Demand for Electrical Grid Equipment Driving New Manufacturing Investments
How much do you pay for electricity where you live? Have you noticed the price of power steadily increasing over the last several years? In addition to pain at the gas pump and grocery store checkout line, many Americans also dread the monthly electric bill arriving in the mail.
In many areas across the country, the worries over utility rates and natural resource consumption are just beginning, as artificial intelligence (AI) companies seek to build hundreds of large data centers in a wide variety of states.
Opponents of new data centers argue that current electrical grids in many areas are simply not designed to meet the tremendous power demands of hyperscale data centers. Not only do they fear higher utility costs, but many people also worry about the likelihood of extended blackouts in case of severe weather.
Regardless of the political outcome of the many challenges to proposed data centers, the debates that have been sparked have shone a bright light on a critical issue: the stability and sufficiency of our current electrical grids.
In fact, many areas are already taking positive steps to upgrade their electrical grids for whatever the future may hold. These necessary improvements are driving increased investment in the manufacturing of equipment specifically designed for electrical power generation.
According to a DC Velocity article, “[e]nergy products manufacturer GE Vernova will expand its Pittsburgh manufacturing facility to provide more equipment for the U.S. grid supply chain.” Specifically, “[t]he company will modernize and expand its power transmission manufacturing facility in Charleroi, Pennsylvania, which produces high-voltage circuit breakers, switchgear products, and instrument transformers.”
GE Vernova believes these “upgrades will help to shorten lead times for critical grid components, enabling utilities to connect new energy-intensive demand, including data centers, to the grid more quickly and reliably.”
The company notes that “[t]he expansion is part of a $138 million investment in the Charleroi facility and is expected to create approximately 275 new high-skilled manufacturing jobs including wiring technicians, mechanics, test technicians, logistics coordinators, and supply chain specialists.”
Likewise, a Reuters article by Tim McLaughlin reports that “Heron Power…plans to build a $100 million factory in California to make advanced transformers for the U.S. electric grid.” The new facility will “produce Heron Link, a 5-megawatt medium-voltage power conversion system for large-scale energy and data-center projects.”
McLaughlin notes that “Heron CEO Drew Baglino…hopes to capitalize on the U.S. power grid’s rapid transformation as booming demand from data centers, electric vehicles and heat pumps tests the limits of generation and transmission infrastructure, unprepared for the electrification of large parts of the economy.”
There’s definitely a disconnect between the current state of most electrical grids and what’s needed for the future: “As U.S. Energy Department officials noted during a March meeting, much of the U.S. grid still relies on 1960s and 1970s engineering and infrastructure…Meanwhile, the power industry is expected to spend $1 trillion over the next decade building new power plants, renewable resources, battery charging facilities and high-voltage transmission lines.”
As municipalities and power generation equipment manufacturers look to the future, it’s clear that workers with advanced electrical skills will be in high demand. How do companies and schools train the next generation of professionals with the electrical skills they need to succeed in the modern workplace? A thorough review of training systems is a great place to start.
Do employees and students have access to hands-on training with actual components they’ll encounter on the job? If not, partnering with established companies to provide industrial-quality training systems that will stand the test of time will help ensure a competent workforce.
Be sure to check out DAC Worldwide’s variety of hands-on electrical training systems that feature the real-world components workers will encounter in the field. For example, companies in the power generation space could benefit from DAC Worldwide trainers focused on the skills their employees need, such as:
- Transformer Wiring Training System (408-000): a realistic training device that replicates the conditions and circumstances that an electrical worker encounters when making common power transformer connections in the field and industry. This self-contained, tabletop training system provides a safe, inexpensive, yet realistic alternative to paper-based learning without the danger of full-voltage field experience.
- Transformer Connections Training System (491-000): replicates the conditions and circumstances that a utility worker encounters when making common transformer connections in the field. Using this trainer, learners will explore the skills that an operator must master to confidently operate modern generating equipment, such as the paralleling of generators and connecting to a larger power grid.
- Electrical Generation Fundamentals Training System (490-000): represents a true simulator depicting multiple power plants on a grid. The unit basically acts as the control center for a generating station and simulates four separate generating units. The system demonstrates the principles of generator operation and represents the relationships that an operator must master to confidently operate generators.
Be sure to check out the links above and contact DAC Worldwide to consult with an expert today!
- Published in News
Researchers Turn Plastic Waste into Premium Lubricants
Do you place a high priority on recycling? Some people just don’t see enough personal benefit to go out of their way to recycle items rather than just tossing them into the trash bin. Others who are concerned about the environment make it a priority to recycle as much as possible to avoid crowding the landfills.
Once a novelty, recycling became mainstream many years ago. In fact, even the smallest towns often have waste management centers that allow you to recycle everything from aluminum and steel cans to cardboard boxes and plastic bottles.
Sadly, one of the most common types of plastic—polyvinyl chloride or PVC—tends to be one of the least recycled. PVC can be either rigid or flexible, and it’s known for its strength, resistance to chemicals, and waterproof durability.
If you’ve ever done any plumbing work around the house, you’re already familiar with PVC piping, which is one of the most common applications of PVC. However, according to the Vinyl Institute website, PVC boasts a wide variety of popular uses, including:
- Plumbing and construction: water and sewage pipes; electrical cable insulation; window frames; doors; vinyl flooring
- Sports and recreation: yoga mats; inflatable structures; pool floats; air mattresses
- Arts and crafts: stickers; decals; banners
- Healthcare: drip bags; catheters
- Automotive: dashboards, door panels; upholstery
- Agriculture: irrigation pipes; greenhouse films; silo linings; fencing
As common as PVC is, it’s a shame that it’s not recycled more frequently. Thanks to researchers at Texas A&M University, Virginia Tech, and the California Institute of Technology, however, that may change one day in the future.
