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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
In A Galaxy Far Far Away, Samsung Finds Record Profits
January 8, 2013 11:34 am | by ReutersTV | Videos | CommentsSelling about 500 smartphones a minute, Samsung has convinced millions that its handhelds are indeed the droids they are looking for. And despite rising challenges, that doesn't look like it will be changing anytime soon for the South Korean tech giant.
Survey: Small Biz Optimism Rises Despite 'Cliff'
January 8, 2013 10:19 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsSmall business owners were slightly more optimistic at the end of 2012 even as they awaited the outcome of negotiations in Congress over the "fiscal cliff." That's the finding of a survey by the National Federation of Independent Business, a lobbying group. The NFIB's small-business-optimism index rose half a point from its level in November to 88. The index remains near its lowest readings on record.
Jeep Grand Cherokee Cleared In Fire Probe
January 8, 2013 10:13 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsU.S. safety regulators have cleared the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee after an investigation into possible engine fires. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began checking 107,000 of the SUVs in July after getting complaints about power steering hoses coming loose and leaking fluid onto the engine.
U.S. To Require Electric Cars To Make Noise
January 8, 2013 10:12 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsA U.S. government safety agency wants electric and hybrid vehicles to make more noise when traveling at low speeds so pedestrians can hear them coming. The cars and trucks, which are far quieter than conventional gasoline or diesel-powered vehicles, don't make enough noise at low speeds to warn walkers, bicyclists and the visually impaired, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said.
Dow Chemical Reopens Hahnville Plant
January 8, 2013 10:11 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsDow Chemical Co. has successfully restarted its St. Charles Olefins 2 Plant near Hahnville after three years of inactivity. The Advocate reports the plant has been producing ethylene, which is used in alcohol- and plastic-based products, since Dec. 25. Dow said it expects the plant will add $150 million to earnings before interest, depreciation and amortization.
Deal To Sell ND Pasta Plant Falls Through
January 8, 2013 10:09 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsA potential deal to sell a North Dakota pasta plant is off the table. Bektrom Foods official Bruce Satrom tells the Grand Forks Herald that the Michigan-based manufacturer has pulled its offer to buy the plant. Bektrom had been negotiating with the family of Leonard Gasparre, who died in 2011. Gasparre built the Cando plant in the mid-1980s and added a plant in Devils Lake in the 1990s.
Analyst: Boeing Selloff May Be Overdone
January 8, 2013 10:08 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsBoeing's share price decline after a fire on one of its new 787s may be overdone, Jefferies analyst Howard A. Rubel wrote on Tuesday. Rubel wrote that the decline of over $1 billion in market value "would seem to overstate the worry." He noted that there has been no other similar incident to this one, and the other 787s continue to operate normally.
Margin Meltdown: When Costs Drop, Should Prices Follow?
January 8, 2013 8:01 am | by Eric Hills, Chief Evangelist & Senior Vice President, Zilliant | Blogs | CommentsYou finally pushed those price increases through — to reflect the fact that your input costs have been going up — and the market takes another turn. Input costs are now speeding in the opposite direction and your customers are expecting — or rather, demanding — price decreases.
Getting Your Capital Acquisition Process In Gear For The New Year
January 8, 2013 8:00 am | by Sudeep Menon Global Practice Leader - Equipment, Engineering and Construction at Procurian | Articles | CommentsTo compete and win in today’s marketplace, manufacturers have begun to re-evaluate what was once a technical undertaking and an administrative afterthought: the capital acquisition process. Changing the way that major equipment purchases are made is not easy, but the savings are real and measurable.
Antistatic Keylock Switches
January 7, 2013 3:24 pm | by NKK Switches | Product Releases | CommentsThe SK Series’ housing and bushing are made of high-insulating, glass fiber reinforced polyester capable of withstanding 15 kilovolts of electrostatic discharge, thus providing superior antistatic protection, says the company.
1CC 5C Collet Fixture
January 7, 2013 3:22 pm | by Kalamazoo Industries, Inc | Product Releases | CommentsThe 1CC 5C collet fixture for chucks is ideal for short runs because it allows for quick set up of 5C collets, according to the company.
LED Spotlight
January 7, 2013 3:20 pm | by Larson Electronics | Product Releases | CommentsThis LED spotlight reduces this beam degradation common in halogen spotlights through the use of an advanced optics and reflector design to produce a well focused light beam capable of reaching 600 feet in length.
Highly Visible Heads
January 7, 2013 3:18 pm | by Lynn Valley Manufacturing | Product Releases | CommentsThe Orbis “UNI” is a “stretchy” reflective band that sticks to any protective head gear by friction alone.
Report: China Fund In Talks To Buy Daimler Stake
January 7, 2013 2:17 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsChina's sovereign wealth fund is in talks about possibly buying a stake in German luxury automaker Daimler AG, the country's main Communist Party newspaper reported. China Investment Corp. might buy four to 10 percent of Daimler, Peoples Daily said on its website, citing anonymous sources. It gave no other details.
LG Kicks Off CES With 1.4-Meter 'Ultra-HD' TV
January 7, 2013 2:16 pm | by Ryan Nakashima, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsLG unveiled a 55-inch (1.4-meter) TV that sports "ultrahigh-definition" resolution with four times the sharpness of regular HD television sets, kicking off what is likely to be a mini-obsession with the latest super-clear format at the annual International CES gadget show.
