Electrical Apparatus November 2023 - Workforce!

A BARKS PUBLICATION

Electrical Apparatus NOVEMBER 2023 / $9

More than Motors

Maintaining century-old pump motors The Bayou Gayoso Pumping Station of Memphis, Tenn.

EV charging stations Fabtech and Battery shows Basics of cost accounting Truth vs. myths about AI Mandated apprenticeships

YOUR WINDER WILL THANK YOU

ICC International – improving commutators is our job.

865-983-7444 info@iccinternational.com www.iccinternational.com/quote Smoky Mountains, TN, USA

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Training & Education 10 Help or hindrance?

Washington state law mandates electrician apprenticeship programs for new hires

By Chelsea Fisher, EA Contributing Writer

Conventions & Trade Shows 14 Fabulous-tech

Fabtech 2023 presented fresh ideas for all phases of metalforming and manufacturing operations

By Kevin Jones, EA Senior Editor

— Electrical Apparatus photo by Charlie Barks

11/23

Contents

A BARKS PUBLICATION VOLUME 76 / NUMBER 11 WWW.BARKS.COM

19

19 Novi novelties

The Battery Show marks its final year in the Michigan suburbs with immense growth and the snags that come with it

By Charlie Barks, EA Managing Editor

Plant Life

24 Why AI?

27

— Chase Fell photo

Analyzing the truths and myths about the AI invasion

By Bill O’Leary, EA Contributing Writer

Motor Design & Maintenance

27 Memphis mosquitoes & machinery

Maintaining century-old pump motors that protect part of Memphis — including a children’s hospital — from flooding

By Chase Fell, EA Contributing Writer

More Than Accounting

32 Getting started with cost accounting

It’s fundamental: You need to know how much you’re spending before you can figure out whether you’re profitable

By William H. Wiersema, CPA, EA Contributing Editor

Electric Avenue

38

— Pattern Energy photo

34 Charging ahead

Electrical vehicle charging stations are proving to be a great way for businesses to connect with consumers

By Maura Keller, EA Contributing Writer

Energy

38 Slant patterns

Pattern Energy’s wind-powered transmission project breaks ground

By Charlie Barks, EA Managing Editor

Pump It Up

40 Pumping up the acquisitions

Atlas Copco has spent the past two decades becoming a juggernaut of the industry

By Kevin Jones, EA Senior Editor

ELECTRICAL APPARATUS | NOVEMBER 2023 1

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— ASCM photo

Departments 04 The editor’s comment

Workers: the lifeblood of industry

05 Let’s solve your problem

Answers to questions about motor design and application

06 Associations

Associations offer advice about mental health

08 Know your industry

Meet the Association for Supply Chain Management

09 Calendar

08

Upcoming events on manufacturing, HVAC/R, power, and more A Schneider plant in Texas; and Generac plans Wisconsin plant

12 Business

Expansions for Bartlett Bearing and Eaton

13 Speaking of . . .

— Fork Farms photo

11 Plant happenings

Fork Farms’ partnership with Rockwell Automation

23 EA reader profile

Luis Berdecia’s skill at winding has brought him the good life

26 Names & faces

Recognition for Kitt Butler of Advanced Energy

36 Product showcase

What’s new in tools, testing, and lighting

41 Utilities

23

— Luis Berdecia photo

Job growth in U.S. energy is bolstered by federal spending

13

42 Classified advertising

Your monthly marketplace for equipment, businesses, and more

42 Cy’s Super Service

The electrical service industry’s most prominent curmudgeon

45 EA puzzle

A crossword puzzle based on EA’s September and October issues

47 Moe, Genny & friends

The surreal world of an anthropomorphized motor and generator

48 Direct & current

Regal Rexnord to sell motor and generator businesses to WEG

48 Advertising index

Who’s who—and who’s where—in this issue of Electrical Apparatus

COVER PHOTO: By Chase Fell, at Bayou Gayoso pumping station, Memphis, Tenn. Teneral flood control foreman Sherman Lott checks on the pumping station’s pump motors.

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The Editor’s Comment

CHARLIE BARKS WWW.BARKS.COM CHARLIE@BARKS.COM

Workers: the lifeblood of industry

Coming next month in Electrical Apparatus: Our end-of-year New Products issue; Why get involved in standards-making?

Weftec Show report; Trade with China post-pandemic

Read Electrical Apparatus online The entire contents of this issue are available online. Scan the QR code below:

Or enter the URL directly: https://bit.ly/NOV 23WORK See page 46 for links to upcoming issues that you can bookmark.

Workers are the lifeblood of the daily human routine.

They drive economics, they provide services, they facilitate trade and supply chains, and they make things. Logistics, theories, projection . . . all these go out the window without global and national workforces. With this as the theme, the November Electrical Apparatus aims to break down the current state of the American workforce, including what’s urgently needed and what is being accomplished.

When it comes to urgent needs, the immensely trendy EV industry is beginning to face bottleneck issues relating to lack of workers — specifically those who engineer and make the batteries needed for these vehicles. “We expect that 7080% depending on the part of the supply chain will be bluecollar workers,” said one panelist at the Battery Show, during a session where the discussion centered around dire needs in comparison to other countries’ EV workforce. (Our report begins on page 19) When it comes to labor, there always seems to be an eye on China.

You’ll see familiar and new names in the pages of EA this month: We’re excited to have two longtime former EA staff members, Kristine Weller and Bill O’Leary, contributing for us in the November issue. Kristine takes us through a useful workforce organization: the Association for Supply Chain Management (page 8), while Bill offers insight on the truths and myths of AI’s encroachment into the electromechanical industry (page 24). (By the way, last month we misstated Bill O’Leary’s title; he is Copy Manager for Grainger.

We apologize for the error.)

Colin Gregory-Moores provides us with a fascinating interview for this month’s “Reader Profile” (page 23) through his discussions with Luis Berdecia, a longtime winder and immigrant who epitomizes the “U.S.-American Dream.” We also welcome new contributor Maura Keller, who details how installing EV chargers can be a useful way for companies to connect with customers (“Electric Avenue,” page 34).

Lastly, a look at the situation for training programs in the U.S., in this month’s “Training & education,” by Chelsea Fisher (page 10). Usually, when we see new apprenticeship programs, we tend to think job creation is on the way. However, an electrical apprenticeship program in Washington State is now required by law, raising the question as to whether such laws are a help or a hindrance to the overall workforce.

Skilled workers face plenty of challenges in a digitized world. Electrical Apparatus would be remiss if we didn’t express our heartiest thank you to all of our readers for the blood, sweat, and tears they put into their everyday jobs.

Electrical Apparatus 17 N. State St., Suite 1650 Chicago, Illinois 60602 (312) 321-9440; fax (866) 228-7274 E-mail: EAMagazine@barks.com www.barks.com Founded 1948 as Volt/Age Horace B. Barks, Founding Publisher Elsie Dickson, Founding Publisher STAFF Elizabeth Van Ness, Publisher Kevin N. Jones, Senior Editor Richard L. Nailen, Engineering Editor Charlie Barks, Managing Editor Contributing Editors William H. Wiersema John Malinowski Special Correspondents Jane Powell Campbell Christopher Wachter Staff Artist: Bernie White Cartoonists John D’Acunto Tim Oliphant ElectroMechanical Bench Reference Supplement mailed with the December issue Elizabeth Van Ness, Editor & Publisher ADVERTISING Barbara Wachter, Advertising Director CIRCULATION Circulation@barks.com Electrical Apparatus (ISSN 0190-1370), Vol. 76, No. 11, is published monthly by Barks Publications, Inc., 17 N. State St., Chicago, Ill. 60602; (312) 321-9440; fax (866) 2287274. www.barks.com. Periodicals postage paid at Chicago, Ill., and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Electrical Apparatus, c/o Barks Publications, Inc., 17 N. State St., Suite 1650, Chicago, Ill. 60602. PM #40830553.

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Let’s Solve Your Problem When is voltage high, low, or medium?

We have customers who are writing their own repair/rewind specs and want various things done in certain ways depending upon whether the motor involved is low voltage or high voltage.

Some of the customers are saying that “low voltage” is 460 or below. We had always thought that 575 or 600 volt motors would be considered low voltage also.

Are there standard definitions for low, medium, and high voltage ranges for motors?

No U.S. motor standard offers any such definitions. NEMA and IEEE publications define numerical values for standard voltage ratings but don’t distinguish among them by descriptive terms.

U.S. voltages are as follows: low voltage, 50–1,000 volts; medium voltage, 1,001– 69,000 volts; high voltage, 69,001–230,000 volts. The International Electrotechnical Commission is somewhat different: low voltage, 50-1,000 volts; high voltage, 1,001– 35,000 volts; extra-high voltage, >35,000 volts.

Grounded armatures: Are they really a problem?

Do you have any information on d-c motors running with their armatures showing a grounded condition when tested with a megohmmeter? We’ve been told that this is a common occurrence and that a lot of paper mills run their d-c motors for years with this condition.

The motor manufacturer says that the motor should be removed and serviced; the brush manufacturer told us that sometimes multiple small parallel paths can simulate a grounded condition even though failure is not imminent. The only problem is that the user doesn’t know if there’s really a problem. Do you know of any white papers or documented research that address this issue?

We’ve seen nothing published concerning this issue. What literature we have seen agrees with your motor manufacturer’s recommendation: A grounded armature winding is bad news. Unacceptably low insulation resistance to ground is not a function of how many “small parallel paths” exist.

A grounded winding is a grounded winding whether the defect is a single low-resistance path or many high-resistance paths in parallel.

If the winding is grounded at one point in the circuit, the motor may continue in successful operation, because no closed path

exists for the flow of fault current (unlike the a-c stator situation, in which the motor frame is always connected to ground). But if a second ground then occurs, a catastrophic failure becomes possible.

on the nameplate. For a 230 volt motor to maintain efficiency at 208 volts, additional active material would be required. If you have a 208 volt system, a motor rated at 200 volts should be used.

Is 208 volts a problem for 230 volt motors?

When intermittent duty becomes continuous

What are the effects of using 230 volt motors on 208 volt supplies?

A “208 volt supply” is normally a 208Y/120 volt four-wire wye-connected power system. Under ANSI standards, motor terminal voltage in such a system is allowed to be as low as 184 to 191 volts.

That’s far below the NEMA minimum motor voltage of 230–10%, or 207 volts.

The results will be serious overheating at full load, greatly reduced accelerating and breakdown torques, and protection problems, such as nuisance tripping of the starter caused by high current.

Keep this important distinction in mind: Many manufacturers have marked their 230/460 volt motors as “usable at 208 volts” as this is within the ±10% of 230 volts. Going forward, the U.S. Dept. of Energy is not allowing this marking unless the motor meets the marked efficiency level

We’ve found that many motors nameplated for intermittent duty can safely be run continuously if the load is reduced to only about half the nominal horsepower. But when we tried that with one 5 hp 15-minute rated motor, it overheated even with hardly any shaft load. What causes such behavior?

Most motors are heated mainly by I2R loss in the stator winding and rotor. But some short-time designs are so small in size for the horsepower that an extremely high magnetic flux density is needed for enough torque to meet that horsepower rating.

That means that the core loss plus the magnetizing current I2R loss alone will quickly overheat the machine even at no load. This is much more likely for a 15-minute rating than for a 30-minute or one-hour design.

EA Edited by the EA staff

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Associations Associations offer mental health advice Keeping electrical power systems running is all about physics and numbers, and the mental well-being of the people doing the work doesn’t enter into the equation, right?

Wrong. As the wider culture increasingly recognizes the importance of sound mind as well as sound body, associations serving the electrical power industry are offering resources for people in emotional distress.

The British Pump Manufacturers Association of West Bromwich, U.K., for example, believes, as it puts it, that “engineering organisations, institutions, and membership bodies need to place a concerted focus on tackling mental ill-health in the workplace.”

Visitors to the association’s web page about mental health are directed to several resources, some public, some privately run. For publicly funded resources, a link to the U.K.’s famed National Health Service points the way to instructions for obtaining the mental-health services that each British subject can claim as a right.

Among private charitable organizations listed is Mind, a company registered in England and Wales that offers resources for people seeking help for themselves or someone they know.

Elsewhere in the U.K., we find that the Association of Electrical and Mechanical Trades offers a PDF of a poster about mental health. The poster displays a phone number, 116 123, that connects callers to Samaritans, an organization that serves the U.K. and Ireland with help for people in emotional crisis.

In a blog post published last May, Louise Poirier of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers noted that one in five adults in the U.S. experiences mental illness each year but that slightly fewer than half of those seek treatment. And research shows, she adds, that engineers are less likely to seek help than members of other professions.

Engineers may be more susceptible to burnout than others, and interacting with colleagues in an office can

— Photo by K. Mitch Hodge on Unsplash

weigh on anyone’s mental health, engineer or not, Poirier notes. And yet one needn’t go it alone. “Workplace initiatives such as employee resource groups, physicians, therapists, and even colleagues and friends can all play a role in helping engineers achieve balanced mental health,” she writes.

The Electrical Apparatus Service Association acknowledges the importance of providing mental-health resources for employees and offers recommendations every now and then for business owners and managers to address the matter.

In 2021, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Sean McNamara of mining company Komatsu in New South Wales, Australia, wrote an article for EASA offering suggestions for dealing with stress. “The coronavirus pandemic has had a profound impact on all facets of society,” McNamara wrote.

“People must take a practical approach to handle the toll on mental health.”

Among his suggestions: Try not to focus too much on media coverage of the pandemic, get plenty of physical exercise, go easy on the alcohol and junk food, understand that others are suffering as well, keep in contact with your family and social network, and finally, don’t hesitate to ask for help. Several if not most of these items are good advice at any time, pandemic or no.

One prominent EASA member, Ron Widup of Shermco Industries, took to the pages of NETA World, a publication of the International Electric Testing

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Association, a few years back to offer suggestions on dealing with chronic fatigue.

This is an affliction that often accompanies electrical work — an occupation in which being tired and distracted can invite particularly nasty consequences.

“Doing too much at one time or for too many days in a row can lead to worker fatigue and compromise your personal safety or the safety of those around you,” Widup warned.

And he should know. Widup described an incident that occurred in 1984 when he was injured by an arc flash while working on a 400 amp, 480 V automatic transfer switch. To drive home the point, his article was accompanied by a photo showing ghastly burns to his hand resulting from the accident. As it happened, Widup had been working on his seventh switch of the day. “Was I as fresh on switch number seven as I was on switch number one?” he asked. “Not a chance.”

The most common causes of fatigue are “extended or extreme work hours” and “continuous work days without breaks in the schedule,” Widup wrote.

This past June, the International Facility Management Association of Houston published an article by Shaun Levenson that presented research from the International WELL Building Institute showing that there’s a link between productivity and “a person’s sense of health and well-being in the workplace.”

It’s important to recognize that productivity can be affected by a work environment and how an individual responds to it, Levenson wrote. “According to the Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion,” he wrote, “an estimated 20% of the U.S. population is neurodivergent, encompassing individuals with ‘various intellectual and developmental disabilities and a wide range of conditions that shape their thinking, learning and perception of the world.’”

Making accommodations for these “neurodivergent” folks is therefore essential for productivity, and addressing the matter is good for business. Neurodivergent people may be highly sensitive to noise, light, smell, temperature, texture, and other sensory stimuli, so managers should consider creating workplaces where these environmental factors are muted. Color schemes, space dividers, noise-canceling elements, and adjustable lighting are just some options that might be considered, Levenson says.

As with so many of the other challenges life throws at us, sometimes the simplest solutions are the best. — Kevin Jones EA

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Know Your Industry Advancing supply chain organization and innovation Association for Supply Chain Management Founded: 1957 Headquarters: 8430 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Suite 1000, Chicago, Ill. 60631 Annual dues: $99 Website: www.ascm.org This past Sept. 11-13, the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM) hosted its CONNECT annual conference in Louisville, Ky., where members from around the world brushed up on the latest innovations from more than 40 exhibitors and had more than 70 educational session options.

The conference featured sessions ranging from freight costs to AI-powered supply chains and sustainability. It was also an opportunity for members to network with peers from 190 ASCM chapters and forums across North America.

