Canadians lead the field in BSA bearing specialist certification program

The Bearing Specialists Association (BSA) has announced its most recent certificants of its Certified Bearing Specialist program. All from BDI Canada of Mississauga, Ont., they are: Mario St. Amand, Doug Leach, Sharon Kleinsteuber, Michel Lessard, Dennis Scott, Chris Delaney, Roy Tattrie, Ivan Kiley, Dean McGoldrick, Donald Veilieux, Helene Arcand-Cote, Giovanni Chiricosta, Charles Smith, Donald Kelly, Philip Lauzon, Brian London, Nicholas Vaccaro, Steven McMillan, David Ducharme, John Knott, Richard Smith, Michael Burley, Janet Reilly, Kevin Coppo, Ken Goring and Richard Fletcher.

BDI Canada, based in Mississauga, Ont., was founded as Kenscott Limited in Toronto in 1950. The name was changed to its present form in 1995, shortly after the company was acquired by Bearing Distributors Inc. of Cleveland, Ohio.

Under the stewardship of president Cam Lawrence, the company has quietly acquired several of its distribution competitors in eastern Canada, including PMC, HPPDL, Plastik Belt Newfoundland, Industrial Motion, Norcan Industrial Supply and Northwest Mill Supplies. As well, many new branches were opened over the past several years. In 2000 BDI Canada had 31 branches in Ontario, Quebec and Newfoundland.

“The objective of BDI Canada is to be a world-class supplier of specialized industrial products,” says Lawrence. “World-class means that we will be an innovative and productive company, using efficient business practices and value added services to build a competitive advantage.” As well, he adds, “our greatest asset has always been our people.”

The CBS program was designed by BSA to offer customers a measurable and marketable standard of professional knowledge. For bearing specialists who have successfully completed the program, it raises professionalism; for customers, it documents the industry expertise of its suppliers.

For further information, contact BSA at 630-858-3838 or visit its web site, www.bsahome.org.

MEMAC MEMBERS ENJOY MEETING WITH ACADEMIC TECHNOLOGY COMMUNITY

The fall 2000 meeting of the Machinery and Equipment Manufacturers’ Association of Canada (MEMAC) at the Faculty Club of the University of Toronto included a tour of the manufacturing research labs and a meeting that offered an excellent opportunity for MEMAC members and prospective members to network with the academic technology community and to receive an update on current advanced manufacturing and robotics projects.

Attendees were welcomed by Dr. Jim Wallace, professor and chair, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, at the university, who introduced them to the Advanced Design and Manufacturing Institute (ADMI), a partnership of four Ontario universities–University of Toronto, McMaster University, University of Waterloo and University of Western Ontario.

ADMI is offering a Masters degree program in Design and Manufacturing with a strong emphasis on business and management. This program was developed in collaboration with Canadian industry and MMO (Materials and Manufacturing Ontario). A compressed time frame format, using four-day-weekend modules, the program allow practicing engineers to obtain a post-graduate degree while continuing to work at their current job.

Graduate students and researchers led meeting participants to the Mechanical Engineering building to begin the tour of the Robotics and Automation lab, followed by the Micro-cellular Plastics Manufacturing lab and the Non-linear Systems Control lab.

Afterwards, they attended a reception and poster session on projects being developed at other academic institutions, including the partner universities as well as Queen’s University. They were given the opportunity to meet with the researchers, who discussed their current projects and research interests.

PEMAC AIM IS TO MAKE TOP MANAGEMENT BELIEVE IN VALUE OF TIMELY MAINTENANCE

During the coming months, PEMAC (the Plant Engineering and Maintenance Association of Canada) is planning to continue the development of its maintenance management certification program by introducing a facilitators’ guide for instructors, a step that will ensure consistency to the training offered, association past-president Bill Davison reported recently. In addition, the association also will be developing a format for distance learning, to make the professional title of MMP (Maintenance Management Professional) available to all of its members.

Another PEMAC objective is to create appropriate avenues for communicating the value of professional maintenance to the highest levels of management within the companies where its members are employed. The message is intended to result in top-down-driven interest in development and maximization of the maintenance function. With this approach, members’ efforts to sell return on investment in maintenance operations and technology are expected to receive more attention.

Membership in the association of plant maintenance and engineering specialists has been increasing recently and the group is making efforts to continue this growth. PEMAC’s board of directors is a voluntary group which relies on the input and contribution of its members, noted Davison. In this regard, the directors want to hear from more members regarding offers of assistance and to see more of them in attendance at the association’s board meetings, which normally are held the second Wednesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. at the PEMAC offices, 170 Wilkinson Road, Unit 18, Brampton, ON L6T 4Z5.

