Reliable Plant Magazine

Is your company really green ... or just greenwashing?

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Consumer product manufacturers will now be able to prove their sustainability claims to customers and stockholders with a new certification program that rewards the highest levels of environmental performance and leadership...

Analysis: Advances in labor productivity fail to drive profit

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Despite major improvement in labor productivity over the last four decades, many industries in the United States have experienced alarming decreases in their return on assets (ROA)...

FLIR announces delivery of 100,000th infrared camera

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

FLIR Systems announced the delivery of its 100,000th commercial-use infrared camera...

Engineering VP: GM aims to improve supplier relations

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

General Motors is actively taking steps to improve supplier relationships and developing ways to engage strategic suppliers earlier in the vehicle development process, Mark Reuss, GM vice president of global vehicle engineering, told automotives supplier executives November 9 at the Original Equipment Suppliers Association's 2009 Outlook Conference.

"We understand we must significantly improve supplier working relationships and we need to move the needle fast," Reuss said...

Machine tool consumption up 17.8% over previous month

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

September U.S. manufacturing technology consumption totaled $153.55 million, according to AMTDA, the American Machine Tool Distributors' Association, and AMT - The Association For Manufacturing Technology. This total, as reported by companies participating in the USMTC program, was up 17.8 percent from August but down 69.3 percent from the total of $500.57 million reported for September 2008. With a year-to-date total of $1,199.93 million, 2009 is down 67.8 percent compared with 2008.

These numbers and all data in this report are based on the totals of actual data reported by companies participating in the USMTC program...

Employment Trends Index continued to rise in October

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

The Conference Board Employment Trends Index (ETI) increased for the second consecutive month...

Mars food plant in New Jersey installs huge solar facility

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Red, Yellow and Ms...

Kentucky manufacturing jobs slid 10% in past two years

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Industrial employment in Kentucky fell 10 percent over the past 24 months according to the 2010 Kentucky Manufacturers Register, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers' News Inc...

KUKA wins $100M contract to install F-35 fighter assembly line

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

A contract from Northrop Grumman Corp worth more than $100 million for installation of an integrated assembly line for the F-35 Lightning II jet fighter program is the largest ever received by the aerospace division of Sterling Heights, Mich.-based KUKA System North America.

It's also believed to be the first time a major aerospace manufacturer has contracted with a vendor to supply and install a complete assembly line and underscores how major aerospace companies are embracing large-scale automation.

The line, designed by the four-year-old aerospace division of KUKA Systems North America in Clinton Township, Mich., in close collaboration with Northrup Grumman's engineering staff, will be installed between 2010 and 2014, and enable Northrop Grumman to achieve a production rate of one center fuselage per day for the F-35 program...

Boeing awarded $72 million JDAM production contract

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

The Boeing Company has been awarded a $72 million U.S...

ThyssenKrupp creates host of innovations for automakers

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

After implementing a new, more efficient corporate structure within a very short space of time, the ThyssenKrupp Group is beginning the new fiscal year with a technology offensive: In the cross-Group research project InCar, ThyssenKrupp engineers from the Steel Europe and Components Technology business areas have developed 35 innovations for auto manufacturers...

Roche site named pharmaceutical industry's top facility

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

ISPE, a global not-for-profit association of 24,000 technical professionals working in the manufacturing and drug development sectors of the pharmaceutical industry, announced during the keynote session at its 2009 annual meeting in San Diego, Calif., that Roche Pharma Biotech Production Basel's Monoclonal Anti Bodies (MAB) 95 Facility is the overall winner of the 2009 Facility of the Year Awards (FOYA) program.

Located in Basel, Switzerland, Roche's unique vertical MAB Facility was named the overall 2009 Facility of the Year Award winner in part because of the innovative way in which it was planned, designed, and constructed on the site of a former chemical production plant in a busy residential area...

Companies discuss ways to get buy-in for lean changes

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Lean rhymes with mean and that's a problem for business managers seeking to boost productivity and cut costs...

