The Leading Source for Manufacturing News & Insight
U.S. Budget Deficit Widens In May
June 13, 2013 8:04 am | by Martin Crutsinger, AP Economics Writer | News | CommentsThe government says the U.S. budget deficit widened in May by $139 billion, but the annual deficit stayed on track to finish below $1 trillion for the first time since 2008. With the May increase, the deficit through the first eight months of this budget year totaled $626 billion.
Wisconsin Assembly Approves Lemon Law Changes
June 13, 2013 7:53 am | News | CommentsWisconsin's Assembly has passed a bill making changes to the state's lemon law which covers when consumers can sue auto manufacturers. The bill passed 88-8 on Wednesday. Most Democrats removed their opposition after bill sponsor Rep. Bill Kramer worked with them and trial attorneys on a compromise.
Fiat: Supplier Delays Will Force Shutdowns
June 13, 2013 7:46 am | News | CommentsItalian carmaker Fiat says it will temporarily stop production at some European car plants in the coming days due to insufficient deliveries of plastic parts. Fiat said in a statement Wednesday that more than 5,500 vehicles can't be completed due to missing components from the Italian supplier Selmat, creating an "unmanageable" backlog.
Once-Promising Car Venture Ends In Bankruptcy
June 13, 2013 7:43 am | News | CommentsA company that had planned to build high-tech police cars in a vacant plant that once housed a rust belt city's largest employer has filed for bankruptcy, dashing the hopes of a community desperate for economic rejuvenation. Carbon Motors Corp. filed for Chapter 7 liquidation in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Indianapolis.
'Pink Slime' Lawsuit Heads Back To State Court
June 13, 2013 7:38 am | by Dirk Lammers, Associated Press | News | CommentsA federal judge on Wednesday moved a South Dakota beef processing company's defamation lawsuit against ABC News back to state court. Beef Products Inc. sued American Broadcasting Companies Inc. and ABC News Inc. for defamation in September.
Chrysler Recalls Heavy-Duty Trucks
June 13, 2013 7:34 am | News | CommentsChrysler Group is recalling 6,900 heavy-duty Ram pickup trucks from the 2012 model year because part of the front axle could fracture and cause them to lose power. The automaker said Wednesday that the front prop shaft, which connects the engine to the axle, can bind or fracture.
China's Shenzhou 10 Ship Docks With Space Lab
June 13, 2013 4:47 am | News | CommentsChina's latest manned space capsule docked with an orbiting space station Thursday, and the three astronauts climbed aboard what will be their home for the next week, state media reported. Automated controls guided the Shenzhou-10's docking with the space lab, the Xinhua News Agency said.
AP: Bangladesh Factory Flaws Highlighted
June 13, 2013 4:39 am | by Ravi Nessman, Associated Press | News | CommentsBangladeshi garment factories are routinely built without consulting engineers. Many are located in commercial or residential buildings not designed to withstand the stress of heavy manufacturing. Some add illegal extra floors atop support columns too weak to hold them, according to a survey.
GlaxoSmithKline: No China Bribery Found
June 13, 2013 2:39 am | News | CommentsDrug manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline said Thursday it has investigated an accusation that its salespeople in China bribed doctors and found no evidence of wrongdoing. The company said it conducted a four-month investigation after receiving complaints from an anonymous source. It said it found "no evidence of corruption or bribery in our China business."
Why Own Expensive Equipment When You Can Lease It?
June 12, 2013 2:14 pm | by Chris Fox, Associate Editor, PD&D | Blogs | CommentsA new buzzword was recently thrown my way at the annual PTC Live conference in Anaheim. I’ve never been a big fan of buzzwords nor the concepts that they represent, as they are often watered-down or tainted versions of truly original ideas that have been bastardized by Corporate America. But, I digress.
CEOs More Optimistic About Hiring
June 12, 2013 2:03 pm | by Christopher S. Rugaber, AP Economics Writer | News | CommentsThe Business Roundtable said Wednesday that its April-June quarterly survey found 32 percent of its members expect to expand payrolls in the next six months. That's up from 29 percent in the January-March survey. And 78 percent expect their sales to increase. That's up from 72 percent from the previous survey.
Czechs Present Bicycle That Can Fly
June 12, 2013 2:02 pm | News | CommentsIs it a bike? Is it a plane? Three Czech companies have teamed up to make a prototype of an electric bicycle that successfully took off Wednesday inside an exhibition hall in Prague and landed safely after a remote-controlled, five-minute flight.
P&G Exec Says Work To Do In China, Russia
June 12, 2013 1:56 pm | by Mae Anderson, Associated Press | News | CommentsProcter & Gamble must do more to improve overall sales in Russia and China, according to the company's chief financial officer, and it has a "disproportionate" amount of work to do in developed markets to revive beauty product sales, once one of its most profitable ventures.
Cooper CEO: Buyer Committed To U.S. Operations
June 12, 2013 1:55 pm | by John Seewer, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe head of Ohio's Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. says a $2.2 billion deal that puts the company under new ownership won't result in the closings of its three U.S. manufacturing plants. Cooper chief executive Roy Armes says India's Apollo Tyres Ltd. also plans to retain Cooper's management operation in Ohio.
Voice-Operated Dashboard Technology Still Risky
June 12, 2013 1:53 pm | by Joan Lowy, Associated Press | News | CommentsSpeech-to-text systems that enable drivers to send, scroll through, or delete email and text messages required greater concentration by drivers than other potentially distracting activities examined in the study like talking on the phone, talking to a passenger, listening to a book on tape or listening to the radio.
Cheaper Solar Panels Fuel Rise In Renewable Energy
June 12, 2013 1:45 pm | News | CommentsGlobal energy-generating capacity from renewable sources rose by 115 gigawatts in 2012, compared with 105 gigawatts the previous year, the report by the Paris-based think tank REN21 showed. Installed renewable energy capacity rose to over 1,470 gigawatts, equivalent to about 1,500 nuclear reactors.
AP: FEMA Denies Aid To Texas For Blast
June 12, 2013 1:41 pm | by Ramit Plushnick-Masti, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe blast killed 10 first responders and brought national attention to the agricultural community. President Barack Obama traveled to the area to attend a memorial service for the first responders and others who died trying to help. The FEMA funds would have helped pay for public repairs such as roads, sewer lines, pipes and a school that were destroyed.
UK To Start Regulating E-Cigarettes As Medicines
June 12, 2013 10:56 am | by Maria Cheng, AP Medical Writer | News | CommentsBritain will start regulating electronic cigarettes and other products containing nicotine as medicines, according to the country's top regulator. E-cigarettes are battery-operated products that turn nicotine into a vapor that is inhaled by the user.
What eCommerce Features Are Best For Manufacturing?
June 12, 2013 9:32 am | by Bob Barr, Senior Vice President, Acquity Group | Articles | CommentsThe eCommerce imperative in manufacturing is driving a rush to develop and implement first-class eCommerce technologies capable of providing customers the kinds of online experiences they have come to expect from their favorite B2C brands. But blindly adding features and capabilities is a recipe for disaster.
BP: U.S. Oil Production Surged In 2012
June 12, 2013 8:35 am | News | CommentsBP says the United States saw its biggest-ever annual increase in oil production in 2012, while the world's demand for energy grew at a slower pace than the year before. In its annual Statistical Review of World Energy released Wednesday, BP PLC says the U.S. produced 8.9 million barrels a day, up 13.9 percent from 2011.
