Quality Control

Chrysler Expected To Formally Refuse Jeep Recall

June 18, 2013 10:14 am | by Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer | News | Comments

In one of the biggest-ever showdowns between an automaker and the government, Chrysler on Tuesday is expected to file papers explaining its refusal to recall 2.7 million older Jeep SUVs that are at risk of catching fire in rear-end collisions.

Toshiba: Made In America

June 17, 2013 3:34 pm | by Rachel Leisemann Immel, Associate Editor, IMPO | Articles | Comments

Many don’t think of Toshiba as an American-made brand, especially when it comes to the U.S. automotive market. And for quite some time, that was true. Since 2003, Toshiba had manufactured HEV motors for Ford Motor Company at its Japan facility. But in 2011, under the weight of supply chain pressures and growing currency risks, Toshiba Industrial Corporation began manufacturing motors for Ford’s hybrid vehicles in Houston, TX.

Diamond Tool Enables Sikorsky Helicopters to Overcome Production Stop

June 17, 2013 3:27 pm | Articles | Comments

Sometimes the most experienced technicians or skilled toolmakers need to look to specialists outside when it comes to solving critical service problems. Such was the case when a legendary helicopter company was confronted with a worldwide problem in cleaning scale from a small, outsourced part that was preventing it from proceeding with production of its helicopters all over the world.

June 2013: Toshiba, Made In America

June 13, 2013 10:49 am | Digital Editions | Comments

In this issue, check out the 2013 Jobs Report, which feature's American-made Toshiba HEV engines, veterans in today's skilled labor jobs, the latest industry numbers, how manufacturers can take back American-made, and more.

Japanese Carrier's Boeing 787 Has Engine Problem

June 12, 2013 9:42 am | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

A Japanese carrier's Dreamliner had engine trouble before takeoff Wednesday, a day after a rival airline had a problem on another 787 plane. Neither problem was with the lithium-ion batteries that were overheating and resulted in the Boeing Co. aircraft being grounded for four months.

Electronic Water Treatment Reduces Fouling In Heat Exchangers

June 10, 2013 8:05 am | by Jan de Baat Doelman, President, Scalewatcher North America Inc. | Articles | Comments

The deposition of material on heat transfer surfaces is called fouling which significantly impacts the thermal and mechanical performance of heat exchangers. Fouling increases the overall thermal resistance and lowers the overall heat transfer coefficient of heat exchangers as well as impeding fluid flow, accelerating corrosion and increasing pressure drop across the heat exchanger.

France: Drugmaker On Trial, Suspected In Deaths

May 21, 2013 2:15 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

The makers of a diabetes and weight loss drug suspected in the deaths of hundreds of people went on trial Tuesday, facing charges they misled the public about the product's safety. But after years of delays in one of France's biggest recent health scandals, the proceedings could still be pushed back further.

Texas Sues BP For Damages Related To Oil Spill

May 20, 2013 2:27 pm | by Juan A. Lozano, Associated Press | News | Comments

Texas on Friday became the fifth state to sue British oil company BP over the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, seeking damages related to the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history. The lawsuit is seeking lost tax revenue, lost revenue from state parks, damages to natural resources and civil penalties for each day that oil was spilled and for every barrel of oil that was illegally discharged.

12 Dead In China Factory Explosion

May 20, 2013 10:06 am | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

A massive blast ripped through an explosives factory Monday in eastern China, killing at least 12 people and leaving others buried in the debris, state media reported. Rescuers were take care to avoid setting off additional explosions as they went through the site of the mid-morning explosion in Shandong province's Caofan township, the China News Service said.

Authorities: Crime Not Ruled Out In TX Blast

May 17, 2013 11:18 am | by Nomaan Merchant, Associated Press | News | Comments

Investigators working in the remnants of an exploded Texas fertilizer plant sifted by hand through untold kernels of corn, moved tons of debris and conducted more than 400 interviews, while searching for the missing piece to solve what many officials compared to an extraordinary puzzle. One month after a fire triggered a massive blast killing 15 people, officials on Thursday had to declare the cause of the blaze as "undetermined."

TX Plant Explosion Findings To Be Released

May 15, 2013 2:04 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

State and federal agents will release this week the findings of an investigation into a deadly explosion at a Texas fertilizer plant. The State Fire Marshal's Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will announce their findings on Thursday.

TX Firefighters Focused Concern On Toxic Gases

May 15, 2013 10:13 am | by Nomaan Merchant, Ramit Plushnick-Masti, Associated Press | News | Comments

When they saw 30-foot flames licking the sky inside a massive fertilizer plant, firefighters in this tiny Texas town rushed to evacuate nearby buildings and raced to spray water on tanks of chemicals, hoping to prevent a catastrophe. They didn't know, and probably could not imagine, that the plant would soon explode into a deadly fireball and lay waste to much of the community.

GM: Supercomputers To Keep Recalls In Check

May 14, 2013 10:22 am | by Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer | News | Comments

General Motors Co. says a new supercomputing data center and a fledgling shift to bring software development in-house should help it limit the size of future safety recalls. The Detroit automaker, which formally opened the giant data storage center in suburban Warren, Michigan, said the changes are examples of how it is moving faster to cut costs and serve its customers better by bringing more computer technology inside the company.

