Author: HEC Distribution

Industrial production increased 0.7 percent in April after decreasing in the previous two months. Manufacturing output rose 0.3 percent after declining the same amount in March. The index for utilities jumped 5.8 percent in April, as the demand for electricity and natural gas returned to a more normal level after being suppressed by warmer-than-usual weather in March. Mining production fell 2.3 percent in April, and it has decreased more than 1 1/2 percent per month, on average, over the past eight months. At 104.1 percent of its 2012 average, total industrial production in April was 1.1 percent below its year-earlier level. Capacity utilization for the industrial sector increased 0.5 percentage point in April to 75.4 percent, a rate that is 4.6 percentage points below its long-run (1972–2015) average.

Market Groups

The indexes for all major market groups either increased or were unchanged in April. The rise in the output of utilities contributed significantly to gains in the indexes for consumer goods, business supplies, and materials through their energy components. Among consumer goods, the output of durables rose 1.3 percent, and the production of non-energy nondurables moved up 0.3 percent. The increase for non-energy nondurables reflected gains for foods and tobacco and for chemical products that were partly offset by decreases for clothing and paper. The production of business equipment advanced 0.8 percent, mostly because of a sizable increase for industrial and other equipment. The indexes for defense and space equipment, construction supplies, and non-energy business supplies were little changed. The output of non-energy materials moved up 0.1 percent as a result of an increase in its durable component; the production of nondurable materials edged down.

Industry Groups

Manufacturing output increased 0.3 percent in April. The production of durables rose 0.6 percent; the largest gains were recorded by machinery and by motor vehicles and parts, with increases of about 2 1/2 percent and 1 1/4 percent, respectively. Only a few durable goods industries posted declines, with the largest, about 1 1/4 percent, for primary metals. The output of nondurable manufacturing was unchanged in April, as gains in the indexes for food, beverage, and tobacco products and for plastics and rubber products offset declines for nearly all of the other industries. The output of other manufacturing (publishing and logging) declined 0.4 percent.

The drop of 2.3 percent for mining in April reflected substantial cutbacks in oil and natural gas extraction as well as reductions in coal mining and in oil and gas well drilling and servicing. The index for coal mining has fallen nearly 40 percent over the past 12 months. The increase of 5.8 percent in the output of utilities was its largest since February 2007, when it leapt 6.2 percent. In April, electric utilities and natural gas utilities expanded 5.4 percent and 9.3 percent, respectively.

Capacity utilization for manufacturing increased 0.2 percentage point in April to 75.3 percent, a rate that is 3.2 percentage points below its long-run average. The operating rate for durables increased 0.4 percentage point, while the rates for nondurables and other manufacturing (publishing and logging) edged down. The operating rate for mining dropped to 72.5 percent, the lowest rate over the history of this series, while capacity utilization for utilities jumped 4.2 percentage points to 78.6 percent.

 

Original article posted at IndDist.com.

Amazon.com is doubling its fleet of U.S. cargo planes as it continues to expand its internal shipping operations.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the e-commerce giant reached an agreement to lease 20 Boeing 767 jets from Atlas Air Worldwide.

Atlas Air Inc. crew will operate the 20 planes for Amazon — and provide maintenance and insurance — for a period of seven years. The Journal added that the agreement also could include leases of planes alone from fellow Atlas subsidiary Titan Aviation.

Atlas said Amazon would receive warrants to acquire up to 30 percent of the company — 20 percent in the first five years and 10 percent over seven — at which point Amazon could also take a seat on the Atlas board.

The deal follows an agreement earlier this year for Amazon tolease 20 767 jets from Air Transport Services Group and operate out of a former DHL hub in Wilmington, Ohio. Amazon officials told the Journal that that additional planes would bolster rapid delivery of products to its Prime customers.

Amazon, which dealt with delivery delays among its conventional parcel contractors, took numerous steps in recent months to assume additional control over its transportation network.

The company bought thousands of truck trailers for its U.S. shipping network and took over a French parcel company last year, and recent reports said Amazon officials discussed thepurchase of a financially troubled airport in Germany.

Amazon also made initial forays into the ocean-borne cargo market — a step toward the reported launch of a global supply chain platform. Eventually, analysts believe Amazon could begin competing directly with conventional delivery companies.

 

• Article originally posted at http://www.inddist.com/news/2016/05/amazon-doubles-us-cargo-plane-fleet.

TUSTIN, CA — MEGAComfort, an international provider of ergonomically designed anti-fatigue insoles and orthotics has launched their new and improved Protection Line in Canada at the Partners in Prevention Trade Show in Toronto that began April 26, and will launch in the USA at the ASSE Conference in Atlanta, GA in June.

MEGAComfort prides themselves on the use of state-of-the-art-technology, encompassing ergonomic principals in each of their product categories. The launch of their new and improved protection line includes completely redesigned puncture resistant insoles and steel toe overshoes.

The new and improved puncture resistant (PAM-PR) insoles have been uniquely re-designed to provide greater heel and arch support, and superior shock absorption and comfort using MEGAComfort’s Patented Dual Layer Memory Foam Technology. A flexible steel plate made from US Steel meeting and exceeding ASTM F2413-11 standards will be securely placed between the memory foam to prevent plate separation.

