Can the U.S. Revitalize its Infrastructure?

Pushing the limits of an aging infrastructure, U.S. manufacturers face a future of increasing costs and instability unless new technologies and new investments can rejuvenate the system.

The following article was written by Travis Hessman of IndustryWeek

On Sept. 8, 2011, an Arizona Public Service field technician was sent out to a North Gila, Ariz., substation to switch a capacitor bank -- a routine job the technician had performed a dozen or so times before.

This time, however, he missed a step in the process, which knocked out the entire 500-kilovolt transmission line running through the substation.

Under normal circumstances, this wouldn't be a big deal. With a solid infrastructure operating within standard guidelines, this should have resulted in a brief, isolated outage.

But in our overstressed and under-maintained grid, that single transmission line was all that connected the region. Losing it sent a cascade of outages down the system, blacking out enormous swathes of Arizona, Mexico and Southern California, including all of San Diego and its 1.5 million customers.

Andrew Herrmann: "By making investments, you are actually saving money."

In total, the outage left about 2.7 million customers without power -- the second-most significant outage of the year next to the one resulting from Hurricane Irene.

For the hundreds of manufacturers scattered throughout the region, the outage was costly. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, these kinds of power failures cost companies between $20,000 and $2 million.

This was not a rare occurrence. In 2011, California led the country in outages with 371 -- more than double that of second place New York.

Such events confound an already-difficult environment for manufacturers trying to stay ahead in the United States today. Maintaining a profitable, competitive business with an infrastructure this shaky is increasingly difficult, and manufacturers are left largely unarmed in the fight to bring in the kind of investments necessary to change it.

So the question must be asked: Can the United States revitalize its infrastructure to provide manufacturers and businesses a competitive environment in which to operate and prosper?

 

State of the Infrastructure

The U.S. infrastructure was in bad shape coming into this decade. Rated "D" for overall performance by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in 2009, the entire system proved in dire need of some much overdue investment to catch up with global competitors.

"There is a real sense of urgency right now within the United States," says John McDonald, director of Technical Strategy and Policy Development for the Digital Energy division of General Electric Co. (IW 500/4). "We have an infrastructure that wasn't maintained very well for a long period of time. It's getting older, so the chances of catastrophic failure are now greater than they have been."

Catching the system up after such neglect to prevent this kind of failure will require an investment of $2.2 trillion over the next five years, says ASCE President Andrew Herrmann. And that is just to make a "B" on the next infrastructure report card.

Failure to make this investment, he says, will cost the United States hundreds of thousands of jobs and hundreds of billions from the GDP.

For the electric infrastructure alone, interrupted operation due to blackouts, brownouts and unstable supply could cost business an estimated $126 billion or more annually. To prevent this, the federal government, states or utilities would have to invest $11 billion per year, Herrmann says.

Though costly, "this would protect about 529,000 jobs, $656 billion in personal income, about $500 billion in gross domestic product and $10 billion in exports," he explains.

With manufacturers consuming one-third of the nation's total energy per year and total energy consumption expected to increase as much as 39% this decade in some regions, according to the World Resources Institute, the electrical grid becomes a critical piece of infrastructure to protect and maintain for U.S. manufacturers to remain competitive. It is critical for them even to stay solvent in today's environment.

With this kind of threat hanging over U.S. manufacturing, there is an increased need now to double-down on infrastructure investment on every level to help keep the United States in a competitive position, says Herrmann.

"We have an infrastructure in the United States that was essentially investments from the 1950s and 1960s. It's getting old," he explains. "If you don't maintain it, if you cut back on those maintenance budgets or the rehab budgets, it just gets older, and by not doing anything, the life actually gets shorter."

For the past few years, investment toward rehabilitating the aging infrastructure has been directed at a new technology that promises to help improve efficiency and productivity all through the system: the smart grid.

 

Smart Grid

The smart grid refers to a class of technology used to help bring utility electricity delivery systems into the 21st century, via computer-based remote control and automation, according to the Energy Department.

These systems help eliminate the labor-intensive meter reading and maintenance required of the old-fashioned (or "dumb") grid for the past century -- possibly including the kind of work that caused the 2011 Southwest outage.

Though still in its infancy in many respects, boosted by heavy investment from the federal stimulus, smart-grid devices are beginning to be used on electricity networks all the way from the power plants to the consumers .

With the automation this technology provides, "instead of building a new substation or buying new lines or purchasing more power, what utilities are doing is making better use of their existing infrastructure by improving efficiency," says GE's McDonald.

 

Distributed Generation

One way the smart grid is enabling improved efficiency is through distributed generation.

Capturing energy collected by solar arrays on private businesses and residences across the system and feeding it back into the grid, distributed generation works to help reduce energy strain by providing increased supply to every user during hot, sunny days when they need it the most.

With 3,360 solar panels installed atop its Chino-Calif. facility, Diamond Wipes International is able to produce twice the energy it consumes, which may save the company as much as $135,000 this year in energy costs while also contributing heavily to the overall power supply, says Tom Hill, vice president of marketing and sales at Diamond Wipes.

"We are a net benefit to the level of power in the overall grid at any point in time. That energy we are sending back is not really being stored, it is being used by other users of the power grid," he explains. "We are drinking from the great fount, and we are contributing daily into the overall system, which is being used by others."

On its face, distributed generation sounds as neat and beneficial as Hill describes it -- businesses work with the power companies to lower the strain on the grid, offsetting high-demand peak hours with green-energy supply, thus meeting the state's low-emissions requirements. But as Gregg Turner, director, Utility Segment at Eaton Corp. (IW 500/72) points out, the equipment on the utility side may not be ready for it.

