age
PAID
Augusta, ME 04330
Permit #204
FEATURING:
JULY 2008, Vol. 30 No. 7
Where Industry goes to shop!
http://www.manufacturersmart.com
New
England
1
INSIDE
MA RI NH VT ME
Continued on page 5 Energy/
Technology
Issue
Many companies distinguish
themselves by being the best at one
aspect of their business. It might be
delivery, quality, price, or variety
of selection. Very few companies
are the best at all of these things.
Gros-Ite Precision Spindles is
an exception. The company has
the most compre-
hensive capacity in
the industry to de-
sign, manufacture
and service their cus-
tomers spindle re-
quirements.
Gros-Ite Preci-
sion Spindles of
Farmington, CT, is
a division of EDAC
Technologies Corp.
They are ISO 9001-2000 certified
and they design, manufacture, and
repair all types of precision ball or
roller bearing and hydrodynamic /
hydrostatic style spindles.
In addition to their standard
spindle line, Gros-Ite designs and
manufactures custom spindles for
OEM machines. Emergency
spindle repair can be provided in
as little as 48 hours, lessening the
cost impact of downtime for their
customers.
All rotating components in
each Gros-Ite Spindle are dynami-
cally balanced to meet ISO1940
Quality Grade for Precision Rotat-
ing Components. Assembled in
their 10,000 class clean room,
each spindle is thoroughly tested
through the full range of speeds
to ensure proper break-in of the
bearings as well as
superior quality.
Vibration and
temperature readings
recorded during the
testing period along
with final inspection
reports and operating
instructions are pro-
vided with each
spindle. All Gros-Ite
Spindles carry a one
to two year warranty from the date
of shipment, demonstrating their
superior product quality and un-
precedented level of service.
Contact Larry Hermanowski
at 860-679-7490 or email him at
lhermanowski@grosite.com to
answer any questions you might
have. Gros-Ite Precision Spindles
is located at 1798 New Britain
Avenue, Farmington, CT 06032;
toll-free 800-851-2654; fax 860-
677-7344. Visit them on the web at
http://www.spindles.net.
The Gros-Ite Advantage: Precision Spindles
Floor Scales Handle
Severe Loading
A new line of high-capacity,
low-profile floor scales built to
withstand the severe loading con-
ditions typical of forklifts and pal-
let jacks is being introduced by
Alliance Scale of Canton, MA.
Alliance RoughDeck Floor
Scales from Rice Lake feature 6"
structural steel channel frames
welded to tread plate decks for
optimum rigidity and minimum
defection under severe loading
conditions. Easy to access for lev-
eling, all load cells are recessed
within a channel, cables are routed
in protective conduits, and the junc-
tion box is mounted on a handy
slide-out tray.
Featuring simple to operate
keypad indicators, Alliance
RoughDeck Floor Scales are
offered in sizes from 30" sq. up to
8' x 10' with 1,000 lbs. to 30,000
lbs. capacities. Junction boxes are
protected from moisture and use
quick disconnect cables. Options
include access ramps, pit frames,
304 stainless steel versions, and
indicator stands.
For more information con-
tact Alliance Scale, Inc., 1020 Turn-
pike St., Canton, MA 02021-0509;
toll-free 800-343-6802 or visit
http://www.alliancescale.com.
Can Alternative Energies Reduce
Dependence on Fossil Fuels?
The upper reservoir (Llyn Stwlan) and dam of the Ffestiniog Pumped Storage
Scheme in north Wales. The four water turbines at the power station can generate
360 MW of electricity within 60 seconds of the need arising.
Photo by Adrian Pingstone in 1988 and released to the public domain.
As the cost of crude oil con-
tinues to skyrocket, energy de-
velopers are under increasing
pressure from both industry and
the public to meet the demand for
alternative energy sources. The
challenge is to develop technolo-
gies that provide economical, re-
newable energy with minimal
impact on the environment.
Among the energy sources being
investigated are those that use
the movement of water to gener-
ate electricity.
Water constantly moves
through a vast global cycle,
evaporating from lakes and
oceans, forming clouds, precipi-
tating as rain or snow, then flow-
ing back down to the ocean. The
water cycle is an endless, con-
stantly recharging system.The
energy of this water cycle can be
tapped to produce electricity or
for mechanical tasks.
Humans have been harness-
ing water to perform work for
thousands of years. The Greeks
used water wheels for grinding
wheat into flour more than 2,000
years ago. Besides grinding flour,
the power of the water was used
to saw wood and power textile
mills and manufacturing plants.
