News
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Greenhouse gas missions growth slows as GDP rises
Ottawa, March 7, 2001 — VCR Inc. announced, in its third annual report to its Council of Champions, that “Canada’s…
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Industrial equipment makers not all embracing e-business
A study of industrial-equipment manufacturing companies indicates that less than half of the 120 U.S. firms studie…
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PTDA members project optimistic 2001 results
Chicago, Ill., March 6, 2001 – The Power Transmission Distributors Association’s 2001 Member Forecast projects upbe…
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A skilled crane operator can control the swing
There is more to operating heavy equipment and moving loads than meets the eye. A skilled crane operator develops a feel for the equipment he uses, along with a clear understanding of safe load lifting and transporting practices. The crane’s…
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Bearing Life: Extend the life of remote bearings with single point automatic lubricators
Centralized lubrication systems deliver an engineered amount of lubricant on a frequent or even continual basis. Their end point bearing surfaces can last up to three times longer than similar applications that use manually applied lubrication. Ideally, mating bearing surface…
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Management Challenges: What’s your biggest beef?
For this installment of the Reader Panel survey, we asked our panelists to share the ups and downs of their profession — we wanted to hear it all! What areas of management did they find the most challenging? Did they…
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The Fantastic Four: Meet the winners of the 2000 awards for maintenance excellence
Maintenance professionals across Canada are beginning to look forward to one particular portion of the annual "Main Event" conference in Toronto (see page 4 for a wrap-up of the event). It’s the ceremony where the Main Event’s "Awards for Maintenance…
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Air Force: New technology puts the squeeze on compressed air costs
Air compressor technology is evolving at a rapid pace. The cost of energy and consequently the cost of operating an air system are on the rise. Floor space is also getting to be more expensive. Plant managers are looking into…
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Robot welders keep their tips clean with chemically-treated water
In Cambridge, Ont., Oxford Automotive knows all too well the need for clean water in the workplace. Located in an area of the province where hard water is the norm, the manufacturer of car suspensions has been plagued with production…
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Steelcase reveals its secrets during PEMAC plant tour
Attendees at November’s Steelcase WorkLife Toronto plant tour got the chance to experience something a little out of the ordinary. Nineteen PEMAC members and potential members listened as Regan Stewart, leader, facilities and technical services at Steelcase, introduced them to…
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Vibrating equipment runs more smoothly with integrated system
Vibrating screens are perhaps the most punished of all manufacturing equipment. Used to sort and separate rock in mining and quarry operations, the screen systems are continually pounded by rocks, infiltrated by dirt and grit, and subjected to tremendous loads…
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Maintenance Software: Choosing the right CMMS means looking at more than just cost
Although maintenance has historically been viewed by management — and the general public — as being dirty, unattractive, a "necessary evil," and a job for "grease monkeys," the mighty computer has created a new legitimacy for maintenance over the past…
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Tried and Tested: Today’s electronic testing tools are smarter, faster and wired
Manufacturers have no option but to fully test their systems, equipment and often products, to ensure they are operating within safety, productivity and quality specifications. There is a wealth of tools, techniques and equipment to test weight, hardness, roughness or…
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Revisiting and learning from a conference or seminar event
The latter part of the twentieth century witnessed an explosion in adult learning events. Of these events, industry has particularly favoured conference or seminar events where a specific subject matter is featured and targeted toward a distinct peer group. Seminars…
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Plant Safety: The rules for pre-development reviews have changed again
On October 7, 2000, the Ontario government amended the existing regulations surrounding pre-development reviews (or PDRs). Under the old PDRs, anyone who wanted to begin construction, reconstruction or alteration of any equipment, machines or devices was required to have a…
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Acquiring software in the new age
It used to be simple. You needed a new maintenance management system, and you had two choices: build something small or, if your need was larger (a few or more users, some robust features, and you didn’t know how to…
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Important lessons from the Olympics
Like many of you, I spent some time a few months back watching, at random, various events at the Olympics in Australia, where athletes from around the world were competing to be recognized as the best in their respective disciplines.…
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Supply Chain Management: What plant professionals need to know
Almost daily, manufacturers are under increasing pressure to deliver goods in a way that more closely matches their customer’s needs. Just-in-time delivery, smaller quantities, closer tolerances to client specifications, and shorter time-lines to make changes or deliver new orders, are…
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Link strategy targes for improve performance
Imagine a job where on any given morning you have no idea what fires will be burning — that is, what work you will be doing that day or any subsequent day. Imagine also not knowing whether what you do…
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A Bright Idea: Fibre optic technology drives new methods of power measurement
Fibre optics have been at the heart of many remarkable discoveries into the industrial world. But none of these advances in fibre optic technology has had more potential than the measurement of power in mainline and commercial substations. On first…