June 7, 2011 According to statement made by Dennis Slater, until Congress and the Administration agree to make America's farmers and manufacturers a national priority by passing free trade agreements and investing in critical national infrastructure, unemployment will remain unacceptably high and our economy will continue to stagnate. If Congress wants to turn this situation around, they will move immediately to pass all 3 pending FTAs and fully funded, long-term surface transportation bill.

June 7, 2011 Scheduled for Oct 31, 2011, Workshop on Spray Polyurethane Foam Insulation Emissions Testing aims to develop standard for small chamber testing method of VOC emissions from SPF. Panel will also present new results on topics such as application of heated micro-scale chambers for testing of SPF insulation; air sampling and sensitive analytical techniques for capturing and measuring MDI; and amine catalysts, flame retardants, and other potential constituents of SPF insulation.

June 7, 2011 Summer Webinars for June, July, and August 2011 will focus on critical, practical, and social issues facing electronics manufacturing industry. Based on technical papers from IPC APEX EXPO 2011, 1 hr sessions will run from 10:00 to 11:00 am Central Time and focus on PCB design, assembly, and processes, Design for Manufacturing, measuring conformal coating adhesion, and ITAR compliance. Webinars can be held in conference room equipped with speakerphone and projector.

June 7, 2011 Compared to levels one year ago, Robotic Industries Association (RIA) membership is up 26%. Jeff Burnstein, RIA President, said "Users join the Association to network with suppliers, integrators, and experts who can help them find solutions to their challenges." So far this year, RIA has 30+ new members. These new members join existing members in helping drive RIA activities through participation on committees as well as on RIA Board of Directors.

June 7, 2011 With its nationwide infrastructure in place for delivering courses and certification assessments, APICS The Association for Operations Management joined Supply Chain and Logistics Certification Network as Charter Member. Network Members raise awareness within industry, education, and government concerning complementary services of associations that collectively help meet industry needs for skilled workers at all levels in supply chain logistics and certified warehousing facilities.

June 6, 2011 Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Wi-Fi Direct(TM) program from Wi-Fi Alliance® received top honors for Best Contribution to Interconnectivity Standards at Connected Home Global Summit. Wi-Fi Alliance marketing director Kelly Davis-Felner said "We are proud to be recognized for this important contribution," and went on to explain that "Wi-Fi Direct is a great example of how Wi-Fi® continues to evolve in support of advanced digital home applications."

June 6, 2011 With latest Click It or Ticket mobilization underway, Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers joins National Safety Council in asking Congress to support NHTSA's request for funding to conduct second national safety belt enforcement mobilization in upcoming fiscal year. In letters to leadership of Senate and House Transportation-HUD Appropriations Subcommittees, organizations noted that 2010's national safety belt use rate is now at 85%, 70 percentage points higher than it was in early 1980s.

June 6, 2011 Workshop on Spray Polyurethane Foam Insulation Emissions Testing, to be held October 31, 2011 in Tampa, FL, will present and discuss organic chemical emission testing methods for spray polyurethane foam (SPF) insulation. In addition to development of standard for small chamber testing method of VOC emissions from SPF under appropriate environmental conditions, plans include panel presentations of new results regarding various related topics.

June 6, 2011 Fourteen student teams from U.S. and Canada won the annual AEM Construction Challenge, which is held at the Global Finals of Destination ImagiNation and is presented by Volvo Construction Equipment. During this year's challenge, titled "Unidentified Moving Object," teams had to design and build equipment that moved various materials to and from towering heights; start and end presentations with equipment contained in storage box; and create and present sales promotion - all with no AC power.

June 3, 2011 ASTM International Committee F08 on Sports Equipment and Facilities has developed ASTM F2898, Test Method for Permeability of Synthetic Turf Sports Field Base Stone and Surface System by Non-confined Area Flood. Standard requires no special testing apparatus and would decrease potential for user technique and assumption errors while providing intuitive and observable results. Engineers can use method to test designs and associate stone type and installation conditions with actual performance.

