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A bunch of folks have been submitting this story of a New Jersey middle school principal sending an email to all parents telling them to ban Facebook for their kids and to spy on all of their text messaging habits. Because, apparently, at Benjamin Franklin Middle School, “trust” is not something they want to teach. We see this sort of overreaction to new things all of the time. In the past, school administrators have needlessly freaked out about such things as comic books, dungeons and dragons, walkmen and mp3 players. If the principal, Anthony Orsini, had just sent out a note saying “talk to your kids and pay attention to what they’re doing online,” it would have been fine. But, instead, he went all out:

It is time for every single member of the BF Community to take a stand! There is absolutely no reason for any middle school student to be a part of a social networking site!

Let me repeat that – there is absolutely, positively no reason for any middle school student to be a part of a social networking site! None….

Actually, there are plenty of reasons why a middle school kid might be a part of a social networking site: it’s called communicating with their peers. That doesn’t mean parents should let their kids use them entirely freely, but a blanket ban is clear overkill by someone who apparently doesn’t understand how these things work.

Please do the following: sit down with your child (and they are just children still) and tell them that they are not allowed to be a member of any social networking site. Today!

Let them know that you will at some point every week be checking their text messages online! You have the ability to do this through your cell phone provider.

Let them know that you will be installing Parental Control Software so you can tell every place they have visited online, and everything they have instant messaged or written to a friend. Don’t install it behind their back, but install it!

He goes on to then urge parents to contact the police any time their child gets a message they don’t like:

If your son or daughter is attacked through one of these sites or through texting – immediately go to the police! Insist that they investigate every situation. Also, contact the site and report the attack to the site – they have an obligation to suspend accounts or they are liable for what is written.

That last line, saying that the sites are liable is simply not correct, but why let facts get in the way of a good rant.

Orsini then goes on to explain that he’s absolutely positive that social networks will be found in studies to be damaging to kids:

It is not hyperbole for me to write that the pain caused by social networking sites is beyond significant – it is psychologically detrimental and we will find out it will have significant long term effects, as well as all the horrible social effects it already creates.

Of course, similar things have been written about every “new” thing that the older generation in society doesn’t get — including the waltz (“we feel it a duty to warn every parent against exposing his daughter to so fatal a contagion”), movies, videos games… and chess (“chess is a mere amusement of a very inferior character, which robs the mind of valuable time that might be devoted to nobler acquirements, while it affords no benefit whatever to the body”). I assume, we can add Orsini’s quote to the other quotes about those other things soon.

Basically, it looks like Orsini has fallen prey to yet another moral panic. He claims that it doesn’t make sense to teach “responsible” computing, because middle school kids can’t handle it. It appears that many kids in his school disagree, and are quoted in the article saying so. Clearly, many kids will abuse social networks and the will bully others. But doing a blanket ban certainly won’t work, and is just someone overreacting because he was unable to handle some kids acting poorly. It’s an attempt to prevent kids from doing stuff, just so that the administrators might get a little “security” from kids being kids.

Perhaps the principal of the Benjamin Franklin Middle School, should pay attention to Ben Franklin’s words:

They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.

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The degradation of coastal ecosystems, such as coral reefs and mangroves, could cost the tourism industry in the Dominican Republic nearly USD $100 million and threaten the livelihoods of Dominican fishermen who depend on these ecosystems for survival.

Coastal Capital: Valuing Coastal Ecosystems in the Dominican Republic, a new report released today by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and Reef Check-Dominican Republic, offers a first-ever detailed view of the economic and recreational value of the Dominican Republic’s coralline beaches, reef and mangrove fisheries, and ecotourism industry. The report follows similar analyses for Tobago, St. Lucia and Belize.

“Coral reefs and mangroves provide many valuable benefits or ‘ecosystem services’ to the people and economy of the Dominican Republic,” said Lauretta Burke, senior associate at WRI. “They help build beaches and slow erosion, draw millions of local and international tourists to the coasts, and provide habitat for valuable fisheries. However, these ecosystems are being degraded by pollution and overfishing – threatening both the local and national economy.”

