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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
Pumps That Handle Particles
January 25, 2010 3:06 am | Product Releases | CommentsBlackmer (Grand Rapids, MI) announces that its XLW Series of sliding vane pumps have been designed to handle liquids with suspended particles up to 250 microns and 25 percent concentrations, such as oxide primers, inks, paints, and adhesives. With hardened ductile iron materials, the XLW pumps can easily handle a variety of abrasive fluids when outfitted with O-rings, mechanical seals, relief valves, springs, and rotors.
Smith & Wesson VP Charged With Multimillion-Dollar Bribe
January 22, 2010 3:34 am | News | CommentsSPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) — A top Smith & Wesson executive is among 22 people accused of trying to bribe an African government to get part of a multimillion-dollar deal to outfit its presidential guard. Amaro Goncalves, 49, vice president of sales for the Springfield-based gunmaker, and the other defendants were arrested Monday in Las Vegas while attending a trade show.
Harley-Davidson Posts 4Q Loss, First In 16 Years
January 22, 2010 3:15 am | News | CommentsMILWAUKEE (AP) — Harley-Davidson Inc. on Friday reported a fourth-quarter loss, its first quarterly deficit in 16 years, as restructuring costs and the sluggish economy wore on the motorcycle maker. Harley-Davidson has spent the last year reorganizing its business to cope with falling demand of its high-end bikes.
Union: Opel Closure, Job Cuts A 'Declaration Of War'
January 22, 2010 3:09 am | News | CommentsBERLIN (AP) — Employee representatives at General Motors Co.'s Opel unit on Friday slammed the automaker's announcement it would cut 8,300 jobs and close its plant in Belgium as a "declaration of war" on European workers. Armin Schild, head of the IG Metall union in Frankfurt and a member of Opel's board, criticized GM for lacking a clear and thoroughly financed restructuring concept, the DAPD news agency reported.
EnerDel To Bring 500 Jobs To Indianapolis Region
January 22, 2010 3:06 am | News | CommentsNOBLESVILLE, Ind. (AP) — Lithium battery maker EnerDel says it will locate its newest manufacturing operation in Hancock County, bringing 500 jobs to the area. Gov. Mitch Daniels joined EnerDel executives Thursday to announce the new operation near Mount Comfort just east of Indianapolis. He says he hopes EnerDel can help make Indiana the capital of the electric vehicle industry.
Obama Pushes Populist Message For Clean-Energy Jobs
January 22, 2010 3:03 am | by Philip Elliott, Associated Press Writer | News | CommentsWASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is telling voters in Ohio, already wracked by high unemployment, that investments in clean-energy technologies will help boost the nation's economy. Obama planned to use his visit Friday to test-drive an aggressive populist push on jobs, a top concern for voters across the country as the White House begins a message shift heading into fall elections expected to be difficult for Democrats.
Toyota Recalls 2.3 Million Cars For Sticky Accelerators
January 22, 2010 2:58 am | News | CommentsNEW YORK (AP) — Toyota is recalling 2.3 million U.S. vehicles to correct sticking accelerator pedals, the latest in a string of quality problems that have bedeviled the Japanese automaker. The recall includes the 2009-2010 RAV4, the 2009-2010 Corolla, the 2009-2010 Matrix, the 2005-2010 Avalon, the 2007-2010 Camry, the 2010 Highlander, the 2007-2010 Tundra and the 2008-2010 Sequioia.
IT — A Love & Hate Story
January 20, 2010 5:10 am | by by Jeff Reinke, Editorial Director, IMPO | Blogs | CommentsFirst, for those familiar with the work of Stephen King, the IT I mention here is not the terrifying Pennywise the clown, who haunted my dreams for about a week after seeing the movie IT that was based on the famous horror author’s novel. Rather, I’m talking about that equally wonderful and frustrating art of information technology — and the only time its impact ever seems to be really appreciated.
How To Move A Super Duty
January 20, 2010 4:37 am | Articles | CommentsHave you ever needed to move your huge truck around the garage, but couldn’t do it yourself? Maybe your two small daughters are there to help out. Well, with the AeroGo Air Casters, your kids can put themselves to good use, moving that couple thousand pound Super Duty around like it’s a hockey puck.
The Irradiated Truth
January 20, 2010 4:36 am | Articles | CommentsWhen people hear their food is often “irradiated,” they think of nuclear fallout, or something equally unappetizing. The debate over the mertis of irradiation, including its safety, has raged on for years. Listen to one side of the story, from Sadex Corporation, out of Sioux City, Iowa.
Sheep + LEDs = Art?
January 20, 2010 4:36 am | Articles | CommentsThe Mythbusters aren’t the only ones who can recreate the “Mona Lisa” with unconventional means. A group of shepherds from Wales got together (with a little help from Samsung… shh!) to outfit their herd with coats of LED lights, and set them loose, relatively speaking, at nightfall.
Extreme Maintenance: Methane Reactor Repair
January 20, 2010 4:35 am | Articles | CommentsDoing maintenance work on a methane tank is no simple task. Add to that a wet suit, some oxygen tanks, and a disturbing, 35°C sludge. If there was ever a video on why not to become a commercial diver, this is it. If you're having trouble watching this video, try downloading the latest version of Flash Player or contacting your IT department.
The 80 Millisecond Mona Lisa
January 20, 2010 4:35 am | Articles | CommentsAdam and Jamie (of Mythbusters fame) were asked by Nvidia, manufacturer of graphics processing units (GPUs), to build a machine that demonstrates the power of parallel processing found in their chips. To prove this power, they built the Leonardo 2.0 the only way the Mythbusters know—far, far over the top—and sought to remake the “Mona Lisa” with modern technology.
InBev Worker-Exec Standoff Causes Massive Beer Shortage
January 20, 2010 3:54 am | News | CommentsLEUVEN, Belgium (AP) — The world's largest brewer, Anheuser-Busch InBev SA, shut down production in its home country Wednesday in an escalation of a standoff with workers at its Belgian breweries over job cuts. Workers began blockading three AB InBev breweries two weeks ago to protest against cutting up to 263 jobs in Belgium as part of plan to reduce the company's European work force by 10 percent.
Miss. Plant Explosion Injures Three
January 20, 2010 3:42 am | News | CommentsGUNTOWN, Miss. (AP) — Authorities say a plant explosion in Lee County has injured three workers. Lee County Chief Deputy Sheriff John Hall says the explosion happened about 2:26 p.m. Tuesday as workers were cleaning a machine at Columbian Rope Co. in Guntown. Hall says one person was airlifted from the scene to the North Mississippi Medical Center, and another had extensive injuries.
