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November 30, 2005

Electrophysics® Develops Sole Solution For Capturing Night-Time or Low Light Imagery

Electrophysics, one of the worlds leading manufacturers of night vision solutions, is pleased to offer the AstroScope 9350. An advanced modular night vision system, the AstroScope 9350 incorporates a state-of-the-art image intensifier that transforms dark scenes, below 10-4 lux, into bright, high-resolution images.

Washington, D.C. (PRWEB) November 30, 2005 -- Electrophysics, one of the worlds leading manufacturers of night vision solutions, is pleased to offer the AstroScope 9350. An advanced modular night vision system, the AstroScope 9350 incorporates a state-of-the-art image intensifier that transforms dark scenes, below 10-4 lux, into bright, high-resolution images. At the 2005 GVExpo, Electrophysics will demonstrate the AstroScope’s ease-of-use and ability to converts many cameras and camcorders into night vision image capture systems that produce high quality imagery in near total darkness.

AstroScope incorporates a Gen III image intensifier into an advanced interchangeable module and features a custom relay optic, which generates sharp, edge-to-edge image detail without the vignetting normally associated with night vision photography, making it the highest performing system available for night vision photography or videography. Electrophysics also offers a wide range of intensifier performance levels and camera specific adapters and brackets that allow users to customize the AstroScope that fit their individual camera models.

“The AstroScope 9350 delivers the performance that professionals in the military, law enforcement, government and news agencies rely on,” said Jay Jones, Director of Night Vision Sales for Electrophysics. “The 9350’s versatility combined with its ease of use, make it one of the most valuable additions to any camera bag.”

One of the AstroScope 9350’s most unique features is its extremely user friendly design and ability to interface with a number of cameras. Models of the AstroScope are available for the Nikon AF-Type and Canon EOS-type SLR and DLSR cameras, a broad range of camcorders, including the Canon XL-2 and Sony DSR-PD170 camcorder and 2/3” Broadcast ENG cameras.

At less than 10 seconds, set up is effortless, and essentially no additional training is required in order to operate. The AstroScope system - comprising a front lens adapter, CIU, and back body adapter - is mounted between the objective lens and the camera body. When used on removable-lens cameras, the AstroScope 9350 features a seamless electronic integration that maintains existing electronic communication between the camera and the objective lens. Many lens functions, including image stabilization, are maintained. In addition, the AstroScope 9350 is powered directly from the camera, eliminating the need for additional batteries or power sources. The AstroScope is also rugged, featuring an epoxy-coated aluminum chassis, designed to survive typical tough field conditions.

For additional information, please visit www.electrophysics.com.

Headquartered in Fairfield, New Jersey, Electrophysics develops advanced near infrared, night vision and thermal imaging systems for use in a host of imaging applications. Since 1969, Electrophysics has maintained its focus on delivering products that reflect the company’s exceptional engineering capabilities to meet specific real world demands while keeping pace with rapidly evolving imaging technologies. The Company has realized exceptional growth as a result of its customer-centric philosophy and remains firmly committed to continually innovating its products in order to enhance the experience of end-users. Electrophysics is vertically integrated with expertise in complex signal processing, optics, embedded software, PC software applications development and hardware design.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:43 AM | Comments (0)

November 29, 2005

Inspection System for High Mast Lamp Poles

High mast lamp pole structures are subject to failure due to high winds and corrosion. Traditional inspection techniques, like using binoculars from the ground, are totally inadequate to predict a high mast structural failure.

(PRWEB) November 28, 2005 — High mast lamp pole structures up to 150 feet high are failing and it is extremely difficult to predict these corrosion and weld-crack catastrophic failures. The availability of MastCheck, a high mast lamp pole inspection system, has taken the expensive decision to replace a pole from a subjective observation to a precise, high-definition analysis.

Utilivations products target predictive failure analysis and non-destructive tests and support the field inspection market with their patent pending MastCheck inspection system.

“MastCheck allows for rapid inspection, documentation, and quantitative analysis of fatigue and environmental damage before a structure collapse results,” explains Larry Anderson, Utilivations president. “The goal is to identify any structural problem in routine inspection, lamping, or other diagnostic review following hurricanes or other damaging influences. The high cost and poor efficiency of traditional high mast inspection methods do not adequately support the costly decision to replace or repair these very tall structures.”

High mast poles can now be completely inspected utilizing the integrated lamp-fixture lowering mechanism. The MastCheck product uses wireless video techniques that capture a complete 360° view of the entire structure. This data is transmitted on a wireless link for further problem analysis, quantitative results, and structure certification. Site data including pole identification, GIS location information, and foundation review is incorporated for engineering analysis and to aid in rapid deployment of repair crews when needed. Analysis is perfomed off-line so that the inspection task is quick and virtually automatic. The goal is to maximize the production of inspection reports, resulting in lowered costs and improved overall inspection production rates.

Utilivations, LLC is a leader in products for predictive analysis, maintenance, safety, and technical services for the electric power industry. Visit www.utilivations.com for more information.

MastCheck is a registered trademark of International Energy Products, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 09:29 PM | Comments (0)

Thermal Imaging Camera Captures More Than Your Imagination

Wahl Instruments, Inc. announces their New Heat Spy® Thermal Imaging Cameras. The Heat Spy® Imager (HSI) cameras will set the standard for high value cameras due to their capabilities and low price. Companies can now easily justify buying one or more Thermal Imaging Cameras which can be used by anyone in minutes, they are available online at www.palmerwahl.com.

Asheville, NC (PRWEB) November 29, 2005 -- Wahl Instruments, Inc. announces their New Heat Spy® Thermal Imaging Cameras. The Heat Spy® Imager (HSI) cameras will set the standard for high value cameras due to their capabilities and low price. Companies can now easily justify buying one or more Thermal Imaging Cameras which can be used by anyone in minutes, they are available online at www.palmerwahl.com.

The Wahl Heat Spy® Imager when integrated with a Pocket PC or PC, has the same ability as the expensive thermal imaging cameras to locate hot spots and indicate surface temperatures. In addition, it indicates the delta-T. Just scan target area, place hottest spot at center of PC's screen, indicated by a circle, and turn on laser. The HSI laser points to the hot spot shown on the screen identifying the problem and indicating the temperature. In addition, you can check any of the pixels on the screen which will tell you the temperature of up to ten pixels simultaneously, and the delta-T of any two pixels the User selects. You can also save the image into memory with complete ability to review every pixel and temperature differentials later. Temperature range and sensitivity can be set manually or automatically. Emissivity, temperature scale in °F, °C and K, color palette and image integration, can be set before and changed after taking a thermal picture. Each thermal picture, saved in memory, is automatically date and time stamped. You can write a descriptive label for the picture for easy retrieval later, and while using a Pocket PC, record details of your inspection in a Pocket Word document, or Notes. Voice recording is another way to document your comments. Then auto sync and export this information to your PC for report generating.

The Wahl Heat Spy® Imager is ergonomically designed, flexible, lightweight and easy to learn and use. Additional accessories including a Pocket PC, choice of two handles, digital photographic camera and a rechargeable camera light. Also, a neck strap to prevent from dropping camera. The Standard camera has a 20° field of view and a temperature range of -10/300°C .Cameras are also available in high accuracy, high temperatures up to 1000°C (1832°F), and for long distances with a 10° field of view lens. The cameras are CE approved and come with software, 2m RS232 connection cable, AC power adapter, 4-AA alkaline batteries, rugged carrying case, user manual and a one-year warranty.

This product is a valuable diagnostic tool for predictive and preventive maintenance. By detecting anomalies often invisible to the naked eye, the Heat Spy Imager allows corrective actions to be taken before expensive failures happen. Wahl Heat Spy® Imager can be used for inspecting electrical and mechanical equipment. Also, pipes on buildings, boilers and furnaces for insulation, tank levels, wet roof insulation, or process equipment failure, and many other applications.

For additional literature and/or to receive a free demo CD please contact us at e-mail protected from spam bots or call 1-800-421-2853, fax 828-658-0728. Write to Wahl Instruments, Inc., 234 Old Weaverville Road, Asheville, NC 28804. Visit our web site at http://www.palmerwahl.com.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 09:28 PM | Comments (0)

High Performance CCTV Night-Time Surveillance Without Breaking the Budget

Outfitting surveillance systems with the technology necessary to successfully monitor designated areas in all conditions, especially night and low-light situations, has become increasingly important given the rise of Homeland Security concerns.

Washington, D.C. (PRWEB) November 29, 2005 -- Outfitting surveillance systems with the technology necessary to successfully monitor designated areas in all conditions, especially night and low-light situations, has become increasingly important given the rise of Homeland Security concerns. Featured at this year’s GVExpo, the Electrophysics SunStar 300 CCD camera is the ideal addition to any 24-hour surveillance system as it’s equipped with a host of advanced, user-friendly features and doesn’t carry the price tag commonly associated with cameras of its caliber.

Featuring a low-light sensitivity of 0.00005 lux and a resolution of 580 lines, the SunStar 300 camera can be used to view scenes in nearly total darkness. The SunStar 300 attains an unprecedented sensitivity by special processing of the CCD signal by the simultaneous use of in-frame video signal processing as well as inter-frame integration allowing the camera to increase its sensitivity up to 600 times over other low-light CCD-based camera systems.

The SunStar 300 also features fully automatic gain control and an auto-iris, which allows the camera to operate automatically 24/7, in a totally passive surveillance mode. The SunStar 300 also incorporates anti-blooming circuit technology to reduce the glow typically seen on cameras that operate using image intensifiers during low-light conditions.

“At times, the cost associated with equipping video surveillance systems with low-light CCD cameras capable of night-time surveillance, can be quite overwhelming” said Jay Jones, Director of Night Vision Sales for Electrophysics. “With the SunStar 300, facilities can give their security personnel the ability to efficiently observe identified surroundings in low-light conditions, without over-extending their budget or sacrificing quality and precision.”

The SunStar 300 is also C-Mount compatible, expanding the user’s options as far as interchangeable lenses. Various housing options are also available for the SunStar 300 which allows the user to customize the camera for a variety of applications, including border patrol, perimeter security, airborne imaging, coastal surveillance, criminal investigation and force protection.

For additional information, please visit www.electrophysics.com.

Headquartered in Fairfield, New Jersey, Electrophysics develops advanced near infrared, night vision and thermal imaging systems for use in a host of imaging applications. Since 1969, Electrophysics has maintained its focus on delivering products that reflect the company’s exceptional engineering capabilities to meet specific real world demands while keeping pace with rapidly evolving imaging technologies. The Company has realized exceptional growth as a result of its customer-centric philosophy and remains firmly committed to continually innovating its products in order to enhance the experience of end-users. Electrophysics is vertically integrated with expertise in complex signal processing, optics, embedded software, PC software applications development and hardware design.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 09:27 PM | Comments (0)

November 28, 2005

LIOS Temperature Monitoring for Energy Transmission Systems - 10 km Within Reach

LIOS Technology introduces its next generation temperature sensing instrument to the electrical power industry. The product series OTS60P, OTS80P and OTS100P delivers increased performance and an extended measurement range up to 10 km at a single end multimode fiber.

