Plant Exchange Articles
- The FCC 800MHz Rebanding Project
- Plant Exchange: Volume 19 / No. 5 / September-October 2009
- The University of Michigan uses a 3-site Simulcast, 11-channel, Smartnet II Communication System with over 1400 radio users and 180 MOSCAD units throughout the campus. Interference, attributed to increasing cell phone usage, has been a serious problem for 800 MHz Public Safety and Critical Infrastructure communications...
- Shaping the Future for Facilities Maintenance
- Plant Exchange: Volume 19 / No. 4 / July-August 2009
- The future of the Facilities Maintenance department in Plant Ops will be impacted by three newly formed planning teams. These “Initial Planning Teams” will spend the summer brainstorming, identifying, discussing and vetting ideas against hard data from FMAX to enable Facilities Maintenance to more efficiently support the University’s teaching, research and public service mission...
- Fire Destroys Control Center at HH Dow: Plant Ops’ Crews Meet the Challenge
- Plant Exchange: Volume 19 / No. 3 / May-June 2009
- The fire started when an electrical arc-flash occurred in the motor control center
(MCC) at the HH Dow building in early February. Thankfully, no one was hurt. However, the control center was virtually destroyed...
- 2009 Dental School Accreditation
- Plant Exchange: Volume 19 / No. 3 / May-June 2009
- In late March, the University of Michigan Dental School hosted a site visit by a team from the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation (ADA CODA). This is a peer-review process overseen by the ADA and is designed to ensure educational quality and promote continuous improvement of dental and dental related education...
- Whatever Happened to the DACUM? Job Training Profiles Get New Breath in Plant
- Plant Exchange: Volume 19 / No. 2 / March-April 2009
- Many Plant Operations employees will remember the DACUM process when employee groups were interviewed regarding the many duties and skills required in their jobs. The thousands of sticky notes adorning Plant Academy white boards were transposed into a job skills training database on LearnerWeb....
- Integrating University of Michigan Business and Finance Organizational Competencies into Leadership Roles in Plant Hospital Maintenance
- Plant Exchange: Volume 19 / No. 2 / March-April 2009
- When you go to a technical school to learn HVAC (Heating, Cooling, Air Conditioning), electrical, plumbing, carpentry, general maintenance, and a host of other related categories, you expect to master the skills of maintenance practice and technical equipment....
- Keeping the Tradition: Ten Employees Honored!
- Plant Exchange: Volume 19 / No. 1 / January-February 2009
- In early November an awards banquet was held in honor of graduates of the U-M Skilled
Trades Apprenticeship program. The dinner was held to celebrate and publicly recognize, in
the presence of family members, friends, fellow graduates, and managers, the achievements
of the ten Plant Operations employees who completed an apprenticeship program and
became journeypersons during the three year period of time from 2006 through 2008...
- Below Freezing? U-M “Closed Loop” System Keeps the Heat Moving!
- Plant Exchange: Volume 19 / No. 1 / January-February 2009
- “Closed Loops” are a piping system that circulates heat transfer fluid. U-M closed loops systems heat and cool university buildings and service research equipment. Unlike cooling tower systems, they are “closed” because they are isolated from the atmosphere and are usually under pressure...
- Introducing...
- Plant Exchange: Volume 19 / No. 1 / January-February 2009
- ...Jim Brown. It gives me great pleasure to announce that Jim Brown, Plumber in the Hospital Plumbing Department, has agreed to join Mechanical Systems as Foreman of Shop M3100, Plant Mechanical Systems Plumbing Shop...
- Meet MABEL, the Walking Robot
- Plant Exchange: Volume 18 / No. 5 / November-December 2008
- The MABEL biped walking and running robot project was a very interesting and exciting initiative. It was developed by Professor Jessy Grizzle of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science...
- Introducing...
- Plant Exchange: Volume 18 / No. 5 / November-December 2008
- Howard Portis Mechanical Systems is extremely pleased to announce that Howard Portis has agreed to take the position of Foreman of Mechanical Systems AC Shop M3700, Temperature Control and Balancing. M3700 is responsible for ensuring that the parts of our HVAC systems which most directly affect our customer’s comfort work properly...
- Technicians Monitor "A Mountain of Information"
- Plant Exchange: Volume 18 / No. 4 / September 2008
- The everyday duties for Utilities System Technicians (UST’s) can seem overwhelming. For example sometimes requests for information come in to Building Automation Services (BAS) on all three communication lines simultaneously...
