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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
Q&A: Streamlined Packing Designs
September 13, 2012 11:15 am | CommentsBosch Packaging Systems has injected over 100 years of industry experience into their advanced packaging lines with a unique, uniform design principle. The recent fruits of their single design philosophy were formally unveiled last year. To find out more, we spoke with Detlef Gottstein, the responsible product manager from Bosch Packaging Systems, and the company’s consultant Prof. Sigmar Willnauer, an expert in Industrial Design.
Moving Up In The World
September 13, 2012 10:41 am | by Anna Wells, Executive Editor, IMPO | CommentsFortunately for plant personnel, technology has improved over time to ensure that most winches, hoists, and cranes serve their purpose safely. However, advanced equipment technology isn’t the complete solution, and this critical area of material handling still requires some user know-how when it comes to accurate selection and maintenance.
A Manufacturing Opportunity
September 12, 2012 5:30 pm | CommentsIn the past decade, America has lost 6 million manufacturing jobs; yet today, 600,000 jobs can’t be filled in America because manufacturers can’t find people with the right skills. When Americans are asked how they would create a thousand new jobs in their communities with a new business facility, manufacturing is their first choice.
Power Up
September 12, 2012 5:19 pm | by Anna Wells, Executive Editor, IMPO | CommentsOften, it’s the liaison between intention and accomplishment on a plant floor – the power tool is the “doer,” and it gets more efficient and effective as the related technology supports its efforts. Oftentimes, power tools fix the mistakes the user could be making, especially when it comes to critical fastening issues relating to torque.
85 Years Young
September 12, 2012 5:05 pm | by Anna Wells, Executive Editor, IMPO | CommentsIn 1967, Grainger became a public company, and its stock was traded in the over-the-counter market. Today, Grainger stock is sold under the GWW symbol on the New York and Chicago stock exchanges. Now a common name in any manufacturing plant you might set foot in, Grainger has expanded its product line over time to include one million+ products, along with a services business that adds a strategic value function for customers.
TIG Welding Austenitic Stainless Steel
September 12, 2012 4:53 pm | by Brent Williams, Technical Contributor, Weldcraft | CommentsWhether it is being used for chemical processing equipment, heat exchangers, or in food and beverage processing, austenitic stainless steel (also called 300 series stainless steel) has become an increasingly common material across multiple industries. This is due, in part, to the material’s corrosion resistance and its relatively high tensile strength.
A Clean Sweep
September 12, 2012 4:44 pm | by Lindsey Coblentz, Associate Editor, Food Manufacturing | CommentsEquipment plays an essential role in modern food production, and an effective and reliable cleaning regime is integral to maintaining optimum equipment function. Just as processing equipment continues to become more automated, so do the methods responsible for cleaning it.
Quality On The Rise
September 12, 2012 4:30 pm | CommentsFounded in 1886 by an Italian immigrant, Gonnella Baking Company can trace its roots back to a humble beginning on DeKoven Street in what is now Chicago’s famed Loop neighborhood. Still family-owned, Gonnella Baking Company now employs the family’s fourth generation. The company provides all major Chicago grocery chains with daily fresh bread deliveries, but the company’s real bread and butter is its contract baking business.
Making It In America
September 12, 2012 4:07 pm | by Rachel Leisemann Immel, Associate Editor, IMPO | CommentsFor 89 years, Alliance Rubber Company has been manufacturing a product that, besides paper, may have more uses than any other item on earth: the rubber band. Dedicated to “holding your world together,” the company has grown into a global leader and established itself as an innovative, American manufacturer.
Price Fixing and Other Horizontal Agreements
September 12, 2012 8:07 am | by Roberta F. Howell, Partner, Foley & Lardner LLP | CommentsHorizontal price-fixing occurs when two or more competitors conspire to set prices, price levels, or price-related terms for their goods or services. With very limited exceptions, price-fixing is per se illegal, regardless of its reasonableness or actual effect on competition. As a result, price-fixing is serious business.
Providing The Proper Workbench, Part 1
September 12, 2012 8:00 am | by Jim Norton, Custom Products & Services, Inc. | CommentsIn today’s electronic assembly environments, it very important that your workstations meet the needs of the technician and the work being performed, along with the flexibility to change, add, or reconfigure as your processes change. Considering the wide variety of workbench choices available on the market, it can often be a daunting task to configure them to meet all of your requirements.
To Cloud Or Not?
September 11, 2012 8:08 am | by Don Lyman, CEO, Docassist | CommentsAccording to the July 2012 IDC Manufacturing Insights report, “Business Strategy: Cloud Computing in Manufacturing”, 22 percent of manufacturers worldwide have already implemented cloud-based computing systems, and an additional 45 percent of those surveyed are actively evaluating cloud deployments to replace internally-managed IT infrastructures over the next 24 months.
Pricing Issues And Federal Antitrust Law
September 11, 2012 8:07 am | by Roberta F. Howell, Partner, Foley & Lardner LLP | CommentsMention antitrust law to a small business (or even medium business) owner and expect to see eyes glaze over. But antitrust law is an area of law where ignorance is definitely not bliss. Antitrust laws are the “traffic laws for business”. Just like the rules of the road, antitrust law tells business what is lawful competition (“green lights”), what is unlawful competition (“red lights”), and what falls in between (“yellow lights”).
ISM: Manufacturing Activity Contracts Again
September 10, 2012 8:07 am | by Mike Schmidt. Associate Editor, Manufacturing Business Technology | CommentsIt’s been a tough few months for U.S. manufacturing, and it could be more of the same for at least the rest of 2012. While overall economy grew for the 39th consecutive month in August, economic activity in the manufacturing sector contracted in August for the third time since July 2009, according to the latest Manufacturing ISM Report On Business.
Small, Medium-Sized Manufacturers Project Strong Second Half 2012
September 7, 2012 9:39 am | by Prime Advantage | CommentsPrime Advantage has announced the findings of its tenth semi-annual Group Outlook Survey, revealing projections and top concerns of its member companies for the second half of 2012. The majority of surveyed manufacturers report healthy revenue projections, strong hiring, and capital spending plans. However, for a small portion of respondents these plans may see delays due to uncertainty about the results of the federal elections.