For more than a century, the
technology using falling water to
create hydroelectricity has ex-
isted. The evolution of the mod-
ern hydropower turbine began in
the mid-1700s when a French
hydraulic and military engineer,
Bernard Forest de Bélidor wrote
Architecture Hydraulique. In this
four volume work, he described
using a vertical-axis versus a
horizontal-axis machine.
During the 1700s and 1800s,
water turbine development con-
tinued. In 1880, a brush arc light
dynamo driven by a water tur-
bine was used to provide theatre
and storefront lighting in Grand
Rapids, Michigan; and in 1881, a
brush dynamo connected to a tur-
bine in a flour mill provided street
lighting at Niagara Falls, New
York. These two projects used
direct-current technology.
Alternating current is used
today. That breakthrough came
when the electric generator was
coupled to the turbine, which re-
sulted in the worlds first hydro-
electric plant located in Appleton,
Wisconsin, in 1882.
When flowing water is cap-
tured and turned into electricity,
it is called hydroelectric power
or hydropower. There are several
types of hydroelectric facilities;
they are all powered by the ki-
netic energy of flowing water as
it moves downstream. Turbines
and generators convert the en-
ergy into electricity, which is then
fed into the electrical grid to be
used in homes, businesses, and
by industry.
Advantages and
Disadvantages of Hydropower
Hydropower offers advan-
tages over other energy sources.
Its a domestic source of energy
that doesnt pollute the air. It is
generally available as needed; en-
gineers can control the flow of
water through the turbines to pro-
duce electricity on demand. Im-
poundment hydropower creates
reservoirs that offer a variety of
recreational opportunities, nota-
bly fishing, swimming, and boat-
ing. Most hydropower
installations are required to pro-
vide some public access to the
reservoir to allow the public to
take advantage of these opportu-
nities. Other benefits may include
water supply and flood control.
However, the development
of hydropower faces unique en-
vironmental challenges. Fish
populations can be impacted if
fish cannot migrate upstream past
impoundment dams to spawning
grounds, or if they cannot mi-
grate downstream to the ocean.
Upstream fish passage can be
aided using fish ladders or eleva-
tors, or by trapping and hauling
the fish upstream by truck. Down-
stream fish passage is aided by
diverting fish from turbine in-
takes using screens or racks or
even underwater lights and
Calendar ...................
3
AEM Calls for Crane
Safety Standards...9
US Windpower
Effort...15
CT Sustainable
Business Survey...17
PAGE 1
MANUFACTURERS' MART
U

1-800-835-0017
U

http://www.manufacturersmart.com
JULY 2008
MART
MART
MANUFACTURERS
MANUFACTURERS
'
'
Connecticut
PRSRT. STD.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Augusta, ME 04330
Permit #204
FEATURING:
INSIDE
JULY 2008, Vol. 30 No. 7
Where Industry goes to shop!
http://www.manufacturersmart.com
Continued on page 5
Calendar ...................
3
AEM Calls for Crane
Safety Standards...9
US Windpower
Effort...15
CT Sustainable
Business Survey...17
Energy/
Technology
Issue
Can Alternative Energies Reduce
Dependence on Fossil Fuels?
The upper reservoir (Llyn Stwlan) and dam of the Ffestiniog Pumped Storage
Scheme in north Wales. The four water turbines at the power station can generate
360 MW of electricity within 60 seconds of the need arising.
Photo by Adrian Pingstone in 1988 and released to the public domain.
As the cost of crude oil con-
tinues to skyrocket, energy de-
velopers are under increasing
pressure from both industry and
the public to meet the demand for
alternative energy sources. The
challenge is to develop technolo-
gies that provide economical, re-
newable energy with minimal
impact on the environment.
Among the energy sources being
investigated are those that use
the movement of water to gener-
ate electricity.
Water constantly moves
through a vast global cycle,
evaporating from lakes and
oceans, forming clouds, precipi-
tating as rain or snow, then flow-
ing back down to the ocean. The
water cycle is an endless, con-
stantly recharging system.The
energy of this water cycle can be
tapped to produce electricity or
for mechanical tasks.
Humans have been harness-
ing water to perform work for
thousands of years. The Greeks
used water wheels for grinding
wheat into flour more than 2,000
years ago. Besides grinding flour,
the power of the water was used
to saw wood and power textile
mills and manufacturing plants.
For more than a century, the
technology using falling water to
create hydroelectricity has ex-
isted. The evolution of the mod-
ern hydropower turbine began in
the