Blog

By Laura Grimes

The pressure’s on. Mr. Scatter, otherwise known as my current first husband, has hightailed it outta town, and his responsibilities mean he probably won’t have a chance to write or find a wi-fi to post for about a week.

But you’re in luck. Before he left town, he got up early to write this review of Small Steps at Oregon Children’s Theatre.

I am more than a little envious that he got this assignment. I’m the one who’s had my eye on this show for months. I’m the one who bought the book. I’m the one who was trying to see how this could wedge into the schedule and — stink — he landed the gig, skedaddled with the Small Large Smelly Boy (also known as Felix/Martha in some circles), and I was stuck with chauffeur duty for the Large Large Smelly Boy who had a class at the same time.

At dinner after the show, the Small LSB niftily and oh-so-casually wove it into the conversation that he got to meet Louis Sachar.

“Excuse me?” I said. “You got to meet him?”

I could tell he was stifling a grin and playing cool. “I got to shake his hand. It wasn’t big.”

“What? His hand wasn’t big?”

“No!” he laughed. (Got him!)

“I knew what you meant. And, yes, it was a big deal.” And, no, I wasn’t there.

But I got a report. You can read it for yourself. Mr. Scatter says it’s a good ‘un.

In looking at my schedule, I’ll be in town exactly one weekend day during the run that’s open to the public. Must sign off to buy a ticket … and then finish the book.

*

ILLUSTRATIONS:

Top: Johnny Crawford as Armpit in “Small Steps.” Photo by Morphis Studios.

Bottom: Louis Sachar/Wikipedia

drhawass.com (Zahi Hawass)

With photographs

Many people have claimed that the pyramids were built by slaves, or even by aliens. In the past, it was difficult to convince the public that it was actually ordinary Egyptians who constructed these great monuments. With the discovery of the Cemetery of the Pyramid Builders, however, I was finally able to reveal the truth to people around the world.

In my 1987 doctoral dissertation for the University of Pennsylvania, I predicted that we should look for the tombs of the workmen who built the pyramids in the area to the south of an ancient stone wall known as the Wall of the Crow (Heit El-Ghurob). This wall lies to the south of the Great Sphinx, and I theorized that it had been built to separate the area where the workmen lived and were buried from the royal necropolis that they had labored to construct. Earlier excavations south of the wall had found traces of the activities of workmen. Egyptian archeaologist Selim Hassan found architectural remains, along with a few potsherds and 4th Dynasty seal impressions, in the 1930’s when he was helping the local villagers to find an alternative site for their cemetery. In the late 1980’s my friend Mark Lehner and I excavated to the southeast of the wall. We found the remains of what we thought might be granaries, although we did not see any sign of tombs. We left the area without exploring further to concentrate on other things. Although we were beginning to see signs of the daily lives of the pyramid builders, the location of their tombs was still a mystery.

In April of 1990, I was sitting in my office at Giza when a guard came to tell me that an American tourist had been thrown from her horse when the animal stumbled over the remains of a mud-brick wall. The guard took me and my assistant Mansour Boraik to the site – south of the Wall of the Crow, in an undeveloped area of desert only about thirty feet from where Mark and I had been digging a few years earlier.

Egyptology News Blog, Andie Byrnes

Each and every rotary phone-styled iRetrofone Base is handmade from resin, and not only does it give you a stationary calling experience, it also docks and syncs via USB. Available now for $195. [Etsy via Retro To Go] More »

German magazine GameStar’s June issue reveals some more relevant information about the up and coming Test Drive Unlimited 2. With scans too.
 
 
 

The 2010 BMW 3 Series coupé and cabriolet show some small changes to the style of the range, but this model year mostly focuses on a new engine range updated to comply with Euro 5 anti-pollution laws. The BMW 3 Series keeps its elegant (and successful) style, with a few sports features keeping it interesting enough.

There are new bi-xenon headlights with LED lights and indicators, and a few slight changes to the front of the car. The bumpers get a new design with brushed finish and the front bonnet ‘V’ is more pronounced. The rear keeps its bumper shape with a few changes, again, to the lights. The BMW M3 keeps its design with no changes to the bodywork, including only some touches to the headlights.