According to a recent Texas A&M Stories article, author Taylor Northcut notes that “[a] multidisciplinary team of researchers from [these universities] has developed…a method for converting [PVC], a widely used plastic with a recycling rate of less than 1%, into polyalphaolefin lubricants that exhibit exceptional friction and wear performance.”
Northcut believes this groundbreaking research could “transform one of the world’s most challenging plastic waste streams into high-performance lubricants with exceptional energy-saving potential, creating a pathway toward more efficient industrial technologies.”
In fact, the “transformation occurs through a series of chemical reactions performed at relatively low temperatures, making it an efficient and economically viable alternative to traditional lubricant production methods. The resulting lubricants demonstrate promising properties, including versatility, higher yield and the potential to advance more sustainable approaches across the plastic and lubricant industries.”
As industrial machinery continues to grow more complex, it’s important to develop new solutions that not only boost efficiency and productivity but also increase sustainability. As other researchers pick up the torch to further develop PVC recycling programs and transformation of that waste into advanced industrial lubricants, industries around the world will need more workers with advanced knowledge and hands-on skills in both process control and instrumentation and chemical engineering.
With skilled workers in high demand but difficult to find, industry leaders will need to work closely with local companies and educational institutions to ensure a steady stream of talent for their advanced manufacturing facilities.
When it comes to training the next generation of advanced manufacturing workers, educators and industry partners alike would do well to partner with experts in technical training, such as DAC Worldwide.
DAC Worldwide specializes in hands-on training systems that feature common industrial components that workers will encounter on the job. To learn more about the types of training systems DAC Worldwide offers, check out the links below:
- DAC Worldwide’s Process Control and Instrumentation Training Systems
- DAC Worldwide’s Smart Process Plant Training System (603-SP)
- Advanced chemical engineering training systems from its partner, Pignat SAS
Visit DAC Worldwide online to learn more about its wide variety of industrial training systems.
- Published in News
Pressure to Cut Corners Creates Workplace Safety Crisis
What’s the greatest challenge of starting a new job? For many new workers, it’s figuring out how to get up to speed as quickly as possible. Increasingly, employers want employees to “hit the ground running,” but that can be difficult when new workers face a daunting series of orientations designed to instill critical operations protocols and safety guidelines.
Even if you’re a seasoned worker who hasn’t started a new job in years, you’ve seen your share of new workers who you must help onboard. Helping new workers learn the ropes is the responsibility of many seasoned workers, so it should be easy for them to empathize with those just starting their career journey.
Every workplace has its own unique set of operational guidelines and safety protocols. Some industries, such as manufacturing, have more of such rules and regulations because of the dangers inherent in the workplace.
For example, when your workplace consists of hundreds of workers interacting with complex machinery powered by electricity, hydraulics, and pneumatics, the potential for serious injury or even death dictates that a variety of policies and procedures must be followed to ensure the safety of the workforce, as well as the quality of the finished product.
Despite the obvious need for safety standards and procedures designed to minimize workplace injuries, at the end of the day we’re all human. Very real pressures exist to maximize productivity and efficiency while maintaining an acceptable level of quality. Unfortunately, those pressures sometimes lead to decisions that can have dangerous—or even deadly—consequences.
For example, a recent EHS Today article cites a SafetyCulture report titled “Feedback from the Field” that concluded that “growing expectations on frontline workers to prioritize speed over standards…resulted in 27% of workers saying they are pressured to cut corners to save time or reduce costs.”
According to the article, “the findings paint a picture of workers feeling increasingly unsupported while being expected to maintain productivity and performance.” The result? “This behavior can risk inconsistent standards, repeated mistakes, and lower quality outcomes.”
When these pressures mount in settings with dangerous machinery, the results can be devastating. How can an employer ensure that workers are equipped to deal with pressure while maintaining compliance with applicable safety rules and regulations?
A high quality, hands-on safety training program that instills in workers the basics of safety protocols can go a long way to ensuring that temporary pressures never override the protocols that keep workers safe.
For example, establishing ongoing safety education and proper lockout/tagout procedures can go a long way to creating a culture of safety that permeates the workplace and minimizes workplace injuries. Indeed, employers looking to improve safety training should partner with established companies to provide industrial-quality training systems that will stand the test of time.
For example, DAC Worldwide offers two safety training systems specifically designed to give employees the hands-on experience they need to master lock-out/tag-out skills:
- DAC Worldwide Lock-Out/Tag-Out Training System
- DAC Worldwide Electrical Lock-Out/Tag-Out Training System
Be sure to check out these training systems and contact a DAC Worldwide representative to learn how you can improve your training today!
- Published in News
Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Receives Federal Funding Boost
Unless you work in the industry, most people don’t give much thought to biopharmaceutical manufacturing. However, the world would be a much different place without the research, development, and products biopharmaceutical companies produce.
Remember the pandemic? Given today’s onslaught of constant news fighting for attention, it seems like our memories of events fade faster than they did in the past. COVID-19 changed our world forever, yet many people were so ready to move on that they’ve forgotten what it was like to experience it firsthand.