Coastal Capital places a dollar figure on what the country stands to lose if efforts are not taken to preserve its beaches and coastal ecosystems. The analysis finds that each meter of beach lost in front of an all-inclusive resort reduced average nightly per-person hotel room rates by about USD $1.50. If beaches continue to erode at the current rate, this translates to USD $52-100 million of lost revenue for the Dominican tourism industry over the next decade.

Overfishing has also taken a toll on the country’s fisheries. The report estimates that the income from reef- or mangrove-dependent fisheries has decreased by 60 percent in the past decade – from USD $41 million to $17 million. The downward trend is endangering the livelihoods of many Dominican fishermen, and will continue unless overfishing is curbed.

“To date, little work has been done in the Dominican Republic to show the link between coastal ecosystems and economic growth, chiefly due to a lack of information and understanding on the exact services and benefits these ecosystems provide,” said Ruben Torres, executive director of Reef Check-Dominican Republic. “This report fills that gap by giving data to policymakers and tourism developers to identify problem areas and recommendations on how to fix them.”

For instance, better enforcement of fishing regulations, coupled with increased dive tourism in the country’s marine parks, could be a win-win solution for both fish populations and the fishermen that depend on them. One case study found that tourism operators at La Caleta Marine Park could charge USD $50-60 per person for dive trips. Fishermen who become dive operators in the park could earn 90 percent of what they currently earn from fishing – a number that would increase as tourism activities expand.

To address the problem of beach erosion, the Dominican Republic has regulations to control coastal development. Recommendations from the report suggest that the government strengthen and enforce existing regulations. It also recommends that the government implement new measures to protect coral reefs from sediment and pollution from agriculture, deforestation, and coastal development.

Coastal Capital also examines the economic benefits of the Dominican Republic’s Jaragua, Sierra de Bahoruco, and Lago Enriquillo Biosphere Reserve. Tourists – mostly Dominican citizens – spend more than USD $1 million annually on hotel, food, and travel expenses to visit the Reserve. In view of current plans to develop mass tourism and mining in and around the park, the report argues that the Reserve and surrounding areas should be kept as they currently stand. This would preserve the Reserve’s fragile biodiversity, benefit Dominican tourists, and benefit roadside communities where tourists pay for food and lodging, some of which are located in poor, rural areas.

Burke added, “Coral reefs and mangroves are inextricably linked to national economies, bringing in revenue from tourism and fisheries and protecting the coastline. Our valuations of coral reefs and mangroves in four Caribbean countries have all found that it is in their long-term economic interest to protect coastal ecosystems.”

WRI’s Coastal Capital project was made possible by financial support from the MacArthur Foundation and the Swedish Biodiversity Programme (SwedBio).

Buying a home is a trying and complicated process. It often strains relationships and puts an enormous amount of stress on buyers physically, mentally and financially. That’s why the folks at the Boston Globe have put together this list of 10 things to keep in mind as you weather the home-buying storm.

1. Get your financing in order
“The seller wants to know that if they do accept the offer, that barring catastrophic title issues or inspection issues, the deal is going to go through,” said Gary Dwyer, broker-owner of Buyer Agents of Boston. Another expert recommends having a full pre-approval within the past 30 days: “Six months is no good anymore, because the rules keep changing.”

2. Understand your time horizon
“As a shorter-term buyer, you might consider whether the place is a good investment, and if it’s the kind of property that’s going to be attractive for the next buyer…A house near train tracks, for instance, is probably not what most people are looking for. But for someone who’s planning to stay longer, a good school system or larger lot size might make up for the trains thundering past.”

3. Know the overall market conditions
Investigate what comparable properties have sold for over the past three to six months, Dwyer advises. If you’re not working with an agent, sites with pricing information such Zillow.com or Trulia.com could help.