Only North America has chapters and forums available for the more than 45,000 professional individual members, but the 200 global partners still benefit from the annual conference, APICS certification, and training resources.

For all of us non-members, APICS stands for the American Production and Inventory Control Society, which was the original association name from its founding in 1957 to its mergers with the Supply Chain Council in 2014 and the American Society of Transportation and Logistics in 2015.

The name change to the Association for Supply Chain Management was announced at the 2017 conference, where CEO Abe Eshkenazi said the change was “more than a re-branding” and better reflected the organization’s emphasis on “transforming supply chains to achieve business excellence.”

While the organization updated its name to ASCM, the mission is still firmly based on APICS certification and training. “Now, ASCM is driving innovation in the industry with new products, services and partnerships that enable companies to further optimize their supply chains,” the association states.

But what is APICS certification, and how does it affect the supply chain?

With sixty years of experience guiding the APICS certification, it is distinguished as a standard measurement for supply chain knowledge, best practices, and skills.

There are four APICS certification tracks for individuals that industry professionals have deemed the standard for supply chain management: CPIM—Certified in Planning and Inventory Management; CSCP—Certified Supply Chain Professional; CLTD—Certified in Logistics, Transportation and Distribution; and the newest program, CTSC—Certified in Transformation for Supply Chain (featured on the EA blog post “Chain Reactions”).

ASCM staff welcomed visitors to this year’s ASCM CONNECT conference, where artificial intelligence was the year’s hot topic.

— ASCM photo

“The greatest benefit to APICS certifications for supply chain professionals is that they demonstrate a commitment to the profession and a high level of knowledge and skills,” said ASCM’s Chloe Evans, who added that “ASCM certifications are recognized by employers around the world as a benchmark of excellence in supply chain management.”

Completing APICS certification not only demonstrates your knowledge and mastery of the industry but also offers an advantage over your peers since, according to the ASCM, “APICS-certified individuals earn up to 25% more than their non-certified peers.” The association’s 2022 survey also asserts that “APICS-certified individuals report salaries 18% higher than those with other certifications.”

ASCM offers a variety of other supply chain training and educational programs throughout the year. The organization’s website even extends a helping hand for choosing the right certification track with the Certification Selector Tool. Some of the other programs include the supply chain planning certificate, supply chain procurement certificate, supply chain warehousing certificate, supply chain technology certificate, and Supply Chain Operations Reference Professional (SCOR-P) credentials.

Another avenue of support for current and future supply chain professionals is the ASCM Foundation, which focuses on initiatives toward enriching industry skills and knowledge. Programs for workforce development train workers and support the advancement of diversity and inclusion for the supply chain industry.

As well as humanitarian efforts in collaboration with global ministries of health, the ASCM Foundation hosts the annual Case Competition, where teams of undergraduate and graduate students choose an issue affecting the supply chain and work together on finding a solution. The finalist teams share their cases and receive feedback from industry professionals at the ASCM CONNECT annual conference, providing experience and preparation for future supply chain careers.

This year’s ASCM CONNECT conference saw artificial intelligence as one of the top industry trends — maybe the top trend. Keynote speaker Yossi Sheffi called AI the fifth industrial revolution, explaining it as “the future of advanced technology, where machines and people work together to amplify human creativity.”

Emphasis on the efficiency AI brings to the supply chain went hand in hand with the development of industry workers. Sheffi considers this fifth industrial revolution a matter of AI complementing human skills, with humans are still in charge of decision-making.

The conference featured 12 learning tracks and a new resource this year called TECHTalks, which focused, unsurprisingly, on the latest tech trends. But don’t worry, it wasn’t all educational sessions! The popular facility tours took attendees out of the conference hall and into some of Louisville’s famous businesses, where they experienced the diverse supply chains and had fun doing so. This year, attendees could register to tour the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory, Churchill Downs, or a few other options — though a derby hat is not included with ASCM membership or certification programs. — Kristine Weller EA

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Calendar Update your calendar with these upcoming trade shows, conferences, and other events.

• November 7-9, 2023 — 2023 NEMA Annual Meeting, Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa, Manalapan, Fla. National Electrical Manufacturers Association, https://10times.com/nema-annual-meet ing-palm-beach.

• November 23, 2023 — AEMT Annual Conference, Doubletree by Hilton, Coventry, U.K. Association of Electrical & Mechanical Trades, www.aemtconference.com.

• November 27-28, 2023 — Future Battery Forum, Estrel Congress Center, Berlin, Germany (in-person and virtual).

European Regional Development Fund and the Institute for Production Management, www.futurebattery.eu.

• January 22-24, 2024 — AHR Expo, McCormick Place, Chicago. Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute, https://www.ahrexpo.com.

• January 30-February 2, 2024 — NEMRA2024 Conference, Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, Paradise, Nev. National Electrical Manufacturers Representatives Association, https://www.nemra.org/nemra24conference.

• February 25, 2024 — Hydraulic Institute 2024 Annual Conference, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. The Hydraulic Institute, www.pumps.org/conferences.

• February 26-March 1, 2024 — PowerTest 2024, Hilton Anatole, Dallas, Tex. InterNational Electrical Testing Association, www.powertest.org/powertest/home.

• April 19-24, 2024 — PEARL Annual Conference and Exhibition, Westin Denver Downtown, Denver, Colo. The Professional Electrical Apparatus Reconditioning League, https://pearl1.org/2024-conference.

• April 22-26, 2024 — Hannover Messe 2024, Hannover Fairgrounds, Ha-

nover, Germany. Deutsche Messe AG, www. hannovermesse.de/en.

• May 6-9, 2024 — CleanPower 2024, Minneapolis Convention Center, Minneapolis, Minn. American Clean Power Association, https://cleanpower.org/events/clean power-2024-conference-exhibition.

• May 14-16, 2024 — CWIEME Berlin, Messe Berlin, Berlin, Germany. Coil Winding, Insulation & Electrical Manufacturing Exhibition, https://berlin.cwiemeevents. com/Home.

• May 21-23, 2024 — National Association of Electrical Distributors 2024 National Meeting, JW Marriott Austin, Austin, Tex. National Association of Electrical Distributors, www.naed.org/nationalmeeting.

• June 22-24, 2024 — 2024 ASHRAE Annual Conference, JW Marriott Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Ind. American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and AirConditioning Engineers, www.ashrae.org/ conferences/2024-annual-conference-indi anapolis.

• June 23-26, 2024 — EASA Convention 2024, Caesars Forum and Harrah’s Casino Hotel, Las Vegas, Nev. Electrical Apparatus Service Association, https:// easa.com/convention.

• August 7-9, 2024 — Safety 2024 Conference & Expo, [venue to be announced], Denver, Colo. American Society of Safety Professionals, https://safety.assp.org.

• September 9-14, 2024 — IMTS 2024, McCormick Place, Chicago. International Manufacturing Technology Show, www.imts.com.

• October 15-17, 2024 — Fabtech 2024, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Fla. Fabtech Event Partners, www.fabtechexpo.com.

EA Edited by Kevin Jones

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ELECTRICAL APPARATUS | NOVEMBER 2023 9

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Feature | Training & Education

Help or hindrance?

Washington State law mandates electrician apprenticeship programs for new hires

By Chelsea Fisher, EA Contributing Writer Usually when we see new apprenticeship programs, we tend to think job creation is on the way. However, an apprenticeship program for electricians coming in as new hires in Washington state is now required by law, raising the question from employers and prospects alike as to whether such laws are a help or a hindrance to the overall workforce.

The apparent intention behind this mandate is to help increase the number of electricians in the state.

But for smaller contractors, non-union, and noncommercial businesses, it could yield the opposite results.

Having gone into effect July 1, 2023, the new law significantly shifts Washington’s approach to journey level (01) electrician certification. It moves from five pathways to certification to one – an apprenticeship-only model. The director of the Dept. of Labor and Industries (L&I) appoints the Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council as the sole regulatory body for apprenticeship program standards.

Registered apprenticeship programs can grant advanced standing based on hours of experience approved by L&I’s Electrical Program licensing section.

For specialty electrician certificate holders in 02, 03, 04, 06, 06A, and 07 specialties, a program is required to grant 4,000 hours for previous experi-

ence. These areas are: residential, pump and irrigation, signs, energy, HVAC/R, and nonresidential maintenance.

L&I’s Apprenticeship Program reviews registered training programs for evidence of a “fair and equitable process” in granting credit for hours of work.

Specific level of experience Trainees who had accumulated 3,000 hours of electrical experience before July 1, or who have completed a two-year electrical construction training program, may continue to gain journey level experience.

The law requires approval of eligibility and apprenticeship programs for new hires in order to take the examination for a journey level electrician certificate, master journey level electrician, master specialty electrician, or specialty electrician certificate of competency.

After the approval process, meeting training requirements, completion of the apprenticeship, and upon passing examinations, specialized areas such as pump and irrigation certification may require extra training requirements, fees, and another specialty certificate.

For commercial jobs, a small electrical contractor must go through apprenticeship programs that are approved by the department.

One electrical contractor speaking out against the bill is Tim Scherer of Rockwell Electric in Bellingham, Wash.

“They think that this is going to expand opportunities, but what it’s done is minimize opportunities,” Scherer told Electrical Apparatus.

“You always could have joined an apprenticeship, but we could have also hired, but now we cannot.”

Scherer said he and other small business owners have tried to be vocal to the state legislature and local news outlets about their doubts.

To employ apprentices, you must do one of the following: 1) Become a training agent, which the state government claims “usually takes just a few weeks”; or 2) sponsor your own apprenticeship program, which means “overseeing every aspect of training, from development to administration,” according to the law.

It also typically takes a minimum of six months or longer to get a new program approved. EA

Electrical apprentices at work in the Washington College Grant program.

— Washington Student Achievement Council Program photo

10 ELECTRICAL APPARATUS | NOVEMBER 2023

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Plant Happenings Schneider Electric unveils El Paso plant Schneider Electric of Rueil-Malmaison, France, the energy management and automation provider with U.S. operations headquartered in Foxboro, Mass., formally unveiled a new plant in El Paso, Tex., Sept. 14. The plant will be dedicated to the production of customized lowvoltage switchboards for industrial, commercial, and residential buildings. The 160,000-square-foot El Paso manufacturing campus is now Schneider Electric’s largest manufacturing plant in the U.S.

Generac plans new Wisconsin plant Generac Power Systems, Inc., of Waukesha, Wis., the manufacturer of generators and power-storage units for residences, businesses, and industry, announced plans Sept. 13 to build a new manufacturing facility in Beaver Dam, Wis. The 320,000-square-foot facility will combine a mix of manufacturing and office space, with employment of up to 400 people. If the project is approved by the City of Beaver Dam, construction will begin later this year, with the objective of completing construction by early 2025. Generac is known for its portable, residential, commercial, and industrial generators.

The company also manufactures manual and fully automatic transfer switches and accessories.

Another EV factory for Illinois Hot on the heels of last summer’s announcement of a new Lion Electric Co. EV manufacturing plant in Joliet, Ill., comes news that a new, $2 billion Gotion lithium battery plant is going to be built in the Illinois town of Manteno. According to the office of Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, this will be the largest EV battery production investment in the state to date. Illinois’ Reimagining Energy and Vehicles Act, signed into law in 2021, provided incentives to secure the deal. Is this latest in EV-related plant construction part of a trend? As we noted in this department in September, the Illinois Radio Network reported that three companies in addition to Lion Electric — Rivian, Stellantis, and Ford — are now building electric vehicles in the Prairie State.

Eight hurt at Archer Daniels Midland plant Eight employees were injured Sept. 10 in an explosion and fire at an Archer Daniel Midlands soybean processing plant in Decatur, Ill., the Associated Press reported. Six of the injured workers were taken from the scene by ambulance; one was eventually moved to a burn unit at a hospital in Indiana. The Decatur plant produces soybean oil and white flake for soybean protein production. The Decatur Herald & Review reported that this was the third fire at the plant this year. The first was an apparent dust explosion in April; the second, a fire that occurred in a feed house two weeks prior to the most recent fire. —Kevin Jones EA

11PlantHappenings.indd 1

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10/6/2023 7:35:07 AM

Business

Bartlett Bearing Co.’s newly expanded warehouse is part of a larger commercial development in Pelham, Ala.— Bartlett Bearing Company, Inc., photo

Eaton’s El Paso plant, as shown in a 2020 photo.

Bartlett expands Alabama warehouse

Eaton investment is part of a broader plan

Bartlett Bearing Co., Inc., of Philadelphia, the distributor of bearings primarily for the electromechanical repair industry, has expanded its location in Pelham, Ala., adding 5,000 square feet of warehouse and office space. Growth in the southern market brought about the decision to expand.

According to Bartlett, the move will help the Pelham location “adapt to the accelerated growth of the area demands by providing additional warehouse space for the company’s expanding inventory.” This inventory includes bearings, housing repair sleeves, shaft grounding technology, couplings, V-belts, oil seals, and mechanical seals — items that find application in such things as vibrator motors, gearboxes, mill-duty motors, wind generators, and vertical and horizontal pumps.

Eaton, the global supplier of intelligent power-management products and systems, recently announced that it has committed $80 million “to significantly expand” its manufacturing footprint in El Paso, Tex. This investment comes in addition to plans announced last summer to invest more than half a billion dollars in North American manufacturing “to support electrification, energy transition and digitalization across industries,” as the company put it in an August announcement.

Eaton is expanding manufacturing and “bolstering resilience” in order to “increase the supply of its solutions for customers in utility, commercial, healthcare, industrial and residential markets across North America,” the company said. — Kevin Jones EA

— Eaton photo

12 ELECTRICAL APPARATUS | NOVEMBER 2023

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Speaking Of . . .

From fork to table in Wisconsin

real estate everywhere, and as a planet and people-first business, we want to help re-imagine spaces like this for a sustainable purpose.

Last month in this section of Electrical Apparatus, we “The Flex Acre, like all of our technologies, is energy efficient and lowers discussed an innovative and exciting new project hap- operating costs,” Tyink explained. “Additionally, it integrates a productized pening at Rockwell Automation’s HVAC, power, and plumbing solution that recaptures Milwaukee headquarters involving the room’s energy and water. This technology minimizhydroponic growing systems that es the number of facility updates required to install an cultivate fresh produce and feature indoor farm, lowers capital costs, and shortens installanew technologies. tion time frames.

We looked closely at the project “The new automation system for the Flex Acre, defrom Rockwell’s standpoint, so this signed in partnership with Rockwell Automation, is month we’re taking a closer look at built on robust industry-leading technologies that are the partner — Fork Farms of Green designed to withstand the test of time and provide deBay, Wis. — which may be a lesserpendable business value. We are using the most effiknown quantity to some of our cient, proven, transformative hydroponic technology readers. at Fork Farms to ensure access to fresh food to more A special thanks to Fork Farms’ people.”

Krista Koranda for helping facilitate Fork Farms was started with an idea that’s equal parts this exchange, in which the compaphilosophical and practical when facing human health: ny’s CEO explains its flagship techhelping people grow their own food in order to “posinology, the “Flex Acre” hydroponic tively impact individuals, communities, and the planet.” farming system.

The company’s emergence began with a simple stroke “Our new Flex Acre was developed of inspiration. During the summer of 2010, Tyink volStudents in the Bloomer School District to meet the growing demands of our in Wisconsin are growing year-round unteered at a rooftop garden in Brooklyn, New York, partner customers and create an with indoor hydroponic farms. The growing food for a neighborhood pantry. indoor vertical farm that can scale program is led by Rachel Haas, agriAt the end of the summer, Alex was given a bag of easily with both high deployability cultural educator (pictured). Bloomer fresh food to take home as a token of appreciation for is located in the northwestern part of and modularity in mind,” said Alex Wisconsin, where there is ample farm- his service. He had never grown his own food before.

Tyink, president and CEO of Fork land and a strong farming community. And as simple as it sounds, that bag of fresh produce Farms. “There is vacant commercial changed him forever. — Charlie Barks EA — Fork Farms photo

ELECTRICAL APPARATUS | NOVEMBER 2023 13

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Feature | Fabtech 2023

Fabulous-tech Fabtech 2023 presented fresh ideas for all phases of metal-forming and manufacturing operations

By Kevin Jones, EA Senior Editor

Some 40,000 attendees and 1,500 suppliers filled three buildings at Chicago’s McCormick Place for Fabtech 2023, lending credence to the show’s claim of being North America’s largest such event.