- Introducing (New Employees in Facilities Maintenance)
- Plant Exchange: Volume 18 / No. 4 / September 2008
- The Key Office is pleased to announce that Robert Kennedy has accepted the position of Access Control System Manager....
- Celebrating Two New Elevator Mechanics
- Plant Exchange: Volume 18 / No. 3 / July 2008
- William Hepburn and William Clay Snyder have both earned the position of Elevator Mechanic at the University of Michigan...
- LSA Zone Maintenance Wins Ergonomic Award
- Plant Exchange: Volume 18 / No. 3 / July 2008
- Imagine how challenging it would be to try to open an emergency access door which is being held firmly in place by a powerful suction. Now imagine that the access door can only be reached while standing on an extension ladder...
- You're Super! (CARE Program article featuring Plant Hospital Maintenance Employees)
- Plant Exchange: Volume 18 / No. 3 / July 2008
- The Plant Hospital Maintenance Department maintains the physical environment and provides related services to support the Hospital staff in reaching their goal of excellence. “You’re Super!” is the name of the hospital’s recognition program....
- What A Sight!
- Plant Exchange: Volume 18 / No. 1 &2 / January-April 2008
- Recently, the Millwright Shop took on the challenge of repairing the Diag flagpole. The flagpole “truck,” (the swivel mechanism on the pole top with two pulleys inside and two ropes), had jammed due to a worn flag rope and cable...
- How Training and Education Sustain the Environment of Care
- Plant Exchange: Volume 18 / No. 1 &2 / January-April 2008
- Well-informed and well-trained personnel along with the building equipment insure the operation of the physical aspect of a healthcare facility. Successfully managing the Environment of Care (EC) requires optimizing both people and resources...
- Field Trip for Energy Management Class
- Plant Exchange: Volume 18 / No. 1 &2 / January-April 2008
- About twenty Facilities Maintenance BOMI Energy Management and Controls class members recently got a sneak preview of Ann Arbor’s brand new Skyline High School. In spite of the frigid February weather, the facilities were kept comfortably warm...
- Shop M3200 Pump Crew Keep Pumping Out Service
- Plant Exchange: Volume 17 / No. 6 / December 2007
- Without your heart to move blood around, you would be out of luck. Without pumps to move fluid around thousands and thousands of pipes, the University would be out of luck...
- Wheelchair Lifts
- Plant Exchange: Volume 16 / No. 7 / July 2007
- Many facilities on campus have wheelchair lifts such as the one in this photograph. These lifts are designed and installed for the sole purpose of transporting physically challenged people from one floor level to another where an elevator does not travel...
- A Field Staff Perspective on Customer Satisfaction
- Plant Exchange: Volume 16 / No. 7 / July 2007
- Different issues are being stressed about the different ways of measuring quality of service. Customer satisfaction has proved to be the most important one. One should be aware of what the customers really want...
- Shop M3700 in the Spotlight!
- Plant Exchange: Volume 16 / No. 7 / July 2007
- We are pleased to announce that the Temperature Control Systems Shop has received an Honorable Mention for the Workplace 2007 Exemplary Team Award...
- Building Automation Services Grows to Over 500 Servers
- Plant Exchange: Volume 15 / No. 6 / May 2007
- What is a server? Aside from the person who brings food to your table at a restaurant, there are computer devices called servers that essentially do the same thing. They take orders for information from customers (clients) and deliver the requested information to your “table” (video monitor)...
- Management of the Environment of Care
- Plant Exchange: Volume 15 / No. 5 / March 2007
- The Environment of Care (EC) goal, as defined within the Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Hospitals, is to provide a safe, functional, supportive, and effective environment for patients, staff, and other individuals within the hospital...
- New Service Vehicle Parking Map
- Plant Exchange: Volume 15 / No. 5 / March 2007
- Plant Operations, Parking & Transportation Services and the Department of Public Safety are pleased to announce that the new 2007 service vehicle guide and parking map now is available...
- Welcome Jason
- Plant Exchange: Volume 15 / No. 5 / January 2007
- Jason Hackbarth is a second-year apprentice in the Plant Air Conditioning Department. He worked for six months in the Direct Expansion A/C shop and another six months in the Chiller Systems shop....
- Keeping the Customer First!
- Plant Exchange: Volume 15 / No. 4 / January 2007
- This November, the Facilities Maintenance department unveiled an ambitious new customer communications training initiative entitled Customer First! This highly interactive course is designed to help our point-of-contact maintenance service providers to better serve their customers and to be sensitive and responsive to their needs...
