the next graph that the
roadmap worked out almost perfectly
for the entire project. However, a big factor
was overlooked at the outset of the implementation phase: culture change resistance.
The graph below shows a deterioration of
response time by workers in the first three
quarters just as the percent uptime was
improving. People were reluctant to scan
their badges when taking care of an emergency work order, because they felt that by
showing improvement their jobs would be in
jeopardy. Coupled with H&S problems (six
accidents in half a year), it almost derailed
the whole project. See Figure 6.
You should never underestimate the
strength of inertia and remember that H&S
problems are never solved by drawing up a
list of technical problems to be addressed. A
managers soft skills are needed to improve
readiness to change and H&S issues require
behavioral changes.
Monitoring
The lead KPIs were the same from start to

finish, but the action taken was adapted
to the situation.
The first thing to do was to evaluate
worker behavior before we even talked
about performance and WO completion.
It led to an evaluation form that was more
closely aligned with TPM values and better H&S behaviors.
At the same time, we prepared the usual
list of technical problems encountered
by the workers and the impact on their
H&S, asking them to do a daily check of
everything that they considered awkward
or risky. The thinking behind it was that,
after identifying the problem, 99% of the
time a behavior has to change before we
make any technical changes (machine
guard, process change, or even redesign

of a machine).
Also, after benchmarking, we launched
an audit process that was prepared, controlled, and applied by the workers themselves. It took six months before the workers became accustomed to it, but it gave
the project a zero accident record over the
next 1,000 days.
By taking care of the human side of
our projectcommunications (everyday
roll call, mandatory participation in all
Kaizen training, evaluation, help ticket),
behaviors, and self-auditwe had more
leverage for delivering the performance
message.
As Figure 7 illustrates, the Percent
Uptime exceeded 98.8% at the end of the
project.
The actual production time savings evaluated and stamped by the finance department were 99,000 hours for close to $12M
in savings over three years.
Basic Cost
Year
0
Figure 7: By Year 4, uptime

for critical machines was
consistently above 98%.
$120/hr.
Uptime %
Increase
Hours Worked
Recuperated Hours
Benefit ($)
94.2%
0.0%
783,000
14,000
1,680,000
96.0%
1.8%
1,075,000
42,000
5,040,000
98.1%
3.9%
1,025,000
43,000
5,160,000
98.4%
4.2%
2,883,000
99,000
11,880,000
The quality assurance department even

decided to follow our lead by benchmarking the Andon technology and carrying
out the same process with the operators. PE
Luc Proulx is with Quebec, Ontario-based
Prosygma Inc.
plant engineering
November 2014 97
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MECHANICALSOLUTIONS
Figure 1: Housed units are often used in demanding applicationssuch as the conveyor system of
a coal mineto improve bearing performance. All graphics courtesy: The Timken Company
Choose the correct roller housed unit

Take a step-by-by-step approach to analyzing the right unit for the application
Brian Berg, Karen Cunningham,
and Mark Flaherty
The Timken Company
KEYPOINTS
There are a wide variety of roller
bearing housed units available in
industrial settings. With so many
choices, identifying the right solution can be confusing.
Roller bearing housings come in
split block and solid block varieties, and each offers a different
advantage.
When choosing a housed unit,
consider not just the initial purchase price but also the cost of
owning and maintaining the unit
over its lifetime.
ou need a roller bearing housed unit.

How hard can it be to find the right
one? Not hard at allif you know what
to look for.
When it comes to housed units, industrial equipment needs vary. From applications requiring high precision to those with
brute-force demands in highly contaminated
environments, housed units need to offer the
appropriate bearing protection for supporting
shafts, gears, and other rotating and oscillating
components. Choose the right one, and youll
get the performance needed for the job. Choose
the wrong one, and youll suffer from less-thanstellar performance, downtime, and possibly
a higher total cost of ownership than planned.
One of the great advantages of housed units
is their broad standardization of mounting configurations and dimensions, offering a wide
variety of options and solutions for both new
and replacement applications. With so many
optionssplit block and solid block, cast
steel and cast iron, not to mention multiple
seal types and locking mechanism optionsit
can be confusing and difficult to choose the
right unit for your applications. What factors
should you consider when choosing one that
can deliver performance and reliability? Well

take it step by step.
Start with the basics
A housed unit, often referred to as a pillow

block, is a self-contained bearing system.
Housed units include the bearing, housing,
seals, lubrication, and shaft-locking mechanism. With their layers of protection, housed
units are most often used in high-contamination environments to maintain the bearings
performance.
Roller bearing housed units are widely used
in demanding applications where the choice of
housed unit is especially critical. Roller housed
units operate well in conveyor systems, material handling equipment, fans, blowers, and
other equipment designed to manage high loads
and low speeds while operating in contaminantfilled environments. If you work in cement,
aggregate, power generation, mining, pulp and
paper, or lumber or steel production, you have
equipment with roller housed units, and you
are probably concerned about the reliability
and performance of those units.
In demanding applications that use roller
bearing housed units, the most frequently
PLANT ENGINEERING
November 2014 99
mechanicalSOLUTIONS
Figure 2: A spherical roller bearing solidblock housed unit installed on a conveyor at a coal mine is shown.
used bearing types are spherical roller

