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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
The 'Augmented' Future Of Maintenance
January 27, 2010 8:25 am | Articles | CommentsIn an ideal world, your maintenance professionals know how to work on every piece of equipment in your facility. But sometimes that just can’t happen, especially considering how complex some of the machines can be. But with augmented reality — a type of virtual reality data that is embedded into a worker’s vision using special glasses or displays — could help anyone with a screwdriver and a tinkering aptitude perform many of the complex maintenance work that’s usually left to specifically-trained professionals.
Dear Governor, Can Detroit Survive?
January 27, 2010 8:23 am | Articles | CommentsMichigan Governor Jennifer Granholm sits down with TIME to answer some reader questions regarding her state, and more specifically, what is going to happen to Detroit in the coming years. One reader asks: “Will Detroit ever really recover, in your honest opinion?” As Gov. Granholm says, Michigan is chock-full of hard workers and intelligent engineers who can do more than just make cars.
Oracle Looks To Hire 2,000 After Sun Acquisition
January 27, 2010 4:04 am | News | CommentsNEW YORK (AP) — Oracle Corp. is planning to hire 2,000 sales and engineering employees, which will outnumber the cuts it is making at its latest acquisition, Sun Microsystems Inc., The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. Oracle CEO Larry Ellison told the newspaper that his company, the leader in proprietary database software, is charting a new course with its $7.
Caterpillar Expects Strong 2010 Despite 4Q Tumble
January 27, 2010 3:57 am | News | CommentsPEORIA, Ill. (AP) — Caterpillar said Wednesday that its fourth-quarter profit tumbled as its dealer inventories dwindled, the same reason the company expects sales and revenue to rebound this year. Leading the way will be China and other developing countries where the world's biggest mining and construction equipment company has seen an increasing share of its business go.
Indiana Unions Push for 'Green' Manufacturing Jobs
January 27, 2010 3:43 am | News | CommentsINDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Union workers are joining with environmentalists in calling on state lawmakers to pass legislation they say would bring new "green" manufacturing jobs to Indiana. Members of the Blue Green Alliance held a news conference Tuesday at the Statehouse to urge state lawmakers to pass legislation requiring that the state get a certain percentage of its electricity from renewable sources.
Boeing Gives Cautious 2010 Outlook For 787 Delays
January 27, 2010 3:41 am | by Joshua Freed, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsMINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Boeing is giving a cautious outlook for 2010 after dealing with program delays and declining orders in 2009. The airplane maker and defense contractor expects to earn $3.70 to $4 per share. Wall Street analysts were expecting $4.26. Boeing says the guidance accounts for lower production of its 777 aircraft, some smaller defense programs, and "market risks.
Toyota Idles 6 American Plants Due To Faulty Cars
January 27, 2010 3:40 am | by Yuri Kageyama, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsTOKYO (AP) — The faulty gas pedals that prompted Toyota to suspend U.S. sales of eight of its most popular models — including the Camry, America's best-selling car — are also in its vehicles sold in Europe, an official with the automaker said Wednesday. Toyota Motor Corp.
Toyota Idling Could Hurt Quality-Based Reputation
January 27, 2010 3:38 am | by Dan Strumpf, AP Auto Writer | News | CommentsNEW YORK (AP) — Toyota's suspension of U.S. sales on an unprecedented scale to fix faulty gas pedals deals a blow to the automaker's reputation for quality and endangers its fledgling earnings recovery. The suspect parts are made by a U.S. supplier, but they are also found in its European-made vehicles, an official with the automaker said Wednesday.
High-Definition Video In Your Facility
January 26, 2010 8:14 am | Product Releases | CommentsToshiba Teli America, Inc. (Irvine, CA) has launched the CSDS60CM3, the company’s first high-definition color camera to target the industrial vision marketplace. With high picture quality and smearless imaging, the camera is ideal for industrial facilities requiring machine vision.
Fan-Powered Utility
January 26, 2010 8:14 am | Product Releases | CommentsA new line of BIU Utility Fans from Continental Fan (Buffalo, NY) are offered in thirteen sizes, ranging from 10” to 36”. The Utility Fans feature heavy gauge, rugged welded steel construction in either Class I or II construction. They come with either backward inclined or B1 airfoil wheels, depending on size selected.
Gas Detection With Infrared
January 26, 2010 8:13 am | Product Releases | CommentsInfrared Industries Inc. (Hayward, CA) announces the new Automated Programmable Calibration tool that reduces the service, maintenance, and labor costs for CEMS gas monitoring. The calibration is offered on the Model IR8400D, an explosion-proof NEMA7 IR gas analyzer that is approved for hazardous areas.
Dress The Part With Dickies
January 26, 2010 8:09 am | Product Releases | CommentsReid Supply (Muskegon, MI) has added the Dickies family clothing line, in addition to other safety products, to its online offerings at www.reidsupply.com . Reid offers a selection of work pants and shirts, in addition to garments such as denim jeans, bib overalls, shorts, high-visibility apparel, jackets, and insulated apparel in a variety of colors.
Ultrasonic Tank Testing a Resounding Success
January 26, 2010 7:46 am | Articles | CommentsSGS Colombia S.A. was awarded the contract to perform storage tank inspections for the expansion of the Cartagena Refinery. All inspection services were performed in accordance with applicable Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) requirements. The storage of dangerous goods in tanks involves risk to the population, the environment, and the surrounding area, and must therefore be executed safely.
Focusing on Distractions
January 26, 2010 7:45 am | by by Krystal Gabert, Associate Editor, Food Manufacturing | Blogs | CommentsDuring a week in which there were plenty of newsworthy stories floating around, I spent the majority of my news-reading time emotionally invested in a fight among millionaires. I don’t tend to get overly wrapped up in the lives of famous people, but for reasons that are difficult to articulate, I’m apparently completely entranced by the sight of a bunch of rich people fighting over exactly what time they should be paid millions of dollars to tell jokes on TV.
Mueller Industries Fined $638,000 For Unsafe Operations
January 26, 2010 3:41 am | News | CommentsFULTON, Miss. (AP) — Federal labor officials are recommending that three Mueller Industries subsidiaries in Mississippi pay $638,000 in fines for allegedly exposing employees to unsafe working conditions. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited the companies in Fulton for 128 alleged violations.
