2015 Building Sciences Committee Fall Meeting Program
Roofing Market Overview and Forecast Tim Worms, 3M
Tim Worms of 3M's Industrial Mineral Products Division returns by popular demand to present 3M's outlook for the asphalt shingle industry for the balance of 2015 and preview 2016. Areas covered include global economics, weather's impact on the industry, roofing trends and a roofing forecast for this year and next.
Method for Reducing Process Variability, Jamie Medlin RE Mason Company
Variability exists in every process, very old or brand new. It is typically overlooked as normal to the operation. Plant personnel are not typically trained to recognize and correct variability problems, but process variability directly impacts manufacturing efficiency. Entech was formed in 1984 to help pulp & paper mills improve control performance through process variability reduction. They coined the phrase “Get your savings in the Basement”. It has been found that their variability reduction process also works in other industries as well. Reduced variability increases productivity and uptime, while lowering feedstock, chemical, energy, and scrap costs, and improving product quality. It can be considered a part of an overall “Reliability Program”
Matt Cowen, KCF Technologies presentation
The production of paper and pulp products involves complex machinery, which often suffer from misalignments, resonance, and other inefficiencies – leading to catastrophic failure and costly downtime. Thanks to $12 Million in R&D investment from the U.S. Army, the paper and pulp industry can now leverage new technology, allowing maintenance engineers to monitor - in real time - the health of their machines. Wireless sensors provide easy remote continuous asset monitoring for a plant’s essential equipment.
Managing Millennials, Carmen Twyman, GAF
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are nearly 80 million young adults born between 1977 and 2001 (“Millennials”), who have already joined or are preparing to join the workforce. By 2020, it is anticipated that nearly half of all U.S. workers will be Millennials. The sheer volume of Millennials, combined with the relative deficiency of Gen Xers and the increasing retirement of Baby Boomers (estimated at 8,000 to 10,000 per day) means that manufacturers will be facing leadership gaps in the not-so-distant future--and that we must turn to the Millennial generation to carry the flag forward. Finding and developing Millenial talent, however, is not that easy. Manufacturers are competing against healthcare, government agencies, and Google to find STEM field talent. We’re also competing against retail and service industries for skilled labor. So, what can manufacturers do to attract Millennials to the manufacturing industry?
This presentation will focus on why finding, attracting, developing and retaining Millennials should be part of a manufacturer’s succession plan, and outline HR practices and policies designed to help employers achieve this critical goal.
Update on the Commercial and Technical Development of Cellulose Filaments, Gurminder Minhas, Performance BioFilaments
This presentation will summarize the recent activities of Performance BioFilaments toward the commercial development of cellulose filaments (CF). Cellulose filaments are produced using a proprietary process that subjects wood pulps to a mechanical treatment, resulting in a degradation of the fibre’s cell wall, producing long thin filaments. Typically these filaments are nano in width and micro in length, resulting in an extremely high aspect ratio. Cellulose filaments can be used to enhance the performance characteristics of a wide variety of products. The presentation will focus highlight the use of cellulose filament in composites and non woven materials.
Experience with Retrofitting Catalyst in Existing Regenerative Thermal Oxidizers, Bill Stimac, Megtec
This presentation will include information on the benefits of retrofitting catalyst in existing regenerative thermal oxidizers. Benefits include savings up to half of the current energy used in the regenerative thermal oxidizer, lower operating temperatures which mean less wear and tear on the equipment, and lower CO2 and NOX emissions. It will also cover the factors that need to be evaluated before catalyst can be retrofitted. Catalyst is a great fit for some applications and will not work for others. These factors include a discussion of the possible catalyst poisons, what level of inlet VOC loading works the best and offers the most savings, and how the operation of the RTO will change with catalyst.
Introduction to Glass Fiber products and Market Segments, Bob Krystyniak, PPG
Fiber Glass is produced in multiple locations by many companies globally. In order to meet growing demands, fiber glass production needs to increase requiring additional glass melting capacity and maintenance/rebuilding of current furnaces. This presentation will highlight the different markets in which fiber glass is used and their relative sizes and geographic locations.