bearings and tapered roller bearings.
Spherical roller bearings are most
common in general industrial appli-
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radial loads with limited axial loading. They also manage normal levels of
dynamic misalignment of the shaft (+/1.5 deg), often making them the preferred choice for roller housed units.
Tapered roller bearings support
radial and axial loads, such as those
found in large fans, screw conveyors,
and augers. Applications with vertical
shaft mounts (which often lead to high
axial loads) or those requiring high levels of rigidity and limited play make
tapered roller bearings a good choice.
Compared to ball bearing housed
units, roller bearing housed units are
the workhorses of the housed unit
world. And selection matters. The right
unit brings benefits to performance,
uptime, maintenance needs, and total
cost of ownership.
Housing type and material
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The place to begin selecting the best

roller unit option for your application is
with housing type, which can impact total
cost of ownership and ease of installation.
Roller bearing housings come in two
varieties. The first, known as a split block,
can be taken apart and contains components that can be replaced and repaired.
The second, known as a solid block, is
supplied as a completely assembled, onepiece unit.
Split and solid blocks both offer advantages, though each has a different benefit.
Split block units have a modular design,
allowing inventory costs to be lower. One
housing size can be used for different
shaft diameters or bearings. Split blocks
use centered, identical width locating
rings to fix the bearing. Split block housings typically have dimples in the cast
surface, allowing an easy location to drill
and tap holes for lubricating and monitoring systems or additional fastening bolts.
Seal types can easily be changed (two-lip
seals, V-ring seals, labyrinth seals, taconite seals), depending on the operating
conditions.
For shafts greater than 125 mm (5 in.),
split block units are generally preferred.
Given their large size, it is often easier
to manage these larger units in pieces
due to the overall weight of the unit. The
split housing design allows you to take
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100 November 2014
plant engineering
them apart and install them in sections.

Later, if the unit requires maintenance,
bearings and seals can be changed out
without having to replace the entire heavy
unit or remount the base.
For shafts less than 125 mm (5 in.),
solid block units make good sense
because unit size and weight are less of an
issue with installation. Factory assembled,
pre-greased, and sealed, these units go
directly from shelf to shaft, and they can
be secured and aligned within 15 minutes.
Split block units typically take about
80-90 minutes to install and require
skilled maintenance personnel to ensure
proper assembly and alignment. Installers
use feeler gauges to set the correct internal
bearing clearance to ensure a proper fit on
the shaft. Installers must also apply the
right amount of torque when tightening
housing cap bolts to avoid damaging the
cap. In addition, they need to pack the unit
with grease prior to mounting (see below
for more on lubrication).
Solid block and split block housed units
are typically configured with the popular
pillow block style. Solid block units are
also offered with a variety of housing
styles, such as square and round flanges,
take-up blocks, and piloted flanges.
The most common housing material
is cast iron. However, some applications
with very high impact loads or nonhorizontal mounting (vertical or upsidedown) require higher strength housings.
In these applications, roller bearing seats
in standard cast-iron units can experience
plastic deformation or pounding out.
Vertical or upside-down mounting may
reduce typical capacity ratings for castiron housings.
Ductile cast iron offers additional
strength and protection from high shock
loading. Cast steel offers still more
strength and can be mounted in any configuration without a reduction in capacity
ratings.
Lubrication and seals
When roller housed units dont reach

their maximum life expectancy, it is often
the result of improper lubrication practices or ingress of contamination. A strong
and effective seal is critical for keeping
interior contact surfaces debris-free and
properly lubricated, which in turn preserves bearing life and improves uptime.
plant engineering
November 2014 101
Figure 3: This group of

housed units includes split
blocks (two center units)
and solid blocks (outer
units).
Options abound when choosing seal

type, including contact designs, which
offer a lip that has physical contact with
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mechanicalSOLUTIONS
TabLe 1
Labyrinth: Non-contact, grooved design

