February 12, 2008 On Feb 29 at 8 a.m. CST, NASA will discuss space shuttle mission STS-123 during media briefings from Johnson Space Center. Briefings will be broadcast live on NASA Television and agency's Web site. Endeavour's 16-day mission will deliver first section of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory and Canadian Space Agency's 2-armed robotic system, Dextre. Following briefings, members of shuttle crew will be available for round-robin interviews.

February 11, 2008 Best Practices for Datacom Facility Energy Efficiency provides guidance to assist those involved in the design, construction, commissioning, operation, implementation, and maintenance of datacom equipment centers. The book provides a listing of best practices in areas such as environmental criteria, mechanical equipment and systems, economizer cycles, airflow distribution, HVAC controls and energy management, electrical distribution equipment, datacom equipment efficiency, and liquid cooling.

February 11, 2008 Centered on the theme Reaching New Heights, ASHRAE's 2008 Winter Meeting offered a technical program with more than 130 sessions, 21 educational courses, and social events as well as more than 500 meetings of technical, standards, and standing committees. More than 2,700 people attended the meeting, held Jan. 19-23, in New York City. ASHRAE President Kent Peterson debuted a video that highlights how existing design and technology can be used in creating net-zero-energy buildings.

February 8, 2008 Electronic versions of the newest book in the series, Advanced Energy Design Guides for K-12 School Buildings, as well as the existing guides on small office and small retail buildings, are available for download at www.ashrae.org/freeaedg. The guides offer designers and contractors the tools needed for achieving a 30% energy savings compared to buildings that meet the minimum energy efficiency requirements of Standard 90.1-1999.

February 8, 2008 ASHRAE Technology Awards were presented for the rehabilitation of Honore-Mercier Hospital and for the new hybrid geothermal system at Springhill Suites in Pensacola, FL. The energy-efficient mechanical system in Fossil Ridge High School, Fort Collins, CO and the Firstenburg Community Center in Vancouver, WA also received first place awards. The final award was presented for the design of the Charoen Pokphan Foods Public Co. in Chokchai, Thailand.

February 8, 2008 To be held from March 25 through November 6 throughout New York State, the workshops will focus on how data center operators, users, chief information officers, and data center designers and consultants can use energy efficiency opportunities and best practices. They are centered on 3 ASHRAE publications which include Thermal Guidelines for Data Processing Environments, Improving Datacom Facility Energy Efficiency, and High Density Data Centers - Case Studies and Best Practices.

February 8, 2008 The 2007 version of ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings contains changes made through 47 addenda to the 2004 standard. The standard also addresses reduction of electrical and cooling loads and thus electricity by allowing less power for lighting. An addendum revised lighting allowances for retail displays, as it allows more flexibility for designers and better reflects actual retail lighting function.

February 8, 2008 The ASHRAE Guide for Buildings in Hot and Humid Climates identifies and explains key issues for owners, architects, HVAC designers, contractors, and building owners as they plan, build, and operate air-conditioned buildings in hot and humid climates. Topics include improving thermal comfort, managing ventilation air, reducing energy consumption, and avoiding bugs, mold, and rot. It also highlights other common problems seen in those climates and how to avoid them.

February 6, 2008 According to January 2008 report, metalforming companies expect business conditions to remain steady over next 3 months despite low current shipping levels. Thirty-one percent of companies predict increase in orders, 44% anticipate no change, and 25% forecast decrease in orders. Only 13% of companies reported that shipping levels are above 3 months ago, while 43% reported no change, and 44% reported that January shipping levels are below levels of 3 months ago.

February 6, 2008 According to preliminary data issued today by U.S. Department of Commerce, overall steel imports decreased 15% in December to 1.79 million metric tons, down from November's level of 2.1 million metric tons. Imports of hot-rolled steel fell by 26% to 176,791 metric tons in December, capping off sizeable downward trend of 47% from 2006 end-of-year levels. Cold-rolled imports also declined in December, down 7% from November 2007 to 98,246 metric tons, and down 51% on the year.

