IT for Manufacturing Executives
Upgrading The Components Side Of Material Transfer
March 20, 2013 8:53 am | by Rachel Leisemann Immel, Associate Editor, IMPO | Articles | CommentsThat “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” certainly rings true when considering industrial conveying systems. The components side of material transfer can be the lifeline of a manufacturer, ensuring that parts get safely and efficiently from point A to point B — saving workers strenuous and expensive labor — and going where forklifts and other material handling solutions might not be able to go.
Survive A Network Failure Without Duplicating The Network
March 20, 2013 8:47 am | by Bernie Anger, General Manager, Control and Communication Systems for GE Intelligent Platforms | Articles | CommentsEnsuring high levels of system uptime is essential for many control systems, as this drives productivity and profitability. The risk of downtime is a significant concern since it negatively impacts operational resources and the bottom line.
Ford To Pay $750M To Close Belgian Plant
March 20, 2013 8:35 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsFord Motor Co. will pay $750 million in separation benefits to hourly workers at a Belgian factory it plans to close next year. Ford revealed the cost in a government filing Tuesday. Ford employs 4,000 hourly workers at the Genk plant. Most approved the separation plan last week.
Bribery Probe Targets Microsoft Partners
March 20, 2013 8:31 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsMicrosoft is entangled in a U.S. government investigation into whether the software maker and some of its business partners resorted to bribery to close deals in China, Romania and Italy, according to a report published Tuesday. The Wall Street Journal said the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission are examining whether kickbacks were paid to foreign officials to help close sale of software.
GM Recalls About 27K Vehicles To Fix Transmissions
March 20, 2013 8:26 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsGeneral Motors is recalling nearly 27,000 Buicks and Cadillacs in the U.S. to fix a problem with the automatic transmissions. The recall affects Buick LaCrosse full-size cars and Cadillac SRX crossover SUVs from the 2013 model year. The company says a software problem can cause the transmissions to inadvertently shift into sport mode.
Watch A Cellphone Get Hacked
March 19, 2013 4:17 pm | by NBC News | Videos | CommentsSecurity researchers at Symantec warn that the next target for hackers will be your mobile device. NBC News' Bob Sullivan gets a demonstration of just how easy it is to hack a phone. Breaking into a cellphone may not be difficult, but very lucrative for a hacker.
Ryanair Gives Boeing A Boost With $15.6B Order
March 19, 2013 4:07 pm | by Scott Mayerowitz and Shawn Pogatchnik, Associated Press | News | CommentsNeither side disclosed the purchase price for the 737-800s, but budget carrier Ryanair said it did negotiate a bulk discount off the total list price of $15.6 billion. Industry analysts said Ryanair almost certainly was paying less than half price, meaning a total bill below $8 billion, or $45 million per aircraft.
Judge Approves Twinkies Sale
March 19, 2013 4:03 pm | by Candice Choi, AP Food Industry Writer | News | CommentsA bankruptcy judge has approved the sale of Twinkies to a pair of investment firms, one of which has said it hopes to have the cakes back on shelves by summer. Hostess Brands Inc. is selling Twinkies, Ding Dongs, Ho Hos and other brands to Apollo Global Management and Metropoulos & Co. for $410 million.
Treasury's Lew Visit Marks U.S.-China Re-Engagement
March 19, 2013 3:59 pm | by Christopher Bodeen, Joe McDonald, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe U.S. and China began to re-engage Tuesday on knotty issues ranging from economic frictions to North Korea's nuclear program following a months-long hiatus during President Barack Obama's re-election and China's installation of new leaders.
Man Gets Over 3 Years In iPad Data Breach Case
March 19, 2013 8:59 am | by David Porter, Associated Press | News | CommentsAn admitted online "troll" was sentenced Monday to the maximum prison term under federal guidelines — more than three years — for illegally gaining access to AT&T's servers and stealing more than 100,000 email addresses of iPad users.
Ericsson, STMicroelectronics To Cut 1,600 Jobs
March 19, 2013 8:56 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsSwedish wireless equipment maker Ericsson and Switzerland's STMicroelectronics say they will lay off up to 1,600 workers globally as part of a plan for splitting up their unprofitable joint venture. STMicroelectronics, one of Europe's largest chipmakers, announced in December that it wanted out of ST-Ericsson as it struggled with a downturn in global demand.
Suntech Announces Default, Search For Financing
March 19, 2013 8:51 am | by Joe McDonald, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsSuntech, one of the world's biggest solar panel manufacturers, said Monday it has defaulted on a $541 million bond payment in the latest sign of the financial squeeze on the struggling global solar industry. Suntech Power Holdings Ltd.'s announcement was a severe setback for a company lauded as a leader of efforts to make China a center of the renewable energy industry.
Q&A: Automation Trends For Food Manufacturers
March 19, 2013 8:41 am | by Lindsey Jahn, Associate Editor, Food Manufacturing | Articles | CommentsIncorporating automated equipment into food manufacturing processes can offer a wealth of benefits. Matt Wicks of Intelligrated spoke with Food Manufacturing about how food processors can best harness automated technologies in their facilities.
Onshoring With Automation
March 19, 2013 8:32 am | by Automation GT | Articles | CommentsOnshoring, the movement of returning outsourced manufacturing back to the U.S., first began with labor issues in China. Because of raising labor costs, companies are looking to move production back to the U.S. CEO and President of Automation GT, Simon Grant, states “we’ve seen a trend with companies wishing to be ‘reshored’.
Giving Minority-owned Businesses A Chance
March 18, 2013 3:15 pm | by NBC News | Videos | CommentsA Minnesota non-profit helps small minority-owned businesses get off the ground. Employees at Independent Packing Services Inc. build shipping crates to help build the future of Minnesota's economy. KARE's Boua Xiong reports.