— Electrical Apparatus photos and videos by Kevin Jones

CHICAGO — They call it “North America’s largest metal forming, fabricating, welding, and finishing event.” While we can’t vouch for the “largest” part, we can confirm that among the hundreds of exhibitors and dozens of conference sessions, there was plenty at Fabtech 2023 to grab the attention of anyone involved in machining and manufacturing.

Held Sept. 11-14 at Chicago’s expansive McCormick Place, the 2023 installment of this influential expo occupied three buildings and brought together more than 40,000 attendees from around the world — a 26% year-over-year gain in attendance compared to the 2022 event in Atlanta and a 40% increase compared to the 2021 Fabtech in Chicago.

Clearly, if raw attendance figures are any indication, the industrial recovery from the pandemic is gaining momentum.

Occupying three buildings on Chicago’s showpiece lakefront expo campus, Fabtech 2023 attracted more than 1,500 suppliers, 235 of which were exhibiting at Fabtech for the first time. About 575 new products were on display, many of them presented as dynamic demonstrations.

New products aplenty At many trade shows, finding products and services that are truly new can be a challenge. Not at Fabtech. Because automation and robotics are rapidly evolving, new products were not difficult to find. Many if not

most of the new items were intended for highly specialized tasks. There were new robots designed just to bend metal, for example, and software designed specifically for the sheet metal industry. There were linear motors intended expressly for machine tools as well as tools for managing the behavior of arcs in welding machines. (For links to videos, see page 18.)

McCormick Place’s three buildings were further divided into eight technology pavilions: Additive Manufacturing; Forming and Fabricating; Finishing; METALFORM; Tube and Pipe; Robotics and Industrial Automation; Welding; and Welding Automation. The event brought together the biggest names in metal forming and fabrication but also provided a stage for smaller, emerging suppliers.

Panelists size up the industry During a panel discussion on the first day of the event, several industry experts discussed the findings of the annual Fictiv State of Manufacturing Survey. Among things uncovered by the survey was an Please turn to page 16

14 ELECTRICAL APPARATUS | NOVEMBER 2023

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Feature | Fabtech 2023 FABTECH continued from page 14

Manufacturing is a field well suited for inbound apprehension among some manufacturers about embracing automa- marketing, Jobe said, because customers of manution fully. facturing firms have identifiable “pain points” for “There’s hesitation because of many things – learning curve, the which they’re actively seeking solutions. Such a perbarrier to entry in robotics if you’ve never had them before – so we’ve son might stumble upon a company by doing a web been advising manufacturers who know they need search for a solution and then to automate to just get started,” Scot Lindemann, finding a white paper posted on CEO of Mission Design & Automation, said prior to the company’s website. Once on the panel discussion. Another panelist, Sabrina Pasthe site, the person may be curieman, general partner at Omni Venture Labs, said ous about what the company does that outdated software may be hindering the pace at and become further engaged, poswhich automation is being implemented. sibly to the point of becoming a Another panel discussion considered the role of paying customer. women in manufacturing, a field in which women If Jobe’s presentation offered have been making inroads but where additional a fresh alternative to a broken progress, many agree, is desirable. According to the paradigm, then so too did a preonline career platform Zippia, women make up only sentation offered by Rahul Sarkar 28% of the technology and STEM workforce in the of Clarity Manufacturing ConsultU.S., and this proportion hasn’t changed much over ing, who explained how small the last 25 years. and mid-sized manufacturers can One panelist, Lisa Habe of Interlake Industries, overcome problems with custom found opportunity when she joined her family’s automation. metal-stamping business, subsequently proving her Rahul Sarkar of Clarity Manufacturing According to Sarkar, a typical worth by leading the company out of debt. Another Consulting explains how to resolve approach to solving a problem panelist, Teresa Beach-Shelow, owner of Superior problems in custom automation. within a manufacturing operation Joining Technologies, founded the company with her husband, Thom is to seek a technological silver bullet that will solve Shelow, in their garage. Today the company occupies a 55,000-square- the problem on its own. Sarkar advises clients that foot facility in Machesney Park, Ill. there are no quick fixes and that the solution lies within – among the people who make a manufacturing process run.

Speakers present fresh new ideas No matter how highly automated a manufacturing This year’s edition of Fabtech offered more than 180 conference sesprocess might be, the human element can never be sions and workshops covering the latest trends that define modern eliminated, Sarkar pointed out. After all, every CNC metal-forming and manufacturing. Participants learned about such machine, every robot, every automated line was dethings as leveraging intelligent technologies and incorporating robotsigned and programmed by people, who are subject ics into metal fabrication, partly to address labor shortages. to human fallibility.

Add to this the difficulty of findHolly Jobe of digital marketing ing good employees who are qualified to run highly firm Protocol 80 had some new ideas specialized automated systems in the first place and to share about the potential of social the challenge becomes clear.

What’s the solution? media as a marketing medium for Treating one’s employees well, apparently.

Sarker manufacturing companies. pointed to the example of a mid-sized manufacturer The topic of Jobe’s presentation was “inbound marketing” – a sales in Michigan, founded in 1900 and now in its fifth strategy intended to attract poten- generation of ownership, that claims never to have tial customers by offering “valuable laid off a single worker. The company has had an ancontent and experiences” instead of nual turnover rate of only 1% “for the past several imposing a message on unsuspecting years.” It may sound trite, but if a company treats its recipients. The lure might be such people well, many of the kinks in the organization, things as blog posts, videos, or white if they don’t fix themselves, will at least become sigpapers to which a seller might link in nificantly easier to identify and resolve.

Such were the observations and recommendations social media posts. of just a few of the speakers on this year’s Fabtech Jobe contrasted this approach with conference program. There were many more. In case an extreme example of what might Holly Jobe of Protocol 80 explains “inyou missed this year’s event, the next Fabtech is bound marketing.” be called “outbound marketing” – the scheduled to be held Oct. 15-17, 2024, at the Orange imposition of one’s product on someone who’s not looking for it. A clasCounty Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. For more sic example, Jobe said, is the department store salesperson who sprays information, visit www.fabtechexpo.com. a fragrance on you as you’re walking past the perfume counter. If anything, such an approach might turn someone against a brand.

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Feature | Fabtech 2023: Robots in Motion Scan the QR codes to view the videos FABTECH continued from page 16

Mark Ruth, senior projects engineer at ABB, demonstrates the GoFa collaborative weld robot, which can operate safely in close proximity to human workers.

A three-axis welding positioner with a capacity of 3,500 lbs. is demonstrated at Fabtech

by ALM Positioners of Rock Island, Ill.

Precision of motion was evident with this robotic arm at the exhibit of Lincoln Electric at Fabtech, a specialist in robotic welding systems.

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Feature | Conventions & Trade Shows

Novi novelties

The Battery Show marks its final year in the Michigan suburbs with immense growth and the snags that come with it

By Charlie Barks, EA Managing Editor NOVI, MICH. — The Battery Show has reached a point where you might feel abashed for driving up in a non-electric vehicle.

This is evident in its parking lot, where ICEs and EVs compete for parking space — but more so in the trade show’s overall maturation and elasticity. Actual cars used to highlight the exhibitors’ section of the floor; now there are dozens of varieties of displays.

These range from ten-foot-high EV chargers, laser welding battery assembly simulations, flaw-finding telescopes, and robotic arms to warehouse-assist workman’s gear, electric bikes, and highly tailored, small metal parts.

Think of it this way: The word battery is the show’s heartbeat, but around it lies a body of incredible, interlocking systems. And in order to marshal these systems, the show contained an underlying dialogue

of urgency for finding a workforce fit to do so. EV workforce training has gone from “items on the docket” to “red alert” for the industry.

Novi no more For starters, let’s take a brief moment to commend the stage-setters at Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, the northwestern Detroit suburb that has hosted this show for the past five years, since the show’s inception.

While Novi might seemingly just be a traffic hub, the convention center here is clean, navigable, and well-run. Staff at SCS have been friendly and helpful in Electrical Apparatus’s four years attending the Battery Show and the EV/Hybrid sister event. The venue is ample in size for your average convention, but this show is growing at a rate that requires more space. The Battery Show will move to Huntington Place in downtown Detroit next year.

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BATTERY SHOW continued from previous page

Exhibitors tackle production Among the novelties at Novi that we see each year, innovative automobiles no longer dominate the show floor. You now have a fusion of industrial and technological products, as well as many services, that bolster the show’s influence and overall appeal.

Take IPG Photonics — this show isn’t the company’s first rodeo. The 600-employee, publicly traded company out of Marlborough, Mass., specializes in fiber laser technology products. This already applied to welding, cutting, and cleaning in the past, but battery demand has enabled expansion; the company is now applying its process gear to the electrification industry.

The IPG booth featured multiple large modules performing simulations — namely, fiber laser sources and automated laser systems for EV battery welding applications, beginning with a new laser technology designed to raise the limits of battery welding speeds: its new Adjustable Mode Beam (AMB) laser source.

“Battery manufacturers often prefer single-mode fiber lasers for precision welding applications,” due to their ability to focus their power into extremely small spot sizes on the part, explained Keith Bernier, sales development manager for IPG. The resulting “high energy density overcomes the high reflectivity of metals” like copper and aluminum while simultaneously achieving the required weld penetration quickly with a reduced heat-affected zone.

IPG was performing two live demonstrations of its systems. One was the EV-Cube automated battery — Electrical Apparatus photos by Charlie Barks

laser welding system, a gantry-based system using proprietary laser welding programming that can be configured to speeds of up to 10+ cylindrical cells per second while maintaining 25 m accuracy. The second was the company’s LaserCell battery welding system, a robotic system that offers the flexibility and reach needed for large or complex battery modules. Featuring a six-axis robot, the system can be configured for welding of prismatic, cylindrical, and pouch modules — or, as Bernier put it, “prismatic is like a can,” “cylindrical is round,” and “pouch is for everything else . . . but remember that the tech is changing really quickly,” he urged.

A Novi-brainer for one exhibitor If lasers being applied to battery technology aren’t high-tech enough for you, the Zeiss booth provided another glimpse into the top-shelf science being used nowadays in electric vehicles. Headquartered in Oberkochen, Germany, Zeiss operates a “quality excellence center” out of Wixom, Mich., only a few miles from Novi, making this convention a Novi-brainer for them.

The company was exhibiting some of its measurement and analysis products that are being applied to electric vehicle parts. One microscope featured a polarized camera lens that scans a part, seeking metallic and non-metallic particles, all done in one scan. The company produces electronic and X-ray microscopes, some of which can scan battery cells and look for defects before these are placed in the EV production cycle. The technology is interesting to view in person, as you truly feel like you’re in a science lab and it utilizes machine learning and AI techniques. Even Zeiss’s reps were genuinely excited by the developments.

“When I was in grad school, I was the AI,” said Shannon Bollin, Ph.D., application engineer within Zeiss’ Industrial Quality Solutions division. The current technology, she says, analyzes anodes and cathodes by training the model and can be used to determine layer thickness, porosity, phase analysis, and more. “It’s basically image analysis made easier,” Bollin explained.

Zeiss employees are no strangers to translating highly technical jargon in order to educate a wider audience. The company holds occasional webinars demonstrating its products and educating the workforce.

An example of one of these recent free webinars in September was entitled “Identify the Root Cause of Particle Contamination” and aimed to help suppliers, manufacturers, and end users answer the demand for ever-increasing quality standards.

The webinar addressed these issues by offering, primarily, speed: faster standard analyses (detect metallic and non-metallic particles with only one filter scan); faster particle classification (combine light and electron microscopy in a seamless workflow); and faster decision making (analyze the chemical composition of killer particles to identify the contamination root cause). A Zeiss tagline of “Why Batteries Need a Holistic Quality Process” was featured as one of the Top 12 Can’t-Miss Technologies at the show.

Visionary machine vision

The team from Cognex, the machine vision specialists out of Natick, Mass., made their case for “best dressed.”

The best-dressed team award had to go to Cognex, a machine vision company based out of the Boston area (Natick, Mass.), whose whole team was sporting yellow and black Nike Air Force One sneakers to show the company colors (photo at left).

Here we had another example of the momentum of the EV industry and its ripple effects into other spheres of influence. Cognex

20 ELECTRICAL APPARATUS | NOVEMBER 2023

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specializes in industrial barcode reading products but has been producing other items like machine vision systems, software, and sensors used in automated manufacturing to inspect and identify parts, detect defects, verify product assembly, and guide assembly robots for 40 years now.

In the past decade, Cognex has waded into the EV space. The company provides coating quality inspection and coating width gauging solutions to ensure that electrode sheets meet exacting specifications before they are separated by an insulator and — depending on manufacturer and form type — rolled, wound, or An electric Formula E race car model on display from Dow Chemical and ABB. stacked into a lithium-ion cell.

Cognex Deep Learning’s defect detection and clas- ephant in the room at previous Battery Shows, scarcely addressed in sification tools are trained using a small image set an effort not to dampen the enthusiasm of riding the EV wave. But this of good welds and a wide variety of defective welds year, attendees and showrunners alike appeared to take the challenge to classify and detect defects. “[Bar-wound copper head-on out of sheer urgency. This was perfectly encapsulated — if not pins, called] hairpins [due to their shape], have re- fully solved — during the Wednesday session “Educating the Next Genplaced wire windings [in the stator of many electric eration of Battery Workers.” motors],” explained Lou Hedtke, a global account There’s a monumental change happening right now in the automomanager at Cognex. These are “more rigid than tive world, according to EV pundits, one that hasn’t happened for a wire,” so their orientation can be controlled more century. Automakers had been building and engineering cars the same precisely, leading to higher and more predictable ef- way for over 100 years. In 1910, a third of the market was electric — ficiency. Hairpins, or leadpins, are loaded into slots the last time there was this level of interest in electrification. As menon the stator and welded together to become one tioned, that’s all well and good, and progress is within reach, but it also single twisted conductor. Welding can introduce ushers in a serious concern: inclusions and porosity, increasing electrical resisWhere do the workers come from? Where do the engineers come tance as well as reducing mechanical strength. More from? For elements of the supply chain like upstream mining operasignificant defects can break the circuit and make tions, midstream cell operations, etc., how do we educate those people? the entire stator nonfunctional.

In addition to these questions, broader snags like working with highvoltage batteries become a challenge when applied on a grander scale, explained John Warner, the session moderator and chief customer ofElephant, meet room Products can be as innovative, interesting, and ficer of American Battery Solutions, a lithium-ion battery manufacturer “great” as you like, but what’s a product without a in Lake Orion, Mich. “Middle school and high school kids — how do we workforce to build and maintain it? This was the el-

Please turn to next page

ELECTRICAL APPARATUS | NOVEMBER 2023 21

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A shaker system, along with vibration controllers and the company’s “Obserview” software on screen, are demonstrated at the Vibration Research booth.

BATTERY SHOW continued from previous page

get them interested, how do we motivate them?” Warner asked, adding that “Only a handful can currently say ‘I’m a battery engineer.’”

Coordination and collaboration The first panelist, Vijay Dhar, offered some solutions based on his recent efforts as a program manager with New Energy Nexus, an Oakland nonprofit that targets “energy entrepreneurs.” Dhar stressed the “need for coordination and collaboration: We found this leverage in 2021. [Argonne National Laboratory initiative] Li-Bridge and the workforce initiative put together a partnership, which came from FCAB blueprint,” he explained. “We started talking to DOE and FCAB folks to get them involved” and started developing a strategy for workforce development specifically tailored towards a lithium-ion battery-related workforce.

He was referring to the FCAB “National Blueprint for Lithium Batteries 2021-2030,” mentioning that “Australians, Canadians added to the Europeans who were already involved.” Two bodies that began to work hand-in-hand were the NAATBatt Education Committee and NABWC Workforce council. These entities determined a crucial problem that required more urgent addressing: “We expect that 70-80% depending on the part of the supply chain will be blue collar workers.”