4. Search and buy within your means
“If the housing crisis has taught us anything, it’s that buying with the expectation that prices will continuously go up — and that if you can eke out the payments each month, you’ll be in a good spot in the long run — isn’t such a good idea.”

5. If you’re waiting for prices to go lower, think again
Real estate is a bit like the stock market, Hillman says, in that it’s unpredictable. Though some people might be waiting on the sidelines for housing prices to dip lower, she says, “looking at the numbers, I can’t see them continuing to go down.”

6. Don’t get too sucked in by appearances
Buyers should keep in mind that many sellers will try to present their homes in the best possible light. “If the house has been staged, what [potential buyers] forget is that all that stuff is going out when [the sellers] leave,” says Needham realtor Harriet Lieb. “Sometimes you’re better off buying something that needs a little decorating, because it’s going to take on your own look anyway.”

7. Have questions prepared
“Sellers and their agents should be prepared to answer questions including how old the roof, heating system, hot water heater, and windows are; if the basement has taken water in the time the seller has been there, and if there’s a sump pump; and what utilities and homeowner insurance generally cost… If there’s been recent renovation work, buyers should find out of all building permits have been signed off and if all of the contractors and sub-contractors have been paid in full. If there’s a pool, buyers should ask if the seller has a permit from the city or town.”

8. If you’re thinking of buying a brand new house…
Consider that a home that’s been lived in has been tested, says Lieb. The seller will be able to tell you if the basement takes on water in a rainstorm, for instance.

“People will pay a lot of money for a brand new house. I tell people, it’s only new once. It’s like a car — you drive it out of the lot, it’s not new,” she says.

9. If you’re buying a condo, know the rules
“Condo lending rules have become more stringent, making it difficult for some would-be buyers to get financing. Lenders generally want buildings to be at least 50 percent owner-occupied, Dwyer says.”

10. Think about a home’s intrinsic value
“[Buying a home] has always been a consumption decision and an investment decision,” says Nicolas Retsinas, director of the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard. In recent years, “we moved that dot along the continuum, and it became an investment decision… Questions such as ‘Is this where I want to raise a family’ and ‘Is this close to the things that are important to me’ will factor more into the decision.”

10 things to know if you’re buying a home now [Boston.com]

Having a spare tire in your trunk is good, sure, but having two is even better. Especially when they’re attached by a folding, pedal-free electric bike made by Volkswagen. A bike with a cool curvy frame. And two kickstands. More »

Mazda’s second-gen “wild child” made it through the winter with mixed reviews.

Date: April 2010
Current Mileage/Months in Fleet: 13,450/5 months
Average Fuel Economy/Range: 23 mpg/366 miles
Service: $54.37
Normal Wear: $0
Repair: $0

If you’re a little squeamish about driving little hot hatches like this one on ice, February was a good time to give the mighty turbocharged Mazdaspeed 3 some benign neglect. Most of us scoured the C/D car board for four-wheel-drive machines during this snowiest of months, meaning the Speed 3 has acquired its latest miles at a more relaxed pace.

Keep Reading: 2010 Mazdaspeed 3 – Long-Term Road Test Update

Related posts:

1. 2010 Mazdaspeed 3 – Long-Term Road Test Intro
2. 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI – Long-Term Road Test Update

So-called textualist judges dismiss bus accident cases  based on false logic while ignoring  law that works in bus accident victims’ behalf

I’ve helped a number of personal injury victims injured in serious bus accidents over the years. But recently, the law has swung hard against the rights of Michigan residents injured in bus accidents. The way Michigan judges are now treating bus accident victims is outrageous. In a recent spate of bewilderingly unjust cases, appellate judges have approved the dismissal of bus victims’ lawsuits based on a hyper-technical argument made by bus lines that defies justice, common sense, morality and logic.

