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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
FDA Challenges Makers Of Alcoholic Energy Drinks
November 13, 2009 5:03 am | News | CommentsWASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration is challenging makers of alcohol-infused energy drinks to prove their beverages are safe, citing complaints that the products can cause dangerous behavior and injury. The FDA issued a letter to 30 beverage manufacturers, saying they have 30 days to show evidence that the combination of caffeine and alcohol is safe.
Tenn. Home To New 'Solar Way' And $1.2B Plant
November 13, 2009 3:50 am | News | CommentsCLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Hemlock Semiconductor Corp. and Tennessee officials on Thursday broke ground on a $1.2 billion plant and renamed the road leading to the sprawling facility "Solar Way." The plant will produce polysilicon, a raw material used to make solar cells and semiconductor devices.
China Rejects $28 Billion In Steel Contracts
November 13, 2009 3:42 am | News | CommentsBEIJING (AP) — Chinese authorities have rejected $28 billion worth of steel and other proposed industrial projects as they try to curb chaotic overinvestment the government worries could lead to economic trouble, officials said Friday. Business groups and economists have warned that Beijing's huge stimulus might fuel a dangerous boom and bust.
World's Richest Men: 'Darkest Hour' Behind Us
November 13, 2009 3:31 am | News | CommentsNEW YORK (AP) — Capitalism is still alive and well, say the world's two richest men, despite lingering shocks from the longest, deepest recession since the Great Depression. "The financial panic is behind us," said famed investor Warren Buffett, who recently made what he called an "all-in wager" on the U.
Boeing Patches Up Faulty 787 Wings After Delays
November 13, 2009 3:23 am | News | CommentsEVERETT, Wash. (AP) — Boeing Co. ( NYSE:BA ) said Thursday it has finished fixing structural flaws in the first of its long-delayed 787 jetliners. The problem forced the company to postpone test flying the jet for a fifth time earlier this year. The Chicago-based airplane maker said the repair within the joint where the wings attach to the plane's fuselage is "a significant step" toward the first test flight of the aircraft, which has been delayed due to a series of production glitches and a two-month labor strike late last year.
Manufacturers Face Shortage Of Highly-Skilled Workers
November 13, 2009 3:17 am | News | CommentsDEARBORN, Mich.— As employers across the country continue to shed hundreds of thousands of jobs, many manufacturers are facing an ironic dilemma. As they eliminate positions—mainly repetitive, assembly type jobs—they still have unfilled job openings for high-skilled workers. According to a recent survey conducted by Deloitte, The Manufacturing Institute and Oracle, “almost one-third of responding companies report some level of shortages today.
Defense Secretary To Truckmakers: 'You Are Saving Lives'
November 13, 2009 3:15 am | News | CommentsOSHKOSH, Wis. (AP) — Defense Secretary Robert Gates commended workers at Oshkosh Corp. ( NYSE:OSK ), telling them Thursday that the military trucks they produce that are being used in Afghanistan are saving soldiers' lives. The newest trucks, designed to be agile enough to maneuver through the nation's rugged terrain yet strong enough to withstand the blasts of roadside bombs, began landing in Afghanistan last month.
Get Attracted To Magnetic Safety
November 12, 2009 11:05 am | by Bill Dudenhoefer, Manager—Separation Products, Eriez Manufacturing Company | Articles | CommentsIndustrial strength magnetic separation equipment has been used in manufacturing facilities for decades. These magnetic separators remove unwanted ferrous metals from bulk products to improve product purity, protect sensitive processing equipment from damage, and prevent fires or explosions.
Engineers Compete For $400,000 In 'Astronaut Glove Challenge'
November 12, 2009 10:25 am | News | CommentsWASHINGTON /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Reporters and the public are invited to attend the 2009 Astronaut Glove Challenge on Nov. 19 at the Astronaut Hall of Fame in Titusville, Fla., near NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The $400,000 prize challenge is a nationwide competition that focuses on developing improved pressure suit gloves for astronauts to use while working in the vacuum of space.
Avoiding The Cliché
November 12, 2009 10:17 am | by by Jeff Reinke, Editorial Director | Blogs | CommentsA couple of weeks before we start production on a new issue of IMPO , our staff gets together to talk basically about three things — where we stand right now, where we want to go and how we intend to get there. This scope of attention deals not only with the financial elements that any business endeavor must broach, but also the quality of our end products, in both print and on the web, as well as the process we take in getting there.
The $435 Tube Of Lip Gloss
November 12, 2009 9:39 am | by by Anna Wells, Editor, IMPO | Blogs | CommentsI have never stolen anything in my life. It’s not something I consider particularly notable, simply because I feel it should be intuitive; a default. I was raised by hard-working parents who themselves were raised by folks who pulled themselves up by their bootstraps.
Keep Tabs On Consumables Consumption
November 12, 2009 6:54 am | Articles | CommentsLakeshore Technologies processes ingredients for the food and pharmaceutical industries, serving customers such as Cadbury, Schweppes, Kellogg’s, Pfizer, and Ocean Spray. Their facility in Lakeshore, Michigan spans 75,000 sq. ft., with 7-8 employees per shift. Like many companies that don’t have a dedicated inventory control manager, they found it difficult to keep their stock in balance, opting to over-stock inventory rather than risk stock-outs.
Oxygen-Safe Sealing
November 12, 2009 6:14 am | Product Releases | CommentsThe MH052 pipe sealant from Permabond Engineering Adhesives (Somerset, NJ) has BAM approval for use in oxygen-rich environments (up to 145 psi and 140°F) due to its unique, stable formation. Normally, anaerobic sealants cannot be used in oxygen-rich environments due to instability, which could cause fire or explosions.
Slow Starts Save Money
November 12, 2009 6:13 am | Product Releases | CommentsCarlo Gavazzi (Buffalo Grove, IL) has launched the RSBS Series Single-phase Plug-and-Play Soft Start, which reduces the amperage demand when starting heat pumps. By maintaining the starting current below fixed limits, the RSBS avoids high energy tariffs and reduces heat dissipation, allowing for a 60 percent reduction in current.
Steady, Stable Gas Delivery
November 12, 2009 6:13 am | Product Releases | CommentsKin-Tek Laboratories, Inc. (Marque, TX) announces the 491M-PB Module, which is used with 491M Modular Gas Standards Generators to maintain steady gas pressures within the unit and balance backpressure to the delivery system pressure. At trace concentrations (PPM, PPB, and PPT) of reactive gases, surface absorption within the transport system can significantly affect the actual mixture delivered.