(PRWEB) November 28, 2005 -- The applied Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry (OFDR) principle ensures a temperature survey even over long distances at an appealing spatial resolution of 1 m or even 50 cm, which suits the needs of the electrical asset operators.

The OFDR technology provides an almost invariant spatial resolution along the entire sensor length, which ensures to identify and clearly measure atypical hotspots (e.g. at cable joints) at early stages, even at most remote distances of currently up to 10 km.

This is in contrast to other measurement principles (e.g. laser pulse principle, OTDR), which are sensitive to dispersion effects and therefore affected by a broadened spatial resolution at longer measurement distances; in other words, the hot spot sensitivity of pulse type measurements degrade with a function of distance.

Increase grid security and prolong the working life of your facilities by a complete network monitoring solution based on distributed temperature measurement:

* The multi channel capability of the LIOS DTS is perfectly suited for the entire surveillance of a 3 phase cable system or a 2 x 3 phase double cable system – up to 8 independent channels per DTS unit are available.

* The powerful Ethernet TCP/IP interface simplifies links to network structures significantly.

* A direct link to SCADA and other overall management systems is ensured by well tested protocol conversion to industry standard protocols, like DNP3 or IEC 60870-5.

* Distributed temperature sensing is a powerful tool that allows to accurately rate the cables based on actual field conditions. It is especially valuable for dynamic rating, since the accuracy of the temperature modelling can be coupled with the monitoring and the predictive functions of the dynamic rating system. LIOS provides an integrated Real Time Thermal Rating (RTTR) evaluation via a well defined interface between its DTS data visualisation software and a commercialised – the industry’s de facto standard - cable ampacity program based on IEC standardised methods,

Our impressive track record in various market segments demonstrates high reliability and industrial strength.

The OFDR technology - with its approved optical components from the telecom industry - enables to provide sophisticated fibre optic temperature surveillance at commodity prices.
The applied light source is a modern and durable semiconductor laser diode, instead of a rather complex solid state laser, which powers typically Raman OTDR systems.

The semiconductor laser diode has been critically type tested according the Telcordia GR-468 standard and is fulfilling telecom standards with a medium lifetime of > 25 years. Not only the laser diode has been tested, the entire system was comprehensively evaluated by various independent international bodies (e.g. the Germany VdS, the association of German asset insurers), which includes EMI tests as well as endurance tests at accelerated aging environments.

The LIOS' DTS technology has been successfully proven in critical applications like fire detection in road and rail tunnels and special hazard buildings, power cable and transmission line monitoring, in oil & gas exploration for permanent downhole monitoring and for industrial induction furnaces surveillance, where these systems have been equipped in worldwide projects with more than 1000 permanent installations since 1997.

LIOS Technology GmbH
LINEAR OPTICAL SENSORS
Schanzenstrasse 6 – 20
51063 Köln/Cologne
Germany
Tel.: +49 221 676 3200
Fax: +49 221 676 2069

Further information about our products and services can be obtained at our internet site www.lios-tech.com

MEMBER OF THE NKT GROUP

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:01 AM | Comments (0)

AXIOMTEK’s Low Voltage ECX Embedded SBC Designed for In-vehicle Infotainment Applications

High Performance, Expandable ECX form factor board comes fully equipped to meet a variety of in-vehicle infotainment needs.

(PRWEB) November 28, 2005 -- AXIOMTEK, an Associate Member of the Intel Communications Alliance (ICA), a community of communications and embedded developers and solution providers, is proud to launch the first SBC based on the new Intel® Embedded Compact Extended form factor SBC, SBC84820, the addition of the computing platform to its growing Pentium M family line of SBCs. Available in a choice of configurations and options, the SBC offers developers a robust and reliable platform to build on with the added benefit of being able to realize faster times to market for new products.

This significant platform supported the onboard low voltage Intel® Pentium® M processor and ultra low voltage Intel® Celeron® M processors with processor speeds ranging up to 1.4GHz and 1GHz respectively. The Intel® ECX (Extended Compact eXtended) from factor calls for x86 architecture, CompactFlashTM storage devices, anti-vibration environments; and the ULV/LV CPU answered for less power consumption, minimal thermal output for a fanless solution. The tiny platform enables a plethora of in-vehicle infotainment applications, like a car.

It is powered by the Intel® 915GM and ICH*6M chipset. The Mobile Intel® 915GM Express chipset supports PCI Express bus architecture, a highly scalable general purpose I/O for the latest industry peripherals. The SBC84820 built-in Fast Ethernet port in default and offered optional full speed Gigabit Ethernet which through Intel® 82540QM Ethernet controller. The Mobile Intel® 915GM Express chipset integrates graphics function and supports dual channel LVDS for various embedded applications.

“The SBC84820 continues to strengthen our appeal to developers as they are able to come to one manufacturer for all embedded requirements,” said Matthew Lee, Vice President of Embedded Computing Division. “Each time we introduce a new product to one of our product lines, we are addressing customer needs. This has historically been our commitment to our customers and it will continue to be our commitment in the future.”

The tiny ECX platform supports one 200-pin DDR2 400 MHz memory with maximum 1GB SODIMM. Its outstanding display features with dual LVDS, DVI, TV-out and CRT for dual contents and different resolutions for advanced applications. In addition, AXIOMTEK's SBC84820 supported Serial ATA-150, PCI express expansion, AC'97 Audio, CompactFlashTM Type-II with DMA mode, and 4 USB 2.0 ports for high speed peripherals. It also offered stack-up add-on features as options.

This astonishing solution will be available in the middle of January, 2006. For more information or pricing, please contact your territory sales representative or e-mail protected from spam bots.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:00 AM | Comments (0)

The Nuclear Power Industry in the U.S. is Undergoing Change; Safety is No Longer the Main Issue

U.S. nuclear power is positioned for a return to favor. Several utilities are in the early stages of developing new nuclear generation facilities and several advanced designs are in the process of being certified by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. While many hurdles remain, the possibility of new U.S. nuclear capacity is becoming ever more likely and this source of incremental generation could play a key role in helping the U.S. meet its energy requirements in the coming decades.

Dublin, Ireland (PRWEB) November 28, 2005 -- The U.S. nuclear industry is in the midst of a rebirth. Safety concerns, once a primary obstacle to the further development of the industry, are being overshadowed by the need for reliable, clean and cost effective electric power.

Catalysts for the development of the industry include: the recent passage of the Energy Policy Act, significantly higher energy prices
and growing global warming concerns.

These are prompting electric utilities to reconsider nuclear generation as part of their portfolio to meet future load requirements.
The newly published study, US Nuclear Power 2006: A renaissance in the making takes a detailed look at the recent developments within this sector and makes recommendations and forecasts as to its growth.

This study explores:
* Government/industry programs promoting development in the sector
* Current public opinion statistics
* NRC licensing revisions to facilitate development
* New reactor designs and safety systems
* Economic, cost and environmental concerns
* Other obstacles to development

U.S. Nuclear Power 2006 offers a timely and in-depth analysis of the expanding US nuclear energy sector. With numerous new reactor designs moving closer towards certification by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, it is just a matter of time before new nuclear facilities come online in the U.S.

This study is designed for: strategic planners, business development staff and the financial community. The study is designed to keep planners up to date on recent developments and stay one step ahead of other market participants and competitors.

This anticipated industry renaissance is the result of a number of factors including: concerns over climate change, the rising cost of fossil fuels and growing global demand for power.

This study was published in November 2005, examines these and other drivers and explores industry issues and concerns such as the nuclear waste problem, reactor economics and emissions, the US Energy Policy Act, NRC licensing procedures and reactor designs under review.
The chapters that follow have been prepared to offer a timely and in-depth analysis of the expanding US nuclear energy sector.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c28486

Laura Wood
Senior Manager
Research and Markets
Fax: +353 1 4100 980

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:00 AM | Comments (0)

November 21, 2005

A Guide to the US Regulatory Structure in the Electrical and Gas Utilities Industry Including Rate Information of Over 150 Companies

Dublin (PRWEB) November 21, 2005 -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c27850) has announced the addition of State Regulatory Benchmarks of US Electric and Gas Utilities to their offering.

A number of our consulting clients have lamented about the dearth of readily available general information about the rate structures of various utilities in the US. What data is available through SEC filings is in many cases too thin. Data available through research organizations, albeit highly detailed, is in many cases just too expensive.

We have compiled an up-to-date comprehensive overview of each investor owned electric and gas utilities' general rate structures. State Regulatory Benchmarks of US Electric and Gas Utilities provides a comprehensive yet concise overview of the state regulatory structures of over 150 US electric and gas utilities. Information included for each operating utility includes general rate structure, allowed returns, initiation of current rate structures, pending rate cases, and fuel cost clauses. Also included are specific background information for each holding company including revenues, revenue rank, net income, net income rank, market capitalization year-end, market capitalization rank, total electric customers and total gas customers.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c27850

Laura Wood
Senior Manager
Research and Markets
e-mail protected from spam bots
Fax: +353 1 4100 980c

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:39 AM | Comments (0)

2002 Showed to be the Year of Scandals and Corruption for the U.S. Investor Owned Utilities Industry

Dublin: Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c27854) has announced the addition of Diversified Businesses of US Investor Owned Utilities - 2003 to their offering.

Diversified Businesses of U.S. Investor Owned Utilities 2003 has come to be acknowledged as one of the best and most complete independent utility financial benchmark reports available. It is researched and written by senior analysts and strategy consultants to the industry, who understand the industry not from just a financial perspective, but, from an operational perspective.

2002 was one of the most memorable years in the US utility industry. Scandals dominated the news, de-regulation struggled to stay alive, and hundreds of millions of dollars of market capitalizations disappeared. Companies scurried to sell assets at the demands of their creditors, while others found bargains for the taking.

The 2003 edition of our report has been greatly expanded. Some of the highlights include:
Coverage has been expanded to 100 companies from last year's 76
The company profiles have been expanded to include more independent power plant information, pipelines and gas gathering systems
The financial coverage goes even deeper, breaking out financial performance information on subsidiary basis
The extensive financial data-base is now web-enabled, allowing you and your analysts to down load financial information going back from 1998 through current financial reports for each company individually or for all companies included in the data base.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c27854

Laura Wood
Senior Manager
Research and Markets
e-mail protected from spam bots
Fax: +353 1 4100 980

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:39 AM | Comments (0)

The U.S. Energy Industry is at Turning Point for Deregulation with Enron Battling for Over 10 Years to Allow Competition to Enter the Market

Dublin (PRWEB) November 21, 2005 -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c27860) has announced the addition of Venture Investments of the Energy Industry: A Necessity For Continued Industry Innovation to their offering.