In those scary days of uncertainty, it was the scientists at biopharmaceutical companies who stood in the breach to produce the vaccinations that saved lives and brought back a sense of control. Their work continues to ensure that a proper response will be possible the next time a new virus or disease attempts to wreak havoc on humanity.
The work of the biopharmaceutical industry extends well beyond an emergency response to a public heath crisis. Day in and day out, the professionals in this industry work on a variety of ways to make life better for everyone, from developing new medicines and treatments to making sure the food supply is as healthy as it can be.
We see the benefits of their work in many ways every day. New weight loss drugs are enabling millions of people to fight obesity and chronic diseases, like diabetes. And the next time there’s an outbreak of a food-borne parasite causing explosive diarrhea, you can bet there’s a biopharmaceutical scientist somewhere working on a solution.
Given their wide-ranging and important work, it’s critical to encourage continued growth in the biopharmaceutical industry. According to a recent Pharma Manufacturing article, author Greg Slabodkin notes that “[t]he U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) has announced plans to award $50 million in grant funding to Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs (Tech Hubs) in several states meant to boost biopharmaceutical manufacturing processes which are essential to national security and competitiveness.”
Slabodkin points out that the “EDA is investing in regions of the U.S. it contends have the ‘talent and assets to become global leaders in the critical technologies of the future.’” For example, $16 million will go to “the Advanced Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Tech Hub (Virginia)…to ‘develop and scale advanced, AI-enabled domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing.’”
An even larger investment–$34 million—will go to “the Kansas City BioSecure Manufacturing Tech Hub (Kansas, Missouri)…to ‘modernize manufacturing processes, strengthen and retool domestic supply chains, and accelerate the translation of biologic discoveries into scalable, resilient, and agile U.S. production.’” The author also notes that $2.8 million in funds is earmarked “to train workers in AI and advanced biomanufacturing.”
This funding for training is essential, given the fact that demand for highly skilled workers in biopharmaceutical manufacturing greatly exceeds the current supply of such workers. Other areas are following suit. For example, “[w]ith EDA funding and a $6 million investment from Eli Lilly, the Applied Research Institute announced plans last year for a 20,000-square-foot Heartland BioWorks headquarters in Indianapolis…[that] will serve as a workforce training and innovation center.”
With skilled workers in high demand but difficult to find, biopharmaceutical manufacturers will need to work closely with local industry and educational institutions to ensure a steady stream of talent for their advanced manufacturing facilities.
When it comes to training the next generation of advanced manufacturing workers, educators and industry partners alike would do well to partner with experts in technical training, such as DAC Worldwide.
For example, biopharmaceutical manufacturers could benefit from DAC Worldwide’s Smart Process Plant Training System (603-SP), a fully functional, industrial-quality fluid process system that provides hands-on training in the measurement and control of five of the most common process variables: level, pressure, temperature, flow, and pH.
The Smart Process Plant Training System features a wide variety of common components and instruments to provide learners with a realistic training experience that will build skills that translate easily to the workplace. The Smart Process Plant also includes multiple experiments, which simulate both continuous and batch process control loops that are widely used in many process industries. The Smart Process Plant Training System is only one of DAC Worldwide’s many process control and instrumentation training systems. Visit DAC Worldwide online to learn more about its many other training systems, as well as advanced chemical engineering training systems from its partner, Pignat SAS!
- Published in News
New Transformer Manufacturing Facility Coming to Virginia
Does it ever feel like, if it weren’t for bills, you’d get no mail at all? With so much of our lives online these days, it can certainly seem that way. If you’re like a lot of people, the one bill you dread more than any other is the monthly electricity bill.
Across the country, utility bills have been steadily rising for years, and there doesn’t seem to be any relief in sight. Now, with every technology company out there trying to build multiple data centers, it’s clear that the modern electrical grid is going to be put to the test and, unfortunately, regular consumers are likely to bear the brunt of these growing pains.
While no one wants to pay more for electricity because of data center demand for power, the larger worry may actually be the potential for increased power outages as grids are stretched to their breaking point and beyond. Power outages can be dangerous, especially during a heat wave, and no one wants rolling blackouts to become the norm.
Fortunately, there are companies out there who are thinking about and preparing for the future. According to a Power Technology article by Anwesha Pattanaik, Hitachi Energy will soon begin building a new manufacturing facility in Virginia.
Pattanaik notes that “[t]he new facility will manufacture large power transformers, equipment considered crucial for the country’s electric grid infrastructure. According to Hitachi, these transformers will help support transmission, generation, data centers and industrial clients across the US.”
This expansion of its Virginia operations will “nearly double its local workforce.” In fact, “[t]he project includes a focus on the workforce, with plans for amenities such as on-site fitness and recreational facilities, a cafeteria, a health clinic and shared spaces.”
Of course, finding the highly skilled workers they need to work at this new facility may be the most difficult problem the project faces. Across the country, manufacturers of all types are struggling to find the skilled workers they need to work in new manufacturing facilities that feature advanced automation technologies.
How do companies and schools train the next generation of professionals with the electrical skills they need to succeed in the modern workplace? A thorough review of training systems is a great place to start.
Do employees and students have access to hands-on training with actual components they’ll encounter on the job? If not, partnering with established companies to provide industrial-quality training systems that will stand the test of time will help ensure a competent workforce.
