ITAC Businesses in the News

ITAC client firms are making news in NYC and throughout the world. Lee Spring, an ITAC client and leading manufacturer of mechanical springs and formed wire parts, received the 2006 Export Achievement Award at the New York International Trade Awards Breakfast on May 22nd, 2006. Congressman Jerry Nadler presented the award to Lee Spring President (and ITAC Board Member) Al Mangels. Lee Spring Company, headquartered in Brooklyn NY, has five manufacturing locations in the US, and employs more than 250 people. The International Trade Awards are presented by the World Trade Week New York City Committee, a consortium of local business associations.

Visual Graphics Display, a Manhattan-based designer and producer of signs and ITAC client was recently featured on local cable company, NY1. VGS, which manufactures signs used everywhere from fast food outlets to world class art museums employs 150 people on Manhattan's far west side. In a televised interview, VGS President (and ITAC Board Chair) Joyce Healy discussed the competitive advantage of a NYC location, "In New York you don't compete on price, you do not sell commodity products, you compete on innovation, you compete on speed, you compete on cleverness, creativity and all of those things New York workers bring in spades to a company like ours".

Free, Personalized Technical Advice Available at ITAC Online Solutions

Have you ever had a technical question, or needed research assistance, but you didn't know where to turn or who to ask? ITAC can provide the answers you need through ITAC Online Solutions. Online Solutions is a NO-COST technical assistance service that provides technical, business, research and information assistance quickly and easily. The Online Solutions service includes an on-line library of information with a database of technical business and engineering documents and resources. If you can't find exactly what you need in the library, Online Solutions includes a technical, marketing and problem-solving "Ask an Expert" hotline service that ITAC also provides FREE to our customers. Click here to find answers to your business questions at ITAC Online Solutions.

Summertime Electric Bill Blues? Cure Them by Managing Peak Demand

It's getting hot here in NYC and electric bills are as high as the sun in the hazy summer sky. Are you looking for ways to cut your firm's electric charges? Efficient management of peak demand might provide some relief. There are many effective strategies for reducing peak demand in nearly every type of commercial and industrial facility. The first step in this process is to become familiar with your facility's load profile, and to understand which facets of your operation are causing the peaks in the demand curve. You should also determine if your peak demand is metered hourly, every 30 minutes, or every 15 minutes. This will provide guidance as to how to stagger your electrical load.

Firms can improve the efficiency of the motors, chillers, and other process equipment that is contributing to the high-energy use, but the timing of these capital investments may sometimes be difficult. It is also possible to approach the situation by changing the operating practices of your facility and workforce, and this can sometimes be done with minimal capital investments. It is interesting that this can also be accomplished without having a significant effect on production. The key issue is to first understand your load profile, and then to become familiar with the different operating strategies that can be employed to cut demand. Here are some specific recommendations that may help you to get started:

Establish the facility's load profile so that the high-energy use equipment is identified.
An Energy Management System (EMS) can be utilized to ensure that certain equipment at the plant will not peak and/or operate at the same time as other equipment. For a facility with refrigeration equipment, demand savings of 10% or higher can be achieved by regulating the number of compressors, motors, fans, etc that can operate in a given peak period.
Water pumping (e.g. for wastewater facilities, pipeline operations, hospitals). Instead of trying to pump all of a material in a short period of time with a high horsepower pump - use a smaller pump and accomplish the task over longer time periods.
Consider variable speed drives to reduce overall motor operating load. If there is variation in the load, and the motor continues to operate at constant speed, energy is wasted. Process motors, blower fans, condenser fans, evaporator fans, pump motors and the like can all be candidates for variable speed drives.
Only use compressed air if the task cannot be accomplished by other means. Compressed air is an expensive utility.
If the compressed air load is over 150 horsepower, airflow audits and evaluations can lead to reducing the overall compressed air requirements by as much as 50%.
Compressed air generation (e.g. for plastics facilities, extrusion, any organization with pneumatic tools). Employ smaller HP compressors (run them continuously) and store the compressed air in receivers to be used during peak requiring times of the day.
Consider energy storage systems for producing chilled water and ice at night, so that the cooling capacity of the chiller can be tapped during the heat of the day when it is needed.
For companies that have welding operations (or other equipment with high power needs), install automatic sequencers on the welding system's power supply that will prevent welders from firing simultaneously.
Backup generators can be used for peak shifting to handle large electrical loads that cannot be shifted away from peak operating periods.
Use slower charging battery chargers for forklifts. Many battery chargers will charge a battery in a short time period. Most applications do not require a "fast-charge". If so, ensure that the charging takes place over an entire shift (or two shifts) so as to spread the load.

Funding may be available to assist you in reducing peak load. NYSERDA's Peak Load Reduction Program provides grants for developing and implementing short term load curtailment measures, permanent demand reduction, and emergency generator initiatives. Grants are also provided to purchase and install meters required by customers participating in load reduction programs. Got more questions? Call Jane Tabachnick at 212-442-2990 to learn more about how your firm can reduce electric costs.

