Honeywell Announces Student Winners

Honeywell announced the winners of a competition to advance innovation in the areas of process simulation and wireless technologies. Anne Muller from University of Dresden, Germany, won the process simulation category and Mohamed Abdul Galeel Salih Mohamed and Mohamad Tamer Nader Chaklab from the Electrical Engineering Department of the Petroleum Institute in Abu Dhabi, UAE, won the wireless technologies category. The competition was open to technical students in universities across Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

The winners, selected by a panel of Honeywell experts, will present their papers in front of a live audience at the Honeywell EMEA Users Group 2008 Conference, being held now in Berlin.

The process simulation competition encouraged applicants to overcome process simulation design challenges using Honeywell’s UniSim Design software. Anne Muller’s entry, “Testing Automation Software with Dynamic Process Models,” examined the critical role of process control in modern industrial plants. Devon Clack of the University of Pretoria, South Africa, was the runner up with his entry titled, “Getting the most from a UniSim Design Simulation.”

Source: Automation.com

Force Control Allows Robots to “Feel”

Global robot manufacturers ABB and Kuka are developing technology they claim benefits aerospace production because it can deal with the fiddly jobs. Their robots have the flexibility to help build aircraft at high quality and low cost. Gary Taylor, Kuka’s aerospace sales manager, says: “Automation offers a raft of value-added benefits including better quality, fewer wasted consumables and the removal of downstream corrective rework or rejects.

“Robots can efficiently and reliably automate a vast array of processes at a time when aero component makers are under growing pressure to find alternative solutions to stay one step ahead of their competitors.”

ABB Robotics has developed a technology that allows robots to ‘feel’. The technology, called force control, can be used in different ways for aerospace tasks such as machining and assembly.

Source: Professional Engineering Magazine

UPS First in Industry to Purchase Hydraulic Hybrid Vehicles

As part of a public-private partnership to increase the commercial availability and use of alternative fuel vehicles, UPS announced its first purchases of a little-known technology – the hydraulic hybrid vehicle – that promises dramatic fuel savings and environmental benefits.

The technology, originally developed in a federal laboratory of the Environmental Protection Agency, stores energy by compressing hydraulic fluid under pressure in a large chamber. UPS was the only company in its industry asked to road-test the technology two years ago and now becomes the first delivery company to place an order for hydraulic hybrid vehicles (HHV).

“There is no question that hydraulic hybrids, although little known to the public, are ready for prime time use on the streets of America,” said David Abney, UPS’s chief operating officer. “We are not declaring hydraulic hybrids a panacea for our energy woes, but this technology certainly is as promising as anything we’ve seen to date.”

Source: UPS

U.S. Manufacturers Lag in Time-to-Market

The United States has some catching up to do when it comes to getting new products to market faster, according to a study released Oct. 28 by the USC Marshall School of Business’ Center for Global Innovation. Japan and Norway introduce products to the marketplace quicker than the United States and some major European nations, conclude professors Gerard Tellis and Deepa Chandrasekaran, the report’s co-authors. In addition, some newly developed nations, such as South Korea, rank ahead of developed Mediterranean nations such as Italy.

The study, based on 430 product categories over 50 years in 31 nations, indicates the leading nations for product-introduction times are more creative, Tellis says.

Source: IndustryWeek

Frito-Lay Rancho Cucamonga Facility Becomes City’s First EPA National Environmental

Frito-Lay’s Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., facility has become the city’s first member of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Environmental Performance Track Program by demonstrating excellence in environmental management and committing to above-standard goals for continuous improvements in environmental performance. Today, the EPA has recognized Frito-Lay Rancho Cucamonga for this achievement at a flag raising ceremony. Frito-Lay’s Rancho Cucamonga facility becomes one of only 41 California companies to receive Performance Track. Frito-Lay’s sites in Wooster, Ohio, Orlando, Fla., Pulaski, Tenn., Canton, Ohio, Gothenburg, Neb., and Sidney, Ill., also were accepted into the program this year.
 
Performance Track recognizes facilities that have a strong record of environmental compliance, set three-year goals for continuous improvements in environmental performance beyond regulatory requirements, have internal systems in place to manage environmental impact, engage in community outreach and consistently report results.

“For nearly a decade, Frito-Lay Rancho Cucamonga has had a resource conservation program that has helped the facility achieve significant reductions in water, fuel and electricity use,” said Leslie Starr Keating, senior vice president, operations, Frito-Lay North America. “As a company, Frito-Lay continuously seeks to build on these efforts and further strengthen our environmental stewardship – joining EPA’s Performance Track Program is part of that strategy.”

