Let Me Give You $100...

...Please!

Last month I needed to purchase a new camera. I know very little about cameras, but I knew what I wanted it to do and I had a brand in mind (I liked the commercials...what can I say!). Yet, I wasn't quite ready to lay down 600 big ones based on a funny commercial. So, like any savvy purchaser, I did some online research. I compared price and features on the brand I knew (we'll call it "Brand A") with another well-known brand (you guessed it..."Brand B"). To be honest, it was pretty much what you'd expect. Those market researchers for the camera companies knew what I'd be looking for! Both cameras were going to give me all I wanted plus a little more, and they were priced within$10-$15 of each other. Guess which one I bought..."Brand B"! Why? I read the customer feedback. It was clear based on consumer comments that just about the only thing great about "Brand A" was that funny commercial. It just didn't hold up to all the hype. So, I trusted my fellow-camera-buyers and got the other one. Boy am I glad. I've got my camera and I love it. It is everything they said it would be!

So, what does this have to do with $100 for you? It's simple. If you use our products we want to hear about your experience and how you used our product! If we can use your Product Application Story in an email blast, an article, or our bi-annual newsletter, I'll send you a $100 bill. It is that simple! Email me at brandib@grace-eng.com with your story!

An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure

Ah…Benjamin Franklin! He’s one of my favorite founding fathers. He was intelligent. He was an innovator. He was wise among the ladies…which is both funny and strange. And history has attributed him with saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. I couldn’t agree more.

I tend to think of ‘ol Benjamin working diligently at his desk when all of the sudden a rumble of thunder spurs an unexpected change in his day. He peers outside his window and looks for the ominous storm approaching. It’s to the south! He quickly gathers his coat and hat, and hurriedly exits his home. As he begins his walk to the nearest southern hill, he goes through his mental checklist: Kite? Check. Key? Check. String? Check. I suspect Benjie, a smart as he was, was thinking his life might be at risk. All the research he had done and the experiments he’d performed must have given him some insight as to the power he was flirting with.

He arrives at the tallest, southern-most hill within walking distance. The dark, turbulent clouds have overtaken the peaceful sky. Thunder and lightening get tangled with each other. The rain is cold and spits down from the sky making it difficult for Benjie to see. Yet, he still manages to erect his kite and keep it in flight amid the assaulting wind! Then, it happened….

Afterward, I imagine Benjamin, wet and disheveled, walked home with a goofy grin on his face. Perhaps his hands tingled a little from the electrical shock. Maybe his hair was a bit singed. His kite, torn almost to pieces, might have dragged along side him. I wonder if it was then when he realized just how lucky he was. For on that day not only was electricity discovered…but Franklin, no doubt, also discovered the importance of electrical safety! An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure indeed!

Brandi S. Borgstadt
Marketing Manager for
Grace Engineered Products
www.graceport.com

Can you help me build a GracePort®?

Our part number system to build a GracePort makes sense…to us. It only takes a full-time employee 3 months of hard-core studying to learn the ins and outs of our numbering system. Okay, just joking. It doesn’t really take that long, but it can seem like it sometimes. Truth be told, it takes only a few minutes to figure out about 95% of our part numbers. So, here are some quick steps to help you.

There are only five questions you need ask to successfully build your GracePort. They are:

1. What type of power, if any, do you need?
2. What NEMA rating or UL Type do you need?
3. Do you need a Circuit Breaker?
4. What applications (interface codes) do you need?
5. What size of housing is required?

Okay, let's get started. First, you'll need to be familar with our set up. All GracePorts start with a "P-" The "P-" indicates GracePort. The section between the first and second dashes are for your applications or interface codes. We'll get to that later. The section between the second and third dashes are for your housing size; Nema rating or UL Type; Power Option; and Circuit Breaker. Check out this example setup:
P-Interface Codes – Housing Size, Nema Rating / UL Type, Power Option, Breakers

Okay, first things first. Locate your Grace Engineered Products catalog. If you don’t have a catalog and would like one send a request to sales@grace-eng.com. Put “Catalog request” in the subject line and include your mailing information in the body. So, here are some quick steps to help you:

1. Power or No Power? Inside the cover of your catalog is the GracePort® Part Guide. Once you have this, you’ll want to determine what kind of power you’ll need, if any.