With this in mind, the focus shifted to the hourly workforce on targeted skill sets, which is expected to amount to roughly 80% of the battery workforce demand over the ensuing decade. Special attention was redirected to re-skilling workers and engineers for a “just clean energy transition” — there’s that magic phrase again. The Li-Bridge and FCAB initiatives fostered a forward-looking framework involving “mid-21st century participative workers for advanced manufacturing” that was encouraged during this panel and at the Battery Show in general. Dhar concluded by saying the world stands at “an inflection point in manufacturing, where a lot of cognition is required.”

A dire workforce situation Brian Engle of Amphenol, meanwhile, had a couple of vignettes for us — two stories he thought best described the dire workforce situation in a macro-sense. One referred to experiences with the first responders committee of SAE’s Battery Standards Committee, and how shocking it was to be unprepared to deal with “incidents in the field” and “what

happens when things don’t go well.” The latter involved China: “Back in 2019, just before Covid hit, we were all invited to the International Battery Workshop in Beijing, and a dinner with Dr. Darcy and his post-grads.

We went out to the lab tour, which was scary. [It had] better, more advanced equipment than NASA did, [including] a patent wall with over 200 patents by the students.

“These were all shocks,” Engle emphasized, noting there were “70-ish post-grad students working in electrical chemistry,” at the one venue they visited alone. Engle’s point?

“China’s been on this journey for at least 20 years.”

The country has an overabundance of graduates now and is even at the point of having a surplus problem with that section of the workforce because China was so far ahead of the game. Engle added that this disparity is “immediately recognizable sitting in traffic; half the vehicles had green plates” — these are EVs. “They’re making it work.” He used an example of construction vehicles, where even in that market “4,000 backhoes sold by one company were electric.”

He offered some hope at the end. “They have a head start in this race. It’s a big test, a big step, but we still have a chance.”

The U.S. government, in conjunction with higher learning institutions, is beginning to listen. As announced by the U.S. Dept. of Defense on Sept. 18, the University of Texas at Dallas will receive $30 million over three years from the DoD to develop and commercialize new battery technologies and manufacturing processes, enhance the domestic availability of critical raw materials, and train high-quality workers for jobs in an expanding battery energy storage workforce. The award, which creates a prototype Energy Storage Systems Campus, is the largest allocation from a federal agency that the university has received to date.

Overpopulated and divided The parking lot where we first pulled in might serve as a metaphor for the battery industry as a whole. It’s drawn so much attraction that it’s now overpopulated, divided, and heavily monetized ($10 per day for exhibitors and attendees alike). Once you’ve parked, you’re not there yet — there is so much competition you still have almost a mile to walk to get into the building. You’ve still got to put in the work.

From Oakland County, Mich., where the Battery Show took place, to Oakland, Calif., where New Energy Nexus is tackling it, the EV workforce gap becomes more pronounced by the day. As interest and funding peak behind the EV wave, those in charge are stepping up to try and address that. They’ll need the interest of the hourly worker in order to make it happen.

EA

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EA Reader Profile The long and winding road Luis Berdecia has been working since he was 18. Now he’s 66. He has a good pension. He owns his own house with a plot of land with seven chickens, works the garden, walks his son’s dog every day in the park, does his own decorating, plumbing, and electrical repairs around the house, has a little motor workshop in his garage, and loves to watch movies and cook.

You might think that he would just sit back and relax. However, Luis is not one to wind down. “I can’t just sit there and wait for a paycheck every month. You know, one day, you’ll pass away and die,” he says.

For Luis, retirement is far off somewhere on the horizon where the great plains of Wyoming meet the Rockies. That’s the state Luis calls home. Tomorrow, he is off for a job interview. His flight is at 6:00 a.m. A prospective employer is flying him out, all expenses paid, including rental car, hotel, and meals too. So far, Luis has five interviews lined up, and he will be able to choose where he wants to go.

Luis Berdecia’s skill at winding motors has taken him down many long and winding roads.

— Luis Berdecia photo

Luis has been part of the U.S.-American workforce since 1998 and has never missed a day of work. He is one of those skilled industrial workers who are the backbone of the U.S. economy. Twenty-five years ago, he came from Puerto Rico to visit his sister in Milwaukee for a few weeks. “I never saw snow before in my life,” he says. “I liked it, I loved it. I stayed.” After three weeks, he also found a job. Luis wound up his life in Puerto Rico. The USA was the place to be. It was the place to earn a decent wage and have a good life.

He lives the U.S.-American Dream, he says. There is, however, a caveat to every dream. In his rich, gutturally accented English, Luis earnestly says: “You gotta work.

You gotta work hard. Otherwise, there’s nothing for you here. I love my work.” Luis never has a problem finding work; he has a skill that is highly sought after: Luis is a winder. “If you’ve got the knowledge that I have, the skill that I have, you don’t have any problems.”

One of eight children, he started learning to wind electric motors in 1975 at the age of 18. After graduating from technical college as an electrician, he followed in the footsteps of his older brother, who was a supervisor in an electrical repair shop, and went to work there.

When he saw a winder in the workshop he was gripped.

“I loved it! I said that’s what I want to do for the rest of my life.” Luis learned on the job, watched others, read company manuals, searched the Internet, and has been subscribing to Electrical Apparatus magazine for 25 years.

In Milwaukee, his first employer was not put off by the fact that Luis did not speak such good English back then. If they had to, Luis and his boss would communicate at the computer using a translation program.

Often, they did not need words. His boss would point to a motor: “That’s yours, Luis.” Through and through a winder, Luis would get down to work. “Silence and concentration is an important part of the job,” he says.

Luis is grateful that at the age of 66 he is healthy and active and can work. Luis still has a lot to offer prospective employers. He has over 45 years of knowledge and experience under his belt, and he also loves to train people. “To be a good trainer, you have to be patient, you have to be humble.” Luis stresses the fact that there are not enough winders to meet demand. “I think most people are scared of working with electricity. I also don’t see many young people interested in winding.

It’s complex and delicate work. The motor has to be rewound as it was. You cannot change anything. There’s a beauty in that.

“Winding consists of many different steps,” he adds.

“That’s why I love it. When you repair a motor, you have to carefully record all the data, remove the coils, make your own coils, insert the coils into the stator, make the connections, test everything. . . .” He never tires of learning: “Every company’s got different equipment.”

As a winder, Luis has traveled all over the United States. His work has taken him down many long and winding roads. “When you see something you can do, something you love, you have to be a warrior and believe in yourself. I love my work,” Luis breaks off the sentence with his heartfelt, infectious laughter. — Colin EA Gregory-Moores ELECTRICAL APPARATUS | NOVEMBER 2023 23

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Feature | Plant Life

Why AI? Analyzing the truths and myths about the AI invasion

By Bill O’Leary, EA Contributing Writer First it was the machines, then it was the machine’s intelligence. Robotics disrupted and caused fear across the manufacturing industry and today, the hottest of the hot-button topics in the global workforce is AI. You can go nary a scroll without encountering ChatGPT and its ilk. And while the benefits are much discussed (automation of mundane tasks, high degrees of accuracy, can process vast amounts of complex data), getting equal and arguably more play is the anxiety.

Practically all of those worries can be boiled down to: AI will replace me. It will turn plant life into scant life. The mass diaspora of job loss will shake the global economy to its very foundations. These are certainly not unfounded concerns, yet business leaders are tasked with being “ahead of the curve” and harnessing new technology to increase productivity and profitability for their stakeholders. So today, managers find themselves in quite a pickle: How do they explore and implement AI in their plant without frightening and demoralizing their team?

Get the message right It all comes down to messaging. How you approach and communicate the AI integration to your team will go a long way in keeping your employees centered and the anxiety at a minimum. The most tried and true talking point is “AI is a tool that will support the work. It’s like any software program we use to track inventory levels or invoices.” While AI can assume the repetitive and mundane tasks at your plant, your employees can now have the time to tackle the more cognitively challenging tasks. Strategic and operational thinking will be brought to the fore. Workplace burnout will be avoided. And this

Managers find themselves in quite a pickle: How do I explore and implement AI in my plant without frightening and demoralizing my team?

isn’t a phony, PR-vetted talking point. It’s true.

Today, AI is being used as a predictive maintenance tool in plants, combing data from equipment on the floor to forecast when those machines will fail. Employees are needed to draw inferences from that data and schedule proactive maintenance, and in some cases perform that maintenance, to avoid costly downtime. AI can scan products for defects. Humans are needed to evaluate if those products have defects and why (and make changes to the process accordingly). AI can analyze historical data and customer demand patterns to ensure plants have the correct amount of raw materials or inventory on hand. Humans have to validate those measurements, order a specific amount of materials, and maintain their inventory levels.

Just look at the aforementioned robots that replaced much of the direct, hands-on work of the assembly line. As time went on, many new roles were created to work alongside their mechanized co-workers.

The machines have to be set up and specifically guided and applied to work spaces with human hands and human precision. Changeover and maintenance of the robots could only be performed by those same humans. Collaborative robots, or cobots as they are more commonly known, are industrial robots that can operate safely with human workers are ubiquitous in many plants. Roles were eliminated but roles were created. Roles evolved.

Prepare for exciting change This human/tech collaboration is true for AI as well, and should be delivered to your team. With large language models like ChatGPT or Bard, the tool has to be effectively prompted by a human and the output still has to be reviewed by humans for accuracy, originality, and readability by who? You guessed it: humans. It’s a tool that assists in content curation of text, images, CAD, specs, you name it. Prompt generation (what you write into ChatGPT to get a response) is a complex skill that requires multiple attempts, adding and removing specific details, to get the desired response. There are seminars, training courses, and experts devoted solely to this action. New roles have already been created.

Existing roles will probably change. And change is scary, but change can also be exciting. That fear/excitement scale can be tipped by the impacted worker. Which leads us to our next communication point: Learning about AI can help your career. To some, this might sound crazy or naive. How is that possible? AI, and practically any disruptive technology, will give you the opportunity to learn, grow, and evolve as the workplace evolves.

Get out ahead of it. Artificial intelligence, machine learning, and large language models are coming whether you like it or not. You can either be frozen by fear of a potential future job loss or you can seize that uncertainty and have it work for you. Turn that uncertainty in

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— Electrical Apparatus illustration generated by Adobe AI

your favor. How much can you learn about this new technology? How can you use it to help your company? Are there courses online for free or training that your company can provide that will help you gain expertise in AI?

Take it day by day All of those questions align with one of the more impactful approaches to workplace anxiety: What can you control today? If we learn as much as we can by reading up on it or taking courses and showing our employers that we can apply AI effectively in our work, we have acquired the skills and built a foundation for that next step. Today on LinkedIn, YouTube, and other education sites like Coursera, there are a myriad of AI courses that build on each other and explore a variety of sub-topics. Universities are offering targeted certifications and degrees within AI. Plant managers can use these points in their day-to-day conversations with their employees to assuage some fears, but it is the employees themselves who will get the most benefit from this mindset. That “day-to-day” part is key. Managers need to be in frequent communication with their team.

Make yourself available for any questions or feed-

back. Oftentimes just serving as a sounding board for any frustrations and worries is the best approach. Listen to your team and give them the space to express themselves.

Then, where necessary, clear up any misconceptions or catastrophizing. But do so in a minimal, surgical fashion. Don’t lay it on thick.

Sometimes long, impassioned screeds can have a boomerang effect, leaving employees thinking you’re overcompensating and hiding the company’s true, enigmatic intentions.

Ultimately, be what AI is not. Be human. Be empathetic. Be understanding. It should help your people during a time of transition, but it should also just help them live their lives. And for employees: Be prepared, be engaged, seize the present instead of worrying about an uncertain future. Work will always change and the workforce will fluctuate and morph in different ways to match. Being proactive and open on both the plant manager and plant employee ends will help each navigate this frequently tense terrain. And the result? A plant life that flourishes by meeting the challenges of today with people who are engaged and ready for tomorrow.

EA

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Names & Faces Why stop at appointments when you can have awards? Raleigh, N.C.’s Advanced Energy said recently it was “thrilled to announce” that Kitt Butler, the company’s business development director, has won an American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) “Champion of Energy Efficiency in Industry” award in the industrial leadership category. He joins a select group of efficiency leaders — including AE’s Mike Stowe in 2021 — acknowledged by the organization.

According to ACEEE, Butler was recognized “for significant contributions to energy efficiency and energy management Kitt Butler initiatives, including playing a crucial role in the motors and drives sector, which accounts for a substantial portion of global electricity consumption.”

Butler has led and contributed to myriad energy efficiency and energy management initiatives over his 25-plus years at Advanced Energy. After starting out in sales and account management, he went on to manage its motors and drives team for about two decades, helping Advanced Energy become a recognized motor efficiency testing facility. Under Butler’s leadership, the team also educated motor industry professionals on best practices and developed new motor standards, regulations, and policies for the U.S. Department of Energy, the Energy Independence and Security Act, and manufacturers.

Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc., of Honolulu has announced the following leadership plans at HEI and Hawaiian Electric Co., Inc., a subsidiary of HEI:

Senior vice president, CFO, and treasurer Tayne Sekimura retired Sept. 30 after 32 years of service. Sekimura’s retirement plans were announced internally earlier this year.

Hawaiian Electric is at an unprecedented point in its history in the wake of the Aug. 8 tragedy on Maui. The utility had been progressing on naming a successor to Sekimura, but these plans were upended by the August events. Consequently, Paul Ito, currently executive vice president, CFO, and treasurer of HEI, will serve under the same titles for Hawaiian Electric until the end of 2024 to help provide time for the utility to appoint a successor to Sekimura. Ito will return to HEI and resume his original role following his term at Hawaiian Electric.

Meanwhile, Scott DeGhetto has been appointed executive vice president, CFO, and treasurer of HEI through approximately the end of 2024. DeGhetto joins HEI from Moelis & Co., bringing more than 30 years of experience and expertise in the power, utility, and renewable energy sectors. DeGhetto will remain at HEI in an advisory role approximately from the beginning until the end of 2025 to provide for a transition around Ito’s return.

NuScale Power Corp. of Portland, Ore., recently announced updates to its senior leadership team to support the company as it advances in the manufacturing and commercial deployment phase of its VOYGR small modular reactor power plants. Robert Ramsey Hamady has been appointed chief financial officer, succeeding Chris Colbert, who has left the comRobert Ramsey Hamady pany. — Charlie Barks EA

Thank you for celebrating Laura with us.

ICC International extends its gratitude to our industry peers for Laura Lyke’s posthumous induction into the WiM Hall of Fame.

We’re honored that Laura’s legacy was honored by WiM and our industry peers.

ICC International President and CEO Shawn Lyke was joined by CFO Tracy Queen, Krista DeSocio and DaLynn Gregory in San Diego earlier this fall to accept the organization’s first posthumous induction.

This recognition is a testament to Laura's enduring impact and WiM’s unwavering commitment to empowering women in our field. Her legacy continues to inspire us as we work to uphold her ideals and forge a path for future generations.

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Feature | Motor Maintenance

Memphis mosquitoes & machinery Maintaining century-old pump motors that protect part of Memphis — including a children’s hospital — from flooding

By Chase Fell, EA Contributing Writer

The National Board of Health in 1880 claimed that the open bayou was responsible for six yellow fever epidemics in Memphis, including the 1878 epidemic, which killed more than 6,000 people. Yellow fever was spread by mosquitoes that bred in the Bayou’s slow-moving waters. In 1915, The Gayoso Pumping Station was built at 25 West Saffrans in Memphis.

MEMPHIS — When the City of Memphis was laid out in 1819, Bayou Gayoso formed the city’s eastern boundary and drained the area behind the bluffs along the Mississippi River.

The bayou got its name from the Spanish governor Manuel Gayoso, who ruled the area in the 1790s.

When Memphis was established 30 years later, the city’s borders were defined by the Mississippi River on the West and the Bayou Gayoso on the east. The bayou still drains 5000 acres of the city but now percolates through culverts, bridges, and tunnels beneath downtown Memphis.

The National Board of Health in 1880 claimed that the open bayou contributed to six yellow fever epidemics in Memphis, including the 1878 epidemic that killed more than 6000 people. Yellow fever was spread by mosquitoes that bred in the bayou’s slowmoving waters.