Even though the bus lines knew about all of these recent bus accidents and the resulting personal injuries to the accident victims, SMART and other bus companies have been successful in escaping  accountability for the harms they have caused. This is because, as the bus lines contended, accident victims didn’t personally provide the bus lines with proper notice within 60 days of the bus accidents and their injuries sustained in the accidents. Ignored is that the bus companies already had notice, including from the bus driver, the police, multiple incident reports, and in one case, a phone interview with the accident victim.

Exacerbating my concern is that bus accidents often involve people who live in Detroit and other larger urban areas who may have less legal sophistication or access to attorneys than others.  In general, I fear that people who ride public transportation are less able to avail themselves to resources that would include a lawyer who could warn them about this dangerous new mine field that awaits them only 60 days after a motor vehicle accident under Michigan law.

It is also troubling that no less than eight Michigan Court of Appeals judges have said letting the bus lines off the hook was the right thing to do.

Amazingly, these judges reasoned that learning of the bus accidents and injuries through accident reports, police reports, and even phone interviews with the accident victims(!), does not  satisfy Michigan’s “notice” law which — the judges assumed — requires the accident victims to provide notice to the bus companies, apparently well-beyond the notice they already have received. The only ones punished are the bus accident victims.

Bus Accident Victims Beware: This is More Dangerous than Michigan Judges Abandoning  Common Sense

But throwing common sense to the wind isn’t the only outrageous thing Michigan judges are doing to bus accident victims. Judges are also faulting them for not living up to fictitious, legal requirements that do not even exist under Michigan  law.

This is exactly what the judges did in at least three bus line cases that I have previously written about :

SMART Bus Accident Takes Another Person for a Ride

Legal Loophole Lets SMART Off the Hook Despite Causing Serious Accident

Again, Michigan’s “notice” law, which was at issue in the bus line cases, says nothing about requiring the accident victim to provide notice. The law, MCL 124.419, simply says that “written notice … shall be served” upon the bus line.

But that detail didn’t get in the judges’ way of making sure the bus accident victims would never get their day in court. They devoted not a page, not a paragraph, not a sentence, and not a word trying to rationalize how a law that didn’t even mention accident victims somehow imposed on those same unmentioned victims a potentially fatal “notice” requirement.

Instead, the judges side-stepped the messy, complicated work of doing the impossible and opted to simplify things by making the wildly rogue assumption that the “notice” law’s notice requirement was meant to apply to bus accident victims exclusively. Accordingly, that freed up the judges to busy themselves with nitpicking and arranging the law’s actual words and phrases in a way to justify dismissal of the bus accident victims’ lawsuits.

As a personal injury lawyer specializing in serious bus and truck accidents, I have been able to help many injured people, but I must say, I believe such judicial activism is offensive, especially when it’s at the expense of the legal rights of innocent, helpless, and powerless residents who had the bad fortune of riding public transportation services that happened to be involved in a collision that changed their lives.

Bus accident victims should not be treated differently than other motor vehicle accident victims in this state. Not only are they treated differently here, they are discriminated against in the most dangerous way – by being required to provide specific legal notice within 60 days of their bus crash.  There is simply no justification or public policy rationale to punish bus passengers so unjustly under our law.

And I suspect at least some of the judges who have continued to dismiss these innocent accident victims’ cases know it.

Steven M. Gursten is recognized as one of the nation’s top experts in serious car and truck accident injury cases and automobile insurance no-fault litigation. Michigan Auto Law has received the largest reported jury verdict for an automobile accident case in Michigan in seven of the past 10 years, including 2009, according to published year-end verdicts and settlements reports.

– Photo courtesy of Creative Commons, by sfllaw

Related information:

Michigan Commercial Vehicle Rules and Regulations

Michigan Truck Accident Attorney Videos

Basics of Michigan No-Fault Law

Michigan Auto Law is the largest law firm exclusively handling car accident, truck accident, motorcycle accident and bus cases throughout the state. Call (800) 777-0028 if you’ve been injured in an auto accident, and would like to speak to a lawyer.