The 2010 BMW 3 Series engine line-up is comprised of the six-cylinder TwinPower unit with 3.0-litres, 306 hp and 400 Nm of torque. It uses the Valvetronic direct injection system with to get fuel consumption of 8.4 litres and 8.8 litres per 100 km on the coupé and cabriolet respectively, and acceleration to 100 km/hr of 5.5 and 5.8 seconds.

2010 BMW 3 Series pics

New diesel engines in the range are a 2.0 and 3.0-litre unit. The former produces 184 hp and 380 Nm of torque with 4.7 litres per 100 km of fuel consumption and a sprint time to 100 km/hr of 7.5 seconds. It has a top speed of 237 km/hr (all figures are relevant to the coupé model). The 3.0-litre diesel unit has 204 hp and 430 Nm of torque, acceleration of 6.9 seconds, 244 km/hr of top speed and fuel consumption of 5.7 litres per 100 km. These 320d and 330d models are available with a six-speed manual gearbox or automatic transmission as an option.

The rest of the engine range includes the 320i with 170 hp, 325i with 218 hp, 330i with 272 hp and hte 335d with 286 hp. All wheel drive options with BMW xDrive technology are available but only on the coupé model. The 2010 BMW 3 Series pricing starts from about 35,500 euros for the 320i, while the 320d starts at 38,850 euros. The 335i model is about 49,850 euros and the 3 Series cabrio range starts at 43,650 euros. If you want the M3 models you’re looking at 70,700 and 78,350 euros.

In terms of aggregate dollars, foreign investment into China exploded around 2006 and remains near a peak.

Yet this chart from China Daily shows how the number of new foreign companies has fallen year and year since 2005. The chart below can differ in trend from the chart above because the chart above includes new investment by established foreign companies in China.

Thus it appears as if established foreign players are investing in the country, but the number of new foreign players is dwindling. Are companies becoming gun-shy to invest in China at this stage? Is it becoming more difficult to become established?

China expert James McGregor thinks this may be a function of an increasingly difficult investment environment.

China Daily:

“You have a time now where there are a lot of local governments protecting their local companies and discriminating against foreign companies. The foreign business community certainly feels that way,” he added.

McGregor says the immense power of China’s State-owned enterprises can make life very difficult for anyone wanting to do business in the country.

“State-owned enterprises are very powerful. They have access to capital and they have the relationships here that bring them a lot of business opportunities. I think even some Chinese private entrepreneurs have concerns about the recent emphasis on State industry,” he said.

And.. does this augur a coming drop in China’s net foreign direct investment?

Join the conversation about this story »

A 12MP cameraphone has been turning up in leaked documents, photos and patents, but finally Russian site Mobile-Review has done us proud and snagged hands-on pics. Apart from that image sensor, it’s also sporting Symbian^3, the first to do so. More »

Greece’s “bailout” depends on it being able to deliver real budget cuts. And fast.

FT reports:

Greece has been told to produce detailed plans this week to meet its budget deficit reduction targets in 2011 and 2012, as well as this year, before it can qualify for a combined rescue package from the International Monetary Fund and fellow eurozone members.

As pressure increased in Athens to step up the pace of negotiations, Germany made it clear that a three-year programme must be agreed with the IMF, the European Central Bank and the European Commission, before the combined €45bn ($60bn) loans can be approved to meet the Greek government debt repayment schedule for the current year.

On paper Greece can probably do this. Whether its citizens will accept the sharp deflation-inducing budget cuts without taking to the streets is another question.

The question is: how long before the Greeks begin to wonder what the benefits of being part of the vaunted European community really are, especially given the obvious hostility from the continent’s economic and political balast, Germay.

Join the conversation about this story »

El microcoche urbano que está terminando de desarrollar Gordon Murray, el creador del McLaren F1, ya ha empezado a rodar por las carreteras británicas para seguir con sus pruebas. Los fotógrafos de la revista Autocar lo han pillado saliendo de los estudios de diseño de Murray en Guildford, en Surrey, y la imagen que han publicado muestra claramente el aspecto definitivo que tendrá el T25.

En ella se ve la curiosa puerta única del coche, la cual se abre desplazándose hacia arriba y luego hacia el frontal para facilitar el acceso a cualquier plaza. El vehículo tendrá tres asientos: el del conductor delante y en el centro, y los de los pasajeros detrás a cada lado, los cuales serán abatibles. Su espacio interior será mayor que el de un Toyota iQ o de un Smart Fortwo y su peso de 650 kilogramos será igualmente menor que el del alemán o el del japonés.