Pest Birds And Corrosive Droppings

May 13, 2013 8:00 am | by Chrissy Hansen, Bird-X Media Correspondent | Articles | Comments

Pest birds cost individuals and businesses millions of dollars each year in clean-up expenses, repairs, and damaged equipment. Some large industrial facilities spend as much as six figures to combat pest bird problems. Facility managers must understand the important of implementing a preventative bird control program as means of reducing these costs.

Texas Launches Criminal Probe Into Plant Explosion

May 10, 2013 2:04 pm | by Angela K. Brown, Ramit Plushnick-Masti, Associated Press | News | Comments

Texas law enforcement officials on Friday launched a criminal investigation into the massive fertilizer plant explosion that killed 14 people last month, after weeks of largely treating the blast as an industrial accident. The announcement came the same day a paramedic who helped to evacuate residents the night of the explosion was arrested on a charge of possessing a destructive device.

Defendants: No Remorse For Weapons Plant Break-In

May 8, 2013 2:31 pm | by Erik Schelzig, Associated Press | News | Comments

An 83-year-old nun and two other protesters accused of defacing a Tennessee nuclear weapons plant said Wednesday they have no remorse for their actions and were pleased to reach one of the most secure parts of the facility. Sister Megan Rice, Michael Walli and Greg Boertje-Obed testified on their own behalf during their federal trial on charges related to the July intrusion at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge.

Safety Agency Watches Ford Vans For Rust Signs

May 7, 2013 10:05 am | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

U.S. auto safety regulators are monitoring about 100,000 Ford and Mercury minivans that were not covered by a recall issued earlier this year for rust problems. Ford recalled about 230,000 Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey minivans in March to fix rust in the wheel wells that can cause the third-row seats to come loose.

FAA Safety Oversight Of Aircraft Repairs Faulted

May 6, 2013 2:21 pm | by Joan Lowy, Associated Press | News | Comments

The government's oversight of hundreds of domestic and overseas repair stations that service U.S. airliners is ineffective and doesn't target the factors most likely to present safety risks, the Department of Transportation's inspector general said Monday.

Adidas: Asia Laborers Can Send Complaints Via Text

May 6, 2013 2:16 pm | by Juergen Baetz, Associated Press | News | Comments

German sports gear maker Adidas said Monday it is encouraging workers in factories of some of its Asian suppliers to anonymously share possible grievances directly with the company via text message. The new hotline service will help bridge the communication gap between management and workers, enabling employees to "simply send an SMS when they feel their rights are breached," Adidas AG said.

China City Quashes Protest Against Petro Plant

May 6, 2013 10:28 am | by Didi Tang, Associated Press | News | Comments

Residents say they are worried the plant would pollute the air and water, and question why the plant is being built in a region prone to earthquakes. Pengzhou is in the same fault zone as the 2008 Wenchuan quake that left 90,000 people dead or missing, and for an earthquake last month that killed at least 196 people.

Texas Fire Official: 'Debris Could Give Answers'

May 3, 2013 5:08 pm | by The Associated Press | Videos | Comments

Kelly Kistner, an assistant state fire marshal in Texas, said that investigators are still trying to figure out what caused a deadly fertilizer plant explosion that killed at least 14 people. He said that debris there could provide answers.

LA Gov: $340M More From BP For Gulf Restoration

May 3, 2013 9:50 am | by Janet McConnaughey, Associated Press | News | Comments

BP PLC has agreed to pay $340 million to restore four of the barrier islands that act as hurricane buffers for Louisiana's mainland and create two fish research hatcheries in the state, Gov. Bobby Jindal said Tuesday. The money is part of $1 billion the oil giant agreed two years ago to pay for early restoration work after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Porsche 911, Viper Probed For Safety Problems

April 30, 2013 1:48 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

U.S. safety regulators are investigating coolant leaks in Porsche 911 sports cars that could cause roadway spills and send vehicles careening out of control, and complaints that a rear suspension part can fail on the iconic Dodge Viper muscle car.

Lawsuits From Fertilizer Plant Blast Now Total 6

April 29, 2013 10:11 am | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

The deadly Central Texas fertilizer plant explosion has now spawned six lawsuits, including one from the family of a volunteer firefighter killed in the blast. Fourteen people died and more than 200 were injured by the April 17 blast in the small Central Texas town of West. Dozens of buildings were destroyed or severely damaged.

Climate Curtain Protects U.S. Glass Block Manufacturer

April 29, 2013 9:00 am | by Marcus Mohwinkel, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Goff’s Enterprises, Inc. | Articles | Comments

Pittsburgh Corning is a world leader in innovative glass block products for commercial, institutional, government and residential building applications. The company is the only U.S.-based manufacturer of glass block. The company needed to create a climate-controlled, low-dust environment. Further, the warehouse measured 100 feet wide by 400 feet long—but assembly operations required only a portion of the total area.