Upcoming Events

Lean Manufacturing 101 Workshop
Date: September 14, 2006, 8:30 am 4:30 pm
Location: ITAC Offices, 253 Broadway, Suite 302, New York, NY
Cost: $95

Would you like to produce faster, better and less expensively with your existing resources? What if, in doing so, you could increase your sales, improve customer satisfaction and increase profitability? Principals and key managers at local manufacturing firms should attend this workshop to learn how Lean Manufacturing techniques help firms produce more with existing resources by eliminating non-value added activities. Workshop simulation exercises help participants experience first hand how Lean techniques increase space utilization, improve quality, reduce cycle time, improve delivery performance, and reduce work-in-process. Application of Lean techniques enables firms to increase profits, improve customer satisfaction and become more competitive.

For more information contact Mei Sit at 212-442-2990 or msit@itac.org

About ITAC

ITAC is a non-profit economic development organization dedicated to creating and retaining jobs for New Yorkers. We provide indepth one-on-one technical assistance for New York City manufacturers and technology firms to help them stay competitive in the marketplace. ITAC's unique combination of business expertise and expert resource network makes us a valuable partner to help NYC companies grow, change and thrive.

ITAC receives significant financial support from the New York State Office of Science, Technology and Academic Research (NYSTAR), New York's high-technology economic development agency, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP). ITAC serves as NYSTAR®'s designated Regional Technology Development Center for New York City and one of nearly 350 MEP locations across the country and works directly with regional companies to increase their competitiveness and profitability.

