At last, Automation.com has released the results of its annual salary survey and this year they collaborated with InTech.  I anxiously await the results of this survey each year because it paints a unique picture of what’s going on in the engineering and manufacturing world.

In a nutshell, job satisfaction has increased among automation professionals with more than 80% indicating they are satisfied with their job – although these days some level of satisfaction can come from just having a job at all.

Zirconium, niobium, hafnium, tantalum!  A magical spell?  No, just a list of exotic alloys used in the steel industry that are only a smidgen away from being “unobtainium”.  They are still fun to say even after having spent almost 20 years in the wonderful world of welding.

Speaking of unobtainium, magic spells, and the steel industry, did you know that as of September 10, 2011 domestic raw steel production is actually up 6.4% from the same time last year?  Pretty significant considering the amount of steel produced in the U.S. and the role steel plays in almost every facet of our lives.

ACS Industrial Services, Inc. is proud to announce that it has been selected as a Five Star Employer by the Department of Defense’s Employer Support Group of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) for its outstanding support of military families. 

“Everyone at ACS was so supportive right from the first day,” said ACS’ Jenny Burner who nominated ACS for the Five Star designation as soon as her husband Sgt. Carl Burner, US Army Reserve returned from his year-long deployment to Iraq with the US Army Reserve’s 298^th SMC.  “We’re just so grateful to everyone here at ACS for being so supportive knowing I was the only one here responsible for the kids while Carl was away,” said Jen.

I am always interested in understanding where our customers are coming from.  Two things I hear a lot are “skilled workers shortage” and needing to “produce more with less money”.  Today’s tips are for helping you “do more with less”.  No matter what your role at the plant, you are expected to look for ways to squeeze more out of poor old Abe.  One way most plants can save is by reducing their energy costs:

1. Use variable-speed drives on motors serving variable loads.  (for more on this see this previous post on variable speed drives) When the motor is under a lighter load, they slow the motor down to reduce power consumption.

We won an Academy Award Oscar for customer service!!  Well, it feels like we did.

Oh, we like to consider ourselves smart, clever, problems-solvers…and we are.  But most of all ACS Industrial is a collaboration of customer-centered, skilled people who listen.  Why?  Because it matters.  A lot.

When we get letters like the one below we share them with our entire staff to make sure they know how important true customer service is and to show our appreciation…

Punxsutawney Phil, he of the infamous shadow, announced today that he saw no shadow upon emerging from his rodent abode, so spring will be here soon.  Not a moment too soon for most of the country which has seen quite enough snow, ice and finger-numbing temperatures.  Probably quite enough for Phil too, since his cozy burrow in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania was completely iced last night by a major storm. 

Could smudge marks on your touchscreen monitors leave you vulnerable to a security breach?  According to a University of Pennsylvania study it’s true!  Researchers took photos of the smudge trails left on various touchscreens, digitally increased the contrast and found they could unlock secure touchscreens 92% of the time! 

I just checked out my new, totally cool android phone and sure enough, there are my paw prints leaving a “smudge trail” where I unlock the unit.  My phone is no big security breach, but this could affect touchscreen interfaces such as bank machines, voting machines, or any other public or industrial touchscreen requiring a graphical pattern password. 

Not surprisingly, reliability ranked the most important criteria in purchasing industrial electronics according to a recent survey by Plant Engineering & Maintenance. 

Reliability was followed, in descending order, by quality, safety, maintenance, service, price, throughput, technology, noise, speed, and “green”.

Maintenance ranked 4th out of 11 so we know it’s pretty high on your list.  Nobody wants equipment that is difficult or excessively expensive to maintain.  Downtime is lost time and lost time is lost money.  

Save money in the long run by purchasing quality industrial electronic equipment with a good warranty.  And when that warranty runs out, or the OEM does not provide responsive service, send your repairs to a reliable expert. 

It was just a few months ago that I blogged about how to make a decision whether to repair or replace your industrial electronic equipment.  It’s a question many of you probably face every day. 

With the economy just beginning to climb out of the basement, saving money is a  high priority for all of us.  The pain of this recession will stick with us for a long while (I promise I will not get political here! That would be a whole ‘nother conversation.  LOL).