In the trenches: Acme discovers it has highly rewarding but unsavory billing practices
An acme employee alerts upper management of a pricing scheme within the company that cost clients millions annually. Instead of investigating the accused, Acme demoted and eventually fired the accuser.

Think you’re smarter than a maintenance technician?
Skilled maintenance technicians are a rare and desired group, and their average compensation package is rising. These "grease monkeys" are smarter than you think.

What Works: Polypropylene unit increases production, saves energy
Extruder lubricant upgrades allow higher throughput and reduce motor loads.

Adopt new directions in industrial lighting
As the industrial sector continues its transition to a 21st century digital age, many issues affect production facilities and their lighting systems. Find out what they are and how your plant can benefit by changing.

A critical look at compressed air energy rebate programs
Across America, utilities use energy rebate programs to provide industrial users with incentives to reduce compressed air energy consumption. In the worst case, energy rebate programs merely help compressor manufacturers sell higher-cost, so-called more efficient compressed air equipment.

Good reliability and maintenance is the key to lower insurance
The rising popularity of business interruption (BI) insurance has insurers looking more closely at the facilities they underwrite. Few companies realize how much their poor maintenance, engineering and management practices might be costing them in insurance premiums, says Editor in Chief Paul ...

How to look at energy use as a productivity index
Seek a fine compromise between precision and usefulness when creating your corporate energy plan, says Peter Garforth in this month's Energy Expert column.

What Works: Loading dock rain seals protect shipments and bolster productivity
Wisconsin-based paper maker faced a problem with heavy rains and snow melt interfering with trailer loading. Learn how their solution increased productivity in this What Works case study.

Learn this maintenance mantra: You don't know what you don't know
There seems to be a universal sense of denial amongst decision-makers, says Keith Mobley in this month's Boiler Room. Find out how to admit what you don't know, and how to improve your plant in the process.

Web Hunter: Tools to use when confronting heat exchanger problems
The technology is available for evaulating and troubleshooting the different types of exchangers. You should know about the software and calculations you’ll need to document and design the units and Executive Editor Russ Kratowicz points you to free web resources that do just that.

CMMS budgeting and control functions help manage costs
You’ll find the level of sophistication of the budgeting and costing features integrated into many CMMS packages rivals any ERP or accounting package, says David Berger in this month's Asset Manager column.

The three major energy villains keeping your plant from realizing savings
These villains break down into a number of areas where major wasted energy dollars usually lurk. Individually, or as a team, they’re out to sabotage your plant’s energy resources. If you want to be the hero at your plant and rid your world of the D-Energizers, get your utility belt ready and ...

The ABCs of using ultrasound to monitor bearings
Follow this first hand account of ultrasound condition monitoring and learn the basics of this useful practice.

Robotics is the way of the future and present for manufacturing
Learning to put robotics to use is an essential survival skill for U.S. manufacturers as robots become more efficient, reliable and easier to control while the available labor market shrinks with automation as part of the solution to fill the gap.