El motor del Murray T25, localizado en la parte trasera, será un gasolina de un litro y tres cilindros, y estará unido a una transmisión de seis marchas sin embrague. Otra característica especial del coche será su proceso de producción, un invento llamado iStream que permitirá reducir considerablemente los costes de manufactura, inversión, espacio físico requerido en la planta y energía necesaria.

Según Gordon Murray, el T25 podría estar listo para salir al mercado en dos años y su fabricación muy probablemente sea en territorio británico. Después irá apareciendo en varios sitios del mundo, especialmente en los mayores entornos urbanos pues es el hábitat natural de este microcoche.

Vía | Autocar

Art Museum Journal (Stan Parchin)

With some lovely photos.

Ancient Egypt’s later 18th Dynasty and its controversial personalities come alive in an expanded version of the compelling special exhibition Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs at New York’s Discovery Times Square Exposition (April 23, 2010-January 2, 2011)), a spacious venue well-suited for the grand layout of the show’s more than 130 antiquities. The works on display end their seven-city United States tour with a nine-month stay in the heart of Manhattan. Upon their return to Cairo, the objects and some 5,000 other treasures from the pharaoh’s tomb will await their state-of-the-art installation in the Grand Egyptian Museum near the Great Pyramid at Giza, set to open in 2013.

After a brief video introduction, the exhibition opens up into 12 dramatically lit and thankfully carpeted galleries. Their contents are arranged chronologically and thematically. The show’s first half is devoted to subjects such as: Egypt before Tutankhamun (r. 1332-1323 B.C.); daily life; traditional beliefs; death, burial and the afterlife; and religious revolution during the reign of Pharaoh Akhenaten (r. 1353-1335 B.C.), Tutankhamun’s heretical father. A stark white transitional room runs archival film footage of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb, compliments of The New York Times. The exhibition continues with an exploration of the boy-king and his world, objects from his burial and recent scientific discoveries.

NY Daily News (Henrick Karoliszyn)

Visitors to the first day of the boy king’s new exhibit at the Discovery Times Square Exposition were wowed not only by the dazzling artifacts – but also by the eclectic souvenirs.

From a nearly $9,000 Eye of Horus necklace to a 25-cent temporary tattoo, mummy fans were taking a piece of Tut home.

“This is their favorite part of the exhibit,” joked Paula White, 41, of Manhattan, who bought her daughter a golden King Tut crown as well as a tattoo for her son.

Exhibit-goers were scooping up light blue amulet stones made in Egypt for a buck and Golden Age of the Pharaohs pencils for 99 cents.

Egyptology News Blog, Andie Byrnes

No theme tonight. Just a series of bullets to throw a tarp over the fantasy week that was.

• Chalk up another double-digit strikeout effort for Colby Lewis(notes), who struck out 10 in 6 1/3 innings to improve to 3-0 for the Rangers. Things looked a little dicey early for Lewis. Austin Jackson’s(notes) first major league home run led off the highlight reel (video). It was a glorious shot and the Tigers would plate two more runs in the first and one in the second to put Lewis on the ropes. But the righty settled down, later crediting his off-speed stuff with allowing him to retire 15 straight hitters. Lewis joined Nolan Ryan and Bobby Witt as Rangers pitchers with multiple double-digit strikeout games in April. Decent company.

The backstory has already been told in this space and so far the Lewis saga has played out exactly as predicted. The Boston start wasn’t overly messy, but it also wasn’t particularly useful (5 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, ND). Lewis’ next turn should come against Seattle, then the Rangers have series against Oakland, Kansas City, Oakland (again) and Toronto. As Andy advised after that 10 strikeout turn against Cleveland, you can’t possible drop a player after a performance like that. Well, after today’s gritty effort, you can’t possibly let the rest of this story play out on someone else’s roster. Lewis had been added in about 2,500 leagues as of Sunday evening, but still remained a free agent in about 80 percent of Yahoo! leagues. Act now.

