Industry Trends Page 162

GM Switches to Wind Power

It will take an entire wind farm to meet half of the company's new demands.

Robots With More Common Senses

A new stretchable electronic skin could be used for advanced prosthetics, wearable electronics and human-machine interfaces.

Spider silk has long been investigated due to its natural tensile strength and toughness. Researchers are now looking at ways to build more strength into this silk to mimic man-made polymers and synthetic fibers like Kevlar at the molecular level.

Manufacturer Seeks Tax Breaks for Expansion

The company feels that incentives will be needed to make the project financially comparable to expansion at other sites in the southern U.S., Mexico or Asia.

Pratt & Whitney Invests Heavily in Engine Production

The new facility is huge, though some employees remember when the operation was little more than five people in the corner of a building.

One For The Money

A closer look at the Project One hybrid that Mercedes-AMG unveiled this week at the Frankfurt Auto Show, which can generate 11,000 RPM and 700 horsepower from a 1.6-liter V6 engine.

Space Garbage Collection Advances Miniaturization Potential

With sizes that range from as small as a softball to as large as a bus, there are about 20,000 pieces of space junk that could do some serious damage to vehicles, astronauts, and satellites.

July Sets Record for U.S. Job Postings

The highest number of job openings were posted in construction and manufacturing, both of which have long been mired in a skills gap that has driven demand and wages up.

Aluminum Production Drops Even as Prices Rise

A recent report shows that U.S. aluminum production has decreased by more than 50 percent over the last 3-1/2 years.

BMW Looking to Transform the E-Vehicle Experience

Combining the efficiencies of an electric vehicle with BMW’s design legacy and vehicle-handling technology could reshape the expectations and persona of electric vehicles.