The Leading Source for Industrial Maintenance News
FREE Email Newsletter
Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
Obama, Boehner Talk 'Fiscal Cliff' Stalemate
December 10, 2012 10:15 am | by Anne Flaherty, Associated Press | News | CommentsPresident Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner met at the White House to discuss the "fiscal cliff," while rank-and-file Republicans stepped forward with what they called pragmatic ideas to break the stalemate. They agreed not to release details of their weekend conversation, but aides emphasized that the lines of communication remain open.
Sanctions Hit Iranian Manufacturing Hard
December 10, 2012 10:13 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsA conservative Iranian news website says the number of manufacturing companies in the country facing financial crisis has increased four-fold over the past four years to nearly 1,600. The Monday report by tasnimnews.com reflects the impact of Western sanctions against Iran over its disputed nuclear program. The website says the report has been drawn up by a government department but didn't elaborate.
GM's Opel To End Car Production At German Plant
December 10, 2012 10:11 am | by Geir Moulson, Associated Press | News | CommentsGeneral Motors Co.'s Opel unit said Monday that it plans to end car production at one plant in Germany in 2016, but a slimmed-down factory may continue to make components. Employees at the Bochum plant in northwestern Germany, one of four in the country, were told that vehicle production will end when the company stops making the current Zafira model.
Japan Utility Admits Shady Hiring At Nuclear Plant
December 10, 2012 10:09 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThe head of the utility behind Japan's nuclear crisis has acknowledged that hundreds of workers at the contaminated Fukushima Dai-ichi plant were mobilized through a murky hiring system. Tokyo Electric Power Co. President Naomi Hirose attributed the hiring problem to high worker turnover at the worksite.
Chinese Company Wins Bid For U.S. Battery Maker A123
December 10, 2012 10:07 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsBankrupt battery maker A123 Systems Inc. said it will sell most of its assets to the U.S. arm of Chinese auto parts conglomerate Wanxiang Group Corp. for $256.6 million. Wanxiang America Corp. won an auction conducted under the supervision of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.
KY Plastics Manufacturing Plant To Close
December 10, 2012 10:06 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsMilwaukee-based Johnson Controls plans to close a central Kentucky plastics manufacturing plant early next year, potentially putting nearly 400 employees out of work. The Courier-Journal reports that a mass layoff notice filed with the Kentucky Office of Employment & Training on says up to 392 workers could be cut in February.
ISM: U.S. Manufacturing Continues Sideways
December 10, 2012 8:42 am | Articles | CommentsIt appears that it’s more of the same in U.S. manufacturing. While the overall economy grew for the 42nd consecutive month, economic activity in the manufacturing sector contracted in November following two months of modest expansion, according to the latest Manufacturing ISM Report On Business.
Security First
December 10, 2012 8:32 am | by Chris Needes, Global Market Manager, Automotive Chassis and Powertrain, Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics, Bearings and Tolerance Rings SBU | Articles | CommentsWithin recent years, automotive steering systems have evolved far beyond their primary function. They have now become a tool for car manufacturers to provide their customers with even more sophisticated features. In the 1990s, the need for anti-theft protection became more urgent. Thus, in 1995, EU regulatory bodies mandated that cars be fitted with security devices.
Safety Shower
December 7, 2012 4:28 pm | by Bradley | Product Releases | CommentsThe enclosed safety shower comes equipped with 100 percent vacuum-formed fiberglass surround construction that is highly resistant to chemicals and corrosion.
High Density Storage
December 7, 2012 4:26 pm | by SpeedCell | Product Releases | CommentsThe system is made of an array of mobile vertical shelving columns made from anti-static, flame-retardant technical textiles that slide sideways to reveal more columns behind them.
Rugged LEDs
December 7, 2012 4:23 pm | by Larson Electronics | Product Releases | CommentsThe new LED offers high intensity illumination and can operate cooler, and for up to 50,000 hours with 24 volt compatibility.
Hiring Holds Steady Despite Sandy, Fiscal Cliff
December 7, 2012 2:24 pm | by Christopher S. Rugaber, AP Economics Writer | News | CommentsU.S. hiring gains held steady in November despite disruptions from Superstorm Sandy and employers' concerns about impending tax increases from the year-end "fiscal cliff." Companies added 146,000 jobs, and the unemployment rate fell to 7.7 percent — the lowest in nearly four years — from 7.9 percent in October. The rate declined mainly because more people stopped looking for work and weren't counted as unemployed.
Fiat To Cut 1,500 Jobs At Polish Factory
December 7, 2012 2:22 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThe Italian carmaker Fiat says it plans to cut about 1,500 jobs at a factory in Poland due to falling demand for cars on the European market. The layoffs amount to nearly a third of the site's workforce of 5,000. Fiat Auto Poland S.A., the company's Polish subsidiary, said in a statement Friday that the "very negative situation" in the auto market is forcing the cuts at the factory in the southern Polish city of Tychy.
Apple's Softer Side Emerges Under CEO Cook
December 7, 2012 2:18 pm | by Peter Svensson, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsThough the metal edges of its PCs and mobile devices are as sharp and severe as ever, Apple is emerging under Cook's leadership as a kinder corporate citizen. Cook's announcement this week that the company is moving the production of one of its Mac computer lines to the U.S. is just the latest step in a softening of the company's image following the October 2011 death of CEO and co-founder Jobs.
Belarus Decrees Forced Employment For Some Jobs
December 7, 2012 2:16 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsBelarus' authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko has signed a decree that bans some industrial workers from leaving their jobs, threatening them with draconian fines if they do. Lukashenko's decree, signed Friday, follows a statement he made a week ago on a visit to a wood-processing plant. It's intended to stem the exodus of workers to neighboring Russia, where salaries are higher.