• Brad Hawpe(notes) landed on the disabled list Sunday, allowing Eric Young Jr. to shed the "NA" tag via a promotion from Triple-A Colorado Springs. Young did not start Sunday, but singled as a pinch-hitter and stole second base in the eighth inning. Everyone knows the story here. Young stole 58 bases in the minors in 2009 and in six seasons on the farm had 303 swipes in 573 games. Reliable first-hand accounts say he has as much speed as anyone in baseball.

If you’re chasing steals and have a disposable roster spot, Young could help out in a MI slot. Just know that he wasn’t exactly tearing it up in Triple-A (.228 avg., 17 Ks in 57 ABs) and his promotion was characterized as a depth move. The Rockies could move Carlos Gonzalez(notes) down in the order, yes, but Young hasn’t exactly established himself as a reliable table setter. We’ll see if manager Jim Tracey decides to give Young an extended look at second base (Clint Barmes(notes) reached base three times Sunday, but is hitting just .204), or keeps him stashed as a late-inning weapon on the basepaths. Stay tuned.

• Paul Konerko(notes) homered for the third consecutive game and fifth time in nine games in Sunday’s 3-2 win over Seattle. It wasn’t cheap (video here), but Konerko is. As Sunday draws to a close he’s a free agent in about 46 percent of Yahoo! leagues. It may be true that corner infielders with pop are like point-per-game centers in hockey, but we’ve discussed before that most MLB cleanup hitters are relevant in most formats, and the case gets stronger when the guy hitting out of the four hole is a perennial 30-homer threat playing half his games in a solid hitting environment.

• Lefties entered play Sunday hitting .458 against Cleveland’s Justin Masterson(notes), so the A’s decided to front-load their lineup with left-handed batters, going L-L-L-L-R-L-R-L-R from top to bottom. The result was a tidy 11-0 victory, with the lefties having their way with Masterson and three Tribe relievers. Eric Chavez(notes) turned back the clock with two hits and three RBIs and Daric Barton(notes) went 3-for-4 to raise his average to .328. These struggles aren’t anything new for Masterson, who last year held righties to a .203 average while lefties fattened up, hitting .323. He’ll try to snap a nine-decision losing streak against Minnesota. The Twins have a couple of decent left-handed swingers in the heart of their order and perhaps a visit from Masterson can get Jason Kubel(notes) going again.

Barton sustained a small fracture in the middle finger of his right hand in the seventh inning. He’ll be evaluated Monday and his status for Oakland’s upcoming six-game road trip is in doubt. Jake Fox(notes) was behind the dish for the Athletics. He went 2-for-4 with an RBI single, but more importantly collected his fourth start at catcher. One more earns him catcher eligibility, and if he can ever get his bat going consistently, there’s four-position appeal here (he’s already good to go at both corner infield positions and outfield).

• A pair of baseball’s top pitching prospects had useful turns down on the farm Sunday. Toronto’s Kyle Drabek(notes) struck out seven in 5 2/3 innings in his best start since joining the Blue Jays organization. Drabek had Tommy John surgery back in 2007, but was the top pitcher in the Phillies minor league system last year (12-3 at two levels) and was considered to be nearly major league ready entering the 2010 season.

Meanwhile, Phillippe Aumont(notes) appears to be getting comfortable in the Phillies system. He pitched six no-hit innings in his longest and most effective start since joining the organization in the Cliff Lee(notes) deal. Will we some day refer that Halladay-Lee four-teamer as the Drabek-Aumont deal?

• Speaking of Lee, his owners got some good news on Sunday, as the rehabbing lefty threw six strong innings for Triple-A Tacoma. Lee is on target to make his Mariners debut Friday against Texas.

• Tyler Colvin(notes) hit .468 for the Cubs in spring training to make the roster and now is doing everything he can to force manager Lou Piniella to find a way to get him in the lineup. The Cubs gave Marlon Byrd(notes) a rare day off Sunday, with Colvin batting fifth with favorable results: 3-for-4, three RBIs, triple short of cycle. He’s now 7-for-14 with two homers in his last three starts. Byrd and his .338 average aren’t going anywhere, but Piniella is committed to an outfield rotation that will keep all parties fresh. "I said we’d give everybody an opportunity and some at-bats and playing time, and that’s what we’re doing," Piniella told MLB.com. Colvin has already started at all three outfield positions in 2010.

• Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer states the case for Carlos Santana(notes) remaining in the minors near-term. Goods points, all, even if the arbitration angle was muffled a little bit. Lou Marson(notes), for the record, went 0-for-3 Sunday to lower his average to .088. Santana pinch-hit Sunday at Triple-A Columbus and flied out. He’s hitting .333.

Handshakes: Francisco Cordero(notes) walked two and allowed the tying run to reach third base, but held on for his seventh save in a 5-4 Reds win over the Padres. … Matt Capps(notes) made it 8-for-8 in save chances, retiring three in a row to protect a 1-0 lead after allowing a James Loney(notes) double to lead off the ninth. Tyler Clippard(notes) worked a scoreless eighth. … Jim Johnson(notes) got five outs for the Orioles, but had nothing left in his third inning of work and had to be bailed out by Cla Meredith(notes), who got the last two outs in the 10th for his first save. … Bobby Jenks(notes) blew away Ken Griffey Jr.(notes) with a high fastball to record his fourth save of the season. A Casey Kotchman(notes) double had put the tying run in scoring position. … Joakim Soria(notes) struck out Michael Cuddyer(notes) and Jim Thome(notes) to close out his fifth save of the season. A Justin Morneau(notes) RBI double had cut the K.C. advantage to 5-4.

Ryan Franklin(notes) earned save No. 6 in fairly routine fashion. … Chad Qualls(notes) punched out Greg Dobbs(notes) and Chase Utley(notes) to notch save number four in Arizona’s 8-6 win over Philadelphia.

Injury blog: Padres shortstop Everth Cabrera(notes) was not in the lineup Sunday, stating he was only 50 percent after getting hit on the knee by a Johnny Cueto(notes) slider on Saturday. … Ryan Zimmerman(notes) took some cuts Sunday and could be back in the Nationals lineup Monday. … Freddy Sanchez(notes) could return to the Giants lineup in two weeks. … Kerry Wood(notes) threw a bullpen session for the Indians on Sunday, but no timetable has been set for his return. … Justin Upton(notes) is day-to-day after fouling a ball off his left leg. … Cameron Maybin(notes) was still feeling the effects of a Saturday collision, so he sat it out Sunday.

Speed round: Rhyne Hughes(notes) went 4-for-9 with a double and two RBIs for Baltimore over the weekend subbing for a struggling Garrett Atkins(notes). … Nolan Reimold(notes) went 2-for-5 batting leadoff for the first time in his career. … David Price’s(notes) first career shutout featured nine strikeouts. … Justin Smoak(notes) is hitless in seven at-bats for the Rangers. … Fifty at-bats later, Brandon Wood(notes) finally has his first RBIs of the season. Of course, it took a late break by Yankees left fielder Marcus Thames(notes) to open the door. But hey, gotta start somewhere. … Sixty-percent owned Brad Penny(notes) won his third consecutive start, pitching into the eighth and scattering eight hits in a 2-0 win over the Giants. … Kelly Johnson(notes) still wants your attention. He hit his seventh homer of the season Sunday.

They really tried to play through this for a while …

BBC News and The New York Times have just each published articles on the US Army’s treatment of psychologically traumatised soldiers so different that you’d think they were talking about entirely distinct programmes.

Two articles have just appeared on the BBC website giving a very positive view of the US military’s treatment of Army veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health problems.

The articles largely focus on the programme at Fort Hood and despite some peculiarities (it mentions treatment includes acupuncture, reiki, sound therapy and seemingly chakra-based meditation) the picture is of a small but promising approach to treating psychologically disabled soldiers.

In contrast, The New York Times presents a damning picture of the treatment programme in which the service is poorly organised, where prescription and illicit drug abuse is rife and where clinicians rely largely on large doses of medication to manage soldiers’ symptoms.

It’s hard to know what to make of the articles, as the BBC seem to have made no effort to ask any difficult questions, while the NYT article seems to be largely based on interviews of soldiers who felt they were poorly dealt with, while the Army’s own surveys discussed in the piece suggest most are happy with the services.

The stuff about New Age treatments is just a bit odd. Is this where the First Earth Battalion have got to these days?

UPDATE: Thanks to PsychFun for pointing out they are, in fact, two distinct programmes! (Grabbed from the comments)

The WTU talked about in the NYT article is a military unit for wounded soldiers, many of whom have PTSD. The BBC article is talking about a 3 week intensive PTSD treatment program, as your own link shows. Darn those confusing US Army acronyms!

