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China builds its first PPP high-speed railway

By Xinhuanet| 2021-06-22 22:38:23

China's first high-speed railway controlled by private capital has been built to connect several cities in east China's Zhejiang Province.On Tuesday, the tracks were completed for the Hangzhou-Shaoxing-Taizhou intercity railway, one of China's first group of high-speed railway projects funded by a public-private partnership (PPP), with the private sector having a holding status.With a total investment of nearly 44.9 billion yuan (about 6.95 billion U.S. dollars), the 266.9 km rail line has been designed with eight stops and a speed of 350 km per hour.The new rail line will be opened by the end of this year and will be connected to the high-speed railway network in the Yangtze River Delta region. It will halve the travel time between Hangzhou and Taizhou to approximately one hour. Enditem

France announces 8-bln-euro plan to rescue ailing car industry

By Xinhua| 2020-05-27 16:54:58

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday unveiled an eight-billion-euro (8.78 billion U.S. dollars) rescue plan to help the recovery of the domestic auto industry hit hard by the anti-coronavirus lockdown. The plan focuses on the production of environmentally friendly vehicles."The state will provide more than eight billion euros in aid to the sector," Macron said. "In return, the car manufacturers have committed to relocate value-added production in France and to consolidate and maintain all industrial production on our sites."The president, who met with industry bosses early on Tuesday, said the "historic plan," which aims to "face a historic situation," was based on a support package and a scrappage scheme to shift towards less polluting vehicles. This massive investment aims to bolster research, encourage innovation and support the domestic production of high-tech electric and hybrid vehicles."We need to defend our industry and make France Europe's top producer of clean vehicles by increasing output to more than one million electric and hybrid cars per year over the next five years," said Macron."Bankruptcies should be avoided at all costs. We have to negotiate plans to adjust the activity, sometimes to reduce it, and accept short-time working," he said following a visit to a Valeo car parts factory in northern France.In order to boost demand, the government would increase the state bonus for consumers buying electric cars to 7,000 euros from 6,000 euros. Furthermore, a scrappage plan, which will be implemented from June 1, will offer a 5,000-euro incentive to motorists to encourage them to replace their vehicles with hybrid or electric ones.To further promote the sector's added value, the president also unveiled a 600-million-euro investment fund "to support innovation, research and development in the French automotive industry in line with our major technological axes for the vehicle of the future."In this context, the president announced that Renault would join PSA and oil giant Total in a venture manufacturing batteries for electric and hybrid cars."It is a defense plan, a sovereignty plan for the automotive industry, which aims to relocate activity. It is indeed a plan for the future of the 21st century automobile," the president said.In mid-March, France imposed strict rules to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and the tough restrictions on people's movement have negatively impacted local demand.Some 400,000 vehicles have remained unsold, while 250,000 workers in the sector were placed on partial unemployment scheme, Macron noted.Sales of French vehicle brands plunged by 84.2 percent in April, according to figures released by the French Automobile Manufacturers Committee (CCFA) earlier this month.PSA, the country's leading car manufacturer, saw an 84.4 percent drop in its sales to 10,098 units, while Renault, the country's second largest carmaker, sold 7,148 units, sharply down from the 44,348 vehicles sold in April 2019.

Optimas OE Solutions Holdings, Inc. LLC Acquires Circle Bolt & Nut Co., Inc.