- Elevator Shop News
- Plant Exchange: Volume 15 / No. 4 / January 2007
- At the June 2006 Vertical Transportation Conference for Colleges & Universities [VTCCU], attendees approved the creation of a new national elevator-industry professional association called “Elevator U.”...
- Improving Your Powers of Observation and Awareness
- Plant Exchange: Volume 15 / No. 3 / November 2007
- Within any organization, it is apparent that much of a manager’s success is borne of observation and awareness. A perceptive manager provides his or her staff with the resources, like tools and materials, that are essential to their work. In return, the workers give that manager their loyalty and productivity...
- New Technology for BSRB
- Plant Exchange: Volume 15 / No. 2 / September 2006
- Remember watching those old Star Trek shows when Captain Kirk was walking through the ship, and the doors would open and close automatically, the lights would go on and off, and his shower would come on just by him asking...
- Ups & Downs of Elevator Operations
- Plant Exchange: Volume 15 / No. 2 / September 2006
- Did you know...? Holding the elevator doors open will cause the elevator to “time out,” thereby shutting it down? An elevator mechanic must reset the controller when this happens...
- Building Automation Systems Continued Growth
- Plant Exchange: Volume 15 / No. 1 / July 2006
- The Building Automation Systems (BAS) department is responsible for state-of-the-art computerized control of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor general fund buildings...
- Volunteer Project: Little Big House
- Plant Exchange: Volume 14 / No. 5 / May 2006
- Still looking for a way to help Hurricane Katrina victims? The U-M Alumni Association will partner with Habitat for Humanity from Wednesday, May 17 through Sunday, May 21 to construct five wall sets as part of our local hurricane relief efforts...
- Welcome New FM Foremen
- Plant Exchange: Volume 14 / No. 5 / May 2006
- We are pleased to introduce Joel Foos, Randy Fox, and Deb Ault, who are new foremen in Mechanical Systems, FM Electric, and Zone Maintenance areas. We are especially proud that all three foremen were promoted from within their departments!..
- A Tradition of Workplace Learning
- Plant Exchange: Volume 14 / No. 5 / May 2006
- On January 19, graduates of the U of M Skilled Trades Apprenticeship Program were honored in the presence of family members, friends, foremen, co-workers, and Joint Apprenticeship Committee board members at an awards dinner held at the Michigan League...
- Management and Employees: Working Together
- Plant Exchange: Volume 14 / No. 5 / May 2006
- A manager is a leader whose primary responsibility is to bring workers together to work as a team. Employees will learn about their managers, but they will need time, just as a manager needs time to get to know and understand the workers...
- Charles Clark - Hurricane Relief Volunteer
- Plant Exchange: Volume 14 / No. 4 / February 2006
- My name is Charles Clark. I’ve been employed with the hospital for thirty years as a carpenter in the maintenance department. When I viewed the destruction on TV from the hurricanes, I wanted to do something to help...
- VOICES of the Staff
- Plant Exchange: Volume 14 / No. 4 / February 2006
- In early December, VOICES core representatives met with President Coleman, Executive Vice President Tim Slottow, and senior administration to give an update of the program’s progress. Momentum is building as the VOICES program nears its one year anniversary...
- Water, Water, Water: Where Does It Come From?
- Plant Exchange: Volume 14 / No. 4 / February 2006
- A safe and dependable water supply is often taken for granted. Keeping it flowing is a large responsibility for many in Plant Operations. All of the water that the University consumes is purchased from the City of Ann Arbor. In FY 2005, the University purchased 1,102,495,152 gallons...
- Hospital Maintenance Staff Receive MECH Certifications
- Plant Exchange: Volume 14 / No. 3 / December 2005
- Two Hospital Maintenance Mechanics have recently passed the Michigan Education and Certification for Healthcare (MECH) exam, and qualified for promotions as a result. Congratulations are in order for the following employees for advancing their skills and reaching these milestones...
- Strategic Planning: A Team Effort for Hospital Maintenance
- Plant Exchange: Volume 14 / No. 3 / December 2005
- A strategic action plan for the Hospital Maintenance Department was created through an internal department survey involving a series of meetings with the staff. The staff were asked to identify the opportunities and challenges that exist operationally within the department...
- U-M Fire Extinguisher Shop
- Plant Exchange: Volume 14 / No. 3 / December 2005
- The fire extinguisher shop has been in place for nearly six months and was created through the cooperative effort of OSEH, DPS, and Plant Operations...
