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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
The Challenge of Global Compliance
September 1, 2006 5:40 am | by Nancy Syverson, Managing Editor | CommentsNew international standards like RoHS and WEEE add to manufacturers’ already complex compliance responsibilities. The world of compliance just became more complicated. For U.S. manufacturers wishing to sell into the European Union, last month (July 1) marked the start date for the E.
Are You Learning From Your Bills Or Just Paying Them?
November 11, 2005 9:39 am | by Jeff Hart, CEO, Cadence Network, Inc. | CommentsBusiness Intelligence & Operational Expense Management Business intelligence. For too many, this seems like an oxymoron, but it does not have to be. Business intelligence strategies bring to the forefront critical understanding of significant amounts of data for companies, including large industrial manufacturers.
A Slice of Design Engineering
November 11, 2005 9:39 am | by Lisa Arrigo, Product Design & Development | CommentsUnique coupling provides solution for veneer production system Manufacturer Louis Merritt wrote in 1929 of the importance of designing machines that are simple yet modern. Responsible for several patents that led to the international demand for his company’s veneer lathes, Merritt worked with his father and brother to establish their company as a leading woodworking machinery manufacturer.
Competition Recognizes Die Cast Designs
November 11, 2005 9:39 am | CommentsThe North American Die Casting Association (NADCA) is conducting a special industry competition to promote cutting-edge die cast design. With its annual International Die Casting Competition, NADCA recognizes the outstanding casting designs of the year, based on their design, quality, cost savings, ingenuity, innovation and industry-changing potential.
SME Introduces New Lean Certification
November 11, 2005 9:39 am | CommentsA new Lean Certification has been established by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), the Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME), and The Shingo Prize. The new Lean Certification is intended to set an international standard for aligning Lean practices. According to a statement from SME, this is the only true professional Lean Certification on the market that is based on a public body of knowledge and not tied to any training program.
Autodesk Acquires ‘Engineer-to-Order’ Company
November 11, 2005 9:39 am | CommentsAutodesk, Inc. announced that it has acquired certain assets of Engineering Intent Corp., Waltham, MA. Engineering Intent provides "Engineer to Order" (ETO) software and services. The acquisition enables Autodesk to help its customers address the growing demand for mass customization — efficiently delivering end products uniquely designed and configured for individual customers.
House Approves Aerospace Workforce Legislation
November 11, 2005 9:39 am | CommentsThe U.S. House of Representatives passed an Aerospace Industry Association (AIA)-supported bill to create a federal inter-agency task force on aerospace workforce revitalization. The move is seen in some corners as a major step to addressing a looming critical shortage of engineers and other workers in the industry.
Agency Submittals Made Easy
November 11, 2005 9:39 am | CommentsBy Steve Rogers NRTLs (nationally recognized testing laboratories) offer companies the ability to secure third-party verification of product capabilities. These approvals can also be a wise marketing strategy since they allow products to be compared fairly and completely by potential customers. However, the process can be both costly and lengthy without organization and attention to detail.
Study Finds CDAS Systems Define Future Factory Automation
November 11, 2005 9:37 am | CommentsMost companies today are exposed to one of the most complex and diverse business environments in manufacturing history. With a globally distributed design/build process and supply chain, a demand-driven market, and the need for real-time collaboration and response across the manufacturing enterprise, companies are facing formidable challenges.
Should You Outsource Your Production Maintenance?
November 9, 2005 5:13 am | by Stephen C. Welch, Contributor | CommentsHere’s a guide to help you answer that question, and tips for what to do if the response is ‘yes.’ Outsourcing of IT maintenance is expected to grow as more manufacturers turn to computer-based production technologies. Many companies have been guilty of viewing production maintenance as a necessary evil or, at best, a cost that is difficult to isolate and control.
RFID: Coming to a Tool Crib Near You
June 16, 2005 6:42 am | by Don Kafka, President, ToolWatch Corp., Centennial, CO; and John Doherty, Product Manager, Bosch Digital Power Tools, Mt. Prospect, IL | CommentsKeeping the line moving at the tool crib has always been a problem. Without an efficient method for handling the congestion of workers waiting for the tools they need, it’s easy for employees to spend more time in that line than the company might like.
Best Practices: Goodrich Corp., Cargo Systems Division: Running Lean, Flying High
June 16, 2005 6:27 am | CommentsThis North Dakota-based maker of aircraft cargo systems believes its lean-based operating platform is the key to a bright future. By Rick Carter, Editor-in-Chief Of all industries hurt by 9/11, aerospace probably tops the list. Commercial carriers, airplane builders and suppliers all saw their business drop after that tragic day.
Match Lift Trucks to Your Operation and Operators
May 9, 2005 7:34 am | by Joe Ritter, Director of Marketing and Product Management, Crown Equipment Corp. | CommentsApplication and operators: These are the two things that should drive the decision of purchasing a lift truck, not acquisition cost. You need to know how well potential trucks are designed for your application. And you need to know how well they’re designed for operator confidence, productivity and safety. With the appropriate truck in the hands of a confident operator, productivity is optimized. And when that machine is built to last, you get the winning combination of high productivity, safety and low total cost of ownership.
Cut MRO Costs With Your Distributor’s Help
May 9, 2005 7:05 am | CommentsDistributors can help you cut MRO costs, says this expert, but only if you allow them. The strategy: customized, value-added support. By Mark Dancer, Contributor Distributors know the trap: Manufacturing customers demand high levels of support, but are increasingly unwilling to pay for the value-add.
Reusable Packaging Streamlines Supply, Cuts Waste
April 11, 2005 12:23 pm | by Samantha Goetz, Marketing Communications Manager, Orbis Corp | CommentsMaterials management is essential to better supply-chain performance. One way to improve the flow of product all along the supply chain is to use plastic reusable packaging. World-class companies like Ford, John Deere, Harley-Davidson, Tyson and others have already recognized the value of reusable packaging in moving their product faster, better, safer and more cost-effectively. A study conducted by Michigan State University, for example, noted that one U.S. automaker saved $10.9 million a year over a four-year period after a $16.3 million investment in reusable packaging.