By Optimas| 2018-07-06 00:00:00

Optimas OE Solutions Holdings, Inc. LLC announced in June the acquisition of the US-based Circle Bolt & Nut Co., Inc. (CBN) located in Kingston, PA. “We are pleased to have Circle Bolt & Nut join our team. We are convinced that this is the right investment for Optimas to expand beyond our current base of business,” stated Anesa Chaibi, Chief Executive Officer. The acquisition supports the Optimas growth strategy into product adjacencies and enhanced MRO capabilities.Jim Castellino, CBN President & CEO, added, “I’m very excited for our company to become a part of the Optimas family. Together we will be able to provide exceptional value to our customers.” As a premier supplier of a wide variety of parts and components, CBN services Original Equipment Manufacturers and Maintenance Repair Operating needs of industrial companies by providing Vendor Managed Programs that utilize state of the art technology. “Circle Nut & Bolt enables Optimas to accelerate our expansion into small and medium sized accounts,” said Christian Wiltrout, President, Americas.The transaction also diversifies the portfolio of Optimas customers across multiple industries. “The addition of Circle Bolt & Nut to our Optimas family is another positive step forward in accelerating the execution of our growth strategy and company transformation,” stated Anesa Chaibi.About Optimas OE Solutions Holdings, LLC (“OPTIMAS”)Optimas is a leading, global provider of integrated supply chain solutions and engineering support focused on delivering highly engineered custom fasteners and other “C” Class components, such as fittings, clamps, bearings, and rivets, to our global customer base of large, industrial companies as well as small and medium-sized companies. Optimas specializes in the delivery of highly engineered fastener hardware and components across multiple industries and continents.About Circle Bolt & Nut Co., Inc.Circle Bolt & Nut Co., Inc. is an international supplier of fasteners, specialty hardware, and value added services with worldwide sourcing and distribution capabilities. Since 1979, CBN has grown from one facility in Northeast Pennsylvania to national coverage through seven full service branches and other satellite warehouse and service locations.Source: Optimas OE Solutions Holdings, Inc. LLC

Manufacturing World Japan 2018 Breaking its records! 2,580* exhibitors from all around the world

By | 2018-04-23 00:00:00

Reed Exhibitions Japan Ltd., the largest trade show organizer in Japan announced that Manufacturing World Japan 2018is coming back at Tokyo Big Sight from June 20 - 22, 2018 with the largest scale in its history. It is world’s leading trade showfor the manufacturing industry.Held with the Largest Scale Ever!According to the huge supports from manufacturing industry of Japan and all around the world, the number of exhibitors in 2018 is expected to reach 2,580. This figure is the largest ever in the history ofManufacturing World Japan. The number of visitors is expected to be 90,000and they will pack the show floor during 3 days show period. From the survey of visitor pre-registration, motivation of visitors for purchasing from exhibitors is extremely high.All kinds of Industrial Subcontracting & Motion Technologies (Bearings/Motors, FA Technologies, Springs, CNC Turned/Milled Parts, etc.), Industrial IT Solutions (CAD, CAM, Industrial IoT/AI & 3D Printers, etc.), Medical Device Design & Development (Medical parts/Electronic Components, Medical Materials, etc.), 3D and Virtual Reality technologies and solutions are gathering.More International Exhibitors - Great Meeting Platform for Global Business!The number of international exhibitors of 2018show is expected to be 420. This is also the largest number in Manufacturing WorldJapan’s history.Huge Number of Major Companies are Exhibiting!Many major companies from all around the world are exhibiting in Manufacturing World Japan 2018.They are unveiling the world’s latest or world’s cutting-edge technologies/solutions/products which are “must-see” for all professionals working in manufacturing industry. Don’t miss this opportunity to catch up the world’s latest solutions for manufacturing!Keynote & Special Sessions – Industry leaders address their latest topicsKeynote & Special Sessions will be held as the concurrent events of trade show. Top industry leaders from global leading companies such as MAZDA MOTOR, NEC, OMRON, HONDA MOTOR, HITACHI, FUJITEC, STRATASYS, DESKTOP METAL, NISSAN MOTOR, OLYMPUS, UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO etc. will reveal their latest topics for manufacturing innovation, IoT technology, smart factory, IT strategy for manufacturing industry,etc. 11,718 attendees in 2017 show.<Bilingual Keynote Session (V-K)> English & Japanese-Alfonso E. Albaisa, Senior Vice President, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.- Susumu Tachi, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, The University of Tokyo- Michitaka Hirose, Dr., Professor, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology,The University of Tokyo<Bilingual Special Session (D-S2)> English & Japanese- Hiroaki Katayama, President & CEO, Stratasys Japan Co., Ltd.- RicFulop, CEO and Co-founder, Desktop Metal, Inc.Information of Manufacturing World Japan 2018- 2,580* exhibitors, 90,000* visitors (*expected figures) -Dates: June 20 (Wed) - 22 (Fri), 2018Venue: Tokyo Big Sight, JapanOfficial website: http://www.japan-mfg.jp/en/tokyo/For Visitors (FREE)Exhibition Ticket Request: http://www.japan-mfg.jp/en/tokyo/inv/VIP Ticket Request: http://www.japan-mfg.jp/en/vip/Group Visit (For More than 6 persons): http://www.japan-mfg.jp/en/inv_group/----Contact-------------------------------------------------------Organiser: Reed Exhibitions Japan Ltd.Manufacturing World Show ManagementErika Suzuki (Ms.)TEL: +81-3-3349-8506mailto:mfg-japan@reedexpo.co.jp-----------------------------------------------------------------

