About
Reactivated on May 18, 2010, Chapter 6 has been going strong since! As one of the oldest chapters of AFE (nee AIPE), it was one of the most prestigious and active chapters for years; but it became inactive for a few years in the 1990's. We meet nine months out of the year, skipping July, August and December, and offer educational presentations as well as tours of local industry or places of interest. The technical presentations earn CEU credit for the attendees.
History
Throughout the years since AFE incorporated (1954) as the American Institute of Plant Engineers, Chapter 6 has been prominent within the organizations by taking a national presence with many of its members holding several national offices
Why Do We Exist?
The Greater Philadelphia Chapter (6) of the Association for Facilities Engineering believes in and supports the mission of the Global organization which is to provide resources, education, leadership and networking opportunities for our members. On the national level, AFE offers certifications, Journal, webinars, our Annual Business Meeting & Leadership Conference, and other resources such as AFE Connections. At the local level, Chapter 6 has nine meetings per year with most being educational/networking meetings with some occasional tours of local facilities of interest scheduled. Obviously with the COVID pandemic, we have been meeting virtually with much success with attendance and educational presentations. Be sure to go to the EVENTS calendar to view all the upcoming events for Chapter 6. Some of our recent events are pictured on the slider at the top of this page.
News
AFE Chapter 6 will be under going some changes, and no doubt improvements, in this year of 2023. The National organization is making remarkable updates to our technological toolbox as well as some innovative, creative new ideas for our association.
On the local level, Chapter 6 will be welcoming in some new officers as long-time President, Denny Hydrick, and long[er]-time multi-position-holder, Dean Wallace, will be stepping down from their present roles to make way for 'new-blood' to carry this chapter forward. This change will take affect after the June, 2023 meeting.
Meeting Summaries
Chapter #6- Greater Philadelphia Chapter of AFE
January 31, 2023, 5:00 PM-6:30 PM
Virtual Meeting via Zoom
Speaker Art Karros– An Overview on Electrical Power, Power Factor, and how it affects your electric bill
Greater Philadelphia Chapter 6’s January 2023 meeting was a virtual meeting held on the Zoom platform. Nine people logged into the meeting.
This was the initial chapter meeting of 2023. Denny briefed the attendees about a new executive director for AFE, Liz Shulze.
Art Karros of Lockheed Martin was the featured presenter. Highlights of his presentation included:
- A description of power factor as the relationship between real power, reactive power, and apparent power
- Power factor exists because most loads in an industrial setting are inductive: motors, transformers, old lighting ballasts, etc.
- A detailed description of how power factor is used by utility companies for billing purposes.
- How to avoid some of the untruths and scams that are out there about power factor improvement.
Submitted by Dean A. Wallace – CPE, CPMM
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Chapter #6- Greater Philadelphia Chapter of AFE
November 30, 2022 5:00 PM-6:30 PM
Virtual Meeting via Zoom
Speaker: Dean A. Wallace – CPE, CPMM– Managing a Successful PM Program
Greater Philadelphia Chapter 6’s November 2022 meeting was a virtual meeting held on the Zoom platform. Eight (8) people logged into the meeting.
Dean A. Wallace – CPEe, CPMMe , program director of Greater Philadelphia Chapter, was the featured presenter. Highlights of his presentation included:
- Preventive maintenance is any basic, planned maintenance activity that is designed to improve equipment life and avoid any unplanned maintenance activity. (Ref. AFE CPMM handbook)
- It is important to determine which equipment should be on a preventive maintenance program and which equipment can be allowed to run to failure.
- PM work orders should be specific and avoid general instructions.
- Involvement of maintenance management, technicians, and equipment operators is essential for a PM program to be successful.
Submitted by Dean A. Wallace – CPEe, CPMMe
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Chapter #6- Greater Philadelphia Chapter of AFE
October 27, 2022 5:00 PM-6:30 PM
Virtual Meeting via Zoom
Speaker Audrey Strehn and Brian Land– Roofing
Greater Philadelphia Chapter 6’s October 2022 meeting was a virtual meeting held on the Zoom platform. Eight people logged into the meeting.
AFE Past president Joe LaRocco discussed that Liz Schlitz has agreed to act as the Executive Director, replacing A. C. Powell.
Audrey Strehn and Brian Land of Roofing Dynamics were the featured presenters. Highlights of their presentation included:
- A detailed discussion about using infrared thermography and other electronic methods to find wet spots in roof insulation.
- The speakers discussed several roofing systems that are in use today with primary focus on EPDM and TPO.
- They pointed out the many advantages to using consulting services to plan and execute roofing projects.
- They discussed challenges of maintaining roofing systems while having objects such as solar panels and planters on the roof.
Submitted by Dean A. Wallace – CPE, CPMM