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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
Dribbling, Catching, Chopstick-Loving Robots
March 10, 2010 11:07 am | Articles | CommentsThe Ishikawa Komuro Lab in Japan is developing some robotic “hand” technology that far outpaces its human counterparts. Using high-speed actuators with harmonic drive gears, the hand can open and close in 1/10 of a second. In addition, tactile sensors inside the fingers allow the robotic hand to grasp and handle almost any object with a grace normally reserved for humans.
Reid Supply Adds Dickies Workwear Online
March 10, 2010 6:47 am | News | CommentsMuskegon, MI (PRWEB) — Reid Supply Company, a Michigan-based, premier global distributor of industrial supplies, added the Dickies family clothing line as well as more safety products to its online offerings at ReidSupply.com . “We have no doubt that many of our customers will appreciate the extra value that the Dickies workwear line offers the entire family.
When Words Collide
March 10, 2010 4:26 am | by Kim H. Pries and Jon M. Quigley PMP, Value Transformation, LLC | Articles | CommentsThis is what many organizations espouse every day. However, these words often don’t match the actions of an organization toward its employees. If you consider a person as a consumable item, then perhaps this perspective is valid.
China Tells U.S. To 'Do More' On Climate Change
March 10, 2010 4:13 am | by Gillian Wong, Associated Press Writer | News | CommentsBEIJING (AP) — China told the United States on Wednesday to make stronger commitments on climate change and provide environmental expertise and financing to developing nations. At the same time, China said its own efforts to reduce energy intensity have been hampered by its economic recovery in the latter part of last year, which brought growth in heavy energy-consuming industries.
Meatpacking Inspector Cuts Hurting Small Businesses
March 10, 2010 4:09 am | by Ken Kusmer, Associated Press Writer | News | CommentsINDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana's plan to lay off some meat inspectors to save money and reduce the time inspectors spend with small, independent processors has the industry and farmers fearing it could hurt what has been a growing industry. It's not clear how many of the state's 52 inspectors will be let go, but meatpackers say any layoffs will prevent them from growing to meet demand for locally raised meat.
French Call Obama 'Anticompetitive' Over Tanker Contract
March 10, 2010 3:57 am | News | CommentsPARIS (AP) — French President Nicolas Sarkozy will raise concerns that the U.S. Air Force's $35 billion tanker contract is anticompetitive when he visits President Barack Obama later this month, a spokesman said Wednesday. EADS, the parent company of Airbus, had partnered with Northrop Grumman to vie for the 179-tanker order, but their consortium pulled out on Monday.
Toyota Sales Up 50 Percent From Last March
March 10, 2010 3:36 am | by Jeffrey McMurray, Associated Press Writer | News | CommentsERLANGER, Ky. (AP) — A high-ranking Toyota executive says the auto company's North American sales spiked around 50 percent the first eight days of March as incentives helped lure customers after a series of embarrassing safety recalls. Don Esmond, senior vice president of automotive operations for Toyota Motor Sales, said in an interview Tuesday that the early numbers surpassed the company's expectations.
Federal Investigators Converge On Out-Of-Control Prius
March 10, 2010 3:31 am | News | CommentsElliot Spagat, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS EL CAJON, Calif. — A Toyota Prius that sped out of control on a California freeway was towed to a dealership Tuesday while federal and company inspectors converged on the car to determine whether a stuck gas pedal was to blame. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration sent two investigators to examine the car after Monday's incident, said Olivia Alair, a spokeswoman for the Department of Transportation, which oversees NHTSA.
GM Shreveport Recieves Order For 849 Hummers
March 10, 2010 3:29 am | News | CommentsSHREVEPORT, La. (AP) — General Motors has received a fleet order for 849 Hummers, so the Shreveport plantwon't shut down for two weeks in May, after all. GM spokesman Otie McKinley says the plant has a month to build the H3s and H3Ts. He says Hummer production will resume April 12, and the order must be completed by May 13.
Chevron Cuts 2,000 'Downstream' Jobs
March 10, 2010 3:28 am | by Sandy Shore, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsChevron Corp. said Tuesday it will cut 2,000 jobs this year and sell some overseas operations as it revamps its struggling refinery, marketing and transportation operations. The job cuts represent almost 12 percent of its 17,000 workers in the so-called downstream part of its business and just over 3 percent of its overall work force.
Reid Supply Ready For High-Speed Rail Surge
March 9, 2010 6:30 am | News | CommentsMuskegon, Michigan — Reid Supply Company, a Michigan-based, premier global distributor of industrial supplies for more than 60 years has responded to government’s need for a multipurpose convenience point for builders of rail systems, roads and bridges. The company recently added more than 8,000 items to its online web site and offers free CAD drawings of most of their industrial parts.
How Does Your Gearbox Sound?
March 9, 2010 6:21 am | by Todd R. Bobak, Sumitomo Drive Technologies | Articles | CommentsIntroduction Sound can be a very subjective thing. What may sound “unusual” to one individual may very well sound “normal” to another. As a method of diagnosing a potential problem with a gearbox or gearmotor, the sound coming from it should not solely be relied upon to determine whether-or-not a problem exists.
Prep For Compressed Air Drying
March 9, 2010 5:34 am | Product Releases | CommentsVan Air Systems (Lake City, PA) now offers the Prep40, a complete package in portable compressed air drying. All Prep40 models are designed for applications needing mobility and dew points down to -40 or -100°F. Typical applications include pipeline drying or critical sandblast and painting operations.
10,000 Volts? No Problem
March 9, 2010 5:33 am | Product Releases | CommentsThe Bondhus Corporation (Monticello, MN) introduces a full line of high quality insulated tools through its German marketing partner, FELO. The screwdrivers, bit drivers, and pliers are tested and certified to comply with all critical safety standards, including insulation safety testing at 10,000 volts.
Advanced Controller Intelligence
March 9, 2010 5:32 am | Product Releases | CommentsThe Baghouse controller from FilterSense (Beverly, MA) features DeviceNet communications for integration with Allen-Bradley PLCs. The B-PAC series of Baghouse analyzers and controllers feature advanced intelligence, such as the ability to instantly detect and locate failed solenoids and filter leaks.