India: Domestic steel production to remain high in 2017-18

By RAKHI MAZUMDAR, ET BUREAU| 2017-04-28 09:37:50

KOLKATA: Domestic steel production is expected to remain high in the current year 2017-18 and is likely to rise by around 8-10%, an industry research report by CARE Ratings has said. However, steel prices may rise going forward as steel producers are expected to face increased cost pressure due to supply disruption and a steep surge in coking coal prices on account of Cyclone Debbie in Australia. The latter accounts for around 70% of India’s coking coal requirements that are fulfilled through imports. Sharing its outlook for steel industry in the current year, the latest report by the agency said government allocation for infrastructure in the union budget 2017-18 is expected to act as driver for construction and infrastructure in the country. Additionally, the National Steel Policy 2017 also aims to raise steel production the report pointed out. A number of steps by the government are likely to increase domestic steel consumption and thereby production it said. It includes Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Make in India campaign, encouraging use of Made in India steel for various projects and spending in areas like railways, roads and urban development. Domestic producers are also increasing steel producing capacities expecting an increase in demand for steel of account of several initiatives taken by the government. Incidentally, India’s crude steel production grew by 4-5.5% during financial years 2012-14 on year on year basis. It stood at 81.69 million tonne (mt) in 2013-14 and 81.69 mt in 2012-13, while output grew 8.9% to 988.98 mt in 2014-15. In 2015-16 it saw a subdued growth and went up marginally by 0.89% to 89.78 mt, before gaining momentum and rising 9.4% to 89.11 mt in April 2016-Feb 2017 as steel producers raised output backed by government’s strong measures like Minimium Import Price to rein in cheaper imports.Source: The Economic Times

Fastenal to acquire Mansco

By Steve Hilleard| 2017-03-08 00:00:00

MRO and industrial supplier Fastenal has agreed to acquire “certain assets” of fastener supply distributor Manufacturer's Supply Company (Mansco). MRO and industrial supplier Fastenal has agreed to acquire “certain assets” of fastener supply distributor Manufacturer’s Supply Company (Mansco). The Michigan-based company recorded sales of around $50 million in 2016. Mansco focuses on fastener products, with a particularly strong market position with commercial furniture OEM and is complementary to Fastenal which is a very small player in that sector. The agreement includes several conditions to close, but is expected to be concluded by the end of this month. Source: https://www.opi.net