- Plant Ops to Assist In Disaster Relief
- Plant Exchange: Volume 14 / No. 3 / December 2005
- Earlier this year, the Gulf Coast region was hit by several major hurricanes, most notably Hurricane Katrina. These storms ravaged many communities and displaced thousands of residents throughout several states from Texas to Florida...
- Remembering Dave Corwin
- Plant Exchange: Volume 14 / No. 2 / October 2005
- In August, the Chemistry Zone bade farewell to David Corwin, Maintenance Mechanic III, upon his untimely death at age 55...
- Electrical Safety
- Plant Exchange: Volume 14 / No. 1 / August 2005
- Many of you are familiar with the National Electric Code NFPA 70. It is the minimum standard for the installation of electrical equipment. In the next few years, you will become equally familiar with NFPA 70 E, the National Electric Safety Code...
- The UM Apprenticeship Program: A Gateway to a Career in the Skilled Trades
- Plant Exchange: Volume 13 / No. 6 / June 2005
- Are you interested in a rewarding career in the skilled trades? Not intimidated by a five-year commitment involving long hours of classes and study after work? Do you have an excellent work record, knowledge of maintenance-related subjects, and excellent communication skills? You may be interested in applying for a position as a Skilled Trades apprentice...
- Roof Protection For Rooftop Staging Projects
- Roof Protection For Rooftop Staging Projects
- Rooftop projects are on everyone's "to do list" now that the weather has finally warmed up in Michigan. A building's roof is the first line of defense against Mother Nature. Therefore, here are some roof Do's and Don'ts to help maintain the integrity of the facility...
- Hangtags-Improving Communication with Customers
- Plant Exchange: Volume 13 / No. 3 / December 2004
- The Elevator Shop, Millwright Shop, Roofing Shop, Sheet Metal Shop, and Welding & Machine Shops have developed door knob hang tags for improved customer communications...
- On the Horizon
- Plant Exchange: Volume 13 / No. 2 / October 2004
- In writing and preparing this article under this title, I was reminded of my childhood days and trips I would take in our family
sedan. In my backseat boredom, brought on by the endless grain fields and grass pastures of western North Dakota, I remember watching the telephone and power poles on the shoulder of the roads coming up one-by-one in an endless supply...
- Major Training Effort for HVAC Shops
- Plant Exchange: Volume 13 / No. 1 / August 2004
- This summer, the staff of the Campus and Hospital HVAC shops had a great opportunity to update their skills. With the recent merger of our Steam Absorption AC mechanics and our Mechanical AC mechanics into one new classification, there was a great need to get all of our AC mechanics fully versed and certified in the maintenance and operation of chillers and the use of the newer chiller control systems...
- Restored Fountain on the Ingalls Mall
- Plant Exchange: Volume 13 / No. 1 / August 2004
- The fountain, "Sunday Morning in Deep Waters", on the Ingalls Mall was designed by sculptor Carl Milles in the late '30's and installed in 1940. Over the years the plumbing system that supplies water to the various spray heads had deteriorated, which resulted in little or no water spraying from many of the jets...
- BOMI Graduates
- Plant Exchange: Volume 12 / No. 6 / June 2004
- Congratulations are in order for the several Plant employees who have recently completed the requirements for certification by the Building Owners and Managers (BOMI) Institute. The BOMI Institute is an internationally recognized leader in commercial property education...
- Craftsperson Honored for Service to JAC
- Plant Exchange: Volume 12 / No. 6 / June 2004
- On April 22, Facilities Maintenance electrician John Bishop received a plaque in honor of his seven years of service to the University of Michigan Joint Apprenticeship Committee (JAC). John was presented with the award, to much applause from his peers, by Lowell Hanson and Tom Sullivan at the U-M Skilled Trades Board's monthly meeting...
- Shops Produces Physics Sculpture
- Plant Exchange: Volume 12 / No. 5 / April 2004
- "An electron trapped in a magnetic field" is the description Jens Zorn, professor of physics, used to describe a new outdoor sculpture that was unveiled Feb. 5. The sculpture was designed by Zorn and fabricated by several Plant Operations employees...
- Life Safety Course in Firestopping Systems
- Plant Exchange: Volume 12 / No. 5 / April 2004
- On February 24, about 90 staff members attended a seminar on Firestopping Systems, presented by Cheryl Van Hovel, Fire Safety Specialist, and Alan Hartley, Hilti account rep for the University...