Be sure to check out DAC Worldwide’s variety of hands-on electrical training systems that feature the real-world components workers will encounter in the field. For example, companies in the power generation space could benefit from DAC Worldwide trainers focused on the skills their employees need, such as:
- Transformer Wiring Training System (408-000): a realistic training device that replicates the conditions and circumstances that an electrical worker encounters when making common power transformer connections in the field and industry. This self-contained, tabletop training system provides a safe, inexpensive, yet realistic alternative to paper-based learning without the danger of full-voltage field experience.
- Transformer Connections Training System (491-000): replicates the conditions and circumstances that a utility worker encounters when making common transformer connections in the field. Using this trainer, learners will explore the skills that an operator must master to confidently operate modern generating equipment, such as the paralleling of generators and connecting to a larger power grid.
- Electrical Generation Fundamentals Training System (490-000): represents a true simulator depicting multiple power plants on a grid. The unit basically acts as the control center for a generating station and simulates four separate generating units. The system demonstrates the principles of generator operation and represents the relationships that an operator must master to confidently operate generators.
Be sure to check out the links above and contact DAC Worldwide to consult with an expert today!
- Published in News
Lockout/Tagout Skills More Critical than Ever as Electrification Expands
With the United States celebrating 250 years of freedom this year, it’s only natural to look back at the Founding Fathers and their impact on our modern society. While many people—men and women both—laid the foundations of the society we enjoy today, perhaps none was more influential than Benjamin Franklin.
In addition to being the only person to sign all three of the fundamental documents creating the United States, Franklin established himself as an intellectual force known as much for his inventions and scientific discoveries as he was for his political acumen.
Franklin invented bifocals, a stove, swim fins, and even a musical instrument. However, our undying gratitude was earned the day he decided to fly a kite in a thunderstorm, thereby proving that lightning is electricity.
Others picked up the torch from Franklin to bring us into the electrical age. Thomas Edison mastered direct current and helped to bring electricity into homes and businesses, while Nikola Tesla perfected alternating current to bring the modern electrical grid to life.
Can you imagine a world without electricity? We certainly wouldn’t have the Internet or artificial intelligence (AI) if we still relied upon candles to light the way. While it might seem like electricity is yesterday’s news, given its discovery and development hundreds of years ago, experts know that it’s still the bedrock of the latest technologies.
In fact, electrification is expanding today, as a whole host of new technologies map out new applications for electricity. Electric vehicles (EVs), battery energy storage systems (BESS), and renewable energy projects involving both solar and wind power are proving that electricity—and capable technicians with hands-on electrical skills—are more important than ever.
As manufacturers, industry experts, and utility companies search for workers with the advanced electrical skills they need, it’s becoming evident that foundational safety knowledge and skills are also critical to success.
For example, in an Occupational Health & Safety article, author Stasia DeMarco notes that “[t]he National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is urging employers and workers to prioritize electrical safety as part of National Electrical Safety Month, citing growing risks tied to an increasingly electrified workplace.”
DeMarco points out that “[a]s industries adopt new technologies such as electric vehicles, battery storage systems and renewable energy infrastructure, safety professionals face evolving hazards, including arc flash incidents, energized equipment exposure and complex maintenance environments.”
The NFPA believes “the shift underscores the need for updated training, hazard assessments and adherence to established safety standards.” In fact, “[t]he organization emphasized the importance of following safe work practices, including proper lockout/tagout procedures, use of appropriate personal protective equipment and ensuring only qualified workers perform electrical tasks.”
DeMarco concludes: “Electrical incidents continue to pose serious dangers across industries, particularly in construction, manufacturing and utilities, where workers are routinely exposed to energized systems. NFPA said ongoing education and awareness efforts are critical to preventing injuries and fatalities as electrical systems become more widespread and complex.”
Speaking of ongoing education and proper lockout/tagout procedures, employers looking to improve safety training should partner with established companies to provide industrial-quality training systems that will stand the test of time.
For example, DAC Worldwide offers two safety training systems specifically designed to give employees the hands-on experience they need to master lock-out/tag-out skills:
- DAC Worldwide Lock-Out/Tag-Out Training System
- DAC Worldwide Electrical Lock-Out/Tag-Out Training System
Be sure to check out these training systems and contact a DAC Worldwide representative to learn how you can improve your training today!
- Published in News
Can Manufacturers Keep Up with Data Center Demand?
Not since the Internet have we as a society seen a technological revolution quite like what we’re seeing today with artificial intelligence (AI). While some people are certainly more affected by AI than others, it’s nearly impossible to not have been impacted by AI in some way, shape, or form.
For many people, the impact of AI has been felt most directly at work—if they still have a job, that is. Indeed, implementation of AI has been responsible for many people being replaced by computers and algorithms. For those who still have a job, they’re increasingly being asked to use AI tools to help them do their jobs more efficiently.
If your job hasn’t been impacted by AI, you’re certainly not off the hook. If you use social media, you’ve almost certainly been bombarded with AI-generated images and videos, from cartoonish profile pictures to local business advertisements.
Ironically, small business owners who turn to AI to help them generate advertisements, menus, flyers, etc. in the hope of standing out from the crowd ultimately end up looking like every other small business that’s doing the same thing.
The other major impact being felt by communities large and small is the proliferation of AI data centers across the country. As demand for AI grows, the companies behind the technology need exponentially more computing power delivered via dedicated data centers.
Unfortunately, those data centers have come under fire for their use of tremendous amounts of resources, such as water and electricity. Some communities are organizing protests against new data centers, forcing AI companies to change course and look for new areas that might welcome their data centers.
