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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
Honeywell Hobbs Phases Out Springfield Plant
January 29, 2010 3:59 am | News | CommentsSPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — A corporate spokesman says Honeywell Hobbs expects to complete the phase-out of its Springfield manufacturing plant and eliminate approximately 120 jobs by the end of the year. The closing would end the company's more than 70-year run in Springfield. A second plant in Spring Valley, about 60 miles northeast of Peoria, will be shut down by midyear.
ArcelorMittal To Revive Ind. Blast Furance
January 29, 2010 3:55 am | News | CommentsEAST CHICAGO, Ind. (AP) — Company and union officials say steel maker ArcelorMittal is planning to restart a blast furnace at a northwestern Indiana mill in a move that could put hundreds of workers back on the job. The company says it is increasing production at the East Chicago plant in response to improving market demand.
U.S. Wages, Benefits Rise Slightly In 4Q
January 29, 2010 3:47 am | by Martin Crutsinger, AP Economics Writer | News | CommentsWASHINGTON (AP) — Wages and benefits paid to U.S. workers posted a modest gain in the fourth quarter, ending a year in which recession-battered workers saw their compensation rise by the smallest amount on records going back more than a quarter-century. The anemic gains have raised concerns about the durability of the economic recovery.
Obama Offers Tax Credits To Hiring Companies
January 29, 2010 3:45 am | by Charles Babington and Stephen Ohlemacher, Associated Press Writers | News | CommentsWASHINGTON (AP) — A key House Republican leader said the GOP expects President Barack Obama to do more listening than talking when he huddles privately with lawmakers Friday at a retreat in Baltimore. Obama wants to offer tax credits to companies that hire new workers, a plan that drew a cool reception from Congress last month despite the nation's double-digit unemployment rate.
Toyota Fixes Accelerator Problem, But Sales May Still Slip
January 29, 2010 3:42 am | by Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer | News | CommentsDETROIT (AP) — Toyota Motor Corp. says it has figured out how to fix a problem with sticking accelerator pedals and will update employees with details. The company said in an e-mail to workers Thursday night that it presented a remedy to federal regulators. The e-mail obtained by The Associated Press says that plans are being developed on a variety of fronts.
Feds: Series Of DuPont Leaks Unrelated
January 29, 2010 3:41 am | by John Raby, Associated Press Writer | News | CommentsCHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Three recent chemical leaks at a DuPont plant, one of which killed a worker, don't appear to be related, a federal investigator said Thursday. U.S. Chemical Safety Board investigator Johnnie Banks promised a thorough investigation into the leaks, which prompted the plant's temporary shutdown over the weekend.
All The Bubble Wrap, Minus The Fuss
January 28, 2010 9:46 am | Product Releases | CommentsThe NewAir I.B. Express system from Sealed Air (Saddle Brook, NJ) is an inflatable cushioning system that quickly creates patented Barrier Bubble material that can be used for cushioning, or blocking and bracing applications. The NewAir allows operators to create cushions with widths of 12” and 24”, and includes options for film strength to accommodate a variety of applications.
Keep The Hydrogen Out
January 28, 2010 8:12 am | Product Releases | CommentsVIC Leak Detection (Ronkonkoma, NY) announces its new series of hydrogen gas leak detectors. The portable, battery-operated hydrogen leak detector uses a safe 5 percent hydrogen gas mixture and can test wet parts without being affected by humidity. Additional features include: A minimal amount of required maintenance, with no chamber evacuation vacuum pumps, evacuation valves, and manifolding.
Environmental Palletizing
January 28, 2010 8:12 am | Product Releases | CommentsThe EcoPolyBlend spill control pallets from Justrite Mfg. (Des Plaines, IL) are an eco-friendly solution that protects against groundwater contamination to meet EPA standards. In addition, the pallets are made of 100 percent recycled polyethylene, so they support other green initiatives as well.
Upgrade Your ERP Solution
January 28, 2010 8:12 am | Product Releases | CommentsDeacom, Inc. (Wayne, PA) has released a new version of the DEACOM ERP Software System, which incorporates design changes to the main menu and enhancements to specific functionality. The new menu contains all the functional areas that are managed in the single system, such as purchasing, sales, inventory control, and production.
The Solution To Everything: Charge More
January 28, 2010 7:41 am | by by David Mantey, Editor, PD&D | Blogs | CommentsThe current slugfest between Verizon and AT&T has made for moderate entertainment if you’re one of the few who still watch — or lack the capacity to skip — commercials. Every time I see the other Wilson brother (Luke) wobbling around with a missing head or flinging postcards, it helps remind me that competition can still work in the consumer’s favor.
Food Industry — We Have A Problem
January 28, 2010 7:41 am | by John G. Surak, American Society For Quality | Articles | CommentsThe American Society for Quality (ASQ) conducted a survey on Food Safety (ASQ, 2009) revealing 93 percent of adults say food manufacturers, growers or suppliers should be held legally responsible when individuals are fatally sickened by tainted food. Other findings included: 61 percent of U.
The Beauty Of CNC Machining
January 27, 2010 8:29 am | Articles | CommentsA lot of people see manufacturing as a dark, dirty business. Too bad they don’t know the whole truth, but this video could help spread the good word. It has all the design aesthetics of a product from Apple combined with the whole “getting work done” thing that we’re used to in manufacturing.
Why Cap-And-Trade Won't Work, Environmentally
January 27, 2010 8:29 am | Articles | CommentsDr. James Hansen, a leading climatologist, thinks cap-and-trade won’t work, at least from an environmental standpoint. While many manufacturers are against a cap-and-trade system for the damage it could cause to their manufacturing capacity, Dr. Hansen points out that with carbon offsets, a tree planted in one place means a tree cut down somewhere else, and a puff of pollution saved from one plant is another puff some another.
The 225,000 Lb. Injection Molder
January 27, 2010 8:27 am | Articles | CommentsSometimes a big job calls for an even bigger machine. Well, that’s what happened when this manufacturer needed to do some injection molding on a massive scale. The 225,000 pound hydraulic toggle injection molding system is one of the biggest in the U.S. It’s impressive to see how it all comes together.
