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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
Federal Investigation At DuPont After Leaks, Worker Death
January 26, 2010 3:22 am | News | CommentsCHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — The U.S. Chemical Safety Board says a four-member team of investigators is heading to DuPont's idled chemical plant in Belle. The board says it expects the team to be on site Tuesday to start investigating a series of leaks that resulted in the death of one worker and the operation's temporary shutdown over the weekend.
GM Returns To Building Electric Motors In-House
January 26, 2010 3:21 am | by Dee-Ann Durbin, AP Auto Writer | News | CommentsDETROIT (AP) — General Motors Corp. is back in the electric motor business. The automaker said Tuesday that starting in 2013, it plans to build its own electric motors for hybrid and electric vehicles. GM has been getting electric motors for those vehicles from suppliers, but wants to make the motors in-house in order to lower costs and improve quality and reliability.
U.S. Sodexo Workers Demand French Protections, Benefits
January 25, 2010 11:09 am | by Fannie Dassie, Associated Press Writer | News | CommentsPARIS (AP) — A group of U.S. employees at French food services giant Sodexo on Monday demanded workplace protections in North America similar to those their colleagues in France enjoy. Their tactics were viewed with curiosity in France, where it is more common to see French labor unions pressing for more rights from big American employers.
Ford Adds 1,200 Jobs To Chicago Assembly Line
January 25, 2010 11:06 am | by Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer | News | CommentsDETROIT (AP) — A person briefed on the matter says Ford Motor Co. will add 1,200 jobs at its Chicago assembly plant to build the new Ford Explorer starting later this year. The company and Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn are scheduled to make the announcement on Tuesday at the factory. Quinn told reporters in Chicago on Monday that an unspecified company would be announcing 1,200 new jobs in Illinois.
Biofuel 'Pests' Key to Energy Conversion & Storage
January 25, 2010 8:06 am | Articles | CommentsIn South Dakota, news that researchers have discovered that an obscure but fast-growing moth species has a potentially destructive appetite for switchgrass, raises a question. Is the appearance of this destructive pest good news or bad news? Generally, pests and invasive species are considered very, very bad news .
Automated Manufacturing System Quadruples Production
January 25, 2010 8:05 am | Articles | CommentsResearch Products Company, headquartered in Salina, Kansas, manufactures food additives for the baking and grain milling industries. Products include flour bleaching and maturing services, vitamin and mineral premixes, and others that help the company’s customers create nutritious food for their consumers.
Extendable, Versatile Pallets
January 25, 2010 7:48 am | Product Releases | CommentsSun Technologies (Blomfield Hills, MI) has developed the Mini Floor & Pallet, which is a 2’ x 4’ x 2’ Polypropylene riser platform. The pallet holds up to 1,000 pounds, yet weighs only 8.5 pounds. In addition, the sections can be connected by the length or the width with clips, which are included.
Pressure Transmitting Through The Gauntlet
January 25, 2010 7:46 am | Product Releases | CommentsThe Tel-Tru Manufacturing Company (Rochester, NY) has expanded its Silicon Glass Fused Sensor Series of pressure transmitters. The P621 sanitary model features a single-piece 316L stainless steel sensing element with a high-output silicon glass fused strain gauge. This combination maximizes cycle life even in the presence of pressure spikes, vibration, and aggressive fluid media.
Jib Cranes Get Personal
January 25, 2010 7:46 am | Product Releases | CommentsGorbel Inc. (Fishers, NY) has expanded its line of G-Force Intelligent Lifting Devices to include the new G-Jib, a redesign of an enclosed track workstation jib crane. The G-Jib utilizes an industrial processor-controlled servo drive system to deliver unmatched lifting precision and speed.
Gas Detection, Wirelessly
January 25, 2010 7:45 am | Product Releases | CommentsFrom Detcon (The Woodlands, TX) comes the Model 700 gas detection sensors, which now include wireless technology as an integration option, in addition to standard 4-20mA analog and Modbus RS-485 outputs. The Model 700 is designed to work with the Model RXT-300 wireless gas detection system, which is a wireless Modbus replacement and links one master to one or more slaves.
Chemical Emergencies: Yesterday & Tomorrow
January 25, 2010 3:55 am | by Chris Cowles, Global Marketing Manager, SAFER Systems | Articles | CommentsOn Wednesday, December 9, 2009, there was an explosion at a chemical plant just outside of Houston in Pasadena, Texas, injuring two workers at the plant. You may not have heard about this because there was, very fortunately, no off-site toxic release or loss of lives from this tank explosion.
DuPont Idles Plants After Recent Series Of Accidents
January 25, 2010 3:44 am | News | CommentsCHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — State and county officials say DuPont is planning safety checks that are expected to temporarily idle most manufacturing at its Belle chemical plant. Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper and a spokesman for Gov. Joe Manchin confirmed DuPont's plans Saturday afternoon.
Bubble Wrap Now 'Over The Hill,' Still Fun As Ever
January 25, 2010 3:42 am | by David Porter, Associated Press Writer | News | CommentsSADDLE BROOK, N.J. (AP) — People have walked to the altar dressed in it, protected their garden plants with it, even put it on display at highbrow art museums. Mostly, they like the sound it makes when they destroy it, piece by piece, which largely explains the appeal of Bubble Wrap, the stress reducer disguised as package cushioning that maintains an inexplicable hold on pop culture.
More Melamine-Tainted Milk In China's QA Nightmare
January 25, 2010 3:38 am | News | CommentsBEIJING (AP) — Melamine-tainted dairy products were pulled from convenience store shelves in southern China more than a year after hundreds of thousands of children had been sickened in a massive milk safety scandal, a government spokeswoman said Monday. The announcement calls into question the effectiveness of a crackdown launched by Chinese officials to improve product safety after a number of scandals, including the contamination of baby formula in 2008 and the recent discovery of the toxic metal cadmium in cheap jewelry.
Chrysler's Ohio Stamping Plant Stays Alive 3 More Months
January 25, 2010 3:31 am | News | CommentsTWINSBURG, Ohio (AP) — Union leaders say Chrysler's stamping plant in Ohio will stay open until June 26, three months longer than the company had planned. Doug Rice, president of the United Auto Workers Local 122, said Friday that Chrysler wanted to build up a bank of parts and then close the plant in March, but rising steel prices delayed those plans.
