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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
Biofuels To Power Airlines Within A Decade
March 17, 2010 4:30 am | News | CommentsAMSTERDAM (AP) — Aviation experts say recent test flights have proved the viability of plant-based fuels for jet aircraft and that they may largely power airline traffic within a decade. They say the focus now is on finding plants that can be used without taking land from food crops or causing deforestation.
CAT Adding 500 Jobs To S.C. Generator Plant
March 17, 2010 4:25 am | News | CommentsCOLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A diesel generator plant in South Carolina plans to add up to 500 jobs in the next four years. The State newspaper reported Caterpillar plans to more than triple employment at its plant in Newberry. Caterpillar spokesman Jim Dugan says the company has 190 workers now.
Stay Safe, Green With PVC Mats
March 16, 2010 11:01 am | Product Releases | CommentsThe Cushion Trax Ultra ¾” anti-fatigue mat from Superior Manufacturing Group (Chicago, IL) is the latest addition to Superior’s line of mats, which combine a durable vinyl top surface with a PVC foam base using the UniFusion bonding process, which eliminates the possibility of de-lamination, according to the company.
Condensate-Free Air Dryers
March 16, 2010 11:01 am | Product Releases | CommentsThe SSRC Refrigerated Cycling Compressed Air Dryer from Sullair Corporation (Michigan City, IN) is furnished in nine models, ranging from 175 to 1000 scfm. The dryers utilize the reliable and energy-saving scroll compressor, and a zero-loss drain integrated into the heat exchanger to collect condensate.
Belts Of Steel
March 16, 2010 11:00 am | Product Releases | CommentsBelt Technologies (Agawam, MA) now offers a line of stainless steel vacuum belts for use in the production of solar cells. They run without lubrication of any kind, minimize variations in surface speed, and don’t stretch. The continuous-length belts minimize debris buildup and eliminate frequent shutdowns.
Where's Your Inventory?
March 16, 2010 10:59 am | Product Releases | CommentsSnap-on Industrial (Kenosha, WI) has a new Level 5 NTC (Networkable Tool Control) system that allows users to manage a virtually unlimited number of lockable tool storage units simultaneously. Critical tools and assets are tracked and the risk of potentially catastrophic foreign object damage.
Soup Start-Up Finds Path For Growth
March 16, 2010 10:57 am | Articles | CommentsHaving recently retired, Philip Wilbur-with family in tow-opened the doors to HURRICANE'S Café & Deli in 2005. Among the traditional deli fare, HURRICANE'S offered quality soups and chowders, which were made entirely from all-natural, local ingredients. Soup sales took off, with volume quadrupling in a single year.
We Regret To Inform You
March 16, 2010 10:36 am | by by David Mantey, Editor, PD&D | Blogs | CommentsWhen I put together a comprehensive daily news resource (fancy talk for the PD&D Design Daily ), I have the opportunity to not only cover the latest news in the industry, but I also have a chance to transform into a maniacal news junkie. I click on provocative headlines to read about the unfixable economy, to listen to analysts bang their chests and make wild predictions in hopes of creating some new conventional wisdom by sparking a little awareness-building fear, and to sift through the PR rabble — it’s a practice similar to listening to white noise for hours with hopes of connecting to voices from the other side (dead people).
In Search Of Universal Sensors
March 16, 2010 10:16 am | by Wesley Sund, Brooks Instrument | Articles | CommentsYou are working in a process development research laboratory. Wouldn’t it be easy if you could take a flow device off the shelf, install it, and have immediate, accurate and reliable measurements? This is a dream, a fantasy for some. Advances in sensor design, electronics and software, however, is bringing this day closer than ever through recently introduced developments.
Managing Energy With Modern Drive Systems
March 16, 2010 10:11 am | by Michael Perlman, Siemens Industry Inc., Motion Control Marketing Manager | Articles | CommentsWhile it is valid to state that energy efficiency is defined as the same level of production being achieved at an overall lower energy cost, it is equally important for today’s machine builders and automation engineers alike to remember than an energy-efficient system can actually translate into higher productivity.
Manufacturers Working To Save American Jobs
March 16, 2010 10:08 am | by Amanda Earing, News Editor, Manufacturing.Net | Articles | CommentsIn an economy where manufacturers are struggling to stay afloat, some are also fighting to find ways to keep their workers employed. Save An American Job (SAAJ) is a branding and networking initiative designed to do just that. Save an American Job, founded by Don Rongione, CEO and President of the Bollman Hat Company, is a proactive initiative to encourage more Americans to buy American-made products and help manufacturers prevent job losses in the industry.
Enough Of The 'Windwilling'
March 16, 2010 9:55 am | Product Releases | CommentsThe Draftguard anti-rotation device from Gates (Denver, CO) prevents belt-driven air-cooled heat exchanger (ACHE) fan drives from “windwilling” when they are idle. A free-spinning fan poses a safety hazard to maintenance workers and causes wear on belts, shafts, bearings, and attached equipment when the fan direction is reversed during start-up.
Sorting Made Easy
March 16, 2010 9:54 am | Product Releases | CommentsIntelligrated (Cincinnati, OH) now offers tilt-tray and cross-belt sortation solutions to its product portfolio. Intelligrated now designs and manufactures the complete line of Crisplant sorters, and offers them as standalone sub-systems or as parts of larger automated material handling systems.
Knowing The Code
March 16, 2010 9:52 am | Product Releases | CommentsCognex Corporation (Natick, MA) has introduced two new barcode readers to its DataMan line of industrial ID readers. The 100 QL and 200 QL fixed mount readers offer best-in-class 1D barcode reading performance. The included Cognex 1DMax code-reading algorithm handles quiet zone violations that can occur when codes are printed close to the edge of a label.
Working Up High Is E-Z
March 16, 2010 9:51 am | Product Releases | CommentsE-Z Drill (Stillwater, OK) now offers the E-Z Tray, a work tray designed for use on scissor lifts, boom lifts, aerial work platforms, and any equipment with railings. The E-Z Tray provides an ergonomically-friendly solution for the safe handling of tools while working at heights.
