Thyssen Krupp is a major producer of automobile coil springs, serving a number of major manufacturers. Operating in a modern, up-to-the-minute 30,000 square foot plant and employing 80 people, Philip Ryan, Maintenance Coordinator, was charged with the responsibility of solving the problem involved with a 55% uptime performance of production machinery which was severely affecting operating profitability. His challenge: improve to a minimum of 90% uptime.

It became apparent the major problem was involved in the amount of time it was taking to locate the replacement parts needed to keep two distinct production lines up and running. First came the matter of part availability; the dozens of bearings, pneumatic and hydraulic elements, valves, fittings and cylinders which were needed. While records indicated that they were in stock and available, oftentimes they simply could not be located. The system with which Ryan was confronted consisted of poly bins on wall mounted louvers in the mechanical, electrical and paint maintenance departments. And, the size of the buckets made it difficult to organize and store the number of smaller components Ryan kept in his office. Instead of simply accessing a needed part he learned that many times the worker would simply remove buckets containing the parts he thought was needed, bring them together to the machine and, in many cases, not return them or if he did, would not replace them in the proper place on the louvers. Exacerbating the problem was the fact that oftentimes labels identifying bucket contents were lost or defaced in the process of being moved about.

Ryan's solution to the problem was the elimination of the poly bins/louver system and the use of steel compartmented bins. Working with The Durham Manufacturing Company, he developed an entirely new system. Durham manufactured a wide variety of storage units which proved ideal for his intended application. First, their compartmented steel bins not only provided the needed storage space, but solved the problem of workers wandering off with their contents. Available in a number of sizes, Ryan built a new system using models with 4, 20, 32 and 72 compartments with varying sizes to accommodate the wide range of replacement parts. Their modular design also permitted him to arrange them vertically or horizontally to meet space requirements. The secondary problem of losing identifying labels on the poly bins was eliminated since the bins were designed with space for pressure sensitive labels under each compartment which remained firmly affixed. The use of steel boxes with inner plastic compartmented trays which are mounted in a steel case with slide racks proved to be the answer to the need for a compact system to contain and organize small components in his office.

The net result of Ryan's effort was that uptime productivity increased to 95%. Further there was the additional benefit of more accurate inventory management.

The Durham Manufacturing Company

Abanaki's new explosion-proof wet vac, the Q-VAC 100X™, vacuums up liquids in environments that require explosion proof equipment. The wet vac is designed to eliminate the possibility of static electricity build up and discharge which could spark an explosion. The entire unit -- from the floor tool to the hooded Venturi -- is grounded, allowing the unit to shed any static electricity to a ground via a spring-loaded alligator clamp (attached by the user to a reliable ground). The Q-VAC 100X, which has no electrical parts, thoroughly suctions all types of wet industrial spills to prevent injury and damage.

Abanaki Corporation

VibXpert is a new one or two channel FFT collector and analyzer. It offers advance capabilities including high spectral resolution (102,400 lines), order and envelope spectrums, cepstrums, time waveforms, orbits, cross channel phase and coast down BODE plots. The VibXpert is designed to be equally accessible to expert or novice users. It measures and records all forms of machine steady state or transient vibrations, bearing & lubrication condition (shock pulse), temperature, RPM, as well as process and inspection data.

Hyatt Industries Limited

The Fluke 1740 Series Three-Phase Power Quality Loggers are capable of simultaneously logging up to 500 parameters for up to 85 days and capturing events, helping utility technicians and plant electricians validate power quality at the service entrance and uncover hard-to-find issues. Designed for easy, convenient operation, the Fluke 1740 Series loggers automatically detect and scale current probes, and power the probes using line power from the measured voltages. A compact, fully insulated housing allows installation of the loggers inside cabinets or other tight spaces next to live power.

Fluke Electronics Canada

A new series of three heavy-duty base mounted vibration and shock isolators feature stainless steel mesh as the isolating medium. They are suited for corrosive environments where severe shock forces, high-starting torque or reversal of load are encountered. The V10Z27 Series units are capable of withstanding compression loads of as high as ten times as the static loads. Typical applications include marine fans, mobile engines, generators, instrument consoles, lathes, milling machines, slotters, punch presses, etc.