Are we at the end of our rope for efficiency improvement? Hardly

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Jim Clifton, Gallup's chairman and CEO, says businesses have, in most cases, maximized every possible benefit from practices based on neoclassical economics, such as Six Sigma, reengineering, and total quality management...

Nissan's 'Scratch Shield' paint to be applied to cell phones

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Nissan Motor Company Ltd...

Lockheed Martin earns award for waste reduction efforts

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

The California Integrated Waste Management Board recently awarded Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Palmdale, Calif., a 2009 Waste Reduction Awards Program (WRAP) award for outstanding waste reduction efforts in 2008.

Last year, the Palmdale facility diverted 1,673 tons of waste from the landfill through recycling and reuse efforts, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2.2 million pounds of CO2 and saving $417,300 in the process.

"Much of our recent success has resulted from the commingled recycling program we implemented last winter," said Michael Haro, environmental manager at the Palmdale facility...

Pfizer to close 6 R&D sites, reduce activities at 3 others

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Pfizer Inc...

Raytheon's Harris named 2010 Black Engineer of Year

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Raytheon Company's John D...

Employers report impact of stimulus funding on Q3 hiring

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

More than 3,100 private and public sector hiring managers weighed in on the effect of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on their business performance...

General Motors EVP to lead Opel/Vauxhall operations

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Nick Reilly, General Motors' executive vice president and president of GM International Operations, will immediately assume responsibility for the operations of Opel/Vauxhall Europe while an external search for a new CEO commences, it was announced on November 10.

Reilly, with extensive prior experience in Europe with the Opel and Vauxhall brands, will support the European leadership team in running the business and will oversee the creation of a strategy to position Opel/Vauxhall for long-term success...

Workers ratify labor deal at Dresser-Rand facility in N.Y.

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Dresser-Rand Group Inc...

IBM recognizes employees' top environmental solutions

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

IBM has selected five solutions developed within the company for recognition under its new Corporate Environmental Innovation Program, which highlights innovations that significantly improve energy efficiency or reduce environmental impact.

IBM introduced the program earlier this year to highlight the best solutions developed by employees that address energy and environmental challenges for the company and its clients...

Leading Economic Index for U.K. rises for 3rd month in row

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index (LEI) for the United Kingdom increased by 1.0 percent in September to 94.9 (2004 = 100), following gains of 0.9 percent in August and 0.5 percent in July...

Video: Wind-farm manufacturing in Wisconsin

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Industrial manufacturing M&A activity improved in Q3

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

The pace of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the industrial manufacturing sector experienced increases in both deal volume and value during the third quarter of 2009 compared to the prior quarter, according to a series of quarterly M&A reports released November 10 by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC)...

Electric motors and drives tip: Don't forget reliability

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Given the sometimes frenzied movement in the effort to go green, maintenance management may overlook the fact that maintaining reliability can pay dividends toward efficiency while improving the bottom line...

Video: Growth driven by U.S. factories as spending slows

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Economic growth in the U.S...

Video: Virtual tour of Fastenal's manufacturing facilities

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Tips on how to achieve lean flow on the factory floor

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Many manufacturing companies (especially those that have machining or fabrication as a major portion of their processes) believe they are taking the lean journey by using one or two tools from the Lean Flow toolbox: 5-S, Total Productive Maintenance, setup reduction, material kanban, calculating takt time, or reducing batch sizes...

Audio slideshow: From the Marines to manufacturing

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

With veterans being honored all over the world on November 11 ? Veterans Day in the U.S...

Manufacturing accounts for 29% of extended mass layoffs

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Employers initiated 1,776 mass layoff events in the third quarter of 2009 that resulted in the separation of 277,924 workers from their jobs for at least 31 days, according to preliminary figures released November 10 by the U.S...

