CHATTANOOGA ENGINEERS CLUB
 

NEXT WEEK (FIELD TRIP)_________________________________________
Monday, March 31 - 11:45am  Astec Inc. - 4101 Jerome Avenue
 
If you intend on participating in this field trip please let me know via email or phone so that we may have the proper amount of safety equipment available.  You may send your attendance request via email to baucombe@epb.net or telephone me at (423) 648-3582.
 
Topic:  Tour of Astec Inc.'s Asphalt Equipment Manufacturing Plant - Beth Brock, Astec Inc.
 
Beth Brock from Astec Inc. has graciously arranged for us a tour of their asphalt equipment manufacturing facility.  Astec Inc. produces asphalt manufacturing equipment used throughout the world.  They currently have 50% of the world market in the manufacturing of this equipment.  They have sold over 86 plants in 32 countries.  Astec Inc. was founded in 1972, and now employs over 2800 people within the states and abroad.  The equipment they manufacture converts crushed rock into asphalt.  This equipment has to perform several control functions such as conveying, mixing, weighing, and storing the asphalt components and material.  Please note for this field trip there are special safety requirements that must be followed for you to participate. The safety rules and dress code are shown below for your convenience.  For complete details and map please download and print the pdf at http://www.ChattanoogaEngineersClub.org/ASTECtour.pdf .  If you have trouble let me know in your reservation email and I will simply send you the pdf file as an attachment.
 
Safety Rules & Dress Code for Chattanooga Engineers Club Tour 3/31/03
Please understand that these rules are for your safety, and MUST be followed.
Dress Code
All visitors must wear hard hats and safety glasses throughout the plant.  Astec has visitor hard hats, safety glasses and side shields for your use during your visit.  Those of you who wear prescription glasses may wear them without safety glasses over them if they are safety glasses with the ANSI Z87 stamp on them (look on the top edge of the earpieces for this stamp).  You must wear plastic side shields on your prescription safety glasses (your tour guide will provide them for you).  Otherwise, if your prescription glasses are not safety rated, you must wear a set of protective safety glasses over them (also provided for you by the tour guide).   Astec will provide said hard hats, safety glasses and/or side shields for visitor use while on ASTEC property. Visitors must wear long pants-no shorts, Capri pants, skirts, or dresses.  Tennis shoes, high heels, stacked heels, open toed or open heeled shoes such as sandals or clogs are not permitted in the shop. Hard rubber soles are recommended, but steel-toed shoes are not required. 
 
IF YOUR ATTIRE DOES NOT MEET THE ABOVE REQUIREMENTS, YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO ENTER THE MANUFACTURING FACILITY.
 
 
OUR PREVIOUS MEETING _________________________________________

 

Dale Bradshaw gave us an update on moving from silicon science to diamonds for power electronics.  TVA has been working with researchers at Vanderbilt University in an effort to speed commercialization of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of diamonds into the design and manufacture of diodes, triodes, and thyristors.  The CVD process is surprising cheap in that it only uses natural gas, hydrogen, and electricity.  CVD devices can

  • carry ten times more current than conventional devices
  • conduct heat four times faster than copper
  • operate in much hotter environments (> 500 C)
  • carry 5 to 10 times the DC voltage as conventional devices
  • operate at much higher frequencies

These devices also fail in an open state, making them a possible candidate for use in the design of an electronic transformer.  For more information on this research, search the internet for research using the Fowler-Nordheim equation.

 

Respectfully submitted by Judy Driggans

 

Check our website at http://www.ChattanoogaEngineersClub.org for meeting summaries prior to last Monday.
 
A very special thanks to Judy Driggans for providing this meeting summary.  For the complete meeting details please check http://www.ChattanoogaEngineersClub.org/MeetingMinutes/CECMinutes032403.pdf .
 
SPECIAL FIELD TRIP OPPORTUNITY _____________________________
 
The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (TVRM) has been so gracious as to invite the Chattanooga Engineers Club to join them for the East Chattanooga Back Shop Open House, Spring Picnic, and Special Steam-Powered Train Trip on Saturday April 12, 2003 starting at 2 pm.  This is a very unique and exciting opportunity you won't want to miss.  There will be opportunities to see how they restore these beautiful yet powerful machines. You'll get to see steam locomotive drivers machined, as well as shop demonstrations including needle scaling, parts cleaning, welding, grinding, smokebox installation, painting, wheel turning, and locomotive frame alignment.  There will be diesel locomotive cab rides for early arrivals.  There are just too many activities to list here, so please see the flyer for this event located on our website at http://www.ChattanoogaEngineersClub.org/TVRM_picnic_flyer.pdf .  A reservation is required by April 10th, and contact information for making such a reservation is on the flyer as well.  I hope that you will come be a part of this special day.
 
FUTURE MONDAY MEETINGS ___________________________________
 
April 7:  Locomotive Restoration - Mark Ray, Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (TVRM)
 
April 14:  Teen Driver Safety Program - Paul D. Snyder, DuPont
 
April 21:  UTC Senior Design Projects - Rick Keyser, UTC
 
April 28:  "Six Sigma" - Engineering Problems Evaluation Program - Barry Totten, Y-12 National Security Complex (Oak Ridge)
 
May 5:  Power Delivery Issues - Mike Ingram, TVA
 
 

WHERE WE MEET _______________________________________________
Unless we note otherwise, all of our presentation meetings are held at the Cellar Restaurant in the Tallan Building, Union Square Downtown Chattanooga from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. Our meeting room and luncheon service are open by 11:30 a.m. Lunch buffet is $10.00 per person (inclusive). No reservation is required. Free parking is available in the Days Inn Motel (on Carter St. and MLK Blvd,) courtesy of the Days Inn management. When you park there, be sure to place a note on your dashboard indicating you are attending the Engineers Club meeting.
 
 
QUESTIONS, SUGGESTIONS ? _____________________________________
If you have any questions or suggestions about program items please call Brad Baucom at 423-648-3582 or e-mail him at bradbaucom@comcast.net. You can find references to other Chattanooga Engineers Club members at our web site: www.ChattanoogaEngineersClub.org .