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Five Things to Know About Reducing Energy Costs - Part 1 of 5

Posted by: Willie Costa on Jan. 4, 2010 (Comments: 10)

Know what determines energy costs

Before you can decide how to best go about reducing energy costs, you need to know how energy costs are determined in the first place.  The (more)


Five Things to Know About Reducing Energy Costs - Part 2 of 5

Posted by: Willie Costa on Jan. 4, 2010 (Comments: 0)

Install Premium Efficiency Motors

Premium efficiency motors save money every single time they’re running.  Because of their superior design over standard efficiency mot (more)


Five Things to Know About Reducing Energy Costs - Part 3 of 5

Posted by: Willie Costa on Jan. 4, 2010 (Comments: 0)

Apply for Rebates from the Utility Companies

Believe it or not, the utility companies want to save you money!  Reducing your energy demands also reduces the utility’s c (more)


Five Things to Know About Reducing Energy Costs - Part 4 of 5

Posted by: Willie Costa on Jan. 4, 2010 (Comments: 1)

Install Soft Starters

Many electrical devices will draw a large initial current when they are first started, and motors are no different.  This initial power draw, called an (more)


Five Things to Know About Reducing Energy Costs - Part 5 of 5

Posted by: Willie Costa on Jan. 4, 2010 (Comments: 1)

Adopt a Long-Term View of Energy Savings

The National Small Business Association recently conducted an energy survey (http://www.nsba.biz/docs/09nsba_energy_survey_indd.pdf) of sm (more)


Flushless Seal Reduces Ethanol Plant's Downtime

Posted by: Willie Costa on Jan. 4, 2010 (Comments: 1)

Abengoa Bioenergy, formerly High Plains Corporation, owns and operates five bioethenol facilities throughout the United States and Europe, with a total yearly production capacity of 195 million gallons. Given the harsh nature of its working environment, (more)


Pulsarlube Eliminates Lubrication Headaches

Posted by: Willie Costa on Jan. 6, 2010 (Comments: 1)

Proper lubrication is the lifeblood by which many applications live or die, but it’s sometimes shocking to see how few facilities take this crucial aspect of their production seriously. While most maintenance personnel and engineers are keenly awa (more)


NB Topball Bushings Set the Standard for Precision Alignment

Posted by: Willie Costa on Jan. 11, 2010 (Comments: 0)

NB's Topball linear motion mechanisms utilize the rotational motion of ball elements to create a new paradigm in self-aligning bushings. Topball bushings feature an increased load capacity and prolonged travel life that is unmatched by other slide bushi (more)


Keeping Debris Out with Cable Carriers

Posted by: Willie Costa on Jan. 11, 2010 (Comments: 0)

Cable carriers (also called drag chains, energy chains, or cable chains depending on the manufacturer) are pre-formed, flexible structures that are designed to surround and guide flexible cables, wires, hoses, and other types of support hardware used in (more)


Choosing the Correct Ball Screw

Posted by: Willie Costa on Jan. 11, 2010 (Comments: 3)

A ball screw is a mechanical device for translating rotational motion to linear motion with little friction. A threaded shaft provides a spiral raceway for ball bearings which act as a precision screw. As well as being able to apply or withstand high th (more)


Grounding Ring Ensures Maximum VFD Performance

Posted by: Willie Costa on Jan. 18, 2010 (Comments: 0)

Variable frequency drives (VFDs) add an unprecedented level of controllability to motors, however they can sometimes lead to increased maintenance costs if care is not taken to ground the system properly.  Specifically, improperly grounding the mot (more)


Linear Roller Bearings Boost Load Capacity 20x

Posted by: Willie Costa on Jan. 18, 2010 (Comments: 0)

The Thomson RoundWay series of linear roller bearing packs extreme load-carrying capability into a very small package.  These unique bearings are designed for high-intensity linear applications, and range in size and capacity from the tiny 3” (more)


Belt squaring, lacing, and products videos

Posted by: Willie Costa on Feb. 8, 2010 (Comments: 0)

Browse through Flexco's collection of online videos that will answer all of your belting questions, including how to properly square a belt with worn or warped edges, specifying lacing types, technical hints and tips, and much more.

To view a vi (more)


Using Rawhide Gears for a Quieter, More Efficient Operation

Posted by: Willie Costa on Feb. 15, 2010 (Comments: 0)

Osborne Technologies, a division of Mound Tool Company, purchased the Rawhide Gear Division formerly belonging to the Chicago Rawhide Company. With restored original product records dating back 100 years, the company is now able to manufacture gears to (more)


Four Ways to Boost the Efficiency of Pneumatic Systems

Posted by: Willie Costa on Feb. 15, 2010 (Comments: 0)

Throughout most of industrial history, nearly every plant had an air system, which was fed by central compressors that operated whether production was being done or not. However, modern facilities managers are realizing that air is not free, and as such (more)


Strip Curtains Prevent Energy Cost Hangups

Posted by: Willie Costa on March 4, 2010 (Comments: 0)

Plastic strip curtains are hardly high-tech - there's not a single microchip in them - but they can help you save money in ways that more expensive solutions can't match. When installed in a doorway, they provide a simple, see-through barrier between ro (more)