preferred for high-temperature, highspeed environments
For shafts supporting other equipLine shafts for material handling
Taconite: Named after an iron ore dust
Tapered lock
ment in addition to the housed unit equipment and conveyor belt positions in bulk material handling
thats difficult to seal against; contact
design preferred for high-contamination
Speed and ease of installation
Reversing applications, such as
eccentric lock
V-rolls in metal roll transfer lines;
areas.
press rolls; in-feed and out-feed rolls
The choice of seal material also affects
Ease of installation without the use Steel mills, sawmills, and other forest
seal life, so be sure to consider the condiof feeler gauges
products industries; aggregate and
tion of your application environment when
V-lock
cement; mining; power generation;
making a decision. Nitrile rubber is the most
pulp and paper
common seal material and is effective for
Single concentric lock Tight spaces, low speeds, light duty Conveyors
most contact lip seals used in industrial
Double concentric lock Low speeds, moderate duty
Hammer mills
applications. Viton and Teflon offer the
capability to withstand higher temperatures
the shaft; and non-contact designs, which seal without any
and speeds, respectively.
physical contact.
For added protection, there are secondary seals, covers,
Popular seal styles are:
and end caps that can be added to solid block housed units. If
Double lip: One of the more common contact seal types
the application involves excessive water, dust and/or slurries,
with good wear resistance at low speeds
or if the bearing unit requires clean lube inside, consider a
Triple lip: Contact seal that offers superior protection at
solid block unit with covers.
low to moderate speeds
Split blocks use seals that ride on the machined shaft.
LOR: Non-contact design preferred for high speeds and/or
Solid-block units are designed such that the seal contacts the
low-torque environments
ground inner ring of the bearing, providing a very effective
V-ring: Two-piece contact design for high-speed applications
sealing interface. Also, because the seal contacts the inner
or where shaft roughness leads to premature wear
ring of the bearing, the potential for shaft damage due to
seal wear is virtually eliminated.
Relubrication of housed units is often required to ensure
proper bearing performance. Frequency and quantity of
lubrication depend on operating conditions. Demanding
applications, such as those operating in environments with
high levels of debris or in washdown conditions, often require
more frequent lubrication. Correct lubrication practices and
an effective seal help keep debris and water out and grease
in, which will reduce maintenance intervals and lower costs.
There is a wide range of greases available for roller bearing
housed units, including those capable of protecting bearings
in high-temperature environments and others with anti-wear
or water-resistant additives. You should always follow original equipment manufacturers recommendations regarding
grease selection, purging, and replenishing.
Locking Mechanism
Priority
Typical application
Locking mechanisms
The right shaft-locking mechanism can simplify and speed

up housed unit installation and maintenance, as well as help
ensure trouble-free operation. With split block units, the usual
choice is a tapered shaft-lock mechanism that provides flexibility in the axial positioning of the bearing on the shaft and
secure locking on the shaft. With solid block units, however,
there are many more options, depending on priorities, shaft
design, and mounting considerations.
Table 1 describes popular options for locking mechanisms
and the applications in which they are typically used.
Total cost of ownership
When choosing a housed unit, consider not just the initial

purchase price but also the cost of owning and maintaining
102 November 2014
plant engineering
the unit over its lifetime and how long

that lifetime will be. Its the total cost
of ownership that will matter in the
long run.
The total cost of ownership includes
not only the initial cost of the unit, but
also the cost of installation, relubrication,
and replacement of failed components.
It is important to consider all of these
costs as you evaluate the most effective
roller housed unit for your application.
Some important considerations for
total cost of ownership are shown in
the following chart:
Both split block and solid block roller
housed units offer a variety of options to
provide protection from contamination
and deliver long bearing life. In general, due to the design of the product, the
standard components of a solid block
unit tend to offer better protection from
contamination compared to the standard
components of a split block unit.
Roller housed units play an important
role in maximizing uptime of critical
equipment. Choosing the right solution
Table 2
Split block
Solid block
80- to 90-minute installation time due

to multiple components, lubrication, and
clearance adjustments
15-minute installation time due to onepiece, pre-lubricated, pre-set and sealed

design
Ability to inspect or replace bearing

without the need to remount and align the
housing
Variety of housing styles, seal options, and

locking mechanisms for a wide variety of
application conditions
Dimensionally interchangeable with split
block designs
For greater than 125 mm (5 in.), allows

for installation in sections, an advantage
when housings are very large and heavy
For less than 125 mm (5 in.), allows for

easier installation
Variety of seal options

Seals ride on a machined shaft
Variety of seal options

Seals ride on the ground, inner race of the
bearing and are less prone to damage
Secondary seals available for highly contaminated environments
locking
mechanisms
Effective locking via popular and easy-toinstall tapered adapter
Variety of locking mechanisms offer flexibility
Housing styles
Pillow block is the predominant style and is

popular in most industrial applications
Variety of housing styles available to meet

application and mounting needs
Installation and
mounting
Interchangeable
components
Weight/size
Seal
effectiveness
can improve uptime and reliability. Consider specific priorities, such as ease of
installation, operating environment, and
total cost of ownership when choosing the
most effective unit for the job. PE
Brian Berg is manager of marketing,

process industries; Karen Cunningham is
product manager, housed units; and Mark
Flaherty is manager of sales and marketing, housed units, The Timken Company.
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insights in 180 words or fewer. Looking for more? Plug in the unique keyword at the end of
each article at www.plantengineering.com, and youll go right to the in-depth article.
IoT deployment: Building the human infrastructure