The grid, he says, is still primarily designed to carry power only one way -- from the power plants to the customers. As power gets injected at the ends from distributed generation systems, he says, something as benign as a patch of clouds can spike and ultimately crash the system.

"What happens is, utilities are faced with periods where power is injected back into the substation on one leg while other legs are trying to feed out their normal loads," says Turner. "[This] causes a level of unbalance that, if not properly managed, results in the substation going entirely offline."

Power flowing intermittently in different directions to and from manufacturers, he says, actually increases the operational stress on the system and can result in increased instability -- exactly what the system was designed to prevent.

 

The Solution

The key to making this technology work -- and really the key to revitalizing infrastructure in general -- is investment. Traditionally, this has meant cash injections from the federal level, but in the current political environment, there is little hope of this coming through.

"Right now, we have limited power in DC," explains Herrmann. "We have discussions between the two parties, but they aren't agreeing to too much of anything. It seems to be a standstill at this point."

"Basically," he argues, "politicians are afraid. They are living on two-year life cycles, four-year life cycles." For leaders worrying about re-election, raising taxes for infrastructure improvements is simply not an option.

"Getting them to actually make the investment and realize that they'll save money by making the investments, that's the hard part," he says. "That's why we're trying to educate the public. They're the ones that elect them. When a politician says, 'I can't raise the gas tax because I won't get re-elected,' if the public starts saying, 'I want these better things, and you're going to have to do something,' maybe things will start changing."

This kind of public awareness is critical for change, he says. To keep U.S. manufacturing growing, the nation must bring infrastructure back to the forefront to help make these investments make sense in our difficult economic environments. Revitalizing the infrastructure means getting projects through and matching new technologies with a well-maintained system.

As Herrmann explains, "By making investments, you are actually saving money. You're saving sitting in traffic, you're saving brownouts, you're saving loss of jobs and costs to the gross domestic product and industry. These are things that are going to be coming up. If you make the investment, you're going to be saving dollars."

Have You Heard About BERT?

We recently came across a new product called BERT and thought it sounded pretty fantastic!

Are you interested in reducing your energy costs? If you answered "yes", perhaps you should do a little investigation into BERT. 

BERT is a smart plug/timer that helps you reduce your energy management costs for any building by turning electric devices on and off on a pre-programmed schedule. Plug the BERT device into your wall outlet, plug an appliance into BERT, set up a schedule on your computer and watch for the savings on your next electricity bill. While we haven't used the BERT system, we think it is a great idea! Check it out at www.bertbrain.com

The Latest Edition of AMMJ: Asset Management & Maintenance Journal?

Have you had a chance to check out the latest edition of the AMMJ? If not take a look, the March 2012 edition has a survey looking a different CMMS systems. Check out the MainitMizer™ survey which begins on page 37!

 

Click Here to Download the Latest AMMJ

American Manufacturing Decline

We recently ran across this article published on Information Technology Innovation Foundation's website. Based in Michigan, we have seen the decline in manufacturing both in our backyard and through our clients. Whether you take a moment to read the summary below or the entire article, we hope you find it as interesting as we did. Our hats go off to the Manufacturing Industry, we know how hard you work and how important you are to the overall health of our economy.

Worse Than the Great Depression: What the Experts Are Missing About American Manufacturing Decline: Executive Summary
 
In the 2000s, U.S. manufacturing suffered its worst performance in American history in terms of jobs. Not only did America lose 5.7 million manufacturing jobs, but the decline as a share of total manufacturing jobs (33 percent) exceeded the rate of loss in the Great Depression.¹ Despite this unprecedented negative performance, most economists, pundits and elected officials remain remarkably blasé about what has transpired. Manufacturing, they argue, has simply become incredibly productive. While tough on workers who are laid off, outsized job losses actually indicate superior performance. All that might be needed are better programs to help laid-off production workers. And there is certainly no need for a determined national manufacturing competitiveness strategy.

The alarm bells are largely silent for two reasons. First, most economists and pundits do not extend their analysis beyond one macro-level number—change in real manufacturing value-added relative to real GDP—which at first glance appears stable. But this number masks real decline in many industries. In 2010, 13 of the 19 U.S. manufacturing sectors (employing 55 percent of manufacturing workers) were producing less than in 2000.²

Second, and more fundamentally, U.S. government statistics significantly overstate the change in U.S. manufacturing output, and by definition productivity, in part because of massive overestimation of output growth in the computer and electronics sector and because of problems with how manufacturing imports are measured. When measured properly, U.S. manufacturing output actually fell 11 percent over the last decade while GDP increased 17 percent, something that has not happened before, at least since WWII.

Moreover, manufacturing productivity grew by just 32 percent, not the reported healthy number of 72 percent indicated by Bureau of Economic Analysis data.³ If productivity growth was actually 72 percent, one would expect that U.S. manufacturers would have added plenty of machines and factories over the last decade to be more productive, as they have done every decade since WWII. In fact, total U.S. manufacturing capital stock increased just 2 percent, compared to historic rates of growth of between 20 and 50 percent per decade.

