EASA protects the image of electromechanical service

Electrical Apparatus, May 2002 by Jones, Kevin

The association's June convention in Cincinnati will show how independent companies can put their best face forward

POLISHING AND SAFE--

guarding the image of the electromechanical service and sales industry is the aim of much of the conference program being held June 16-- 19 as part of the Electrical Apparatus Service Association Convention in Cincinnati.

Apart from the keynote address-- which will feature a celebrity speaker, former Cincinnati Reds catcher Johnny Bench, talking on a topic unrefated to electromechanical service-- the only session that is not being held consecutively with others is a general session examining what effect, if any, motor repair has on efficiency.

In that session, EASA Education and Technology consultant Austin Bonnett, along with Brian Gibbon of England's Dowding & Mills PLC, will report the results of a motor rewind study undertaken by EASA and its British counterpart, the Association of Electrical and Mechanical Trades, in response to lingering concerns that efficiency might be compromised by repair.

The study was performed in response to concerns raised ten years ago, at first by Canadian utilities and then by such U.S. organizations as the Washington State Energy Office and the Rocky Mountain Institute. The Canadian utilities had sought-as part of their rebate initiative-evidence that repair did not compromise efficiency. An unintended consequence of their inquiry was to raise suspicions that maybe it did.

Ironically, several of the organizations that first raised the repair/efficiency question no longer exist, and yet the question itself lingers among many industrial motor users and specifiers.

Questions of reliability and efficiency will also be addressed in a session on pump repair, in which the best candidates for repair will be identified and the different types of impellers and mounting methods distinguished from one another. The effect of wearing ring clearance on efficiency, along with performance curves, will be covered.

Helping customers establish a motor management program will be discussed by Bruce Benkart of MotorUp Premium Efficiency Motor Initiative, a utility-sponsored program based in Springfield, Mass. He will outline the Motor Decisions Matter campaign and certain resources assembled by EASA to help independent service companies become partners in efficiency rather than just drop-off points for damaged or worn-out machines.

Tackling a technical issue that can cause a customer to wonder if his best interests are being served, Ken Carr of Baldor Electric Co. will address the compatibility-or lack of it-between motors and pulse-width-modulated drives. In addition to explaining the basic phenomenon behind stresses and offering techniques for diagnosis, Carr will provide suggestions for eliminating or reducing the problem.

Business and finance

Safeguarding one's image will not be confined to technical discussions. Business and financial matters will be examined in light of this question as well.

The "image or stature" that certain accounts can bring to a service company is one of the topics that will be addressed during a session on account selling. John Monoky of Monoky Associates, Toledo, Ohio, will explain how to identify desirable accounts and pursue them in a systematic way. He will also describe the "buying structure and personality" of accounts that might lend prestige to a service company.

Minimizing customers' objections to prices will be discussed by Landy Chase of Charlotte, N.C., in a session that will also cover "professional ways to handle situations when a customer says `Your price is too high' or 'I need to think this over.'"

Not all the sessions will be about establishing or maintaining a favorable image. The program will be rounded out by a number of education breakout sessions addressing timely, and timeless, maintenance concerns.

EASA staff members Chuck Yung, Tom Bishop, and Cyndi Nyberg will present, together and individually, sessions on such topics as root cause failure analysis, materials for restoring worn surfaces, proper motor cleaning, and stator core repair.

Other sessions will include: John Mazurkiewicz of Baldor Electric Co. on troubleshooting and repairing servomotors; Abe WalkingBear Sanchez of Management Group, Inc., Canon City, Colo., on collections and sales; and Albert Bates of Boulder, Colo., on profitability.

Also on the program: Jim Krull of Columbus McKinnon, Amherst, N.Y., on rigging and hoist safety; Gary Lozowski of National Electrical Carbon Products on carbon brushes; and Paul Heikkinen of Industrial Repair Service, Farmington, N.M., on form-- coil motor winding.

As of mid-April, about 130 companies had registered to exhibit at the show. Exhibit hours are Sunday, June 16, 1:15 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Monday, June 17, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.; and Tuesday, June 18, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Further information about the convention is available from the Electrical Apparatus Service Association, Inc., 1331 Baur Blvd., St. Louis, Mo. 63132; (314) 993-2220; www.easa .com.