As manufacturing, and indeed all device-driven enterprises, race toward the concept of the Internet of Things
(IoT), a major barrier in the way is the human infrastructure to deliver on its promise.
That was one of the major themes on the opening day of the 2014 Internet of Things World Forum in Chicago.
The event, presented by Cisco and sponsored by nearly 30 global industrial and IT companies, has more
than doubled in size since the opening event last year in
Barcelona, Spain.
Its a convergence of people, process and data, said Inbar
Lasser-Raab, vice president of enterprise production and
solutions marketing for Cisco. Its triggered by connecting
machine to machine. It triggers a whole new business
outcome.
F o r t h a t t o t a k e p l a c e , h o w e v e r, a n e w g e n e r a t i o n
of workers must be educated and trained around the
new technology. Cisco officials noted at the event that
while there are still 11 million unemployed workers in
the U.S., 45% of employers across all industries report
job openings they cannot fill due to the skills gap.
Courtesy: Cisco
Safety concerns for

collaborative robots
KEYWORD: HUMAN INFRASTRUCTURE
Yaskawa Motormans USA Technology Director Erik Nieves

proved that collaborative robotics are more complex than
one would imagine. He described the need for and methods
of providing safe working environments when robots and
humans come close to one another. He coined a new term:
BC referring to Before Collaboration to describe presentday safety methods which are prescribed by international
safety regulations.
Nieves described the four modes prescribed by the safety
regulations for human-robot collaboration:
Stopped state monitoring: the robot just stops when a
human enters a scanned area but continues to monitor
until the human leaves at which time it resumes working
Speed and separation monitoring: slows down when a
human comes near and may stop if the human gets too
close
Hand guiding: the user is in direct contact with the robot
while he is guiding and training it
Power and force limiting: safety is achieved through
restricting the amount of force available in the system
either through electrical means or mechanical compliance
such as the use of elastic actuators.
KEYWORD: COLLABORATIVE ROBOTS
104 November 2014 PLANT ENGINEERING
Pick the right

RCM metrics
Reliability-centered maintenance (RCM)

has been defined in numerous ways over its
evolution, from a statistics-based approach,
to analyzing equipment failures, to the
philosophical or stylistic, broader definition
more commonly accepted today that
espouses a spectrum of styles from reactive
maintenance to proactive maintenance
with both calendar and condition-based
preventative maintenance within those
bounds.
Choosing the right metrics isnt always
a cut and dried matter. As we look at
RCM metrics, I am going to add another
dimension to the metrics decisionthat of
process.
Manufacturing processes are different
while automobiles and gasoline both are
produced in manufacturing processes and
both generally considered highly dependent
on the other for their usefulness, the way
you make them could not be more different.
KEYWORD: RCM METRICS
Predictive maintenance
leverages data
Industrial facility managers are under continuous

pressure to improve maintenance processes in
plants and operating environments. According to a
recent McKinsey report on big data, manufacturing
processes produce more data than any other source.
That data is a largely untapped but powerful tool
facility managers can leverage to implement a highly
efficient maintenance regime across their plant, from
an individual machine to an entire facility.
When data is used strategically as a foundational
pillar of a maintenance program, facility managers can
achieve whats known as predictive maintenancea
maintenance technique that correlates information
from different devices and machines in real time,
to enable maintenance to be conducted on an
as-needed basisminimizing downtime, increasing
productivity, and eliminating time and resources
spent conducting unnecessary repairs.
KEYWORD: LEVERAGE DATA
Designing real-time
process controllers
Today, almost all automation and control systems
are designed, developed, and built using data processors, microprocessors, DSPs, or any other processing
device that executes instructions derived or compiled
from a software program. Very few and specialized
control devices still use plain hardware or programmable hardware using a field programmable gate array
to accomplish the job for which they were designed.
Nevertheless, to design and develop software applications for a controller or automation device, special
skills and a good understanding of the automation
and control problem are required. Many designers and
programmers build web servers, information systems,
business process management systems, and many
other important and valuable infrastructures based on
computing platforms. But when it comes to industrial
process controllers, the designer recognizes that a new
design and programming paradigm is required.
KEYWORD: REAL-TIME PROCESS
Two things engineers consistently get wrong

There are two concepts that consistently show up as weak areas with engineers in manufacturing environments.
The first is true in-depth root causes problem solving (this is different than the engineers jumping to conclusions
process that many employ) and the second is relying on technical solutions rather than culture change to solve
problems. They both go hand in hand but are only completed at a precursory level by many.
Lets first look at root causes problem solving. I have put the quotation marks around it to say that I dont
believe that all problems need to be addressed at lowest root causes levels but the problem should be understood
to that level so that the engineer truly comprehends the systemic and latent roots or drivers of the problem.
KEYWORD: ENGINEER ERRORS
The keys to plant site selection

While communities dangle expensive bait in hopes of catching job creation, its skewing the site-selection process,
resulting in plants built in unfit locations.
While these high financial contributions are certainly positive for the industry, its crucial that these deals are
mutually beneficial. You have to be sure that the site will meet your plants needs and business plan before cashing
any checks.
A sound business plan should be the foundation of your site-selection process. The first step is to detail facts
include:
The goods the plant will produce
The quantity of goods the plant will produce
Five years of production planning
Future growth expectations.
Defining these facts is key because they impact various aspects of a site ranging from size requirements to
energy availability.
KEYWORD: SITE SELECTION
plant engineering
November 2014 105
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BHA is a registered trademark of BHA Altair, LLC.
106
November 2014
PLANT ENGINEERING
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PLANT ENGINEERING
November 2014 107
Global System Integrator Database Featured Integrators

