NEW JERSEY SECTION

AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERS

SEPTEMBER 2011 MEETING

 

Overview of PSM

 

Uday Nadgir

Sr. Process Safety Design Engineer

Benjamin Moore & Co.

Montvale, NJ

 

Date:                       Tuesday, September 13^th 2011

 

Agenda:                 Registration           6:00 PM
Dinner                    6:30 PM
Program                 7:30 PM

 

Place:                    Snuffy’s

Price:                     Members and Guests        .                   $ 25.00

Unemployed or Retired Members           $ 15.00

Students                                     ….      No Charge

Reservations:        Call Andy Soos at (908) 604-2693 or e-mail at rsvp@njaiche.org by the Friday prior to the meeting (September 9^th ).2010

If you make a reservation, we will notify you in the event we need to cancel

Abstract:

Unlike many other OSHA rules, PSM is a performance standard.  It requires companies to have certain programs in place, but allows a lot of flexibility in how companies implement them. Companies may develop their programs in a way that they think are most effective, based on the hazards of their processes and the make-up of the organization.  In this presentation, Uday will discuss the basic requirements of the PSM standard, with particular emphasis on Management of Change, Mechanical Integrity, Process Safety Information and Process Hazard Analysis.  These critical elements often require the greatest amount of resources and time, while having a major impact on the success of any PSM program

Speaker Backgrounds:

Uday Nadgir has been working in the chemical manufacturing industry for 12 years, and has held several roles in process engineering, production supervision and most recently in process safety management and reliability.  Uday began his career with Stepan Company, working as an engineer on process and quality improvement projects.  Eventually, he became the Process Hazard Analysis facilitator for the site, and began laying the foundation for the overall PSM program.  After a brief tenure with L’Oreal as a production supervisor, Uday took a Process Safety and Reliability Engineer position with Firmenich, Inc.  Most recently, Uday accepted a challenging role with Benjamin Moore, where he is responsible for Process Safety Management across multiple sites.  Uday has a B.E. in Chemical Engineering and a M.S. in General Management from Stevens Institute of Technology. 

 

Executive Committee Meeting

The Executive Committee meeting for April will be held on Wednesday September 7th at Paisano’s Pizza at 6:30 pm.  Note that it is Wednesday for September only. All members are welcome.

 

Future Meetings

Have you heard someone speak that would be of interest to our group?  Would you like to speak?  We’re interested in both technical and general interest presentations. Let us know.

Are You Ready for an unexpected Job Interview?

Most job seekers wait to polish up their interview skills until they are looking for a new position. Important interview opportunities, however, can present themselves at any time. For example,

• Unplanned internal job openings: There is a sudden opportunity to advance your career from within, and your boss recommends you as a candidate for the job. Are you ready to communicate your contributions to the organization?
• A recruiter calls: The position sounds like just the career move you’ve been wanting. Will you say the right things to win the job or will you blunder your best chance?
• A former colleague introduces you to his boss: They are building an exciting new division for their company and looking for new staff. Will you entice his interest in you as a must-have new team member?
• Those who continually grow in their careers are always prepared for these situations. Their interview skills are sharp at all times. To know if your skills are sharp enough to handle a surprise interview, see if you can answer the following three questions:

1. Can you concisely state your value proposition in 30 seconds or less?

A value proposition is meant to intrigue your listener with a quick overview of your skills, expertise, and industry know-how. If you can offer a precise summary of why you are the perfect candidate for that job, you are more likely to get to the second or third interview. A concise value proposition can make a critical difference in winning you a new position.

2. Do you know your top five accomplishments, and can you communicate their impact to your employer’s bottom-line initiatives?

A list of your top accomplishments will allow a potential employer to imagine what you can do for him or her. Accomplishments give employers a way to associate your skills with their needs—and a reason to remember you. Be prepared to list your top skills and show how they can help meet corporate needs.

