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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
Mercedes-Benz Recalls 85,000 For Power Steering Failures
October 11, 2010 4:51 am | CommentsWASHINGTON (AP) — Mercedes-Benz is recalling about 85,000 of its 2010 and 2011 cars because of potential steering problems. The luxury automaker said in a report to federal regulators that the steering systems in the cars "may fail due to the loss of power steering fluid." Mercedes-Benz said that if that happens, drivers "may not have sufficient control of the vehicle .
Google Quietly Road-Testing Cars That Drive Themselves
October 11, 2010 4:49 am | by Daniel Wagner, AP Business Writer | CommentsWASHINGTON (AP) — Google Inc. is road-testing cars that steer, stop and start without a human driver, the company says. The goal is to "help prevent traffic accidents, free up people's time and reduce carbon emissions" through ride sharing and "the new 'highway trains of tomorrow,'" project leader Sebastian Thrun wrote Saturday on Google's corporate blog.
Hungarian Plant Apologizes For Sludge Spill, Expects Another
October 11, 2010 4:48 am | by Pablo Gorondi, Associated Press Writer | CommentsKOLONTAR, Hungary (AP) — The owners of the metals plant whose reservoir burst, flooding several towns in western Hungary with caustic red sludge, expressed their condolences Sunday to the families of the seven people killed, as well as to those injured — and said they were sorry for not having done so sooner.
Many Unemployed No Longer Qualify For Old Jobs
October 11, 2010 4:47 am | by Christopher S. Rugaber, AP Economics Writer | CommentsWASHINGTON (AP) — The jobs crisis has brought an unwelcome discovery for many unemployed Americans: Job openings in their old fields exist. Yet they no longer qualify for them. They're running into a trend that took root during the recession. Companies became more productive by doing more with fewer workers.
Georgia Carpet-Maker Closes, Cutting 192 Jobs
October 8, 2010 4:41 am | CommentsROYSTON, Ga. (AP) — Beaulieu of America says it's closing its carpet fiber plant in Royston next month, eliminating 192 jobs. Beaulieu, which is based in Dalton, plans to stop production Nov. 26 at the Royston plant, where spun yarn is manufactured. The plant ranks among Franklin County's 10 largest employers.
Siemens Opens $50 Million Kan. Wind Turbine Plant
October 8, 2010 4:40 am | CommentsHUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — Hutchinson is getting in on the wind turbine business as Siemens Energy starts production at a new $50 million plant in the city. Plant Manager Claus Ungstrup says the facility already has enough orders to keep it busy through 2011. It makes 2.3-megawatt wind turbine nacelles, the housings that include the generator, transformer and gearbox.
Transocean To Pay $4 Million To Brain-Damaged Worker
October 8, 2010 4:37 am | CommentsLAFAYETTE, La. (AP) — A federal jury has ordered Transocean to pay more than $4 million in damages to an oilfield worker injured in an offshore rig accident. The judgment entered Tuesday capped a trial for the lawsuit that 32-year-old Dan Averette filed over the July 14, 2007, accident aboard the Amirante, a rig owned by Transocean Enterprise Inc.
Official: China Will Not Use Rare Metals As 'Bargaining Chip'
October 8, 2010 4:36 am | by Elaine Kurtenbach, AP Business Writer | CommentsSHANGHAI (AP) — China is not using its control over supplies of rare earth — exotic metals crucial in advanced manufacturing — as a diplomatic "bargaining chip," state media quoted Premier Wen Jiabao as saying during a visit to Europe. Recent reports that Beijing had temporarily suspended shipments to Japan of the metallic elements, used in computer disk drives, hybrid car components and other high-tech products, has drawn attention to China's near monopoly on the materials.
Africa's Cocoa Industry Still Supported By Child Trafficking
October 8, 2010 4:33 am | by Marco Chown Oved, Associated Press Writer | CommentsABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) — West Africa's cocoa industry is still trafficking children and using forced child labor despite nearly a decade of efforts to eliminate the practices, according to an independent audit published by Tulane University. A U.S.-sponsored solution called the Harkin-Engel Protocol was signed in 2001 by cocoa industry members to identify and eliminate cocoa grown using forced child labor.
GM, UAW Reach Wage-Cutting Deal At Small Car Plant
October 8, 2010 4:32 am | by Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer | CommentsORION TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — General Motors and the United Auto Workers have reached a cost-cutting deal that could help accomplish what once seemed impossible: Making a profit on small cars built in the United States. The deal, announced Thursday, could cut in half the hourly wage of some longtime UAW workers at a factory in Orion Township, Mich.
Criminal Negligence Case Opened For Toxic Sludge Avalanche
October 6, 2010 4:58 am | by Bela Szandelszky and Pablo Gorondi, Associated Press Writers | CommentsKOLONTAR, Hungary (AP) — Police say Hungary's top investigative agency is taking over the inquiry into the toxic sludge reservoir that burst, flooding several towns in western Hungary and killing at least four people. Police spokeswoman Monika Benyi tells The Associated Press that the decision Wednesday by National Police Chief Jozsef Hatala reflects the importance and complexity of the sludge disaster.
Geithner: Yuan Undervaluation Hurting U.S. Manufacturers
October 6, 2010 4:48 am | by Martin Crutsinger, AP Economics Writer | CommentsWASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner stepped up pressure on China to make more progress in moving toward flexible exchange rates. Geithner said Wednesday that it is particularly important to see appreciation in countries where the currency is significantly undervalued. Geithner never mentioned China, but the speech was clearly aimed at the world's second-largest economy.
Majority Of 6,000 Kan. Beechcraft Jobs Saved By Gov.
October 6, 2010 4:41 am | by John Milburn, Associated Press Writer | CommentsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An agreement has been reached that could keep "the vast majority" of the Hawker Beechcraft general aviation jobs in the Wichita, Gov. Mark Parkinson said late Tuesday. Parkinson said he brokered a "long-term deal" with the company and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union.
Mother Sues Bayer Over Son's Chemical Exposure Death
October 6, 2010 4:39 am | CommentsCHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — The mother of a West Virginia State University student is suing Bayer CropScience and the school over her son's death in 2008. Portia Gray's lawsuit claims her 19-year-old son, Ra'Sean Gray, died as a result of exposure to substances released during an explosion at Bayer's Institute plant.
Frito-Lay To Pull Noisy, Biodegradable SunChips Bags
October 6, 2010 4:37 am | by Emily Fredrix, AP Retail Writer | CommentsNEW YORK (AP) — Frito-Lay hopes to quiet complaints about its noisy SunChips bags by switching out the biodegradable bags for the old packaging on most flavors. The company is switching back to original packaging, which is made of a type of plastic, for five of the six varieties of the chips.