Link 1 and Link 2 to BBC News articles.
Link to New York Times article.

The unique floating pick-up skims the tramp oil and coolant mix from the top of the machine sump. As the liquid moves slowly through the patented steel coalescing plates, oil droplets as small as 20 microns are separated from the coolant and rise to the top of the PhaSep unit. When the oil layer builds up sufficiently in the unit, it passes over a specially-designed weir, and is trapped away from the clean coolant. The oil can then be removed periodically through the waste oil drain. Coolant, cleaned of 99% of contaminated oils, is returned directly to the machine sump.

CPS mini
2.25 to 3.4 l/min Process Rate, 432 x 406 x 610 mm
Coolant tank processing up to 400 lt
CPS junior
6.8 l/min Process Rate, 610 x 406 x 610 mm
Coolant tank processing up to 800 lt

Already known for its innovative website, Rotary Systems has updated its web presence with a new, easy-to-use website featuring the company’s new logo and identity. The new site provides more content, updated navigation, file downloads and improved customer service contact options. Case studies and news releases will be frequently updated to keep current and potential customers informed about Rotary Systems industry leading innovations and activities. The website also features a “How to Buy” link with multi-lingual information sections illustrating Rotary Systems’ partners and approved distributors around the world.

About Rotary Systems:
Rotary Systems has been the industry leader in standard and custom rotary unions for over 20 years, serving industries ranging from workholding, medical device, steel processing and energy. Contact an applications engineer at [email protected] or call (800) 959-0146 for more information.

Rotary Systems introduces Slip Rings for a variety of applications. Rotary Systems uses the same high quality standards in the development of the new Slip Ring product line as we have established in our rotary union designs. Please visit our new slip ring website www.rotarysystems-sr.com today!

A slip ring is an electromechanical device that allows the transmission of power and electrical signals from a stationary to a rotating structure. A slip ring can be used in any electromechanical system that requires unrestrained, intermittent, or continuous rotation while transmitting power, analog, and RF signals and data.

The primary goal of the slip ring is to transmit the electrical signals. The physical dimensions, operating environment, rotating speeds, and economic constraints often affect the type of packaging that must be employed.

In many high-performance applications, our slip rings are custom engineered to meet a customer’s specific requirements related to electrical specifications, mechanical packaging, operating environment, and cost constraints.

Additionally, Rotary Systems is capable of integrating a slip ring into our rotary unions. This is designed into our unions to allow for continuous 360 degree rotation of electrical power, signal and data transfer.

If you have a slip ring application please contact Rotary Systems at 800.959.0146 or email [email protected].

About Rotary Systems:
Rotary Systems is recognized for our innovative design and manufacturing capabilities in rotary unions and electrical slip rings. From our skilled engineers to our state-of-the-art facility to our incredible depth of knowledge, you can trust Rotary Systems to always deliver rotating unions and slip ring solutions designed and built to the highest standards possible. To learn more how engineers around the world, in limitless industries, including Automation, Defense, Offshore, Semi-Conductor, Energy, and Food and Beverage Processing have counted on our engineering expertise to turn their visions into reality, please contact an applications engineer at [email protected] or call 800.959.0146.

In this issue the development of an oil platform has been followed to make clear how the transition from handmade 2D paper sketch to CAD design has led to an overall enhancement of the quality, performance, reliability and delivery time of our bearings. The review can be found under the “Publications” section of RKB web site (http://www.rkbbearings.com).

RKB is proud to announce advancements in manufacturing technology. The updated list of the latest generation technologies used in the manufacturing process of RKB bearings is now available under the “Products & Services” section of web site: http://www.rkbbearings.com

RKB is an international manufacturing organization operating in the bearing industry since 1936, currently listed and traded OTC with assigned number 4314211. The experience gained over the years has enabled us to achieve outstanding performances, particularly in the production of technological bearings for heavy duty machines and equipments, where we are recognized by both OEM and MRO customers as a preferential supplier within the top world-class manufacturers.