3. Are you prepared to answer your own toughest interview questions, or do you hope they just won’t come up?

Don’t leave yourself vulnerable to questions like “If you’re doing so well in your job, why do you want to leave?” A good recruiter or hiring manager will see you sweat and stutter and squirm; you’ll lose their confidence and destroy a chance to get your dream job. Think about the questions that will be your biggest pitfalls—and be prepared to answer them.

Be prepared to answer all these questions and more. With those answers in hand, you’ll be ready for the unplanned interview so that you take your career from mediocre to marvelous with “always-ready” interview skills.

Deborah Walker, Certified Career Management Coach

Read more career tips and see sample resumes at:

www.AlphaAdvantage.com

email: Deb@Alphaadvantage.com

Somerset Patriots Ball Game  Friday, June 17th

Take Me Out to The Ball Game FIREWORKS

Somerset Patriots 7:05 PM  S. MARYLAND BLUE CRABS We had a great time at last year’s ball game so by popular demand, we’re going to do it again.  Right now, we’re planning to buy a group of tickets but if there is enough interest, we’ll look at getting a box. Draw String Back Packs for the first 1500 Fans Sponsored by Re/Max of New Jersey Reservations: Call Andy Soos at (908) 604-2693 or e-mail atrsvp@njaiche.org by June 1. Reservations are required and once bought, tickets can not be returned/refunded.  You will be responsible for purchasing tickets ($11 each) when you make a reservation. Rain checks are provided in the event of weather cancellation.  Be sure to tell Andy the names of the attendees and how many tickets you want.  Executive Committee Meeting The net Executive Committee meeting fowill be August 9th at Paisano’s Pizza at 6:30 pm.   All members are welcome. Call for Volunteers Elections are coming up in the fall.  We are looking for new directors and leaders.  Please contact one of our board if you have an interest. Future Meetings Have you heard someone speak that would be of interest to our group?  Would you like to speak?  We’re interested in both technical and general interest presentations. Let us know. Directions to Somerset Patriots: Ballpark Address Is 1 Patriots Park Bridgewater, NJ 08807 GPS: 860 East Main Street, Bridgewater, NJ Directions from Route 287 Northbound – Exit 13 B: Somerville Route 28 West Come off the exit to traffic light; bear right onto Route 28 West. Get over to left and make first left turn at traffic light onto Promenade Boulevard (McDonalds, Applebee’s, Home Depot, Target, etc.) Come to the end of the road to traffic light and the ballpark is directly in front of you. Make a left onto East Main Street and make the first right into TD Bank Ballpark’s parking lot. Southbound – Exit 13: Somerville Route 28 As you bear onto the exit you will come to a traffic light. Go straight across the light onto Promenade Boulevard (McDonalds, Applebee’s, Home Depot, Target, etc.) Come to the end of the road to traffic light and the ballpark is directly in front of you. Make a left onto East Main Street and make the first right into TD Bank Ballpark’s parking lot. Directions from Route 22 Eastbound Make a right onto Chimney Rock Road (right over the railroad tracks). The UPS Depot will be on your right as you come down to the first traffic light. Go straight through the traffic light to Foothill Road; you will be crossing over Route 28. You will come to another traffic light. That is East Main Street. Make a left at the light and TD Bank Ballpark is on the right. Westbound Coming down Route 22 west, take the exit for Route 287 South, then follow directions from Route 287 South (best option). OR Take the Route 22 East jug handle on the left in Bridgewater. Merge onto Route 22 East and make the first right on Chimney Rock Road (right over the railroad tracks). UPS depot will be on your right as you come down to the first traffic light. Go straight at that traffic light, you will be crossing over Route 28. Come to another traffic light. That is East Main Street. Make a left at the light and TD Bank Ballpark is on the right. Directions from Route 78 Eastbound/Westbound Exit 29: 287 South towards Somerville Follow directions from 287 South Directions from New Jersey Turnpike NJ Turnpike to Exit 10, Route 287 North. Follow directions from Route 287 North Directions from Garden State Parkway Northbound Follow Garden State Parkway Northto 287 North then Follow directions from Route 287 North Southbound Follow Garden State Parkway South, follow signs to Route 78 West then Follow directions from  Route 78 Directions from Route 202 or Route 206 North Follow Route 202 North or Route 206 North towards Somerville to the Somerville Circle (follow directions below) Directions from Somerville Circle Take Route 28 East to the 2nd Traffic Light, make a left onto Main Street Somerville, and take East Main Street all the way to TD Bank Ballpark on right. (Approximately 5 miles) OR Follow signs for Route 22 East and then follow Route 22 East Directions.

