Entech Engineering promotes three to principal

Entech Engineering, a full-service engineering/architectural firm providing facilities planning and design services to municipal, governmental, industrial, commercial, and college/university clients, has recently appointed three new principals within the firm. Scott Compton, AIA; Bryon Killian, P.E.; and Bryan Haag, P.E. have joined the leadership team to bring Entech to a total of seven principals.

Scott Compton, AIA, is a senior project manager specializing in facility condition assessments. With experience in land development, planning, and zoning policies, Compton manages the implementation of facilities strategic, capital, and energy planning and directs accessibility barrier assessment and facility condition assessment services. Compton holds a B.Arch. degree from Temple University and is a Registered Architect in Pennsylvania, an NCARB Certificate holder, and a LEED AP. He began his career with Entech in 2007.

Bryon Killian, P.E., serves as a business development manager, playing a key role in developing business relationships with our water and wastewater clients. Killian oversees all client contact, proposal generation, and presentations for our civil/environmental work. As a client manager, he has led a variety of wastewater, water, and stormwater projects involving system operation and evaluation, data analysis, permitting, and engineering services from design through construction. Killian holds a B.S. in Environmental Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University. He is a Certified Wastewater Operator and a registered Professional Engineer in Pennsylvania. Killian began his career with Entech in 2002.

Bryan Haag, P.E., is a lead project manager specializing in energy engineering and analysis. Haag manages a variety of mechanical engineering projects and oversees the energy auditing of existing and problematic building systems. He also directs our energy modeling efforts, simulating energy use to identify opportunities to conserve through upgrades to existing facility equipment and operations. Haag holds a B.S. in Architectural Engineering - Mechanical Concentration from Drexel University. He is a registered Professional Engineer in Pennsylvania and a LEED AP. Haag began his career with Entech in 2003.

Headquartered in downtown Reading, Pennsylvania, Entech has been a full-service provider of engineering and architectural services since 1981. Satellite offices are located in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County; Pottsville, Schuylkill County; Mountaintop, Luzerne County; and Lititz, Lancaster County. For more information, visit www.entecheng.com.

URS names Richard Reis a VP and northwest regional manager

Richard Reis has been named a vice president and northwest regional manager for URS Corporation’s Infrastructure & Environment Division. In his new position, Reis will lead the business operations of more than 500 URS employees in Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and western Canada.

            Reis has more than 34 years of managerial and hands-on experience in civil and environmental engineering, construction, and project management.  Prior to joining URS, he served as operations manager for Tetra Tech in Bellevue, Washington. Previously, he was northwest regional operations manager at WHPacific, where he provided operational oversight for ten offices in the Northwest. He also has worked for Fluor Daniel, SCS Engineers, and EMCON, undertaking project assignments in Japan, Canada, and Saudi Arabia.

Reis holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering degree from the University of Southern California and completed the executive management program at the University of Washington. He is a registered professional engineer in Washington, Oregon, and Alaska.

URS Corporation provides engineering, construction, and technical services for public agencies and private companies around the world. The company offers a full range of program management; planning, design and engineering; systems engineering and technical assistance; construction and construction management; operations and maintenance; information technology; and decommissioning and closure services. URS provides services for federal, oil and gas, infrastructure, power, and industrial projects and programs. Headquartered in San Francisco, URS Corporation has more than 54,000 employees in a network of offices in nearly 50 countries (www.urs.com).

Clemson University and Life Cycle Engineering partner to deliver reliability certificate programs

Life Cycle Engineering and Clemson University’s Center for Corporate Learning have announced the new Reliability Engineering and Reliability Excellence Certificate programs. These respond to a rising demand for professionals in the manufacturing sector to be formally trained and certified in reliability-based manufacturing competencies through an accredited academic institution. According to Bill Wilder, director of the Life Cycle Institute. “The certificate programs will enable manufacturers to remain competitive in a global market by increasing employee competency in reliability best practices and standards. Clemson is an ideal partner with its strong engineering program and dedication to serving the manufacturing sector.” 