June 2006

Relocation and Efficiency Programs for North Brooklyn Manufacturers

ITAC Businesses in the News

Free, Personalized Technical Advice Available at ITAC Online Solutions

Summertime Electric Bill Blues? Cure Them by Managing Peak Demand

Upcoming Events

About ITAC


	June 2006 Final Call! June 30, 2003 is the Deadline for Relocation and Efficiency Programs for North Brooklyn Manufacturers ITAC Businesses in the News Free, Personalized Technical Advice Available at ITAC Online Summertime Electric Bill Blues? Cure Them by Managing Peak Demand Upcoming ITAC Events About ITAC Relocation and Efficiency Programs for North Brooklyn Manufacturers The City of New York approved funding to address the needs of manufacturers in proximity to the recently rezoned Greenpoint/Williamsburg neighborhoods. Funding is available for firms to improve energy usage (the North Brooklyn Energy Grant (NBEG) Program, space utilization and relocation (StayLean and MoveSmart) within the City. Additionally, reimbursement for actual moving costs is available directly through NYC. North Brooklyn firms (located in Community Board One) should contact Dana Ruppert at NYIRN at druppert@nyirn.org or 212-404-6990 x 19 to learn more about energy efficiency programs. For information about StayLean and MoveSmart programming contact Jane Tabachnick at jtabachnick@itac.org or 212-442-2990 for more information. For more information about direct relocation reimbursement, contact Robinson Hernandez at the Mayor's Office of Manufacturing and industrial Business at rhernandez@sbs.nyc.gov or 212-618-8768	Rep. Jerry Nadler (right) presnts Lee Spring President Al Mangels with the 2006 Export Achievement Award at the New York International Trade Awards Breakfast
	ITAC Businesses in the News ITAC client firms are making news in NYC and throughout the world. Lee Spring, an ITAC client and leading manufacturer of mechanical springs and formed wire parts, received the 2006 Export Achievement Award at the New York International Trade Awards Breakfast on May 22nd, 2006. Congressman Jerry Nadler presented the award to Lee Spring President (and ITAC Board Member) Al Mangels. Lee Spring Company, headquartered in Brooklyn NY, has five manufacturing locations in the US, and employs more than 250 people. The International Trade Awards are presented by the World Trade Week New York City Committee, a consortium of local business associations. Visual Graphics Display, a Manhattan-based designer and producer of signs and ITAC client was recently featured on local cable company, NY1. VGS, which manufactures signs used everywhere from fast food outlets to world class art museums employs 150 people on Manhattan's far west side. In a televised interview, VGS President (and ITAC Board Chair) Joyce Healy discussed the competitive advantage of a NYC location, "In New York you don't compete on price, you do not sell commodity products, you compete on innovation, you compete on speed, you compete on cleverness, creativity and all of those things New York workers bring in spades to a company like ours". Free, Personalized Technical Advice Available at ITAC Online Solutions Have you ever had a technical question, or needed research assistance, but you didn't know where to turn or who to ask? ITAC can provide the answers you need through ITAC Online Solutions. Online Solutions is a NO-COST technical assistance service that provides technical, business, research and information assistance quickly and easily. The Online Solutions service includes an on-line library of information with a database of technical business and engineering documents and resources. If you can't find exactly what you need in the library, Online Solutions includes a technical, marketing and problem-solving "Ask an Expert" hotline service that ITAC also provides FREE to our customers. Click here to find answers to your business questions at ITAC Online Solutions. Summertime Electric Bill Blues? Cure Them by Managing Peak Demand It's getting hot here in NYC and electric bills are as high as the sun in the hazy summer sky. Are you looking for ways to cut your firm's electric charges? Efficient management of peak demand might provide some relief. There are many effective strategies for reducing peak demand in nearly every type of commercial and industrial facility. The first step in this process is to become familiar with your facility's load profile, and to understand which facets of your operation are causing the peaks in the demand curve. You should also determine if your peak demand is metered hourly, every 30 minutes, or every 15 minutes. This will provide guidance as to how to stagger your electrical load. Firms can improve the efficiency of the motors, chillers, and other process equipment that is contributing to the high-energy use, but the timing of these capital investments may sometimes be difficult. It is also possible to approach the situation by changing the operating practices of your facility and workforce, and this can sometimes be done with minimal capital investments. It is interesting that this can also be accomplished without having a significant effect on production. The key issue is to first understand your load profile, and then to become familiar with the different operating strategies that can be employed to cut demand. Here are some specific recommendations that may help you to get started: Establish the facility's load profile so that the high-energy use equipment is identified. An Energy Management System (EMS) can be utilized to ensure that certain equipment at the plant will not peak and/or operate at the same time as other equipment. For a facility with refrigeration equipment, demand savings of 10% or higher can be achieved by regulating the number of compressors, motors, fans, etc that can operate in a given peak period. Water pumping (e.g. for wastewater facilities, pipeline operations, hospitals). Instead of trying to pump all of a material in a short period of time with a high horsepower pump - use a smaller pump and accomplish the task over longer time periods. Consider variable speed drives to reduce overall motor operating load. If there is variation in the load, and the motor continues to operate at constant speed, energy is wasted. Process motors, blower fans, condenser fans, evaporator fans, pump motors and the like can all be candidates for variable speed drives. Only use compressed air if the task cannot be accomplished by other means. Compressed air is an expensive utility. If the compressed air load is over 150 horsepower, airflow audits and evaluations can lead to reducing the overall compressed air requirements by as much as 50%. Compressed air generation (e.g. for plastics facilities, extrusion, any organization with pneumatic tools). Employ smaller HP compressors (run them continuously) and store the compressed air in receivers to be used during peak requiring times of the day. Consider energy storage systems for producing chilled water and ice at night, so that the cooling capacity of the chiller can be tapped during the heat of the day when it is needed. For companies that have welding operations (or other equipment with high power needs), install automatic sequencers on the welding system's power supply that will prevent welders from firing simultaneously. Backup generators can be used for peak shifting to handle large electrical loads that cannot be shifted away from peak operating periods. Use slower charging battery chargers for forklifts. Many battery chargers will charge a battery in a short time period. Most applications do not require a "fast-charge". If so, ensure that the charging takes place over an entire shift (or two shifts) so as to spread the load. Funding may be available to assist you in reducing peak load. NYSERDA's Peak Load Reduction Program provides grants for developing and implementing short term load curtailment measures, permanent demand reduction, and emergency generator initiatives. Grants are also provided to purchase and install meters required by customers participating in load reduction programs. Got more questions? Call Jane Tabachnick at 212-442-2990 to learn more about how your firm can reduce electric costs. Upcoming Events Lean Manufacturing 101 Workshop Date: September 14, 2006, 8:30 am 4:30 pm Location: ITAC Offices, 253 Broadway, Suite 302, New York, NY Cost: $95 Would you like to produce faster, better and less expensively with your existing resources? What if, in doing so, you could increase your sales, improve customer satisfaction and increase profitability? Principals and key managers at local manufacturing firms should attend this workshop to learn how Lean Manufacturing techniques help firms produce more with existing resources by eliminating non-value added activities. Workshop simulation exercises help participants experience first hand how Lean techniques increase space utilization, improve quality, reduce cycle time, improve delivery performance, and reduce work-in-process. Application of Lean techniques enables firms to increase profits, improve customer satisfaction and become more competitive. For more information contact Mei Sit at 212-442-2990 or msit@itac.org About ITAC ITAC is a non-profit economic development organization dedicated to creating and retaining jobs for New Yorkers. We provide indepth one-on-one technical assistance for New York City manufacturers and technology firms to help them stay competitive in the marketplace. ITAC's unique combination of business expertise and expert resource network makes us a valuable partner to help NYC companies grow, change and thrive. ITAC receives significant financial support from the New York State Office of Science, Technology and Academic Research (NYSTAR), New York's high-technology economic development agency, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP). ITAC serves as NYSTAR®'s designated Regional Technology Development Center for New York City and one of nearly 350 MEP locations across the country and works directly with regional companies to increase their competitiveness and profitability.