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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
Going Under The Knife
December 7, 2009 11:45 am | by Anna Wells, Editor and Joel Hans, Associate Editor | Articles | CommentsPerhaps it’s a dramatic interpretation, but we are talking about life and death here. Based in Cambridge, MA, OmniGuide Inc. designs and manufactures the world’s most precise optical laser scalpels. Dedicated to expanding the reach of minimally invasive surgery, OmniGuide brings to surgeons the precision of CO2 laser surgery, enabling precision surgery around intricate anatomy and near critical structures.
The Death of 'American-Made'
December 7, 2009 6:34 am | by by Joel Hans, Associate Editor, IMPO | Blogs | CommentsWe live in a time of a globalized economy—no one knows this better than those in manufacturing. With competition literally rising from the smoke stacks in China and India, among a bevy of other countries, there is no doubt that most of what’s sold in America is longer made here.
Reduce Hand Injuries With Beefy Gloves
December 7, 2009 6:05 am | Product Releases | CommentsWest Chester Holdings, Inc. (Monroe, OH) introduces the New ProSeries R3 heavy-duty gloves for demanding industrial applications, designed with safety in mind in order to reduce recordable hand injuries. The R-series reduce hand fatigue while providing critical protection through a synthetic leather palm, which provides oil resistance, breathability, and comfort.
Access Doors, Toughened Up
December 7, 2009 6:04 am | Product Releases | CommentsThe Type J-AL aluminum access doors from The Bilco Company (New Haven, CT) are now available with stainless steel hardware, enhancing the corrosion-resistance of the product, according to the company. The Type J-AL doors provide access to underground areas, including water treatment facilities, with a single- or double-leaf design with reinforcement for 300 PSF or H-20 loading conditions.
Automate Anything, Even Productivity
December 7, 2009 6:04 am | Product Releases | CommentsThe Productivity3000 Programmable Automation Controller is the newest generation of industrial controllers from AutomationDirect (Cumming, GA), and consists of a modular, rack-based system of up to 116,000 I/O points with local, expansion, and remote I/O bases, along with a full lineup of discrete, analog, and specialty I/O modules.
Heavy-Duty Die Grinders
December 7, 2009 6:03 am | Product Releases | CommentsDynabrade, Inc. (Clarence, NY) has introduced a new series of air-powered Die Grinders, which feature high-quality steel housings ideal for heavy-duty applications. The grinders are available with either 0.5 or 0.7 hp air motors, and each tool features a rubber grip housing to insulate the operator from vibration and cold air transmission.
Preserve, Protect, Prosper: Packaging Sustainability
December 7, 2009 5:42 am | by Rush LaSelle, director of worldwide sales and marketing for Adept Technology, Inc. | Articles | CommentsOur world’s need to preserve resources for the future means the packaging industry’s ultimate goal is achieving packaging sustainability. Packaging sustainability balances economic prosperity with social responsibility, and packagers must find ways to preserve resources by minimizing environmental impact, energy consumption, and scrap by adopting new environmentally-friendly packaging.
Arizona Lands $42 Million In Combat Body Armor Contracts
December 7, 2009 3:48 am | News | CommentsPHOENIX (AP) — Two Phoenix-area manufacturers could pick up as much as $42 million in new military body-armor plate orders from the U.S. Department of Defense. The Pentagon announced this week it will buy hard-armor plates that fit inside soldiers' vests from Chandler-based ArmorWorks Enterprises and Rockville, Md.
Drugmakers To Cough Up More For Health Care Overhaul
December 7, 2009 3:43 am | by Alan Fram, Associated Press Writer | News | CommentsWASHINGTON (AP) — The pharmaceutical industry may have to cough up more than the $80 billion it agreed to contribute to President Barack Obama's health overhaul effort, reflecting pressure from Democrats and their supporters for more money to cover older and low-income people. Obama and congressional Democrats want the drug industry to remain a crucial ally in the health care fight because of its deep pockets and influence in states where it is a large employer, including New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Indiana.
Salmonella: It's What's For Dinner
December 7, 2009 3:38 am | News | CommentsFRESNO, Calif. (AP) — A company based in California is recalling some of its beef products because of concerns about possible salmonella contamination. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service says Fresno-based Beef Packers Inc. is pulling about 22,723 pounds of ground beef that may be linked to salmonellosis.
Tata Group Releases 'Clean,' Cheap Water Purifier
December 7, 2009 3:33 am | by Erika Kinetz, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsMUMBAI, India (AP) — At about two feet tall, it may turn out to be the world's most compact revolution: The Tata Swach, launched Monday, is a water purifier priced for the masses, which India's Tata Group hopes will help save the lives of millions of people who die each year of waterborne diseases.
Celgene Buys Gloucester Pharma For Cancer Drugs
December 7, 2009 3:28 am | News | CommentsNEW YORK (AP) — Biotechnology company Celgene Corp. said Monday it will buy privately held Gloucester Pharmaceuticals Inc. for $640 million, getting access to key cancer drugs. The deal includes $340 million in cash upfront and $300 million in future regulatory milestone payments. Gloucester, headquartered in Cambridge, Mass.
Virgin Galactic To Unveil Passenger Spacecraft
December 7, 2009 3:24 am | by Alicia Chang, AP Science Writer | News | CommentsLOS ANGELES (AP) — After five years of secret construction, the cloak is coming off a privately funded spacecraft designed to fly well-heeled tourists into space. The long-awaited glimpse of SpaceShipTwo, slated for rollout Monday in the Mojave Desert, could not come sooner for the scores of wannabe astronauts who have forked over part of their disposable income for the chance to float in zero gravity.
Prevent Slip-Ups With A Slip Clutch
December 4, 2009 11:22 am | Articles | CommentsPreviously, a prominent food manufacturer was unable to run one of its production lines at its rated capacity because of difficulty in managing drive chain slack that affected indexing. The line handles rectangular packages weighing about 10 pounds each. Each item moves down the conveyor straightaway on its narrow side, but as it is picked up and indexed, it needs to be moved along its length.
Tiny Tools Key To Understanding Aerosol Dangers
December 4, 2009 11:10 am | by Fred J. Brechtel, Ph.D., Vice President, Brechtel Manufacturing Inc. | Articles | CommentsParticles thousands of times smaller than the diameter of a human hair transform materials, micro-sensors, and energy-producing processes. And they can also severely pollute air quality and the integrity of technology products, like integrated circuits. Airborne aerosols in the air we breathe can damage our health, especially particles containing trace amounts of metals — largely from burning fuel — can wreak havoc on our nervous systems.