Thus, while superior productivity increases played some role in declining manufacturing employment, the overriding factor was output decline, highlighted by a striking result: if from 2000 to 2010 manufacturing output had grown at the same rate as that of the rest of the business sector, the United States would have 3.8 million more manufacturing jobs today and at least another four to six million jobs from the multiplier effect. What so many pundits miss is the centrality of manufacturing (and other globally traded sectors like the conventional wisdom that U.S. manufacturing job loss is simply a result of productivity-driven restructuring (akin to how U.S. agriculture lost jobs but is still healthy) is fundamentally flawed software) to U.S. economic health. In a comparison of 10 nations, including the United States there is a strong (0.57) correlation between change in manufacturing employment between 1987 and 2005 and total economy-wide employment growth from 2005 to 2010.⁴

As such, the conventional wisdom that U.S. manufacturing job loss is simply a result of productivity-driven restructuring (akin to how U.S. agriculture lost jobs but is still healthy) is fundamentally flawed. U.S. manufacturing lost jobs because manufacturing lost output, and it lost output because its ability to compete in global markets—some manipulated by egregious foreign mercantilist policies, others supported by better national competitiveness policies, including much lower corporate tax rates—declined significantly.

Even if experts acknowledge that manufacturing’s share of output has declined, many comfort themselves with a narrative that such decline is inevitable. “Manufacturing is in decline everywhere, even in China,” they argue. They would be wise to consult actual data, for they would find that while manufacturing has declined as a share of GDP in some nations (notably Canada, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States), it is stable or growing in many others (including Austria, China, Finland, Germany, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, and Sweden). The loss of U.S. manufacturing is not due to some inexorable shift to a post-industrial economy; it is due to a failure of U.S. policies (for example, underinvestment in manufacturing technology support policies and a corporate tax rate that is increasingly uncompetitive) and the expansion of other nations’ mercantilist policies.⁵

Some go so far as to assert that manufacturing industries are “old economy” and that it is a reflection of failure, not success, if a country has a manufacturing sector that is either stable or growing. Perhaps they are thinking of the kind of factory represented in old movies, television shows, or news clips: dirty, clunky, mechanical havens filled with low- and moderate-skilled workers producing commodity products. They would be well-advised to visit the clean, streamlined, IT-driven manufacturing facilities operating in the United States today. The new facilities use advanced technologies and employ moderate- and high-skilled workers to turn out advanced products, from jet aircraft, computers and semiconductors, and advanced instruments and vehicles, to sophisticated chemical and biological compounds.

Others now argue that because a few manufacturing jobs have returned that the United States is poised for a manufacturing renaissance. But the rebound looks as good as it does only because the prior loss was so steep. The United States lost two million manufacturing jobs during the Great Recession, and since then a little over 166,000, or 8.2 percent, have returned. At the rate of growth in manufacturing jobs in 2011, it would take until 2020 to return to where the economy was in terms of manufacturing jobs at the end of 2007.⁶

So much of the debate and rhetoric around U.S. manufacturing is erroneous, precisely because the core data on manufacturing output and productivity are so flawed. It is time for this debate to be informed by accurate data and thorough analysis. We need to arrive at a point where anytime someone asserts that the loss of manufacturing jobs is due principally to superior productivity growth, the statement is challenged as inaccurate. And
THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION FOUNDATION | MARCH 2012
likewise with statements like, “since we have lost so many manufacturing jobs, it proves that it is no longer an important industry”.⁷ The reality is:

• A large share of manufacturing jobs was lost in the last decade because the United States lost its competitive edge for manufacturing. It was due to a failure of U.S. policy, not superior productivity. 
• The loss was cataclysmic and unprecedented, and it continues to severely impact the overall U.S. economy. 
• Regaining U.S. manufacturing competitiveness to the point where America has balanced its trade in manufacturing products is critical to restoring U.S. economic vibrancy. 
• Regaining manufacturing competitiveness will create millions of higher-than-average-wage manufacturing jobs, as well as an even greater number of jobs from the multiplier effect on other sectors of the economy. 
• The United States can restore manufacturing competitiveness and balance manufacturing goods trade within less than a decade if it adopts the right set of policies in what can be termed the “four T’s” (tax, trade, talent, and technology).⁸

This issue is too important for policy to be informed by poor data and shallow analysis. It is time for economists, journalists, policymakers, and others to get the story

1. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics (manufacturing employment, seasonally adjusted; accessed March 14, 2012), http://www.bls.gov/ces/; Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States: 1941(Washington, D.C.: 1942), http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/statab1901-1950.htm. Jobs figures are for January 2000 to December 2010, and 1929 to 1933. From 1929 to 1933, U.S manufacturing employment fell by 31 percent.
2. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Gross Domestic Product by Industry Accounts (real value-added by industry, value-added by industry; accessed March 3, 2012), http://www.bea.gov/iTable/index_industry.cfm.
3 This 72 percent figure uses updated Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) value-added numbers. The official Bureau of Labor Statistics value-added productivity figures have not yet been updated with the new BEA data, and thus 2000-2010 manufacturing labor productivity growth is currently reported as 66 percent.
4 Bureau of Labor Statistics, Division of International Labor Comparisons, International Comparisons of Labor Force Statistics (Washington, D.C.: BLS, 2011), http://www.bls.gov/fls/flscomparelf/lfcompendium.pdf. Author’s analysis.
5. See Stephen Ezell and Robert D. Atkinson, “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Innovation Policy” (Washington DC: ITIF, 2010), http://www.itif.org/publications/good-bad-and-ugly-innovation-policy.
6. Ibid.
7. Robert Reich, “Manufacturing Illusions,” HuffPost Business (blog), February 17, 2012, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-reich/manufacturing-jobs_b_1285909.html.
8. Robert D. Atkinson and Stephen Ezell, “A Charter for Revitalizing American Manufacturing” (Washington, DC: ITIF, 2011), http://www.itif.org/publications/charter-revitalizing-american-manufacturing.

