Letters / InTech voices

InTech, Apr 2003

Perhaps an Pluto?

Thanks for the excellent article on setting up sales calls today [Industry View, February 2003]. I have been in the rep business for 27 years, including owning my own agency for 16 years, and the problem of the amount of time it takes to set up sales calls today has become my single biggest problem.

I just read one article on setting up sales calls that recommended sending "a plant, flowers, or a gift." They failed to mention one should perhaps check into the company's policy on gifts before doing something so stupid. This is the type of stuff you typically read. These people must live on Pluto.

It is by far most acute when you have a regional manager coming in, and you have what I call the "one day window"-- you get a lot of people who can see you, but not on that day. I know of some reps who are now telling regional managers not to come in, which in the old days was the kiss of death.

* John Sundbeck, Glen Instrument Co., Rochester, N.Y.

Quizzical query

I always enjoy reading/answering the quizzes. In the January installment [CCST, January 2003], you refer to an "electronic DP cell."Are you aware that DP cell is a registered name of The Foxboro Co.?

These instruments are really DID transmitters.One of my first supervisors at what was then Taylor Instrument Co. (circa 1968) would never let anybody make the mistake of calling a non-Foxboro transmitter a DP cell. In Jim Morgan's memory, I pass on this info to you.

* Roy A. Ratcliffe, RM Controls, Newbury Park, Calif.

Financial fuss

Mr. Burgman is correct that adding more buses will add to a plant's support costs ["Triple the trouble," Letters, February 2003]. However, he is mistaken to assume that was not considered in our analysis-we did not have time to discuss all critical details.

We do not wish to imply having more than two or at most three buses in a single facility is likely or the norm. We do challenge him to look closely at his existing facility-he will likely be surprised how many protocols are in use. Thus, it was our intention to describe at least a basic tool to let engineers make educated guesses on the cost impacts of buses on the plant floor.

We also believe he overstated the financial impact of multiple buses on plant maintenance. Multiple industrial networks have been the norm in many plants for years. For example, the Rockwell PLC 5 supports DF1 Serial, EtherNet/IP, DH+, RIO, DeviceNet, and ControlNet, and we often see most of these deployed in a single plant. All other PLC vendors have a similar multitude of communications systems supporting Ethernet, RS232, remote IlO, and a data highway of their choice as a minimum. Buses are just the latest rendition of this multiple network situation. What makes the difference between this situation being tolerable or intolerable is the quality of integration of these different networks.

Many vendors are putting considerable effort into systems to make the mix of buses simpler than Mr. Burgman described. For example, the DeltaV system integrates Foundation fieldbus, Profibus-DP, DeviceNet, and AS-i into a single host with a common configuration tool, not four separate tools.

We conducted interviews with maintenance staff in companies that have installed multiple buses, and not one wanted to remove any of those buses. All found their maintenance situation improved, and the incremental knowledge needed to support each new bus was a secondary concern.

While using a single bus on the plant floor would be ideal, it is not the real world today or in the near future. Drive manufacturers do not yet support Foundation fieldbus, and DeviceNet on most pressure transmitters is still a distant dream.Thus we see little choice but to use multiple buses or traditional wiring instead of a bus. We believe our tool will at least provide some real guidance for installation cost. Certainly more work is needed on the long-term cost.

* Eric Byres, BCIT, and Ian Verhappen, Syncrude Canada

Hands-on experience

I read your Viewpoint in January 2003, and it reminded me of when I had a shop with almost 20 employees. When I went out selling, I had the idea that I was there to solve a problem, not deliver the best quality, and if I made a living at it, that was why I was in business. It must have worked because we worked 70 hours a week and had a three-month backlog.

I also read your article on why engineers should have an MBA degree ["How important is an MBA to an engineer?" Career Front, January 2003]. I only went to IT for two years, but between reading and practicing since, I feel that I am an expert in the following fields: mechanical engineer; efficiency expert; automation engineer; hydraulic and pneumatic; electrical and electronic; computers and computer programming; business management; salesmanship; machinist; tool maker; process engineer; foreman; setup man; single and multiple spindle screw and chucking machines; NC and CNC machines; welding, braising, and silver soldering; and internal, external, surface, and tool grinding.