The objective of researching and writing Venture Investments of the Energy Industry: A Necessity for Continued Industry Innovation? is to highlight some of the venture success stories in the industry and to emphasis how critical venture capital availability is to continued industry innovation. The US industry is at a deregulation turning point, with the California debacle, the sins of Enron, and last year's out of control gas prices standing as testimony for those who would like to see deregulation go away.

Hidden beneath these headlines are a number of success stories that point to the benefits of deregulation-especially with regard to how competitive markets drive innovation. And for all the sins of Enron, the one positive thing that can be said is that Enron fought a 10-year plus battle to open the electricity industry to competition. Thus far, no other organization appears to be prepared to take-over Enron's leadership role with respect to keeping deregulation moving forward.

The stifling of innovation is unfortunately a potential outcome of the slowing of deregulation.
Venture capital has in many respects replaced most of traditional R&D activities in the energy utility sector. There are still a few utilities with real on-going R&D efforts such as AEP, Southern, Hydro-Quebec, Ontario Hydro, and BC Hydro, but all of these companies to a greater or lesser degree have also provided venture funding to independent start-up firms.
Rate of return economics centered on monopoly businesses does not spur innovation of technologies or growth in much more than assets. However, as the energy utilities industry deregulates, many of the markers for technology and business innovations have started to emerge.

These include:
A decrease in industry wide sponsored research. Industry sponsored activities frequently were too academic for application in operational settings and competition has removed much of the commonality that historically supported industry research bodies. Much of the industry wide research efforts now look more like business development efforts
A decrease in internal R&D expenditures. In many cases, R&D efforts have fallen victim to near term earnings pressures.
Increased availability of capital for emerging technologies.
The emergence of technologies that enable deregulation to occur and work to make a deregulated market more efficient.

The events surrounding Enron along with the dot-com bubble burst of 2000-2001, the crash of the IPO market, the lack of consistent deregulation business practice rules on a state by state basis, and the subsequent slow-down of deregulation, are all bad omens for innovations individually, and much worse when viewed collectively.

Meanwhile, the industry has become extremely dependent on external parties for driving innovation that will enable deregulation and make it work more efficiently. These external parties are in-turn dependent on venture funding. And for the most part, the venture-funding spigot has been reduced to a trickle.

True, there were many products looking for markets that were funded during the drunken sailor days of venture capital excesses, and this industry was not immune. However, it can be argued that perhaps the pendulum has swung too far to the other extreme now, with many markets needing further innovation. Electric transmission, distribution reliability, aging infrastructure, real time pricing alternatives, and power quality are just a few areas that come to mind.

Venture Investments of the Energy Industry: A Necessity for Continued Industry Innovation? provides in-depth analysis surrounding many of the macro level issues discussed above. However, this report provides detailed case studies of the utilities most active in the venture arena, the venture capital firms most active in the energy sector, what investments have worked and why and what is promising on the horizon.
Enron was one of the most active corporate venture capital investors in the late 1990's, although many seasoned VC's say that the company was late to the game and frequently overpaid.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c27860

Laura Wood
Senior Manager
Research and Markets
e-mail protected from spam bots
Fax: +353 1 4100 980

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:38 AM | Comments (0)

Moeller’s Latest Innovation , the MSC Motor Starter

The latest Moeller innovation is the new MSC motor-starter: a combination of standard components including the new DILM motor contactors and the PKZ motor protective circuit-breakers.

(PRWEB) November 19, 2005 -- The latest Moeller innovation is the new MSC motor-starter: a combination of standard components including the new DILM motor contactors and the PKZ motor protective circuit-breakers. Four slim starter modules each with the same dimensions for AC and DC, significantly simplify planning and engineering. The newly developed DIL M motor contactors can switch motors up to 150 A. Their exceptional performance criteria such as pick-up and sealing consumption, space saving foot-prints and ease of installation make these contactors a state of the art, first class product line.

The new DILM Motor Contactors, up to 32 A, have the auxiliary contact built in, and the DC contactors include a suppressor circuit up to 150 A. From 12 A, the DC contactors have an electronic drive that removes the need for coupling relays. With all these extras already included in the contactors, your costs are clearly reduced.

The new DIL contactors are more compact than their predecessors, even though, up to 32 A, the auxiliary contact is included. The advantage of this is particularly striking with the DC contactors that now are the same size as their AC counterparts. This makes everything easier, i.e. planning, engineering and fitting, without having to alter the control system, even if the control current has to change for another customer.

KlocknerMoeller.com has the new DILM Contactor DXF CAD Files exclusively online for all your engineering and designing needs. You can view these files online at: http://www.klocknermoeller.com/klockner.moeller/

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:37 AM | Comments (0)

November 17, 2005

AREVA Utilizes ETAP for Electrical Distribution System Analyses in Olkiluoto 3, New Nuclear Power Plant in Finland

AREVA, via its joint subsidiary with Siemens, Framatome ANP, is utilizing ETAP for the design and analysis of the Electrical Distribution System (EDS) for the largest nuclear generation unit in Europe based on Evolutionary EPR.

(PRWEB) November 17, 2005 -- AREVA, via its joint subsidiary with Siemens, Framatome ANP, is utilizing ETAP for the design and analysis of the Electrical Distribution System (EDS) for the largest nuclear generation unit in Europe based on Evolutionary EPR.

The EPR, based on long proven pressurized water reactor (PWR) technology, originally designed by Framatome* and Siemens* in collaboration with the French and German Safety Authorities and Utilities, represents the results of intensive research and development based on the operating experience of nearly 100 nuclear power plants built around the world by AREVA.

The EPR as a 3rd generation-reactor is the state-of-the-art technology in terms of economy, safety and environment and the key development goals were to:

• Further increase safety and at the same time,
• Further improve economic performance.

The nuclear version of the Electrical Transient Analyzer Program (ETAP) power system analysis software is utilized to model Olkiluoto 3 (OL3) EDS and consequently to perform static and dynamic analyses such as voltage dip/motor starting and fault current calculations.

The analyses considered are (1) the EDS capability to supply adequate voltage to system loads under worst case demand loading condition, and (2) system component capability and ratings to withstand potential short-circuit conditions when the system are fed via normal and standby grids, main generator, emergency and station black-out diesel generators.

ETAP will also be utilized for further analyses, evaluation and investigation of OL3 EDS design basis.

*Early in 2001, Framatome and Siemens merged their nuclear businesses to form Framatome ANP, with AREVA holding 66% share in the new company and Siemens holding 34%.

About AREVA
AREVA is the world leader in every aspect of the nuclear power cycle and No. 3 worldwide in electricity transmission and distribution. www.areva.com

About Operation Technology, Inc.
Operation Technology, Inc. (OTI) is the developer of ETAP online power system analysis and simulation software. OTI is ISO 9001 certified, covering all activities related to design, development, production and support of ETAP products. Additionally, OTI’s Quality Assurance Program for critical applications includes Nuclear High-Impact Certification. www.etap.com

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:30 AM | Comments (0)

Electrophysics HotShot Named PLANT ENGINEERING Product of the Year Finalist

Electrophysics, a leading manufacturer of infrared, night vision, and thermography cameras, is pleased to announce that the HotShot, its cutting-edge thermography camera, has been selected as a finalist for the PLANT ENGINEERING Product of the Year Award.

Fairfield, NJ (PRWEB) November 17, 2005 -- Electrophysics, a leading manufacturer of infrared, night vision, and thermography cameras, is pleased to announce that the HotShot, its cutting-edge thermography camera, has been selected as a finalist for the PLANT ENGINEERING Product of the Year Award. Highly advanced and revolutionary, the HotShot combines superior performance and best in class ergonomic design in a low-cost and versatile package. Electrophysics is honored to be a part of this award that not only encompasses prestige, but is a symbol of quality and innovation in the industry.

Since its first issue in 1947, PLANT ENGINEERING magazine has stood as the leading problem-solving information source for America's industrial plant engineers. It has won virtually every readership study in its field over the past 20 years and well over 100 studies in all. The PLANT ENGINEERING Product of the Year Awards are amongst the most sought-after distinctions by manufacturers when establishing new products in the plant engineering industry. After finalists are chosen by a qualified group of senior engineers, they are placed into 16 different categories and are then voted on by PLANT ENGINEERING subscribers using a special online ballot. Awards range from Gold, Silver to Bronze and also include an overall Grand Award. The Product of the Year Awards will be presented at a black-tie reception during the National Plant Engineering and Management Show in March 2006.

An entirely new concept in industrial inspection data collection, the HotShot is the world’s first thermography camera with an integrated data logger functionality and icon-based user interface. The camera was designed specifically for industrial inspection of high voltage electrical systems, production machinery and buildings. The HotShot also features a unique rotating thermal camera head that enables framing of electrical and mechanical systems from floor level to overhead while maintaining an optimal viewing angle and hand position, even when operating in tight spaces.

The HotShot integrates a high performance micro-bolometer infrared sensor that delivers sharp, highly sensitive thermal images. An easy-to-use joystick control and 3.5” LCD touch screen with on screen control buttons help to facilitate the identification of inspection point locations, incident information and observation details that can later be automatically incorporated into reports. A Compact Flash accessory port provides an industry standard interface for a wide range of existing and future accessory devices including a visible camera, CF memory cards, a WiFi card and a miniature hands-free viewfinder. The USB port and active sync provides an easy method for downloading data to a computer. In addition, the HotShot is also extremely lightweight, weighing a mere 1.8 lbs and features a low-power design that will run for 4 hours on a single charge.

Headquartered in Fairfield, New Jersey, Electrophysics develops advanced thermal imaging, near infrared and night vision systems for use in a host of imaging applications. Since 1969, Electrophysics has maintained its focus on delivering products that reflect the company’s exceptional engineering capabilities to meet specific real world demands while keeping pace with rapidly evolving imaging technologies. The Company has realized exceptional growth as a result of its customer-centric philosophy and remains firmly committed to continually innovating its products in order to enhance the experience of end-users. Electrophysics is vertically integrated with expertise in complex signal processing, optics, embedded software, PC software applications development and hardware design.

For additional information and full specifications, please visit the HotShot product page at www.electrophysics.com

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:28 AM | Comments (0)

November 16, 2005

Homeowners Taking Action to Conserve Energy Costs this Winter

ServiceMagic® reports a 32 percent increase in online consumers’ energy conservation tasks.

