Have you seen the new LED lighting tubes that can simply replace your conventional T8 fluorescent tubes?

LEDtronics has just unveiled their line of energy-efficient T8/bi-pin LED lighting tubes.

What’s so great about that you might ask and what can they do for you?  Quite a number of things, actually, that can affect your work space, your bottom line, and your energy consumption requirements:

• The LED48T8-288-001 W bi-pin LED will fit right into your standard G13 bases and are made to be direct replacements for your T8’s; no having to buy new fixtures

ACS Industrial Services, Inc. is proud to announce that it has been selected as a Five Star Employer by the Department of Defense’s Employer Support Group of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) for its outstanding support of military families. 

“Everyone at ACS was so supportive right from the first day,” said ACS’ Jenny Burner who nominated ACS for the Five Star designation as soon as her husband Sgt. Carl Burner, US Army Reserve returned from his year-long deployment to Iraq with the US Army Reserve’s 298^th SMC.  “We’re just so grateful to everyone here at ACS for being so supportive knowing I was the only one here responsible for the kids while Carl was away,” said Jen.

 “Shocking” Info Bites: 

• Almost 500 people die each year from electrical accidents, mostly in the workplace, putting it among the top 10 causes of accidental death in the U.S.
• Approximately 80% of all injuries and fatalities caused by electrical accidents are not caused by the electric shock itself, but by the intensive heat, light and pressure blast caused by electrical faults. 
• The blast made by vaporizing metallic components can break bones and damage internal organs.

Wouldn’t it be sad if the iconic Zippo lighter disappeared?  It could happen.  Even as a never-smoked non-smoker (ok, except for that one pack I tried back in 1977 in 10^th grade (sorry Mom)) I would miss this American –made symbol of ruggedness and durability with its recognizable click.

Zippo celebrates its 80^th anniversary this year and the making of its 500 millionth lighter in 2012. This icon has played an important symbolic role in many classic American films such as “The Green Berets”, “Apocalypse Now”, “From Here to Eternity”,  “Pork Chop Hill”, both “Die Hard” and “Die Harder”, and “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusader.”

Do you consider plant maintenance to be a necessary evil?  You are not alone.  According to a poll by Plant Engineering, 44% of you feel that way.  And, 30% of you consider it the first place to cut money out of the budget.

I get that.  Maintenance is not glamorous, not nearly as cool as getting shiny new equipment, sometimes kinda boring, and occasionally, expensive.   Rather stick a hot poker in your eye?

We can help.  Send us your huddled masses of electronic equipment needing maintenance or repair.

Like pie?  Me too!!! Cherry, peach, key lime, shoofly, apple…. with ice cream…without ice cream.  All pies!  Today is International Pi Day….3/14….Pi…get it?  As most of you are of the engineering mindset, I’m sure you got that. 

If you didn’t, Pi is the number expressing the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter and used in engineering, science and statistics.  It begins with 3.14 and goes on into infinity….hence March 14 is International Pi Day. 

Stop by your local bakery on the way home tonight and surprise your family with a pie to celebrate Pi Day – no one will complain about this celebration of math!  No flash cards, calculators, or slide rules (anybody remember those??) required – just pie!!!

Unemployed?  If you are in construction or manufacturing, here’s some good news.  According to CNN reports, in February construction jobs had the biggest one-month jobs gain in nearly four years – and it’s been a long darn four years for the construction industry which still has a jaw-dropping 21.8% unemployment rate. 

Manufacturing’s February increase was the strongest in 16 years, with a 9.9% current unemployment rate, only one percentage higher than the overall unemployment rate.

Many manufacturers are now saying they could increase production 50% or more if they could just find the workers.  They predict that the number of manufacturers with a large number of unfilled positions for skilled workers will likely double in the next five years!

Excitement is in the air! Spring is almost here and  it’s time for…wait for it, wait for it….no, not spring flowers, no, not baseball… it’s time for the Annual Science Fair!

This weekend I will be spending quality time with the youngest and smallest of my three buffalo, oops, I mean sons measuring and graphing the heat dissipation of various types of metal.  This will require a great deal of focus, patience, frequent snacks for the buffalo as all the brain-work will surely make him more hungry than usual, and some electronic  test equipment (not that I would ever borrow tools from work).

I am always interested in understanding where our customers are coming from.  Two things I hear a lot are “skilled workers shortage” and needing to “produce more with less money”.  Today’s tips are for helping you “do more with less”.  No matter what your role at the plant, you are expected to look for ways to squeeze more out of poor old Abe.  One way most plants can save is by reducing their energy costs:

1. Use variable-speed drives on motors serving variable loads.  (for more on this see this previous post on variable speed drives) When the motor is under a lighter load, they slow the motor down to reduce power consumption.