After two disastrous floods in 1912 and 1913, efforts to control the Bayou Gayoso waters gained community support when city officials built a 50-foot levy along the river and constructed underground

tunnels to contain the bayou. Three pumping stations were built, including the Bayou Gayoso pumping station, built in 1915 (shown above). The pumping stations move stormwater into open storage areas when the flood gauge reaches approximately 29 feet.

Water moves from storm drains into Bayou Gayoso’s underground pipes after heavy downpours. Flood water gushes through the passageways down a series of concrete steps into the Mississippi River. Today, Bayou Gayoso flows above ground in only in a few places. Much of the bayou runs below the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital campus (pictured on the following page), which has covered the bayou since 1911.

Pump priming and lifting The station pump motors comprise four 72-inch horizontal centrifugal pumps driven by 750 hp Allis Chalmers wound-rotor induction machines, or WRIMs. The pump system has a combined capacity to lift over 1200 cubic feet of water per second beyond the levee wall. (See photo on the following page.)

As the main pumps are set above the level of the water in the suction chamber, they must be filled with water before pumping can begin.

A vacuum priming system provided for this purpose consists of two Please turn to page 29

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The Gayoso Pump Station helps keep St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital safe from rising flood waters. Most of the original uptown Memphis Gayoso Bayou has been channeled into concrete underground storm drains. With the help from the pumps, stormwater in the culverts can reach a depth of eight feet as it safely flows to the Mississippi River.

The station pump motors consist of four 72-inch horizontal centrifugal pumps driven by 750 hp Allis Chalmers induction machines having combined capacity to lift over 1,200 cubic feet of water per second beyond the levee wall.

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— Photos and diagram by Chase Fell

The original secondary resistor grid system is still in place at the pumping station. Early operators started the giant motors by manually introducing stepped resistance into the rotor circuit. Changing of the resistance was done manually.

PUMP MOTORS continued from page 27

pumps mechanically connected to the main pumps.

With necessary discharge piping installed, the rotary high-vacuum configuration is driven by 20 hp a-c squirrel cage induction motors mounted on the extended sub-bases. Each vacuum pump operates at a speed of 250 RPM and is designed to displace 400 cubic feet of air per minute against a suction of 22½ feet. The main 750 hp pumps are started up dry and primed while running to get full load on one unit. To prime one pump requires from six to ten minutes’ operation of both vacuum pumps.

The pumping stations sit idle most of the time.

When conditions are dry, the sluice gates are open, and water flows naturally into the Mississippi River.

But at times of rising water, the sluice gates close, the water flows to the pumps, and the Gayoso station equipment lifts millions of gallons of water over the levees, preventing backups in the city’s creeks and storm sewers.

Wound-rotor induction motors The operational principle of the wound-rotor induction motor is based on Faraday’s Law of electromagnetic induction. When an a-c supply is given to the stator, it generates a rotating magnetic field. This rotating magnetic field induces a current in the rotor, creating its own magnetic field.

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A wound-rotor induction motor is an induction motor in which the secondary circuit consists of a polyphase winding or coils whose terminals are either short-circuited or closed through an external resistance.

The rotor windings are brought out to slip rings mounted on the shaft.

These rings are connected to the external resistance through carbon or metal graphite brushes riding on the rings as the machine rotates. (See diagram below.)

Please turn to next page

Brushes

Three-phase rotor winding

Slip rings

Variable external resistance

A wound-rotor induction motor, or WRIM, is an a-c motor in which the secondary circuit consists of a polyphase winding or coils whose terminals are either shortcircuited or closed through an external resistance. The rotor windings are brought out to slip rings mounted on the shaft. These rings are connected to the external resistance through carbon or metal graphite brushes riding on the rings as the machine rotates.

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PUMP MOTORS continued from previous page

The stator of the wound-rotor induction motor is virtually the same as a squirrel cage induction motor. The rotor of the motor is wound for the same number of poles as that of the stator. The slip ring induction motor is practically always started with full line voltage applied across the stator terminals. Rotor voltage is almost always lower than the voltage of the stator.

A major disadvantage of the wound-rotor induction motor is added complexity of the rotor windings and the associated controls and hardware. Squirrel cage rotors have replaced the wound rotor in many applications over the years, but the WRIM is still in use. The stator and rotor windings for the Gayoso pumps were rebuilt with new in a 2016 outage at the station.

The wound-rotor induction motor has historically been used when the starting requirements were particularly severe.

With the WRIM, the starting torque can be adjusted to match the motor’s maximum torque, and the speed of the motor can be controlled over a wide range. Adjustments are readily made by simultaneously varying external resistors connected in series with the rotor circuit of the motor. This secondary resistance variation is accomplished by using a starconnected set of rheostats or other device connected to the brushes that ride on the slip rings.

In the off position, the star-connected rotor at Gayoso is open-circuited and will not rotate. In its original configuration, when moved to the first set of studs, the resistance controller connected a fixed value of resistance in each phase to limit the current of the rotor circuit.

As the motor speed increased, the three arms rotated clockwise to cut out rotor resistance until, in the final position, the three brushes were shortcircuited; the rotor winding was then electrically equivalent to a squirrel cage rotor. Speed control could be accomplished by cutting in the proper values of resistance. The speed could be made lower with increased rotor resistance.

The stator of the wound-rotor induction motor is virtually the same as the stator used in a squirrel-cage induction motor. The rotor of the WRIM is wound for the same number of poles as that of the stator. The voltage of the rotor is almost always lower than the voltage of the stator. (See photo of the motor nameplate, above left.)

The slip ring induction motor is often started with full line voltage applied across the stator terminals.

By increasing the rotor resistance, the rotor current is reduced at starting, and hence stator current is also reduced, but at the same time, torque is increased due to an improvement in power factor.

A major disadvantage of the wound-rotor induction motor is added complexity of the rotor windings and the associated controls and hardware. The rotor winding must be insulated against the laminated core in much the same way as the stator. (See photo at left.) The rotor phase windings must also be insulated. The brushes and brush rigging need proper cleaning and maintenance. Pitting, corrosion, and excessive run-out of slip ring brush surfaces can cause premature aging of the system.

Squirrel cage rotors have replaced the wound rotor in many applications over the years, but the WRIM is still in use. Crane and hoist motors are often fitted with the WRIM due to their high starting torque and smooth operation. The variable speed control of the WRIM makes these machines suitable for elevators and escalators. In the mining industry,

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these motors are often used for their durability and ability to handle heavy loads.

In steel-rolling mills, the WRIM can provide the high torque and low current needed to move giant metal rolls in heavy manufacturing.

Conveyors can be an effective application for the WRIM, as these machines require variable speed control. Crushers, plunger pumps, and compressors can also be modern applications for the WRIM, along with some applications for industrial mills, fans, blowers, and mixers. Variable-frequency drives have replaced some WRIM applications.

Gayoso’s operation and maintenance

month as a maintenance task. Engineers are currently working on a new standby generator system that will have the capacity to make the pumps fully operational even when utility power is offline. Prior to this upgrade, the power requirements were protected by portable standby generators.

Lott and his team had a scare in 2015 when a stator winding failed to ground. City officials worked with contract engineers and pump station technicians to remove the motors for a full rebuild in 2016.

New stator windings, new rotor windings, and space heater retrofits were installed in all four units.

The Gayoso Pumping Station is a marvel of civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering that has endured for 100 years in its original configuration. The project helps keep St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital safe from flooding — and it proved the concept of machinery over mosquitoes.

EA

Sherman Lott (pictured at right and on this month’s cover) is the general flood control foreman at the Gayoso pumping station. He is a former engineer and has 22 years’ experience with the City of Memphis Public Works Division. “There’s nothing automated about what we do,” Lott told Electrical Apparatus. “When the waters rise, we start the pumps manually and man the station 24/7.”

There’s a manual level gauge in the pit where flood waters flow between the reservoir and the pump station. Station operators are on site when there is risk of flooding. Operators watch the gauge and energize the pumps when the flood level reaches 26-30 feet on the gauge.

Flooding is mostly caused by rising groundwater. There are four pumps in the station; the pumps are brought on line one unit at a time. Once the pumps are running, an engineer is on site to monitor the water levels and temperature of the stator, the rotor, and motor sleeve bearings.

Lott noted that the external resistance for the rotor circuits was originally shifted manually. Operators watched the stator current and speed of the motors. They actuated the contactors manually to bring resistance in and out of the circuit. Since that time, solid-state upgrades have been installed and the manual process is no longer used.

The stator windings were originally installed in 1915 with an unusual, grounded wye circuit.

The wye termination in the stator is tied to ground, so technicians without knowledge of this system might be alarmed when they test insulation resistance of the stator circuit.

The pump station team monitors insulation resistance, and Sherman Lott is the general flood control foreman at the Gayoso pumping station. The former engineer the pumps are started once a brings to his job 22 years’ experience with the City of Memphis Public Works Division. Station operation relies heavily on the expertise of the maintenance team, as many of the operations are still manual.

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Feature | More Than Accounting

Getting started with cost accounting It’s fundamental: You need to know how much you’re spending before you can figure out whether you’re profitable

By William H. Wiersema, CPA, EA Contributing Editor Cost accounting focuses on what benefits a company’s operations, from daily order quoting to longterm strategy. Cost systems help managers identify problems and improve profits through operating and product data that support pricing, investments, performance, divestitures, and niche services. Systems also assist in controlling costs and forecasting the effects of decisions, such as make or buy, which are critical to management.

In accounting, cost represents the dollar amount of resources consumed in producing or acquiring an item or providing a service. Proper costing data can clarify what makes or loses money. Profitability analyses can include product, order type, service, customer, annual sales volume, market segment, distribution channel, or any other meaningful dimension.

This article summarizes four essential steps.

1: Define cost centers

A manual operation and its new automated alternative are usually separate CCs too, even if located adjacent. Similarly, on-site and remote services differ in their overhead costs.

In electromechanical service shops, CCs can include pick-up, receiving, motor disassembly and cleaning, inspection and testing, rewinding, varnishing and curing, reassembly and balancing, and delivery.

The level of detail depends on the goals of the users. As a rule of thumb, if a potential CC makes up less than 2% of total costs, it can be combined with others, unless kept separate for a specific purpose.

CCs should have profiles that list the following: > Operations description and workflow > Equipment listing > Square footage occupied > Direct and indirect payroll (or headcounts, if not available) > Any direct costs associated with the department, such as rented equipment and special supplies > Measurement of the normal capacity

The sidebar (below) illustrates machining and assembly CC rate calA cost center — or, for our purposes, a CC — repreculations, explained next, for XYZ Service, a fictional company. sents a unique grouping of like operations that is significant enough for accounting to allocate labor and overhead. CCs have differing capabilities in pro- 2: Accumulate costs by cost center cess speed, quality, crewing, or work performed. For Managers are well-advised to work directly with financial records example, 200-ton punch presses have a different CC to ensure assigning all costs. Direct labor, materials consumed, and SIDEBAR I: XYZ SERVICE, COSTING RATE CALCULATIONS from 400-ton presses. factory overhead must be charged to the CC defined. In the process, managers can determine what additional information might beDescription Total Machining Assembly Other come available to improve the allocations.

D i re c t C o s t s $ 2,050,000 $ 250,000 $ 500,000 $ 1,300,000 Direct charging and tracking of S uppo r t C e nt e r C o s t s costs is the best approach. Direct Payroll fringe 250,000 50,000 100,000 100,000 costs are those charged to the CC Occupancy 600,000 150,000 150,000 300,000 in the accounting records. On the Equipment 350,000 500,000 (150,000) other hand, support centers (or Other indirect 250,000 50,000 250,000 (50,000) SCs), also called “service” or “al$ 3,500,000 $ 1,000,000 $ 1,000,000 $ 1,500,000 To t a l Co s t locable,” are those that apply to R a te Ba s es more than one CC. They represent Machine hours 12,500 an intermediate stage in accumuLabor hours 25,000 lating costs to facilitate their final C o s t pe r ho ur $ 80.00 $ 40.00 treatment. Once pooled, SC costs are charged to CCs using allocation bases.

XYZ Service, costing rate calculations.

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For the XYZ Service example, direct costs represent CC labor. Typical SCs for manufacturers are as follows: > Payroll fringe includes payroll taxes, employee medical insurance, workers’ compensation insurance, retirement plan contributions, employee training, and other employee benefits. > Occupancy includes maintenance of buildings and grounds, depreciation, certain utilities, rent, real estate taxes, and property insurance. It should also have security and cleaning payroll, with their payroll fringe, occupancy, and related supplies or other costs. > Equipment costs include depreciation, maintenance, supplies, energy, and related indirect labor, after distinguishing them from those relating to occupancy.

For XYZ Service, the SC of payroll fringe is allocated to CCs as a percentage of compensation. Occupancy costs use footage occupied. Estimated equipment value drives depreciation, utilities, and repairs, unless more detailed records are available.

Unless you are working with a spreadsheet that allows circular reasoning, the order of assignment matters. Start with the SC that affects the greatest number of others, often payroll fringe or occupancy. After allocating that SC, proceed with the one involving the most of the remaining SCs. If crossover is significant, determine those assignments simultaneously; for example, a maintenance department that consumes occupancy costs while contributing to the occupancy cost pool by providing janitorial or grounds services.

3: Determine costing rates This step provides rates per unit, using the best available basis for applying costs. When first starting a system, the simplest approach is to derive a count of orders processed. Dividing CC costs by orders derives an average cost per order, which might be categorized as simple, moderate, and complex, as weights for allocation purposes. A complex order could weight three times the average cost, whereas a simple one one-half.

At the next level, as with XYZ Service, machining uses machine hour rates, and assembly uses direct labor hours rates. The resulting rates are $80 per machine hour for machining and $40 per labor hour for assembly.

Hours may be tracked or determined from scheduling. If not logged, times for completed orders can be derived from cost estimates or standards used in quoting. Or they might come from schedules or budgets based upon anticipated utilization.

Unless you are working with a spreadsheet that allows circular reasoning, the order of assignment matters. Start with the support center that affects the greatest number of others, often payroll fringe or occupancy.

For labor, productive or order-chargeable hours can be estimated by taking the number of days in a year less weekends, holidays, and compensated absences. This gives the average annual workdays per employee. Then, multiply this by the number of productive hours per day, which is total time less paid breaks, end of shift clean-up and administrative allowance for such things as training. After factoring in efficiency, an annual base of 1,500 to 1,750 hours per employee is reasonable.

The proof of a cost system is in its feedback mechanism. Rates need periodic re-computation to ensure accuracy. Cost absorption is measured using budgeted rates and actual quantities. For XYZ Service, machine hours for a period multiplied by $80 would yield absorbed costs to compare with actual CC costs. Reviewing the output serves as a basis for improvement.

4: Track job costs Additional control comes in accounting for job costs.

In financial statements, the cost of sales derives from actual costs incurred, as adjusted for the portion of inventory and orders in process at the end of the period. This critical control total should reconcile to the detailed accounting from quotes, cost estimates, standards, or job costs. Expectation can be fully documented at one extreme, or manually estimated at the other. In this way, systems monitor productivity and quantify shrinkage.

In the long term, actual time comes from integrating routings and payroll reporting with time tracking, through optical character recognition and automated data accuracy checking. This provides the basis for comparing estimates with actuals by order, to improve quoting and efficiency. It also reduces the risk of underpricing complex jobs and helps identify niche services.

For labor, time reporting can provide an immediate gain in productivity, as employees become accountable. Reporting might also track the causes of inefficiency, including downtime, set-up, material unavailability, rework, and customer special services. Uncovering causes allows management to address problems. The information also helps with pricing and decisions on profitability.

For further control, actual time could be compared to estimates or standards. Most repair shops start with published sources, such as the Motor and Pump Repair Price Guide from Vaughen’s Price Publishing.

However, when output equals units of production, the actual work required per unit may vary considerably. The danger arises of cherry-picking the jobs having the most generous allowance. Involving a service manager or senior technician helps the employees to trust the data.

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Feature | Electric Avenue

Charging ahead Electrical vehicle charging stations are proving to be a great way for businesses to connect with consumers

By Maura Keller, EA Contributing Writer Drive through any major metropolitan area, visit any large shopping center, or glance around any parking lot at a company’s headquarters and you’d be hardpressed not to find electrical vehicle charging stations.

