5 Ways To Leaner Die Handling. Vertical Storage & Retrieval Systems Help Shops Reach for Lean (14568)
Conventional rack, shelving, and drawer systems used in many stamping facilities are a less-than-lean method of storing dies. They consume a lot of floor space, and locating and retrieving dies encroaches on production time. In addition, these conventional methods expose dies to damage.

Cereplast Indiana Manufacturing Facility Unharmed by Recent Flooding, on Track for Q3 Opening. Distribution Center Operations Begin and Rail Service Expansion Nears Approval. (14549)
HAWTHORNE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cereplast, Inc. (OTCBB: CERP), manufacturer of proprietary bio-based, sustainable plastics, remains on track to open its Seymour, Ind. manufacturing facility in the third quarter of this year. Record rainfall in parts of the state caused the evacuation of 100 homes in Seymour this week, however Cereplast’s facility remains safe from flooding. In addition, Cereplast will donate aid to the Jackson County American Red Cross to assist those affected by the weather.

Renewafuel LLC Selects Marquette, MI, for Biomass Production Plant (14521)
CLEVELAND--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Renewafuel LLC, a subsidiary of Cleveland-Cliffs Inc (NYSE:CLF), will build a next-generation biomass fuel production facility at the Telkite Technology Park in Marquette, Mich. Projected to begin operations in the first quarter of 2009, the plant will annually produce 150,000 tons of high-energy, low-emission biofuel cubes from a sustainable composite of collected wood and agricultural feedstocks, including wood byproducts, corn stalks, grasses and energy crops.

item North America Expanding in Akron (14511)
Akron, OH – item North America, a provider of structural aluminum and modular components for the automation, manufacturing and material handling industries, recently broke ground (photo attached) on a 20,000 square foot addition to their facility located on Glaser Parkway near the Akron Municipal Airport.

Nordson Corporation Acquires Remaining Interest in Korean Joint Venture To Expand Service Capability in Growing Asia Pacific Markets (14502)
WESTLAKE, Ohio, June 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Nordson Corporation (NASDAQ:NDSN) today announced that it acquired the remaining stake in its joint venture, Nordson Sang San Ltd. of Gwang-Ju City, Korea. Nordson held a 49 percent stake in the company prior to acquiring the remaining interest from its joint venture partner. Revenue of the business and terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Cooper Tires Debuts New Asia Tech Center (14492)
FINDLAY, OHIO, – COOPER TIRE & RUBBER COMPANY (NYSE: CTB) announces the opening of the Cooper Tire Asia Technical Center located in Zhudi Town, Min Hang District in the Shanghai suburbs. The Asia Technical Center joins Cooper Tire’s North American and European Research and Development Centers. This new technology center will position the appropriate tools, technology and intellectual resources closer to Cooper’s key customers in the region – its Asia production facilities and the Asia-Pacific markets. In addition, having a local technical center will enhance Cooper Tire’s ability to support the North American and global markets, and will strengthen its position as an emerging global competitor.

ERP and PLM; Defining their roles and creating a collaborative environment for success (14485)
Manufacturers’ business needs have changed significantly over the past several years, evolving the roles that technology plays within the manufacturing process. Two key technologies, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), have developed into critical success factors for manufacturers. Each technology brings unique value to the enterprise, and when combined, ERP and PLM provide a wholly collaborative environment that has a major impact on successful product development performance and the ability to maintain a competitive advantage.

Calico Precision Molding Increasing Production Capacity, Investing over $330,000; Adding 20 New Jobs (14484)
FORT WAYNE, Indiana — Calico Precision Molding, LLC, a plastic and rubber custom injection molder of products used in automotive, aerospace, military and commercial markets, is investing over $330,000 in building improvements and new equipment at its 1211 Progress Road location in Fort Wayne. The equipment will create a faster, more efficient manufacturing process and will also allow the company to further diversify its product offerings. Calico currently employs 46 and plans to add up to 20 new employees by the spring of 2009. The project is expected to be completed by the end of June 2008.

National Composite Center Holds First Annual Ncc University Technology Incubator Commencement Ceremony (14481)
DAYTON, Ohio——The National Composite Center (NCC) recently held its inaugural commencement exercises. The ceremony, which took place at NCC’s Dayton Campus for Advanced Materials Technologies (DC-AMT), recognized three companies that have successfully graduated from the Center’s technology incubation program to become independent businesses in the Dayton Region.

TRW Develops Scalable Low Cost Airbag Electronic Control Units for Emerging Markets (14463)
LIVONIA, Mich., May 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. (NYSE:TRW) subsidiary, TRW Automotive U.S. LLC, has developed a scalable airbag control unit (ACU) designed for the growing low-cost vehicle markets. The intelligent solution allows the ACU to be adapted within a platform to offer two options - standard and enhanced - for models sold within emerging territories and for those exported to developed markets.