Global Giants Upbeat on Iranian Steel Prospects

By Financial Tribune| 2017-02-15 00:00:00

The Seventh Iranian Steel Market Conference opened in Tehran on Feb. 14. (Photo: Forough Alaei) Throughout history, the path to industrial development has been paved by steel industry. It has built up invaluable infrastructures, spearheaded technological development and spurred economic growth. For Iran, the steel industry is set to play an even more important role. After years of crippling sanctions, the country wants to get its industries back on track and streamline economic growth. This is while low oil prices have failed to boost revenues and drive the economy. The most potential alternative is the development of the mining sector, especially the steel industry. The Seventh Iranian Steel Market Conference, hosted by Donya-e-Eqtesad media group, opened in Tehran on Tuesday with exactly this aim in mind. It brought together a host of steel industry officials, local and foreign players and market analysts to follow up on last year’s post-sanctions excitement and clear the industry’s path to growth. The industry is currently grappling with various challenges on both foreign and local fronts. The Chinese steel armada is still strong and threatening global markets. While demand is growing slowly, the rise of protectionist trade policies is hurting the prospects of exporters. Domestic Targets, Challenges In Iran, the government is doing its best to reach the 55-million-ton steel production capacity goal envisioned in its 20-Year Vision Plan (2005-25). The goal’s achievability, however, is challenged by the downstream sectors' unbalanced supply of raw materials and the underdeveloped transportation infrastructure needed for boosting exports. Both require billions of investments, the procurement of which has proven to be the main bottleneck in post-sanctions Iran. Iranian speakers at the conference included the head of Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization, Mehdi Karbasian; Minister of Industries, Mining and Trade Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh; former parliament speaker, Ali Akbar Nateq-Nouri; the head of Islamic Republic of Iran Railways Company, Saeed Mohammadzadeh; and the head of Iran Mercantile Exchange, Hamed Soltani-Nejad Managing director of Spain’s Sarralle group Javier Esquiroz; CEO of Italy’s Danieli Group Gianpietro Benedetti; the head of Germany’s SMS Group, Burkhard Dahmen; CEO of Austria’s INTECO, Harald Holzgruber; and Turkish Steel Exporters Association’s market analyst, Cihan Akedniz, were among the notable foreign participants. "The Iranian steel industry is now in its fifth decade. Ever since we started, the lack of balance [between raw material supply and steel production] was a concern for industrialists. The issue has now partly been resolved as a result of boosting mineral exploration and establishing a string of upstream plants,” said Karbasian, who is also deputy minister of industries, mining and trade. According to Nematzadeh, over the past four years, the industry’s pellet production capacity has grown 66% to 35 million tons, DRI capacity has risen 42% to 27 million tons and crude steel capacity is up 29% to 31 million tons. However, completely resolving the issue of raw material scarcity and realizing the 2025 steel expansion goals require close to $30 billion of investment, the attraction of which has been one the main goals pursued by industry players in post-sanctions Iran. Karbasian appeared confident that despite the challenges, the outlook is bright for growth in the steel industry. "Annual demand for steel in the Middle East and North Africa region is 71 million tons, while member countries only produce 36 million tons. Considering the potential of Iranian mines, the country’s gas reserves and its steelmaking capacity, we believe investing in Iran is going to be lucrative for [both local and foreign] investors,” he said. Karbasian noted that low gas prices and abundance of DRI means Iran has a competitive edge compared to other producers who use coal, the price of which has more than doubled in the last two years. Steel prices are also set to rise on the global scale. China has been forced to cut down its production capacity due to environmental issues. This is expected to reduce global supply and positively impact the markets and consequently Iranian exports. Iranian steelmakers exported more than 4.4 million tons of crude steel and steel products during the 10 months to January 19, registering a 45% growth compared with last year’s corresponding period. > Underdeveloped Transportation Sector "If we are to produce 55 million tons of steel under the current conditions of our transportation sector, it will be as if we first build a factory in the middle of Tehran and then wonder how to ship the products out,” said Saeed Mohammadzadeh, managing director of Islamic Republic of Iran Railways Company. During the 10 months of the current Iranian year (March 20-January 19), 66% of the country’s iron ore and coal production were transported via land, while railroad transportation accounted for only 28% of the total amount. Based on IRIR’s forecasts, 224 million tons of mineral products will be transported every year in Iran by the end of 2025. Mohammadzadeh noted that with the current rail infrastructure in place, only one-third of this figure will be transported using rail and this will inflict high costs on producers. In order to fix this deficiency, the government and the private sector must collaborate in developing the transportation sector by boosting investments, as IRIR’s revenues from duties on transportation are not sufficient for expansion plans. > The New Normal According to Gianpietro Benedetti, the CEO of Danieli Group, the global steel market has entered a “new normal” period and is set to remain balanced for at least the next two years. Steel markets around the world have a history of fluctuation with the emergence of new, major developments such as the Second World War, the collapse of Berlin Wall and the fall of the Soviet Union. The last major occurrence in recent times was the rise of China, which boosted global steel consumption by over a billion tons per year. "China is now in a flat situation with no [noticeable] up or down in consumption. Global quantity will not increase, prices will slightly improve and protectionist policies in different areas such as the US and the EU will become dominant. In our opinion, this new normal will stay on for quite some time,” said the Italian official. What can be done during the new normal period? According to Benedetti, the obvious answer is to improve product quality, increase value added and lower production costs, which is “very simple to say and very difficult to do”. And Iranian steel, with the relative advantages it boasts, can thrive in this environment. "[Iranian steel] is blessed by God. You have iron ore, energy and competitive [production costs]. Theoretically and practically, you are the one that can produce billets and slabs with lower costs. You could be 15% less expensive than the Chinese and 25% less than producers in the United States,” he said. Benedetti elaborated on Danieli’s operations in Iran and how it is striving to improve the productivity of Iranian plants. The Italian firm is currently cooperating with Khorasan and Mobarakeh steel companies to reduce their production times and costs. With Khorasan, improved types of wired rods, blooms and ingots are planned for production. With MSC, Danieli is set to establish a new production line to manufacture steel sheets with special aesthetical effects such as wood, brick and any other texture that clients require. Javier Esquiroz, the head of Sarralle group, also hailed the potential of Iranian economy for foreign investors. "You have a diversified economy, the largest gas reserves of the world, significant mineral reserves, as many engineers as the United States, an 80-million population, and an entrepreneurship tradition with an impressive startup community. These strengths, if managed, can generate high value-added for the steel industry,” said Esquiroz. Sarralle’s projects in the Iranian steel industry include setting up a smelting shop in South Kaveh Steel Company in Bandar Abbas, establishing electric arc furnaces and slab casters in Arvand Jahanara Steel Company in Khuzestan Province’s Abadan City, establishing a rolling mill for Arvand Kaveh Steel Company also in Abadan City, and setting up a smelting shop in Iran Alloy Steel Company in Yazd Province. Esquiroz added that Spanish banks have announced their complete readiness to finance projects in Iran. With such optimistic international partners, Iran is on the cusp of a breakthrough in steel growth and prosperity. Source: https://financialtribune.com

