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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers

Officials: No Breakthrough Yet In TX Explosion

May 3, 2013 9:56 am | by Nomaan Merchant, Associated Press | News | Comments

Investigators working to figure out what caused a massive, deadly fertilizer plant explosion in Texas have talked to more than 370 people and received more than 200 tips as they continue to search for a breakthrough. Two weeks after the April 17 blast that killed at least 14 people, agents compare their work to solving a puzzle or completing an archaeological dig.

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New Cars Key To GM Profit

May 3, 2013 9:54 am | by Dee-Ann Durbin, AP Auto Writer | News | Comments

New cars were key for General Motors' in the first quarter. New trucks will be the key to the rest of this year. Two new Opels — the Mokka subcompact SUV and Adam small car — helped GM stanch its first-quarter losses in Europe, while the Cadillac XTS and Chevrolet Malibu sedans took China by storm. GM's worldwide sales rose almost 4 percent in the first three months.

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AL Honda Plant Celebrates Start Of MDX

May 3, 2013 9:52 am | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Gov. Robert Bentley joined Honda officials in Lincoln on Thursday to celebrate the start of production for the 2014 Acura MDX sports utility vehicle. About 1,500 employees attended the ceremony Thursday. Honda officials said the automaker invested $400 million and hired more than 400 people to support the production of the MDX. The Honda plant now employs more than 4,000 people.

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LA Gov: $340M More From BP For Gulf Restoration

May 3, 2013 9:50 am | by Janet McConnaughey, Associated Press | News | Comments

BP PLC has agreed to pay $340 million to restore four of the barrier islands that act as hurricane buffers for Louisiana's mainland and create two fish research hatcheries in the state, Gov. Bobby Jindal said Tuesday. The money is part of $1 billion the oil giant agreed two years ago to pay for early restoration work after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

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Kellogg's Goes Green, Stays Cool

May 3, 2013 8:05 am | by Coolerado | Articles | Comments

With manufacturing plants across the globe, Kellogg’s has made its mark on the breakfast cereal industry. But, the company believes that mark doesn’t have to leave an over-sized carbon footprint. Kellogg’s is making great strides toward sustainability, which include choosing Coolerado’s energy-efficient air conditioners to cool its plant in Mexicali, Mexico.

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Challenging Lighting Environments

May 3, 2013 8:00 am | by Rob Bresnahan, Larson Electronics LLC | Articles | Comments

Not all operating environments are the same and the differences in a location's environmental characteristics can have a significant impact on how lighting equipment performs. Differences in humidity, wetness, and temperature ranges, the presence of corrosives, and the presence of flammable or explosive gases and vapors can pose a serious challenge for electrical lighting.

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Electric Car Maker CODA Files For Bankruptcy

May 2, 2013 2:17 pm | by Robert Jablon, Associated Press | News | Comments

Electric car maker CODA Holdings Inc. filed for bankruptcy protection Wednesday after selling just 100 cars and said it plans to quit the auto business altogether. The Los Angeles-based parent of CODA Automotive filed for bankruptcy protection in federal court in Delaware. A consortium of debtors plans to acquire CODA for $25 million, according to a company statement.

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Juror: EEOC Verdict In Iowa Sends A Message

May 2, 2013 2:14 pm | by Ryan J. Foley, Associated Press | News | Comments

A juror says she wanted to send a message by supporting a historic $240 million verdict for 32 mentally disabled men who faced decades of abuse by a Texas company: Never again. Juror Robin Griebel outlined her rationale for awarding $7.5 million to each former employee of Henry's Turkey Service, while the men, their attorney and relatives celebrated Wednesday's verdict.

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Judge Gives Major Break In GM Theft Case

May 2, 2013 2:13 pm | by Ed White, Associated Press | News | Comments

A former General Motors engineer convicted of stealing thousands of pages of hybrid technology was sentenced Wednesday to just a year and a day in prison, far below the punishment sought by the government in a case that involved her husband and an alleged scheme to take the trade secrets to China.

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U.S. Trade Deficit Falls To $38.8B In March

May 2, 2013 2:11 pm | by Martin Crutsinger, AP Economics Writer | News | Comments

The U.S. trade deficit narrowed in March for a second month as the daily flow of imported crude oil dropped to the lowest level in 17 years. The deficit with China hit a three-year low. The trade deficit decreased to $38.8 billion, an 11 percent drop from February's $43.6 billion, the Commerce Department reported Thursday.

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Ford Adding 2,000 Workers To MO Plant

May 2, 2013 2:10 pm | by Dee-Ann Durbin, Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writers | News | Comments

Ford Motor Co. said Thursday that it's adding 2,000 workers to the Missouri plant that makes the F-150 pickup because of surging U.S. truck demand. The company plans to add a shift with 900 workers in the third quarter of this year to make pickups. That's in addition to the 1,100 workers Ford will hire to make the new Transit van. Those workers will start in the fourth quarter.

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Steel Firm To Add Jobs To Supply CAT Plant

May 2, 2013 2:08 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

A steel fabricator plans to add more than 150 jobs over the next three years at its Dawson County plant, company executives said, to supply parts for a new Caterpillar production facility near Athens. The Times of Gainesville reported that Impulse Manufacturing will produce parts for several small excavators that will be produced at the new Caterpillar plant.

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If Cars Could Talk, Accidents Might be Avoidable

May 2, 2013 1:36 pm | by Ted | Videos | Comments

When we drive, we get into a glass bubble, lock the doors and press the accelerator, relying on our eyes to guide us -- even though we can only see the few cars ahead of and behind us. But what if cars could share data with each other about their position and velocity, and use predictive models to calculate the safest routes for everyone on the road? Jennifer Healey imagines a world without accidents.

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Quincy Compressor Acquires Four National Pump & Compressor Midwest Branches

May 2, 2013 12:40 pm | by Quincy Compressor | News | Comments

Quincy Compressor has acquired the assets of four National Pump & Compressor’s (NPC) branches in the state of Illinois. Formerly operating as Cochrane Compressor and acquired by NPC in 2009, the acquired company has been a Quincy distributor for more than 60 years.

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Care-O-Bot, The Future Of Home Help For Seniors

May 2, 2013 9:11 am | by Reuters | Videos | Comments

Scientists at Germany's Fraunhofer Institute in Stuttgart have unveiled a third generation robot prototype, designed to assist the elderly in their homes. The 'Care-o-bot 3' is equipped to detect, grasp and carry ordinary household objects on command, and bring a measure of independence to the aged and infirm.

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