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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
GM Supplier, SL America, To Add 300 Jobs With $35m Expansion
February 5, 2010 8:38 am | News | CommentsNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Auto parts supplier SL America will add 300 jobs in a $35 million expansion at its SL Tennessee LLC plant in Clinton. A statement from Tennessee economic development director Matt Kisber's office said the new jobs in the planned $35 million expansion will be created by the end of 2010.
Time To Go On The Attack
February 5, 2010 5:23 am | Articles | CommentsMany economists have characterized stories about the decline of U.S. manufacturing as simply doom and gloom opinions. Ralph Keller of the Association of Manufacturing Excellence says of American manufacturing: “This is not the story of the death of manufacturing in the United States, just one of change and continuous improvement.
BAE Systems Closes Tenn. Plant, Cuts 173 Jobs
February 5, 2010 5:04 am | News | CommentsKNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Defense contractor BAE Systems said it is permanently closing its manufacturingplant in East Tennessee in a move that will eliminate 173 jobs. The plant in Grainger County made body armor for the military. Joe Coltman, vice president of personnel protection systems, said in a statement provided to the Knoxville News Sentinel that the permanent closure would be effective Friday.
Toy Company Fined $200K For Leaded Winnie The Pooh
February 5, 2010 3:54 am | News | CommentsWASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. company has agreed to pay a $200,000 penalty to settle allegations it violated U.S. law when it imported Thomas and Friends, Curious George and Winnie the Pooh toys with high levels of lead. The Consumer Product Safety Commission alleged that Schylling Associates Inc.
Prius Recall Highlights Dangers Of Electronic Car Controls
February 5, 2010 3:41 am | by Peter Svensson, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsNEW YORK (AP) — Your most expensive piece of electronics probably is not your flat panel TV or your computer. More likely, it's your car, which can pack 50 microprocessors to control everything from the fuel mix to the rearview mirrors. The recalls and other technical problems besetting Toyota in the last few weeks highlight the risks of relying on electronics instead of the mechanical rods and cables that controlled vehicles for most of the 20th century.
January Unemployment Drops To 9.7 Percent
February 5, 2010 3:34 am | by Christopher S. Rugaber, AP Economics Writer | News | CommentsWASHINGTON (AP) — The unemployment rate dropped unexpectedly in January to 9.7 percent, while employers shed 20,000 jobs, according to a report that offered hope the economy will add jobs soon. The unemployment rate dropped from 10 percent because a survey of households found the number of employed Americans rose by 541,000, the Labor Department said Friday.
Air Products Offers $5.1B For Airgas, Willing To Get Hostile
February 5, 2010 3:28 am | News | CommentsLEHIGH VALLEY, Pa. (AP) — Industrial gas supplier Air Products and Chemicals Inc. said Friday that it made an unsolicited cash bid of about $5.1 billion for smaller rival Airgas Inc. and is willing to make a hostile offer if necessary. Airgas said its board will review the offer with financial and legal advisors and recommended that its stockholders not take any action yet.
Body Armor CEO Spent $353,000 On Pens
February 5, 2010 3:22 am | News | CommentsCENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. (AP) — A federal prosecutor says a former chief executive had lavish spending habits — including $353,000 worth of pens, some made of gold or silver. The evidence was presented Thursday at the Central Islip (EYE'-slip), N.Y., trial of David H. Brooks. He founded DHB Industries, Inc.
Feds Adopt Safety Revisions After Slim Jim Explosion
February 5, 2010 3:20 am | by Mike Baker, Associated Press Writer | News | CommentsRALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Federal officials voted Thursday night to adopt urgent safety recommendations in response to last year's deadly explosion at a Slim Jim snack factory in North Carolina. The U.S. Chemical Safety Board approved the recommendations Thursday night by a 2-1 vote taken following a public hearing in Raleigh.
Thermal Imaging For Cost Savings, Energy Conservation, and Innovation
February 4, 2010 10:51 am | by Sandra J. Blum, for FLIR Systems Inc. | Articles | Comments“As long as the simple truth prevails that something gets hot before it breaks down, applications for infrared cameras will be endless.” Infrared radiation is emitted by every object above a temperature of -273 degrees C. To capture this radiation and make it visible, you need an infrared camera that can take clear thermal pictures, measure temperatures instantly, and convert these infrared images into a standard electronic format for further processing.
Gearing Up For Success
February 4, 2010 10:20 am | by Anna Wells, Editor, IMPO | Articles | CommentsRoscoe, IL might be considered the gear capital of the world. This small city serves as stomping ground to three gear manufacturers, and is part of an enclave of manufacturing towns in Northern Illinois, including Rockford—a once industrial giant which now suffers the highest unemployment rate of any city in the state.
Fluorescent Takes On HID
February 4, 2010 8:36 am | Product Releases | CommentsCooper Lighting (Peachtree City, GA) offers the HBI High-Bay Industrial Fluorescent Series, which features an optic that has been optimized to provide maximum performance from T8 lamps. The high lumen package allows the benefits of fluorescent to be applied at high mounting heights that were traditionally exclusive to HID lamps.
Make Your Work Portable
February 4, 2010 8:35 am | Product Releases | CommentsVeto Pro Pac (Norwalk, CT) has introduced the Model LT-XL tool bag, which is designed to store and organize hand tools with two large zippered storage compartments and two padded storage slots. The LT-XL is built from a PVC-impregnated body fabric, which is then riveted to a 3mm injection-molded polypropylene base.
Gas Phase Analysis In Real-Time
February 4, 2010 8:33 am | Product Releases | CommentsThe Titan industrial FTIR systems from MIDAC (Costa Mesa, CA) provide real-time, multi-component extractive gas phase analysis for various applications, including industrial hygiene, CEM, and process optimization. Cell pathlengths range from 1cm to 60 meters, and thermal isolation from the spectrometer allows operation from ambient temperatures to 240°C, allowing moist sample streams to be analyzed without condensation.
Get The Right Angle
February 4, 2010 8:32 am | Product Releases | CommentsKadant Solutions (Auburn, MA) has launched the AngleSet angle gauge tool for doctor blade and scraper installations. The new gauge is used to set the proper angle for improved doctoring performance and longer blade life. The AngleSet tool provides an accurate reading of the blade angle, and its compact design allows for flexibility in various applications, including creping, coating, drum flaking, and converting.