“Forget what you thought you knew, because you’ve never seen a Droid like this.” is really just a nice way of saying “Oh, that Droid we spent millions advertising like 5 months ago? Old news. This one is the best one. Seriously. At least, for the next 5 months, unless it isn’t.”

Oh, you wanted to know about the LG Aloha, did you ? Sorry, alls we have here is the LG Ally — which is what we’re told the Aloha actually will be called — and it’s said to be destined for Verizon in the middle of May. Specs should still be about what we’ve been told for the Aloha (aka the LU2300), with a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 3.5-inch AMOLED touchscreen at 480×800 pixels, QWERTY keyboard, Android 2.1, 720p video out, 5MP camera and the kinda-weird round D-pad. More or less par for the course these days. More on the Ally as we get it.

NewsRoom is an app that pulls all my favorite rss web content to my Android phone, and allows me to scroll through it much more quickly than using the browser.

I used the free trial before quickly deciding it was worth the $4.99 to have this gem permanently on my phone. The UI is stunning, especially compared with the other RSS readers out there. It makes my aging myTouch feel like a cutting edge piece of technology again – a rush I lost after the release of the Droid and N1. The user can seamlessly scroll through articles with the swipe of a finger and drag the article up or down to switch between the full article and the overview.

NewsRoom features 4 customizable home screens that allow you to organize your feeds (up to 36) in any order. The screens display rich icons bearing the website’s logo, and for those of us who are easily amused, they animate when selected to open or to be moved. NewsRoom even offers widgets, although they are nothing more than feed shortcuts placed on the home screen.

The developer, Trileet, is a friendly and responsive bunch. I had an issue not being able to install the paid version and they quickly found a solution.

If I could reserve one nag, it would be the lack of sync with Google reader. The native search on NewsRoom is pretty intuitive, but it does get tiring searching little results on a little screen. Until I snag the upcoming Mini 5, it would be nice to run searches for web content while on my desktop.

The app is lightweight enough to use on any version of Android, although the search can be slow, especially on slower speeds or a high traffic network.

The Good

• The stunning UI makes this app fun and my phone feel state of the art again.
• Delivers on its promise to quickly and easily deliver your favorite web content without opening a browser.
• The four home screens are attractive and easy to use.

Not so Good

• This app does not sync with Google Reader.
• NewsRoom does not cooperate with landscape mode for easier reading.
• The widgets are nothing more than shortcuts to your favorite feeds. They do not show actual content.

Final Verdict
I highly recommend NewsRoom. It is fast, customizable, simple, and delivers on its promise. Well worth the $4.99

Note: This review was submitted by James King as part of our app review contest.

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• MyBackup Pro: A ROM flashers lifesaver
• Gmote: Turn your phone into a remote for your computer.
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Filed under: Car Buying, Marketing/Advertising, Suzuki

Last year, Suzuki offered its “Free Gas for Summer” promotion on SX4 Sport and Crossover models. Apparently, it was a bit of a success, since the automaker is not only reviving this campaign, but is spreading the promotion across its full model range (Kizashi, Grand Vitara, Equator and SX4 models). Since fuel prices commonly rise in the summer months, we can see many shoppers becoming excited about any promotion that involves free fuel, and with the hot new Kizashi just now hitting dealers, this incentive could indeed boost sales of the hot new midsize sedan.

Customers who purchase a new Suzuki vehicle between May 1st and August 31st will receive a pre-paid debit card which should, theoretically, pay for one summer’s worth of fuel. The pre-paid cards range in value from $280 to $442, and are calculated based on the vehicle’s EPA fuel economy estimates, and on the Federal Highway Administration’s estimated average of 1,000 miles driven per month. Still, even if owners exceed this mileage, having a couple hundred bucks in free gas is nothing to be upset about. The full details are available in Suzuki’s press release, after the jump.

