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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
Direct Your Angry E-Mails Elsewhere
April 13, 2010 8:56 am | by by Joel Hans, Associate Editor, IMPO | Blogs | CommentsFan of the Obama administration or not, it’s clear that we need a new direction on our country’s manufacturing policy. We’ve needed one for a long time, actually — before President Obama took office, and before President Bush won for the first time in 2000.
Carpet Maker, Employees Reach $18 Million Settlement
April 13, 2010 8:40 am | News | Commentsby Kate Brumback, Associated Press Writer ATLANTA (AP) — One of the world's largest carpet makers has agreed to an $18 million settlement with employees who claimed the company hired illegal immigrants in an effort to reduce wages. U.S. District Court Judge Harold Murphy on Monday granted a motion by employees of Mohawk Industries Inc.
Lexus SUV Deemed Unsafe
April 13, 2010 6:58 am | by Dan Strumpf , AP Auto Writer | News | CommentsNEW YORK (AP) — Consumer Reports has given the Lexus GX 460 SUV a rare "Don't Buy" warning, saying a problem that occurred during routine handling tests could lead to a rollover accident in real-world driving. In the latest blow to Toyota's reputation, the magazine said that during a test of the vehicle's performance during unusual turns, the rear of the vehicle slid until it was nearly sideways before the electronic stability control system kicked in.
Clean Up With Dry Ice
April 13, 2010 5:59 am | Product Releases | CommentsThe IceBlast KG50 from Ice Tech (West Chester, OH) is an industrial-strength dry ice blaster, which can be used to clean manufacturing equipment faster than traditional methods. According to the company, dry ice blasting allows for reduced maintenance downtime and fewer environmentally-damaging products in your facility.
A Labyrinth On Your Roof
April 13, 2010 5:59 am | Product Releases | CommentsMoffitt Corporation (Jacksonville Beach, FL) has developed the Labyrinth ventilation system, which is a natural ventilator that removes heat and allows light in without allowing rain or snow inside as well. According to the company, the Labyrinth system is a cost-effective and energy efficient product, and is ideal for aluminum, steel, glass, and process industries.
Railing Safety Comes Cheap
April 13, 2010 5:58 am | Product Releases | CommentsCubic Designs (New Berlin, WI) introduces the Cubic Barrier Rail, and industrial safety rail for facilities where a physical barrier is required but cost is a concern. A Barrier Rail can delineate high-traffic areas within a facility and provide personnel with protection around loading docks.
Choosing The Right Inspection System, Screener Or Separator
April 13, 2010 5:30 am | Articles | CommentsChem.Info recently spoke with Jeffrey Kaveney, Manager — Product Marketing at Eriez Magnetics, about how chemical, food and pharmaceutical processors can choose the best quality control technology—inspection/vision systems, screeners, separators—for their specific applications.
China's President Rejects Calls To Re-Value Yuan
April 13, 2010 4:37 am | News | CommentsBEIJING (AP) — Chinese President Hu Jintao rebuffed U.S. calls to re-value China's currency, telling President Barack Obama that any tinkering with the yuan will be done by Beijing in accord with domestic interests. Hu defended China's policy of pegging the yuan to the dollar at a Monday meeting with Obama in Washington and said changes to the exchange rate would not come from U.
GM: Chevy Volt Glides Past 40-Mile Electric Range
April 13, 2010 4:33 am | by Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer | News | CommentsDETROIT (AP) — Real-world tests show that General Motors Co.'s rechargeable electric car can travel 40 miles on battery power as promised, company engineers said Monday. Engineers are testing six Volts that recently were made on a Detroit assembly line, driving them at the company's proving ground and on roads around Detroit.
AP: Economic Stress Eased In February As Jobs Return
April 13, 2010 4:12 am | by Martin Crutsinger and Mike Schneider, Associated Press Writer | News | CommentsWASHINGTON (AP) — Economic stress declined in the nation's most troubled areas in February as unemployment stabilized and the pace of foreclosures eased, according to The Associated Press' monthly analysis of conditions in more than 3,100 U.S. counties. After peaking in January, economic stress dipped in February in half the states and half the 3,141 counties.
IBM Opens $30 Million Server Manufacturing Plant
April 13, 2010 4:11 am | News | CommentsPOUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. (AP) — IBM Corp. says it has opened a new $30 million manufacturing facility at its Poughkeepsie, N.Y., site to produce the next generation of mainframes and servers. The Hudson Valley facility officially opened Tuesday and will produce IBM's next line of System z mainframe computers and high-end Power Systems servers.
Washington Approves Taxes On Soda, Candy
April 13, 2010 4:10 am | by Rachel La Corte, Associated Press Writer | News | CommentsOLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — A multimillion-dollar revenue package that increases taxes on bottled water, soda, candy and mass-produced beer was approved by the Washington state Legislature as lawmakers finished their work to plug a $2.8 billion budget deficit. Just hours before the Legislature adjourned the special session, the Senate passed, on a 25-21 vote, the measure that makes up about $668 million of Democrats' nearly $800 million revenue package.
China Announces Massive Antidumping Taxes On U.S. Steel
April 13, 2010 4:08 am | News | CommentsBEIJING (AP) — China announced antidumping duties of up to 64.8 percent on U.S. and Russian steel used by the power industry Tuesday amid a series of disputes with the United States and other trading partners. Investigators also found U.S. producers of flat-rolled electrical steel received subsidies, the Commerce Ministry said.
'Agnes' Transforms Material Handling With Tape
April 12, 2010 8:01 am | Articles | CommentsWith more than 500 retail stores in 36 states, Eye Care Centers of America Inc. is the third largest retail optical chain in the U.S. To meet Eye Care Centers’ need for product, parent company HVHC Inc. has to produce huge quantities of eye glasses in an array of configurations.
Six Ways Outsourced Maintenance Saves
April 12, 2010 7:58 am | by Ron Hoffman, VP/General Manager, MAG Maintenance Technologies | Articles | CommentsWith today's limited internal resources, it's tough to transform machine maintenance from reactionary to preventive, and ultimately proactive, despite the obvious upsides in higher overall equipment efficiency (OEE), better process control, and lower total cost. Outsourcing this requirement to a third-party specialist, however, is a cost-effective alternative.