Despite the recent uptick in anti-AI sentiment, AI companies are forging ahead with their plans to build new data centers at a breakneck pace. While communities worry about resource usage, there’s another industry that’s having trouble keeping up with the demands of increasing numbers of data centers: manufacturing.
According to an Industry Week article by Geert De Lombaerde, “[t]he data center boom has been showing up in the manufacturing sector for several quarters now as demand has risen rapidly for steel racks, cooling systems and electrical gear.”
De Lombaerde shares insights from the leaders of Carrier and BorgWarner regarding “the rapid growth they’re seeing and the investments they’re making—and likely need to add to.” For example, “Carrier’s Dave Gitlin said they are recalibrating on the fly just how big their businesses serving data centers could be.”
How big is big? “Gitlin told attendees that Carrier’s data center work making heat management systems, which his team had initially estimated would book $1.5 billion in sales this year, has been ‘phenomenal’ so far. The company is ‘certainly pushing’ to top that number…and its biggest issue ‘is just keeping up.’”
Likewise, BorgWarner President and CEO Joe Fadool notes that they are “applying the company’s extensive history in automotive power electronics and software to the making of equipment for power generation, battery storage and voltage conversion.”
For example, BorgWarner “plans to start making modular turbine generators in Hendersonville, North Carolina, next year. ‘You’re talking about high volume with very high-quality requirements, a very competitive space in automotive,’ he said. ‘That cuts across all three of these [generation, storage and conversion], which allows us to sort of accelerate the disruption.’”
How can manufacturing catch up with the AI data center gold rush? For starters, they’re going to need to hire hundreds of thousands of highly skilled workers to fill the open positions they already have. Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done.
Thanks to an ongoing shortage of skilled workers in the trades, manufacturers continue to face major challenges finding enough workers to fill the roles they need to grow and thrive. So how do companies and schools train the next generation of professionals with the hands-on skills they need to succeed in the modern workplace?
A thorough review of training systems is a great place to start. Do employees and students have access to hands-on training with actual components they’ll encounter on the job? If not, partnering with established companies to provide industrial-quality training systems that will stand the test of time will help ensure a competent workforce.
When it comes to preparing for the continued expansion of AI data centers, manufacturers need to ensure they have a sufficient supply of workers who have advanced skills in areas like electrical and HVACR. Fortunately, a seasoned training equipment provider like DAC Worldwide can pave the way for a successful training program.
For example, DAC Worldwide offers a variety of hands-on electrical training systems that feature the real-world components workers will encounter in the field:
- Transformer Wiring Training System (408-000): a realistic training device that replicates the conditions and circumstances that an electrical worker encounters when making common power transformer connections in the field and industry. This self-contained, tabletop training system provides a safe, inexpensive, yet realistic alternative to paper-based learning without the danger of full-voltage field experience.
- Transformer Connections Training System (491-000): replicates the conditions and circumstances that a utility worker encounters when making common transformer connections in the field. Using this trainer, learners will explore the skills that an operator must master to confidently operate modern generating equipment, such as the paralleling of generators and connecting to a larger power grid.
- Electrical Generation Fundamentals Training System (490-000): represents a true simulator depicting multiple power plants on a grid. The unit basically acts as the control center for a generating station and simulates four separate generating units. The system demonstrates the principles of generator operation and represents the relationships that an operator must master to confidently operate generators.
DAC Worldwide also offers a variety of hands-on HVACR cutaway training tools that consist of real-world components that have been carefully sectioned to allow learners to see each device’s primary components—inside and out. Examples available include:
- Air Filter Cutaway (273-240): consists of a real industrial air filter that has been carefully sectioned to show the complete internal configuration and construction of this common industrial component. Learners can use this cutaway to enhance training related to the operation, construction, and maintenance of industrial air filters.
- Semi-Hermetic Compressor Cutaway (373-120): consists of an expertly sectioned example of a common intermediate (1”-1 ½”) horsepower semi-hermetic refrigeration compressor that facilitates and supports practical training in compressor design, operating principles, and maintenance.
- Open Drive Refrigeration Compressor Cutaway (373-140): consists of an expertly sectioned example of a classic open drive-type reciprocating refrigeration compressor. The training device facilitates and supports industrial learning in the design, operating principles, and maintenance of refrigeration compressors.
Be sure to visit DAC Worldwide online to learn more about its comprehensive selection of industrial training systems and tools!
- Published in News
The Impact of War on the U.S. Oil and Gas Labor Market
A new war in the Middle East once again has millions of people around the world asking the question famously posed in the protest song “War” popularized in the early 1970s: “War…What is it good for?” Many answer with the song’s cry of “absolutely nothin’!” However, we know by now that there certainly are plenty of people who benefit and profit from another new war.
All those naval ships, Air Force planes, and ballistic missiles must come from somewhere. In the U.S., it’s no secret that the military-industrial complex benefits to the tune of billions of dollars every time a prolonged international conflict breaks out. But who else profits from war?
When that war happens to be in the Middle East and it cuts into the global oil supply, sending prices skyrocketing, then oil and gas companies around the world stand to make billions more as they receive north of $100 per barrel of oil that was only recently selling for $70 per barrel or less.
With all that extra money flowing in and global supply suffering a major setback, will U.S. oil and gas companies seek to expand supply? According to a Marketplace article by Mitchell Hartman, that certainly seems to be a good possibility.
