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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
Lifting In Tight Spaces
October 19, 2009 11:01 am | Product Releases | CommentsThe Tite-Space BST AGV Tugger from Creform Corporation (Greer, SC) is well suited for delivering to line-side assembly points when space is at a premium. With a minimum turning radius of 400mm, the Tite-Space slips easily into tight spots. Additional features include: A low-profile, sleek design with drive motor, 24 Volt DC power supply, and guidance sensors.
Tough Flowmeters
October 19, 2009 11:01 am | Product Releases | CommentsRacine Vortex (Racine, WI) has released the RNS Series (Insertion) and RWS Series (Wafter) Vortex Steam Flow Meters, which are suitable for measuring non-condensing steam and saturated process stem and pressures up to 150 psi. Both meters have no moving parts and feature the HART communication protocol for ease of field programming and system integration.
LEED Compliance, One Mop At A Time
October 19, 2009 11:00 am | Product Releases | CommentsFrom Hydro Systems (Cincinnati, OH) comes the Hydro ICS Touchless Cleaning System for use as a part of a facility’s daily cleaning regimen. The system can reduce energy consumption, water usage, and chemical consumption in addition to helping a facility meet GS-42 or LEED compliance.
Weatherproof Encoding
October 19, 2009 10:58 am | Product Releases | CommentsTURCK (Minneapolis, MN) has announced a new line of Kübler robust magnetic linear encoders. The T8.LI20 and T8.LI50 are available with either a push-pull output or an RS422 interface and provide a voltage range from 4.8 to 30 VDC. The linear encoders are used with magnetic bands that are attached to the mounting surface and are protected by a stainless-steel cover.
G.I. Joe Battles For 8.8 Percent Profit Increase
October 19, 2009 7:19 am | News | CommentsNEW YORK (AP) — Hasbro Inc., the nation's second-biggest toymaker, saw profit rise nearly 9 percent in the third quarter as the company trimmed costs amid a slight decline in sales. Hasbro also was upbeat about the holidays, saying Monday that results are picking up so far in the fourth quarter.
Feds Want Dow To Fess Up To Dioxin Spill
October 19, 2009 5:19 am | News | CommentsMIDLAND, Mich. (AP) — Federal and state officials say they're seeking public comment on a proposed deal with Dow Chemical Co. on designing a cleanup of dioxin contamination near a plant in Midland. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the state Department of Environmental Quality say the comment period begins Monday and runs through Nov.
What If Your Automation Is Anything But?
October 19, 2009 5:16 am | Articles | CommentsWhat is the most important thing on the mind of a manufacturing professional? Well, from most articles we read, there are two areas — improving manufacturing performance and reducing downtime with a wide array of solutions available to assist you with both. You can focus on integration with your business systems to improve the real-time aspects of production management and you can focus on better production analytics to squeeze additional performance out of the equipment you are monitoring.
Whirlpool Considers Recalling Workers At AR Plant
October 19, 2009 4:50 am | News | CommentsFORT SMITH, Ark. (AP) — The Whirlpool Corp. refrigerator factory in Fort Smith is preparing to add production and may call back 150 employees who were laid off. The plant now employs between 900 and 1,000 people, far fewer than the 4,600 it had in 2006 before moving part of its production to Mexico.
Spanish Unions Reject Magna Offer
October 19, 2009 4:49 am | News | CommentsMADRID (AP) — Spanish unions have rejected Magna's latest offer concerning the future of an Opel plant targeted for job cuts and will vote on calling a strike, a labor representative said Monday. Jose Juan Arceiz, leader of a committee representing workers at the Opel auto plant near Zaragoza, told AP that talks last week with Magna had yielded some progress but unions still deemed Magna's offer as not enough.
One Worker Dead After Explosion At WI Plant
October 19, 2009 4:48 am | News | CommentsCOLUMBUS, Wis. (AP) — One person has died in an explosion and fire at a manufacturing plant in Columbus. Fire officials say the maintenance employee was killed while using a hand-held grinder on some floor bolts at American Packaging Corp. Sunday about 6 p.m. Fire Chief Randy Koehn (KEEN) says sparks ignited some vapors, causing the explosion and fire.
ABB Expects $1 Billion Q3 Profit
October 19, 2009 4:47 am | News | CommentsZURICH (AP) — Swiss-based electrical engineering company ABB Group said Monday it expected third-quarter net profit of around $1 billion after booking charges for an alleged price fixing fine, higher taxes and restructuring costs. ABB officially announces its quarterly results on Oct.
Boeing's Rotorcraft Union Ratifies Raises
October 19, 2009 4:46 am | News | CommentsRIDLEY PARK, Pa. (AP) — Union workers at Boeing Co.'s Rotorcraft plant near Philadelphia have ratified a new five-year contract with the aircraft maker that will give them raises of 2 percent to 4 percent a year and a lump-sum payment of $3,500 in the first year, the company and the union said Sunday.
Getting Through The Recession v. 1.3
October 16, 2009 11:58 am | by David Duncan, president of IDWS.ca, helping companies develop Form with Function | Articles | CommentsBusinesses that are struggling from the financial problems in the current economic slow down are under pressure to evaluate daily operations for new cost efficiencies. Particularly in the manufacturing sectors were profitability has been hit hard, companies that produce consumer products, commercial products, vehicle products, and even capital equipment have had to cut jobs and cut unnecessary costs to stay alive let alone competitive.
Vinyl Is Better
October 16, 2009 11:36 am | Product Releases | CommentsHi-Tec announces the release of the Sidewinderbarrier, which adds a vinyl wall of protection at sensitive points in the factory or other strategic locations. The 6” x 6” Sidewinderbarrier tower is bolted to the floor, and when needed, one can pull the vinyl panel to a distance of 12 to 18 feet.
5-In-1 Industrial Marking
October 16, 2009 11:35 am | Product Releases | CommentsThe EasyMark 5-in-1 Tooling Kit from Mate Precision Tooling (Anoka, MN) is a thick turret application tooling system for machines with a bottom stroke forming feature. The system can be set up to automatically perform any of the following five marking applications: Write numbers, dates, and other important information — no penetration or metal removal is involved.