Patti Engineering, Inc.
Sam Hoff, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing
2110 E. Walton Blvd Ste A
Auburn Hills, MI 48326
Telephone: (248) 364-3200 x 107
Fax: (248) 364-3371
Email: shoff@pattieng.com
Website: www.pattieng.com
Founded: 1991
Annual Revenue: $1-9 M
Primary Industries
Food, Beverage
Water, Wastewater
Automotive (OEMs, Suppliers)
Textiles, Apparel, Fibers
Material Handling, Logisitics, Warehousing
Affiliations
CSIA
CSIA Certified
ESD
NFPA a
NSPE
OMAC
SI Hall of Fame
UL
Founded in 1991, Patti Engineering is a CSIA Certified Control

Systems Integrator offering expert engineering and software
development for shop floor level controls and front office business
systems. From designing and building new control systems, to
upgrading antiquated technology, Patti Engineering provides
complete turnkey control systems integration services. Patti Engineering is a recognized partner of many automation technology
companies - a Siemens Solution Partner, an Authorized Mitsubishi Integrator, in addition to being in the integrator programs for
Phoenix Contact, Matrox, Indusoft, and Kawasaki Robotics. Patti
Engineering provides proven innovative solutions, honest advice,
reliable support and excellent engineering to enable customers
to increase their profit through productivity, efficiency, and quality
improvement. Outstanding customer satisfaction and project success earned Patti Engineering placement in Control Engineering
magazine?s System Integrator Hall of Fame. Patti Engineering is
based in Michigan with offices in Massachusetts and Texas.
For more information on Patti Engineering and to view their

full profile in the Global System Integrator Database, visit
www.plantengineering.com/
global-si-database/pattiengineering
The RoviSys Company

Dick Ciammaichella, Director Control System Integration
1455 Danner Drive
Aurora, OH 44202
Telephone: (330) 562-8600
Fax: (330) 562-8688
Mobile: (330) 714-5480
Email: ciammaichella@rovisys.com
Website: www.rovisys.com
Founded: 1989
Annual Revenue: $50-99 M
Primary Industries
Chemicals, Petrochemicals
Life Sciences, Biotechnology
Metals (Fabricated, Steel, Primary, Forming)
Glass, Stone, Clay
Affiliations
CSIA
CSIA Certified
ISA
ISPE
NFPA a
OPC Foundation
RoviSys has grown to more than 400 people providing a variety of

automation solutions and services in process industries. Today, the
company has the resources and skills to solve and support practically any process automation and integration challenge. RoviSys
is an excellent choice for companies looking for advanced and
proven solutions for process control and information integration.
The companys offices are located near Cleveland, OH; Raleigh,
NC; Boston, MA; Houston, TX; and Singapore
For more information on The RoviSys Company and to view

their full profile in the Global System Integrator Database, visit
www.plantengineering.com/global-si-database/roviSys
To start searching the Global System Integrator Database,

or to create your own System Integrator Corporate Profile visit
www.plantengineering.com/global-si-database
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PLANT ENGINEERING
November 2014 109
For more information on how to advertise in Plant EnginEErings

Internet Connection, call Jim Langhenry at 630-571-4070 x2203
adalet.com
flexicon.com
parker.com
Manufacturing explosion proof enclosures, ATEX enclosures and electrical enclosures for over 80 years.
Adalet
Flexicon designs and manufactures bulk handling equipment and custom-engineered and integrated plant-wide
systems.
Flexicon Corp.
Parker Hannifin is the worlds leading diversified manufacturer of motion and control technologies and systems,
providing precision-engineered solutions for a wide variety
of commercial, mobile, industrial and aerospace markets.
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atlascopco.us
Atlas Copco produces and markets compressed air equipment and generators, construction and mining equipment,
industrial tools, assembly systems, services and rentals.
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flir.com
FLIR Systems designed, develops, manufactures, markets, and distributes thermal imaging infrared cameras.
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AutomationDirect offers 6,500+ industrial automation

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Manufacturer of oil-free centrifugal air and gas compressors with sales, service, and manufacturing locations
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baldor.com
gardnerdenver.com
Baldor Electric designs, manufacturers, and markets a

broad line of industrial energy-efficient electric motors,
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systems.
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camfilfarr.com
idc-usa.com
Camfil Farr is the worlds largest and leading manufacturer

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IDC-USA is a growing cooperative with a rich history of

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Caterpillar is a manufacturer of construction and mining
equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial turbines and diesel-electric locomotives.
Caterpillar
iquestcorp.com
iQuest is a complete provider of process automation services and solutions.
iQuest Corp.
clarcorindustrialair.com
us.kaeser.com
CLARCOR Industrial Air helps customers achieve air quality and plant performance goals with products and solutions for gas turbine inlet filtration, industrial filtration, and
membrane technologies.
CLARCOR Industrial Air
Manufacturer of air system products, including rotary