Tokyo Steel to raise all Dec product prices by 5,000 yen/T

By Yuka Obayashi| 2016-11-22 15:29:55

Tokyo Steel Manufacturing Co., Ltd. said on Nov.21st, 2016 it would raise the prices of all of its products by 5,000 yen ($45.12) per tonne for December delivery, reflecting a rally in raw material prices and higher product prices abroad. Tokyo Steel's pricing strategy is closely watched by Asian rivals such as South Korea's Posco and Hyundai Steel Co and China's Baoshan Iron & Steel Co (Baosteel) that export to Japan. The flat increase means product prices for Japan's top electric-arc furnace steelmaker will rise by about 7 to 11 percent in December depending on the product, Tokyo Steel's managing director, Kiyoshi Imamura, told reporters. The increase comes amid rising prices for scrap metal and a series of price hikes by global steel mills to pass on surging coking coal prices, he said. Tokyo Steel left its prices unchanged in November but cut October delivery prices by up to 13 percent. "Global steel market has entered in a clear bullish trend as steelmakers worldwide have been boosting product prices in the face of surging coking coal prices," Imamura said. Recycled scrap metal, a main feed material for electric-arc furnaces, has soared by 5,000 to 7,000 yen a tonne since hitting a bottom in August, tracking a rally in coking coal, a key steelmaking material for blast furnaces, he said. Coking coal has more than tripled this year as China, the world's biggest coking coal producer, has cut supply to curb overcapacity and pollution. Based on the flat increase, prices for the Tokyo Steel's main product, H-shaped beams, which are used in construction, will climb by 8 percent to 70,000 yen per tonne. Steel bars, including rebar, will rise by 11 percent to 52,000 yen. The company produces 15 different steel products. This is its first across-the-board price hike since May. "If the bullish trend in steel market continued, we may raise product prices again for January delivery," Imamura said. However, his market outlook was cautious, adding the recent rally has been driven by higher raw material costs instead of stronger demand growth and tighter supply. "We are not so confident that the steel market's rally will continue as the fundamental problem of oversupply due to China's massive output has not been changed," he said. ($1 = 110.8200 yen) (Reporting by Yuka Obayashi; Editing by Biju Dwarakanath and Christian Schmollinger) News from Reuters. Any copyright is owned by the original author. Please kindly inform us if there is any infringement of copyright.

