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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
Be A Square
November 9, 2009 10:25 am | Product Releases | CommentsPinpoint Laser Systems (Peabody, MA) introduces a new right 90-Line Square Plane, ideal for squaring machinery and equipment, setting up presses, checking machine tools, aligning guide rails, among other uses. The 90-Line Square Plane is designed to be placed in the path of a laser reference beam to form a precise right angle for checking alignment.
Greenwashing — I've Been Had
November 9, 2009 6:56 am | by by Carrie Ellis, Editor, Chem.Info | Blogs | CommentsThere aren’t many feelings worse than that of being duped, especially if you have an elevated estimation of your own intellectual powers. (I tested at 29 on my ACT exam, I swear.) Most of the time, I like to think that I’m pretty shrewd when it comes to marketing schemes and statistics being twisted by the most keen of spin doctors, distinctly because as an editor — trust me — I’ve seen it all.
Obama Visiting Asia To Ease Trade Tensions
November 9, 2009 4:00 am | by Charles Hutzler, Associated Press Writer | News | CommentsBEIJING (AP) — Days after coming to power in September, Japan's new prime minister broached forming a new East Asian trading bloc with rival China — one that would exclude the United States. Some in Washington took it as a snub from the nation that has been America's rock in Asia for decades.
Cadbury Rejects Another Hostile Bid From Kraft
November 9, 2009 3:50 am | by Jane Wardell, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsLONDON (AP) — Kraft Foods Inc. launched a 9.8 billion pound ($16.4 billion) hostile bid for Cadbury PLC on Monday — refusing to sweeten a previous offer rejected by the British candy maker. The terms of the cash-and-stock approach were left unchanged, effectively representing a lower offer for Cadbury investors because of a shift in share prices of both companies.
GM Rumored To Invest $100 Million In Ontario Plant
November 9, 2009 3:41 am | News | CommentsTORONTO (CP) — General Motors Co. will reportedly invest nearly $100 million to increase production at an assembly plant in Ingersoll, Ont. Sources tell the Globe and Mail the upgrade to Cami Automotive Inc. will be announced today at the facility in southwestern Ontario. The investment is designed to boost output of the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain crossover utility vehicles.
Chinese Car Sales Leave U.S. In The Dust
November 9, 2009 3:34 am | News | CommentsBEIJING (AP) — Powered by tax cuts and stimulus spending, China's October auto sales soared 72 percent from a year earlier, outpacing U.S. sales for another month, according to data reported Monday. Automakers sold a total of 1.2 million cars and trucks, the government-sanctioned China Association of Auto Manufacturers announced.
General Dynamics To Build Military Vehicles In Michigan
November 9, 2009 3:29 am | News | CommentsSTERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. (AP) — General Dynamics Corp. ( NYSE:GD ) is building a Detroit-area center it says will speed the design and construction of new military land vehicles. General Dynamics Land Systems holds a groundbreaking ceremony Monday in Sterling Heights, where the division is headquartered.
Sturgis, S.D. To Get More Guns, Workers
November 9, 2009 3:13 am | News | CommentsSTURGIS, S.D. (AP) — As many as 30 new jobs are coming to the South Dakota town of Sturgis. California-based Bar-Sto Precision Machine Co. has announced plans to open a new facility on the south end of the Sturgis industrial park. The Bar-Sto plant will manufacture precision gun barrels for most of the handguns in use today by law enforcement agencies, as well as by competitive shooters.
Toyota Workers Complain Over Anti-Union Policies
November 9, 2009 3:12 am | News | CommentsBUFFALO, W.Va. (AP) — Workers at the Toyota Motor Corp. ( NYSE:TM ) plant in Buffalo have filed a grievance with the National Labor Relations Board, saying they're being denied the right to pass out union literature. The complaint was filed Friday at the federal agency's regional office in Cincinnati.
Don't Screw It Up
November 6, 2009 11:17 am | by David Mantey, Editor, PD&D | Articles | CommentsIn the latest Electronic CEO Fireside chat, Steve Schott, President of Comark discusses some of the landmark projects he has had an intricate role in — from aircraft carriers to engine monitors for the Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC). PD&D Design Daily: You’re coming up on your 6th year as president of Comark, what has been the most memorable moment thus far? Steve Schott: My first visit to a pork processing plant.
Clorox's Preemptive Strike
November 6, 2009 11:00 am | by by Luke Simpson, Associate Editor, Chem.Info | Blogs | CommentsNovember 9, 2009 Clorox isn’t waiting around for new chemical security legislation to take effect. And according to opensecrets.org , the company has not hired any lobbyists in 2009 to convince politicians that transporting and storing large amounts of chlorine is safe.
Network Meshing
November 6, 2009 10:43 am | Product Releases | CommentsDetcon (The Woodlands, TX) has released the Model RXT-300 wireless mesh-network transceiver, designed to transmit signal data in a wide range of industrial applications. The transceiver operates at 2.4GHz, and processing power is shared, allowing each transceiver to act as both a router and repeater.
Protect Your Conduits
November 6, 2009 10:42 am | Product Releases | CommentsThe OCAL-BLUE Form 8 PVC-coated cast-iron conduit body from Thomas & Betts (Memphis, TN) now carries the UL Type 4X and NEMA Type 4X ratings on sizes up to two inches. These ratings assure conduit protection and corrosion-resistant performance in wash-down areas and outdoor environments.
Modular, Custom Machining
November 6, 2009 10:41 am | Product Releases | CommentsMAG (Sterling Heights, MI) has redesigned its modular HMC 1250 Series machining tool with a new 180,000 position A-axis tilt spindle for 5-axis horizontal machining on large parts. The new 6,000 rpm/ 46 kW tilt spindle is engineered for machining large equipment parts for aerospace, pump, or valve applications.
Breaking Up Is Easy
November 6, 2009 10:41 am | Product Releases | CommentsEriez (Erie, PA) is introducing the PolyMag Process, which provides multi-material plastic processors with material savings by creating a material that incorporates separation characteristics into the design. By introducing less than one percent of the PolyMag Additive, the leftover scrap resin from co-injection, two-shot injection, or overmolding processes can be separated with high-intensity magnets.