February 6, 2008 In a letter to Committee Chairmen, CEOs - members of the Board of Directors, Government Relations Committee, and Past Chairmen of PMA urged support for provisions that promote competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers, including addressing illegal currency manipulation, giving manufacturers who use raw materials ability to testify before ITC, and rejecting practice of zeroing. Members asked that legislation to reform trade laws help small and medium-sized manufacturers compete in global marketplace.

February 6, 2008 Scheduled for April 1-3, 2008, at Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex in Birmingham, AL, Regional METALFORM Birmingham allows metalforming company employees to expand their knowledge and skills while seeing and learning about latest technology at trade show. More than 40 presentations range from fundamentals for beginners to advanced concepts for experienced metalformers. Some topics include software, tooling, sensors and control systems, lubricants, and servo presses.

February 6, 2008 NAM President John Engler praised President Bush's final State of the Union speech, saying manufacturers fully support the President's focus on economic growth. He supports the bipartisan $150 billion growth package as well as the focus on economic issues such as energy independence; tax reduction; promoting exports through Free Trade Agreement with Columbia, Panama, and South Korea; and increased reliance on health care information technology.

February 6, 2008 According to NAM chief economist David Huether, the employment report from the U.S. Department of Labor shows that following 52 consecutive monthly increases, the economy failed to create jobs in January for the first time since August 2003. As an insurance package against a general recession, Congress and the Administration should act quickly to inject a short-term stimulus package into the economy that focuses on raising both consumer spending as well as business investment.

February 6, 2008 Laboratory Accreditation: Requirements and Benefits will outline the requirements for proper testing and analysis of environmental samples, and the benefits of accreditation for laboratories, on Feb. 26 at 2:00 pm EST. The webinar will also discuss methods of air and water sampling near company facilities. A panel of experts including Jerry Parr, Lara Autry, and Llona Taunton will discuss accreditation and presentations will be followed by a question and answer session.

February 6, 2008 The NMMA and the International Marine Certification Institute (IMCI) announced the 2008 CE Certification Seminar, taking place March 3-5 in St. Petersburg, Fla. The seminar provides U.S. boat manufacturers that ship boats, or are planning to ship boats, to the European Union with the information they need to ensure proper standards are being met. Seminar opens with a Welcome Address, followed by a series of presentations explaining basic CE requirements and ISO standards.

February 6, 2008 The PMAEF Board of Trustees has awarded a total of $88,000 in grants to 7 programs created to enhance the U.S. metalforming workforce. Trustees include Vincennes University; Center for Polytechnical Education; Riverworks Development Corporation; Connecticut Business and Industry Education Foundation; California Coalition for Manufacturing, Education, and Government; Red Education Consulting Services; and Naugatuck Valley Community College.

February 6, 2008 The ZigBee Alliance announced the availability of the latest version of the ZigBee Specification and the certification of the ZigBee Golden Unit platforms, which implement the ZigBee PRO Feature Set. Available from Ember, Texas Instruments, and Airbee Wireless, Golden Units are multiple independent implementations proving a Specification revision and demonstrating interoperability for future products. The latest ZigBee Specification includes the ZigBee Feature Set and the ZigBee PRO Feature Set.

February 6, 2008 NAM Chief Economist David Huether said the rise in exports is helping keep the economy growing at a modest pace, but the biggest quarterly decline in residential investment in a quarter century underscores the need for action by Congress. The advanced report on the GDP showed the nation's economy rose at an annual rate of 0.6% in Q4 2007. Also, Huether said that Congress can help boost the economy even more by moving ahead with free trade agreements with Columbia, Panama, and South Korea.

February 5, 2008 IMTS, owned and managed by AMT - The Association for Manufacturing Technology, will provide its 2008 exhibitor kit on a memory stick that can be returned to show management for reuse at IMTS 2010. Also, the practice of making all exhibitor press releases available online will be continued for IMTS 2008. McCormick Place West, one part of the complex in which IMTS is held, is the largest new construction LEED certified building in the country, according to Peter Eelman.