25th Anniversary of Chernobyl

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. It is a day remembered for fear, uncertainty & sadness. With the current Fukushima nuclear plant crisis, Chernobyl is looked to for answers, and dare I say it, hope. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev spoke along side Ukrainian President, Viktor Yanukovich at a ceremony to remember the April 26th 1986 disaster. 

Medvedev spoke about the need for transparency when disaster like this happen. "Because the world is so fragile and we are all so inter-connected, any attempts to hide the truth -- to refrain from talking about something publicly, glossing over a situation, making it more optimistic than it is -- these subsequently result in the tragic loss of human lives"

Read more detailed information check out www.reuters.com.

Super Bowl: Football VS. Commercials

I'm sure there are many football fans who roll over in their graves every year because the day after the Super Bowl it isn't just the game we talk about, it's also about the commercials. How did our society every come to this? We hate commercials, will do anything to eliminate them from our everyday TV viewing, but not on Super Bowl Sunday. The commercials that are shown during the Super Bowl have become part of our tradition, elevated and anticipated.

There is no argument on who won the Super Bowl, the winner is the team with the most points after the clock reaches zero at the end of the fourth quarter. You score points by reaching the opposing team's end-zone, ball in hand adhering to a very specific list of rules. (Nice job Packers!) But who won best commercial and why?

Super Bowl commercials tend to be funnier, more risque, slicker, have more celebrity cameos, and cost a lot more money to make, produce and to run on national television than their every-day counterparts. So why isn't there a trophy for that? I guess it's because it's subjective than crossing a line first, or getting an object into a net. Rating a commercial is more like rating diving or ski/snoboarding/skateboard jumps, it is subjective.

Most news outlets have weighed in on this question, here are my choice, Volkswagon Darth Vader commercial, it appealed to everyone, was unexpected & memorable. I also have to add my two-cents for Chrysler's 200 commercial featuring Eminem. Born in raised in the outskirts of the Detroit suburbs it gave me goosebumps, hope & pride.  Good job Chrysler!

MaintiMizer BlackBox™: Editors Top Gadget of the Week!

Be sure to take a more in-depth look at MaintiMizer BlackBox™ at www.ashcomtech.com! We're sure our newest product won't disappoint you! What are you waiting for check it out today!

Ashcom Technologies Launches MaintiMizer BlackBox™: Computerized Maintenance Management To Go

Ann Arbor, Michigan (November 1, 2010) – Ashcom Technologies, Inc., announces the launch of MaintiMizer BlackBox™, a “plug and play” version of its popular MaintiMizer™ Web-based computerized maintenance management system (CMMS).

Don’t let it’s small size fool you, MaintiMizer BlackBox™ takes up less space on your desk than a standard lunch box, but packs a powerful punch that is sure to get your maintenance costs under control, while improving quality, and increasing productivity. MaintiMizer BlackBox™ gives you options so no matter your situation, it will work for you. Choose to connect the self-contained unit to your network and/or to the internet via hard-wired Ethernet cable or wirelessly. The simplicity of the system eliminates the need to have an IT specialist on site, and if you need help, Ashcom’s technical support specialists are there for you! Implementing such a comprehensive solution has never been easier! MaintiMizer BlackBox™ comes with MaintiMizer™, Microsoft SQL Express, Web server pre-installed and pre-configured and features a redundant hard drive and built-in backup to a USB memory stick.

Timothy Good, president of Ashcom, explains the idea behind MaintiMizer BlackBox™; “We’ve spoken to many small and mid-sized organizations that have told us they’d like to use MaintiMizer™, but that they simply don’t have the staff available to install, configure, and maintain the system. MaintiMizer BlackBox™ eliminates that hurdle—anyone, no matter what their level of computer experience, can simply plug in this self-contained appliance and be off and running in minutes. And because we’ve built remote access into the system, our staff of maintenance management experts will handle all updates and any necessary troubleshooting. We’ve designed MaintiMizer BlackBox™ to be accessible and affordable ‘computerized maintenance management to go’ for companies of all sizes.”

MaintiMizer BlackBox™ has all the functionality of the MaintiMizer™ Web-based CMMS, including work order, preventive maintenance/equipment, inventory, vendor/purchase order, timecard, and utility modules. Each module opens to a “dashboard” screen, allowing users to see critical information at a glance. All MaintiMizer™ systems are designed to be easy to learn and easy to use, even for people with little or no computer experience.

Good concludes, “Every company, no matter what its size, needs to proactively manage its operations to save money and improve productivity, particularly in this economy. With MaintiMizer BlackBox™, any organization can enjoy the bottom-line benefits that come from using a CMMS.”

Los Alamos National Laboratory has been working on technology to better secure liquids brought onto airplanes. The Magnetic Vision Bottled Liquid Scanner (MagViz BLS) uses magnetic resonance technology to determine if the  molecular structure of a given liquid/gel has explosive properties. The equipment is about the size of a dorm-room refrigerator. The container is placed inside the box, behind closed door, and within 15 seconds either a red or green light on top of the box lights up indicating whether or not the liquid inside poses a threat.

It will still be sometime before a device like this is rolled out nation-wide but I think this technology shows the great strides forward we are making in airline security.

For more information please check out LANL's website or read Susan Montoya Bryan's article in The Washington Post.

CMMS: A Cross-Functional Footprint

“Maintenance has gotten incredibly complex,” says Craig Miller, who spent 19 years at a large baking plant and was president of the users group of the MaintiMizer CMMS from Ashcom Technologies, Ann Arbor, Mich., before becoming that company’s sales and business development manager. Decades ago, he says, “All a maintenance manager had to worry about was getting the job done by the end of the day. Today, it’s all hands on deck.”