PEMAC may be reached by calling 905-874-1154, faxing 905-459-3690 or e-mailing mail@pemac.org. Its web site address is www.pemac.org.

EASA CONVENTION SET FOR JUNE

EASA, the Electrical Apparatus Service Association, will hold its annual convention, entitled “Path to the Future,” June 24-27, 2001, at the McCormick Convention Center in Chicago. The show features an open-floor format, as well as breakout sessions on technical, sales and management topics.

Exhibits will include a large display of new electric motors, motor brakes, drives, controls and inverters, as well as equipment and materials used in repairing, rebuilding and maintaining electric motors and other electro-mechanical equipment. Registration for the event can be completed on-line at www.easa.com.

For more information, contact EASA, 1331 Baur Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63132, tel. 314-993-2220, fax 314-993-1269, or visit its web site.

CTMA PRESENTS AWARDS IN APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

The winners of the Canadian Tooling & Machining Association’s 7th Annual Apprenticeship Competition were presented with their awards at the association’s 2000 annual general meeting in London, Ont. On hand to make the presentations was Dianne Cunningham, Ontario Minister of Training, Colleges & Universities (MTCU). Also, Blount Canada and HiTech Patterns each received an Award of Excellence in honour of their outstanding achievements in apprenticeship training.

During the meeting, David Walker, senior manager of program delivery for MTCU, provided CTMA members with an update on the “Roles and Responsibilities of Partners in the Apprenticeship Training System.” He noted that MTCU is responsible for areas of legislation and policy, the Industry Advisory Network, curriculum/standards/in-school training; and administration, funding and certification of the Apprenticeship and Trade Certification system.

He explained that, through Industry Committees, Provincial Advisory Committees and Local Apprenticeship Committees, industry advises MTCU on the views of industry, employers, sponsors, apprentices and others who work in the trades; makes recommendations and helps develop Training and Curriculum Standards and Certification Exams; promotes apprenticeship as a method of acquiring skills for trades; and promotes high standards in the delivery of apprenticeship programs. Industry provides on-the-job training for apprentices; ensures they can participate in the in-school portion of their training; provides documentati
on attesting to the apprentice’s experience and skills in the trade; and allows monitoring of on-the-job training by MTCU, Ministry of Labour and Ministry of Transportation staff.

Apprentices are responsible for the acquisition of skills and in-school training; finding training opportunities to gain experience; and providing MTCU with documentation attesting to their skills and experience, Walker said. The in-school training partners deliver in-school training to MTCU-approved curriculum standards; and develop and recommend curriculum standards for apprenticeship training programs.

Walker noted that the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Transportation enforce the program to ensure that individuals have the required qualification to perform compulsory trades and restricted skill sets. Human Resources Development Canada provides support for the Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship (CCDA) in administering the Red Seal Program and provides funding support for the in-school training of apprentices eligible for EI benefits.

GUIDE AIMS TO IMPROVE DISTRIBUTOR RELATIONSHIPS

In a move to help companies in the PT/MC industry retain current customers and gain new ones, the Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA) has introduced a tool to solicit customer feedback.

Developed by a committee of distributor and manufacturer volunteers, the Guide to Understanding Customer Expectations is designed to help both distributors and manufacturers request customer input on needed improvements, recommended actions and industry trends. The guide includes forms, check lists and sample questions, and all documents are provided on diskette for easy customization.

It is available for US$34.95 to PTDA members or US$54.95 to non-members. For more information or to place an order, contact the PTDA office at 312-876-9461 or by e-mail to ptda@ptda.org, or visit the on-line catalogue at www.ptda.org/catalog.

SAFETY NETWORK ALLOWS COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAFETY NODES

The Open DeviceNet Vendor Association (ODVA) has announced that it will develop and promote DeviceNet Safety, an advanced safety network designed to meet the requirements of machinery-shutdown and process-sector-availability applications.

Consisting of a safety protocol running on top of the DeviceNet network, DeviceNet Safety will allow both standard and safety devices to operate on the same network. In addition, it will provide communication between safety nodes, including smart input/output and programmable logic controllers. Vendors and end users will be able to apply this protocol to any network without regard to physical media, including ControlNet and EtherNet/IP.

For more information, contact ODVA, PMB 499, 20423 State Road 7 #F6, Boca Raton, FL 33498-6797; tel. 954-340-5412; fax 954-340-5413; e-mail: odva@powerinternet.com; web site: www.odva.org.MRO