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blowers, vacuum packages, refrigerated and desiccant
dryers, filters, and condensate management systems.
Kaeser Compressors Inc.
diamondchain.com
keysight.com
Diamond Chain provides expertise in drive systems and

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Diamond Chain Co.
Keysight Technologies is an electronic measurement company that offers wireless, modular, and software solutions.
Keysight Technologies Inc.
donaldson.com
Lubriplate manufactures more than 200 high quality lubricants, including high performance synthetic lubricants and
NSF-H1 lubricants for food processing and beverage.
Lubriplate Lubricants Co.
Compressed air purifications solutions, compressed air

filters, dryers and process water chillers.
Donaldson Company Inc.
lubriplate.com
est-static.com
ludeca.com
EST specializes in mitigating static charges, induced voltages and random discharges on rotating shafts, moving
surfaces, and all types of manufacturing equipment.
Ludeca is the exclusive distributor and factory authorized

service and training center for PRFTECHNIK Alignment
Systems GmbH and PRFTECHNIK Condition Monitoring
GmbH products in the U.S., Caribbean, and Venezuela.
Ludeca Inc.
erectastep.com
Modular work platforms and aluminum stairs pre-engineered for unlimited configurations. Platforms and metal
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easily repurposeable.
ErectaStep
110 November 2014
plant engineering
ramsaycorp.com
Ramsay Corp. provides custom test creation and test validation services using a 18,000-question database and 35
years of consulting experience.
Ramsay Corp.
rogers-machinery.com
Manufacturer of rotary screw and reciprocating air compressors, fixed and variable speed drives, rotary and centrifugal compressors, blowers, and vacuum systems.
Rogers Machinery
schneider-electric.com
Schneider Electric delivers solutions for electrical distribution, machine and process control and automation, power
and lighting management, and engineering services.
Schneider Electric
seweurodrive.com
One of the largest global suppliers of drive technology,
SEW-EURODRIVE specializes in gear reducers, motors
and electronic motor controls.
SEW-EURODRIVE USA
sullair.com
Sullair is a designer and manufacturer of stationary and
portable rotary screw air compressors, air treatment
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Sullair
klsummit.com
Industry leader in synthetic lubricant technology with a line
of over 200 products that can service almost any industrial
application.
Summit Industrial Products
ustsubaki.com
U.S. Tsubaki is a leading manufacturer and supplier of
power transmission and motion control products and is the
worlds market share leader in roller chains.
U.S. Tsubaki Inc.
yaskawa.com
Yaskawa is the worlds largest manufacturer of ac inverter
drives, servo and motion control, and robotics automation
systems.
Yaskawa America Inc.
mobilindustrial.com
Mobil Industrial Lubricants offers premium quality synthetic and mineral grade oils and greases to the industrial
market. Additionally, we support our products with a full
slate of expertise services.
Mobil Industrial Lubricants
Place next to your computer or go online to www.plantengineering.com for hot links to these companies.
Remove at
Line
r 2014
e
b
m
Nove
CONTACTS
Advertiser Contacts for plant engineers
Request more information about products and advertisers in this issue by using the http://plantengineering.hotims.com
link and reader service number located near each. If youre reading the digital edition, the link will be live. When you contact a
company directly, please let them know you read about them in Plant Engineering.
Page
Number
Advertiser
RSC
Number
25
20
AutomationDirect
800-633-0405
C-2
Baldor Electric Company

800-828-4920
C-4
53
68
29
Cascade Corporation
800-CASCADE
69
30
Caterpillar - Northeast
34
28
CLARCOR Industrial Air

800-821-2222
83
42
DES-CASE
615-672-8800
70
31
DIAMOND CHAIN COMPANY

800-872-4246
10
DL Manufacturing
866-235-7468
71
32
Donaldson Co., Inc

800-365-1331
Electro Static Technology, Inc

866-738-1857
17
15
Emerson Process Management
72
EnclosureHub
800-3254935
16
ErectAStep
888-878-1839
C-1, 11
Exair Corp
800-903-9247
73
34
Flexicon Corp
888-353-9426
FLIR
800-GO-INFRA
15, 85
Atlas Copco Compressors

866-688-9611
Bimba Manufacturing Company

800-442-4622
Camfil APC
800-479-6801
www.automationdirect.com
14
12
30
IDC-USA
866-575-2025
22
iQagent
813-909-1108
87
44
92
46
www.bimba.com/smarter
74
35
Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating

800-433-4822
75
36
Mitsubishi Electric Power Products, Inc.