Hartman notes that Tom Kloza, chief energy advisor at Gulf Oil, believes “there’s an incentive to increase production,” since “[t]he sharp rise in oil and gas prices has been a boon for the energy sector.” Kloza anticipates that “we’ll see the labor force ramp up a little bit. When you’re drilling for oil in the Permian Basin, it’s very labor-intensive.”
This is good news, because Hartman points out that “[t]he workforce has actually been declining for more than a decade.” Kloza notes that “break-even numbers” for projects in the Permian Basin and Gulf of Mexico can now be met thanks to recent price increases, making these projects now promising when they weren’t just before the war.
Unfortunately, the ongoing industrial skills gap issue means that new oil and gas workers with advanced skills will likely be in short supply. This creates a challenge for oil and gas companies hoping to seize the day to ramp up production quickly. How do these companies and schools train the next generation of professionals with the oil and gas skills they need to succeed?
A thorough review of training systems is a great place to start. Do employees and students have access to hands-on training with actual components they’ll encounter on the job? If not, partnering with established companies to provide industrial-quality training systems that will stand the test of time will help ensure a competent workforce. Be sure to check out DAC Worldwide’s variety of hands-on oil and gas training systems that feature the real-world components workers will encounter in the field!
- Published in News
Preventable Injuries Put Focus Back on Workplace Safety
What’s your typical workday like? What’s the biggest worry you have at work on a day-to-day basis? The answers to these questions can vary wildly depending upon what type of job you have and what industry you work in.
If you have a typical office job, your biggest daily concerns are probably related to assignment deadlines and keeping up with the endless stream of emails and phone calls. Threats to your health and safety are likely few and far between.
Sadly, that’s not the case for many people, especially those who work in particularly dangerous industries like agriculture, mining, oil and gas, transportation, warehousing, and construction. For workers in these and similar industries, threats to life and limb are real.
Despite all the progress we’ve made over the past century, workplace accidents, injuries, and even deaths remain an ongoing concern in many industries. Recent statistics reveal that workplace deaths have declined in recent years. However, experts believe workplace injury and fatality rates remain too high, because so many are preventable.
For example, a recent EHS Today article notes that, “[w]hile the overall job fatality rate decreased to 3.3 per 100,000 workers” last year, “[w]orkplace hazards still kill approximately 140,000 workers each year in the United States—including 5,070 from traumatic injuries in 2024 and an estimated 135,000 from occupational diseases each year.”
The AFL-CIO, one of the nation’s largest labor unions, recently “released its annual report on worker injuries, ‘Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect.’” The report sounds the alarm regarding actions of the current Trump administration, concluding that “[n]ational progress over the decades has undoubtedly made workplaces safer and saved lives. But that progress is under attack—now more than ever.”
Here are a few of the most interesting findings outlined in the AFL-CIO report:
- “The overall job fatality rate decreased to 3.3 per 100,000 workers.”
- “Employers reported nearly 3.1 million work-related injuries and illnesses, a decrease from the previous year.”
- “Underreporting of all workplace injuries and illnesses is widespread—the true toll of work-related injuries and illnesses is estimated to be 5.0 million to 7.5 million each year in private industry.”
While “[t]he cost of job injuries and illnesses is enormous, estimated at $177 billion to $354 billion a year,” these figures represent “an undercount of the real impact on society, families and communities.” It’s hard to accurately capture the true cost of workplace injuries and fatalities. It’s even harder to accept those costs, given that so many of them are preventable.
Unfortunately, some of the guardrails intended to curb workplace injuries and fatalities are actively being undermined by the current Trump administration. For example, “[f]ederal OSHA has the lowest number of inspectors in the history of the agency—only enough to now inspect workplaces once every 191 years.”
The EHS Today article points out that “[t]here are 1,651 inspectors (618 federal and 1,033 state) to inspect the 12 million workplaces under the Occupational Safety and Health Act’s jurisdiction, covering 155 million workers—a workforce that keeps growing while OSHA staff numbers do not.”
In addition to undermining OSHA’s ability to inspect workplaces, the AFL-CIO report “notes that the current administration has…[p]roposed twice to eliminate worker safety and health training grants, even though Congress has rejected these cuts so far.”
These attempts to reduce money for effective safety training could seriously undermine workplace safety efforts, since it’s clear that safety training remains one of the most important tools in any employer’s toolbox when it comes to reducing workplace injuries and fatalities.
For employers looking to improve safety training, it can help to partner with established companies to provide industrial-quality training systems that will stand the test of time. For example, DAC Worldwide offers two safety training systems specifically designed to give employees the hands-on experience they need to master lock-out/tag-out skills:
- DAC Worldwide Lock-Out/Tag-Out Training System
- DAC Worldwide Electrical Lock-Out/Tag-Out Training System
Be sure to check out these training systems and contact a DAC Worldwide representative to learn how you can improve your training today!
- Published in News
Proposed Wisconsin Facility Could Turn Trees into Jet Fuel
If the world has learned anything from the ongoing war in Iran, it’s that countries must continue to seek to develop sources of fuel that don’t depend upon transit through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s effective closure of this critical shipping lane in response to bombing by the United States and Israel has caused inflationary ripples around the world affecting everything from the price of fuel to the availability of a wide range of products like fertilizer and pharmaceuticals.
For years now, the go-to sources of so-called alternative energy have been wind and solar power, neither of which need to be transported via tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. But are these the only options? Not if a new German company and a small town in Wisconsin have anything to say about it.
