News from PLANT ENGINEERING: Week of Jan. 30

By Plant Engineering Staff January 27, 2006

Study finds global growth potential in belt, chain drives market

Rapidly expanding markets of Eastern Europe and Asia Pacific offer tremendous growth potential for manufacturers of belt and chain drives in North America. The challenge before manufacturers is to ensure a timely footprint in the emerging markets without losing focus on the established ones. Toward this end, proportionate allocation of resources in line with balanced growth strategy becomes imperative.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan ( www.powertransmissions.frost.com ),

North American belt and chain drives market, reveals that revenue in this market totaled $2.09 billion in 2004 and projects to reach $2.79 billion in 2011.

Another crucial issue is the rapid commoditization of belt and chain drive products, which leads to adverse price pressures and compels manufacturers to lower product prices.

“Differentiation of the offerings in terms of better after-sales service and technological advancements can help mitigate the effects of price pressures,” says Frost & Sullivan power transmissions team leader Bhavdeep Virdee. “Participants stand to gain the competitive advantage if they build customer loyalty by providing efficient customer service.”

Accenture partner to speak at PLANT ENGINEERING dinner‘

Dean Teglia, a partner in Accenture’s Chicago practice, will discuss Acenture’s new report, “Going for Growth — Engineering high performance in the industrial products industry,” and provide an overview of global manufacturing at PLANT ENGINEERING magazine’s 2005 Product of the Year dinner Monday, March 20 at 6:30 p.m. at the DoubleTree Hotel in Rosemont, IL.

The dinner, which honors 48 companies that have received this year’s Product of the Year honors as voted on by the magazine’s readers, is the annual kickoff to National Manufacturing Week. Also honored this year is DaimlerChrysler’s Belvidere, IL plant, named the 2005 Top Plant.

Dean Teglia is responsible for Accenture’s civic presence and for managing and growing its local business.During his 23 years at Accenture, Teglia has held numerous leadership positions, including managing its North American Automotive and Industrial Equipment Practice.

Teglia is an industrial engineer who specializes in various improvement areas, including manufacturing, service management, enterprise systems and IT strategy. He has worked at many types of manufacturing companies around the world, helping to improve performance.

He is currently working with several product companies, helping them shift their focus to increase the value of their service operations. He has led related efforts involving embedding “smart product technology” in industrial products to improve their value to the customer and manufacturer.

Tickets for this year’s black-tie event are $150, and can be obtained by contacting Pat Mustari of PLANT NENGINEERING magazine at pmustari@reedbusiness.com .

In other award news at National Manufacturing Week, Control Engineering magazine has bestowed its Editors’ Choice Award on 45 products covered by the magazine’s staff during 2005. Winners are based on service to the industry, technological advancement, and market impact. This is the 19th year editors nominate, discuss, and select the products they feel best meet those criteria.

Control Engineering subscribers again are being asked to vote for their own favorites among the editors’ 45 selections to determine the winners of the third annual Engineers’ Choice Awards. They will choose the top winner in each of eight product categories. The winners will be revealed during the Editors’ Choice awards ceremony, to be held Tuesday, March 21 at National Manufacturing Week. View Control Engineering’s 2005 winners.

Schneider’s Cox to deliver keynote at NMW

Mary Frances Cox, senior vice president of operations at The Schneider Electric North American Operating Division, will deliver the keynote address at the 2006 National Manufacturing Week Conference, March 20-23, in Rosemont, IL.

Cox’s remarks on Tuesday, March 21 from 1 to 2 p.m.will focus on “Shaving Significant Cost Reductions Out of the Manufacturing Cost Base.” Since being named to head up operations in North America, she has led Schneider Electric’s operations improvement initiatives, which has reduced manufacturing costs in plants in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

For show information, go to www.manufacturingweek.com.

NAM expands blog to add writers

The National Association of Manufacturers has added David Huether and Bill Canis as regular blog contributors in expanded coverage of manufacturing news.

David Huether, NAM Chief Economist will write on economic matters, His blog entries are available at https://blog.nam.org/archives/the_economy .

Bill Canis, Vice President of the Manufacturing Institute, the NAM’s research and education arm, will write “Taking it for Granted?” about today’s manufacturing innovation and the steps U.S. manufacturers are taking to stay competitive. His blog entries are available at blog.nam.org/archives/taking_it_for_granted .

