In this episode of MBT's Manufacturing Newswire, we'll discuss the latest on Boeing’s problems, as well as an initiative to support manufacturing jobs. We'll also talk about 3D printing an Oreo and take a look an interesting baby harness.
[Boeing]
Boeing's much-delayed 787 Dreamliner has hit another production snafu. Hairline cracks have been discovered in the wings of some 787s being built. Boeing said that roughly 40 airplanes might be affected and that it will take one to two weeks to inspect each plane and fix any cracks. None of the 122 jets already flown by airlines around the world are affected and the company would not give an overall timeframe to inspect all of the wings.
[3D Systems]
3D Systems announced that it is teaming up with the White House, UI Labs, the Department of Defense and other industry and academic organizations on its recently announced Digital Lab for Manufacturing. As part of this collaboration, 3DS plans to deliver its latest Geomagic perceptual design to manufacturing tools, including scan-to-CAD, and inspection products, providing access to the most advanced design capabilities available to the American manufacturing industry.
[Oreo]
It can't get any more South by Southwest than this. Attendees at the annual tech festival last week, waited in long lines, even in the rain, to get a chance to create and print out customized Oreo cookies, based on Twitter trends and using a 3-D printer. Users could pick from 12 "trending flavors" and colors for the cookies, watch as the printer created their cookies and wash them down with a cup of milk. Besides Oreos, 3-D printed candy and chocolate also made an appearance at the festival, but there were no reports of how many Oompa Loompas attended this year’s festival.
[Face to Face]
In this week's Face to Face, we’re taking a look at an interview with Dell CEO Michael Dell as he talks about how the company's move into big data services will become a big part of their business.
[Automotive News]
A Community College in Olympia, Washington has a rare piece of automotive history, and they have to destroy it. The car is a 1992 Dodge Viper, a pre-production model worth $250,000 donated as an educational tool. Chrysler is concerned because other donated Vipers have wound up on the road and that makes the company liable in case of a crash. Students are hoping someone will step in and preserve the historic car, but officials said they will honor the agreement and destroy the Viper if no one does.
[Ford Production]
Ford Motor Co. is announcing that it will build its Ford F-650 and F-750 trucks at its assembly plant west of Cleveland. The automaker says it is shifting production from Mexico to its Avon Lake plant. Production will begin early next year. The move announced Friday is part of a pledge Ford made with union leaders in 2011 to shift medium-duty truck production from Mexico. The company says it's investing $168 million to make the change.
[GM Recall]
An auto safety group says federal data shows there were 303 deaths in recalled GM cars in which airbags did not deploy, but GM says the report misrepresents raw information about crashes. The Center for Auto Safety has written to federal safety regulators charging that the number of accidents is far greater than being admitted by GM. GM says it has traced a defect in an ignition switch to at least 12 deaths. The problem caused the car to shut off while driving -- disabling the airbag system. But GM disputes the Center for Auto Safety's suggestion that all those deaths are tied to the problems with the ignition.
[Clip of the Week]
Take a look at this child harness that was inspired by the Caterpillar P5000 Powerloader from the movie Aliens. The arms and legs are fully moveable and lights are powered by a 12 Volt battery. The harness also includes a Bluetooth boombox to play mechanical robot sounds or music. It took the German inventor 100 working hours to finish the costume and was built to carry his 13-month-old daughter in a hometown parade.