The Reliability Excellence Certificate program provides an understanding of reliability principles and the essential tools and processes required to develop, implement, and sustain a reliability program for a manufacturing operation. The program is designed for executive-level participants such as chief operating officers, vice presidents of operations, general managers, as well as reliability managers, plant managers, and others engaged in continuous improvement initiatives such as Lean, Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) and Six Sigma. 

The program is designed to educate participants on the development and implementation of a strategic, holistic reliability engineering program that will reduce organizational risk and improve operational performance. It teaches effective asset management best practices, preventive and predictive maintenance, and root cause analysis techniques. And the program has an additional component that offers candidates the opportunity to gain a Reliability Engineer Certification (REC) upon completion and approval of a work product.

Scheduled courses in each certification program began in May 2013 and will be delivered at Clemson’s Greenville, South Carolina training facility. Candidates for either certificate program will register through Clemson University’s Center for Corporate Learning.

Life Cycle Engineering (LCE) provides consulting, engineering, applied technology, and education solutions for private industry, the Department of Defense, and other government organizations. Founded in 1976, LCE is headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina with offices across North America and experience around the globe.

Clemson University’s Center for Corporate Learning designs and develops continuing, professional, and executive education programs. Through partnerships with faculty, community leaders, industry consultants, and entrepreneurs, they offer custom and open enrollment programs.

Stevens Institute of Technology forms strategic partnership with Langan Engineering & Environmental Services

Stevens Institute of Technology has formed a strategic partnership with Langan Engineering & Environmental Services to provide expertise related to flood mapping and deliver engineering solutions to help protect coastlines and urban areas threatened by sea level rise. Stevens is recognized as an academic authority on coastal, oceanographic, and maritime engineering and is home to the Center for Maritime Systems, which focuses on assessing, predicting, and mitigating the damage of natural and man-made disasters to coasts. Langan is an engineering firm that provides civil, geotechnical, and environmental consulting, with particular expertise in waterfront communities and port cities.

Since Hurricane Sandy caused unprecedented damage to the New York metropolitan region, Stevens faculty and Langan leaders have conferred about the many technical issues affecting real estate and development projects in the area. For example, as a result of the devastation, Advisory Base Flood Elevation Maps for the New York and New Jersey coastlines have been released by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). These maps are an intermediary step to help homeowners and businesses re-build before official revised FEMA Flood Maps are issued. Stevens and Langan are well suited to help all stakeholders better understand the impact of these Advisory Base Flood Maps, interpret the new regulations stemming from their release, and provide counseling to minimize damages from severe weather incidents and predicted elevations in sea rise.

"We are honored to partner with Stevens Institute of Technology, a leader in maritime engineering as well as coastal and oceanographic studies – scientific disciplines that are incredibly important as we rebuild from Sandy and work to protect our cities and critical infrastructure for other natural disasters," says David Gockel, president/CEO, Langan. "Sea level rise is a real threat to waterfront property owners and future development along rivers, oceans, and bays. Together, we look forward to advancing our collective knowledge on this subject and to designing solutions to help our clients, friends and neighbors."

This strategic partnership will provide Langan with greater access to technical expertise in the fields of coastal flood protection and in turn will allow research derived by Stevens to be applied to properties most affected by storm surges and flooding in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Florida,  the San Francisco Bay area, and California coast. "This alliance provides the perfect synergy between an academic institution and a professional consulting firm," says Michael Bruno, dean of the Charles V. Schaefer, Jr. School of Engineering and Science at Stevens. "Both Langan and Stevens recognize the incontrovertible evidence that novel engineering is needed if we are to preserve our way of life while ultimately respecting the larger natural environment."

Langan and Stevens have maintained a mutually beneficial relationship for more than a decade. Langan employs more than 30 Stevens alumni, and Stevens conducts graduate school courses at Langan's Learning Center within the firm's headquarters.

Founded in 1970 and headquartered in Elmwood Park, New Jersey, Langan (www.langan.com) provides integrated site engineering and environmental consulting services for private developers, property owners, and public sector clients. Langan employs nearly 700 professionals and has regional offices in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Virginia, Florida, and California with more than 125 LEED APs.

