IT for Manufacturing Executives
Boeing: New Battery System Ensures 787 Safety
April 29, 2013 10:38 am | by Yuriko Nagano, Associated Press | News | CommentsBoeing Co.'s chief engineer for the 787 Dreamliner said Saturday that changes to the lithium-ion battery system are fully sufficient to ensure the aircraft's safety, although the company has been unable to find the cause of the original battery failures earlier this year that led to groundings of the plane worldwide since mid-January.
Smartphones Overtake 'Dumb' Phones Worldwide
April 29, 2013 10:35 am | by Peter Svensson, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsResearch firm IDC said more smartphones than "dumb" phones are being made this year, a milestone in a shift that's putting computing power and Internet access in millions of hands worldwide. Manufacturers shipped 216 million smartphones worldwide in the first three months of this year, compared with 189 million regular cellphones, according to a study IDC released late Thursday.
GE Aviation To Open New MS Operation
April 29, 2013 10:31 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsGov. Phil Bryant will join GE Aviation President/CEO David Joyce on Tuesday for the grand opening of the company's new 340,000-square-foot aviation components factory in Ellisville, Miss. U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker and U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo, both R-Miss., also are scheduled to attend the 11 a.m. ceremony in the Howard Technology Park.
Honda Recalls Nearly 46,000 Fit Sports
April 29, 2013 10:30 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsHonda is recalling nearly 46,000 Fit Sport small cars in the U.S. and Canada to fix a problem with the electronic stability control system. The recall affects cars from the 2012 and 2013 model years. Honda says the stability control system can let the car tilt too far before it applies the brakes to prevent a crash.
Collapsed Building Owner May Face 7 Years In Jail
April 29, 2013 10:28 am | by Chris Blake, Farid Hossain, Associated Press | News | CommentsA Bangladesh court on Monday gave police 15 days to interrogate the owner of a building that collapsed last week, killing at least 382 people, as rescuers used heavy machinery to cut through the destroyed structure after giving up hopes of finding any more survivors.
Boeing 737s Being Built At Highest Monthly Rate Ever
April 28, 2013 2:27 pm | by Boeing | Videos | CommentsThe new CopaAirlines 737 symbolizes an important change in how the 737 is built. The world's best selling airplane, the Boeing 737, is now building at its highest rate ever. In Renton, Washington, the Boeing factory is now assembling 38 planes a month.
Robot Swarms Seen As Guardians Against Future Threats
April 28, 2013 2:21 pm | by Reuters | Videos | CommentsResearchers at Georgia Tech University in Atlanta are programming robots to work together. The scientists believe that in the future, robotic swarms could play an important role in assessing threats at high profile events like the Boston Marathon where two deadly bombs went off last week. Reuters' Ben Gruber has more.
Creating Better Jobs For Manufacturing’s Comeback
April 28, 2013 2:13 pm | by Ray Attiyah, Founder and Chief Innovation Officer, Definity Partners | Articles | CommentsA favorite saying of mine is that we hire people not just for their hands, but also for their hearts and minds. When we hire frontline employees, it should not be just for the work they do on the line, but for the creative thoughts in their hearts and minds. What if we paid frontline manufacturing employees just $2 per hour for their labor but $14 per hour to use their minds?
‘Internet Of Things’ — An Opportunity For Intelligent Device Manufacturers
April 28, 2013 2:00 pm | by Steve Schmidt, Vice President of Corporate Development & Strategy, Flexera Software | Articles | CommentsOpportunity beckons intelligent device manufacturers. They must evolve their products from fixed function and disconnected systems to flexible and seamlessly connected devices. Making products smarter will provide a wide array of benefits.
Labor Productivity And Global Competiveness
April 28, 2013 1:43 pm | by Simon Macpherson, Senior Director Operations, Kronos EMEA | Articles | CommentsIt’s been my long-held belief that no matter what we automate in manufacturing, or how flexible and effective a supply chain we develop, it’s how we manage the people in the business that will make the difference between good and world class.
Engineering Answers: Fail Faster
April 26, 2013 10:23 am | by Chris Fox, Associate Editor, PD&D | Articles | CommentsAs the market gap between hobbyist makers and professional engineers continues to close, desktop 3D printing is emerging as the next golden nugget in prototyping and small-scale manufacturing. MakerBot has been at the cusp of this revolution.
The Ten Commandments Of Industrial Ethernet
April 26, 2013 10:16 am | by Mike Fahrion, Director of Product Management, B&B Electronics | Articles | CommentsA Wi-Fi-enabled computer can connect to multiple networks at the same time. Your employees can give a hacker a pathway into your internal network simply by powering up a laptop. Imagine the mess an eco-terrorist could make if he didn’t like the look of your smokestack.
Need To Repair A NASA Spacecraft? 3D Print It
April 26, 2013 10:03 am | by CNET | Videos | CommentsEngineers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Ames Research Center have begun experimenting with 3D printers for some spacecraft design. CNET's Sumi Das visits one of its newly open workshops, which is filled with state of the art equipment.
Corning Plans $250M NY Plant Expansion
April 26, 2013 9:50 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsCorning Inc. says it plans a $250 million expansion of its diesel plant in an upstate New York town, adding 250 jobs to the 500 already at the facility. The company says the plant in the Steuben County town of Erwin makes emission control products used in heavy-duty diesel engine trucks and agricultural equipment.
Worker Killed At Nissan's Tennessee Plant
April 26, 2013 9:43 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThe employee of Lake Orion, Mich.-based Complete Automation was killed Thursday in the factory's paint plant. Bob Light, a spokesman for Complete Automation, said the employee was killed when a large electrical panel fell while it was being moved.