Golden, CO (PRWEB) November 16, 2005 -- In the face of higher energy costs many Americans are choosing not to sacrifice comfort but instead are taking matters into their own hands. ServiceMagic, Inc., www.servicemagic.com">www.servicemagic.com, a national Web based business that connects consumers with prescreened and customer-rated residential contractors, reports a 32 percent increase in online consumer service requests related to energy conservation during the fall of 2005 as compared to 2004. Projects ranged from adding insulation to installing new doors and windows to servicing and replacing central heating systems.

“Americans have heard the warnings that energy costs are on the rise and they’re taking action. Some are addressing the issue with small fixes but many are thinking longer-term,” said Rodney Rice, co-CEO of ServiceMagic. “We continue to see consumers using our service to hire prescreened contractors to help them make their homes more energy efficient. From simple improvements like adding weather-stripping around windows and doors to more involved improvements like replacing older windows with double-pane, energy efficient ones, homeowners are doing their part to eliminate wasted energy and money.”

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average American household spends $1,500 annually on energy bills – a number that may go up as much as 50 percent this year. Almost half of that energy goes to heating and cooling the home. On average, homes heated with natural gas will see the biggest increase in energy costs this winter with a 41 percent increase, according to the Energy Information Administration, followed by oil with a 27 percent increase and households heated by electricity will see a 5 percent increase this winter. However, should colder weather prevail, expenditures could be significantly higher.

Taking action to conserve energy will not only lower monthly energy bills, but may help around tax time as well. Many homeowners may not realize that when tax season comes, they can benefit from their energy conservation efforts. Earlier this year, Congress passed the first comprehensive energy bill that will help American families save energy and money at tax time. Homeowners may be eligible to receive the following credits.

Up to 30 percent of the cost, or up to $2,000, for installing solar-powered hot-water systems used exclusively for purposes other than heating swimming pools and hot tubs.

Up to $500 on the amount spent to upgrade thermostats, to caulk leaks, or to stop energy waste.

Up to $200 credit for installation of new exterior windows.

Up to $300 credit for purchases of a highly efficient central air conditioner, heat pump or water heater.

Up to $150 for installation of a highly efficient furnace or boiler.

ABOUT SERVICEMAGIC®, INC.
ServiceMagic®, Inc., headquartered in Golden, Colo., is the nation's leading online marketplace
connecting homeowners with prescreened and customer-rated home service professionals. Using
proprietary technology to match consumer service requests with local service professionals in real time, the company addresses more than 500 different home service needs that range from simple home repairs and maintenance to complete home remodeling projects. ServiceMagic is an operating business of IAC/InterActiveCorp (NASDAQ: IACI). For more information visit http://www.servicemagic.com.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:30 AM | Comments (0)

Power Crews Return Home from South Florida

Kissimmee Utility Authority crews were part of a multi-utility mutual aid effort that helped return power to approximately three million Florida Power & Light customers that lost service after Hurricane Wilma.

Kissimmee, FL (PRWEB) November 16, 2005 -- Power crews from Kissimmee Utility Authority (KUA) returned home today after a 12-day hurricane relief mission in south Florida.

KUA's crews were part of a multi-utility mutual aid effort that helped return power to approximately three million Florida Power & Light customers who lost service after Hurricane Wilma.

The crews, which departed Central Florida on Nov. 4, worked in the Ft. Lauderdale area replacing power poles and hanging new wire.

The linemen from KUA included Alan Burkhardt, Eddie Gluc, Gary Guinan, Dustin Kelley, Jon Latiolais, Alberto Mercado, Rodney Rocker, Luis Santiago, Barney Thompson and Jason Wright.

This trip marked the fourth time in three months that KUA crews provided mutual assistance to hurricane-ravaged areas. In August and September, KUA employees helped restore electric service to those affected by Hurricane Katrina in Key West, Fla. and Kiln, Miss. In October, KUA crews traveled to the Fort Pierce/Port St. Lucie area to assist with Hurricane Wilma restoration efforts.

Founded in 1901, KUA (www.kua.com) is Florida's sixth largest community-owned utility providing electric and telecommunication services to 170,000 residents in five Central Florida counties.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:29 AM | Comments (0)

Belden Expands its Line of Industrial Cables for Variable-Frequency AC Motor Drive Applications

Belden CDT Electronics Division, a world leader in the development of specialty cable products for the industrial, commercial, broadcast and residential markets, announces the expansion of its line of Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) cables for industrial AC motor drive applications. Line additions include five Large AWG Symmetrical VFD cables and five new Signal Brake Pair VFD cables. The new cables supplement Belden's classic line of 16 to 2 AWG flexible VFD cables.

Richmond, IN (PRWEB via PR Web Direct) November 15, 2005 -- Belden CDT Electronics Division, a world leader in the development of specialty cable products for the industrial, commercial, broadcast and residential markets, announces the expansion of its line of Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) cables for industrial AC motor drive applications. Line additions include five Large AWG Symmetrical VFD cables and five new Signal Brake Pair VFD cables. The new cables supplement Belden's classic line of 16 to 2 AWG flexible VFD cables.

In industrial settings, VFD cables are used to carry power from AC drive systems to AC motors. In doing so, they are subjected to the high power levels of pulse-width modulated (PWM) signals, and also to extreme voltage. Voltage extremes can lead to a corona discharge between the cable’s conductors, damaging not only the cabling, but the motors, bearings, drives and related equipment. This can result in drive failure and costly production downtime. Conventional VFD cabling solutions, such as armored cable and lead wire conduit, are cumbersome and difficult to install and do not solve noise and corona discharge problems. Belden's full line of VFD cables were designed and engineered to overcome these challenges.

The Belden series of VFD cables now includes:
• Large AWG VFD Cable with Symmetrical Design. The new 1 to 4/0 AWG cables feature three stranded XLPE TC circuit conductors and two spiral copper tape shields that improve flexibility and EMI/RFI noise protection. Three symmetrical bare copper ground wires provide a balance ground system to reduce AC motor shaft voltage, which reduces the likelihood of premature motor bearing or insulation failure. The large VFD cables are designed for use on larger, more powerful AC motor drives.

• Signal Pair VFD Brake Cables. Belden's new 16 to 8 AWG VFD cables feature three stranded XLPE TC circuit conductors plus a full size insulated green/yellow ground wire, a dual (foil/braid) shield for effective EMI/RFI noise reduction, plus a signal pair for brake. The cables are round and smooth to allow proper sealing of glands and molding applications.

• Classic Series VFD Cables. Belden's classic line of VFD cables, offered in 16 to 2 AWG, continues to be the highest performing solution in the market. Oversized XLPE insulation provides the lowest capacitance available in a VFD cable and highly effective dual (foil/braid) shielding offers effective EMI low frequency and RFI high frequency noise protection. The cables also include a full-sized insulated green/yellow ground wire, plus they are round and smooth to allow proper sealing of glands and molding applications.

All of Belden's VFD 1000V UL flexible motor supply cables meet applicable industry standards and offer the robust construction required for superior electrical performance and reliability in the most demanding industrial environments. Thicker, industrial-grade XLPE insulation provides lower capacitance and more stable electrical performance and heavy-duty PVC jackets ensure oil and sunlight resistance. Belden VFD cables are tested and approved for use in Rockwell Automation AC drives and are also suitable for use with drives from other major manufacturers.

For more information about Belden's Variable Frequency Drive industrial cables for AC motor drives, contact Belden CDT Electronics Division, P.O. Box 1980, Richmond, Indiana 47375, or call 1-800-BELDEN-4 to request New Product Bulletin NP224. FAX: 765-983-5294. Or visit the Web site: www.belden.com.

About Belden CDT Electronics Division
Belden CDT Electronics Division, a unit of Belden CDT Inc., is a leader in the design, manufacture, and marketing of cable products for the entertainment, residential, industrial and security markets. It also provides highly engineered products for both the aerospace and automotive markets. Belden CDT Electronics Division is headquartered in Richmond, Indiana, it has manufacturing facilities in North America and Europe and distribution centers in the U.S., Canada, Singapore, Australia and the Netherlands. A majority of Belden's manufacturing, engineering and support functions are registered to the International Organization for Standardization.
Belden CDT Inc., formed in July 2004 through the merger of Belden Inc. and Cable Design Technologies Corp., is one of the largest U.S.-based manufacturers of high-speed electronic cables and focuses on products for the specialty electronics and data networking markets, including connectivity.

Media Contact:
Belden CDT Electronics Division
Frank Stone
1-800-BELDEN-4

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:29 AM | Comments (0)

November 15, 2005

Healthcare RFID Leader Announces Special 5th Anniversary Package

New Shepherd Door Alert Package to be sold for a maximum MSRP of $430. Management advises that with applicable instant on-line rebates the systems are available for as little as $95. Initial sales have been brisk. The systems will begin shipping in time for 2006 5th Anniversary. All systems and rebates are widely available through distributors, developers and user groups.

PORTLAND, MAINE (PRWEB via PR Web Direct) November 15, 2005 -- Parco Wireless announced today the release of "Shepherd" a new package designed to enable biomedical and material management staff to quickly, easily and cost effectively determine whether RFID tracking is appropriate for their institution. This package will be specially priced to help celebrate Parco's 5th Anniversary which begins in 2006.

The Parco Shepherd system consists of 20 Parco RFID tags and 1 Door Reader (Parco Part Number HWFBR-SYS.) The tags have a 4+ year battery life and can easily be attached to mobile assets such as wheelchairs, litters, infusion pumps, patient worn cardiac monitors and other high value mobile devices. The tags signal between 1 and 8 times per second (factory programmed) and are permanently sealed to provide better protection from moisture. The tags are compatible with all existing and future Parco RFID Tracking Systems.

The Door Reader is a new Parco product which is easily mounted above a door in the hospital's lobby. The reader is powered using an external transformer. The unit has a bright strobe-type light attached to the front. When a tag approximates a distance of 10 feet or less from the door the strobe-type light flashes alerting the security guard nearby that a tagged asset is about to leave the building. The Door Reader has an on/off switch, power transformer plug, reset button, power light and an input/output port which will support expansion devices including a planned WiFi interface.

The Parco tags can beacon 1 or more times per second which is most effectively demonstrated using the Parco Door Reader which identifies and alerts tagged assets while they are in motion. Competitor's tags and readers work less effectively because their tags beacon less than once every five seconds --- slower than the average person can walk through a door. The Parco tags have the best battery life and have been recognized with various awards from the industry.

Shepherd will be available at a discount from Parco Authorized Distributors, Developers and through a preferred customer referral website for $430. Distributors offering the special pricing include CDW Health, Accucode, QRS Medical and Accutech. Developers offering the special pricing include Aramark CTS, Patient Care Technology Systems, Phoenix Data Systems, Tagnos and the Parco Users Group.

