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As UK strips away green policies, HVAC sector takes a big hit
Andrew Gaved ManufacturingIn a time when economic prudence is necessary, the United Kingdom's new Conservative Party government installed in May has wasted no time in taking an ax to policies it believes will be costly to the taxpayer. However, a number of these are high-profile "green" policies, designed to reduce the energy consumption of its building stock. This has seen the new government crossing swords with the HVAC sector, along with the combined might of environmentalists, the construction industry and the renewable energy business.
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Sitting may be killing us, but standing all day is just as bad
Cait Harrison Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementWe know sitting all day in an office chair is killing us, and there's no shortage of stories in the news telling us so. And while you should limit sitting, standing for long periods isn't that much better, according to a new study. The research, published in Human Factors, the Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, found that workers who stood all day experienced significant muscle fatigue, regardless of age and gender.
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Wage gap, benefits at forefront as UAW begins talks with Big Three
Alan Kelsky ManufacturingNegotiations with the Big Three automakers — Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler — began last week, and the advantage appears to be with the United Auto Workers (UAW) in what are expected to be contentious talks. The public is again turning to American-made cars, with sales continuing their upward trend for Ford and GM. In fact, both these manufacturers make more profit per vehicle than either Honda or Toyota.
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What can Nicaragua’s new Gran Canal do for global LNG trade?
Lucy Wallwork Natural ResourcesWhen it opened to great fanfare in 1914, the Panama Canal revolutionized the global trade of oil, raw materials and manufactured goods by allowing ships to cross between the Atlantic and the Pacific without navigating round the "sailors' graveyard" of Cape Horn.
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European manufacturers get all worked up over energy labels
Andrew Gaved ManufacturingThe cooling and heating industries in Europe have come together in a rare alliance with their compadres in the lighting sector to voice their concerns over the European Commission's latest initiative. The EC's proposal, announced this week, will "recalibrate" its decade-old energy-labeling scheme. But rather than improving consumer-driven energy efficiency, which is the intention, the EC could actually be fostering confusion with its policy, these groups suggest.
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Plastics technology revitalizing wind energy trends
Don Rosato EngineeringIn wind energy, the trend is to create larger and lighter blades to capture more wind and lower rotational inertia. New technology is being developed to build enormous turbine blades, while also eliminating the need for molds and the transportation problems typical with large blades.
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Is ‘Robocop’ a reality? Not yet, but technology is inching…
Danielle Manley Law Enforcement, Defense & SecurityIn the movie "Robocop," the year is 2028, and police officer Alex Murphy is critically injured in the line of duty. Scientists decide to "rebuild" Murphy into a cyborg police officer — part-man, part-robot. When the original "Robocop" came out in 1987, robots were merely a far-fetched futuristic concept of "The Jetsons." It was fiction. It was fun. By the time the rebooted "Robocop" movie was released in 2014, robots were real.
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Scientists develop new applications for carbon nanotubes
Alan Kelsky EngineeringNanotechnology is great, and every day researchers are discovering new ways to use it in manufacturing. One of the leading frontiers in nanotechnology is the use of carbon nanotubes — superthin sheets of carbon rolled into a tube that demonstrate amazing physical properties.
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A look at the latest gadgets throughout the medical world
Rosemary Sparacio Medical & Allied HealthcareMedical gadgets are in the news often, and cutting-edge manufacturers continue to bring new and exciting inventions to many areas of medicine. Let's take a look at some recent innovations in the medical world.
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How Obama’s new proposed overtime rule affects your business
Jessica Taylor RetailAn important change in the American workplace is occurring — and it could affect you and your business. A proposed new rule regarding overtime pay would mean increased paychecks for up to 5 million workers, according to the Obama administration.
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