CORNER LAB is the outcome of profteQ thirty years experience in designing and manufacturing CNC cleaners. The design of this new product has combined the sturdy construction/mechanical features of the FRT5 and the processing capability of models FRT7 / FRT9.
In addition, new tools have been implemented to allow further processes:
a) a top circular cutter to clean the internal angle below the surface;
b) an additional top scraper knife which allows us to end up with 3 scraper knives (one for cleaning below the surface – 3×0.5 – of the welding bead; one for surface cleaning – 3×01 – of the welding bead itself and one “tipped” for cleaning the monoblocs;
c) 2 bottom units with 6 tips (OPTIONAL) for drilling the frames for hinge application.

The detailed features of the machine are listed below:
– Because they feature an internal “0” point, they are also suitable for inline cleaning of frames welded with profiles of different thickness (without having to fit compensation shims to the stops).
– workable profile max. height: 190 mm.
– workable profile max. width. 145 mm.
– workable frame minimum opening: 220mm. on the glazing bead.
– no. of applicable tools: 17 (15 if we exclude the drilling units for hinges and the third additional axis)

The Caterpillar Stockton (UK) Ltd. plant selected Gullco International [UK] Limited to supply welding automation equipment to improve quality and efficiency in a variety of M.I.G/M.A.G. welding applications. One of the applications involved Side Panel welding utilizing a twin torch system. The scope of supply was for 4 complete, custom designed welding machines to be used for different jobs at the Caterpillar Stockton works facility. The unit was built of a large Gullco travel carriage complete with wire feed units, fume extraction equipment, control equipment and two Gullco Kat welding carriages with seam tracker combinations. These large 6 to 12 meter long “turnkey” units were assembled totally “in-house” at Gullco’s Appley Bridge, UK facility from 60% standard Gullco products. This enabled Gullco to meet critical delivery deadlines established to ensure Caterpillar production schedules were maintained. The machines are controlled by Mitsubishi PLC’s programmed by Gullco [UK]. Dual torches are used in these machines to substantially increase productivity and improve efficiency by welding two sides of a component simultaneously. Weld accuracy and quality are dependent on precise seam tracking and a reliable electrical interface of all the components via the PLC. In order to meet the production and quality requirements at Caterpillar, the Gullco Kat-Tracker WSG-1200 was selected. These tactile seam trackers continually sense the slightest variation across the weld seam and automatically correct the position of the weld torch. They provide precise control over the welding parameters and can automatically detect tacks and the end-of-plate. In total, eight Gullco Kat-Trackers were used in the 4 machines.

As part of this project, Caterpillar purchased a Gullco KBM-28-U high speed portable, self propelled plate beveling machine. It is used to produce a clean machined bevel with no thermal distortion on thick section plates at 2m/min. This rugged beveller with adjustable beveling head can produce bevel angles 22 1/2° through 55°. The rotary shear principle incorporated by this machine results in low noise and vibration at the same time as high speed operation. This KBM-28-U unit bevels the underside of the plate. This beveling machine in partnership with the Kat Tracker system helped Caterpillar to achieve their goals of improved quality and efficiency.

In this new era of shipbuilding it is refreshing to see that new methods and technology are being used and embraced, particularly by the young. These up and coming tradesmen who are picking up new skills with ease are producing excellent results. This has been in part due to continuous “in house” training programs coupled with new technologies. A great example of how new methods are being used are at the “Govan” and “Scotstoun” Shipyard where their workforce has just recently been receiving on-site training put together and run by trained professionals within the Shipyards workforce.

The yard which was formally owned by Kvaerner was acquired by BAE Systems in 1999 and has gone from strength to strength. Through the use of welding automation from Gullco International (UK) Limited a long lasting strong business relationship with the Govan shipyard has formed. Gullco have supplied a good deal of equipment for past projects over the years such as bevelling equipment, which has been used in the preparation of the Super Duplex steel used in their Type 45 Destroyer ships as well as welding carriage automation (KAT Oscillator) which was used to greatly reduce the time and cost of the welding procedure..

The use of welding automation to improve the overall process and increase arc on time is something Govan and Scotstoun have used to stay competative. They have recently used KAT welding automation and cutting automation on 19 “block hull link ups” on the Type 45 Destroyers with great results. The older equipment has recently been added to with, new, up to date Gullco KAT Oscillation equipment and gas cutting automation in anticipation of the Aircraft Carrier Project of which a large protion will be completed by BAE Systems Surface Ships Limited, Govan.