Industrial Maintenance & Plant Operation articles from December 1999

Industrial Maintenance & Plant Operation archives from December 1999

Commerce Dept. predicts minimal effects from Y2K problems.(Brief Article)
December 1, 1999... A report released last month by U.S. Commerce Secretary William M. Daley said corrective actions that have been taken since 1995 should minimize the effect potential Year 2000 problems could have on the U.S. economy. The report estimates...

Boeing to cut production of 767 passenger jet.(Brief Article)
December 1, 1999... The Boeing Co. has said weakened demand for its 767 model passenger jet will result in a production cutback of the aircraft beginning next month. Starting in January, Boeing will slow the 767 production rate to 3.5 jets a month, down from four....

Chrysler to test plastic hardtops.
December 1, 1999... DaimlerChrysler said it will build a test fleet of 50 Jeep Wranglers by 2000 that include hardtops made of a new low-cost, lightweight thermoplastic. The company said the tops will be identical to steel roofs in safety and appearance, but will...

Government sues utilities for coal-fired pollution.(Brief Article)
December 1, 1999... The U.S. government filed lawsuits last month against eight electric-generating utilities for alleged pollution emitted from aging coal-fired power plants. The lawsuits, filed by the Justice Department on behalf of the Environmental Protection...

Oil prices hit 9-year high in November.(Brief Article)
December 1, 1999... Oil prices jumped to their highest level in almost nine years last month after major producers said they planned to maintain deep production cuts into 2000 despite falling global inventories. The benchmark December contract for Brent crude...

Japan files complaint against U.S. steel policy.(Brief Article)
December 1, 1999... Japan filed a complaint last month with the World Trade Organization (WTO) claiming that U.S. antidumping measures unfairly restrict imports of Japanese steel to the U.S. and break international trade rules. According to the Japanese Trade...

The Original Dow Industrials.(Brief Article)
December 1, 1999... Stock activity of the following 12 manufacturers was tracked to create the original Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) on May 26, 1896. Today's list includes 30 companies, only one of which - General Electric - was among the first group. ...

Aspect Development, Inc.(Brief Article)
December 1, 1999... * Aspect Development, Inc., and Cahners Business Information, have signed a letter of intent to form Manufacturing.net, a Web-based portal for business-to-business e-commerce. The site will offer users the opportunity to research and buy...

Kimberly-Clark Corp.(Brief Article)
December 1, 1999... * Kimberly-Clark Corp., Roswell, GA, has agreed to acquire Safeskin Corp., a San Diego, CA-based maker of disposable gloves for the health-care, hightechnology and scientific industries. According to Kimberly-Clark, the acquisition will allow...

The National Coalition of Minority Businesses (NCMB).(Brief Article)
December 1, 1999... * The National Coalition of Minority Businesses (NCMB) has honored Lockheed Martin Corp. and the Boeing Co. for their significant contributions in helping minority businesses obtain federal contracts. Lockheed Martin and Boeing were co-winners...

The American Industrial Hygiene Association.(Brief Article)
December 1, 1999... * The American Industrial Hygiene Association, Washington, D.C., has published a new standard titled ANSI/AIHA Z9.6 - American National Standard - Exhaust Systems for Grinding, Polishing and Buffing. It provides updated information on...

Trends in Industrial Tools.(Brief Article)
December 1, 1999... The increasing use of air-power tools, cordless and portable-electric tools, along with increasingly sophisticated tool storage and organization are major trends in industrial tools, all of which relate to increased safety and productivity....

Product-Based Training Program Offers Broad-Based Results.(Statistical Data Included)
December 1, 1999... Product-based training is often either too specific, too vague or too commercial to be effective. But Rick Cherone, a maintenance leader at Tower Automotive's Milwaukee, WI, car-frame manufacturing facility, says one such program helped...

REXAM's Quality Revolution.
December 1, 1999... By becoming quality-focused, customer-driven and ISO-certified, a former commercial printer revamped its operation to succeed in the competitive world of medical packaging. If you're familiar with the types of product made by Rexam Medical...

Encoder Bearing Reduces Maintenance and Improves Line Monitoring.
December 1, 1999... Cintex of America, Kenosha, WI, manufactures custom, end-of-the-line inspection systems designed for quality assurance in food packaging. The Cintex machines that inspect for particulate contamination in food typically work on two...

Remote Work-Order Requests.
December 1, 1999... Regardless of the nature, size or complexity of the business it supports, a maintenance organization exists to serve user departments. Once we have accounted for our preventative, predictive and program maintenance efforts, it all boils down to...

Reaping ACHIEVE & RECEIVE Rewards.
December 1, 1999... How incentive programs can help ensure your best employees stay with you. Once upon a time in an economic and business climate much different from today's, employees stayed with their companies for many years and employers didn't fret much...

Consider Ceiling Fans for Winter Duty.(Brief Article)
December 1, 1999... Ceiling fans usually come to mind during the summertime when the weather is hot and sweaty But that's only half of their story. According to HVLS Fan Co., Lexington, KY, a company that touts itself as the manufacturer of the world's largest...

Editorial.(Brief Article)
December 1, 1999... Microcosm of the Possible The benefits of running a small operation were made abundantly clear to me on a recent visit to Rexam Medical Packaging in the western-Boston suburb of Ashland, MA. Thanks in part to its manageable size ($6...

U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 1, 1999... (billions of $) The U.S. international deficit in goods and services increased to $24.4 billion in September 1999, up from $9.2 billion in September 1997 and $15.2 billion in September 1998. Source: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of...