Advanced Antivibration Components

The 90-Line right angle beam bender takes the reference laser beam from the Microgage 2000 and turns it precisely 90 degrees. The 90-Line can be used to square machinery and equipment, set and adjust parallel tracks and rails, align web rollers, idlers, and reels, check gantry travel and position, monitor and adjust machine tools, and assist in geometric alignment. The 90-Line is built with a durable housing for holding precision optical elements that redirect the laser beam. The exiting laser is square to the incoming beam within 0.0006 degrees or equivalent to 0.001 inch over a distance of eight feet. The housing has several adjustments, allowing the square exiting beam to rotate through a full plane.

Pinpoint Laser Systems

The Maximatic® line of FRLs is available in a variety of sizes from #10-32 to 1" NPT with interchangeability. Their modular design and interconnecting brackets provide flexibility and facilitates simple field installation and/or modification. An extensive list of options includes bowls, filters and bowl guards, while providing several choices of pressure ranges for numerous applications for the packaging industry, assembly and manufacturing.

Clippard Instrument Laboratory, Inc.

The EquipManager(tm) wirelessly monitors impacts, access, usage, and location of material handling equipment and fleet vehicles. An onboard, customer-configurable, pre-shift safety checklist with an audio/visual display features a full user menu and text messaging. Use of the EquipManager increases operator productivity, maximizes equipment utilization, and creates a significantly safer work environment.

ShockWatch

The Esco HOG-TIE(tm) Weld Alignment Clamp delivers up to 15,000 lbs. of force for rapidly positioning two pipes, boiler tubes, flanges or plates. Fast and easy to use, it consists of two clamping jaws and a steel strap that inserts between the two sections being aligned; engages the two clamping jaws, positioned on either side, and pulls them together using a wrench. Applications include boiler tube water wall panels and pendant tubes, pipe from 2", steel plate, panel sections for erecting tanks, and flange alignment for valve replacement.

ESCO Tool

Dynabrade's portable vacuum systems are designed with an array of user-friendly features. Ready for connection to vacuum-ready tools, these systems efficiently remove dust and debris, while providing versatility and portability. The electric portable vacuum systems are available in two sizes and feature a variable speed vacuum control, automatic on/off switch, a tilt and clean drum and HEPA filtration for retaining 99.97% of ultra fine particles as small as 0.3 microns in diameter. A pneumatic portable vacuum system is also offered.

Dynabrade, Inc.

A new mobile "Farr Cart(tm)" fume and dust collector provides powerful filtration in welding workshops and industrial settings. The unit will extract moderate concentrations of smoke and light dust generated by intermittent processes such as welding and grinding, developing 99+ percent efficiency on welding fume. With its sturdy injection-molded plastic construction, large rubber wheels, and slim design, the cart offers high mobility and ease of use, even where space constraints are tight.

Jig-A-Loo is a silicone-based lubricant that contains no oil, grease, wax or detergent and will not stain or drip. Its colourless, non-stick, pleasant smelling formula makes it suitable for wood, metal, most plastics, leather and fabric surfaces. It not only lubricates, but it is an all-weather protector, preventing rust. The product functions in both hot or cold temperatures.

Jig-A-Loo World

ThermoPro(tm) TP8 offers a variety of new features that enable thermographers to work with unprecedented efficiency and productivity. With a 384 x 288 pixels detector and colour 1280 x 1024 pixels visual camera incorporated in the same unit, operators can simply locate the scene to be inspected, snap the shutter and then have high-resolution thermal and visual images taken and saved together in a single file with one name. The integrated laser locator also helps operators accurately associate a hot spot shown in thermal images with the real physical target. An audio alarm will automatically trigger for a spot with temperature exceeding the value preset by opera tors.

