Volume 9 Issue 2, March 2007
We hope you find this issue of our e-mail update of what's new at AutomationDirect informative and, at times, a little amusing.
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Editor's note:

Spring is in the air!

The time has come to bid farewell to winter, and a crazy winter it was. I received pictures from a friend showing some of the record snowfall in upstate New York. It really made me appreciate living in the South. With winter winding down, we get to prepare for spring and all the new things changing seasons has to offer.

As the seasons change, we at AutomationDirect continue to look at additional ways to make your industrial control applications run more smoothly. Count on additional products being offered throughout the coming months. Our well-trained sales team and award-winning tech support team are always willing to answer any question you may have.

Read on for the latest company news and helpful application information. Then take a break with the Lighter Side. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to charge the battery on the garden tractor. My wife doesn't like to use the push mower.

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Additions to Learn.automationdirect.com

Many people are finding our new tutorial site, learn.automationdirect.com very helpful. With suggestions from site visitors, new video tutorials are added regularly. Among the latest additions are short tutorials explaining Remote I/O and the IBox features in DirectSOFT 5. You can also find videos exploring topics such as motor controls, PLCs, sensors, software and more.

To see the site, go to http://learn.automationdirect.com.

Keri is the King Queen fish!

In previous newsletters, we introduced you to Keri Schieber, our resident competitive co-angler. We told you of her involvement in the 2006 Toyota Women's Bassmaster Tour, and of her qualification for the National Championship which took place last month on Lake Mitchell in Alabama. This month, we have an interesting update.

On the first day of the championship, fishing was rather uneventful. The day started with a fog delay. Keri struggled to an eighth place 3-way tie, bringing in only one fish weighing 1¼ pounds. She was out of first place by more than 3½ pounds. After a humbling first day, and a little pep talk from her husband, Joe, Keri refocused and prepared for the second day.

Friday was the day things had to happen for Keri. And happen they did. There was no fog to delay things that morning. Within the first two hours, she had caught her limit of five fish. By 10:30, she had culled another limit. "I was so excited and nervous," she said. At the same time, she thought, "If I'm catching this many fish, so is everyone else." But when she returned to the weigh-in stage, the MC announced she had the only five fish limit on the co-angler side. The total weight of fish for Keri was 12 pounds eleven ounces! Keri became the first-ever National Champion of the Women's Bassmaster Tour Co-angler Division! Congratulations to Keri Schieber, our little Michigander-turned-Georgia-Peach!

VisualSizer motor sizing software relieves stress in choosing servo system components

Copperhill Technologies has updated their VisualSizer-SureServo motor sizing software to include more manufacturers' mechanical parts in the selection process. The free software helps motion control engineers set up mechanical systems by effectively guiding them through the process. Once application specifications are entered, VisualSizer-SureServo calculates torque, speed and inertia requirements. Then the software automatically searches the SureServo database and creates a list of all motors matching the requirements. VisualSizer-SureServo points to the optimum motor, yet allows the user to make his own choice from the list.

To learn more about VisualSizer-SureServo, go to: www.copperhilltech.com/SureServo.

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AutomationDirect introduces Fusible and Non-Fusible Disconnect Switches

AutomationDirect now carries 600 VAC/250 VDC heavy-duty fusible and non-fusible disconnects from Ferraz Shawmut. Meeting UL98 standards, the SIRCO and FUSERBLOC series are designed with the latest disconnect technology available, "make and break" power circuits under load, and are UL, CSA, CE and IEC rated. A wide array of handles is available for OSHA padlocking requirements, NEMA configurations, defeater options andNFPA 79 requirements. The SIRCO switches and accessories, starting at $57, are available in 30-800 amp ratings. FUSERBLOC fusible disconnects start at $85, break up to 200 amps and use double break contacts per pole, isolating the fuse while the switch is in the OFF position.

More information on Fusible and Non-Fusible Disconnect Switches

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Think & Do thought and did

Many AutomationDirect customers send us informative letters explaining how they use our products. We then develop these letters into application stories. One such story is from the Mantissa Corporation. By using Think & Do software, a major book reseller combined two sorting systems, enabling them to work more efficiently.


For more of this story and a complete list of application stories, visit our AutomationNotebook.com

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Each of us has the opinion that our children are the best on the planet. But even our perfect little angels say things to prove otherwise. Take these for example:

(Taken from one of those "www." places)

KIDS IN CHURCH

• 3-year-old Reese:
  "Our Father, Who does art in heaven,
  Harold is His name.
  Amen."
  
• A little boy was overheard praying:
  "Lord, if you can't make me a better boy, don't worry about it.
  I'm having a real good time like I am."
  
• After the christening of his baby brother in church,
  Jason sobbed all the way home in the back seat of the car.
  His father asked him three times what was wrong.
  Finally, the boy replied,
  "That preacher said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home.
  But I want to stay with you guys."
• One particular four-year-old prayed,
  "And forgive us our trash baskets as
  we forgive those who put trash in our baskets."
• A Sunday school teacher asked her children as they
  were on the way to church service,
  "And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?"
  One bright little girl replied,
  "Because people are sleeping."
• A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin 5, and Ryan 3.
  The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake.
  Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson.
  "If Jesus were sitting here, He would say,
  'Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait.'"
  Kevin turned to his younger brother and said,
  "Ryan, you be Jesus!"
• A father was at the beach with his children
  when the four-year-old son ran up to him,
  grabbed his hand, and led him to the shore
  where a seagull lay dead in the sand.
  "Daddy, what happened to him?" the son asked.
  "He died and went to Heaven," the Dad replied.
  The boy thought a moment and then said,
  "Did God throw him back down?"
• A wife invited some people to dinner.
  At the table, she turned to their six-year-old daughter and said,
  "Would you like to say the blessing?"
  "I wouldn't know what to say," the girl replied.
  "Just say what you hear Mommy say," the wife answered.
  The daughter bowed her head and said,
  "Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?"

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