Hand washing recommended to avoid spreading germs

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Fears of contracting the H1N1 virus this flu season have people steering clear of strangers with coughs and scolding friends who don't sneeze into their crooked elbows...

GE 1.5-MW wind turbine commissioned for DOE program

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

As part of a U.S...

Video: Mars Chocolate North America goes green

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

On November 9, Mars Chocolate North America associates celebrated in Hackettstown, N.J., with government officials, company executives and project partners to unveil two monumental projects: the state's largest solar garden installed by a food manufacturer and the renovated, cutting-edge Mars Chocolate North America headquarters...

Video: Mars gets greener with a new solar array

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Mars Chocolate North America, the makers of M&M's candy, together with PSEG Solar Source, unveiled an 18-acre solar garden adjacent to its Hackettstown, N.J., headquarters...

Video: Miami hospital chooses lean business model

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Miami Children's Hospital president and CEO Dr...

Boeing, Falck Schmidt to explore fuel cell, composite apps

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

The Boeing Company and Denmark-based Falck Schmidt Defence Systems A/S on November 10 announced that Boeing Research & Technology will assess Falck Schmidt fuel cell products for potential use in Boeing renewable-energy power systems for military platforms.

The announcement followed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two companies that also points to potential opportunities for the use of Falck Schmidt composite components and materials in Boeing Integrated Defense Systems (IDS) rotorcraft programs.

"This relationship with Boeing presents the opportunity to expand our proven power solutions to new fuel-cell applications that would offer armed forces significant operational advantages at better cost and with cleaner energy," said Jan Falck-Schmidt, president and CEO of Falck Schmidt Defence Systems...

Rolls-Royce partnership to create efficient gas turbines

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Rolls-Royce, a global power systems company, and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, (EPSRC), will work jointly with three United Kingdom universities in a new 50 million strategic partnership that will develop materials skills and knowledge to support the development of future gas turbines.

The Strategic Partnership in Structural Metallic Systems for Advanced Gas Turbine Applications is the first collaboration of its kind between Rolls-Royce, EPSRC, Birmingham, Cambridge and Swansea universities...

Power facility wins N.J. Clean Energy Leadership Award

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

DCO Energy, an independent energy development company leading the new power generation, on November 10 announced one of its most successful 2009 projects has won a New Jersey Clean Energy Leadership Award, an honor bestowed by the state's Clean Energy Program...

Mold, slime found at Maple Leaf Foods plant after scandal

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

A thorough scrubbing after a deadly listeriosis outbreak apparently didn't fully cleanse a Maple Leaf Foods plant in Toronto of mold, slime and meat debris, newly released documents show...

Phoenix to host ASQ Lean and Six Sigma Conference

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

As organizations continue to look for ways to eliminate waste and improve the bottom line to survive the current economy, lean and Six Sigma continue to be an important part of their business plan...

Fujifilm outsources camera recycling operation to GreenWood

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

GreenWood Inc., an integrated operations, maintenance and construction solutions provider, recently assumed responsibility for Fujifilm's QuickSnap camera recycling operations through an outsourced model...

Recession changing workplace expectations of millennials

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

More than half (55 percent) of millennials have experienced a layoff or loss of work in their family within the past year, and nearly three-fourths (72 percent) feel threatened by a possible layoff or loss of work in the coming months, according to research conducted by Lumin Collaborative, an integrated communications agency network consisting of five mid-sized marketing and public relations firms...

Economy hasn't changed Americans' definition of 'perfect' job

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Some would argue that the economic events of the past 18 months would be the ideal motivator to redefine one's idea of the "perfect" job, right? Not so fast...

Video: Why manufacturing is important to jobs picture

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Intermedia Partners executive Leo Hindery Jr...

Video: How blue jeans are manufactured

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Video: Lean problem-solving learning session

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

This video features a Lean Problem Solving session with a Fortune 50 company held in Singapore...

Fire extinguishers and safety: What you need to know

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Most employers have portable fire extinguishers in their facilities...