• Yes, I need power: NFPA 79 indicates that all outlets on an enclosure panel need to have GFCI protection. Your code should be RF.
  Example: P-Interface Codes – Housing Size, Nema Rating / UL Type, RF, Breakers
• No, I don’t need any power. Your code will be RX.
  Example: P-Interface Codes – Housing Size, Nema Rating / UL Type, RX, Breakers

2. NEMA or UL Rating: Next you will need to determine what NEMA Rating or UL Type you will need. We offer 7 different kinds. Here is a quick guide:

• Nema/UL Type 1 = Code 1
• Nema/UL Type 4X = Code 2
• Nema/UL Type 12 = Code 3
• Nema/UL Type 4 = Code 4
• Type 4X 304 Stainless = Code 5
• Type 4X 316 Stainless = Code 6
• Nema 7&9 Explosion Proof = Code 7

Let’s say you want the Nema/UL Type 12. That code is 3, so now look at our example: P-Interface Codes – Housing Size, 3, RF, Breakers

3. Circuit Breaker or No Circuit Breaker? This part is really easy.

• Yes, I need a Circuit Breaker. Okay, enter the amperage of the CB you need in the "Breakers" space of our example. If you need 3 amps then enter 3. If you need 20 then enter 20. Example: P-Interface Codes - Housing Size, 3, RF20.
• No, I don't need a Circuit Breaker. Just enter 0(zero) in the "Breakers" spot. Example: P-Interface Codes - Housing Size, 3, RF0.

4. Now, let’s talk about Interface Codes. This is where it can get hairy, but don’t let it discourage you! We are almost done! There is one thing to remember about this section. All the codes you choose must be put in alphanumeric order.

• Open up your GracePort® Part Guide. There are most of our interface codes available. When you find what you need write it down. Then, put them in order alphanumerically. For this example, I am choosing a Cat 5 Ethernet (R2) and a USB Type A Female to Type A Male (P11). Here’s how our example would look: P-P11R2 – Housing Size, 3, RF20.

5. What size of housing do you need? Now that you have your number almost completed all you have to do now is determine the housing size. Seasoned GracePort® Part Builders still struggle with this because there is no fast and steady rule. But, we will prevail!

• First, look at the green chart on your GracePort® Part Guide. We have both panel mount housings and surface mount housings. The sizes are down the middle. Here is one rule that won’t change: If you have a GFCI (RF power option) then you have to get either a K- or M-sized housing. Here is what our example would look like with that: P-P11R2 – M3RF20
  

That's the gist. After you've built your GracePort®, click here to have it checked by our Inside Sales Department!

Your Personal Stimulus Plan!

Investing is a dirty word these days (just ask the friends of Bernard Madoff!). The market spits and sputters upwards a little one day and comes clattering and smashing down - a lot - the next. Companies are laying-off workers; "well-established" companies aren't, as it turns out; and people are suffering from a new disorder: spending anorexia. Let's face it...the economy is like a fish freshly plucked from the sea of taxpayer bail-outs and is thrashing about gasping for... fluidity! So, how about some well-deserved (and much-needed) optimistic rays of sunshine to soothe your dry and thirsty bones in this era of 1929 re-visited? We thought so...

There is no better subject with which to "grace" our inaugural Blog than to tell you there is hope on the horizon of our economic recession. If your company is suffering from slumping profits, don't despair! Now is the time to dig your heels in and get back to basics. One way is to focus on safety. Did you know that studies show focusing on safety will increase profits and employee productivity? Let us tell you the story of a company named Ritrama. A couple of years ago, OSHA visited Ritrama and found their focus on safety to be short-sighted. They had racked up several serious violations and were looking at forking out thousands of dollars in fines. So, they decided to get serious about safety.

Soon, the time and money savings were evident. The company reported from the years 2000-2003 they saved $44,000 in workers' compensation premiums. Additionally, they increased productivity and the quality of products to the equivalent of a sales increase of 7.5%. Moreover, the amount of waste from manufacturing defects went from $2.7 million in 2001 to $435,000 in 2005. That's a savings of almost a half million dollars a year! But don't take our word for it. You can read the entire study by clicking here.

Safety is not a profit-taker; it's a profit-maker! Don't let the sagging economy threaten your bottom line. Let us help you focus on safety so you can reap the benefits...visit us at http://www.graceport.com/!