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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
Synthetic Lubricants, Training, Optimize Equipment Maintenance
January 14, 2005 8:14 am | CommentsGKN Aerospace's largest U.S. manufacturing site, based in St. Louis, is a 1.7 million sq.-ft. under roof, 76-acre campus. The facility specializes in designing and machining large frame aerospace structures, components, and assemblies for aircraft and aero engine manufacturers. It was purchased by GKN plc in January 2001 from Boeing, one of GKN Aerospace's largest customers.
Making the Case for Capital Expenditures
January 14, 2005 8:13 am | CommentsNew equipment will help you meet production requirements, but getting it means justifying a capital expense. Here's how to make that process a success. By Lloyd Morgan, Contributor In most modern organizations, everyone competes for the same pile of capital allocated for project work.
How to Avoid Pump Packing Failures
November 9, 2004 9:56 am | by Al Guizzetti, Product Specialist, W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. | CommentsWhen compression packing fails, the consequences can be devastating. Packing failure can cause pump damage, pump failure and unscheduled plant shutdowns, not to mention the cleanup effort. Considering the potential cost impact, keeping compression packing functioning properly may well be the most critical factor ensuring that the pump keeps working.
Dust-collection system improves recycling plant's air quality inside and out
November 9, 2004 9:13 am | CommentsDust collection from melt and holding furnaces had been an issue for the Alcan, Inc., beverage-can-recycling plant in Berea, KY. But the air inside the facility is now clean after a installing a CECOaire Fabric Dust Collector System in December 2003. The dust collector system was manufacured by CECO Environmental, a Cincinnati, OH-based maker of large-scale dust- and mist-collection systems.
Trends in Warehousing and Distribution
November 9, 2004 8:48 am | CommentsCompetition, customer demands and sophisticated tools like RFID are bringing new efficiencies to distribution operations that will benefit manufacturers at all levels. By Tom Singer, Contributor In the past decade, warehousing and distribution operations have had to cope with a variety of emerging business trends and forces.
Maintenance In High-Tech Industries
October 11, 2004 6:48 am | by Nancy Syverson, Managing Editor | CommentsTechnical innovation has created challenges in maintenance that high-tech manufacturers say can be as complex and costly as the manufacturing process itself. The world has come to expect marvels from high-tech manufacturing. Extraordinary advances in computers, instrumentation, digital cameras, medical devices and other areas enter the market daily, more powerful, smaller and less expensive than before.
Five Steps to Loading-Dock Door Selection
October 6, 2004 7:10 am | by Al Hochstein, Product Manager, Rite-Hite Doors, Inc. | CommentsWhile plant managers and other decision-makers are often surprised with the many developments in loading-dock doors, the selection process need not be challenging or time consuming. Here are five steps to help guide the door selection process, based on the goals of improved safety, increased productivity, lower maintenance costs and overall satisfaction.
Standardized Speed Reducers Help Cut Steelmaker's Costs
October 6, 2004 7:05 am | CommentsNucor-Yamato Steel Co. produces hot-rolled wide flange structural steel shapes, standard channel and miscellaneous channel shapes, car building shapes, H-piling and hot rolled steel sheet piling sections. The company has produced structural steel in Blytheville, AR, since its first mill opened in 1988.
Upgrades Improve Cement Plant’s Production, Safety
September 23, 2004 7:54 am | CommentsAn automated filler cuts as much as seven seconds from the time needed to produce one bag of cement. Rinker Materials Corp., West Palm Beach, FL, is one of the largest producers of bagged cement, ready-mix concrete and concrete block in the U.S. In order to increase productivity at its cement terminal in Port Everglades, FL, the company recently made changes that helped its packaging process run smoother and produce bags that were closer to target weight goals, while providing a safer environment for employees.
Making the PLC Internet-Ready
September 14, 2004 12:12 pm | by Mike Rothwell Director/Cincinnati Product Division Advantech Automation Group Cincinnati, OH | CommentsIs there any truth to the idea of Web-enabled automation? Is it possible to connect production and processing machinery by their PLCs to the Internet? More relevant, is it practical or profitable? The short answers: First, Internet access can provide compelling competitive advantages for linking manufacturers with service technicians, customers, suppliers and subcontractors.
The Manufacturing Extension Partnership: Help for Small Manufacturers
September 14, 2004 8:00 am | CommentsThe federal Manufacturing Extension Partnership program – MEP – is probably one of the most effective government programs out there. Designed specifically to help small and medium-sized manufacturers, MEP has worked with more than 184,000 firms in all 50 states and Puerto Rico since the program began in 1988.
Best Practices: FPI Thermoplastic Technologies: A Rebound With an MEP Assist
September 14, 2004 8:00 am | by Rick Carter, Editor-in-Chief | CommentsWhen this New Jersey-based injection suffered a critical loss of business, it turned to its state Manufacturing Extension Partnership program for help. Now the company is a competitor on the world market. Culture change can come in many forms. While it’s often driven by the need to improve poor production techniques or simply by new leadership, sometimes it takes place when a company learns the hard way that its business strategy is about to self-destruct.
A Guide to MIG Welding Success
August 12, 2004 10:11 am | by David Anderson, Manager, Hobart Welders, Appleton, WI | CommentsWhether your company wants to fabricate, modify or repair, investing in a welder and taking a welding course can provide an excellent return on investment. Many businesses have discovered that they can pay for a unit within two days. Additional good news is that you don't have to be a professional welder to achieve good results.
Battery Refill System Boosts Fork Lift Uptime
August 12, 2004 7:39 am | CommentsAtlas Cold Storage is a two-warehouse facility incorporating 402,350 sq. ft. of storage space in Hatfield, PA, 30 miles north of Philadelphia. Nationally branded makers of ice cream and other frozen food products warehouse their foods at Atlas until they are ready for shipment to retail outlets. Atlas' freezers are maintained at a constant temperature of -18 degrees Fahrenheit; loading docks and other areas remain about 35 degrees Fahrenheit.
The Plaza At PPL Center: A Study In Green
August 10, 2004 11:58 am | by Nancy Syverson, Managing Editor | CommentsIn January 2002, contractors broke ground on a 1.5-acre lot in downtown Allentown, PA, to construct an office building for PPL (Pennsylvania Power & Light) Corp.'s overflowing energy marketing and trading department. The proposed building would be only a few steps from the company's art-deco-style headquarters across the street, but miles apart in design.