Langan International, the firm's wholly-owned subsidiary based in New York, provides all technical disciplines from offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Athens, Doha and Istanbul.

Founded in 1870, Stevens Institute of Technology is a private research university situated in Hoboken, New Jersey overlooking the Manhattan skyline. Within the university's three schools and one college, more than 6,100 undergraduate and graduate students collaborate with more than 350 faculty members in an interdisciplinary, student-centric, entrepreneurial environment to advance the frontiers of science and leverage technology to confront global challenges. Stevens is home to three national research centers as well as joint research programs focused on critical industries such as healthcare, energy, finance, defense, and STEM education.

Ernest Schirmer joins Vanderweil Engineers as project manager

Ernest Schirmer, RCDD/NTS CTS, has joined Vanderweil Engineers’ Technology Design Group as a senior engineer and project manager specializing in information technology and integrated intelligent building systems. His background includes national and international experience in telecommunications, data centers, multimedia, and network design for higher education, corporate, commercial, and healthcare clients. Schirmer will support Vanderweil’s Mid-Atlantic offices in New York, NY; Princeton, NJ; and Philadelphia, PA.

Schirmer previously served as managing director of the Mid-Atlantic office of Acentech and as vice president of technology consulting with the Syska Hennessey Group. His experience includes technology consulting within the pharmaceutical, healthcare, education, research, corporate, aviation, and hospitality markets.

Schirmer is vice president of education for the Association of Information Technologies, former task force leader for the Continental Automated Building Association, life member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, instructor for the Building Owners and Managers Institute, member of the International Facility Management Association, and a member of the Association of Physical Plant Administrators. He is a BICSI Registered Cable Distribution Designer (RCDD) and Network Transport Specialist (NTS), serves on the organization’s Higher Education and Building Information Modeling (BIM) standards committees, and is a Northeast Region associate director. Schirmer is also an InfoComm Certified Technology Specialist (CTS).

Schirmer holds degrees in electrical engineering and business administration; a B.S. in economics from the State University of New York College at Oneonta; and an MBA in information systems and marketing from the State University of New York, Binghamton.

R.G. Vanderweil Engineers’ Technology Design Group (TDG) specializes in cutting-edge technology, AV, security, and data center design projects. Founded in 1950 and based in Boston, the 420-employee firm also has offices in Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Princeton, Syracuse, and Washington, D.C. Vanderweil Engineers has earned numerous awards for its design and consulting services, including the development of advanced strategies for sustainable and energy-efficient systems.

Patti Engineering joins the Organization for Machine Automation & Control

Patti Engineering, a leader in control systems integration, has joined the Organization for Machine Automation & Control (OMAC). OMAC brings together manufacturers, OEM machine builders, system integrators, technology providers, and government agency organizations to address issues that confront global manufacturing today. OMAC initiatives help manufacturers work together to find new and innovative ways to be successful in their production operations.

“The Organization for Machine Automation & Control welcomes nationally recognized systems integrator Patti Engineering to its ranks,” said John Kowal, OMAC board member. “Patti Engineering has embraced PackML implementation and offers the important ability to extract additional productivity across manufacturing and packaging lines. OMAC Chair Bryan Griffen, Nestlé global automation and electrical engineering manager, specifically created the PackSyst subcommittee to support the critical role of systems integrators in OMAC initiatives ranging from PackML to PackSafety to PackConnect.”

In today’s global economy, manufacturers continue to strive for new ways to reduce delivery times, be more efficient with available resources, and increase profitability, all while maintaining their competitive advantage. When manufacturers come together and collaborate with machine builders, automation suppliers, and system integrators to share expertise and best practices, the whole industry benefits.

OMAC is dedicated to advancing manufacturing capabilities and efficiencies through identifying common problems, standardization, and improvements to processes that positively impact the way companies do business. “We are pleased to be a member of OMAC and look forward to gaining valuable insights from other members, as well as, providing our expertise as a control system integrator to assist the organization in meeting their goals,” commented Sam Hoff, president of Patti Engineering.