He says companies should start with their own regulations, standards and practices before diving into the software. “Say you’ve got a 50-ft.-long Teledyne Readco oven with brownies going through it. Your CMMS details the asset — the oven, combustion details, model number, serial number, what parts are on it ... what's been replaced, performance trends to analyzed. All your PMs [preventive maintenance] would be generated based on that information, with frequency and tasks defined by and based on standard operating procedures.

“The system can't just say ‘check conveyor.’ Well, check it for what? Because if an oven’s down in a bakery, you could lose days of production.”

There is a possibility that CMMS/EAM systems can become a cross-functional documentation across the plant. Management mandates to conserve budgets and information technology standards are factors that could hasten such integration.

It’s been my goal to get our users to realize there’s a bigger spectrum here,” says Ashcom Technologies’ Craig Miller. He says sanitation, quality, research, environmental, safety and other non-maintenance personnel all can use a single CMMS/EAM system and eliminate the duplication of efforts in multiple software systems. Consider how the maintenance system can bring together these people and practices:

• Food quality/safety: Work orders can be printed with accompanying SOPs, GMPs, HACCP procedures and more. “Quality and research can actually tie into the system. Maybe there are metal detectors or check-weighers they need to maintain and calibrate for their inspectors, and they need to know who worked on them last,” Miller says.
  
• CIP/Process sanitation: The sanitation department can share documentation such as CIP procedures, which can be hosted in the maintenance system. “I coach many customers on the use of CMMS for CIP. You’d be amazed how many sanitation departments don’t use anything to document this.” It’s a no-brainer to use the CMMS to track cleaning for assets already in the maintenance system, he says. Documentation, which can include images and material safety data sheets (MSDSs), improve safety in handling chemicals as well as complying with FDA regulations and other standards.
  
• Worker safety: When an unsafe platform in front of an oven is classified as part of the oven, the safety manger may write a note or a safety work order. But it lacks the depth that a CMMS/EAM system can bring to track the problem and priority and its cause. A recurring problem can be diagnosed for its root cause. That fix can be a particular operator that needs retraining or a flawed work process that needs to be revised.
  
• Security: The CMMS can track personnel from building and site entry to exit, including through hazardous area access, providing procedures and tracking locks and gates. RFID technology can be applied to personnel, materials and assets throughout the plant.
  
• Environmental: The CMMS can record the delivery of liquid ingredients into 2,500-gallon tanks, handling of 5,000-gallon grease traps, the movement of other materials per EPA Title V operating permits (also 40 CFR part 70), air emissions and effluent. Likewise, the system can manage MSDSs and reporting under SARA Title III/the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act.
  
• At the docks: While maintenance there is relatively low, plants still need to meet safety and cleanliness standards that the maintenance system can track, such as forklift maintenance, the use of food-grade grease when food contact is an issue, segregating food materials from cleaning chemicals and other documentation required by FDA regulations or standards such as those from AIB.
  
• Pest control: A grain manufacturer realized its CMMS could be a part of its AIB compliance when it numbered and tracked its 150 rat traps in the system. “They have to know where those traps are in the building, they can’t just put them out there and forget about them,” says Miller. A clipboard can be lost and it lacks the ability to easily track the traps and their contents.
  

This excerpt was originally published in Food Processing Magazine written by Bob Sperber.

FCC Updates Wireless Devices and Health Concern Consumer Fact Sheet

The FCC has issued an updated consumer fact sheet on wireless devices and health concern. The updated fact sheet was released last week without a formal announcement which has left many consumer advocate groups upset. The main change in the fact sheet is the FCC eliminated their previous suggestion of consumers purchasing phones with lower specific absorption rates.

There has been a lot of debate & few studies with conclusive evidence showing the effects of radio frequency on human tissue as a result of cell phone usage. Some believe it can be linked to cancer, while others say there is no evidence of ill-effects. The FCC has played mediator for these two schools of though. Requiring specific absorption rates to fall below the 1.6 national limit as well as offering guidance surrounding limiting exposure to cell phones.

Several advocacy groups have focused in on specific absorption rates of cell phones, most notably San Francisco, whom have passed an ordinance (to take effect February 2011) requiring cell phone companies to clearly list the radiation emissions of their products. Currently the FCC only require that cell phones pass their absorption tests. There is no requirement to list the rates on the phone or on the packaging. CTIA, a wireless trade group has filed a lawsuit to stop the San Franciscan ordinance from taking effect stating that specific absorption rates are not a good measure of radio frequency radiation exposure and that this would effect many companies including Apple, AT&T, Verizon and Motorola negatively.

Check out Cecilia Kang's article, FCC changes cellphone safety guidance.

Stop Hitting Snooze!

Are you tired? Tired of being jolted awake by the inhumane buzz of your alarm clock? Tired of you're spouse's alarm clock waking you up hours before you need to get up?  Lark Technologies Inc. is tired of it too. They are introducing their new product, Lark Up, a new silent alarm system built to wake you up gently like nature intended.

Lark Up requires an iPhone in addition to the Lark Up docking station & wrist band. The band is placed on your wrist before you go to bed and at the specified time it will silently vibrate to gently wake you. This product was shown at TechCrunch Disrupt-San Francisco this week and was picked by CNN to be listed as one of the 6 company startups trying to change the world (to read the entire article please go to CNN.com). While Lark Up has not been released yet, you can pre-order yours or learn more information at OurLark.com.