In a recent Wisconsin Public Radio article, author Robin Washington reports that German company Synthec Fuels is partnering with Wisconsin company Johnson Timbers on a project that could turn biomass, including “timber and forest byproducts,” into sustainable jet fuel.
Wisconsin legislators recently “passed an incentive package called the Forestry Revitalization Bill” that would provide $120 million in tax credits to build a new facility in the small town of Hayward. According to Bill Johnson from Johnson Timbers, the new plant “would convert woody biomass into sustainable aviation fuel” using a “100-year-old technology known as gasification and Fischer–Tropsch.”
According to ScienceDirect, “Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis is defined as a method for producing liquid hydrocarbons from syngas, primarily converting biomass or coal into high-quality diesel oil and other hydrocarbons. The FT process operates under specific temperature and pressure conditions, yielding products similar to petrodiesel, with applications in both fuel and chemical production.”
The FT process involves three steps: “(1) biomass gasification leading to syngas generation; (2) FT reaction for the conversion of syngas to higher hydrocarbons; and (3) product separation and refining to produce useful products.” Johnson notes that his company has experience with this process already, having “worked with this technology in the past during both the Bush and Obama administrations and [having] built a pilot plant utilizing similar technologies down in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, using biomass from Wisconsin.”
Of course, getting such an operation off the ground will take many highly skilled workers with not only oil and gas experience, but also skills related to advanced automation and the latest process control and instrumentation technologies.
Unfortunately, these workers may be difficult to find, given the ongoing skilled labor shortage that has plagued manufacturers for decades now. Synthec Fuels and Johnson Timbers will need to work closely with local industry and educational institutions to ensure a steady stream of talent for its new plant.
When it comes to training the next generation of workers, educators and industry partners alike would do well to partner with experts in technical training, such as DAC Worldwide. For example, Synthec Fuels and Johnson Timbers could benefit from DAC Worldwide’s Smart Process Plant Training System (603-SP), a fully-functional, industrial-quality fluid process system that provides hands-on training in the measurement and control of five of the most common process variables: level, pressure, temperature, flow, and pH.
The system groups these process control elements into one complete piping system, which allows it to teach multiple configurations of flow loops, controls, and communications. The system incorporates both new and legacy technologies so that users are prepared for anything they might encounter on the job. These technologies work together to form a 3-level communication architecture:
- Device Level: Smart sensors monitor Level, Flow, Temperature, Pressure, and pH. They are connected via either IO-Link and Ethernet communication or HART communication.
- Control Level: A DCS and various PLCs and PIDs allow for operation and control of the system’s components.
- Enterprise Level: The DCS software provides Supervisory Control with data analytics for monitoring smart production, smart maintenance, etc.
The Smart Process Plant uses a Distributed Control System (DCS) that features Supervisory Control software. This software is Rockwell Automation’s PlantPAx, and it acts as the backbone of the system. It gathers and organizes data and creates dashboards that represent the real-time status of the processes being carried out by the system.
The Smart Process Plant Training System features a wide variety of common, industrial-quality components and instruments to provide learners with a realistic training experience that will build skills that translate easily to the workplace. The Smart Process Plant also includes multiple experiments, which simulate both continuous and batch process control loops that are widely used in many process industries. These experiments include:
- Basic and Advanced Bioreactor Applications
- Clean-In-Place (CIP) Skid Application
- Boiler Drum Level Application
- Wastewater Treatment Application
With these experiments, learners will explore a wide variety of fundamental process control topics, including: temperature, level, flow, pressure, and pH ratio control; agitation; sequence control; continuous control; 3-element control; feed forward/cascade control; and pump lead/lag demand. The Smart Process Plant Training System is only one of DAC Worldwide’s many process control and instrumentation training systems. Visit DAC Worldwide online to learn more about its many other training systems, as well as advanced chemical engineering training systems from its partner, Pignat SAS!
- Published in News
Blue Collar v. White Collar and the Impact of AI
What would you do if you stumbled upon a fountain of youth? What three wishes would you make if you found a genie in a bottle? Would you seize the opportunity to return to your youth? For those of us with several decades of life under our belts, it’s tempting to think about returning to a simpler time.
If you could go back to a time before the Internet existed, would you do it? What if you could be 17 again, but only if you stayed in 2026? That might change things for many people. How about you?
Combine a new war in the Middle East with increasing inflation, skyrocketing prices on everything from food to gas, unaffordable healthcare premiums, and any number of other issues, and you find yourself in a present time that’s particularly bleak for the youth of America.
Today’s parents of teens know the struggle is real. What career advice do you give a teenager in a world full of uncertainty and an economy on the verge of a recession? With artificial intelligence (AI) growing by leaps and bounds, what kind of modern career still offers the “American dream”?
Should you push your children toward a university degree and a white-collar job? Or would they be better served by pursuing a blue-collar job in the trades after an apprenticeship, certification program, or technical training at a community college?
Recent news reports signal a trend that may put blue-collar careers on a more solid footing than white-collar counterparts in the age of AI. In a recent article in The New York Times, author Sydney Ember notes that “[t]his is the worst spring for young degree holders since the depths of the pandemic.”
Diving into the statistics, it’s clear that those finishing college soon face an uphill battle. Ember cites a Federal Reserve Bank of New York analysis that finds “[t]he unemployment rate for college graduates ages 22 to 27 soared to 5.6 percent at the end of last year…up sharply over the past three years and outstripping the overall rate of 4.2 percent at the time.”