Special marketing incentives including instant rebates are allowed with this package. Customers willing to participate in a couple of five question surveys and completing a referral form will receive instant rebates which reduce the price of the entire package to $95 excluding shipping and handling.

Orders are currently being accepted at a special website www.parcotrack.com (click this link to order.) The systems will begin shipping in December 2005.

Some restrictions apply including:
(a)All customers must accept and digitally sign the standard Parco End User License Agreement. (b)Limit one Shepherd system per customer campus building. (c) Available to qualified hospitals, long-term care facilities, medical clinics, surgical clinics, or similar healthcare related businesses. (d) Offer not valid outside of the U.S.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:36 AM | Comments (0)

Unique Solution to Fire Ant Infestation Problem

ARINIX™ is a nylon plastic material embedded with pesticide that can work as a barrier as daunting to fire ants as a giant river. The pests walk over it and quickly discover they have poison on their legs. They will avoid almost anything protected with the ARINIX™, from telephone switches to traffic signals.

SAN JOSE, CA, (PRWEB) November 15, 2005 -- The smallest of things can cause the worst havoc. Consider the red imported fire ant. It is only a quarter-inch long at its biggest. But this ferocious pest can bite with its powerful mandibles and sting its victims repeatedly with venom. As they spread like a virus, they leave widespread economic damage in their wake. The fire ants cause more than $1.2 billion in damage and control efforts in Texas alone, destroying or damaging crops, parks, school grounds, electrical wires, sprinklers, and anything else in their way. The invasion of the fire ants may sound like a bad science fiction movie, but the threat is very real.

A plastics and industrial products company that has been around for five decades, NIX, has figured out a clever way to repel these invaders and prevent them from damaging sensitive outdoor equipment. The solution, dubbed ARINIX™, saves a lot of money and maintenance headaches. No more do you have to spend money on frequent exterminations, replace damaged equipment, or clean up the damage the ants cause. ARINIX™ keeps fire ants at bay because it has an effective pesticide embedded in plastic.

“We’re just beginning to look at new uses,” said Gene Ozawa, president of NIX of America, the U.S. subsidiary of NIX in San Jose, Calif. “Dealing with fire ants is just one of many uses for ARINIX™. The applications go on and on.”

You can't fire bomb many pests. Eradication is a losing war. And fire ants are especially tough. Pouring pesticides on fire ant mounds fails to kill the queen ants that are buried deep underground. The queen can lay as many as 800 eggs per day, and a single colony may have several hundred queens.

“Eradication of fire ants is not going to happen, especially in the southeastern U.S.,” says Dr. Bastiaan M. Drees, one of the most respected fire ant authorities in the world and a professor of entomology at Texas A&M University. “Some have referred to attempts at eradication as the Vietnam of entomology.”

The ants keep spreading fast. If you've never traveled to the South, be wary of open pastures peppered with small dirt mounds. If you kick a mound by accident, the ants will crawl upon your leg in a swarm and attack with their fiery stings. The hum of electrical equipment is like a love song for these ants. Dr. Drees and Dr. Cook, Associate Research Scientist at the entomology department of Texas A&M University, say that the cold-blooded animals are attracted to the extra warmth that utility housings and other electrical devices give off during winter. The ants seek the shelter of these places during heavy rains. The ants chew on insulation, causing short circuits and switch failures.

Fire ants have infested the entire south from Texas to Florida. Experts predict the threat could spread to the West Coast of the U.S. and further north from the Southern states. If fire ants are anywhere near your location, you should think about ways to ward them off ahead of time. As you can see, this isn’t some vague threat like aliens from outer space. This is a real world problem with measurable costs.

In contrast to many pesticides, ARINIX™ is a long-term solution. Our own accelerated-aging laboratory tests have shown effectiveness for three to five years. Independent university tests have also proven that it works as a protective barrier against pests, including fire ants, other ants and most spiders.

“It’s a huge step forward for protection in commercial industry segments,” said Dr. Drees. “Prior to this product’s development, chemically-based treatments could not provide more than a year’s protection. Industries are looking for three to five years.”

ARINIX™ can save wiring and fuel injection systems in cars. It protects traffic control boxes, air conditioner vents, sprinklers, high-voltages transformers, outdoor sensors, security cameras, cable TV wires and boxes, utility wires and control boxes, bedposts and table legs for picnic tables, water heaters, sewer pipes, vents around building foundations, airport runway lights, nursery plant pots, museum storage, and vending machines.

Applying ARINIX™ doesn’t take rocket science. A technician with a pair of chemical-resistant gloves can easily install protection within a matter of minutes to create a continuous barrier around an object that needs protecting.

NIX is now introducing the product for general use to protect against fire ants and a wide range of other pests. The return on investment for using ARINIX™ is expected to be huge for companies and government agencies that lose millions of dollars in equipment a year to pests.

How To Obtain ARINIX™
For more information, you can go to www.ARINIX.com or phone NIX of America at 408-971-3115.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 02:35 AM | Comments (0)

November 14, 2005

India is Sixth in the World for Electricity Consumption Making the Market Strong for Investment

Dublin (PRWEB) November 14, 2005 -- Research and Markets http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c27522 has announced the addition of Future of Indian Electricity Sector (2005-2012) to their offering.

Indian economy growing as one of the fastest economies in the world naturally has a high demand for energy in particular electricity, about 8-9% every year. India's electricity consumption is at the sixth position globally with 606 units of per capita consumption per annum. Soon it will become 1000 units per annum by 2012. Such high demand accounts from large population growth, rapid industrialization and urbanization and increasing per capita income. Thus there is increasing opportunities for private investors to woo power generation and distribution. To further support this, the Union Government of India has budgeted Rs5, 750 billion to central. State and private power utilities to augur power generation, transmission and distribution.

To further add on, the Electricity Act 2003 and National Electricity Policy has made 100% FDI that has encouraged private companies to join CTUs/ STUs (Central Transmission Utility/ State Transmission Utility) apart from breaking state monopolization. Private companies are also forming joint ventures with as much as 74% of equity share as compared to Independent Power Transmission Company (IPTC). All these have entailed rapid privatization of the State Electricity Boards (SEBs) such as in Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Efforts are being made to privatize electricity distribution in other states as well.

International ties also propel growth in Indian power sector as also in talks held with Nepal and Pakistan to construct, exchange and form co-operatives in electricity generation and distribution and firm up position in South Asia.

Although the above gives and encouraging market scenario but factors like poor operational efficiency of the SEBs, subsidized tariffs, low budget for transmission and distribution, inadequate maintenance, high distribution losses and thefts and uncollected bills result in acute power shortage of as much as 11.7% in 2004-05.

This new market research report "Future of Indian Electricity Sector (2005-2012)" analyzes the Indian Electricity sector in light of the existing policy and regulatory framework. The report also studies the growth, performance and reform initiatives of the sector and provides statistical results on generation, transmission and distribution during 2004-05.

REPORT HIGHLIGHTS:
Overview of electricity sector casing the current sectoral reforms and achievements, supported by the key macroeconomic and demographic data afflicting the market growth.
Developments and structural changes in the government policies and programs.
Year 2005 data on value, volume and segmentation on the regional generation, distribution, and transmission of electricity.
Energy co-operation agenda within the South-Asian countries.
Monopolization and effect of privatization on the energy sector.
Drivers and barriers for the private companies to enter the market.
Employment opportunities in the sector.
Investment opportunities for the foreign companies to invest in the electricity sector.
Performance of existing power stations through renovation and modernization programs.
Performance rating of the state power sector across all states in 2004.
A seven-year forecast of the industry (i.e. till 2012).
An analysis of the key players in the Indian electricity sector and providing their company profiles and financial results.

REPORT FEATURES:
The "Future of Indian Electricity Sector (2005-2012)" report provides market data for 2004-05 and forecast till 2012. Giving a detailed analysis, chapter 2 gives an introduction and performance highlights of Indian Electricity sector in 2004-05; chapter 3 gives the status of power sector reforms; chapter 4 gives the latest government policies and programs; chapter 5 gives a regional analysis of Indian electricity in 2005; chapter 6 gives generation and power supply position in 2005; chapter 7 talks about Indian power transmission in terms of network, augmentation, open access system. Power trading and creation of national grid and chapter 8 talks about power distribution in terms of distribution companies, states' utility turnover and tripartite agreements.

Chapter 9 gives employment opportunities in the sector; chapter 10 talks on performance improvements; chapter 11 on challenges ahead; chapter 12 on investments opportunities for private companies; chapter 13 on performance rating of the state power sectors; chapter 14 on outlook of the electricity sector of 2012; chapter 15 on private companies' participation in power sector; chapter 16 on industry program for energy conservation; chapter 17 on recent issues and developments and. Chapter 18 gives an analysis of market leaders like NHPC, NTPC, DVC, PowerGrid etc., competitor profiles of central utilities, PSUs, JVCs & statutory bodies, and financial analysis.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c27522

Laura Wood
Senior Manager
Research and Markets
e-mail protected from spam bots
Fax: +353 1 4100 980

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:38 AM | Comments (0)

November 11, 2005

Wire Retrieval And Protection System Reduces Drywall and Low Voltage Rework in Home Construction

Speeds recovery of wire from plaster rings and protects wires and connectors inside the walls while keeping plaster rings clean from mud, paint and debris.

(PRWEB) November 11, 2005 -- MTM Industries introduces the Wire Retrieval And Protection System, (W.R.A.P.S.) , a product that eliminates expensive and time consuming wiring mistakes routinely dealt with by contractors.

W.R.A.P.S. (www.lvwraps.com) allows recovery of wire from plaster rings and protects wires and connectors inside the walls while keeping plaster rings clean from mud, paint and debris.

Those familiar with the aggravation and rework required to fish wires from muddy rings, call W.R.A.P.S., the “low-voltage contractors’ best friend.”

President of MTM Industries, Ken Kurtin, believes low-voltage contractors can reduce rework and save significant money by using this simple device.

“Low-voltage contractors don’t need to deal with cut wires and muddy junction boxes anymore. We can put a man on the moon, why should we stuff cardboard into boxes to keep mud out? W.R.A.P.S even prevents the Rotozip from destroying wires,” said Kurtin. “W.R.A.P.S. eliminates the hassle of having to recreate what you did four months prior, saving time and money.”

Contractors in the industry who have recently been exposed to W.R.A.P.S. find it an easy remedy for tedious work. This patented product is the first of many new products professionally designed by MTM Industries to effectively guard valuable installations from careless finishing contractors.

