Plant Operations/Management
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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
Toyota Tops Latest Consumer Reports Survey
October 29, 2012 2:22 pm | by Dee-Ann Durbin, AP Auto Writer | News | CommentsJapanese brands took seven of the top 10 spots in Consumer Reports' annual reliability rankings, pushing aside their U.S. and European rivals. Toyota Motor Co.'s Scion, Lexus and Toyota brands took the top three spots and the Toyota Prius C, a subcompact hybrid, got the best overall score. Mazda, Subaru and Honda were close behind.
Contracts Show Lake Charles Plant Moving
October 29, 2012 2:18 pm | by Jeff Amy, Associated Press | News | CommentsA $2.5 billion chemical plant may be getting closer to reality in Lake Charles. Leucadia National Corp. said Monday that it's signed contracts to sell methanol, hydrogen and carbon dioxide from a plant that would convert an oil refinery byproduct called petroleum coke.
Toyota Headed To Record Global Sales
October 29, 2012 10:11 am | by Yuri Kageyama, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsToyota is shrugging off a sales plunge in China set off by a territorial dispute and says it is headed to a record year on the back of strong growth in the rest of Asia and the U.S. Toyota Motor Corp. Executive VP Funo acknowledged that achieving the company's target of 9.76M vehicle sales this year will be harder because of the problems in China.
Chinese Protest Factory Even After Official Pledge
October 29, 2012 10:10 am | by Gillian Wong, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe past week's chemical-plant protests reached an unruly crescendo over the weekend, when thousands of people marched through prosperous Ningbo city, clashing with police at times. The city government gave in Sunday and agreed to halt the plant's expansion. Even so, the protesters did not back down, staying outside city government offices hours after the concession.
Isuzu Opens 2nd Factory In Thailand
October 29, 2012 10:06 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsJapan's Isuzu Motors Ltd. on Monday opened a new plant in eastern Thailand to meet increasing demand for its pickup trucks locally and abroad. The new $211 million plant is located in the Gateway Industrial Estate in Chachoengsao, 160 kilometers east of Bangkok, and is the automaker's second after its Samrong plant in Samut Prakan outside the capital.
Electrical Equipment Precautions For Hurricane Sandy
October 29, 2012 8:15 am | by Schneider Electric | News | CommentsElectrical equipment that has been submerged or comes into contact with water must be replaced, though there are exceptions to this rule for larger equipment, which may be able to be reconditioned. Equipment should be inspected carefully by a qualified person to determine whether moisture has entered the enclosure. If any signs of moisture or damage exist, the equipment should be replaced or repaired.
The New Paradigm: Lean, Automate, Differentiate
October 29, 2012 8:14 am | by Joel Hans, Managing Editor, Manufacturing.net | Articles | CommentsFresh out of college with a manufacturing engineering degree, Duncan believed that he could revolutionize the furniture industry by eschewing old-line manufacturing processes and focusing on Lean and burgeoning technology. He incorporated American Leather in 1990 with a simple-but-bold premise: He would make custom leather furniture and get it out the door in less than 30 days.
Boeing Touts Outsourcing For Suppliers To Mexico
October 26, 2012 2:01 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsBoeing is encouraging its suppliers to attend a workshop next month to learn how to outsource business to Mexico. The Seattle Times reports that Patrick McKenna, director of Supply Chain Strategy and Supplier Management at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, has urged suppliers to attend a Nov. 15 workshop in Chicago to learn how to do business in Mexico.
Toyota Marks A Year At Mississippi Assembly Plant
October 26, 2012 10:34 am | by Jeff Amy, Associated Press | News | CommentsOnce every 85 seconds, or about 600 times a day, a newly assembled Toyota Corolla pulls away from the end of the assembly line in Union County. That's the best proof, Toyota officials say, that they're achieving their goals at the north Mississippi plant, which marks its first anniversary this week.
New Machinery Ready At Steelmaker Gerdau's Plant
October 24, 2012 2:21 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsSteelmaker Gerdau is unveiling new machinery at a Michigan steel facility as part of the company's ongoing expansion. The company on Wednesday is marking the completion of construction of a continuous caster at its North American special steel facility in Monroe, about 35 miles southwest of Detroit.
Ford Closes Belgian Plant In 2014; 9,500 Jobs Hit
October 24, 2012 10:31 am | by Raf Casert, Associated Press | News | CommentsFord will close a car plant in Belgium — one of its main European factories — by the end of 2014, a move that will result in 4,500 direct job losses and 5,000 more among subcontractors. Half a century after construction on the Genk plant started, Ford told a management council there that production was winding down since slumping European sales has forced a restructuring of its plants.
Volkswagen Mulls New SUV For North America
October 24, 2012 10:28 am | by Erik Schelzig, Associated Press | News | CommentsGerman automaker Volkswagen AG is considering the introduction of a new midsize SUV for the North American market, and its existing Tennessee plant is a contender for building it. VW CEO Martin Winterkorn told reporters in New York on Tuesday that a decision on whether to build the new model will be made soon, but probably not before the end of the year.