724-779-1664
76
37
www.CLARCORindustrialair.com
Parker
480-830-7764
89
Plant Engineering Webcasts

630-571-4070
78
www.descase.com/sample
www.diamondchain.com
www.dlmanufacturing.com
www.est-aegis.com/handbook
27, 31
www.flir.com/TG165
www.fs-elliott.com
www.gardnerdenver.com
www.hyster.com
www.IDC-USA.coop/difference
www.iqagent.com
www.meppi.com
10, 11
45
www.mobilindustrial.com
www.parkertransair.com
www.plantengineering.com/webcasts
32
25
www.rockwellautomation.com/go/pewpcnov14
Schneider Electric
847-397-2600
www.flexicon.com
www.mitsubishipro.com
Rockwell Automation
10
www.exair.com/79/423.htm
www.meltric.com
103
Rogers Machinery
800-394-6151
www.ErectAStep.com
www.ludeca.com
Ramsay Corporation
412-257-0734
www.DonaldsonTorit.com
www.enclosurehub.com
www.lubriplate.com
16, 17
12, 13
Send
Info
www.keysight.com/find/Pminsight
MELTRIC
800-433-7642
www.NECatDealers.com/power
23
18
www.baldor.com
108
www.plantengineering.com/global-si-database
Hyster
800-HYSTER1
Lubriplate Lubricants Co
800-733-4755
Mobil Industrial Lubricants

703-846-3000
13, 43
Gardner Denver
Keysight Technologies, Inc

800-829-4444
RSC
Number
19, 21
www.cascorp.com
19
Page
Number
Advertiser
LUDECA, Inc
305-591-8935
www.camfilapc.com
14
23
Kaeser Compressors, Inc

866-516-6888
www.atlascopco.us
33
www.EmersonProcess.com/WorkFaster
FS-Elliott Co., LLC

724-387-3200
Global System Integrator Database

Featured Integrators
630-571-4070
Send
Info
SEW-EURODRIVE, Inc.
864-439-7537
98
Solutions For Engineers

630-571-4070
33
STRONGWELL
276-645-8000
32
Sullair Industrial Products

219-879-5451
51
www.knw-series.com
21, 24
47
www.seweurodrive.com
29, 102
26
www.strongwell.com
22, 50
49
TCP
800-324-1496
77
38

866-818-8376
78
39
U.S. Tsubaki
800-323-7790
100
48
Vaisala, Inc.
888-824-7252
33
27
Victaulic Company
610-559-3300
79
40
Weidmuller
800-268-4080
80
41
C-3
52
Yaskawa America, Inc

800-927-5292
www.PlantEngineering.com/subscribe
101
Summit Industrial Products

800-749-5823
www.ramsaycorp.com
www.sullair.com
www.klsummit.com
www.tcpi.com
www.AZZIER.com
www.ustsubaki.com
www.vaisala.com/AirHandlingStory
www.vic-press.com
www.weidmuller.com/u-remote
www.yaskawa.com
www.kaeser.com/PE
Need More Info? FAX this page to: 630-214-4504
or mail to P LANT E NGINEERING magazine, 1111 West 22nd Street, Suite 250, Oakbrook, IL 60523
Name
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Title
Address
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PLANT ENGINEERING does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions in the Advertiser contacts regardless of whether such errors result from negligence, accident, or any other cause whatsoever.
PLANT ENGINEERING
November 2014 111
INCONCLUSION
The pace of change depends on where you sit
I
Bob Vavra
Content Manager
But if you have

the will (and
presumably the
skill) to compete
in manufacturing
and the financial
support to deliver
improvements in
safety,
productivity, and
quality, then all
you need is the
right equipment.
112 November 2014
cant confess that Im a big fan of

NASCAR. Most days it just looks to me
like drivers making a lot of left-hand
turns. And without getting too Seinfeld
on you, why is it always a left-hand
turn? Youve got cars that are supposed to
run like clockwork and they always drive
counter-clockwise
Anyway, the one thing you do notice
about NASCAR is that speed is relative. If
you are watching the race in the bleachers,
the cars whiz by at about 180 mph, and
that seems fast because youre stuck in one
spot while the car is traveling past you.
If you watch NASCAR on TV, youll
perceive the cars generally dont seem to
be moving quite as fast because the camera
pans across the track as the car goes by.
The camera movement keeps pace with the
car movement, and it leaves the impression of a car that isnt moving very fast.
But if you are IN the car, your sense
of speed is distinctly different. You feel
every bump, every rush of air, every curve.
You are not observing the rate of speed as
much as becoming one with the race car.
The speed of change in manufacturing is
much the same. If you are simply observing change, it must seem as if everything
is moving past you rapidly. Getting up to
speed, in a very real sense, requires you
to stop observing and get into the race.
T h a t s n o t a s e a s y a s i t s o u n d s .
NASCAR drivers may use stock cars
(thats what the SC in NASCAR stands
for), but you cant go to your average dealership and pull a car out of stock that is
ready to get on a track and drive 180 mph
for 500 miles. You need the right equipment to do the job. And since the right
equipment doesnt come cheap, you also
need a sponsor. Without a car covered in
paint and decals from sponsors, NASCAR
would just look like a faster version of
rush hour.
In the same way, getting into the manufacturing race requires the same three
things: a will to compete, the right equipment, and someone willing to finance the
venture. If you are happy with your current
level of competition, then theres no need
to join the race to get better, faster, or
PLANT ENGINEERING
more productive in manufacturing. If you