“Dealers who are now using W.R.A.P.S. have told us their installations are neater, more professional and even faster,” said Randy Hall, President of The Systems Depot. “It’s a unique product that gives the installer a more economical way to protect his rough-in so the trim-out process goes smoothly.”

The Systems Depot, master distributor of the W.R.A.P.S. product, is the fastest growing low-voltage distributor in the country with locations nationwide. After a successful introduction to the market in July, W.R.A.P.S. has experienced tremendous growth in sales and production.

For more information, visit www.lvwraps.com or call 888-LV WRAPS.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:39 AM | Comments (0)

November 10, 2005

NAWIC Invites Nominations for Its 12TH Annual CRYSTAL VISION AWARDS Program

NAWIC’s Crystal Vision Awards recognize two outstanding individuals for their contributions to the construction industry. Celebrating the achievements of individuals with vision who helped to promote, expand and encourage the role of women in the construction industry.

Fort Worth, TEXAS (PRWEB) November 10, 2005 -- The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) is accepting nominations for its 12th annual Crystal Vision and Crystal Achievement Awards. The Crystal Vision Awards Program recognizes individuals for their outstanding achievements in advancing the role of women in the construction industry. Winners will be recognized at the Association’s 51st Annual Meeting and Convention, Sept. 6-9, 2006, in Kansas City, Mo. The Crystal Vision Award recognizes a nonmember of NAWIC, and the Crystal Achievement Award recognizes a member of the Association.

“This award identifies and honors the men and women who see beyond the invisible barriers that impede the progress of women, especially in nontraditional fields,” says Susan Levy, founder of the Crystal Vision Award and past NAWIC national president. “Nominees must demonstrate the courage to act on their vision by gradually breaking down those barriers through policy change, setting precedent and taking risks.”

Nominees for the Crystal Vision Awards may represent any of the various construction fields and include contractors, architects, engineers, suppliers, labor organizers, and trade association and government personnel. NAWIC invites nominees from all employment levels, including owners, executives, managers and agency chiefs. The NAWIC Office must receive completed nomination applications on or before Feb. 28, 2006.

All nominees must meet at least three or more of the following criteria:
1. Be in a position of authority to influence and/or make decisions beneficial to women in
the construction industry.
2. Empower women in construction through company policy, legislation or organizational structure.
3. Actively promote the inclusion and/or advancement of women in construction.
4. Demonstrate leadership on behalf of women in construction.
5. Break barriers with a “first” for women in construction.
6. Act as a role model and/or mentor for women.

A panel of industry experts will select winners based on the awards criteria. They are: Ellyn Lester, owner of Building Associations; Faye Turner, founder and executive director of Women Helping Women and past Crystal Vision Award recipient; and Ronald D. Worth, FSMPS, CPC, chief
executive officer, Society for Marketing Professional Services.

Award winners receive a complimentary trip to Kansas City, Mo., to accept their awards during the Crystal Vision Awards Gala held in their honor. Video portraits will also highlight the achievements of the two winners and their contributions to enhance the success of women in the construction industry.

An online information guide and application is available at www.nawic.org.

About NAWIC
Industry Awards. Completed applications should be mailed to: NAWIC, Attn: Crystal Vision Awards,
327 S. Adams St., Fort Worth, Texas 76104-1002.
Companies and organizations can support the importance of recognizing excellence in the construction industry by sponsoring the 2006 Crystal Vision Awards Program. To learn more about becoming a sponsor, please contact the NAWIC Office for more details. Sponsorship levels range from $1,000 to $5,000.

Founded in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1955, NAWIC is an international Association serving approximately 5,500 members in 179 chapters across the United States. NAWIC also has international affiliates in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom. For more information, please contact Communications Director Kara Roberson at (817) 877-5551.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:13 AM | Comments (0)

Abhisam Software Releases Free White Paper on "Hazardous Area Installations -- How to Make 92% of Hazardous Areas Safer Without Increasing Costs"

Abhisam Software is pleased to announce a Free White Paper on "Hazardous Area Installations--How to make 92% of hazardous areas safer without increasing costs". This White Paper will be extremely useful to people working in chemical plants, oil and gas installations, petrochemical and fertlizer plants, shipping terminals, as well as tank farms, grain silos and warehouses where hazardous areas exist.

(PRWEB) November 10, 2005 -- Abhisam Software is pleased to announce a Free White Paper on "Hazardous Area Installations--How to make 92% of hazardous areas safer without increasing costs". This White Paper will be extremely useful to people working in chemical plants, oil and gas installations, petrochemical and fertlizer plants, shipping terminals, as well as tank farms, grain silos and warehouses, where hazardous areas exist. In these areas, the equipment is specially designed so that its usage does not increase the risk of fire or explosion in these areas.

However, a recent study has concluded, that a large number (as many as 92%) of the hazardous areas that were surveyed, were not up to the mark and were souces of potentially unsafe occurences/incidents.
This White Paper attempts to guide design, operations and maintenance personnel who work in similar hazardous areas to make the hazardous installations safer, without increasing the costs of compliance.
This White Paper can be downloaded freely from http://www.abhisam.com/WP.html

About Abhisam Software
Abhisam Software is a young knowldege based startup, engaged in providing e-learning solutions to people working in various industries. Abhisam Software is the producer of the industry acclaimed e-learning course on "Hazardous Area Instrumentation." For enquiries please visit http://www.abhisam.com.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:12 AM | Comments (0)

Wireless Audio Communication Solutions for Surround Speakers Will Be Presented at CES 2006 by Diffused Infrared Semiconductor Provider Infra-Com Technologies Inc.

Infra-Com Technologies, Inc., a global provider of semiconductor ICs for short-range wireless optical communications for digital audio and home theater systems, will present high quality wireless communication ICs for audio surround speakers in the upcoming International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas

Netanya, Israel (PRWEB) November 9, 2005 -- Infra-Com Technologies, Inc., a global provider of semiconductor ICs for short-range wireless optical communications in digital audio and home theater systems, will present high quality wireless communication ICs for audio surround speakers in the upcoming International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

Infra-Com plans to hold a special display at the Hilton Suites, demonstrating its innovative chipset offering, presenting several inventive audio applications concepts and audio systems manufactured by third party OEMs and ODMs and based on its IrGT801A chipset and on the IrGate platform technology.

“One of the most interesting fields in the show this year is probably the home entertainment market, and specifically the home theater audio market,” said Dr. Tamir Shaanan, Infra-Com’s CEO. “Our new offering with advanced features and wireless capabilities will support the enhancement of the consumer experience in the digital home environment.”

Infra-Com's proprietary Diffused Infrared (DIR) IrGate technology allows for non-line-of sight and non-directional wireless infrared connectivity by relying on reflections of optical beams from the ceiling, walls, and other enclosure surfaces. The technology promises a revolution in short-range wireless audio connectivity, as it offers an interference free, inherently secured, uncompressed, and very low latency wireless audio communication link.

The 2006 International CES is the world's largest consumer technology tradeshow and runs January 5-8, 2006 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the producer of CES, represents more than 2,000 corporate members involved in the design, development, manufacturing, distribution and integration of audio, video, mobile electronics, wireless and landline communications, information technology, home networking, multimedia and accessory products.

About Infra-Com
Infra-Com Technologies, Inc. is a global provider of wireless communication ICs for short-range wireless communications suitable for embedding into digital audio and home theater systems. The company has achieved a technological breakthrough in the field of short-range optical wireless communication technology.

Infra-Com is a Delaware corporation established in 1999. Its Research and Development (R&D) center is located in Netanya, Israel. For more information about Infra-Com, please visit our website at, www.infra-com.com. To coordinate a meeting during the CES2006 show, please contact Eyal Ayalon, Infra-Com's VP of Marketing and Customer Support, http://infra-com.com/CES_2006_invitation.pdf

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:12 AM | Comments (0)

November 08, 2005

KUA Crews Help Light Up South Florida

Utility crews from Kissimmee Utility Authority traveled to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. on Nov. 4 to assist in the battle to restore power in areas devastated by Hurricane Wilma.

Kissimmee, FL (PRWEB) November 8, 2005 -- Utility crews from Kissimmee Utility Authority (KUA) traveled to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. on Nov. 4 to assist in the battle to restore power in areas devastated by Hurricane Wilma.

KUA sent 10 linemen, six vehicles and several thousand pounds of supplies to assist Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) with the restoration of electricity.

The restoration team in south Florida now totals nearly 19,000 line workers from 33 states and Canada. Together, they have restored power to more than three million FPL customers -- or 94 percent of those affected by Hurricane Wilma.

This marks the fourth time in three months that KUA crews have provided mutual assistance to hurricane-damaged areas. In August and September, KUA employees helped restore electric service to those affected by Hurricane Katrina in Key West, Fla. and Kiln, Miss. In October, KUA crews traveled to the Fort Pierce/Port St. Lucie area to assist with Hurricane Wilma restoration efforts.

Founded in 1901, KUA (www.kua.com) is Florida's sixth largest community-owned utility providing electric and telecommunication services to 170,000 residents in five Central Florida counties.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:11 AM | Comments (0)

OSHA Withdraws ‘Willful’ Citations Levied Against Waller, Texas Construction Company and Significantly Reduces Fine

OSHA withdraws all 'Willful' citations and significantly reduces the penalties issued to a south Texas construction company. The workplace related fatality at issue in the investigation was determined to be the result of employee misconduct, and not the fault of the employer.

Houston, Texas (PRWEB) November 8, 2005 -- The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has agreed to withdraw all citations classified as ‘Willful’ levied against Cotton Construction Inc., of Waller, Texas, and reclassified them as only ‘Serious’ violations. In addition, the Department reduced the penalty by more than $45,000 after reevaluating the citations issued to the company in an agreement reached on Thursday. OSHA originally cited Cotton Construction, Inc., for three ‘Willful’ citations and levied a fine of $70,800 following the investigation of a workplace fatality last January in Houston.

OSHA began its investigation on January 7, 2005 after it was initially believed a worker fell from the roof of a two story building due to a lack of appropriate fall protection. It was later revealed, however, that the worker had been assigned to work exclusively on the ground, but he apparently disregarded this order by climbing on the roof without being told to do so. Employee misconduct is a defense to OSHA liability in this circumstance. Each of the crew members who were performing the steel erection and roofing operation were, in fact, tied off to a fall protection system.

“The realization that the employer’s actions did not contribute to this man’s death was heavily influential in OSHA's decision to reduce the penalties, and withdraw the ‘Willful’ designation” said Cotton’s attorney Steve Grubbs, a labor and employment law litigation specialist in Houston, Texas. “OSHA knew that the ‘Willful’ classification would never be upheld, so they had no choice but to remove that characterization and reduce the penalties.”