From convenience stores to general businesses to government entities, more and more organizations are adopting EV chargers to attract customers, while also opening up new opportunities for those in the electrical field who are installing and maintaining this evolving equipment.

As Jon Morgan, CEO of Venture Smarter, explains, the adoption of EV chargers has become, in recent years, a strategic move for many businesses across various industries.

“This trend aligns with the growing global awareness of environmental sustainability and the transition to cleaner transportation options,” Morgan says.

“By offering EV charging stations, businesses can tap into this expanding market, attract environmentally conscious customers, and create a competitive edge in their respective sectors.”

One key aspect of businesses adopting EV chargers is the enhancement of the customer experience.

Providing charging infrastructure demonstrates a commitment to sustainability, which can resonate positively with consumers.

According to Brian Wilkerson, head of digital products at Ford Pro, charging is a critical component of EVs and fundamental to achieving higher adoption rates. For a few reasons, EV chargers are particularly seeing high growths in residential, multi-family, and commercial domains.

“Interestingly, this relationship requires growth on two fronts: the site host (businesses installing EV charging sites) and the consumers who own and drive electric vehicles. There are more EV drivers on the road today than ever before, according to IEA.org. In the course of just five years, from 2017 to 2022, EV sales jumped from around 1 million to more

than 10 million. Legislation at the state and national levels is helping to incentivize those installing EV chargers and those driving EVs.”

Expanding opportunities As the influx of EV charging stations continues, what does this mean for those within the electrical industry who sell, install, repair, and maintain EV charging equipment?

“Charging is a multifaceted opportunity for various fields, including electronic, electrical, and software engineering, especially when you consider the complexities involved ensuring you can support the proper electrical standards and connectors to OEM charger ports; ensuring the electronic hardware within the chargers is designed appropriately; understanding the firmware to operate the charger and control the electrical loads; ensuring that transformers and other electrical interfaces are properly specified to dispense energy from the grid,” Wilkerson says. “EV charging will open up additional opportunities for mechanical and industrial engineering as the scope is multi-disciplinary.

This also opens the door for maintenance and Brian Wilkerson repair works, ensuring that chargers work as expected for the customer.”

And when it comes to fast EV chargers, some businesses may need help meeting electrical and building code specs, especially for existing dwellings.

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“This is why planning for new builds and allowing for additional capacity is necessary to avoid potentially costly updates later,” Wilkerson says.

Building and maintaining infrastructure Travis Eckert, electric vehicle team lead at MD Energy Advisors, a client-centric energy management firm providing solutions to utilities, private companies, and higher education clients, points out that fleet electrification is another segment poised for growth as more EVs become readily available and companies begin to envelop EVs into their vehicle inventory.

As Eckert explains, there is an incredible amount of work to be done in the electrical field to support the influx of requests for EV charging stations.

“It’s not simply installing the charging stations themselves, but also the infrastructure needed to support them. From single-family residential, multifamily and retail to office, rest stops, and even fleets, there is a lot of opportunity,” Eckert says. “Maintaining the charging stations is another opportunity for industry professionals. Most businesses installing Travis Eckert charging stations do not want to be responsible for the maintenance; they just need them to work.”

Eckert suggests that industry professionals will likely need to go beyond the technical and installation aspects of the industry and have an understanding of the overall EV industry.

“Most customers will not have the foundational knowledge needed to make educated decisions when it comes to equipment and maintenance. This knowledge should also include local subsidies,” Eckert says. “There are an ever-increasing number of hardware and software providers in this market, and staying up to date can be a challenge.”

Another challenge that many industries have been facing recently is that of supply chain delays for supporting equipment like transformers, panels, and switchgear, resulting in lengthy project time lines for properties that require new electric service to power the EV charging stations.

“Level 2 charging stations are relatively simple in terms of how they work and how they are installed. Direct-current fast chargers (DCFCs) are typically much more complex,” Eckert says. “Most charging station manufacturers offer training resources and/or programs for installation and service professionals to develop and maintain the specific technical knowledge needed to work with the equipment and support overall functionality and delivery of service.”

A maturing market Matt McCaffree, vice president of utility market development for FLASH, a global platform connecting cloud parking software to EV charging, says the market has moved beyond the “early adopter” phase and EVs are now mainstream, which will mean a growing need for professionals who can handle the charging complexities involved with the EV technology.

“One of the biggest benefits of electrifying transportation is that the ‘fuel’ distribution network is already installed pretty much everywhere we go. But there are a lot of entities in that field that need to be involved in the EV transition. For electrical contractors, they stand to benefit immediately since they don’t have to acquire significantly more training

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to take advantage of the expanding market,” McCaffree says. “It gets a little more complicated when you start thinking about EVs as assets at the edge of the distribution grid. Utilities will need to have better visibility into the low-voltage grid in their service territory to better manage new EV charging loads and to engage customers on when and how to charge their vehicles.”

Beyond the familiarity on the different types of chargers and aligning them with the right use case, McCaffree says it will be important for electrical professionals to remember that this hardware is going to be used by the general public, which means that there will be users – especially in the early days – who will be unfamiliar with how the hardware should be handled and treated.

“Prioritizing cable management, everyday maintenance, and customer service will be critical,” McCaffree says. “As for handling the equipment, it’s important to partner with EVSPs (EV service providers) that have experience in installation and maintenance.”

Looking ahead Wilkerson points out that the EV charging of today is not bulletproof, and to advance this and increase adoption, charging overall must be simple, super reliable, and more widely available across locations.

“The winners – on the EV charger side – will be those who can help find solutions to these common pain points,” Wilkerson says. “EV charging excites me because we are solving a problem that is hard, multi-generational, and makes the world a better place; our future environment and those that come afterward will thank us because of the benefits they’ll reap from the EV charging problems that we solve in our time.”

Eckert adds there is a lot of focus on high-powered fast chargers, and they are critical and needed, but the “workhorse” of the EV charging industry is and will continue to be Level 2 charging stations, particularly in applications like consumer residential, multifamily, office/workplace, and for many fleet users. As the market grows, we are seeing a higher number of charging stations needed per site, and that will require more infrastructure to power the charging stations. This is a significant opportunity for industry professionals in addition to the maintenance of charging stations.

“The industry is rapidly growing, and relatively young; the majority of focus remains on the vehicles themselves. The infrastructure needed to charge all of the current and future EVs is an incredible undertaking and should be recognized,” Eckert says. “In fact, it’s often compared to building railroads or the interstate highway system. That is exciting, and an incredible opportunity for industry professionals.” EA ELECTRICAL APPARATUS | NOVEMBER 2023 35

10/7/2023 11:09:46 AM

Product Showcase

The newest and best in tools and equipment for plant and shop

Tripod LED light outputs 2,700 lumens Powerful high-power-density BEV motor Helix has introduced its most powerful pure battery electric vehicle motor yet, the SPX177, created for an unidentified hypercar manufacturer. The motor weighs 28 kg and is capable of delivering 650 kW of continuous power, according to Helix.

Both the motor and inverter have extremely high power density. Six high-voltage cables connect the inverter to the motor, while an LV connector carries the various control signals. Stock, configured, and customized versions are available through the company’s X-Division, which focuses on solutions for premium clients.

Drum machine with brushless motor Ridgid has released the K-4310 FXP brushless motor drum machine. The K-4310 FXP is battery-powered by the FXP Technology Platform, providing cordless freedom on the job. Realtime feedback measuring cable is available in 3” to 10” lines for residential and commercial jobs. The brushless motor spins up to 230 RPM for better efficiency and accuracy. The tool is enhanced by the Ridgid Link app for smart devices, which can store up to 100 hours of data to record and for reference.

A tripod light from Hart Tools that offers 2,700 lumens of LED output is a powerful light that can run continuously for up to 10 hours, according to the manufacturer. Its adjustable head can pivot 270° to allow fluidity of directing light in various environments. The lightweight design lets the user adjust its height up to five feet and can collapse away for storage. The overmold grip handle makes for easy transport. This versatile light can run on any HART 20V battery or extension cord, according to Hart Tools.

Hand crane to maneuver heavy objects The Handy Hand hand crane by Aikoku Alpha Corp. is said to provide safe and convenient functions for work sites across industries. The hand crane is useful for loading and unloading pallets, inspection, and assembly work for lifting up to 30 kg.

Handy Hand is able to log errors, has inspection and replacement notifications, offers a gentle landing function, and switches to eco-mode when not in use.

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Jigsaw with a brushless motor For professional-quality cutting and speed for a wide range of materials and applications, the M18 Fuel D-Handle brushless motor jigsaw is being offered by Milwaukee Tool. The jigsaw provides higher blade speed than corded jigsaws at 3500 strokes per minute for clean controlled cuts, according to Milwaukee Tool. It incorporates longer battery life-saving time and features a variable-speed two-finger trigger, tool-less bladechange and bevel adjust, and an integrated LED light with on/ off blower to maximize cutline visibility.

High-precision battery testing system Novonix has released its Ultra High Precision Coulometry (UHPC) System, a battery testing system enabling rapid precision and accuracy for testing electrochemical processes within cells and in various form-factors. The Novonix system can be used for formation, DCIR, HPPC, calendar aging, and rate testing with improved data quality. The system offers current ranges from 100 A to 20 A. — Chelsea Fisher EA

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Feature | Energy

Slant patterns Pattern Energy’s wind-powered transmission project breaks ground

By Charlie Barks, EA Managing Editor San Francisco’s Pattern Energy has broken ground on a $10 billion renewable energy project said to be “bigger than the Hoover Dam” — a planned transmission line slanting 550 miles from New Mexico to California that will reportedly be powered by wind turbines. If completed as planned, it will be the largest renewable energy infrastructure project in the history of the U.S. Ahead of the ground-breaking ceremony for the SunZia Wind and Transmission project on Sept. 1, Pattern Energy CEO Hunter Armistead was interviewed exclusively by Susan Montoya Bryan of The Associated Press to offer his views on the project’s importance to the U.S. and beyond.

Referencing the large-scale investments in transmission infrastructure in Europe and China, the article quotes Armistead as saying, “They all recognize the need to build out bulk transmission, to create inter-regional transfer points in order to create greater reliability. . . . It also creates diversity in resources and diversity in dealing with weather, which is now the new most important factor driving both our load and our generation.”

Clean power for the western states SunZia Transmission is a 550-mile ± 525 kV highvoltage direct-current (HVDC) transmission line between central New Mexico and south-central Arizona with the capacity to transport 3,000 MW of clean, reliable, and affordable electricity across western states. SunZia will deliver clean power from Pattern’s SunZia Wind project, the largest wind project in the Western Hemisphere, which will be simultaneously constructed with SunZia Transmission.

“The SunZia Transmission Project will accelerate our nation’s transition to a clean energy economy by unlocking renewable resources, creating jobs, lowering costs, and boosting local economies,” said Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland. “Through historic investments from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the Interior Department is helping build modern, resilient climate infrastructure that protects our communities from the worsening impacts of climate change.”

“SunZia will have a massive economic impact in New Mexico, creating thousands of jobs in our rural communities, while also bringing us one huge step

The groundbreaking of the Pattern Energy and SunZia transmission project took place on Sept. 1 of this year.

— Pattern Energy photo

closer to meeting our climate goals and conserving wildlife habitat,” said Senator Martin Heinrich. “That’s why I fought hard for this project through a whole series of obstacles, and it’s why I’m thrilled to welcome the start of construction. The proof is everywhere: The climate crisis is here, and it is the greatest threat we face. But solving the climate crisis by building out clean energy infrastructure like SunZia will also be the greatest economic opportunity of our lifetime.”

Potential environmental benefits New Mexico’s governor seemed emboldened by the prospects of the entire operation, from its organized layout to the potential environmental benefits. “New Mexico is beyond proud to be the home of such monumental work by Pattern Energy that is truly powering the future — all while creating hundreds of jobs and elevating our economy,” said Gov. Lujan Grisham. “Projects like these are proof positive that climate action and economic development are not mutually exclusive.”

“SunZia is the successful result of a truly collaborative approach that accomplished something many thought was impossible,” said Armistead. “We’re proud that SunZia is implementing industry-leading measures for environmental mitigation, including emerging technology and long-term conservation research.

“More than 2,000 workers will now roll up their sleeves and get to work on America’s largest clean energy infrastructure project, harnessing

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New Mexico’s powerful winds to deliver clean power to 3 million Americans.”

Opportunities for repair If you sift through the high-end environmental advocacy (which we all hope is true; it’s just become all-too-commonly unfulfilled), you will see some opportunities for your repair shop here. Projects this large are on one end of the spectrum, but their smaller cousins are popping up all over the map due to government (state and federal) grants aimed at producing clean energy. These smaller projects are likely to seek out local contractors and maintenance providers — not to mention create some jobs.

Throughout the development process the SunZia team worked closely with the public, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, landowners, ranchers, and numerous wildlife and environmental conservation groups, and others, to foster productive dialogue, listen to concerns and recommendations, and incorporate feedback. The resulting efforts range from restoring thousands of acres of wildlife habitat to investing in emerging technology and long-term conservation research.

“More transmission is needed to reduce climate impacts and create a cleaner future where birds and people can thrive, and the SunZia project is a significant step forward in the expansion of our nation’s clean energy infrastructure,” said Jon Hayes, vice president and executive director of Audubon Southwest. “Audubon’s collaboration with Pattern Energy exemplifies how clean energy developers and conservation organizations can work together to ensure that transmission projects use the latest data and science to minimize impacts on birds and communities.”

“SunZia is a model for planning and developing critical transmission projects that will advance our transition to clean energy,” said Fernando Martinez,

Hunter Armistead, CEO of Pattern Energy.

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— Pattern Energy photo

Construction begins at the SunZia Transmission project in Corona, New Mexico.

— SunZia photo

Executive Director of the New Mexico Renewable Energy Transmission Authority (RETA). “SunZia is our second project partnership with Pattern Energy, following Western Spirit, and together they will be unlocking vast amounts of renewable wind resources and empowering New Mexico to power the west.”

SunZia Transmission will deliver clean power generated by Pattern’s 3,500 MW SunZia Wind facility, which is being constructed across Torrance, Lincoln, and San Miguel Counties in New Mexico. SunZia Transmission will enable SunZia Wind to supply clean power to Western states when demand is high.

A federal, state, and private partnership Pattern, which is one of the world’s largest privately owned developers and operators of wind, solar, transmission, and energy storage projects, operates 30 renewable energy facilities that use technology with an operating capacity of nearly 6,000 MW across North America.

It partnered with federal and state land agencies on the SunZia Transmission route, as well as hundreds of private landowners.

Federal land makes up over 30% of the total project route and includes lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. SunZia Transmission has also signed right-of-way agreements with the New Mexico State Land Office and the Arizona State Land Department; in each case, payments to these state agencies go to support education and other public institutions.

Pattern recently announced that the SunZia Transmission and SunZia Wind projects are expected to generate $20.5 billion dollars in total economic benefits, which include more than $8 billion in direct capital investment, at no added cost to ratepayers, according to the results of an independent study conducted by the research firm Energy, Economic & Environment Consultants LLC. Together, the projects are expected to generate $1.3 billion in fiscal impacts that will go to governments, communities, and schools. These benefits are generated through sales and use taxes, property taxes, community benefit payments, and land payments to federal and state agencies. What we’re seeing here — if the project comes to fruition — is an example of a long-awaited convergence of clean energy sources and major construction jobs that can be practically applied to parts of the U.S. grid, representing the ever-heralded “energy transition.”

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Feature | Pump It Up

Pumping up the acquisitions Atlas Copco has spent the past two decades becoming a juggernaut of the industry

By Kevin Jones, EA Senior Editor Last April we looked at several mergers and acquisitions among pump manufacturers and suppliers that had happened over the previous few months. Among the deals, we saw Xylem’s $7.5 billion purchase of water-treatment systems provider Evoqua, Flowserve’s $245 million purchase of Canadian valve manufacturer Velan, Inc., and a couple of smaller acquisitions among pump distributors and rental companies.

We mentioned in passing that Atlas Copco, the Swedish manufacturer of pumps, vacuum products, mobile power equipment, and industrial tools, had purchased CVS Engineering GmbH, a German maker of industrial vacuum pumps and blowers for mobile use. But this brief notice hardly did justice to the scale of Atlas Copco’s acquisitions strategy as it has unfolded over the past couple of decades.

