Facilities Management


Pulse Energy-led project to further develop energy-efficiency software

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PEM Staff | Mar 15, 2010

Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) has awarded up to $2.5 million in funding to a project led by Vancouver-based Pulse Energy to develop and demonstrate an intelligent energy management platform. Working with its consortium partners Brookfield LePage Johnson Controls (BLJC), Cisco, University of British Columbia (UBC), Grouse Mountain Resorts and the ...

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Cincinnati Incorporated targets 30-50 percent capacity increase with plant investments

Newswire | Feb 22, 2010

Cincinnati Incorporated is turning the tables on the economic downturn and positioning itself for the recovery, much as it prompts its own customers to do. The company is investing 10 percent of 2009 sales – and another 10 percent in 2010 – to re-tool its plant and implement lean practices ...

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360 Energy President and St. Marys Cement representative added to ENEX schedule

Robert Colman | Feb 17, 2010

Two new speakers have been announced for this year’s ENEX Energy Excellence conference. One of the newest additions to the event is David Arkell, President and CEO of 360 Energy. Arkell appeared at the last ENEX event and was one of our highest-rated speakers. 360 Energy is a leading energy ...

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United Steelworkers partners in $1M Canadian climate change study

Newswire | Feb 16, 2010

TORONTO, ON — The United Steelworkers has been announced as a key participant in a six-year study of the challenges posed by climate change to Canadian workplaces and possible solutions to these issues. The research project is led by Carla Lipsig-Mummé, professor of work and labour studies in York University's Faculty ...

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PTDA members enter 2010 optimistic about future

Newswire | Feb 4, 2010

Chicago, IL — Despite a year of unprecedented economic challenges in 2009, members of the Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA) are finding cause for optimism as 2010 begins. According to a survey conducted by Cleveland Research on behalf of PTDA in October 2009, 41 percent of PTDA members are forecasting ...

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Johnson Controls releases upgrade to Metasys Building Management System

Newswire | Jan 25, 2010

Milwaukee, WI — Johnson Controls, the industry leader in providing building efficiency and energy management solutions, today released Metasys version 5.0, the company's Building Management System (BMS). The latest update delivers greater visibility into building operations and energy usage through multiple system enhancements, including Web-enabled reports and summaries compatible with ...

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U.S. PT/MC manufacturers’ month-to-month sales decrease while Canadian sales remain flat: PTDA

Newswire | Jan 25, 2010

Chicago, IL — Following gains in October 2009, U.S. manufacturers’ sales decreased while Canadian manufacturers posted no change in November 2009, according to sales data released by the Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA) in its Market Outlook Report.  U.S. manufacturers’ sales dropped 6.1 percent from October 2009 sales, following three ...

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Carlo Gavazzi and Pulse Energy announce strategic partnership

Newswire | Jan 11, 2010

Mississauga, ON — Carlo Gavazzi (Canada) Inc. and Pulse Energy recently announced a strategic partnership to supply energy management solutions to the rapidly growing Canadian energy management market. Pulse Energy will use Carlo Gavazzi’s innovative energy meters and transducers to enable their software subscribers to make rapid real-time decisions on ...

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New Building Control Systems Report projects growth opportunities through 2014

Newswire | Jan 11, 2010

Leonia, NJ — Leading building control industry intelligence provider BCS Partners announces the release of BCS/2010: The Building Control Systems Market (2009-2014). Representing the 6th report edition within the BCS Series that dates back to 1993, the new report will provide industry professionals with the necessary intelligence to identify new ...

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New Invensys Operations Management Website now online

Newswire | Jan 11, 2010

Invensys Operations Management has launched a new website to demonstrate how the combined capabilities of its eight brands — Avantis, Eurotherm, Foxboro, IMServ, InFusion, SimSci-Esscor, Triconex, and Wonderware — align to help clients. Invensys Operations Management offers an holistic and cost-effective way to optimize the business impact of operation's performance and ...

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U.S. manufacturers see fifth straight month of growth

Newswire | Jan 4, 2010

Tempe, AZ — Economic activity in the U.S. manufacturing sector expanded in December for the fifth consecutive month, and the overall economy grew for the eighth consecutive month, say the nation's supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report On Business. The report was issued on Monday by Norbert J. Ore, ...

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Facebook at the Factory: Manufacturing software must become more like social media, study says

Newswire | Dec 18, 2009

IFS North America is releasing the results of a study that shows that manufacturers want to see more integration between social networking tools and their enterprise resources planning (ERP) systems — and more social network-like, enterprise 2.0 functionality. The study, conducted for IFS by a third-party research organization, found that while ...