Under the terms of the agreement reached with the Department of Labor, Cotton has agreed to submit to voluntary safety and health inspections for the next two years, and retain the services of a Certified Safety Professional to verify it is in compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Act. The agreement was filed Thursday in OSHRC Docket No. 05-1153, Secretary of Labor v. Cotton Construction.

For further comment, you may reach Mr. Grubbs in Houston, Texas at 713-951-1014, or visit www.sswpc.com.

Steven O. Grubbs
Board Certified - Labor and Employment Law -
Texas Board of Legal Specialization

www.sswpc.com
www.employmentlawlitigation.com

Sheehy, Serpe & Ware, P.C.
909 Fannin, Suite 2500
Houston, Texas 77010
713-951-1014 (Direct Dial)
713-951-1199 (Facsimile)

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:11 AM | Comments (0)

November 07, 2005

XPole FAZ Miniature Circuit Breakers

XPole FAZ Miniature Circuit Breakers offer a variety of features that make them both powerful and versatile.

(PRWEB) November 6, 2005 -- The comprehensive range of Moeller Electric Xpole FAZ miniature circuit-breakers, in stock at KMParts.com, are single pole thermal magnetic over current protective devices. FAZ...-NA switches are UL 489 listed as molded case circuit breakers. Per the intent of the NEC (National Electric Code), the FAZ switches can be used as a branch circuit protective device. In addition, they can be used in any application that is covered by a UL 1077 supplementary protector because UL 489 meets or exceeds all the requirements of UL 1077.

This dynamic range offers the following tripping characteristics:

Type B – Utilized for domestic/commercial installations without power surges such as Filament lamps and wall sockets.

Type C – Utilized for commercial/light industrial installations with switching surges such as fluorescent lighting or small motors.

Type D - Utilized for abnormally high inrush currents such as motors with heavy starting duty.

Type K – Utilized to prevent nuisance tripping during starting of three phase loads, such as. motors or transformers, and provide closer protection than B, C or D types.

Type S - Utilized for the protection of control circuits with high inrush currents and transformers.

The range includes components for residual current protection and modular installation devices for remote switching, timing and signaling. Further features and benefits include: worldwide approvals and shipping classification, DIN rail clip mounting, snap fitting accessories that reduce installation time and simplify the fitting and removing of components, single design concept to improve panel appearance, Busbar clamps and high capacity box terminals to multiply your connection options.

The miniature circuit-breakers and residual-current circuit-breakers have standard accessories that include a remote switching module that allows an automatic restart attempt in the event of undesired tripping. The Busbar system allows the combination of differently sized devices.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:36 AM | Comments (0)

Spectral Analysis Software ToolKit Released

Transform/NET Spectral Analysis software gives developers an edge in advanced numerical applications.

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA (PRWEB) November 5, 2005 -- Windale Technologies has announced the release of Transform/NET 4.0, a mathematical software component for the .NET Framework, which will enable the rapid development of Windows or ASP.NET Web Spectral Analysis applications. The Transform/NET software suite encapsulates sophisticated algorithms in an easy to use software package which includes extensive sample applications with full source code in Visual Basic .NET, Visual C# and VC++ .NET.

Transform/NET is designed specifically to be extremely fast and efficient: the algorithms used in the component have been extensively benchmarked and chosen to ensure the highest speed and reliability.

The component includes Fast Fourier Transforms (Real and Complex, Forward and Inverse), Window functions: Kaiser, Blackman, Hamming, Hanning, Bartlett, Welch, Parzen, Gain, Phase and Magnitude functions to enable fast viewing of FFT outputs.

"In many data intensive applications, there is often a need to obtain the frequency response or spectral characteristics of data. Implementing a Fast Fourier Transform algorithm to give high computational speed can be very difficult and time consuming. Transform/NET solves this problem by packaging all the normally required methods in one easy to use and highly efficient software component" said Dr. Andrew Back, CEO of Windale Technologies. "Transform/NET enables software developers to focus on quickly solving their application maths problems."

By partnering with Windale Technologies, application developers will have a strong competitive advantage in the marketplace. Transform/NET is one of a number of software products on offer from Windale Technologies which provide application developers with the software tools to enable sophisticated mathematical algorithms to be included within almost any Windows application. Transform/NET reduces time-to-market, streamlines costs and increases revenue. Transform/NET is available for immediate purchase online.Transform/NET is priced at $395 per license and $795 for a version with ASP.NET capabilities and a single web server license.

Software Information, ScreenShots and Demos:

http://windale.com/transformnet.php

About Windale Technologies:

Windale Technologies provides math, science and engineering software components for companies developing Windows applications. Windale Technologies’ advanced components enable developers to quickly and efficiently produce applications which perform various types of complex data analysis using sophisticated mathematical algorithms. Recognized by many as providing superior mathematical components, Windale Technologies counts numerous major companies among its many clients. The company is based in Brisbane, Australia. Additional information is available at windale.com.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 12:35 AM | Comments (0)

November 03, 2005

New Endura Light™ LED-Based Fiber Illuminators From Opto Technology, Inc.

Opto Technology, Inc. has introduced their new Endura Light Series of LED-based fiber optic illuminators. These high performance fiber optic light sources incorporate solid state LED technology to couple light down solid core or stranded fiber optic cable, providing designers, architects and sign manufacturers with an extremely reliable, mechanically flexible alternative to neon, florescent, halogen and HID lighting.

Wheeling, IL (PRWEB via PR Web Direct) November 3, 2005 -- Opto Technology, Inc. has introduced their new Endura Light Series of LED-based fiber optic illuminators. These high performance fiber optic light sources incorporate solid state LED technology to couple light down solid core or stranded fiber optic cable, providing designers, architects and sign manufacturers with an extremely reliable, mechanically flexible alternative to neon, florescent, halogen and HID lighting.

The Endura Light Series currently consist of two models; Endura Light 100 and Endura Light 700. The Endura Light 100 utilizes a single LED that provides uniform lighting for runs of up to 20 feet (6 meters) when illuminated from both ends of the fiber. It features a compact footprint and is available with 7mm (8mm O.D.) or 12mm (13.5mm O.D.) diameter fibers. The easy-to-install Endura Light 100 is 12-24V DC compatible and is rated for outdoor installations.

The Endura Light 700 has multiple LEDs for higher light output and optional DMX color control, accommodating 12mm (13.5mm O.D.) diameter fiber and offering uniform lighting for up to 80 feet (24 meters). The light engine measures 7.5” square and is 120-240V AC compatible. The Endura Light 700 is UL listed, CSA Certified and FCC part 15 Certified. The EL700 requires virtually no maintenance for 10 years.

Both Endura Light models have a 50,000+ hour life expectancy and come with a 3 year warranty. They are available in eight vivid color schemes and with the optional DMX controller you can create up to 16 million different colors. The Endura Light can provide energy savings of up to 90% when compared to conventional neon, florescent, halogen and HID lighting. They can be installed in any location (wet or dry) and require no air exchange. The fibers are highly flexible and resistant to water, snow, hail, shock, vibration or other rugged environments.

For customers looking for a standard industry package, Opto Technology also offers a single LED fiber illuminator in an MR-16 package.

For complete information on the new Endura Light line of LED fiber illuminators, contact Jim Lahey at Opto Technology, Inc., 160 E. Marquardt Drive, Wheeling, IL., 60090 Phone: 847-537-4277 ext. 253, Fax: 847-537-4785, or visit our web site at www.optotech.com.

About Opto Technology, Inc.
Opto Technology Inc. is an LED-based solutions provider specializing in the design and integration of high brightness LED sources with optics, thermal management and supporting electronics for high performance applications in the general lighting industry, architectural, entertainment, marine, aerospace, and medical marketplaces. Founded in 1973 and headquartered just outside of Chicago, Opto Technology’s core capability is providing LED expertise and innovative optic designs.

Media Contact:
Janet Killen
Adventive Marketing, Inc.
847-590-1110

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 10:16 PM | Comments (0)

Cities, States and Others Step up Action on Climate, Despite Federal Reluctance

In the brand new issue of Climate News & Report, mapped out is Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) national energy policy which unburdens the American people of foreign oil dependency. The plan helps citizens pay their energy bills and cope with the economic windfall of dramatically higher energy costs.

(PRWEB) November 3, 2005 -- In the November 3 issue of Climate News & Report, Elizabeth Autumn outlines ways that cities, states and organizations are finding ways to meet environmental challenges.

In comments provided by the article, Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) maps out a national energy policy which unburdens the American people of foreign oil dependency. The plan helps citizens pay their energy bills and cope with the economic windfall of dramatically higher energy costs.

In remarks from a recent interview former President Jimmy Carter suggested the current Administration, adding to some of the most traumatic policies ever visited upon the United States, is about to make the worst mistake in the history of the environment.

As Senator Clinton explained, "Loosening environmental standards or opening up a new oil field or two is not going to offset this seismic shift in [future energy demand." Her plan redirects the hidden "tax" that Americans are already paying to OPEC and the oil companies, but lasts only long enough to “kick-start the alternative energy market that we all know is out there,” she explained. Her plan unburdens the American people of foreign oil dependence, investing a portion of the profits into the U.S. energy future, instead of regimes we would never choose to subsidize.

By contrast, the Bush Administration wants to turn over decommissioned military bases to oil companies for use as refineries and open up drilling in Alaska's National Wildlife Refuge. President Carter termed the refuge one of “the most wonderful areas on Earth.”

Behind the scenes, where most real policy change occurs, the Bush Administration has allowed more than 400 rollbacks of major environmental mandates. This new regime is severely weakening the protection of our nation’s air, water, public land and wildlife.

Senator Hillary Clinton’s call for action outlines a plan showing the federal government how to make the much overdue transition to alternative energy.

In her article on the Metropolitan Challenge, Autumn explains what cities, states and others are doing to address climate change. "It's well beyond time to think outside the barrel," said an attendee at the Clinton Global Initiative conference.

For the full article visit: http://www.elizabethautumn.com/id97.html

About Elizabeth Autumn
Elizabeth Autumn publishes Climate News & Report. Autumn, MBA, is a freelance reporter. She covers environment and corporate governance issues and specializes in media analysis. Completing her Masters in Environmental Management at Harvard University, Autumn also writes for Crane’s Magazine, Create Magazine, and Publishers Weekly. She was a freelance producer for Fox News and has worked for CBS News on the Emmy-Award winning CBS Documentary "9-11,” and The Early Show.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 10:15 PM | Comments (0)

Camden Electronics' PCB Connectors Handle High Currents

Camden Electronics has launched a new range of PCB connectors that can handle currents up to 57A.

(PRWEB) November 3, 2005 -- Camden Electronics has launched a new range of PCB connectors that can handle currents up to 57A. Ideal for use in energy management and heavy duty industrial heating and ventilating applications among many others, the CTB77 new connectors enable convenient connection of cables to PCBs.

