The News Review:
- He Knows His ABBs
- Caparo’s auto component plant to be ready when Tata plant is
- Wichita wins Cessna plant
- Emerson to automate China’s first mAb drug plant
- Japanese chemical company breaks ground for new plant
- Goodbye AS/400 ld Friend
- Lu’s U-Joints and More
He Knows His ABBs
Forbes – Apr 7, 2008
Growth is inevitable. ABB supplies equipment for generation as well as transmission and distribution grids both chronic needs in modern India. The role entails design engineering and support. The company also helps manufacturers–like steel paper or cement makers–to automate their processes. In 2001 nearly 80% of ABB’s revenues–versus 50% today–were from such power and automation projects. But these gigs were cyclical. So Uppal pushed new products and services… While he loosened the hierarchy he came down heavily on nonperformers. After a warning Uppal fired several middle-level managers who weren’t up to snuff. He tackled latecomers at a manufacturing plant in suburban Bangalore by standing at the gate at 8:30 a. to greet the workers who strolled in after the start of work. They fell in line soon enough. Uppal also addressed his own productivity.
Caparo’s auto component plant to be ready when Tata plant is
Hindu – Apr 7, 2008
The plant would manufacture sheet metal for Tata Motors’ Rs one lakh car Nano which is expected to be rolled out in the second half of this calendar year. “The Tata plant is coming up fairly on time… The plant would manufacture sheet metal for Tata Motors’ Rs one lakh car Nano which is expected to be rolled out in the second half of this calendar year. “The Tata plant is coming up fairly on time. (Caparo plant) would be commissioned at the same time when the Tata Motors plant was ready” Lord Paul told reporters here.
Wichita wins Cessna plant
Arkansas City Traveler – Apr 7, 2008
”Clearly we have sent a very strong signal not only to our country but to the world that Kansas will compete to protect our jobs” said Steve Martens chairman of the Greater Wichita Economic Development Coalition. Cessna plans to break ground on the facility at its west Wichita campus toward the end of the year Pelton said. The plant will house engineering offices and final assembly for the $27 million transcontinental aircraft Cessna’s largest jet to date. In addition to the incentive package there were other factors in Cessna’s decision. Pelton said those include a world-class work force the new technical training facility at Jabara Airport and the National Institute for Aviation Research. ”Technical training was huge” Pelton said. The company gave Wichita high marks for training that gives the company a future pipeline of employees.
Emerson to automate China’s first mAb drug plant
In-PharmaTechnologist.com – Apr 7, 2008
In terms of Asia biologic drug manufacturing is slowly starting to take off in Singapore and is expected to be a key component of the country’s drug manufacturing activity in the future. The country has been heavily investing in developing capabilities in this potentially lucrative market sector as it keeps its eye on the prize however until now China has not been seen to be making any real moves in this direction. Emerson has been chosen by Shanghai-based engineering procurement contractor M+W Zander to design and install its PlantWeb digital plant architecture integrated with its DeltaV system and Foundation fieldbus instrumentation for networking intelligent process instrumentation to speed the drug production process. To further speed startup Emerson said it is supplying its AMS Suite software that communicates with smart field devices for "efficient commissioning". "Later AMS Suite will enable predictive maintenance by monitoring diagnostics running in field instrumentation and alerting plant personnel to issues that need maintenance attention before they affect or shut down operations" the firm said.
Japanese chemical company breaks ground for new plant
Daily Mail – Charleston – Apr 7, 2008
enlarge a { color: #333;} Gallery [+] Enlarge. plans to build in Belle. Kureha is partnering with Shimizu NA and CH2M Hill both of Atlanta Ga. for engineering procurement and construction management services… plans to build in Belle. Kureha is partnering with Shimizu NA and CH2M Hill both of Atlanta Ga. for engineering procurement and construction management services.
Goodbye AS/400 ld Friend
IT Jungle – Apr 7, 2008
You see in the 1950s there were no Rochester Labs creating the most sophisticated operating system software in the world. There was the beginnings of a plant complex that was designed to build these huge electromechanical units each of which existed on a diet of lots more than 100 boxes of 80-column punch cards every day. Even before 1960 this plant from nowhere established its own engineering department and soon IBM announced that Rochester was designing and developing its own products. In 1957 the first two Rochester-designed and developed units the IBM 085 and 087 collators were shipped from a plant less than a year old. IBM in Rochester was well on its way to fulfill its legacy.
Lu’s U-Joints and More
Forbes – Apr 7, 2008
The 63-year-old embodies the cleverness and chutzpah that old-line Chinese entrepreneurs needed to survive. The son of a farmer he got the idea of setting up a cereal processing plant in his hometown eliminating the need for farmers to move the stuff to be processed out of town. The plant was labeled illegal and then shut down by the government during the Cultural Revolution. Working with friends he later set up a shop for forging and maintaining agricultural machinery before deciding to focus on universal joints for cars. (Wanxiang in Chinese means “universal. “) He bought out the shares from the government in 1988 and folded in eight companies in two years. Photos from the early days show him meeting foreign customers in a Mao jacket… They filed for bankruptcy in 2005. Today Wanxiang is trying to integrate better globally through its investments and tap high-end components and engineering resources in the U. ne model: Powers & Sons an hio maker of truck-steering parts which Wanxiang bought 60% of in 2005. “From an operating standpoint they are very hands-off” says Douglas Link an executive at the $60-million-in-sales company’s plant in Montpelier hio.