June 3, 2011 ANSI, coordinator of the U.S. voluntary standardization system, announced an agreement with the International Organic Accreditation Service that will help to strengthen the organic and sustainable food supply chain. Under agreement, ANSI will engage IOAS as an independent contractor to perform assessor services, including initial evaluation and ongoing surveillance of specified applicants, for ANSI's food safety accreditation programs.

June 3, 2011 Members of PMI Executive Committee and PMI Executive Director Barbara C. Higgens traveled to Washington, D.C. to present Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and James Inhofe (R-OK) and Congressman Tom Petri (R-WI) with Legislator of the Year awards. Elected officials were recognized for leadership and support of the PMI-supported Reduction of Lead in Water Act signed into law on Jan 4. Bill harmonizes the 0.25% maximum lead content of plumbing products and provides 36-month implementation period.

June 3, 2011 According to statement made by NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons, manufacturers congratulate John Bryson on his nomination for Commerce Secretary. NAM looks forward to maintaining a strong relationship with U.S. Commerce Department on vital issues such as global competitiveness, regulatory overreach, and trade. Mr. Bryson has a strong business background and serves on board of many manufacturing companies, which gives him advantage of having exposure to difficult issues manufacturers face today.

June 3, 2011 National Conference of State Legislatures and Center for Excellence in Project Finance at AASHTO have produced authoritative review of transportation governance and finance for all 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Review focuses on roles and relationships among branches of state government that are most active in transportation issues. Intended for DOTs and legislatures, report offers diversity of approaches to govern, finance, and ultimately deliver transportation system.

June 2, 2011 Recognized for industry excellence, 31 CODiE(TM) Awards winners were announced during luncheon held in conjunction with All About the Cloud conference in San Francisco, CA. Peer-reviewed rewards program recognizes excellence in business software, digital content, and education technology industries. By way of congratulations, SIIA President Ken Wasch said that "These products provide the business solutions that fuel our economy and solidify America's place in the global marketplace."

June 2, 2011 Two IEEE standards on setting criteria for environmentally preferable electronic equipment will soon be balloted. Although standards apply only to imaging equipment and televisions, their impact on electronics industry will be much broader. Both contain criteria to remove all halogens, and expand RoHS and REACH requirements through elimination of exemptions and removal of SVHCs from products. To be certified under EPEAT at basic level, products must meet all 115 required criteria in standards.

June 2, 2011 Consortium of Dutch companies - thermoplastics compounder, colorant house, molder, and OEM - joined together to develop colored and flame-retarded (FR) long-fiber thermoplastic (LFT)-polypropylene (PP) compounds and masterbatches, properties of which exceed those of non-FR base resin. Summing up work over last 2 years, TULiPPS' Paul Stassen said this project exemplified what can happen when companies "join forces" to share knowledge, pool resources, and work as integrated supply chain.

June 2, 2011 Proposed ASHRAE Guideline 32P, Sustainable, High Performance Operation and Maintenance, will help improve performance of all buildings by providing guidance on optimizing operation and maintenance of buildings to achieve lowest economic and environmental life cycle cost without sacrificing safety or functionality. Guideline will apply to ongoing operational practices for buildings and systems with respect to energy efficiency, occupant comfort, indoor air quality, health and safety.

June 2, 2011 ASTM F2900, Guide for Characterization of Hydrogels Used in Regenerative Medicine, is intended for use by those working in development and application of hydrogels in regenerative medicine who need to characterize their materials. Contributing to study and use of hydrogels, standard provides critical overview of techniques used to characterize hydrogels and presents information so it can be understood by multidisciplinary practitioners.

June 2, 2011 American National Standards Institute (ANSI) welcomed Aerojet, Forensic Services Laboratory, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Minnesota Housing, Native American Technology Corporation, North Carolina Department of Labor, and PACCAR as new members. Brian Meincke of ANSI explained that membership brings access to information and business intelligence not available elsewhere as well as opportunities to build influence over standardization and conformity assessment decisions.