News and views about companies, staff, products and more (February 01, 2001)

SKF Canada has named Robert (Bob) Mullins as operations manager at its Scarborough, Ont., location. In this position, Mullins will oversee all of the company’s warehouses, ensuring that the facilities are working toward common goals. A priority for him is the installation of a new warehouse management system. He also will oversee all transportation issues within the organization.

Jim Steenson, another SKF employee, recently celebrated his 40th anniversary with the company. The company also wished a happy retirement to Bob Rayfield, who started working with SKF in 1971.

Quality effort has resulted in ISO 9002 registration of 15 more Motion Industries facilities. Three are located in Canada–in Windsor, London and Sarnia in Ontario, while the other 12 are in the United States. “Achieving this registration is no small task, and we are very pleased to add these facilities to the honour roll of ISO-certified Motion locations,” commented Bill Stevens, Motion Industries president and CEO. In total, 119 Motion Industries locations have now achieved ISO 9002 registration, including seven distribution centres.

Loctite is enhancing its Manufacturing Reliability training program by adding more trainers and reaching out to more facilities. The program teaches manufacturing employees how to use Loctite’s machinery adhesives to increase the reliability of equipment in a facility. In addition to instructing employees on proper use and application of various adhesives, the trainers also return for repeated visits and act as a consultant to the facility as a whole.

The program has been accredited by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and trainees receive continuing education units for participating. In its expansion of the program, Loctite has produced new training materials and added class topics, and is increasing its training force. Participating facilities have the option to calculate and document the savings that directly result from the training as part of the Manufacturing Reliability process.

The training comes with a guarantee that it will pay for itself within the first year but, according to the company, 93 per cent of participants make it up in less than four months. Further information may be obtained by calling Loctite at 800-562-8483 or visiting the company web site at www.loctite.com.

Every year, a group of enthusiastic golfers from the Canadian power transmission and bearing industry gather for three days of golf. This year, the tournament was devoted to the memory of Ken Fee, former president of Koyo Canada. Fee, who passed away in 2000 after a lengthy illness, was a pillar of the bearing and PT business. A short memorial service was conducted by Dan Thrussel of FAG Bearings on the 18th green of the golf course.

Steve Ross, well known as the National Sales and Marketing Manager for the Canadian operation of Torrington, has returned to the U.S. to take up a role as regional manager for the company. Replacing Ross is Peter Mitchell, who recently was marketing manager of FAG Bearings. Peter will be located at Torrington’s Canadian headquarters in Mississauga, Ont.

The BC Bearing Group, Burnaby, B.C., has announced the appointment of Robert S. MacPherson as chief executive officer. MacPherson will continue to serve as president and chief operating officer, positions to which he was appointed in 1989, in addition to assuming the strategic responsibilities of CEO previously held by founder Wendy McDonald, who will continue as Chairman.

Kop-Flex started off the new year by hosting an open house for 45 senior steel industry managers to announce its new drive shaft/coupling repair facility. Doug Timmins, vice-president and general manager, told Machinery & Equipment MRO magazine that Kop-Flex now has the capability of repairing virtually any size and make of drive shafts or couplings. Turnaround time has been reduced substantially now that Kop-Flex’s Etobicoke, Ont., facility has devoted major equipment and shop space to this service. For more information, contact Doug Timmins at 416-675-7144.

Emerson Power Transmission of Ithaca, N.Y., has announced that it has completed the consolidation of Emerson’s gearing brands under the EPT organization. EPT adds the US Gearmotor brand of gearing products to its gearing portfolio, which includes Browning brand helical and bevel speed reducers and gearmotors, and planetary speed reducers, as well as Morse brand worm gear reducers and mitre boxes. For additional details, request a free copy of Form 8712, EPT Gearing Products, from Emerson Power Transmission, 620 S. Aurora Street, Ithaca, NY 14850; tel. 606-564-2084; fax 606-564-2239; or visit the company’s web site at www.emerson-ept.com and click on Products.

Schneider Electric, Toronto, has acquired Steeplechase Software Inc., allowing the company to expand its automation technologies products and further integrate applications at the PC level. Steeplechase is based in Ann Arbor, Mich. and develops PC-based solutions for the automation control market. Schneider, based in Paris, has employees in 130 countries and has six manufacturing and 17 service facilities in Canada. Schneider recently purchase its French rival, Legrand, in an all-share buyout worth abut $9.5 billion.

According to Robert Arbuckle, valve specialist with Peacock’s Industrial Products Division, if there is one overriding virtue of pilot-operated safety relief valves it is their ability to operate at higher tolerance levels when compared to their spring-loaded counterparts, which, in turn, results in greater operational economies. Arbuckle mentioned this at a seminar during the 2000 Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Show in St. John’s, Nfld.

Unlike standard spring-operated safety relief valves, pilot valves use a movable plunger that rises whenever vessel pressure maximums are reached, he said. The pressure from the vessel is used to hold the plunger in its open state. When the pressure is moderated, the decline in pressure lowers the plunger down to a perfect reseal position each time.

With spring valves, re-seating often requires adjustment and can be prone to leakage. In addition, Arbuckle noted that pilot valves can be tested without the need to stop production. They work best in applications that include steam or clean liquids, such as natural gas, chemicals or impurity-free gasolines. They lose their effectiveness when used with viscose fluids.

Peacock can be reached by calling its Mississauga, Ont., office at 905-812-7100.