NEW JERSEY SECTION

AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERS

MAY 2011 MEETING

Aggregation modeling in wet granulation processes

Dr. Rohit Ramachadran

Process Systems Engineering Group

Department of Chemical & Biochemical Engineering

Rutgers University

Date: Tuesday, May 10^th, 2011

 

Agenda:

Registration      6:00 PM
Dinner              6:30 PM
Program           7:30 PM

Place: Snuffy’s

Price: Members and Guests . $ 25.00

Unemployed or Retired Members $ 15.00

Students …. No Charge

Reservations: Call Andy Soos at (908) 604-2693 or e-mail at rsvp@njaiche.org by the Friday prior to the meeting (May 6^th)

If you make a reservation, we will notify you in the event we need to cancel

Abstract:

There has been considerable progress in our quantitative understanding of wet granulation in the last decade. We understand reasonably well the granulation rate processes of nucleation, agglomeration and breakage and for each process, the key formulation properties and process parameters are known. However, the current knowledge base still falls well short of good design models that allow us to predict lumped and distributed granule properties at industrial scale in a quantitative manner with minimal lab- and pilot-scale experimentation. The focus of this talk will be on aggregation modeling in wet granulation processes. An overview of the various types of aggregation models and their incorporation in population balance models will be presented. Novel aggregation models developed by us that lead to better prediction of granule properties will also be presented.

Speaker Background:

Rohit Ramachandran is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical & Biochemical Engineering at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. He completed his bachelors and masters in Chemical Engineering at the National University of Singapore. This was followed by his PhD in Chemical Engineering at the Centre of Process Systems Engineering, Imperial College London. He then went on to do this postdoctoral work at MIT in the Process Systems Engineering Laboratory and the Novartis-MIT Center for Continuous Manufacturing. His research interests include modeling, control and optimization of solids processes.

 

Executive Committee Meeting

The Executive Committee meeting for Mayl will be held on May 3^rd at Paisano’s Pizza at 6:30 pm.   All members are welcome.

Future Meetings

Have you heard someone speak that would be of interest to our group?  Would you like to speak?  We’re interested in both technical and general interest presentations. Let us know.

Escaping the Boss From Hell: Three Steps to a Better Career

Nearly everyone has suffered this at least once in his career—the boss who makes each workday a living terror. You can find the Boss from Hell in any industry or occupation. Even the best companies slip up from time to time, allowing bullies to rise through the employment food chain to management.

If a national survey were taken to find out the reasons people change jobs, by far the number one reason for job dissatisfaction would be bad management. As a career coach, surprisingly, I’ve found that increased earning potential usually ranks far below the desire to leave a mean, unreasonable boss. If you wake up each day dreading the next eight to ten hours, your problem might be your supervisor.

You’re working for the Boss From Hell if:

• He (or she) bullies you and your coworkers with threats and temper tantrums.

• His unpredictable moods keeps the office environment constantly tense and second-guessing his next move.

• He sets unrealistic and unattainable goals.

• You live in constant fear of being fired.

Fear and intimidation never motivate employees to excel. Tyrannical supervisors create an atmosphere of distrust and isolation. If you work for someone like this, your confidence is probably not what it used to be. In fact, you are probably second-guessing your decisions on the job constantly. As long as you work for management that rules by fear, you’ll never reach your career and earning potential.

