Jim Destefani Former Editor

automotive 1 Mar 2010

After the Fall

During the last 10 years, Toyota has seen a big increase in international sales and production.

1 Mar 2010

Waste Treatment Without Wasted Space

Magnetic Inspection Laboratories Inc. (MIL; Elk Grove Village, IL) has been around for quite a while—since 1942, to be precise.

1 Feb 2010

The job description in Matt Kirchner's "Never Finished" column this month ("Help Wanted,") pretty much sums up the hardships associated with trying to make a career in finishing—or, I would argue, in manufacturing in general."Position Description: Some unbelievably frustrating days—when your team members call in sick, a piece of equipment goes down, or when a customer complains—on which you will be ready to call it quits," Matt writes. "But you won't, because you're tougher than that.

1 Feb 2010

Improved Cleaning & Pretreatment

Any mechanic will tell you that, to do a repair correctly, you need to have the right tool for the job.

automotive 1 Feb 2010

Picking Up Productivity

The original lean manufacturing philosophy, "The Toyota Way" has come to symbolize a way of doing business in manufacturing that produces the highest quality and financial success.

1 Feb 2010

Going Long in Zinc

It can be tough, in the midst of as bad a recession as many of us have experienced, to consider investing in new equipment and processes.

energy 1 Jan 2010

Better Burning

Regenerative thermal oxidizers (RTOs) are effective pollution control devices widely used to destroy up to 99.9% of VOCs in paint shop process air streams by burning at temperatures to 1,500°F.Heating air to those kinds of temperatures requires a lot of energy, so RTO suppliers are constantly developing new ways to make their RTO units more energy-efficient.

management 1 Jan 2010

Better Brains, Better Business

Back in the day, the role of a manager in any business was simply to assure that things got done efficiently, and it didn't matter a whole lot how this was accomplished.Modern managers, however, are expected to be more facilitative than controlling and directive, and in that capacity, they may take on a variety of roles as advisor, role model, friend, and, when necessary, counselor.