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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
Lego To Expand Czech Facility To Meet Demand
June 18, 2013 10:08 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsDanish toymaker Lego says it will expand a factory in the Czech Republic and create some 800 jobs to meet growing regional demand for its popular building blocks. Carsten Rasmussen of Lego's European packing division did not reveal the size of the investment except to say it was "a large two-digit million euro figure."
EU Official: Trade Deal With U.S. A 'Game-Changer'
June 18, 2013 10:07 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThe top official with the European Union's executive arm says a free trade deal with the United States would be a "game-changer" for the global economy. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso made the statement Monday ahead of a formal launch of the trade effort at the Group of Eight Summit in Northern Ireland.
U.S. Official: Solar Plane To Help Ground Energy Use
June 18, 2013 10:06 am | by Seth Borenstein, AP Science Writer | News | CommentsThe plane parked outside the airport looks more like a giant exotic insect or maybe an outsized toy. When it's in flight, there's no roar of engines. It's strangely quiet. And as it crisscrosses the U.S., the spindly plane doesn't use a drop of fuel. Day, and even night, it flies on the power of the sun.
Developing A Workforce
June 18, 2013 8:06 am | by Maria Ferrante, Vice President, Education & Workforce Development, PMMI | Articles | CommentsManufacturers are on the cusp of a major generational shift. Baby Boomers are preparing to retire out of the workforce, and Gen Y is poised to replace them. However, several obstacles are preventing a seamless transition of Gen Y-ers into these soon-to-be vacant roles.
U.S. Gave Up On Manufacturing For Short Term Profits
June 18, 2013 8:05 am | by PD&D | Articles | CommentsBio-Chem Fluidics' new Vice President of Operations, Joe Turiello, says that the United States on the whole seems way too willing to give up its manufacturing capabilities for short term profits. PD&D caught up with Turiello to talk to him about his new position, the future of Bio-Chem, and his thoughts on the industry.
We Need More Vocational Training
June 17, 2013 4:54 pm | by Mike Collins, author of Saving American Manufacturing | Blogs | CommentsThe concept of “everyone should go to college” is finally being questioned, which I think is long overdue. In fact, the U.S. Labor Department says that most jobs (69 percent in 2010) don’t require a post high school degree.To get an idea of what the economy is going to offer in the next ten years, look for the Labor Department chart titled “Occupations with the largest job growth, 2010 and projected 2020.”
KPMG: Global Manufacturers Lack Supply Chain Visibility Beyond Tier 1 Suppliers
June 17, 2013 4:51 pm | by KPMG LLP | Articles | CommentsGlobal manufacturers are putting their supply chains at the center of their business strategies to serve as the foundation for operational efficiency and collaborative innovation, according to KPMG’s 4th annual Global Manufacturing Outlook: Competitive Advantage – Enhancing Supply Chain Networks for Efficiency and Innovation, which surveyed 335 C-level executives globally, including 95 in the U.S.
An Easy Reach: Industrial Ergonomics
June 17, 2013 4:45 pm | by Rachel Leisemann Immel, Associate Editor, IMPO | Articles | CommentsErgonomics can be thought of as much like a dinner table setting: Everything should be in easy reach and no one should have to reach too far or stretch into an unnatural position to get at what they need, says Ed Metzger, president of BioFit. “By ensuring that workers have the freedom to move comfortably and naturally, companies can prevent many of the musculoskeletal injuries and fatigue that leads to lost time and productivity.”
Competitive Edge
June 17, 2013 4:40 pm | by Anna Wells, Executive Editor, IMPO | Articles | CommentsManufacturing in America isn’t as simple as just setting up shop and producing a product. Nowadays, a globally networking economy means competition has taken on more nuance: labor rates are eroded by low cost countries, which results in lower cost imported goods and an ever-sloping playing field.
The Latest Numbers
June 17, 2013 4:35 pm | by Rachel Leisemann Immel, Associate Editor, IMPO | Articles | CommentsU.S. manufacturing lost over 2 million jobs between December 2007 and December 2009 — 17 percent of its workforce. While the U.S. hasn’t yet regained all of those jobs lost from the sector, about 12 million Americans are employed in manufacturing today. “Since the recession, manufacturing has been the driver for recovery and continuous economic growth,” says Douglas K. Woods, AMT president.
Veterans Get Skills to Work
June 17, 2013 3:44 pm | by Anna Wells, Executive Editor, IMPO | Articles | CommentsThe veteran unemployment problem is a nuanced one. According to DoSomething.org, the country’s largest not-for-profit for young people and social change, the unemployment rate for veterans is three percent higher than that of the general population — with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) cited as the leading cause.
Toshiba: Made In America
June 17, 2013 3:34 pm | by Rachel Leisemann Immel, Associate Editor, IMPO | Articles | CommentsMany don’t think of Toshiba as an American-made brand, especially when it comes to the U.S. automotive market. And for quite some time, that was true. Since 2003, Toshiba had manufactured HEV motors for Ford Motor Company at its Japan facility. But in 2011, under the weight of supply chain pressures and growing currency risks, Toshiba Industrial Corporation began manufacturing motors for Ford’s hybrid vehicles in Houston, TX.
Lear Assembly Plant Drives Integrated Systems & Quality Assurance
June 17, 2013 3:29 pm | Articles | CommentsLear Corporation’s 94,000-square-foot, four assembly line seating plant in Montgomery, AL is one of the most modern and efficient facilities of its kind. At peak production, Lear builds approximately 1,000 seat sets per day or 73 sets per hour in 56 distinct combinations of colors and options for the Hyundai Sonata sedan and Santa Fe SUV built at Hyundai’s Alabama plant.
Diamond Tool Enables Sikorsky Helicopters to Overcome Production Stop
June 17, 2013 3:27 pm | Articles | CommentsSometimes the most experienced technicians or skilled toolmakers need to look to specialists outside when it comes to solving critical service problems. Such was the case when a legendary helicopter company was confronted with a worldwide problem in cleaning scale from a small, outsourced part that was preventing it from proceeding with production of its helicopters all over the world.
Unsuccessful Job Applicants Seek Hiring Records
June 17, 2013 2:18 pm | by Kate Brumback, Associated Press | News | CommentsDocuments having to do with a state agency's involvement in recruiting and hiring workers for a private company should be available to the public, a lawyer for four unsuccessful applicants for jobs at a Georgia auto plant argued Monday.
