The economy is shifting and the road signs are getting ominous for 2009.  Find out what are the leading indicator trends to watch and how you can prepare for the future, so that it will be what you want it to be!

• US Industrial Production vs GDP
• Economic Outlook of US and impact of other world market
• Good and Services as a % of GDP
• Winning and Negative Demographics
• US Worker Productivity
• Vertical Market Trends in Employment (Mining, Logging, Nonresidential Building, Paper Products, Transportation & Warehousing, Healthcare, Plastics, Fabricated Metal Products, Raw Steel, Rotary Rig, Chemicals, Healthcare, Housing Starts, Aircraft, Food, Construction etc…)
• Four Phases of a Company Life Cycle (Growth, Prosperity, Warning, Recession) and Objectives for Each Phase
• Crude Oil Issues
• Mortgage Rate/Federal Fund Issues
• Industrial Production to Corporate Bond Prices
• Industrial Purchasing Index

Presenting: Brian Beaulieu is a senior analyst, economist and a principal has been with the Institute for Trend Research (ITR. Mr. Beaulieu has been consulting and advising companies throughout the US, Europe, and Asia on how to plan for and prosper through the business cycles.

Sponsored By: Parker Hannifin - Tube Fittings Division
Time : 11:00am EDT

Parkers new Universal Push to Connect design takes the guess work out of assembling fluid power connections. Current assembly of threaded connectors is slow and relies on proper torques and assembly procedures. Parker’s new design saves time and money by eliminating the wrenching of hose ends to fittings and the costly rework of improperly assembled connections.

Simply insert the male hose end into the Universal Push to Connect fitting and assembly is complete. If a hose needs to be replaced or maintenance performed, a standard wrench is all you need. Because the design utilizes standard O-ring Face Seal (ORFS) fittings, an off-the-shelf ORFS hose assembly can be used to replace any that are damaged, therefore minimizing downtime.

2008 Online Manufacturing WebExpo & Conference
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
9:00 am - 5:00 pm ET
Presented by New Equipment Digest and Machine Design
Free Registration

The Online Manufacturing WebExpo and Conference brings you and your management team the advantages of a traditional trade show without any of the travel cost! Participate in a webcast, visit a trade show booth and pick up valuable literature - all from the comfort of your office.

Webcasts:
This all day online event will feature a series of "LIVE" Webcasts covering a broad range of manufacturing-related topics. Tune in to any or all of the Webcasts. Ask questions during the broadcast, hear what your peers are asking too. Register today for the series:

10:00am EDT: Keynote Address, "What's ahead for US Manufacturing- The Future Is Your Decision". Sponsored by: AutomationDirect

11:00 am EDT: "Push. Click. Done. - New Universal Push to Connect Assembly". Sponsored by: Parker Hannifin - Tube Fittings Division

2:00 pm EDT: "Prepare Your Air to Improve Pneumatic Performance, An Instructive Tutorial for Use of Filters, Regulators & Lubricators". Sponsored by: Bimba Manufacturing

3:00 pm EDT: "Designing Belt Power Transmission Systems for Energy Savings". Sponsored by: Gates Corporation


Trade Show:
Visit company booths at the virtual exhibition hall where you can learn about new products, subscribe to newsletters, download white papers or literature from Sealevel Systems, AutomationDirect, Bimba Manufacturing, EFD, Beckhoff Automation, FactoryMation, Parker Hannifin - Tube Fittings Division, EXTECH Instruments, Gates Corporation, Columbus McKinnon, Tolomatic, Lapp USA, Smalley Steel Ring Company and Strong Hold Products.

Stay for an hour or stay all day - you decide. Without burdensome travel costs, you can invite your whole management team to view a Webcast or review product features at company booths.

People who should attend:
All types of Engineers, Plant Managers, Facilities Managers, Maintenance, Plant Operations, Analysts, Research and Design, VP of Operation, Managers, Directors, CEO, President, and Safety Directors.

Sponsored By: Bimba Manufacturing
Time : 2:00pm EDT

The presentation will discuss the elementary parts of air preparation. Sizing the right filters is essential to prevent contaminants migrating to your equipment and causing failures. Regulators help with the consistent operating pressure your pneumatic system. Choosing a good lubricator will help reduce excessive component wear and also prolong your equipment life. We will also review unique accessories that can help improve your system performance.

Topics to be covered:

• Basics of the components
• Filters
• Regulators
• F/R Combo unit
• Lubricators
• Accessories
  • Slow start valve
  • Oil Filters
  • Vapor Filter
  • Connectors/Porting
  • Additional Air Prep products
• Applications – Sizing example

Time:3:00pm EDT
Sponsored By: Gates Corporation

It’s a topic no one can afford to ignore. Companies are looking for ways to save energy in power transmission operations. Put simply, efficient systems save money. Join Brent Oman, who has over 20 years of drive design experience with Gates Corporation, for a free webinar on designing the most energy-saving power transmission solutions. He’ll compare the capabilities of V-belts and synchronous belts, so that you’re equipped with the latest information on energy efficiency.

The one-hour webinar will help you answer these questions:

· What is efficiency?

· How do the various types of V-belts and synchronous belts differ?

· What are the energy efficiency advantages of each type of belt?

· What does energy cost?

· What are proven examples or case studies that show the benefits of energy savings?

· How do I calculate savings and payback?

· What are the maintenance-saving advantages of synchronous belts?

· How can I design for energy savings?

You’ll walk away with practical pointers to start saving energy, and money, in your drives. The presentation concludes with an interactive, Q&A session, so bring your questions.