Perhaps more importantly, of those who did have jobs, “more than 40 percent held jobs that do not typically require college degrees, the highest level since 2020.” While there are many factors at play in the current employment market, some are pointing the finger at the increasing prominence of AI.
For example, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has predicted that AI “could obliterate half of entry-level white-collar jobs within five years.” Is that realistic? Only time will tell. However, a Stanford Digital Economy Lab report recently found that there have been “‘substantial declines in employment for early-career workers’ in fields that were most vulnerable to A.I., such as software development.”
In stark contrast to the apparent effect of AI on white-collar jobs, author Caroline Colvin notes in a recent HR Dive article that “AI is spurring demand for skilled trade workers — not displacing them.” She cites a recent Randstad report that indicates that “[h]iring for skilled trades has increased to keep up with the rate of artificial intelligence infrastructure growth.”
For example, Colvin notes that “[s]ince late 2022 when generative AI entered the mainstream, demand for robotics technicians has spiked 107%, with demand for HVAC engineers up 67% and construction roles up 30%.”
Before jumping on the trades bandwagon, though, it’s important to realize that “AI-driven expansion is reshaping what it means to be a skilled trade worker.” It appears that the days of viewing blue-collar jobs as low skill are long gone.
Randstad’s report notes that new blue-collar jobs “are increasingly highly specialized, digital-first positions. From electricians to robot technicians, digital fluency is now a prerequisite. The skilled trades are moving closer to traditional knowledge work, requiring a global re-rating of these career tracks and a shift toward continuous education and training opportunities.”
So, what can educators and companies do to increase the number of highly skilled workers needed for today’s job market? Partnering with a proven expert to train current and prospective workers with the hands-on skills necessary to succeed on the job is a great place to start.
Partnering with a training solutions provider with a proven track record can help any manufacturer or educational institution train workers with the hands-on skills they’ll need to hit the ground running in the workplace. For example, DAC Worldwide offers a wide variety of training systems that teach basic to advanced skills in a wide variety of areas relevant to manufacturing. From basic electrical and mechanical to advanced process control and HVACR, DAC Worldwide offers training solutions that work. Visit DAC Worldwide online to learn more about its many training systems!
- Published in News
Power Transformer Manufacturer Expands Operations
Is there an artificial intelligence (AI) data center headed to a community near you sometime soon? At the rate AI data centers are popping up across the country and around the globe, there’s a better than average chance you’re already familiar with the heated debates new data center announcements bring with them.
While local and state governments often welcome new data centers with open arms—and big tax breaks—the residents in nearby communities frequently raise concerns about the natural resources these facilities consume, as well as the impact they have on the environment and utility rates.
The proliferation of AI data centers in recent years has made it somewhat common knowledge that these cutting-edge computing facilities consume enormous amounts of water and electricity. After all, all that computing power working 24/7 generates a lot of heat and components must be kept cool to work at peak efficiency.
Unfortunately, aging electrical grids and shortages of advanced power generation equipment have left many areas struggling to accommodate the demands of new data centers. That’s why manufacturers of such equipment are expanding operations, increasing the need for highly skilled workers with advanced electrical skills.
According to an AL.com article by William Thornton, Hyundai Power Transformers USA recently “announced a $200 million expansion of its Montgomery [Alabama] manufacturing operations,” a move that “will create about 200 jobs and significantly increas[e] the factory’s domestic production capacity for large power transformers.”
In addition to boosting production capacity, the new facility “will be able to manufacture even larger transformer units in the United States. This comes at a particularly crucial time, the company says, as about 70% of the nation’s large power transformers are currently in need of replacement.”
Hyundai Power Transformers USA’s expansion plan underscores the ongoing need for more skilled workers with basic to advanced electrical skills. Unfortunately, the ongoing industrial skills gap issue means that workers with advanced electrical skills remain in high demand with supply lagging behind.
This creates a challenge for industries across the country and around the world. How do companies and schools train the next generation of professionals with the electrical skills they need to succeed in the modern workplace?Top of FormBottom of Form
A thorough review of training systems is a great place to start. Do employees and students have access to hands-on training with actual components they’ll encounter on the job? If not, partnering with established companies to provide industrial-quality training systems that will stand the test of time will help ensure a competent workforce.
Be sure to check out DAC Worldwide’s variety of hands-on electrical training systems that feature the real-world components workers will encounter in the field. For example, companies in the power generation space could benefit from DAC Worldwide trainers focused on the skills their employees need, such as:
- Transformer Wiring Training System (408-000): a realistic training device that replicates the conditions and circumstances that an electrical worker encounters when making common power transformer connections in the field and industry. This self-contained, tabletop training system provides a safe, inexpensive, yet realistic alternative to paper-based learning without the danger of full-voltage field experience.
- Transformer Connections Training System (491-000): replicates the conditions and circumstances that a utility worker encounters when making common transformer connections in the field. Using this trainer, learners will explore the skills that an operator must master to confidently operate modern generating equipment, such as the paralleling of generators and connecting to a larger power grid.
- Electrical Generation Fundamentals Training System (490-000): represents a true simulator depicting multiple power plants on a grid. The unit basically acts as the control center for a generating station and simulates four separate generating units. The system demonstrates the principles of generator operation and represents the relationships that an operator must master to confidently operate generators.
- Published in News