September 16, 2008 NAM President, John Engler commended Senate for its vote in support of $8 billion transfer from General Fund to Highway Trust Fund, a measure that will help avert near immediate $14 billion cut in highway spending. Highway Trust Fund, which receives most of its funding from federal tax on gasoline and diesel fuel, is facing first deficit in more than 25 years. Restoring funds will ensure continued financial support for nation's transportation infrastructure.

September 16, 2008 According to NAM VP for International Economic Affairs, Frank Vargo, latest trade report confirms that exports of U.S. manufactured goods continue to rise, and surplus with free trade partners continues to grow. July manufactured goods exports soared 22% over last July's figures, putting manufactured goods exports at $669 billion, up 16% over last year. Also, manufactured goods trade surplus with NAFTA, CAFTA, and other free trade partners is in surplus by $8.1 billion.

September 16, 2008 According to NAM, Senate passage of ADA Amendments Act is "a meaningful achievement for all stakeholders and encouraging sign that good legislation can triumph over politics as usual." Restoring original intent of ADA is practical for employers who urgently need qualified workers to fill vacancies. NAM's EVP, Jay Timmons said NAM is proud to have worked with disability, civil rights, employer groups, and Members of Congress and Senators to address workforce needs of manufacturers in America.

September 16, 2008 According to pre-registration data, 48% of visitors will be first-time attendees to FABTECH International and AWS Welding Show, including METALFORM, to take place in Las Vegas Convention Center. Nearly 1,000 exhibitors' products and displays will encompass some 400,000 sq-ft of exhibit space, an increase of 28% from 2006 show in Atlanta. Over 20,000 industry professionals are expected to attend to see metal forming, fabricating, stamping, tube and pipe, and welding equipment and technology.

September 16, 2008 The NAM said that The Clean Air Interstate Rule Reinstatement Act of 2008, introduced by Senators Inhofe (R-OK) and Voinovich (R-OH), would reestablish a climate of business certainty by modernizing the complex Clean Air Act. "The NAM supports continued efforts by Members of Congress to streamline and clarify the complex and ambiguous requirements of the Clean Air Act," said NAM Vice President, Energy and Resources Policy Keith McCoy.

September 16, 2008 Scheduled for Oct 14-16 in Houston, Texas, ISA EXPO 2008 will feature the ISA EXPO Safety exchange track, which will include technical sessions covering topics such as safety instrumentation, SIS application, alarm management, and competency. Sessions will include SIS Applications in Oil and Gas Production as well as Managing Safety Instrumented Systems, SIS Detailed Implementation, and Alarm Management. The event will also have X-Pod Technology Briefings and 5 additional tracks.

September 16, 2008 On Aug 6-7, presenters from various facets of water and automatic control industries educated audience of more than 50 professionals at 3rd Annual ISA Water and Wastewater and Automatic Controls Symposium. Two days of conference topics included 14 technical presentations and one keynote presentation by Paul Sereiko, President and CEO of AirSprite Technologies. ISA's President-Elect Secretary, Gerald Cockrell, also gave a session about ISA's strategies and goals.

September 15, 2008 AEM's 2008 Annual Conference, themed World Trade: Traits of the Masters, will be held November 9-11, 2008, in Scottsdale, Arizona. This yearly event gathers together presidents, CEOs, and other senior-level executives in the off-road equipment manufacturing industry to examine best-practice strategies for competitive growth. Conference speakers will offer insights on the trade winds of the U.S. and global economies, the political environment, sustainability issues, and operational efficiencies.

September 15, 2008 The Polyurethane Manufacturers Association (PMA) is soliciting technical papers for presentation during its 2009 Annual Meeting, April 19-21, 2009, in Savannah, Georgia. The presentation date will be the afternoon of Tuesday, April 21, 2009, while the abstract deadline is Friday, October 31, 2008. Completed papers are due March 6, 2009 and are chosen based on technical content, timeliness of the subject, and relevance to PMA members and the industry.

September 15, 2008 In statement regarding proposal for federal loans to auto industry, NAM President John Engler said NAM supported increase in Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards in Energy Independence and Security Act partly because Congress promised access to low interest federal loans for auto industry. Loans would accelerate retooling and transformation of U.S. manufacturing plants so they can design and produce next generation of fuel efficient cars and trucks.