Ashcom Technologies Inc. does not endorse Lark Up or Lark Technologies Inc.

Cloudy with a 100% Chance of Enhanced Operational Efficiency

An Excerpt From: 

A Brief Introduction to Cloud Computing by Jonathan Hakim 

Software as a Service (SaaS), also commonly referred to as “cloud computing” or “on-demand services,” is sweeping through enterprises in just about every industry.  With SaaS, a customer licenses an application for use as a service on demand, either through a time subscription or a “pay-as-you-go” model, rather than purchase the hardware and software to run a standalone application on their own.

In a SaaS model, customers need only a computer or a server to download the application and Internet access to run the software.  While there is a considerable amount of hype around on-demand services, there are some very real advantages plants can leverage to enhance operational efficiencies, improve reliability and drive ROI up from their predictive maintenance and condition monitoring programs.

The catalyst behind increasing interest in on-demand services in manufacturing is plants’ requirements for services that deliver reliable information and analysis, accessible anywhere in the world 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  SaaS technology enables this “always on” business culture and removes the responsibility of implementing and maintaining IT infrastructure, which require hardware investments, software licensing and support costs.  Rather than spending time managing an IT network, plant managers are free to take on critical projects that will help them reach their reliability and uptime goals.

The Cloud is Accessible to Everyone

One of the primary benefits of cloud computing is that only minimal PC and technical components are necessary because cloud computing resources remain on the remote data center site.  In many cases, the web services deliver content to a thin client machine via a web browser.  The client computer resource requirements are low, needing only a decent Internet connection to the data center and basic Windows components such as a Remote Desktop client and a modern web browser.

The first question many manufacturing companies have when it comes to adopting a new technology like SaaS is whether it will require major up-front capital investments.  Oftentimes, even if the application or operating systems themselves aren’t expensive, plants will need to prepare their current infrastructure for the new product’s integration, which can lead to unforeseen costs.  SaaS, however, is not one of those technologies.

Look Beyond Cost-Savings to Business Benefits from the Cloud

Though SaaS has considerable cost benefits, plants that rely on the cloud solely for that reason are selling the technology short.  The first, and most important, reason plants should evaluate SaaS for their IT infrastructure is because it enables managers and employees to better share the results of their maintenance and reliability efforts.  Rather than sharing information amongst a small group in the engineering department, general machine condition health information can be accessed by all stakeholders in the enterprise or local plant.  This way, the condition monitoring program does not operate in a bubble and is accessible to personnel from operations, management, maintenance and engineering who are then in a position to make informed decisions that affect plant production and outage planning.  This sharing of information can ensure that the plant runs smoothly, and managers outside of the condition monitoring program always have the most current machine condition information.

Remote access greatly enhances condition monitoring data analysis practices.  Cost-cutting and lean manufacturing have led to a more distributed workforce including many remote employees. In this scenario, SaaS can have great benefits because isolated employees need only an Internet connection to perform a review or analyze work.  For instance, ordinarily a technician would collect machinery health information on a data collector and download information at the end of the day to a terminal where it would then be stored for analysis.  In a cloud computing environment, the worker can upload the information using a wireless network so remote engineers can review the data in near real-time, as well as store and retrieve data history and reports.  This gives them the ability to accurately assess the situation on the ground rather than having to re-deploy a technician to fix a problem after they have come back from the field.

Tackling Fear of the Cloud

Fear of cloud computing has been widely publicized within the media.  In fact, according to the ISACA IT Risk/Reward Barometer survey, nearly half of the 1,809 US IT professionals surveyed said that the potential risks associated with cloud computing outweigh its benefits and that 25 percent of respondents do not plan to use the cloud for any IT services.  This data is misleading because SaaS is a relatively new technology for the manufacturing industry, and the benefits and risks have not been clearly defined as of yet.  The technology is maturing, but is still in its relative infancy and many companies are currently evaluating the technology to see how it fits within their IT infrastructure.  Many of the claims made against SaaS are groundless and rooted in a fear of the unknown.  With the right education and partner, a plant can easily become more comfortable about the safety, security and reliability of its data in the cloud.

The key to alleviating cloud fears is to evaluate the potential SaaS partner’s network and security model and see how well it maps to the plant’s infrastructure.  The customer’s IT department should be directly involved in these discussions from the start.  They are truly the experts and have a specific set of criteria for their own enterprise network.  Here is a quick list of questions you should be asking that are helpful in appraising a cloud vendor’s security model:
 •   Do you clearly understand how the cloud computing offering
      works from the SaaS vendor?
 •   Does the vendor meet the IT security model of your plant?
 •   Does your plant have the delegated ability to control access
      to their system?
 •   Will your plant have clear lines of communication with the
      vendor for sales and technical support needs?  Does the
      vendor have a structured change management and
      patch management process?
 •   Can I obtain a copy of my data if I need to?

Flexible Cloud Deployment Models

An under-reported benefit to deploying cloud computing within your IT infrastructure is the flexibility it offers. While many companies wring their hands when thinking about sharing their sensitive information with a third party, SaaS technology has matured to the point where manufacturing organizations can put as much, or as little, data in the cloud as they are comfortable with at any one time.

Admittedly, cloud computing is still at nascent stages of adoption for predictive maintenance and condition monitoring initiatives, so we strongly recommend “doing your homework” along with implementing a thorough evaluation of a potential SaaS partner. Customer support, uptime and security protocols should be at the forefront of your discussions when evaluating vendors, especially if this is your first foray into the cloud. A good SaaS partner is critical as it will be the key in helping your plant achieve the performance and budget goals that will catch the eye of senior management and keep your predictive maintenance and condition monitoring programs running smoothly.

