Winner of the 2004 "Maintenance Tip of the Year" is Jason Barron, Diversified Technology, Inc., Ridgeland, MS. He received $1,000 for his suggestion on how to install a pipe under a sidewalk. Runners-up were Craig Deluhery, Formosa Plastics, Illiopolis, IL and Jakob T. Duerson, Matsushita Electric Motor, Berea, KY.
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Winner of the 2004 “Maintenance Tip of the Year” is Jason Barron , Diversified Technology, Inc., Ridgeland, MS. He received $1,000 for his suggestion on how to install a pipe under a sidewalk. Runners-up were Craig Deluhery , Formosa Plastics, Illiopolis, IL and Jakob T. Duerson , Matsushita Electric Motor, Berea, KY. Mr. Deluhery presented a solution for limiting the charging time on battery-powered tools and Mr. Duerson explained how to remove broken taps. They each received $250 for their suggestions.
First Place
Sidewalk water drilling
Problem: Sometimes it is necessary to run cable or pipe under a sidewalk. Is there a way to do this without tearing up the sidewalk?
Solution: Dig a hole on each side of the sidewalk. Attach a water hose to a threaded PVC pipe and use water pressure to make a hole under the sidewalk. When finished, you have a pipe in place with threaded ends for cable connections.
Contributor: Jason Barron, Industrial Engineer, Diversified Technology, Inc., Ridgeland, MS.
Second Place
Limit battery charge
Problem: The battery life of portable power tools is reduced if overcharged due to the battery over-heating. How can this problem be eliminated?
Solution: Provide the correct number of charging hours by using an outlet timer. When the tool is picked up in the morning it will have the proper charge.
Contributor: Craig Deluhery, Formosa Plastics, Illiopolis, IL.
Third Place
Remove broken taps
Problem: Taps break off, especially when tapping a blind hole. Is there an easy way to remove the tap without damaging the piece part?
Solution: Build up a small welding bead on top of the tap. Then slip a nut over the bead and weld the nut to the bead. Using a wrench, the tap should be easily extracted.
Contributor: Jakob T. Duerson, Matsushita Electric Motor, Berea, KY.