Dow Chemical To Slash 2,400 Jobs, Close 20 Plants
October 24, 2012 10:26 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThe Dow Chemical Co. will eliminate about 2,400 jobs and close roughly 20 manufacturing facilities as part of a restructuring plan aimed at coping with slowing economic growth in Europe and elsewhere. The manufacturing giant said Tuesday that the job cuts amount to 5 percent of the company's workforce worldwide.
GM To Share Vehicle Projects With Peugeot
October 24, 2012 10:23 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsGeneral Motors is saying more about the kind of cars it will build as part of its alliance with France's PSA Peugeot Citroen. The companies said they'll develop a joint program that will make a small van for GM's Opel and Vauxhall brands and serve as the basis for a compact crossover vehicle for Peugeot.
Ally To Sell Canada Auto Finance Operations
October 23, 2012 11:36 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsAlly Financial Inc., the former finance arm of General Motors that was bailed out by the U.S. government, is selling its Canadian auto finance unit to Royal Bank of Canada for $4.1 billion. The deal, expected to close early next year, is part of Ally's plan to accelerate repayment of the $17.2 billion bailout, but it was unclear Tuesday exactly when the government would get more money.
Nothing Run-Of-The-Mill For Tool And Instrument Manufacturer
October 22, 2012 8:12 am | by Edgecam | Articles | CommentsOperating in a “niche within a niche” is how the managing director of a tool maker and manufacturer of precision scientific instruments – some of which are currently operating in space, one-and-a-half-million kilometres away from Earth – describes his company.
Corvette Production Idled For 6 Months In KY
October 19, 2012 2:19 pm | by Bruce Schreiner, Associated Press | News | CommentsGeneral Motors plans to idle Corvette production in Kentucky for six months to prepare for the next generation of the iconic sports car. The automaker laid out its schedule Thursday for revamping its assembly plant in Bowling Green for the all-new 2014 model. Production will halt sometime in February to make way for retooling, renovating the body shop and retraining employees, GM spokesman Monte Doran said.
Hawker Beechcraft Sale To Chinese Firm Collapses
October 18, 2012 2:25 pm | by Roxana Hegeman, Associated Press | News | CommentsTalks to sell Hawker Beechcraft's operations to China's Superior Aviation Beijing Co. have collapsed and the Wichita plane maker said Thursday that it now plans to emerge from bankruptcy protection as a slimmed down company in the first quarter of 2013.
Satcon Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection
October 17, 2012 2:22 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsSatcon Technology Corp. on Wednesday filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection following years of financial struggles and a severe downturn in the solar power industry. Steve Rhoades, Satcon's president and CEO, said that after considering its alternatives, the company's board decided that the Chapter 11 filings were a "necessary and prudent step" that would allow the company to continue to operate while it reorganizes.
MI-Based Dennen Steel Opens Plant In MS
October 17, 2012 10:22 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsDennen Steel Corp. has opened its new manufacturing facility in the northeastern corner of Mississippi. Gov. Phil Bryant was among those attending a ceremony Tuesday at the 50,000-square-foot plant at Yellow Creek Port in Iuka. Workers will turn slit steel coils into precision stampings, fabricated metal parts and assemblies.
Hillenbrand To Buy German Firm For $300M
October 16, 2012 2:36 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsHillenbrand Inc. on Tuesday said it will acquire Germany's Coperion Capital GmbH for 232 euros, or about $300 million, expanding Hillenbrand's industrial products operations as the company diversifies beyond its traditional business making burial caskets.
Battery Maker A123 Files For Bankruptcy Protection
October 16, 2012 10:24 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThe U.S. operations of electric car battery maker A123 Systems filed for bankruptcy protection and its automotive assets are being acquired by Johnson Controls for $125 million. The announcement Tuesday comes one day after A123 warned in a regulatory filing that it likely would miss some debt payments and could be headed for bankruptcy court.
Ribbon Cutting Held For WV Gestamp Plant
October 15, 2012 2:30 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsInternational auto parts company Gestamp has cut the ribbon for its new plant in South Charleston. A dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the plant Monday. The plant is located at the former South Charleston Stamping and Manufacturing Plant. Gestamp is an international company based in Spain.
Fiat Industrial: CNH Rejects Merger Proposal
October 15, 2012 10:05 am | by Colleen Barry, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsU.S. farm and industrial vehicle group CNH has rejected a merger proposal from its parent, Fiat Industrial, the Italian company said in a statement Monday. Fiat Industrial, which already owns 88 percent of CNH, said in a statement that it has asked to meet with the U.S. group's advisers to see if they can reach agreement on revised terms "within the next several weeks" to salvage the deal.
Wichita Group To Meet With Potential Hawker Buyer
October 11, 2012 2:08 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsA Wichita delegation plans to meet with the potential buyer of Hawker Beechcraft during a five-city business development trip to China. Mayor Carl Brewer wants to ask Superior Aviation Beijing whether the work and employees will remain in Wichita, should the deal go through.
