Plant Operations/Management
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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
Being There
July 13, 2012 8:16 am | by Bruce Hamilton, Founder, OldLeanDude.org | Blogs | CommentsI’m an enthusiastic user of information automation, but it’s not so interwoven into my life that I would think that “going to the floor” could imply such third-order observation as staring at a computer screen.
Konecranes Assists Ludington Pumped Storage Plant
July 13, 2012 8:10 am | by Konecranes | Articles | CommentsKonecranes has been selected to supply two 410-ton gantry cranes integral to an $800 million USD maintenance and upgrade project at the Ludington Pumped Storage Plant in Ludington, Mich.
The M-Word: What is This Stuff Called Industrial Marketing?
July 12, 2012 4:57 pm | by Mike Collins, Author, Saving American Manufacturing | Articles | CommentsThe definitions and interpretation of marketing are all over the map, and many people have many different ideas for what Industrial marketing really is.
Industrial Fans: Saving People, Product, Power
July 12, 2012 4:49 pm | by Rachel Leisemann Immel, Associate Editor, IMPO | Articles | CommentsIndustrial fans, long-lasting and energy efficient, have proven an integral component of worker comfort, productivity, and energy savings.
A New Kind Of Intelligence
July 12, 2012 4:28 pm | by Anna Wells, Executive Editor, IMPO | Articles | CommentsOur third annual iteration of the IMPO Energy Intelligence Report has followed an industry all the more hungry for cost savings. As industrial manufacturers work to propel their businesses forward, they must choose between investing in the equipment they need, or falling behind in the face of fierce domestic and global competition.
Unloading New Loading Dock Solutions
July 12, 2012 4:17 pm | by Rachel Leisemann Immel, Associate Editor, IMPO | Articles | CommentsThe loading dock: an essential yet often overlooked link in the supply chain.
Connecting The Dots: Legacy Knowledge Is Key
July 12, 2012 3:42 pm | by Julie Dolan, SSOE Group | Articles | CommentsFor a Fortune 500 corporation, a successful engineering project depends on local managers’ legacy knowledge and insights into plant operations, the corporation’s vision, and key project performance metrics as they change over time.
Environmental Impact
July 12, 2012 3:35 pm | by Joel Hans, Managing Editor, Manufacturing.net | Articles | CommentsWausau, WI-based Linetec is an architectural finishing company that takes seriously its delicate relationship with its state’s natural beauty.
How Cheap Is This Breakfast?
July 12, 2012 3:21 pm | by Anna Wells, Editor, IMPO | Blogs | CommentsEven when pointing to the characteristics (or price) of your product, never assume that these “benefits” are a no brainer.
Opel CEO Stracke Resigns In Middle Of Turnaround
July 12, 2012 2:21 pm | by David McHugh, Tom Krisher, AP Business Writers | News | CommentsThe CEO of General Motors' loss-making European business abruptly stepped down on Thursday, a sign that the automaker's top management wants to speed up what has been a slow-moving restructuring plan.
Gregoire Holds Talks With Boeing Rival Airbus
July 12, 2012 2:12 pm | by Mike Baker, Associated Press | News | CommentsWashington Gov. Chris Gregoire has been building a close relationship with Boeing's chief rival, Airbus, and said Wednesday that she was previously ready to recruit the company to build a new manufacturing site in the state.
Valence Technology Files For Bankruptcy Protection
July 12, 2012 2:11 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsBattery maker Valence Technology Inc. said Thursday that it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, in hopes of boosting its liquidity and refocusing itself on its core lithium phosphate markets.
Analysts Skeptical Over Hawker Beechcraft Deal
July 11, 2012 10:15 am | by Roxana Hegeman, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe $1.79B offer is "a lot of money" for a struggling company with old product lines that has spent little on research and development, several analysts said.
AT&T Drops Lawsuit Against MA Manufacturer
July 11, 2012 10:09 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsSmith says someone hacked into Todd Tool & Abrasive Systems's phone system in 2009 and made nearly $900,000 in calls to Somalia.
Mitsubishi Motors To Sell Dutch Plant To VDL
July 11, 2012 10:05 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsMitsubishi Motors Corp. said Wednesday it has decided to sell its vehicle plant in the Netherlands for 1 euro to Dutch bus and industrial machine maker VDL Groep BV on the condition that it will maintain some 1,500 jobs there.
Addressing Power Challenges In High-Altitude Applications
July 11, 2012 8:42 am | by David Rakovsky, COO, GlobTek | Articles | CommentsAs electronic systems migrate deeper into systems that may present changing situations during the operating lifecycle, the designer must remember to address every facet or risk compromising product performance in certain situations.
Boeing Lands Further Airshow Deals
July 10, 2012 1:57 pm | by Pan Pylas, Associated Press | News | CommentsBoeing and archrival Airbus were caught in a fierce dogfight for orders at the Farnborough Airshow Tuesday, with both aircraft manufacturers unveiling multi-billion deals.
PepsiCo Opens New Plant In China
July 10, 2012 1:54 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsPepsiCo Inc. has opened its sixth food manufacturing plant in China to strengthen its position in the growing market.
GE To Spend $70M In Battery Factory Expansion
July 10, 2012 10:14 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsGeneral Electric Co. said Tuesday it will spend $70 million to expand a battery factory in Schenectady, N.Y.
Honda's Joint Venture Starts Production
July 10, 2012 10:12 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsA joint venture between Japan's Honda Motor Co. and China's Dongfeng Motor Corp. held a ceremony Tuesday to mark the start of production at its second plant in Wuhan, Hubei Province.
When Reliability Is Considered A Maintenance Activity
July 10, 2012 8:08 am | by Mark Latino, President of Operations, Reliability Center Inc. | Blogs | CommentsProduction in general doesn’t know the value of using reliability tools, such as root cause analysis, as a business tool to gain consistent high productivity.
No New Parts, Support For C-130 Wildfire System
July 9, 2012 2:12 pm | by Mead Gruver, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe demise of the only company that manufactured a device specially designed to spray fire retardant from the back of U.S. military C-130 cargo planes has some experts worried about the future viability of a program that has helped fight wildfires for 40 years.
Central Indiana Factory Back On Market Again
July 9, 2012 10:20 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsOfficials in a central Indiana county are hoping the third time is the charm for a sprawling factory that's already seen two planned tenants file for bankruptcy.
Making The Best Of Breakdown In Manufacturing
July 9, 2012 8:16 am | by Tom McNamara and Sarah Hudson, ESC Rennes School of Business, Rennes, France; Sabry Shaaban ESC La Rochelle, La Rochelle, France | Articles | CommentsMore and more production and fabrication work looks like it is coming back to developed economies, so how can countries take advantage using unpaced production lines?
A123 Systems Hopes To Raise $9M In Share Offering
July 6, 2012 1:58 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsA123 Systems Inc., a maker of batteries for electric vehicles which is struggling to stay in business, said Friday that it plans to sell stock and warrants to raise about $9M in proceeds after expenses.