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Maintenance Software: Get more for less from your CMMS systems

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David Berger | Mar 19, 2010

There are only two ways you can get more for less from purchasing a computerized maintenance management software (CMMS) package. The first step is to find a software package that has features and functions that best match your user requirements, and make maximum use out of this functionality. The second ...

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Green maintenance: 7 steps to achieve energy savings

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Tony Buffington and Terry Wireman | Mar 1, 2010

Where does a company begin to create an energy efficiency strategy? It should start with a program that includes objectives of reducing energy consumption while increasing energy efficiency. As part of the strategy, there needs to be a straightforward method to measure both components to the strategy. It's a well ...

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Maintenance Software: CMMS systems can maximize critical KPIs

David Berger | Feb 26, 2010

How many times have you heard a variation on the expression, "What gets measured gets done"? As computerized maintenance management software (CMMS) systems become more sophisticated, our desire to measure seems to grow even stronger. Key performance indicators (KPIs) have become an important means of focusing the effort of maintenance, ...

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Look Way Up: Heroes behind the scene at the CN Tower

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Robert Robertson | Feb 15, 2010

Defining the Toronto skyline at 553.33 metres (1,815 feet, five inches), the CN Tower is the world's tallest tower, having held the record for over three decades. It's also one of Canada's most recognizable and celebrated icons. The CN Tower is an internationally renowned architectural triumph, an engineering wonder, world-class en...

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Grant Thornton LLP advisers say lean product portfolios could be the secret to increased profitabili

Newswire | Dec 18, 2009

TORONTO, ON — In today's economic climate, Canadian manufacturers are constantly searching for new and innovative ways to cut costs. While a product portfolio is typically the last thing companies want to trim, a new white paper by Grant Thornton LLP suggests that this cost-saving measure can simultaneously improve a ...

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PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE: Digital automation helps plant anticipate system problems

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Robert Robertson | Dec 7, 2009

Emerson Process Management’s PlantWeb digital plant architecture has enabled ZT Kruszwica, a subsidiary of Bunge (the world’s largest producer of oilseed and bottled vegetable oils) to increase production by 10 percent, cut maintenance costs by 50 percent and significantly reduce the use of utilities and raw materials at a new ...

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The transition to a low carbon world: Manufacturers need to prepare

Julie Matthews | Dec 1, 2009

With prospective climate change legislation and policy discussions in the United States and Canada, intensive international negotiations culminating later this year, and ongoing stakeholder interest, companies are scrambling to develop or boost their climate change strategies. For heavy manufacturers, it is now clear that climate change regulation would have a ...

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INDUSTRY FORECAST: Tracking important market sector trends

Robert Robertson | Nov 20, 2009

Maintenance professionals and industry manufacturers/distributors remain unsure about the economy and what next year will hold. Looking over the 2010 horizon, The Freedonia Group Inc. has been tracking the U.S. demand for bearings, as well as for heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment/industrial valves through to 2013. Bearings According a new Freedonia ...

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Why replace it when you can wrap it?

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Glenn Machado | Oct 28, 2009

With production time and cash flow at an all time premium, more and more companies are looking for time and cost saving alternatives to replacing slightly damaged assets. In a refinery, just to cite an example, it is very common to encounter a leak from a hole in a carbon ...

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PEM's 2009 Salary Survey: Follow the Dollars

Robert Robertson and Allen Jones | Oct 16, 2009

Welcome to PEM's sixth annual salary survey. Once again this year, we received strong support from respondents who completed the comprehensive online questionnaire form. We continue to compare results against previous surveys. Some tables reflect multiple answers and total more than 100 percent. In other tables, categories with a low ...

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Waste Factor: Lean maintenance offers important benefits

Kris Bagadia | Oct 9, 2009

Lean maintenance is the application of lean philosophies, methods, tools and techniques to reliability functions. It has the same fundamental goals: eliminating waste associated with labour, inventory, procedures and techniques. This results in improved productivity and reduced costs.   Lean maintenance doesn't imply a slash-and-dash approach in eliminating jobs and cutting costs. ...

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Think smart with HVAC/R maintenance

Paul Appler | Oct 9, 2009

Refrigerants escaping into the atmosphere from leaking heating, ventilating, air-conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC/R) equipment are major contributors to global warming. And it's mind boggling how many pieces of HVAC/R equipment there are in commercial buildings.   Most people relate to rooftop air-conditioning equipment, but there could be dozens and maybe hundreds of ...

