Manufacturing news
June 2006
$750 million defense contract for silicon-on-diamond development
sp3, a global provider of diamond-based solutions for electronics thermal management, has been awarded a Phase II contract from the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) for the development of silicon-on-diamond (SOD) devices.
29 Jun 2006 15:16
35,000 GM employees to take buyout, retire
GM employees have made it easy on the Big 3 automaker. The company had as a goal to reduce its workforce by 30,000 by January 1 2007.
29 Jun 2006 16:30
Autotool simulates robots to perfect production
Robotics are modern enough, simulated robotics are approaching science fiction. Nevertheless, Autotool, the automation system design house in Dublin, Ohio, is using DELMIA V5 Robotic solution to program and simulate automotive assembly cells and lines.
29 Jun 2006 16:02
Manufacturer warns Congress on cost of natural gas
The owner of a small manufacturing business told the House Small Business Committee yesterday that the rising cost of natural gas was a result of federal policies that encouraged demand while restricting domestic natural gas supplies.
29 Jun 2006 11:12
Penford expands into ethanol
Penford Corporation, manufacturer of ingredient systems for food and industrial applications, has announced plans to invest $42 million for approximately 40 million gallons of ethanol production capacity at its Cedar Rapids, IA, facility. The company expects the facility to be producing ethanol by the end of 2007.
28 Jun 2006 18:29
Airbus bottlenecks delay A380
Airbus has announced that production bottlenecks will delay deliveries of its A380 jet.
22 Jun 2006 20:00
Ford’s 2007 lineup aimed at broader appeal
Ford Motor is working hard to appeal to different consumer segments with its 2007 lineup.
22 Jun 2006 16:13
Layoffs down, at record lows
US Department of Labor data on layoffs shows encouraging signs for manufacturing.
22 Jun 2006 16:33
Logistics - EPA unveils hydraulic hybrid diesel delivery truck
The Environmental Protection Agency unveiled the first-ever series hydraulic hybrid diesel urban delivery vehicle, which will provide dramatic improvements in fuel economy and in emission reductions.
22 Jun 2006 19:29
SMEs “thriving and growing,” says survey
The May Consumer Confidence Index indicates a favorable economy, and small and midsized manufacturers and distributors in particular are optimistic about their companies.
22 Jun 2006 17:10
Tower Tech Systems to build 34 Large Wind Energy Support Structures for Gamesa Eolica
Tower Tech Holdings announced that its subsidiary Tower Tech Systems has begun production on an increased order of 34 large Wind Tower Support Structures for Gamesa Eolica.
22 Jun 2006 19:45
Wisconsin – no human microchips
Civil libertarians and conspiracy theorists take note: Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle signed a first-of-its-kind law which makes it a crime to require an individual to be implanted with a microchip.
22 Jun 2006 15:38
Liability: poodles aren't microwavables, RVs have no autopilot
At the SAPPHIRE show in Orlando, several manufacturers gathered in the Rosen Centre Hotel bar, noshing beer nuts and gnashing teeth over product liability.
19 Jun 2006 23:11
RFID vendors: UHF does work at item level, dammit
A veritable battalion of RFID vendors is championing ultra-high frequency (UHF) radio frequency identification (RFID) for item-level tagging, over high-frequency (HF) technology. This according to RFID Update.
17 Jun 2006 22:58
Risk ignored in supply chains, says The Economist
The Economist, in a survey of logistics providers, identified supply chain as a differentiator for some companies, e.g., Dell over IBM in home computers.
17 Jun 2006 23:17
Supply chain: Smooth sailing at ports
The National Retail Foundation (NRF) predicts little congestion at maritime ports this fall (peak season), compared to recent years. This according to NRF and global-trade thinktank Global Insight.
17 Jun 2006 23:36
Chattanooga sets the scene
Scenic Industries, a custom metal work and fabrication supplier to the automotive industry, is to invest $6.4 million to build a 35,000-square-foot-facility on 6.5 acres in the Wauhatchie Business Park in Lookout Valley, Chattanooga, TN.
15 Jun 2006 10:33
US Air Force to integrate logistics
The US Air Force is to provide 250,000 users with a single new Expeditionary Combat Support System (ECSS) to replace more than 500 different logistics systems.
13 Jun 2006 10:44
Whirlpool outsources global application management
Whirlpool Corporation has signed a five-year application outsourcing agreement with Accenture to provide maintenance and support services for SAP applications related to demand chain, supply chain, HR and finance at Whirlpool’s operations in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia.
13 Jun 2006 9:51
Energy: Chevron LNG project endangered
Chevron's planned $8 billion liquefied-natural-gas project off Australia’s western coast received a vote of no confidence by Australia’s environmental agency.
12 Jun 2006 14:32
HR: UAW calls for sacrifices from auto workers
The New York Times detailed a rather unpleasant milestone in US automotive history. United Automobile Workers (UAW) President Ron Gettelfinger has concluded that UAW members must prepare to make sacrifices to both sustain their jobs and aid the industry.
12 Jun 2006 13:58
Investors to GM board: reform needed
It is unprecedented for investors to overrule the GM board, nevertheless, they did just that at GM’s mid-June annual meeting. Despite the board’s objections, shareholders passed two non-binding proposals which reform election procedures for GM directors.
12 Jun 2006 14:21
IT: Oracle with Demantra = demand-driven strength
As AMR Research Senior Analyst Lora Cecere describes, “Oracle continues its buying spree with the acquisition of Demantra, a small best-of-breed demand management provider.”
12 Jun 2006 14:07
China rules for Pfizer in patent battle "landmark"
Pfizer has triumphed in a two-year court battle for patent protection of Viagra in China, according to a Wall Street Journal story.
05 Jun 2006 20:16
DHL creates disaster response team on eve of hurricane season
Express delivery and logistics provider DHL has announced the launch of the DHL Disaster Response Team (DRT) Americas.
05 Jun 2006 19:44
HP to train Chinese suppliers in social responsibility
Hewlett-Packard on June 1 unveiled a year-long training program aimed at providing the management staff of its suppliers in China with the knowledge to improve social and environmental responsibility practices in their factories.
05 Jun 2006 19:28
NAM: "Weak employment signals softening economy"
"The June 2 Labor Department report that the overall economy added just 75,000 jobs in May, while losing 14,000 in the manufacturing sector, underscores the National Association of Manufacturers’ [NAM's] push for the Federal Reserve to pause their interest rate hikes," NAM said in a statement.
05 Jun 2006 20:27