Pat Cleary, the NAM’s “Blogger-in-Chief” will continue to natter and rant about various topics daily.

The Manufacturers’ blog is one of the top business blogs in the country discussing important issues affecting manufacturing, small businesses, free markets, outsourcing, and staying competitive in the business world.

blog.nam.org .

Alemite acquired by Harbour Group

Through an affiliate, Harbour Group has acquired Alemite LLC, a supplier of lubrication and fluid handling equipment and systems, said Sam Fox, Harbour Group’s chairman and CEO on Jan. 24.

Alemite, headquartered at Fort Mill, SC, designs and manufactures a wide range of lubrication equipment under the Alemite brand name. Alemite sells its products through industrial distributors to a broad range of general industries, as well as directly to industrial and transportation OEM’s, petroleum equipment distributors, and into the automotive aftermarket.

Alemite will join Lincoln Industrial Corporation as part of Harbour Group’s Lubricating Systems Group.g businesses and will continue to aggressively grow our Lubricating Systems Group, both organically and through complementary acquisitions in what remains a fragmented market.”

Check out new Website reader poll

How does a plant engineer or plant manager spend his day? Voice your view on this issue at www.plantengineering.com. Results of the January reader poll will be available in the February issue of PLANT ENGINEERING magazine.

Events

Register for NA 2006

Both registration and booth space are filling quickly for NA 2006, sponsored by the Material Handling Industry of America. The event is slated for March 27 through March 30 at the I-X Center in Cleveland.

NA 2006 focuses on the productivity solutions provided by material handling and logistics. The four-day event is designed to offer productivity solutions and information by showcasing the products and services of over 400 material handling and logistics providers.

Industry professionals from the United States, Canada, Mexico and around the world are expected to attend. More than 400 exhibitors from industry, commerce and government will display their productivity solutions on the 150,000 square foot show floor. The newly designed NA 2006 Education Conferences offer focused, half-hour seminars in specially designed “theaters” constructed right on the trade show floor.

For registration information, go to www.na2006.org.

Interphex adds pavilions to conference

Interphex2006, the world’s largest pharmaceutical conference and exhibition, has added new show pavilions this year to address the increasing globalization of the biopharmaceutical industry and the expanding roles of contamination control and RFID. The pavilions concentrate the industry’s leading technology suppliers in these markets to help industry professionals target pharmaceutical solutions faster.
“Our aim is to help drug companies stay one step ahead of the game by showcasing tomorrow’s solutions today,” says RJ Palermo, event director at Reed Exhibitions. “The breadth of technologies and services highlighted at Interphex makes it a `must attend event’ every year. These three new pavilions will make the attendee and exhibitor experience more targeted and productive.”
In its 27th year, Interphex will take place at the
JavitsConvention Center in New York from March 21-23. Approximately 950 leading global companies serving the pharmaceutical and biotechnical industries will showcase the latest lines of equipment, technologies and services in the areas of pharmaceutical manufacturing, sourcing and services, IT and facilities. To learn more about Interphex, go to www.interphex.com .

CSIA meeting is May 11-14

The Control System Integrators Association’s annual meeting of its members will take place May 11-14 at the Marriott Bay Point Resort in Panama City, FL.

The conference brings together CSIA members from North America and around the world to network with their peers, share experiences, exchange ideas and solutions, and gain insights from the world’s leading automation suppliers about leading-edge techniques and technologies.

“Each of the last five years has seen attendance records set at our annual conferences,” CSIA Executive Director Norman O’Leary declared, “and judging by early interest, we expect another large turnout in Florida.

“As we have since our first conference in 1993,” he continued, “the program will be directed at top management of our system integrator-members, with content heavily focused on business — in support of our belief that being a good system integrator goes hand in hand with operating a good business.”

“The three-day meeting provides a unique forum for control system integrators of different sizes, specialties, and experience to meet under a common umbrella,” said CSIA executive council chairman Ray Bachelor, president, Bachelor Controls, Inc., Sabetha, KS. “The curriculum and camaraderie of our annual meeting make the gathering a‘must’ for our members.”