When it comes to acquisitions of pump manufacturers and water-services providers, Atlas Copco stands out as a major player worth paying attention to. To say that the company is on an acquisition binge would be to do the company an disservice; Atlas Copco has been steadily buying companies in the pump and compressor sectors for more than two decades.

The company didn’t become the giant it is today overnight. Far from it. According to its own publicly available tally, Atlas Copco has made more than 250 acquisitions since the beginning of 1999. Some of these acquisitions have been more ambitious than others, as acquired companies have varied widely in size.

At the upper end of the size spectrum, there’s Edwards Group Ltd., a U.K. provider of vacuum and abatement products, acquired by Atlas Copco in 2014.

Edwards Group had 3,400 employees at the time of its acquisition. At the opposite end of the scale, there are companies like Roxel Rental AS, a supplier of compressors acquired by Atlas Copco from the Roxel Group in 2016. That acquisition came with just two employees.

Atlas Copco does not flip companies for a quick profit. During the roughly quarter-century during which it has acquired the more than 250 companies, Atlas Copco has divested itself of fewer than 20 businesses.

Companies that manufacture, service, or rent pumps account for only a minority of companies acquired by Atlas Copco. The bulk of them fall within

the compressor, vacuum, and industrial categories. A comprehensive accounting of all of the acquisitions would require more room that we have here. The pump and water-services acquisitions Atlas Copco has made since the beginning of January 2022 will provide a sense of the sorts of pump companies Atlas Copco has been buying: > HHV Pumps Pvt. Ltd., acquired Jan. 21, 2022. This company, founded in 2009, is based in Bengaluru, India, and had 151 employees at the time of its acquisition. The business provides vacuum pumps to the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. > Pumpenfabrik Wangen GmbH, acquired April 5, 2022. This business, based in Wangen, Germany, manufactures progressive cavity pumps used for transferring fluids, mainly in the biogas and wastewater sectors.

The business also makes twin-screw pumps for such industry sectors as food, beverage, and cosmetics. > LEWA GmbH and Geveke B.V., acquired Aug. 1, 2022. It was a busy day for Atlas Copco when it announced the purchase of these two companies: LEWA, a German manufacturer of diaphragm metering pumps, process pumps, and metering systems, and Geveke, a distributor of compressors and a provider of engineering services. > Shandong Jinggong Pump Co. Ltd., acquired Nov. 2, 2022. Demonstrating its global reach, Atlas Copco bought this Chinese manufacturer of liquid ring vacuum pumps and systems to integrate with the Industrial Vacuum Division within the Vacuum Technique business area. Founded in 1998 and based in Zibo, in China’s Shandong province, the business had 100 employees at the time of its acquisition. > National Pump & Energy, acquired June 1, 2023. This business, headquartered in Birtinya, Queensland, Australia, provides dewatering, environmental services, and water treatment in Australia and New Zealand.

At the time of its acquisition, it had 420 employees and annual revenues of $205 million Australian. > A business unit of ZEUS Co. Ltd., acquired July 17, 2023. This South Korean company sold Atlas Copco a business based in Gyeonggi-do, south of Seoul, that manufactures cryogenic vacuum pumps and refrigeration systems typically used in semiconductor manufacturing. > Sykes Group Pty Ltd., intended acquisition announced Aug. 21, 2023.

Finally, and most recently, Atlas Copco announced an agreement to buy this global manufacturer of dewatering pumps that are predominantly used for transferring water with solids and abrasives within the mining and wastewater sectors. Headquartered in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia at the the time of the purchase, Sykes has 123 employees globally and annual revenues of about $65 million Australian.

No matter how deliberately they’re planned, these acquisitions have come with costs as well as rewards. “The integration of acquired businesses is a difficult process and it is not certain that every integration will be successful,” noted the company’s second-quarter report, issued in July. “Therefore, costs related to acquisitions can be higher and/or synergies can take longer to materialize than anticipated.”

EA

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Utilities Job growth in U.S. energy is bolstered by federal spending A report released by the U.S. Dept. of Energy last summer is full of good news about job growth in the U.S. energy sector, particularly in renewable energy, but the good news comes with a caveat: Much of the growth is being fueled by federal subsidies, rebates, and tax credits that are subject to the political tides of Washington.

The United States Energy & Employment Report 2023, compiled by the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s Office of Energy Jobs and released in June, says that the number of U.S. energy-sector jobs grew 3.8% from 2021 to 2022 and clean energy jobs grew 3.9%, outpacing overall U.S. employment, which increased 3.1% in the same time period.

Some of this growth, particularly in conventional fossil-fuel energy, resulted from the economy’s rebound from the throttling it was subjected to during the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the report, the U.S. energy sector saw a year-over-year increase of nearly 300,000 jobs, rising from 7.8 million total jobs in 2021 to more than 8.1 million in 2022.

Prior to the pandemic, the energy sector was already one of the nation’s fastest-growing job markets.

From 2015 to 2019, the annual growth rate for energy employment in the U.S. was 3.0%, or double the 1.5% job growth in the overall U.S. economy. Covid-19 and the subsequent idling of numerous industrial sectors “deeply impacted energy employment, with the sector losing jobs at a higher rate than the economy as a whole,” the report notes.

The rebound in energy jobs has been swift. As of 2022, the energy sector had recovered 71% of the jobs lost in 2020. “The energy sector has added back 596,000 of the 840,000 jobs lost during the first year of the pandemic,” the report states.

Job growth in the energy sector, however, has been uneven among sub-sectors. The number of jobs in battery storage, for example, was 11% higher in 2022 than the 2019 level, while the number of jobs in advanced and recycled building materials was at 92% of its 2019 level. The fastest growth of any energy technology was that of battery electric vehicles, which accounted for a 27% increase in jobs from 2021 to 2022 alone.

“Clean vehicles accounted for 59% of all net new jobs in motor vehicles,” the report states. (One might take issue with the use of the word clean when considering the disposal of used batteries and the mining of the rareearth elements and the lithium and cobalt used in EV battery manufacturing, but that’s another story.)

As mentioned above, much of the job growth in the “clean” energy field is being powered by federal spending, but precisely how much is being spent, and where, is difficult to unravel. This much we do know: According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the federal government provided $15.6 billion in subsidies for renewable energy in fiscal year 2022, but this figure includes all types of renewable energy, not just clean energy.

The Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law in August 2022, includes $391 billion to support clean energy and

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— Electrical Apparatus photo by Kevin Jones

address climate changes attributed to the emission of carbon dioxide; this includes $8.8 billion in rebates for home energy efficiency and electrification projects.

In addition to this, an initiative called the Clean Energy Infrastructure Program has received $97 billion in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, enacted in 2021, and the aforementioned Inflation Reduction Act. According to the Dept. of Energy, the $97 billion will be used to create and expand “pathways for federal investments in research and development, demonstration, and deployment programs.”

Those are the funding sources derived from taxes, but other funding is coming from U.S. taxpayers voluntarily, in response to incentives, of which the federal government provides several types for renewable energy projects and equipment. These include the Renewable Electricity Production Tax Credit, the Investment Tax Credit, the Residential Energy Credit, and the Modified Accelerated Cost-Recovery System.

According to the U.S. Dept. of the Treasury, the Production Tax Credit is a per-kilowatt-hour tax credit for electricity generated from qualified renewable energy sources. The credit amount is adjusted annually for inflation; it’s currently set at 2.5 cents per kilowatt-hour.

The Investment Tax Credit allows taxpayers to deduct a percentage of the cost of renewable energy systems from their federal taxes. The amount of this credit varies depending on the type of system and the year it was installed.

The Residential Energy Credit provides a tax credit for homeowners who install “qualified” residential energy-efficient equipment. According to the Internal Revenue Service, qualified equipment includes solar electric systems, solar water heaters, geothermal heat pumps, and small wind turbines Finally, the Modified Accelerated Cost-Recovery System allows businesses to recover investments in certain property through depreciation deductions.

In addition to all of this, grants and loans are available from other federal agencies, including the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture and the U.S. Dept. of the Interior. In addition, “Most states also provide financial incentives to encourage renewable energy production and use,” the Energy Information Administration adds.

It’s worth noting that while the incentives resulting from acts of Congress are rather firmly set, the ones offered by departments that answer to the President could easily change or even be reversed, depending on who takes up residence in the White House come Jan. 20, 2025. — Kevin Jones EA ELECTRICAL APPARATUS | NOVEMBER 2023 41

10/6/2023 10:22:20 AM

Classified

Business for Sale

Business Opportunity LOOKING TO RETIRE

RATES AND INFORMATION

ELECTRIC MOTOR BUSINESS FOR SALE Well-Established (73 years) Midwest electric

Well established (66 years) Long Island,

Regular classified ads - straight

motor shop looking for new owner, or

NY motor shop and industrial electrical

lineage with optional logo:

hiring an employee to come and learn our

contractor looking for a new owner, or

Per 8 pt. line (1 column width):

successful practice to possibly purchase the

interested in hiring an employee to come

$13.00. (Blank lines for spacing

business. Owner looking to retire May 2025,

and learn our successful practice to possibly

also charged.) Minimum charge:

with additional employees staying longer if

purchase the business. Owners looking to

$65.00. $6 confidential box

beneficial to all.

retire.

number system. B/w or color

We service single and three phase motors

Heavy mechanical background, drives, and

logos and limited formatting may

up to 150 HP, ag motors, water pumps, and

PLC knowledge a plus.

be added for additional charges.

some DC motors.

Available categories: Business

Plenty of room for expansion.

for Sale; Equipment for Sale,

All replies are confidential.

Equipment Wanted; Help Wanted;

Reply to Box 28, barbara@barks.com

Position Wanted; Training.

Classified Display ads advertiser’s own art with no category limitations*: $150 per column inch; minimum 12 inches in 12 months. Maximum ad size in one issue, 3 inches.

Add color $100.

For more information, closing dates and requirements, contact Barbara Wachter, Advertising Director E-mail: barbara@barks. com Phone: (312) 626-2316 *subject to Publisher’s acceptance

Cy’s Super Service

Plenty of room for expansion.

All replies are confidential. Reply to Box 30, barbara@barks.com

Visit us online! www.barks.com Business for Sale BUSINESS FOR SALE Business and building on 1 acre. Full service electric motor rewind, sales and repair

Equipment for Sale FOR SALE

facility in south central Colorado. Established

CAM Peerless Industries 10K lb. cap.

50 plus years. Over 4,000 vertical irrigation

banding lathe. 8’ working length, wire and

pumps, averaging over 30 horsepower,

fiberglass tensioning devices, 25 ton bridge/

alone. Great location for hunting, fishing and

cable hoist with runway/uprights. Leblond

skiing. Owner would like to semi-retire and

27”X96” horizonal engine lathe, Victor

is willing to help new owner. $495,000.00

vertical mill 50” X 10”.

Email anc.electricmotorrepair@yahoo.com

For more info email: acmotor61@gmail.com.

COPYRIGHT 2023 ELECTRICAL APPARATUS

42 ELECTRICAL APPARATUS | NOVEMBER 2023

November 2023 Classified.indd 2

10/6/2023 11:00:49 AM

Help Wanted

Help Wanted

Help Wanted

$6000 SIGN ON BONUS! TOP PAY, RELOCATION ASSISTANCE WINDING FOREMAN for Maine’s largest motor repair facility located in Bangor, ME.

COMMERCIAL OUTSIDE SALES Ireland Electric Company is a premier electrical apparatus sales and service company, seeking a highly motivated Outside Account Manager to join our sales team.

Experienced in Random, Form, DC and Hydro winding.

Maine has excellent hunting, fishing, hiking and skiing.

MOTOR REWINDER

Company offers uniforms,

vacation, 401K, health insurance, dental insurance, paid holidays and vacation.

Option of working 4 or 5 day work week.

Please email résumé to bmichaud@acelec.

Motor Rewinder needed for expanding business in beautiful Hawaii. Candidate must

have

mechanic

knowledge

as

secondary skill and experience rewinding

com or mail to AC Electric Corp, 40 Target

electric motors up to 4160 volts. Send

Industrial Circle, Bangor, ME 04401.

résumé to mark@sakoelectric.net

Help Wanted

Help Wanted INDUSTRIAL SERVICE OF NASHVILLE is looking to hire a qualified motor winder competitive pay paid vacation health and dental ins paid holidays uniforms provided. in business since 1987 Contact- Terry Mapes at 615-385-2240 or indserv@bellsouth.net

POSITIONS AVAILABLE Electrical & Mechanical Resources, Inc. in Richmond, VA is currently looking for candidates for the following positions:

Required Qualifications • Familiarity with selling wholesale products and services—industrial rotating electrical/ mechanical apparatus as well as LED lighting upgrades • High degree of motivation and successful track record in sales; Stable employment history with at least 1-3 years of sales experience • Excellent skills with Microsoft Office products, web browser and mobile phone; Ability to clearly and professionally communicate through verbal and written means • Good driving record meeting company vehicle insurance requirements Education/Experience • Minimum HS degree or GED • College preferred; Successful experience considered We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package including: • 401(k) with company match; Health insurance; Vacation & Personal Leave Time; Holidays; Flexible Spending Account; Dental, Vision and AFLAC available

• Shop Manager

Equipment for Sale

• Motor Mechanics

MOTOR TEST PANELS

• Pump Mechanics

Professionally built to your needs, using

• Field Service Techs

your parts or good used components. 50-

Salary

2,000 hp, 120-4160v AC/DC, w/wo computer

excellent benefits; team environment. For

efficiency reports, 30 years experience. Info/

consideration, please send your résumé lo

examples on Motorteststand.com

Pam Marriner, at pmarriner@emrva.com.

commensurate

Responsibilities include: • Build professional relationships with and sell to federal government, municipals, industry, mechanical contractors and more • Sell our full product line including wholesale products and our repair and installation services • Call on current and prospective customers; Maintain sales objectives; Follow up on quotes and projects; Update sales report records

with

experience;

Must pass pre-employment physical, drug screen, and DMV check. Ireland Electric Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer and operates a drug-free workplace.

For additional job responsibilities and qualifications please visit our listing on ZipRecruiter. Interested persons may email résumé with salary requirements to hr@ireland-electric.com.

ELECTRICAL APPARATUS | NOVEMBER 2023 43

November 2023 Classified.indd 3

10/6/2023 11:00:54 AM

Help Wanted

Help Wanted

Help Wanted

SHOP FOREMAN EASA SEEKS MOTOR ENGINEER Join

EASA’s

support

world-renowned

team

and

Westside Electric Inc

technical

impact

the

electromechanical service industry! EASA

Located in Jacksonville Florida Experience in all areas of electric motors, AC

SIGN ON BONUS! R/S Motors, a St Joseph, MO based company, has an immediate opening for a mechanic/ machinist/winder. Both AC & DC motors.

seeks a degreed engineer with at least

& DC, generators, pumps. These repairs are

5 years of experience in repair, service,

found in a typical EASA repair facility. Must

the job training. Offering competitive wages,

maintenance and/or redesign of ac and

have good management and coordinating

100% company paid health, 401K, PTO-2

dc motors. Hands-on experience a plus.

skills to advise and assist technicians in

Must understand motor theory as well as

completing the jobs in a timely and accurate

application and be able to communicate

manner that will satisfy the customer and

effectively in a fast-paced consulting role.

Some travel required. Knowledge of drive applications and IEC design motors a plus.

Experience with CRM systems a plus. Salary commensurate with experience; excellent

be profitable. The Foreman is responsible and insuring that the customer’s needs are met. Safety procedures, customer relations and the knowledge of test equipment are

option considered for the right candidate.

required. Send résumé to bruce@westside-

Send resumé with cover letter and salary

electric.com or call (904)757-1126.

expectation to Linda Raynes; lraynes@easa.

Help Wanted Help Wanted

GlobalTech, a Houston, TX based company, has an immediate need for a Production Manager. The ideal candidate will have

ELECTRIC MOTOR WINDER One of the Northeast’s largest independently owned electro-mechanical repair, sales,

management/supervisory

and field service facilities is looking to hire

background in the motor repair industry.

an electric motor winder. The qualified

a

strong

This is a key management position within the company. Strong technical skills are a must and an engineering degree is desired.

electric motor winder applicant should have a minimum of 3-5 years experience in rewinding DC and AC electric motors. This individual needs to be self motivated and

We offer a highly competitive

willing to work independently, as well as a

compensation package including health,

team. We offer competitive wages, health,

dental, vision, and 401k.