Hyatt Industries Limited

The LamCom activates high-pressure cleaning equipment with ultimate flexibility. Using a hand device no larger than a TV remote control an operator can turn the pressure washer on or off, ignite the burner to create hot water or switch from clear rinse water to soapy wash water simply by pushing a button. Moreover, the operator can be as far away as 300 feet line of sight to activate the main pressure washer using the wireless remote device.

Landa

In harsh industrial environments, concrete floors, ramps, stairs, and other concrete structures endure constant abuse. To help maintain safety, Henkel has expanded its line of Loctite® specialty materials for concrete repair and protection to include fast cure formulations, flexible joint sealants/crack fillers, and chemically resistant materials. Designed for use on new and existing concrete surfaces, the full line includes products for resurfacing, rebuilding, and repairing concrete surfaces; specialty formulations for concrete subjected to extreme chemical attack from acids, alkalis, and solvents; urethane hybrid crack prevention products for expansion or traverse joints.

Henkel Corporation

The Innovative Fluid Handling Systems Storage & Dispensing System provides an easy, safe and clean alternative to clumsy, messy 55-gallon drums for handling oils, lubricants and other fluids such as cutting oils, bearing oils, hydraulic fluids, transmission fluids and engine oils. The system provides clean, efficient product transfer. The number and capacity of the containers in this system can be varied to suit the requirement. Clearly labeled containers and faucets reduce the chance of the wrong product being used. It will also eliminate inefficient and unsafe product transfer and waste. Drip pans contain spills.

The IFH Group

A Cyclonator® Containerized Wash Rack System operates year-around, even when temperatures dip as low as ­23°C. The standalone steel container structure and its closed-loop wash rack system can be set up outdoors in less than a day. The all-weather enclosure is outfitted with a dual-zone, electric infrared heating system, flush-mounted fluorescent lighting, 20A 120V GFCI outlets, a circuit breaker panel with three-phase distribution, bright urethane interior finish and security door to protect equipment. Using the Cyclonator to filter wash water prevents groundwater contamination.

Riveer Environmental

Alumina makes oxidized aluminum shine like new. Alumina is an aluminum oxide remover and cleaning agent that contains no fluorides, acids, caustics, or solvents. It's fast acting, biodegradable and totally safe to use with plastic, rubber and PVC. Simply immerse the part you wish to clean in the Alumina solution and let it sit for 20 minutes. Then remove the part, rinse thoroughly with warm water, and all the oxidation, tarnish and other deposits will be gone. The system works extremely well on trim pieces, engine components, accessory brackets, and other aluminum parts that deteriorate over time and are difficult to replace.

Orison Marketing

The VpCI(tm)-386 organic, UV resistant water-based acrylic coating provides superior corrosion protection for equipment, structures, and maintenance needs. It has been formulated for use in virtually any environmental condition. The product forms a fast-drying, thixotropic coating that is resistant to sagging or running, forming a tough, non-flammable protective barrier against corrosive elements. This dry-to-touch film offers extended corrosion protection in outdoor or indoor conditions. The coating can provide long-term protection for carbon steel, aluminum, stainless steel, galvanized steel, and copper.

Cortec(r) Corporation

Tub-O-Towel are pre-moistened, durable towels that easily remove the tough soils found in many industrial and heavy-duty applications. They utilize a fast-cleaning citrus-based chemistry fortified with glycerin, jojoba, vitamin E and aloe vera skin protectors. The non-toxic wipes are gentle on hands and reduce hand-washing time, improving on-the-job productivity.

Federal Process Corporation

The 2-dimensional Microgage is designed for precision measuring, machine alignment, calibration and other demanding industrial applications. Roll and web lines, CNC cutting and milling equipment, lathes, stamping presses, injection moulding machines, extrusion systems and other production equipment are easily checked and aligned for improved operating efficiency and reduced downtime with this new Microgage. It is compact and easy to set-up and use right on the factory floor. The 2-Axis Microgage combines a compact laser transmitter with a receiver and digital display. As the laser moves across the receiver in a vertical or horizontal direction the display provides a reading of the motion accurate to 0.0001 inch.

Pinpoint Laser Systems

Canadian Industrial Equipment News January 2007

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