Heavy Equipment Moving the Economy

The Institute for Supply Management reported on October 1 that factory activity rose from 49% to 51%. Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in September following three consecutive months of slight contraction (just a summer thing?) and the overall economy grew for the 40th consecutive month, say the nation’s supply executives in the latest Institute for Supply Management report.

 

One harbinger of expected activity is the sales and use of heavy equipment to extract raw materials that will be used to produce durable goods. Builders spent more on new construction in August than any other month this year. Raw materials and construction – one industrial and one commercial -- are like Ying and Yang when it comes to demand for heavy lifting.

 

Go to any heavy industrial operation and you are dwarfed by cranes, hoists, dozers and dumpers. Never quite as groundbreaking, but behemoths when it comes to energizing machinery are the power supplies, motors and contactors that apply just the right energy to lift, compress, compact, and drill. Demand trickles down through the machinery to the smallest of parts needed to keep things moving.

 

Contactors, mentioned above, can be some of the smallest items, and their relatively small size in this application play to their advantage. Their size, low cost and ruggedness are a major advantage for closely matching the contactor to the application. Contactors are designed for superior performance in a range of applications, taking into account the specific load and required electrical life. Contactor manufacturers like Sprecher & Schuh Series CA Series include 23 contactor sizes ranging from 5HP to 900HP for motor control in rugged applications.

 

To help consumers of electrical parts make the right choice, there is an international standards organization called the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) that has set standards for power generation and transmission. Using IEC standards allows an industrial mechanic to specify contactors suited to the application for the greatest electrical life expectancy. IEC contactors are sold by leading OEM motor control companies, but like the contactors themselves, there are many alternatives to buying strictly by brand. Consider private label brand replacement parts guaranteed in fit, form, function and performance -- usually at a significantly more attractive price point. This means big savings over time. Industrial consumers don’t pay a penny more than they have to for the right performance.