The new connectors are moulded from UL94V0 flame retardant grey polyamide PA66 and are available in two and three pole interlocking types and solid versions from four to twelve poles. The two and three pole types feature a double interlocking mechanism for increased strength.

Specifications include current rating of 57A up to 750V (UL 40A/300V) with insulation resistance 5MOhm , dielectric strength 3000V AC for 60s and 10mm² (6AWG) cable entry. The connectors feature a zinc plated steel professional rising clamp mechanism and guided pin alignment to ensure reliable connection. Solder contacts are 5 tin plated nickel while the captive M4 screws are 7 zinc plated steel. Operating temperature range is -20 to +125 C.

Ideal for use in energy management systems and heavy duty heating and ventilating control systems such as industrial washing machines and similar applications, the new CTB77 terminal blocks feature a range of international approvals including UL, cUL and VDE pending.

Camden Electronics Ltd., based at St. Albans, Hertfordshire, UK, is a leading manufacturer & supplier of PCB terminal blocks, fuses & fuseholders, sealed lead acid batteries, LEDs, miniature switches, interface modules, enclosures, IC & PLCC sockets and relay bases for the electronics, telecommunications, lighting, and electrical industries. The company has ISO 9002 accreditation and exports a significant proportion of its production to Europe and the Far East.

Information from Camden Electronics Ltd., 15 Porters Wood, Valley Road Industrial Estate, St. Albans, Hertfordshire, AL3 6PQ, England. Tel.: +44 (0)1727 864437 Fax: +44 (0)1727 855400.
Web site: http://www.camdenelec.com

Press information from: Tim Jennings, Marshall Jennings PR Ltd, Wyvols Court, Swallowfield, Reading, Berkshire, RG7 1WY, England. Tel: +44 (0)118 988 0288 Fax: +44 (0)118 988 0388.
Web site: http://www.mjpr.com

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 10:14 PM | Comments (0)

November 02, 2005

KUA Crews Join FPL in Restoring Power to South Florida

Kissimmee Utility Authority crews finished up power restoration in Ft. Pierce, Fla. on Oct. 30 and moved to nearby Port St. Lucie to assist Florida Power & Light Company with the restoration of electricity in areas devastated by Hurricane Wilma.

Kissimmee, FL (PRWEB) November 2, 2005 -- Kissimmee Utility Authority (KUA) repair crews continue to answer the call for help in south Florida.

KUA crews finished up power restoration in Ft. Pierce on Sunday and moved to nearby Port St. Lucie to assist Florida Power & Light Company with the restoration of electricity in areas devastated by Hurricane Wilma.

As part of its mutual-aid agreement with utilities throughout the state, KUA on Oct. 25 sent 10 linemen, six vehicles and several thousand pounds of supplies to south Florida.

"This marks the third time this year that we have sent crews to help restore power following a major hurricane," said Jim Welsh, KUA president and general manager. "It's just our way of giving back to those who came to our aid in 2004."

Hurricane Wilma cut a wide swath across south Florida on Oct. 24, leaving more than six million people without electric service.

Founded in 1901, KUA (www.kua.com) is Florida's sixth largest community-owned utility providing electric and telecommunication services to 170,000 residents in five Central Florida counties.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 11:04 PM | Comments (0)

Mecmesin Introduces New Quality Testing Machines Designed Especially for Use on Production Floor

A new range of console-controlled compressive and tensile testing machines has been developed by Mecmesin - the specialist in designing and manufacturing force measurement equipment for quality control testing.

(PRWEB) November 2, 2005 -- Mecmesin has introduced a new range of compact systems for quality control testing in manufacturing. MultiTest-x test frames assess quality of manufactured products, components and materials by measuring the ability of samples to sustain applied loads - in tension or compression.

The MultiTest-x has been designed especially for operation in production areas. It is a stand-alone system with an integral LCD control console making it ideal for use in environments which would not be suitable for PC-controlled systems. The system is lightweight yet rugged with a particularly small ‘footprint’.

Up to five test procedures can be created and stored with associated calculations and pass/fail criteria. Once programs have been developed they can be password-protected. Subsequent shop floor operation could then hardly be simpler – a matter of loading a sample, pressing the [Start] button and waiting for test results to be displayed.

When more sophisticated analyses are required, the software supports RS232 communication with external devices, e.g. PCs or dataloggers, enabling test procedures and results to be downloaded, archived and processed.

The system allows cyclic testing and features real-time compensation for deflection of the test frame, fixtures and loadcell – making it particularly suitable for spring testing and simple materials testing applications.

Single-column MultiTest-x systems are currently available with capacities of 1kN, 2.5kN and 5kN, but twin-column machines with substantially greater load capacities are planned for the future.

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 11:03 PM | Comments (0)

EquityImprovement.com Launches Risk Free Money Saving, Fund Raising and Members Benefits Services.

EquityImprovement.com Launches Risk Free Money Saving, Fund Raising and Members Benefits Services. Equity Improvement™, based in Las Cruces, NM was created in August 2005 and offers since September a very unique portfolio of services to small and medium size Companies, self employed, entrepreneurs, organizations, associations, schools and retirees, geared to improving their bottom-line with no upfront cost to them and to provide fund raising opportunities. It wants to position itself as “your Win-Win Provider.”

(PRWEB) October 29, 2005 -- Equity Improvement’s owner O.H. Merenda, with over 15 years of management consulting experience with large multi national companies, now a freelancer, searched the market for a range of services that would be suited to New Mexico and neighboring business communities. “The unique specificities of this region are the low cost of living, low purchasing power and a propensity to attract retirees from across the country. For businesses, this means low margins and a very competitive & fast changing market place,” says Mr. Merenda.

Therefore these services were to contribute directly to business owners’ bottom-line without carrying any upfront cost that could negatively influence the decision to hire these services. Also, these services were to be qualifying for Associations’ fund raising programs and members’ benefits.

As a result, Equity Improvement™ acquired in September 2005 a portfolio of services from Taxback LLC (AZ). This portfolio includes three types of services and includes ancillary services from other same minded companies.

Audit for a refund services are 100 percent contingency fee based. This means no refund-no fee. They include Income Tax recovery, Worker’s compensation premium recovery and reduction and Phone, Utilities & Solid Waste bills recovery and reduction.

Bottom line improvement services include HR and Payroll eOutsourcing & Business Valuation. The former is a very efficient & competitive package for companies that cannot afford the expense of a dedicated HR Executive and outsource their payroll but still want to cash-in the 8.45 percent Employer Tax Savings.

Retiree wealth improvement is a Life settlement Service for retirees looking at the cash surrender value of their life insurance policy. By means of Requests for Tender, the Market often proposes up to three times the cash surrender value of the policy.

Let’s take a closer look at the Income Tax Recovery service, from Taxback, LLC. Equity Improvement's other products are in the same spirit.

Taxback, LLC. is a company that provides business owners with the opportunity to get a Second Opinion on their last 3 years of taxes, from a qualified, independent Tax Review Specialist that has the expertise to identify errors and missed deductions that may have caused them to overpay. With this FREE TAX REVIEW, clients can recover any taxes that have been overpaid over the last 3 years. We find that 60% of returns reviewed uncover overpayment – with refunds due to clients that average $6,000 plus interest.

The intention is not to replace client’s CPA, but to give them the peace of mind that they are taking advantage of every possible deduction they legally and ethically can. Clients include anyone who has paid or had withheld, federal, state or social security taxes for the last 3 years, and who has any combination of the following: 1099 income, self-employment income, an “S” or “C” corporation, rental income, or W2 withholdings.

Tax review specialists work strictly within tax laws. Their “secret” is a combination of experience, a thorough knowledge of the laws, and meticulous attention to details.

All of the independent tax review specialists at Taxback are licensed CPAs or Enrolled Agents that meet the stringent standards of ethics and performance and continuing professional education imposed by the profession. Taxback’s in-house tax attorney is dedicated to ongoing compliance and ensures that everything that is done is within the bounds of what is permissible by law.

Considering that the average American works the first four to five months of every year just to pay their taxes, the last thing they want to do is pay more than they have to. Unfortunately, according to the IRS, millions of taxpayers are unknowingly overpaying their taxes – some by as much as 25%.

The IRS has $4.8 Billion Dollars of taxpayers’ overpaid taxes, sitting in a trust fund - waiting to be recovered. But, they’re not going to give it back unless the proper deductions are found that were originally missed in the vast tax code, or until individuals correct the errors that were made. Taxback specialized in finding these errors and omissions, submitting the changes, and getting the taxpayer their money back.

Equity Improvement dba was created in 2005 in Las Cruces, NM with the aim to provide risk free money saving, fund raising and members benefits services to businesses, entrepreneurs, seniors and organizations.

For further information contact:
O. H. Merenda,
Senior Account Executive
Fax:1 501-638-2038
Website: www.EquityImprovement.com
Company: dba Equity Improvement

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 11:02 PM | Comments (0)

Senator Clinton Suggests Energy Saving Lighting

In a speech to the CleanTech Venture Capital Forum in Washington, Senator Clinton recommends Energy Saving Lighting

Washington, DC (PRWEB) October 29, 2005 -- Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton recommended the use of Compact Fluorescent lamps in a speech to the CleanTech Venture Capital Forum held in Washington this week.

Senator Clinton said, “If every American home replaced its incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent ones, which use one third the electricity and last ten times as long, the electricity we use for lighting would be cut in half. Even with the higher cost of the efficient light bulbs, consumers would save 25 to 40 percent per year.”

In addition, Mrs. Clinton suggested establishing a ‘Strategic Energy Fund,’ to be established with unexpected windfall profits from oil companies. Senator Clinton proposed that the US should reform the energy taxes and pay a portion of profits to pay incentives. She said, “Oil companies that have amazing profits should contribute to a ‘Strategic Energy Fund’. (We should) assess oil companies a fee out of their unanticipated profits which would raise approximately $20B per year to invest.” She added, “We used to make polluters pay for clean up; now we need oil companies to pay for investment.”

Her plan allows for companies that invest in renewable energy to not pay into fund. The fund would be temporary to kick-start the alternative energy market. She emphasized, “Now is the time for oil companies to transfer themselves into energy companies. BP and Shell are taking steps in this direction.”

Cleantech currently hosts two North American Venture Forums annually. These forums are the premiere showcase for venture-grade, emerging clean technology investment opportunities.

Contact:

Ed Edison
EdisonReport
www.edisonreport.com

Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 11:01 PM | Comments (0)

Electrical Supply Distributor Moves to Wildwood

Fox Electric Supply brings its wholesale electrical supply house to Wildwood, NJ.

(PRWEB) October 29, 2005 -- FOX Electric Supply Company wil