Photos by John Neff / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: Suzuki]

Continue reading Suzuki re-starts the free gas spiff, extends offer to full model range

Suzuki re-starts the free gas spiff, extends offer to full model range originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As the largest and heaviest slewing ring exported from China, the outer diameter is over 6000mm and the weight is over 13 metric tons.
THe structure is triple row cylindrical roller type with external gear.
In order to have the best and stable mechanical property, the 3 rings are forged and each ring is unitary.
In order to guarantee the hardened depth on the raceway, a test was made before the induction hardening.
The slewing ring has been exported to Europe, being used on a ship, as the bottom of cable basket.
The cages of 1st and 2nd row of rollers are made of aluminium alloy. Nylon cages are also available.
The cages of the 3rd row of rollers which is called”spacer” are made of nylon.
During the final assembly and before the packing, the slewing ring is lubricated by Lithium grease.

Specialist for applications in wet and marshy terrain

The special steering of the front drive wheels permits a wide range of applications in marshy terrain and in deeper water. The special rig form ensures very low driving resistance. The machine can be raised extremely high for large wading depths.

Features

•Low driving resistance when driving in mud
•Triple steering mode: Leg and wheel steering at front and rear
•Low ground pressure
•Wide spread driving and steering with permanent all-wheel drive
•Maximum stability even on soft ground

Technology developed by the N.N. Zoubov Engineers research center has the following features:

v Reduction of emission of CO2 by 12% ;
v Energy saving by 15% ;
v Increased cement grade ;
v Efficiency increase by 50% without installing new machinery.
The presented technology is commissioned in two producing plant in 2007.

Technology Outline:

There are two stages:

Stage I:

Identification of the site of the deposit (volcanic, magmatic rock) from which the added materials is obtained and added into the clinker. For cost efficiency, the deposit site preferably is to be within the range of 150 km from the cement plant. Then flour composition is formulated based on the constituents of the input.
Here is an example of calculus performed for the cement plant.

The furnace in the initial stage has the following parameters:

• Flour load: 210 ton per hour;
• Gas consumption: 13500 cubic meter per hour.

Clinker output is calculated as 210 x 0.6 = 126 ton per h for 0.6 coefficient.
For the obtainment of the Portland cement in concern, the following changes have been made:

• Flour load: 227 ton per hour;
• Gas consumption: 12352 cubic meter per hour.

Reaction capacity of the clinker has increased by 0.3% (or the coefficient is 0.03) after addition of the rock into the flour. The clinker calculation is then performed by 0.6 + 0.03 = 0.63 coefficient. Thanks to the added material’s inner property, the part of the dust (averagely 4 ton) is entered into the clinker thus increasing its content.

So, by applying this technology, we get the following amount of clinker: 227t x 0.63 = 143t + 4t of dust = 147t. The difference is 147 – 126 = 21t or 18% increase of output rate.

The consumed gas (as per the ton) is:

• Conventional technology: 13500 m3 : 126 T = 107,14 m3 per ton;
• New technology: 12352 m³ : 147T = 84,027 m³ per ton ;
• Difference: 107,14 m³ – 84,027 m³ = 23,113 m3 or 20% of gas saving.

Stage II:

To the obtained clinker a corresponding additive is selected and calculated (dunite, peridotite, diatomite, serpentinite, etc.) which later loaded into cement mill. The output rate of the ball mill is increased up to 15% by appropriate selection of the assortment of balls.

The obtained Portland cement strictly corresponds to specifications.

…..

Manual marking out and measuring belongs in the past with new V808M plasma beam coping system

The revolutionary V808M fully automatic coping system not only copes profiles using plasma, but is now also capable of applying marking layout lines and information to all four sides of a profile. Manually marking of position for example connection plates with this system are a thing of the past. This results in huge cost savings on labour, better accuracy and higher error free. The fitter / welder now knows exactly the position of each connection plate. This provides you a cost saving of at least 1 man-hour per ton of steel.