- Hospital Maintenance Mechanics Receive MECH Certifications
- Plant Exchange: Volume 12 / No. 4 / February 2004
- 2003 was a very good year for the Hospital Maintenance staff seeking to demonstrate that they had acquired skills and knowledge needed for promotion within the Maintenance field. Five staff members passed the Michigan Education and Certification for Healthcare (MECH) exam at either the Certified or Senior Certified level...
- ICLE Recognizes Plumber
- Plant Exchange: Volume 12 / No. 4 / February 2004
- On November 19, the staff of the Institute for Continuing Legal Education (ICLE) held a reception to present Zone Maintenance Mechanic Joe Slowins with a Silver Arrow Award for his outstanding customer service...
- Hospital Mechanics and Their Bright Idea
- Plant Exchange: Volume 12 / No. 4 / February 2004
- When UM Health System Maintenance plumber Steve Hnidy and steamfitter Phil Duncan submitted their idea for saving the University money on hot water supply costs, there was no way of knowing that their idea would be the #1 cost saving idea submitted to the UMHS in the Year 2003...
- Plumbing Shop's "Fab Four"
- Plant Exchange: Volume 12 / No. 3 / December 2003
- On October 1, Dave Gilbertson and the Plumbing Shop held a pizza luncheon to celebrate four of their staff members passing the recent State of Michigan Plumbers License exam...
- New Apprentices
- Plant Exchange: Volume 12 / No. 3 / December 2003
- We are happy to extend a warm welcome to the new apprentices who have been selected in 2003. The Joint Apprenticeship Committee selected these four qualified employees from a highly competitive pool of over 90 candidates...
- Ambassadors at the Front Line
- Plant Exchange: Volume 12 / No. 2 / October 2003
- The customer service mantra continues within our quest to fulfill our Vision 2005 Strategic Plan...
- Apprentice Designs Ergonomic Solution
- Plant Exchange: Volume 12 / No. 1 / Summer 2003
- A few months ago, when the Sheet Metal Shop received a new sheet metal shear machine, Apprentice Don Paschal began to toy with the idea of designing a bench to catch the heavy sheet metal as it comes out of the shear, and lift it up safely from the floor...
- Electrical Measurement Safety
- Plant Exchange: Volume 12 / No. 1 / Summer 2003
- On June 11th over 150 electricians; HVAC, elevator, and maintenance mechanics; and engineers attended a seminar on Electrical Measurement Safety. Those who attended became more aware of the hazards associated with making electrical measurements and learned to minimize and avoid them...
- Apprentice Program Graduates Honored
- Plant Exchange: Volume 11 / No. 3 / Winter 2003
- On October 24, recent graduates of the U of M Skilled Trades Apprenticeship Program were honored in the presence of family members, friends, foremen, co-workers, and Union leadership at a Recognition Dinner held at the Michigan League...
- UM Skilled Trades Apprentice Program
- Plant Exchange: Volume 11 / No. 3 / Winter 2003
- Currently, the UM offers apprenticeships for the following skilled trades groups: Air Conditioning/Refrigeration Mechanic, Cabinet Maker, Carpenter, Electrician, Elevator Mechanic, Industrial Electrician, Pipecoverer, Plasterer, Plumber, Sheet Metal Worker, Steamfitter, Telecommunications Specialist, and Welder...
- Service Level Agreements
- Plant Exchange: Volume 11 / No. 3 / Winter 2003
- We are currently involved in creating SLA's - Service Level Agreements - with our customers. What are service level agreements (SLAs)?
- Window AC Initiative
- Plant Exchange: Volume 11 / No. 2 / Fall 2002
- In response to the Plant Operations Strategic Planning Initiative - Vision 2005, Dave Beurer of Mechanical Systems tracked service requests for window a/c units from 2001 and earlier. He learned there was high demand for window a/c service work during high temperature and humidity days...
- Med Inn Flood - Teamwork at Its Best
- Plant Exchange: Volume 11 / No. 2 / Fall 2002
- On the evening of Tuesday, July 9, 2002, Hospital and Plant Maintenance groups received an emergency call from the Med Inn at University Hospital; no power. A flood in the basement had caused the electrical substation to fail...
- AC Shop Launches New Program
- Plant Exchange: Volume 11 / No. 1 / Spring 2002
- As Plant Operations continues to refine its focus on improving customer service, scheduling work more efficiently and mounting a proactive preventive maintenance program, the AC shop has taken this message to heart...
Content modified: October, 2009
Path: The University of Michigan | Business & Finance | Facilities & Operations | Plant Operations Division | Facilities Maintenance
| Plant Exchange Articles
Please tell us what you thought about this page.