Source: Frito-Lay

AMT’s Mike Jacobs to Moderate 16th Annual Robotics Industry Forum

Orlando, FL – The annual Robots Industry Forum, sponsored by the Robotic Industries Association (RIA), will convene November 5-7 in Orlando to discuss leading issues and their impact on the robotics industry. The event includes three days of industry networking, technical presentations, forum discussion and trade exhibits. Mike Jacobs, President and CEO of Applied Manufacturing Technologies (AMT), and RIA board of directors member will serve as host and conference moderator. Jacobs notes “The Robotics Industry Forum has been on my calendar every year for 16 years. It is the premier networking event for the robotics industry, and AMT has found this forum to be a valuable resource for new business opportunities. It’s a time when suppliers, system integrators, and users come together in a place where old friend are reunited and new business connections are developed. In fact, featured this year is ‘Connectioneering’, an organized networking event that is designed to bring key executives together with the supplier and user communities.”

Mike Jacobs founded AMT in 1989, after a successful career with GMF, now Fanuc Robotics, where he was responsible for product marketing, planning and development of offline robot programming and simulation software. Mike’s professional & community affiliations are with the World President’s Organization, Robotic Industries Association, Society of Manufacturing Engineers, and the Detroit Economics Club.

Robotic Industries Association (RIA) was founded in 1974, and is the only trade group in North America organized specifically to serve the robotics industry. Member companies include leading robot manufacturers, users, system integrators, component suppliers, research groups, and consulting firms. RIA is part of the Automation Technologies Council, an umbrella group serving automation companies involved in robotics, machine vision, motion control and related technologies.

www.appliedmfg.com

Boeing Strike Over

Boeing and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers today reached tentative agreement on a new four-year contract covering 27,000 employees in Washington, Oregon and Kansas. Union leadership is recommending that employees vote to ratify the contract.

The company retained the flexibility necessary to manage its business, while making changes to the contract language to address the union’s issues on job security, pay and benefits. The offer provides general wage increases every year and increases pension benefits. In addition, Boeing is proposing no changes to the cost share employees currently pay for a selection of outstanding health care plans.

“This is an outstanding offer that rewards employees for their contributions to our success while preserving our ability to compete,” said Scott Carson, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “I thank both negotiating teams and the federal mediator for their hard work and commitment in reaching this agreement. We recognize the hardship a strike creates for everyone — our customers, suppliers, employees, community and our company — and we look forward to having our entire team back.”

Source: Boeing

ISEA Launches Online Career Center for Safety Equipment Industry

The International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) launched an online, interactive job board — the Safety Equipment Industry JobBase — to match qualified professionals with prospective employers.

With its focus on safety equipment industry companies and professionals, the Safety Equipment Industry JobBase offers job seekers, ISEA member companies and the safety equipment industry at large an easy-to-use and highly targeted resource for online employment connections.

“We’re very excited about Safety Equipment Industry JobBase, because we know how critical it is for employers in this industry to attract first-rate talent with a minimum expenditure of time and resources,” said ISEA President Daniel K. Shipp. “And it’s important to help enable smooth career transitions for those seeking industry jobs.”

Source: BusinessWire

Arcelor Mittal to Shut Down Smelting Furnaces in Europe

Smelting furnaces in a number of European countries run by steel giant Arcelor Mittal are to be shut down in coming weeks, according to Belgian trade unions. Arcelor Mittal management in Belgium have given notice that smelting furnace number six in Seraing, eastern Belgium, will be shut down “in two weeks” until at least mid-February, CSC Metal union official Jordan Atanasov said.

Other furnaces in Dunkirk, France and Bremen and Eko Stahl, Germany, are also due to be shut down, unions said.
Source: IndustryWeek

Manufacturing Companies Expect to Leave 27% of Unrealized Productivity On the Table

The 2008 Proudfoot Global Productivity Report identifies key productivity issues and opportunities. The findings are the result of interviews with 1,276 mid-level managers across 12 countries and eight sectors, an analysis of data collected during Proudfoot engagements in 2007, and in-depth interviews with senior executives around the world. Among the key findings:

According to the study, companies will leave 30% of potential productivity gains untapped over the next two years. Managers spend 42% of their time on administrative tasks and only 10% of their time on training and active supervision of their workers. 34.3% of the average worker’s time is spent on unproductive activities, up from 32.1% the prior year. For every 5-point increase in the share of time managers spend on active supervision, worker unproductive time falls by 1 point. The top six barriers to improved productivity are: 1) a shortage of skilled workers; 2) internal communication issues; 3) legislation and regulation; 4) low employee morale; 5) high employee turnover; and 6) quality of supervisors.
 

Source: Proudfoot

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