cant find someone in your organization
willing to bankroll the venture, or if you
cant demonstrate the financial upside,
then you wont have the equipment to
compete.
But if you have the will (and presumably
the skill) to compete in manufacturing and
the financial support to deliver improvements in safety, productivity, and quality,
then all you need is the right equipment.
Welcome to the 2014 Plant Engineering
Product of the Year issue.
Five years of strong, almost spectacular
growth combined with the weakening of
global manufacturing markets has put the
U.S. in a unique position to seize stronger control of the manufacturing race. In
truth, the U.S. is and has been the single
largest manufacturing economy for more
than a century, but changes in the global
market saw that gap close until the last
couple of years.
If manufacturing were a NASCAR race,
what happened next was a couple of our
global competitors seem to have blown
a tire and fallen a lap or two behind. We
have control of the race. Now the challenge is to stay ahead, and to do that we
have to be smart and tactical about what
happens next. We have to stop to refuel
and make some adjustments at some point
along the line. Will we be ready with the
right adjustments, the right equipment, at
the right time?
The companies highlighted in the 2014
Product of the Year issue have developed
new solutions to keep you ahead in the
race, and to provide you with a boost to
your speed or your productivity. The key
to winning this race, as it is in NASCAR,
is to stay on track, and to do that you have
to keep trying to find just a little more
speed without careening into the wall.
That is where your skill comes in. The
products we offer this year as Product of
the Year finalists can only do so much.
They will give you the potential to go
faster, but that potential cannot be realized
without the skill to guide your organization across the finish line. PE
20 MILLION INVERTERS
10 MILLION SERVOS
300,000 ROBOTS
Yaskawa. Proven. Worldwide.

Nobody enjoys a larger installed base of inverters,
servos and robots around the world than Yaskawa.
Our experienced engineers, proven technology and
unsurpassed quality can
all be combined to give proven solutions in which
you can have total confidence.
In a recent internal study of 100,000 servo motors
shipped, Yaskawa found that only 7 were returned
for warranty repair. To put that in perspective, a
typical out-of-box failure rate goal for manufacturers
of brushless servo motors is 0.5% (or 500 failures
per 100,000 motors shipped).
No matter how you add it up, nobody equals Yaskawa.

Call us today.
YA S K A W A A M E R I C A , I N C .
DRIVES & MOTION DIVISION
1 - 8 0 0 - YA S K A W A | YA S K A W A . C O M
2014 Yaskawa America Inc.
For more info:

http://Ez.com/yai696
The First Name in

Power Transmission
BaldorDodge power transmission products offer

reliable service and low maintenance to help reduce
your total cost of ownership. Our innovative bearings,
gearing and power transmission products have
solved the toughest applications for over 130 years.
Unmatched Quality
Our technical sales team can help you with the

most challenging applications, and our worldwide
distributor network ensures immediate delivery.
Improved Uptime
When it comes to PT solutions, BaldorDodge is the

first name in power transmission.
baldor.com
479-646-4711
Superior Reliability
Quick Delivery
American Made Since 1880
2013 Baldor Electric Company
Download a QR reader app

and scan this code for
more information.
http://qr2.it/Go/1031260

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81 SPECIAL REPORT: Oil & Gas 93 Lean implementation 99 Roller bearings

New C-more Touch Panels

Higher Performance, Lower Price

The popular C-more HMIs have

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SD memory card slot for data logging

Serial communications interface

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The C-more EA9 series

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the #1 value in automation

You cant build a

Generations of Kaesers have followed one basic principle:

Our 25-125 hp compressors feature true direct drive design,

* Based on independent U.S. comparative brand perception surveys conducted in

Kaeser Compressors, Inc. 866-516-6888 kaeser.com/PE

2014 Kaeser Compressors, Inc.

Choose Donaldson Torit and get

See this video

Product of the Year

LASER & PLASMA CUTTING

Farr Gold Series

Industrial Dust Collector

Chop Saw Dust

Laser Cutting Smoke

Thermal Spray Dust

LOOKS LIKE A SAFE BECAUSE ITS

AIR POLLUTION CONTROL

SPECIAL REPORT: Oil & Gas

81 The search for

Jennifer Wafalosky, N. Central JWafalosky@CFEMedia.com

Jerry Preston, West Coast

Stuart Smith, International

Lessons learned and the march

88 Real-time oil and gas data in the cloud

99 Choose the correct roller housed unit

People and Training

Salary Survey seeks your views

Product of the Year

The 2014 Plant Engineering Salary Survey will

VIDEO: Summit videos, presentations offer manufacturing insight

TOP 5: Searching for solutions online

Research, data at your fingertips

On a quarterly basis, Plant Engineering conducts

People and training

Predictive. Preventive. Productive.

Keysight U1450A/60A Series

320x240 Fine Resolution, from

Wireless testing and

View objects as close as

Adjustable test voltages:

Supports iOS and Android

4.5-digit full-featured OLED

Real-time wireless data

Find out more. Video available here:

CAN: 877 894 4414

Keysight Technologies, Inc. 2014

FLEXI-DISC Tubular Cable

BLOCK-BUSTER Bulk Bag Conditioners

TIP-TITE Container Dumpers

+56 2 2415 1286