Daily News For February 13, 2012 ADVERTISEMENT Leaders: Change the Rules, Rule the Future In a time of unprecedented change, manufacturing leaders must take an active role in shaping the future of our industry. Since 2004, senior-level executives from hundreds of leading companies have been doing so at the annual Manufacturing Leadership Summit. The Summit is hosted by the Manufacturing Leadership Council, an invitation-only executive network designed to define and shape a better future for manufacturers worldwide. Join us at the Breakers in Palm Beach, FL. Learn more and receive a special $400 off VIP rate > Today's Daily News NHTSA Investigating Toyota Vehicles for Door Fires A Toyota spokesman said the investigation 'involves potentially' 830,000 vehicles, with the focus on 2007 Camrys and RAV4s. Click to continue Slower Machine Tool Orders Dampen EU Forecast The German Machine Tool Builders' Association reported its members' new orders fell 4% for the fourth quarter of 2011, versus the last quarter of 2010. It was the first quarterly decline in two years. Click to continue Travel Warning to Mexico Issued by U.S. State Department Many cities with manufacturing operations are under travel advisory. Click to continue GE Opens Hybrid Electric Water Heater Plant, Says 'Lean' Helps Make U.S. Manufacturing Competitive General Electric's Appliance Park celebrates first new manufacturing operation at Louisville site in more than 50 years. Click to continue Rolls-Royce Opens Its Largest Asian Facility Company expects to double its revenue in region in next decade. Click to continue Top 4 Supply Management Trends Impacting Finance Companies are realizing that the purchase price of a product or service doesn't represent the comprehensive cost to their organization and are taking steps to proactively capture these other supplier-related costs. Additional costs often range from direct material costs and manufacturing-related fees like delivery, storage and packaging to indirect goods Cap Ex costs like installation, maintenance and adding new workforce skills, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. Click to continue Workers' Comp Woes: Injured Workers and Opiate Addiction A workers' compensation insurance holding company has established a narcotics program to address the problem of injured workers developing opiate addictions that make them unable to return to work in a timely fashion -- or at all. Click to continue China Vows to Pursue Balanced Trade With the United States China's Vice President Xi Jinping likely will face a barrage of complaints when he visits the United States in the coming week. Click to continue Industrial CEO Optimism Based on Cost Controls Nearly four-fifths of industrial manufacturing CEOs are somewhat, or very, confident of revenue growth over the next 12 months, although just 18% believe the global economy will improve, according to PwC's annual Global CEO Survey. Click to continue IndustryWeek Web Forum Visit the IndustryWeek Forums -- an active online community discussing the latest in manufacturing. The forum is open! What Would You Do? "What would you say if you were in a room with the President, Speaker of the House, and Senate Majority Leader?..." Click to continue Keystone Pipeline's Next Battle? "Republicans also could try to include the project in payroll tax cut legislation..." Click to continue Smart Economic Planning Pays Off "A huge manufacturer closes and the town practically disappears according to past experiences. However, that isn't always the case. When Eastman Kodak filed for bankruptcy the city of Rochester, while hurting, won't disappear..." Click to continue U.S. Economic Activity Continues to Show Signs of Improvement "ISM also reported that the nation's purchasing and supply executives who participated in the poll were mostly positive about business conditions..." Click to continue Participate in this and other discussions at forums.industryweek.com. Product Spotlight, Courtesy of NewEquipment.com Tubing and Fittings AutomationDirect has added new models of tubing and fittings to its NITRA line of pneumatic components, as well as blow guns and aluminum manifolds. Available in 100-foot and 250-foot lengths, NITRA 16mm polyurethane tubing has a shore A 98 hardness rating, provides tight outside diameter tolerance and has superior kink resistance. The ether-based tubing provides excellent hydrolysis, oil and cold resistance. Available in four colors, 16mm polyurethane tubing starts at $114. A variety of 16mm push-to-connect fittings are available as well. NITRA brass adapter fittings and plugs are available in 10 different styles to meet most pneumatic applications such as air, water, oil, oxygen, nitrogen, and argon. Machined from yellow brass bar stock or forging, the fittings withstand pressure up to 800 psi. Designed with NPT threaded connections, male and female connectors are available in 1/8-inch to ½-inch sizes, in either two-pack or five-pack quantities. Also added are quick-disconnect fittings which allow easy changing of tools or hose connections. Plugs and couplers, in ¼-inch and 3/8-inch sizes, are available in Industrial Interchange manual or automatic and universal automatic styles. Male and female fittings are NPT threaded and withstand pressure up to 250 psi. Click to continue IndustryWeek's Best Plants Conference Don't Forget Valentine's Day! Valentine's Day has another special meaning this year... the last day to save $200 on the 2012 IW Best Plants Conference. Come see for yourself why 99% of attendees recommend this conference to a colleague. You'll walk away with strategies and tools you can implement right away to help you run your operations smarter, leaner, better -- and increase profits. Click to continue Miss an Issue? See our newsletter archives. PRODUCED BY Click on any of the above logos to visit the producing sites.

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