If you have

the skills we are looking for and are considering relocation to Houston, please

weeks vacation the first year. Relocation allowance. Friendly hours. Family owned company with a great environment and people. Please submit any inquiries or résumés to info@rselectricmotors.com.

for scheduling shop work and field service

benefits; team environment. Remote work

com.

Experience preferred but can support on

dental, vision insurances, paid holidays, sick time, earned time off, paid life insurance, short term disability insurance, and a 401K with company match. Relocation assistance

send your résumé and salary requirements

is available. Please send résumés to dave@

to frank@globaltechmotors.com.

applied-dynamics.com

U.S. POSTAL SERVICE STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT & CIRCULATION. Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685 1.

Title of publication: Electrical Apparatus; 2. Publication No. 0190-1370; 3. Date of filing: October 1, 2023; 4. Frequency of issue: Monthly; 5. Number of issues published annually: 12; 6. Annual subscription price: $50.00; 7. Complete mailing address of known office of publication: 17 N. State St., Suite 1650, Chicago, Ill. 60602-3570; 8. Complete mailing address of the headquarters or general business offices of the publisher (not printer): 17 N. State St., Suite 1650, Chicago, Ill. 60602-3570; 9. Names & addresses of publisher, editor & managing editor: Publisher: Elizabeth Van Ness, 17 N. State St., Suite 1650, Chicago, Ill. 60602-3570; Editor: Kevin Jones, 17 N. State St., Suite 1650, Chicago, Ill. 606023570; Managing Editor: Charles Barks, 17 N. State St., Suite 1650, Chicago, Ill. 60602-3570; 10. Owner: The owner is Barks Publications, Inc., 17 N. State St., Suite 1650, Chicago, Ill. 60602-3570. 11. Known stockholders owning or holding 1% or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other securities: Elizabeth Van Ness, 17 N. State St., Suite 1650, Chicago, Ill. 60602-3570; Joseph Barks, 17 N. State St., Suite 1650, Chicago, Ill. 60602-3570; Barbara Wachter, 17 N. State St., Suite 1650, Chicago, Ill. 60602-3570; Kate Freed, 17 N. State St., Suite 1650, Chicago, Ill. 60602-3570; William Barks, 17 N. State St., Suite 1650, Chicago, Ill. 606023570; 12. Tax status has not changed during preceding 12 months; 13. Publication Title: Electrical Apparatus; 14. Issue date for circulation data below: September 2023; 15. Extent and nature of circulation: Average No. of Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: A. Total Number of Copies (Net press run) 18,213; Total Number of Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 18,709. B.1. Outside County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541: 5,066; 4,845. 2. In-County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541: 0; 0. 3. Sales through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Paid or Requested Non-USPS Distribution: 275; 280.

4. Requested Copies Distributed by USPS Other Classes: 0; 0. C. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation: 5,330; 5,125.

D. Nonrequested Distribution 1. Outside-County—Nonrequested: 10,520; 10,845. 2. In-County Nonrequested: 0; 0.

3. Nonrequested Distribution—other classes: 0; 0. 4. Nonrequested Distribution—outside the mail: 1,185; 1,175. E. Total Nonrequested Distribution: 11,706; 12,020. F. Total Distribution: 17,035; 17,145. G. Copies Not Distributed: 1,179; 1,564. H. Total: 18,213; 18,709. I. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation: 31.29%; 29.89% 16. A. Requested and Paid Electronic Copies: 0. B. Total Requested and Paid Print Copies: 5,330; 5,125. C. Total Requested Copy Distribution: 17,035; 17,145.

D. Percent paid and/or requested circulation (both print and electronic copies) 31.29%; 29.89%. 17. Publication of Statement of Ownership for a requester publication is required and will be printed in the November 2023 issue of this publication; 18. I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. — Elizabeth Van Ness, President.

44 ELECTRICAL APPARATUS | NOVEMBER 2023

November 2023 Classified.indd 4

10/6/2023 11:00:57 AM

Classified Display

Classified Display

MEMBER

REGISTERED TO ISO 9001:2008 FILE NUMBER 10005472 QM08

CMT is your EASA source for Magnet Repairs & Magnet Sales

1.888.CMTINC3 CMTcompanies.com

Don’t let this be your last issue of

Electrical Apparatus!

Renew NOW to keep EA coming!

Sign up at ea-renew.com, or, mail or fax your mailing label to . . .

Classified Display Platinum Performance discusses the lifespan of a mechanical seal

High-quality seals, like those provided

by Platinum Performance Products, are designed with durability in mind and can often outlast cheaper alternatives. Our seals are made with premium elastomers, which enhance their durability and longevity, requiring fewer replacements over the pump’s life. If you have any questions about choosing the right seal for your application, our team Platinum Performance Products is always here to help. Visit www.3ppumps.com to learn more.

Barks Publications, Inc. 17 N. State St., Suite 1650, Chicago, Ill. 60602 Fax: (866) 228-7274 E-mail: circulation@barks.com

The EA crossword

The challenge: To identify and fill in the grid, from the clues at right, with words related to the electromechanical service and sales industry. This month’s words are taken from the September and October issues of Electrical Apparatus. The solution may be found online at http://barks.com/puzzles, or call (312) 321-9440.

Across

Puzzle solutions are online at http://barks.com/ puzzles

1 Solar ____ EV 6 Recyclable plastic, abbr.

8 Make a mistake 9 Electromagnetism pioneer 10 Network of physical objects with electronics, software, sensors, and connectivity 11 College e-mail ending 13 Repeating sound 15 Negotiation result 17 Regret 18 Corrode, with away 19 Atom ____: innovative company that has commercialized digital circuit breakers and has applied that to EV charging systems 20 Signal pattern 26 NEMA sets them 28 Rotating shaft 31 Signal disturbance 32 Electrical coil 35 Stop functioning, as a battery 36 Military rank, for short 37 Warriors’ grp., abbr.

39 Type of aircraft engine 40 Surrounding temperature and atmosphere

Down

1 Cushion-like device 2 Twisting effect, in physics 3 Upshot 4 Devices that store energy in the form of rotational momentum 5 Annual period 6 Cost 7 Add up to 12 Payable now 13 The “I” thing 14 Rowing equipment 16 Off-roader’s purchase, for short 21 Encompassing 22 Archimedes’ shout 23 ____ out: restriction of electrical power in a certain area 24 Immediately, abbr.

25 One motor operating with another: in _____ 27 Execute perfectly 29 Money to the bottom line, abbr.

30 Operating system, abbr.

33 Decimal point, e.g.

34 Thicken 38 Exist Puzzle by Myles Mellor

ELECTRICAL APPARATUS | NOVEMBER 2023 45

November 2023 Classified.indd 5

10/6/2023 11:01:01 AM

Help Wanted

Help Wanted

Elektrim Motors, an AC NEMA and metric IEC stock and custom motor manufacturer since 1919, is looking for confident, results-driven individuals to join our team.

Electric Motor Shop in Wake Forest, NC, is looking for candidates for:

INSIDE SALES SPECIALIST Ideal candidate works cooperatively with members of the sales team to increase sales by uncovering lead opportunities, establishing new accounts and proactively cultivating existing accounts. Must be comfortable making dozens of calls per day, generating interest, qualifying prospects and closing sales.

ELECTRIC MOTOR SERVICE TECHNICIAN & SCHAUMBURG, IL SHOP MANAGER. Ideal candidate will be experienced in troubleshooting, repair, rebuild of all types of AC motors. Strong communication skills required.

OUTSIDE SALES / NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER. Ideal candidates will be solutions-based OEM sales experts with a working knowledge of electric motors and their applications. Travel is required more than 50% of time.

Elektrim Motors offers competitive pay and benefits including 401k. Send inquiries to careers@elektrimmotors.com.

Help Wanted

• Field Service Techs Electric Motor & Contracting Co., Inc., founded in 1960, is one of the largest independently owned repair facilities for electrical rotating machinery, pumps, and switchgear in the United States. We are conveniently located in Hampton Roads, Virginia just miles from Virginia Beach and Norfolk.

• Manual Machinists • Motor Mechanics • Outside Sales Reps • Field Service Manager • Pump Mechanics • Switchgear Specialist • Winders

Our company prides itself on:

Electric Motor Shop offers competitive pay and benefits, including 401k. For employment consideration, please contact Kristine Larsen at 919-556-3229 or by email at Kristine.Larsen@emsnc.com

• Maintaining a clean, state of the art facility

Help Wanted

• Electric Motor Mechanics • Electric Motor Winders • Machinists • Power Generation/Switchgear Lead Technician COMPETITIVE PAY, BENEFITS & OT!!

an experienced Electric Motor Technician.

& advancement opportunities. Safe, friendly environment. Call 207-591-7800 or email résumés to dan@PrimeElectricMotor.com.

Visit us at PrimeElectricMotor.com.

ELECTRIC MOTOR WINDER

• Motor Winders • Pump Mechanics • Manual Machinist • Shop Helpers BRC offers a competitive salary, health insurance & 401K plan. Visit our Web Site at www.Bestrepair.net or contact gary.phelps@bestrepair.net if interested.

Our shop is AIR CONDITIONED!!!

• Mechanic Foreman (2nd shift)

Relocation compensation, training program

Best Repair Company in Norfolk VA is looking for qualified candidates for:

• Employing and retaining great people

We are seeking qualified candidates for the following positions:

Prime Electric in Gorham, ME is looking for

Help Wanted

• Providing quality service to our customers

First and second shift opportunities available.

Employees receive 20% shift differential!

EMC offers competitive pay, full benefits package including 401K, insurance, uniforms, relocation assistance, and more!

Visit our website at www.emc-co.com to complete an online application or email résumé to jobs@emc-co.com

Digital copies!

Bookmark these links to access digital flipbooks of recent and upcoming issues.

Content will be posted by the first of each month.

NOVEMBER https://bit.ly/NOV23WORK DECEMBER https://bit.ly/DEC23BUYR EMBR24 https://bit.ly/EMBR24FULL JANUARY https://bit.ly/JAN24ROBO

46 ELECTRICAL APPARATUS | NOVEMBER 2023

November 2023 Classified.indd 6

10/6/2023 11:01:04 AM

Help Wanted

Classified Display Help Wanted

Help Wanted

LARGE REPAIR CENTER KELLER ELECTRICAL in beautiful Arizona needs to add to our talented staff.

We are in need of AC/DC Motor Mechanics,

JOB OPENING

Winders, Manual/CNC Machinists, Welders

Advanced Rotors is looking for a General

and Millwrights.

Manager.

Relocation assistance may be provided for

Applicants need to call and ask for David

the right candidates.

Watson (256)352-5150.

We are an EOE and are able to offer

Advertise with us!

Email barbara@barks.com

competitive benefit packages along with attractive PTO. If interested please email your current résumés to:

Visit us online!

rob.rayl@otcindustrial.com

www.barks.com

adam.geron@otcindustrial.com brad.blackwell@otcindustrial.com

Classified Display

Classified Display

Classified Display

LED Stroboscope Makes cycling objects appear stationary for inspection and measurement ESL-200 Standard LED ESL-200UV Ultraviolet LED ● Up to 150,000 fpm/rpm ● Rugged metal housing UV Model ● x2 and ÷2 buttons Available! ● Phase shift ● Store 9 flash rates in memory

866-527-4666

www.hoto-instruments.com

Moe, Genny & Friends

COPYRIGHT 2023 ELECTRICAL APPARATUS

ELECTRICAL APPARATUS | NOVEMBER 2023 47

November 2023 Classified.indd 7

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ADVERTISING INDEX Advanced Rotors, Inc. . . . . . . 12 AHR Expo . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 AKARD COMMUTATOR OF TENNESSEE . . . . . . . . . 7 BAE Wire & Insulation, Inc. . . . 47 Bartlett Bearing Company, Inc. . . . . . . . . .IBC City Machine Technologies, Inc. . . . . . . . 45 Electrical Apparatus & Machine . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Electrom Instruments, Inc. . . . .19 Helwig Carbon Products, Inc. . .21 Hoto Instruments . . . . . . . . 47 ICC International . . . . . . IFC, 26 Jasper Electric Motors, Inc. . . . 15 Lafert North America . . . . . . 45 Laser Laminations, Inc. . . . . . . 11 Mod-Tronic Instruments Limited . . . . . . .13 NTN Bearing Corporation of America . . . . 5 OTS Wire & Insulation, Inc. . . . 47 Phenix Technologies . . . . . . . 6 Platinum Performance Products . . . . 45 S&W Wire Company . . . . . . . 9 Superior Services LLC . . . . . .18 Toshiba International Corporation . . . 3 Vaughen’s Price Publishing, Inc. . . . . . 47 WEG Electric Corp. . . . . . . . BC Learn more about the products and services featured in this issue!

Use the QR code or go to https://shout.com/s/sMesfzGB to request information from advertisers.

Direct & Current

NOVEMBER 2023

WORLDWIDE PRESENCE. WorldWide Electric Corp., the motor, controls, generator, and drives manufacturer, announced Oct. 5 that its exclusive low-voltage electric motor distribution relationship with Hyundai Electric has come to an end. “For over 12 years, WorldWide Electric has worked alongside Hyundai to build the Hyundai Electric low-voltage motor brand presence in the United States,” WorldWide said in a statement. “Both parties have mutually decided to end the relationship’s exclusivity but continue to collectively promote the sales of low-voltage electric motors in the United States as nonexclusive partners.”

MOTORHEADS. Regal Rexnord of Milwaukee announced recently that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell the Industrial Motors and Generators businesses that comprise the majority of its Industrial Systems segment to WEG, through certain subsidiaries of WEG S.A., for total consideration of U.S. $400 million.

The closing of the transac- WEG motors for food and beverage applications. The tion, which is subject to ob- company has acquired Regal Rexnord’s Motors and Generators business.

— WEG photo taining required regulatory approvals and meeting customary closing conditions, is expected to occur in the first half of 2024.

HOLLAND A’s. Avantium, a renewables company, is building a new plant with ABB that will support the transition to bio-based plastics to replace ones that rely on fossil-based raw materials. Located in Delfzijl, the Netherlands, the facility will use a novel technology that converts plant sugars into a plastic material called polyethylene furanoate, a material that can be used in packaging, textiles, films, and other sectors. The first piling works at Avantium’s new site started in April 2022, and construction should be complete in 2024.

LIGHT BEAMERS. BMW Group, Ford Motor Co., and American Honda Motor Co., Inc., have announced that they have entered into an agreement to create ChargeScape LLC, a new equally owned company that will reportedly create “a single, cost-effective platform connecting electric utilities, automakers, and interested electric vehicle customers.” The venture is said to benefit EV customers and the electric utility industry in the U.S. and Canada.

A PRIVATE MATTER. Toshiba said Sept. 21 that a $14 billion tender offer from private equity firm Japan Industrial Partners had ended in success - a deal that paves the way for the industrial conglomerate to go private, according to multiple news outlets. The 148-year-old company is expected to de-list as early as December. — Charlie Barks

Have the digital “Direct & Current” delivered each week, at no charge, to your e-mail in-box. Scan the code at right or sign up now at http://eepurl.com/dEkrB9.

48 ELECTRICAL APPARATUS | NOVEMBER 2023

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ON-THE-SHELF INVENTORY

UNBEATABLE SERVICE

SAME-DAY SHIPPING

WE KNOW BEARINGS Whether you require a bearing for a US Hollowshaft pump motor, a General Electric or Westinghouse DC MD614 mill motor, a Sweco or Hinden Shaker application, or something to prevent electrical fluting - Bartlett Bearing can help you. We service repair facilities nationwide by combining our unparalleled inventory with superior service and exceptional knowledge.

bartlettbearing.com | 800-523-3382 | sales@bartlettbearing.com Philadelphia, PA | Gastonia, NC | Hebron, KY | Pelham, AL | Tampa, FL | Grain Valley, MO

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