OAK RIDGE, Tenn., February 25, 2015—The Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Whirlpool Corporation are collaborating to design a refrigerator that could cut energy use by up to 40 percent compared with current models.
The goal of the cooperative research and development agreement, or CRADA, is to make a next-generation household refrigerator more energy efficient by using WISEMOTION, an innovative linear compressor manufactured by Embraco, and other novel technologies and materials.
Read more at: http://www.newswise.com/articles/ornl-signs-agreement-with-whirlpool-corp-to-develop-new-energy-efficient-refrigerator
As the founder of the modern Chinese economy, Deng Xiaoping once observed that “No matter if it is a white cat or a black cat; as long as it can catch mice, it is a good cat.”, meaning that one cannot be philosophically wedded to ways of doing things. Deng also used a quote originally coined by Mao Zedong, noting that one must “seek truth from facts”.
These quotes heralded his efforts to create the so-called “socialist market economy” of China as clearly the economic model under Mao had failed to deliver the economic progress the country wanted. Deng’s pioneering efforts unleashed the Chinese economy, generating decades of doubledigit growth that has now catapulted China to being the largest economy in the world. This dramatic growth has spurred the rise of giant corporations like Lenovo, Haier, Huawei, Mindray, TCL, BYD, and many others in a span of a couple of decades.
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US coal miners and traders may end up benefiting from expansions in Turkey’s steel industry, as coking coal users now confined to Erdemir Group and Kardemir would swell over the next few years based on company plans.
Istanbul-based longs steelmaker Icdas and Kardemir are the current sources of optimism for suppliers eyeing potentially 1 million-2 million mt of extra coking coal.
Read more at: http://www.platts.com/latest-news/metals/london/analysis-turkish-blast-furnace-plans-may-boost-26026257
Australian engineers have unveiled the world’s first 3D-printed jet-engine and pledged to fly a prototype in less than a year.
Developed by a team from Monash University’s Centre for Additive Manufacturing in Melbourne, working with global aerospace giants including Boeing, Airbus, Raytheon and Safran, the prototype represents a major breakthrough in manufacturing of aeroplane parts and paves the way for the use of innovative materials and cheaper processes.
World’s first 3D-printed jet engine unveiled – E & T Magazine.
New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, Innovations in Nanomanufacturing, finds that nanomanufacturing will gain traction in the next three to five years and is likely to approach commercialization between 2018 and 2020. Nanomanufacturing will find vast uses in consumer electronics, healthcare, automotive lighting, building automation, smart fabrics, display technology and positioning systems.
Current nanomanufacturing techniques do not support mass-scale production, as the fabrication of a large number of nano-devices repeatedly and under precisely controlled conditions remains a challenge. Nanomanufacturing is also very complex, involving several processes and a high level of supervision.
“Bottom-up approaches such as chemical vapor deposition, atomic layer deposition and self-assembly, which ensure high accuracy and minimal material wastage, will accelerate the adoption of nanomanufacturing,” said Technical Insights Research Analyst Jabez Mendelson.
GKN Powder Metallurgy continued its strong product and development activities in engines and transmissions, being awarded £165 million of annualised sales in new and replacement business. It also won a number of quality awards including: Excellent Supplier Award and Zero PPM 2014 Award from GETRAG (Jiangxi) Transmission Co., Ltd.; and four Supplier Quality Excellence awards from General Motors.
Read more at: http://www.ipmd.net/news/003164.html
Lippo Group, a major Indonesian conglomerate, is planning to invest $500 million to build an e-commerce platform called Matahari Mall, with the avowed intent of becoming “the Alibaba of Indonesia.”
Indonesia has 74.8 million internet users, and e-commerce in Indonesia grew from $1.8 billion in 2013 to $2.6 billion in 2016, according to research firm SingPost. It is, in other words, a place to watch.
Vale has won approval from the Newfoundland and Labrador government to export more nickel concentrate from its mine at Voisey’s Bay, as a result of delays in commissioning its $4.25 billion processing plant in Long Harbour.
The company will pay $200 million over four years in compensation for the right to export an additional 94,000 tonnes of nickel concentrate from its mine on Labrador’s northern coast to its other processing facilities in Ontario and Manitoba. Vale will contribute another $30 million to a community fund.
Read more at: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/vale-gets-extension-for-exporting-voisey-s-bay-ore-1.2969111
TOKYO, Feb 23 (Reuters) – Japanese chemical manufacturer Asahi Kasei Corp has agreed to buy Polypore International Inc’s energy storage business for $2.2 billion, betting on growth in demand for hybrid and electric cars.
Both companies produce lithium-ion battery separators used in electronic gadgets and automobiles, but Asahi Kasei President Toshio Asano believes that the type produced by U.S.-based Polypore – known as dry process separators – will become the auto sector’s preferred option because of lower costs.
“We have been putting our resources in rechargeable batteries for personal computers and smart phones, but the next big market is electric and hybrid cars,” Asano told reporters on Monday.
Read more at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/23/polypore-intl-ma-asahi-kasei-idUSL4N0VX22E20150223
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