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Deter pest birds

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Newswire | Feb 22, 2010

Bird-B-Gone, Inc., manufacturer of professional bird control products, introduces Avian Plus, a bird hazing system that uses natural scents to deter pest birds from enclosed and semi enclosed areas such as airline hangars, warehouses, storage facilities, loading docks, big box stores and more. Avian Plus is a small wall mounted ...

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Sioux all-electric E-Series pressure washers and steam cleaners

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Newswire | Jan 25, 2010

Beresford, SD — Sioux Corporation’s new line of 100 percent Electric E-Series pressure washers and steam cleaners now feature the CE Mark. This is a mandatory conformity mark on products in the European Economic Area. The CE Marking certifies that a product meets European Union consumer safety, health and environmental ...

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HeatBank Earth thermal heating cables and mats lower energy demands

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Newswire | Jan 11, 2010

ROSEMONT, IL — By converting "off-peak" electrical energy into  a reservoir of radiant heat stored within a building's foundation, EasyHeat's HeatBank mats and cables allow commercial and industrial businesses to significantly lower their energy bills. Once stored, this uniform, non-drying heat radiates throughout the building during "peak" energy periods as ...

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Versatile shop floor CMM

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PEM | Nov 20, 2009

North Kingstown, RI — Brown & Sharpe, a brand of Hexagon Metrology, Inc., announced recently the debut of the ONE Shop Floor CMM outfitted with the ScanShark 4Vix laser line scanning probe. The ONE from Brown & Sharpe is a versatile shop floor CMM that can be equipped with touch-trigger ...

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Safe, effective, sustainable aerosol cleaners

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| Oct 28, 2009

LONDON, ON — 3M Canada today introduced 3M Novec Contact Cleaner Plus to its complete line of non-flammable aerosol cleaners that offers more cleaning power for removing oil, grease and silicones in sensitive electronics. 3M Novec Contact Cleaner Plus is ideal for maintenance and repair (MRO) along with assembly operations for ...

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Air preparation products

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Newswire | Oct 20, 2009

Monee, IL — Bimba announced recently a new addition to their Filter, Regulator and Lubricator (FRL) line of products and accessories, the Medium 60 Series. The Medium 60 Series, which supports port sizes of 1/2 NPT and 3/4 NPT, expands Bimba's existing Air Preparation lines to further complete their comprehensive ...

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Fans for smaller industrial spaces

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PEM | Jun 16, 2009

Big Ass Fans introduces Isis, perfect for smaller industrial spaces for improved comfort and energy savings....

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New AirGo mobile vertical fan

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PEM | May 25, 2009

Lexington, KY - Big Ass Fans is on a "roll" with the all new AirGo, an innovative mobile vertical fan. This 8-ft. diameter, precision engineered Big Ass Fan is designed to maneuver with ease on its four 8-inch Performa rubber tread wheels and provide an immediate air movement solution w...

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Orion's DC fans

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PEM | May 25, 2009

Las Vegas, NV - Orion Fans, a manufacturer of standard and custom AC and DC fans, fan trays and accessories, has developed a new series of application-specific high performance DC fans. The VA Series fans include the most popular frame sizes: 120x38 mm, 92x38mm, 80x38mm and 60x38mm. These models f...

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New steam boiler website

PEM | May 11, 2009

New York - As hospitals continue to evaluate a wide range of facility equipment needs with an eye on efficiency, cost-savings, and green technology, there's a new interactive resource that addresses their specific ...

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Stick electrodes for boiler tube repairs

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PEM | May 11, 2009

Troy, OH - To meet the challenges of tough boiler tube repairs and minimize weld rejects on these critical applications, Hobart Brothers developed its Hobart Boilermaker family of low alloy stick electrodes. The family, which includes Boilermaker 18 (AWS E7018, E7018-1), Boilermaker 18A1 (E7018-A1), Boilermaker B2 (E8018-B2) and Boilermaker B...

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PROKIT Steel Framing

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PEM | May 5, 2009

Provincial Partitions introduces the new PROKIT line of steel framing products for floor, wall and roof sections. One of the most obvious advantages to using these steel pre-framed solutions, according to the company, is that the speed of onsite construction can be reduced by as much as 80 percent. A...

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Pursuing Green Maintenance: Part 1

Editor Andre Voshart discusses the steps involved in developing an energy-efficiency strategy.