The V808M is designed and built using an industrial robot, which has the flexibility to cut all possible copes, contours and produce layout marks on steel profiles. This provides not only an enormous freedom to design and produce structures with the most complex connections and copes, but also a significant increase in production speed.

Flexible and accurate

The CNC controlled beam coping systems of Voortman are the only robotic systems in the world today combined with a roller feed measuring system for total flexibility and accuracy. The advantages of a roller feed measuring system includes space saving, the possibility to produce beams with an unlimited length, higher production speed with significant time savings.

The new Temposonics® RS and GS sensors with super shield housing ensure long-term linear position measurement in harsh environments, making them ideal for outdoor use, as well as applications requiring high-pressure wash-down cleaning. Hermetically sealed with a housing completely made of stainless steel, they meet the requirements of protection modes IP68 and IP69K and are reliably shielded against corrosion and penetration of dirt and water.

The robust, rod-shaped Temposonics® sensors have been developed for measuring lengths of 50-7600 mm. Due to non-contact measuring technology, sensor integration into a hermetically sealed housing is possible. A position magnet moves along the outside of the pressure-resistant sensor pipe and marks the position without mechanical contact. For level measurement, an optional float can be used. The modular sensor cartridge design enables the customer to choose the specific sensor output configurations to be installed within the super shield housing to best fit their application requirements. The measuring accuracy and all technical data correspond to the features of the sensor selected inside the housing. A wide choice of interfaces (Analog, Profibus, SSI, CANbus, DeviceNet, EtherCAT, POWERLINK) is available. Moreover, integration of ATEX-certified and intrinsically safe sensors is possible with the protective housing.

By combining Temposonics® R- and G-Series sensors with this unique housing, MTS has developed a cost-effective solution to utilize their proven non-wearing, trouble-free technology in the harshest environments. This is of particular advantage with outdoor applications, waterworks and hydroelectric power stations, off-shore wind mills, steel mills or chemical engineering.

WIRELESS NETWORK PROVIDES MONITORING AND CONTROL OF SENSORS, PUMPS AND OTHER DEVICES AT UP TO 56 REMOTE LOCATIONS
New DX80 from Banner Engineering replaces costly wiring in wide area installations

A scalable wireless network that can monitor and control I/O functions or provide serial communication at up to 56 locations has been introduced by Banner Engineering. The new SureCross DX80 product line replaces costly wiring in a wide range of industrial, agricultural, power generation, water supply and waste disposal applications. Discrete, serial and analog devices that can be controlled by the network include ultrasonic and photoelectric sensors, pumps, counters, thermocouple and RTD temperature sensors.

The remote nodes gather data and/or transmit control commands between the sensors or other devices and a central Gateway. The Gateway maps inputs from the remote nodes and interfaces with a PLC or HMI via RS-485 modbus or Ethernet/IP.

Designed for applications where wiring is impractical or unaffordable, DX80 nodes and the devices they monitor can be powered by 10 – 30V dc, battery or solar panels. This capability can eliminate the need for power wiring as well as control wiring, providing significant cost reduction and ease of installation in situations that cover wide areas. Banner’s unique power management capability and low power consumption enable a node and sensor to operate for years on a single battery power supply.

All units have industry standard robust IP67 housings. Models with Intrinsically Safe and Class I Division 2 approvals are available for extreme environments. Node to gateway transmission range using license-free radio is 3 km at 2.4 GHz or 10 km at 900 MHz (line of sight). The signal range can be extended or rerouted around natural obstacles by adding DataRadio modules as repeaters.

