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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
Stripped-Down Harley Rebounds From Recession
June 10, 2013 2:33 pm | by M.L. Johnson, Associated Press | News | CommentsSome motorcycle enthusiasts feared Keith Wandell might be the outsider who drove Harley-Davidson into the ground. Instead, he may be remembered as the guy who kept the motorcycle maker on the road. Wandell grabbed the handlebars at the motorcycle maker in the heart of the economic crisis in 2009. Harley lost $55 million that year, as buying a motorcycle stopped being an option for many consumers.
Next Phase For MN Ford Plant: Demo
June 10, 2013 2:31 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThe nearly century-long history of the Ford Motor Co. plant in St. Paul will soon be erased. Demolition starts Monday and is expected to last into next year. Decommissioning has already been underway for some time, with equipment being shipped to other Ford sites or recycled.
Exide Files For Bankruptcy Protection
June 10, 2013 2:29 pm | by Tom Murphy, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsBattery maker Exide Technologies is seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it attempts to restructure its U.S. business and strengthen its balance sheet. The Milton, Ga., company said its international operations are excluded from the filing, which it made Monday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware.
Chrysler Recalls 15,000 Darts, Engines Can Stall
June 10, 2013 2:28 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsChrysler says it's recalling about 15,000 Dodge Dart compact cars worldwide because they could stall in cold temperatures. The recall affects 2013 model year cars with 1.4-liter four-cylinder engines and dual-clutch automatic transmissions.
Obama Observes 50th Anniversary Of Equal Pay Act
June 10, 2013 2:27 pm | by Jim Kuhnhenn, Associated Press | News | CommentsPresident Barack Obama says that 50 years after enactment of the Equal Pay Act, the nation still faces gender wage disparities that must be fixed. "This is the 21st century," he declared. "It's time to close that gap." Obama raised the issue while observing the anniversary of the law signed by President John F. Kennedy in 1963.
IMTSTV iSpy: Machine Whisperer At [MC]2
June 10, 2013 12:40 pm | by IMTSTV | Videos | CommentsJake Ervin is the Machine Whisperer, or at least trying to be. He goes to the [MC]2 conference to meet some cool machines but he keeps striking out, they won't talk to him. Will he find a way to talk to the machines? Will he learn that dinner and dancing is not the way to a machine's heart? Will Jake unlock the secret of the MTConnect standard?
ITW To Acquire Meurer Group
June 10, 2013 10:21 am | News | CommentsIllinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE: ITW) has announced that it has signed a Definitive Purchase Agreement to acquire 100 percent of the Meurer Group located in Furstenau Germany. Meurer is a well-known supplier of secondary packaging equipment to the FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) markets worldwide.
American Auto Industry About To Go On A Hiring Spree
June 10, 2013 10:15 am | by Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer | News | CommentsThe new employees will be part of a larger, busier workforce. From coast to coast, the industry is in top gear. Factories are operating at about 95 percent of capacity, and many are already running three shifts. As a result, some auto and parts companies are doing something they've been reluctant to consider since the recession: Adding floor space and spending millions of dollars on new equipment.
IEA: Energy Emissions Rose To Record High In 2012
June 10, 2013 10:13 am | by Karl Ritter, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe world's energy-related carbon dioxide emissions rose 1.4 percent in 2012 to a record high of 31.6 billion tons, even though the U.S. posted its lowest emissions since the mid-1990s, the International Energy Agency said Monday. In its annual World Energy Outlook report, the Paris-based IEA said top carbon polluter China had the largest emissions growth last year, up 300 million tons, or 3.8 percent, from 2011.
GM To Lay Off 560 To Retool Engine Plant
June 10, 2013 10:11 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsGeneral Motors is laying off 560 workers while it retools an engine plant near Detroit to build a new motor. GM says layoffs at the Romulus, Mich., factory will start in August and run to late 2015. The company is rebuilding the inside of the factory to make a new, more efficient V-6 engine.
U.S. Investigates Honda Minivans For Air Bag Trouble
June 10, 2013 10:09 am | by Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer | News | CommentsU.S. safety regulators have added about 320,000 older model Honda Odyssey minivans to a widening probe of faulty air bags that affects at least three automakers and more than 2 million vehicles. Front air bags on the Honda Motor Co. minivans from the 2003 and 2004 model years can inflate without a crash, possibly injuring drivers and passengers.
Shuttered GM Plant To Be Razed In Downtown Indy
June 10, 2013 10:08 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsA shuttered General Motors Corp. stamping plant that once employed more than 6,000 workers near downtown Indianapolis will be demolished this fall after failing to attract a buyer. The property owner's redevelopment manager said that after consulting with commercial real estate experts, it was clear the 102-acre site's well-worn buildings were hampering efforts to sell the property.
Bangladesh: 7 Failed To Check Doomed Factories
June 10, 2013 10:06 am | by Farid Hossain, Associated Press | News | CommentsBangladesh has suspended seven inspectors it accuses of negligence for renewing the licenses of garment factories in a building that collapsed in April, killing more than 1,100 people, a top Labor Ministry official said Monday. The official, Mikail Shipar, said a ministry investigation found that the inspectors never even visited the five factories housed in the shabbily built eight-story Rana Plaza building.
Electronic Water Treatment Reduces Fouling In Heat Exchangers
June 10, 2013 8:05 am | by Jan de Baat Doelman, President, Scalewatcher North America Inc. | Articles | CommentsThe deposition of material on heat transfer surfaces is called fouling which significantly impacts the thermal and mechanical performance of heat exchangers. Fouling increases the overall thermal resistance and lowers the overall heat transfer coefficient of heat exchangers as well as impeding fluid flow, accelerating corrosion and increasing pressure drop across the heat exchanger.
What Manufacturers Can Learn From The Commandos
June 10, 2013 8:00 am | by Damian McKinney | Blogs | CommentsThe world of manufacturing and the soldier seem very far apart at first glance, but they both operate in uncertain and rapidly changing environments. The workforce goes to work, while the military goes to war. Thankfully, in the work environment, people do not often die, but companies can fail and people’s livelihoods can be destroyed through bad decisions.