To view the entire article please check out reliabilityweb.com or AshcomTech.com to learn about what MaintiMizer.com™ has to offer.

Discovering the Nature of Your CMMS Package Needs

Never has there been a simpler solution to your maintenance needs than a CMMS System. It's simplicity, convenience, reduced costs and maintenance management all wrapped up in one neat package that is designed to meet your needs. Computer Maintenance Management Software is not exactly the latest breakthrough in the software development market, but its one that has come to change how maintenance departments operate in any given facility.

When you are out looking for maintenance management software, you are guaranteed to find many options. Unfortunately, not all of them can adequately apply to your situation without falling short on one or two of the standard CMMS tools. That is why the very first step to buying a CMMS program is to understand your needs. This will help you narrow down on the kinds of EAM software the market has to offer. The next step is more important though, and that is learning the nature of the package you get.

How big do you want the CMMS program to be? Is it going to be operating in a small facility with little maintenance needs or is it going to service a huge company with hundreds or thousands of employees? This is the first question that begs to be answered as the kind of software you get has to handle all the work you throw at it without it slowing down or developing faults. Is said facility/company going to have its own server or is it going to depend on the vender for keeping the system going. There are pros and cons to having a web-server and a personal server to hold the software. If your company is spread across different locations, a web server is the best choice, since the internet will allow for geographical flexibility. That means that the same system can be accessed from different points as long as there is the availability of the internet. But if the facility is centrally located in one place, then you can have your own server and in turn, complete control of your CMMS software.

How does the maintenance management system handle the work orders? Intuitive handling of this specific component will ensure fluidity in the operations. When a scheduler carefully indicates or dispatches info on where someone is supposed to be and at what time, more work gets done. A friendly user interface with little complexities helps end users get more accustomed to using the program as well. Does the package you get offer you comprehensive coverage of your inventory? And does the preventative maintenance tool guarantee you detailed data about the equipment you are using? These are important questions to ask as you proceed with learning the nature of the package that you are in the market for.
A good vendor should understand your needs first before presenting you with the products they have. They should take your hand and guide you through their programs so that you can choose the best one. At Ashcom Technologies, that is precisely what you are guaranteed, and much, much more.

Ashley Combs

The Resurgence of Bed Bugs

Recently, there has been a lot of talk about the resurgence of bed bugs. Bed bugs were very common until they were nearly eradicated from the U.S. mid-twentieth century. In a joint statement, The Center for Disease Control (CDC) & The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggest that the increase in bed bug populations stem from increased travel, increased resistance to pesticides, lack of bud bug knowledge and the decline or elimination of local pest control programs.

Bed bugs are difficult to treat as they can live for months without feeding, are excellent at hiding, and quickly become immune to chemicals made to suppress them.  Bed buds normally live within 8 feet of their feeding ground (IE, your bed) but can travel up to 100 feet in a single night. There has been no proof that bed bugs transmit disease to their victims. Their bites can trigger mild (small, inflamed bite mark, think mosquito bite) to severe (anaphylaxic shock) allergic reactions and secondary infections of the skin (try not to itch!). The bed bug presence in the home can also cause mental health (anxiety & insomnia) & economic (purchasing new furniture, bedding, carpeting, or rugs, pest control related costs, and possibly moving expenses) hardships.

So what can you do to reduce the chances of breading a ground for bed bugs? When you stay at a hotel keep you suitcase in the bathroom if possible, this may help minimize bed bugs from becoming sow-aways in your luggage. When you return from a trip "heat treat" your luggage & clothing (IE, put them in a hot dryer) to kill the bugs that may have tagged along. At home, remove clutter around you bed so that they have fewer hiding places, become a vacuum guru and religiously vacuum your bed, bedding & their surrounding areas to remove possible bed bugs, seal cracks & crevasses so that bed bugs cannot gain entry, & finally if necessary, use non-chemical pesticides (such as diatomaceous earth) to kill the vermin.

Read the entire CDC/EPA statement, Bed Bug Control in the United States for more detailed information.

 

The Best CMMS for your Business

Failing to take advantage of the latest technology to improve your business is like having a car and taking the subway to work- it simply doesn't qualify as practical. Computer Maintenance Management Software is not exactly next generation, but when it comes to improving your maintenance management, it is your best companion. It's agreeable that the importance of a CMMS is beyond question, but what's a good CMMS? On a company scale, you have to think about everyone, and how easy a time they will have operating it.

Usability is the first major characteristic that you need to look for in a CMMS program. Not everyone majored or studied IT. For a database that may have high levels of sophistication, a CMMS may take some time to register with your employees, especially those that are directly going to make use of it, and probably on a daily basis. Try to get software that will be easy to understand and operate. True, some intrinsic parts like settings adjustment and may require someone with IT knowledge, but all in all it should be easy to operate and run. The shorter time it takes to understand it, the better. Some CMMS systems offer a wide variety of features, but this usually comes at the expense of increased sophistication. If it's too hard to learn, your employees won't be too happy using it- and that is the undesired outcome. The simpler, the better- questions of whether it offers many features not withstanding.

Choose a CMMS program that you can easily customize to your liking. If you purchase pre-manufactured EAM Software, it may not exactly be tailor-made for your kind of company. Some features you get might not apply while other important ones might be missing. It is well to study the CMMS tools a system has to offer before taking it in. If at all possible, get one made with your predefined specifications. If you need it to emphasize on the inventory part and the scheduling, make the request. The other option is to get one that is made to be customized. It will be easier to marble it to its most workable form as far as your company is concerned.