The DX80 SureCross wireless network is appropriate for a wide range of applications including:
– Monitoring tank levels and controlling remote pumps to assure efficient and reliable supply in gravity-fed water systems.
– Monitoring of level, flow, temperature and gas emissions on landfills; activate pumps for leachate extraction.
– Monitoring tank fill levels and valve position in water treatment and chemical processing plants to assure that materials are maintained at desired quantity.
– Maintaining proper soil moisture and temperature and air humidity for plant growth.
– Continuous remote monitoring and logging of compost temperatures so rows can be turned at the ideal point. This insures that harmful bacteria are killed while minimizing risk of contamination through human measurement operations.
– Achieving optimal work flow in factories employing automatic guided vehicles.
– Monitoring valve temperatures in steam power plants to identify energy losses and schedule repairs.

Banner Engineering is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of vision sensors, photoelectric and ultrasonic sensors, fiber optic assemblies, indicator lights, machine guarding systems, precision measurement and inspection systems and wireless network products. The company provides local application support worldwide.

Binks, its experience in manual and automatic guns, has developed a new product “no needle”, making maintenance incredibly simple.
These gun utilise a unique fluid valve which totally eliminates the traditional needle valve/packing design resulting in a very light trigger pull, reduced operator RSi risk, and much lower maintenance than traditional airless spray guns. With gun bodies made from durable forged aluminium they are built to outlast the competition, and operators will feel the difference thanks to the contoured handle design. A quality range of tungsten carbide twist tips and fixed flat tips are available which provide superb atomisation and spray performance.
The extra long in-built fluid filter provides 20% more filter surface to prevent paint blockages and reduce the frequency of filter cleaning and changes. A3500 & A7500 Airless Guns are augmented with a wide range of quality accessories to tackle all airless spray applications.

Further, four finger models offer lower trigger pull and better leverage.

Guns A3500 (241 bar) and A7500 (517 bar) are particularly for Contractor industry – Interior/exterior, Marine and Ship Building, Off Road vehicles, Offshore Gas/Oil Industry and Corrosion Protection, Industrial Metal Structures, Skips & Dumpsters.

Choose Binks Airless Guns for the ultimate in spraying performance and comfortable design with built in durability and an extended working life.

NEW BALL BEARING IS OPTIMISED FOR EXTREME-DUTY APPLICATIONS

* extends equipment uptime in harshest processing applications such as aggregates, cement, paper, wood, metal …

Baldor Electric introduces a new Dodge-brand mounted ball bearing that offers extended life in automation equipment designed for the most extreme industrial power transmission applications, including aggregates, cement, paper, wood and metal processing.

Designated Dodge Extreme Duty, the new bearings feature a patented new sealing system and a ball retainer, for superior protection and reduced maintenance, providing outstanding performance in demanding applications where increasing equipment uptime is critical to success. These bearings, available in a variety of housing styles, use a 65 degree spacing for setscrews. This unique design offers an optimum balance between locking force and inner ring stress.

The new sealing system, QuadGuard, consists of two patented features: a triple lip seal and a rubberised flinger. The triple lip seal offers three points of contact, keeping the lubricant in and contaminants out. This unique design maximises sealing with a minimal amount of drag. The rubberised flinger, the industry’s first and only patented design, is a moulded nitrile rubber component that is bonded to the flinger surface and provides an additional barrier to contaminants. The rubber baffled design on the external surface of the flinger enhances the removal of liquid as it rotates, while grease chambers on the internal surface of the flinger prevent lubricant from exiting the bearing.

A new two-piece ball retaining cage, Maxlife, creates a grease compartment around each of the rolling elements. The compartments provide constant contact between ball and grease so an oil film always exists to prevent wear, and minimise friction and heat. The compartmental construction holds in the grease and prevents it from being washed out. This exclusive design extends the life of the bearing and requires less frequent relubrication than standard designs.

For additional protection, the housings are machined with a groove to accept a snap-on polymer end cover to cover exposed, rotating shafts and create safer working conditions. These covers incorporate a drain hole to prevent moisture build-up.

Dodge Extreme Duty ball bearings also utilise the latest synthetic grease technology to provide lower operating temperatures, and extend grease life and the interval between relubrication operations. The range is available in a wide range of imperial sizes plus metric sizes from 20 to 85 mm.