There are three steps to escape the Boss From Hell and move on to a happier, healthier work place.

1. Gain perspective to think rationally about your career options.

Fear in the workplace tends to leave people thinking they have no better options than to stick it out. Such thinking is a result of loss of confidence and the inability to see beyond the present distress. One way to gain perspective and see new options is to spend some time browsing job postings. The right direction might be within another department or division of your current employer, but away from your current boss. Or it might be somewhere else altogether. If you keep an open mind, you’ll see that there are many options for you outside of your current job.

One way to get the most out of this career reconnaissance is to search for job postings based on skills rather than job titles. Do a job-skills self-analysis to identify the tasks and activities you enjoy performing on your job. Use those skills as your search terms at online job boards. You may be surprised to see that you qualify for positions you had not thought of before.

2. Take inventory of your career accomplishments and contributions.

In order to get moving toward a new position you’ll need to regain your confidence. Think about, and then write down, situations of where you:

• Came up with an idea for saving time

• Helped your team reach a production goal

• Identified cost savings opportunities

• Solved a customer problem leading to increased customer satisfaction

As you think back on your accomplishments, you’ll begin to realize the value you have added to your company. Remember, other employers have similar problems to solve. They are looking for candidates who have experience in handling difficult situations. The more specific the examples of your accomplishments are, the more marketable you will be in the job market.

3. Update your resume.

Once you have your accomplishments listed, use them to update your resume. Think of your resume as your initial marketing tool; it should announce to potential employers your ability to help them reach their bottom-line corporate goals. For example, your resume should appeal to potential employers’ desire to increase efficiency, cut costs and improve productivity. When employers see what you can do for them, they’re sure to be impressed.

Your resume should also have a clear career focus. Updating your resume doesn’t mean simply adding your current work history to your old resume format. Without a careful resume strategy, your resume will begin to resemble an old house with too many tacked on additions. Make sure your resume presents a cohesive, well-thought out, professional front.

Additionally, if your career has taken several interesting turns, you’ll want to adjust your resume toward your current focus. Take the time to refocus your resume on your current job search. Highlight the items from your career that are relevant, and minimize the things that are no longer relevant.

Once you have invested the time to gain perspective on your career options, take inventory of your accomplishments, and update your resume, you’ll be mentally and emotionally ready to seek other employment opportunities, either within or outside your current company. You don’t have to remain in an unhappy job. You do have choices. Take the steps to help yourself—you’ll be glad you did!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Deborah Walker, Certified Career Management Coach

Read more career tips and see sample resumes at:

www.AlphaAdvantage.com

email: Deb@Alphaadvantage.com

 

Directions to Snuffy’s Steakhouse:

Route 22 East : (Scotch Plains, Berkeley Heights, Fanwood, New Providence Exit) – Make a right turn at the exit (under overpass) and then go straight on Park Avenue for about 100 yards. Snuffy’s will be on the right.

Route 22 West : (Scotch Plains, Berkeley Heights, Fanwood, New Providence Exit) – At the exit, make a right turn traffic light, make a left turn and take the overpass over Route 22. At the end of the overpass, make a right onto Park Avenue. Snuffy’s will be on the right.

Garden State Parkway: (North and South) – Take Exit 140 from the Garden State Parkway and follow the signs for Route 22 West. Once on Route 22 West, follow the directions above.

Route 78: (East and West) – Take Exit 41 from Route 78. Follow the signs to Scotch Plains. This will put you onto Plainfield Avenue. Follow Plainfield Avenue straight through the traffic light, where it becomes Bonnie Burn Road. Follow Bonnie Burn Road to the next traffic light and make a right turn. Follow the overpass over Route 22. At the end of the overpass, make a right onto Park Avenue. Snuffy’s will be on the right.

New Jersey Turnpike: (North and South) – Take Exit 14 from the New Jersey Turnpike and follow the signs to Route 78 West. Once on Route 78 West, follow the directions above.