Based in Auburn Hills, MI, Patti Engineering is a CSIA-certified control system integrator offering engineering and software development services in the fields of industrial automation and shop floor IT solutions. A recognized partner of many automation technology companies, Patti Engineering is a Siemens Solution Partner, an Authorized Mitsubishi Integrator, in addition to being in the integrator programs for Phoenix Contact, Iconics, and Indusoft.

Society of Manufacturing Engineers unveils its annual manufacturing innovations list

Highlighting new technologies and advancements in manufacturing, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) announces its 2013 list of Innovations That Could Change the Way You Manufacture.

Selected by SME’s Innovation Watch Committee, the new and emerging technologies on this list have already shown successful implementation and are making a difference in manufacturing today. Manufacturers can adopt the materials and processes to reduce costs and develop innovative products that will keep U.S. manufacturing strong.

2013 Innovations That Could Change the Way You Manufacture

Robotic Insects Inspire Mass Production Technique
Robotic insects can be mass produced by the sheet with the monolithic fabrication of three-dimensional structures. Printed circuit MEMS (PC-MEMS) combines advanced materials and geometries of conventional manufacturing with one-piece construction microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) below the submillimeter scale. While insect-scale unmanned aerial vehicles are a direct application, PC-MEMS could be used to create a wide variety of machines and mechanisms. With great advantage at the millimeter to centimeter length scale, the technique applies to a wide variety of advanced materials including glass composites and plastic. (more)

Superhydrophobic Coatings Could Save Your Mobile Phone and More
Inspired by lotus leafs and the namib beetle, superhydrophobic coatings use surface roughness and chemistry to amplify water repellency. Capable of being applied to any surface and complex geometries, the coating can also have nearly perfect optical clarity. Like the lotus leaf, the coating also has a self-cleaning effect. Applications include avoiding the biofouling of medical devices, preservation of monuments and buildings made of stone and protective coatings for furniture. (more)

Welding Process Increases Use of Lightweight Materials for Increased Fuel Efficiency
Multi-ring domed electrode for aluminum resistance spot can be used for the welding of aluminum sheet, extrusion, casting, or combinations while also achieving high weld quality and eliminating surface expulsion. The rings of the electrode induce high levels of local strain on the outer surfaces of the aluminum to be welded, breaking down the aluminum oxide layer enabling intimate contact between the electrode and aluminum. The cost benefit for the transportation industry is approximately $0.05/joint compared to self-piercing riveting. This savings helps support the new global CO2 emission targets taking effect in 2020 and 2025. (more)

Stronger, Lighter, and Cheaper with Carbon Nanotubes 
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are approximately 50,000 times thinner than a human hair with unique properties including high electrical and thermal conductivity. With a strength-to-weight ratio 117 times greater than steel, CNTs are the strongest and stiffest materials yet discovered. There are more than 100 CNT manufacturers and more than 1,000 organizations engaged in research and development. Applications in development include: artificial muscles for robots and prosthetic limbs, oil-spill cleanup processes, printable electronics and sensors that can detect chemical vapors or bacteria in drinking water. (more)

Everyday Spectrometer: True Color Detection with Rainbow Polymer
A one-step, low-cost holographic lithography method to fabricate a polymer with extraordinary properties can significantly reduce the cost and size of the current state-of-the-art multispectral analyzer from about $250 to $10/piece. Used as a filter for light, this material could form the basis of handheld multispectral imaging devices that identifies the “true color” of objects examined. Accurate color detection has applications in anti-counterfeiting and remote sensing for military and defense applications. The graded photonic bandgap (PBG) structure could be easily coated on cell phone cameras to analyze the real color of food and medicines. (more)

In reviewing submissions for this list, the committee also highlights an Innovation Watch List. These technologies are showing great promise, but as yet are unproven in the manufacturing setting. This year’s list includes:

• Aerovoltaic wind technology with no moving parts
• Manufacturing method for cheaper solar
• Air fuel synthesis
• 3D printing of silicon nanostructures
• Robotic self-modeling
• Ultrafast camera that sees around corners
• Nanoscale light conduits
• Quantum memory storage using gaseous atomic vapor to store information
• Silicon surface patterns that use less material and increase efficiency
• Metamaterials that bend light