September 15, 2008 Senate approved legislation to transfer $8 billion to restore solvency to Highway Trust Fund, which was the right thing to do according to AASHTO Executive Director John Horsley. Fund supports projects that keep America working, relieve congestion, and save time, energy, and lives. Hundreds of millions of dollars of construction projects have been put on hold since announcement that federal-aid payments to states would be withheld because of shortage of funds.

September 15, 2008 In statement submitted to House Committee on Small Business, NAM addressed importance of R&D tax credit to small manufacturers. According to NAM, tax credit is proven incentive for spurring R&D activity and investment in U.S., and helps keep skilled, high-wage R&D jobs here. Since 40% of NAM's small manufacturer members used tax credit in 2007, NAM strongly urges Congress to act quickly to seamlessly extend and strengthen this pro-growth, pro-competitiveness tax incentive.

September 15, 2008 On morning of Sept 24, experts will discuss Emerging Advanced Packages: Stacked, 3-D, CSP, and Embedded. In the afternoon, A-Line and EMS Trends Forum will be held where speakers will discuss how they evaluate materials and equipment used in developing products. Wednesday's Free Forums will close with session called "There's More Than One Way to Assemble Lead Free: A Status Report on Processes." On Sept 25, SCRIBA: A Cross-Platform Data Entry Tool for IPC 175x Version 2.0, will be held.

September 15, 2008 NAM Director of Technology Policy, Marc-Anthony Signorino, applauded the Senate Judiciary Committee's passage of the Enforcement of Intellectual Property Act of 2008 (S. 2235). According to Signorino, the bill would create an IP enforcement czar within the Administration to work with agencies to develop a joint strategy to combat counterfeiting and piracy. Also, it would allow the Justice Department to bring civil actions to enforce copyright laws on behalf of private parties.

September 15, 2008 The 2008 Fall Management and Technical Meeting, themed Transcending Markets and Technology: Pump and System Optimization and Efficiency, will be held in Oak Brook, Illinois from Oct 7-11, 2008. It will include nearly 50 committee meetings, plenary sessions, and workshops as well as presentations led by William Knoke, Steve Schofield, Peter Garforth, and Alan Beaulieu. The meeting is open to HI members, associate members, standards partners, and eligible prospective members.

September 15, 2008 Published by NEMA, reaffirmed standards include CP 1-2000 (R2008) Shunt Capacitors; ICS 5, Annex B-2002 (R2008) Industrial Control and Systems: Typical Proximity Switch Specifications; and ICS 5, Annex E-2002 (R2008) Industrial Control and Systems: Additional Requirements for Proximity Switches Suitable for Use in Strong Magnetic Fields.

September 15, 2008 On August 21, 2008, California legislature gave final stamp of approval to NEMA-endorsed legislation (SB 1386) to require installation of carbon monoxide devices in all dwelling units intended for human occupancy, including homes, apartments, and hotels. By enacting SB 1386, California will become 3rd state this year to codify CO protection, joining Wisconsin and North Carolina. Currently, 17 states and numerous localities have some type of CO requirement.

September 15, 2008 Scheduled for Nov 10-12 in Barcelona, European Conference is built around theme of "Bridging the Divide between IT and Manufacturing." Conference will address how to incorporate these two business functions into cohesive units without losing production time, money, and labor. Kurt Werckx, Manager of the Business Export Group at Janssen Pharmaceutica in Belgium and Arne Svendsen, Head of Manufacturing Services and Automation at Arla Foods Global IT will deliver keynotes.

September 15, 2008 Making its debut during Aluminum Extrusion Technology Seminar and Exposition, Aluminum is Green logo conveys aluminum's recyclable, sustainable, and versatile attributes. Trademark will be used to communicate message of environmental responsibility and benefits to aluminum extrusion customers and others. In addition to recyclability, other eco-friendly qualities aluminum touts while meeting green building requirements include light weight-to-strength ratio and extrudability.

September 15, 2008 Scheduled for Oct 19-22, AEM's 2008 Product Support Seminar features theme of "Teaming Up to Serve" and is designed for off-road equipment manufacturing professionals with parts, service, and training responsibilities. Sessions will feature speakers from business, industry, and consumer sectors as well as case studies, panel discussions, and networking exchanges. During optional community service project, attendees can volunteer to help rebuild homes devastated by Hurricane Katrina.