Decide the kind of CMMS system that works best for your business- as far as network preference is concerned. If your business is centered, within a specific geographical location, then a LAN-based CMMS might be best. If one the other hand you work on a regional scale, where the same CMMS is in employment, then web-based is best.

Budget well for your EAM software- it does not come cheap. Saying that your company will hardly be affected financially is a misstatement, especially if it is a small enterprise. A good CMMS Program with an abundance of features might set you back a couple of thousand dollars. True, it is worth every dollar when it is in full operation, but make sure that you can afford it, without running into financial hurdles down that fiscal year.

If the aforementioned describes the kind of CMMS system that you want, Ashcom Tech has you covered.

Ashley Combs

To Be or Not to Be: Park51 at Ground Zero

We have all heard the debate about whether or not a Muslim mosque, Park51, should be built at ground zero of the 9/11 tragedy. While I have not wanted to turn this blog into a place for political/social/religious debate I cannot ignore this story and wanted to share a wonderful article on the subject. Until this article, I have seen local/national reporters bring us the latest poles and opinions on TV. I have read several articles in magazines, in papers, and online. Most of them have had the same view point, the same story. Position A vs. Position B. The result: the debater only hearing his/her own voice, ignoring the opposition's point, no matter how poignant or thought provoking it maybe.

I am please to say that I have found a wonderfully written article that takes on a broad spectrum of view points and opinions. Please take the time to read Thanassis Cambanis' article, Looking at Islamic Center Debate, World Sees U.S.

Cambanis' article gave me hope instead of the usual: opponents = "racist, religious intolerants" and supporters = "unsympathetic supporters of terrorism", he broadens the perspective to encapsulate how other parts of the world are viewing America during this controversy. Some view this dispute a credit to our values of freedom, we still are trying to uphold the constitution even though the situation makes it difficult. Others are accustomed to having their government tell them where & what religious views can be practiced and wonder why our government doesn't just say "yes" or "no". There are those who view American's as anti-Muslim & Islam, and those who remind us that Judaism & Christianity are banned in some parts of the world. I just thought this was a thoughtful article and had some new perspectives I haven't heard voiced during this dilemma. I hope you find it as enlightening as I did. May the world find PEACE.

America Redefining "Normal" During the Ression

Below is my summary of Nin-Hai Tseng article about 5 "New Normals" for the American public.

Long Term Unemployment:
We all are hoping for the 10% nation-wide unemployment numbers to decrease but a new question is arising, how low will it go and how long will it take? Researchers predict that by 2013 rates will have fallen to 6.8% but that is still a hefty percent considering pre-recession numbers hovered around 4.6%. Have we or will we be so accustomed to the high unemployment numbers that unemployment is the "norm"?

Renting Rather than Owning:
Homes were once seen as cash-cows, increasing in value while providing necessary shelter, and then homes changed into retirement funds, being sold for a large profits. Today, with our housing crisis, homes are not seen as investments, in fact many may feel they are shackles. Owning a home was once a status symbol everyone wanted, today, renting is becoming the "norm".

Saving in lieu of Spending:
Well if there is one thing we should learn from our financial predicament it is that we, Americans, over spend. We purchase things to feel good, because we want them, because we deserve them, but not because we need them or can afford them. Research suggests that Americans are saving more. [Hooray, you can teach old dogs new tricks!] Of course, less spending isn't helping our economy, but in the long run I think we'll be better for it. Saving, this a "norm" I can rally behind.

Stay-cations Instead of Vacations:
With American's trending to save more, vacations have been put on a budget. Fewer people are flying to their vacation destinations. Instead they are opting for driving or choosing Stay-cations (stay-at-home vacation).

Increased Taxes for 'the Wealthy':
President G.W. Bush's administration enacted huge tax breaks for wealthy American's. President Obama hopes to reverse this by redefining tax brackets next year to equalize the nations tax structure. While the increased tax revenue the government collects will help with our national budget, some critics think this plan will only stifle our fragile economy.

Read the whole article at Forbes.com.

Are The Big Three Making a Sustainable Come Back?

Ford Motor Company made more money in the last six-months than it did in the last five years combined. Is this a signal that our economy is finally rebounding? I certainly hope so. While I'm sure everyone will agree that a stronger, more stable economy will set all American's at ease, the question of when and how has been elusive. Take a peek at Bill Vlasic's cautiously optimistic article, Detroit Goes From Gloom to Economic Bright Spot in The NY Times. Happy Reading!

CMMS Will Work for Food

It’s always “safety first” for Ron Nelson. “The four pillars of manufacturing are safety, quality, service and cost,” says the plant manager of HP Hood’s Philadelphia plant, which processes 30 million gallons of milk and cream a year for its various dairy products and brands. “You can’t do one without the other. If you’re hurting people just to get an extra case out the door, that’s not safe, and that’s not how we operate.”
At the Philly plant, all 160 employees are encouraged to submit a safety hazard recognition report anytime they see a problem. Under Nelson’s leadership, the facility addressed more than 500 safety-related work orders last year and has gone two years without a lost time accident. The plant was recently awarded the company's President's Safety Award for its excellence in safety.
Where do all those suggestions go? Into the computerized maintenance management software (CMMS) system — it’s where action is.

Read the full article here.

Food manufacturers rejoice! Your answer to quality control lies in CMMS software! Check out Aschom Technologies' MaintiMizer™...you won't know success until you've tried it!