Manufacturing News

U.S. manufacturers reported business activity declined for the second month running in December and the sector appears to be on the leading edge of a recession. The slowdown in manufacturing and freight has already dampened consumption of diesel and other distillate fuel oils, and consumption is likely to fall if the manufacturing downturn deepens.The Institute for Supply Management’s manufacturing activity index fell to 48.4 in December (19th percentile for all months since 1980)…

Malin Marine Consultants were awarded support through the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC) for its MariLight project, a project that seeks to develop new processes for building marine components using Large Scale Additive Manufacturing (LSAM) technology.The project aims to provide the industry with a clear route to using LSAM for certified and approved component fabrication, moving from conventional, manual fabrication processes to an automated and flexible rapid manufacturing route.

Siemens Gamesa and GRI Renewables Industries will invest more than $360 million into offshore wind manufacturing facilities in northeast England.Siemens Gamesa will invest a total of $258m to expand its blade manufacturing site located near Hull - Britain's largest offshore wind manufacturing facility - readying it for the next generation of offshore wind turbines and blades greater than 100 metres, the government said.Siemens Gamesa will add 200 workers to the 1,000 it already employs in the factory…

U.S. manufacturing of durable goods, which has been lagging the wider recovery of the U.S. economy, hit an all-time high in June when $270.5B worth of goods was produced. This brings total manufacturing of durable goods so far this year to $1,482 billion, a 15.5% increase compared with the first half of 2020.Since the production of durable goods in the first half of 2021 is up 1.6% from the first half of 2019, this section of the industry has now officially returned to its pre-pandemic levels.Manufacturing activity is expected to have continued its growth in July…

Sheffield Forgemasters’ shareholders have agreed to sell its entire share capital to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to support a substantial recapitalization of its defence-critical plant, equipment and infrastructure necessary to secure the delivery of components into future MoD programs.This is aimed to secure Sheffield Forgemasters’ role as a key supplier into the MoD for the long-term and is structured to invest substantial new capital into the modernization of defence-critical assets…

Rolls-Royce's Power Systems division has ended the 2020 financial year with an underlying operating profit of $247.3 million despite suffering a 17% drop in underlying revenue to $3.8 billion. This corresponds to an underlying operating margin of 6.5% (2019: 11.5%). As a result, Power Systems, with its product and solutions brand mtu, remained in the black during the 2020 pandemic year.Power Systems is taking advantage of the crisis to prepare for a shift in its business model…

India's steel exports more than doubled between April and July to hit their highest level in at least six years, boosted by a surge of Chinese buying in defiance of tensions between Beijing and New Delhi.Traders said reduced prices had driven the purchases as Indian sellers sought to get rid of a surplus generated by the impact of COVID-19 on domestic demand and generate much-needed income.It was unclear whether the sales broke any trade rules, but the China Iron and Steel Association…

A new app from German manufacturer igus offers unique insight into its production and development. Equipped with virtual reality (VR) headsets, the company's technical sales consultants now have the capability to show customers the igus factory in Cologne, Germany regardless of where the customers reside.Guided factory tours, popular among customers in the industrial community, offer an opportunity to experience products and witness manufacturing on site. However, these tour are not always possible…

Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (KOSE), a manufacturer of oil tankers, cargo and passenger vessels, and warships, and Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) plans to set up a joint venture to build engines.According to South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency the JV will break ground for the plant in the King Salman International Complex for Maritime Industries and Services in the kingdom’s eastern coast in September 2020, and the project is set to be completed in May 2022.The Korean company is working to build a shipyard at the complex through a separate JV with Saudi Aramco, UAE-based Lamprell and the Saudi National Shipping Company (Bahri).

Saudi-based International Maritime Industries (IMI) has announced that it had signed a licence agreement with GustoMSC, a subsidiary of Houston rig and equipment builder National Oilwell Varco (NOV).The agreement entails a new GustoMSC drilling jack-up design which will utilize the modern manufacturing capabilities currently planned for at IMI, said a press note.As a result of the agreement IMI will be fully prepared for its first production operations anticipated in 2021.Fathi K Al Saleem, CEO of IMI, said: "This is a major step for IMI in securing the required knowledge and getting the best rig design which will be tailored to our state of the art construction capabilities…

Insolvent German wind turbine manufacturer Senvion is in exclusive talks with Siemens Gamesa (SGRE) over the sale of a substantial part of its business.The Germany firm said that it has entered into an exclusivity agreement with Siemens Gamesa to pursue negotiations for the sale of selected Services and Onshore assets in Europe. The agreement was approved unanimously by Senvion's creditors' committee. The approval of the insolvency plans by the creditors' assembly on 11 September enabled this transaction.The parties are now entering final negotiations and, if final agreements are reached, expect that the necessary decisions will be taken…

The international accredited registrar and classification society DNV GL has awarded thyssenkrupp, German multinational conglomerate, first additive manufacturing  approval of manufacturer certificateThe shipping industry is looking to take advantage of additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, to print spare parts, thereby reducing lead times, costs, stock requirements, and environmental impacts. Certification ensures that AM part users can have the same confidence in an additive manufactured product as a conventionally produced one.The newly issued certificate makes the thyssenkrupp TechCenter Additive Manufacturing the world’s first producer of 3D printed parts for maritime applications to obtain manufacturer approval from DNV GL.

The world’s largest resource of independent energy experts and certification body DNV GL launched a new service in The Operational Modal Analysis (OMA), also known as ambient modal identification, detects the modal properties of a structure based on vibration data collected when the structure is under its operating conditions.As the wind industry strives to cut costs while producing more powerful turbines, traditional designs are being adapted with manufacturers producing taller and slimmer towers with larger blades to optimize production processes and reduce materials to save costs.These design features present new challenges related to structural failures due to vibrations during operation of the turbine…

German shipyard Meyer Werft GmbH is intensifying a strategic relationship with long-standing tube manufacturing partner Stengel.The two companies have joined forces to set up a new undertaking: Meyer Stengel Tubes UAB based in Vilnius, Lithuania as a specialist for pipe isometrics to supply all three Meyer sites in Papenburg, Warnemünde and Turku from 2020."This step became necessary in the face of increasing cost pressure from state-owned Chinese shipyards which are building more and more special ships and cruise liners, a market which was previously dominated by Europe," said a press release.For the first time ever, the Meyer Group is making delivery of five cruise ships in one year to international customers.

As part of its long-term downstream growth and diversification strategy, the Saudi Arabian national petroleum and natural gas giant Saudi Aramco signed an agreement with South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), and The Saudi Arabian Industrial Investments Company (Dussur).The agreement will establish a joint venture (JV) for a world class engine manufacturing and after sales facility in Saudi Arabia. Under the partnership, Saudi Aramco will own 55% of the JV, while HHI and Dussur will own 30% and 15% respectively.Meanwhile, an MoU between Saudi Aramco and HHI was signed that extends the existing collaboration to develop ship building…