Zenith Steel Group Succeeded in Developing a New Product 35 VB, a High Strength Bolt Steel

By steelhome.cn| 2016-09-23 15:17:54

        Zenith Steel Group Company Limited has successfully launched a new type of steel – a high strength bolt steel recently which is the 27th new product of the company. At present, the steel has been on trial by their clients. It has expanded the products types and standards of the company’s special and superior steel and bar materials. During the earlier phase of the development, the R&D center of Zenith Steel Group designed proper technology parameters, controlled technological difficulties in steelmaking and rolling after researching for some technical information and  deeply capturing of customer's requirements based on the current successful development experience of cold heading alloy steel and the features of the steel. During the manufacture of the steel, the company arranged relevant staffs to follow, observe and summarize the whole process. The R&D center, Steelmaking department, Rolling Department, Quality Control Department and other staffs worked together during the development process and the high strength bolt steel 35VB was developed by one time. After the examination of rolled products, all technical indicators meet the requirements of clients. What’s more, the company has rolled the steel in various standards and now the products has been sent to clients. We have been told that 35 VB is the steel for the production of high-class Grade 10.9 Steel Bolts which are widely applied to large machines, architecture, electricity and other industry. Because bolts directly transfer alternating load which leads to alternating stress. The bad application environment and high operating stress require good quality of the bolts which directly influences the service life of those machine. Due to these reasons, 35VB must have advantages like high strength, sound plasticity and toughness, high impact tenacity and high fatigue strength. The steel is a new developed high-value-added product which has certain difficulties in producing. Since 2016, Zenith Steel Group steps up efforts to develop more high-end products based on the “522” development strategy (that is 500,000 tons of steel of super quality, 2 million tons of fine steel and 2 million tons of special steel). According to statistics, the R&D center of the company has developed 27 types of steel, in which 21 types of bar and6 wire rods. The fine steels and special steels have occupied over 50% of all producing steels in the company. The article is from steelhome.cn. Any copyright belongs to the original author. Please kindly notice us if there is any infringement of copyright.

The Vision of Productivity in Manufacturing Expo Thailand

By CFM| 2016-06-28 00:00:00

Organized by Reed Tradex Company, the 2016 edition of Manufacturing Expo was held during the date from June 22-25 in BITEC, Bangkok, Thailand. Within four days of exhibition, the distributors, traders, manufacturers and specialists from home and outdoor of Thailand has joined in this fantastic show. The journalist, from ChinaFastener Magazine( CFM), witnessed this show and presented the latest information to you.                                                                                                                                Journalist of CFM Most of the visitors were from Southeast Asia and East Asia who were interested in auto parts, CNC machine, household electric appliance and etc.                               With 2,425 brands of technologies from 46 countries, Manufacturing Expo 2016 serves as a grand gateway for manufacturing and supporting industrialists to gain new machines and solutions from all over the world. Moreover, the strong presence of 6 international pavilions from China, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam ensures the increased level of potential business collaboration which would extend beyond the show duration.                             With honorary attendees from the Ministry of industry as well as public and private organizations from within Thailand and abroad, the show has once again confirmed a strong commitment to serve as the center stage of technology & business opportunities for entrepreneurs, business owners, parts makers, production supervisors, purchasers and other professionals in manufacturing and supporting industries. 

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