MEGAComfort’s innovative newly improved steel toe overshoes will now be made in North America using North American raw materials, eliminating the need for any additional duty fees, making them a higher quality product and more cost effective.

Both products will be available for sale through MEGAComfort’s network of Independent and National Distributors worldwide including the USA and Canada.

Up until now, MEGAComfort USA has sourced overshoes and PR Insoles through Swenco Limited, a Canadian developer and producer of OEM safety sole plates for the footwear industry.

MEGAComfort Founder, CEO and leader in the field of Podiatric Medicine, Dr. Kevan Orvitz commented, “MEGAComfort’s mission is to create and market health and safety products which are not “me-too” products, but are superior and more employee and cost–effective to what is currently available in the marketplace. As a result, we are very proud of the many enhancements in these two product upgrades.”

 

Originally posted at http://www.inddist.com/product-release/2016/04/megacomfort-releasing-new-protection-line

Non-residential construction starts increased 18 percent from February to March in the U.S., according to a new report (see below) from construction data provider CMD. March’s new construction total, $28.5 billion, was 1.6 percent higher than March 2015.

Year-to-date starts have increased 9.8 percent compared to January-to-March in 2015. In addition, year-over-year employment in construction in March increased 4.7 percent, two-and-a-half times as fast for all jobs in the economy.

Among the major type-of-structure categories, commercial and heavy engineering increased 11.3 and 20.7 percent respectively, and institutional starts increased by 27.2 percent. Comparing March 2016 to March 2015, institutional starts have seen the biggest increase, by 37 percent.

Additionally, the jobless rate in construction in March was 8.7 percent, decreasing from 9.5 percent in March of 2015.

 

If you continue putting off your investment in solar power your potential energy and money savings are virtually guaranteed to eventually get eclipsed by your utility bills.

Granted, cost efficiency has long been one of the most challenging impediments standing in the way of solar panel kits achieving mainstream feasibility, but the solar energy industry is enjoying some exceptional technological breakthroughs bolstered by increased investor and government support.

Solar power technology was basically in a holding pattern in the decades leading up to just the last few years, failing to offer consumers much at all in the way of proper incentive, falling drastically short of providing a reliable, day-to-day and efficient means of harnessing a sufficient amount of the sun’s energy gifting rays. Unfortunately, this cast a stigma on the solar power industry, contributing to a deficiency in manufacturer interests and investor confidence. However, our solar-energy development technology is now surging forward at an unprecedented pace. In fact, solar power is the most rapidly developing power-generation technology around the globe!

Solar energy researchers and manufacturers are now able to see further into a very sunny future because of the shoulders of the solar-energy giants upon which they stand. Now, each new development promotes the exponential growth rate of solar energy technology capabilities. This progressive development equates to more powerful solar panel equipment accompanied by consistent improvements in efficiency and reliability. And it’s these elements that have a major impact on the cost of solar panel kits.

This means that you can now pay less and get more. For example, the power output demonstrated by the most recent generation of solar technology demonstrated an annual average increase of 60 percent, boasting an improvement of 118 percent from 2009’s output.

Furthermore, you’re afforded an even greater degree of confidence in your investment through increased government involvement, incentives, legislature and even law. A prime example of this was established in 2011 when the California State Senate passed into law the monumental Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) or the 33 percent RPS law. This law mandates that all California electric utilities will provide at least a third of their electricity from clean, secure, renewable sources, such as the wind and sun by the year 2020. This is exceptional news even if you’re not a California resident because such an influential state has now set precedence and created a model for other states to adopt, creating a down-hill momentum so to speak.

As new accomplishments continue to break through once unfathomable boundaries throughout the solar-technology industry, your options for different solar panel kits continue to grow along with them. In addition, it’s essential to keep in mind that a key element regarding solar power kits is front-end expenses versus. This is an ideal opportunity to spend more now to save and even earn more later.

Let HEC Distribution source your projects at great competitive prices!

Right Products. Great Price. Goals Met.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., – SmartTray® Rail Bus, LLC announced today Princess Cruises Rail in Anchorage, Alaska will be the first rail line in North America to deploy SmartTray® tables featuring integrated proprietary expandable groove mechanism that holds PEDs and smartphones giving its customers a hands-free experience while freeing up much needed tray table space for food, beverage, and other items brought onboard.

“With so many Princess Cruises customers traveling with their PEDs and smartphones today, Princess searched for robust, elegant, and innovative solutions that make it easier for their customers to use their personal electronic devices while eating, drinking and keeping in touch onboard,” said Nick Pajic, President CEO of SmartTray Rail Bus, LLC. “With SmartTray, travelers’ electronic devices are always within arm’s reach and in full sight – a convenience all of us welcome and appreciate,” added Pajic.

“Originally SmartTray was to only provide its patented tray tables with the expandable groove that automatically expands and retracts to the thickness of the PEDs and smartphones. Because of the aggressive delivery schedules, the seat manufacturer was unable to redesign Princess’ rail car seats in time to integrate SmartTray tables and meet the deployment deadlines,” said Jay Esty, SmartTray Rail & Bus, LLC, Chief Technical Officer.

“SmartTray team worked closely with the seat manufacturer and Princess Rail team to re-engineer and manufacture not only the new, larger, multi-purpose tray tables but also the seatback support arms, and the latch mechanism. We delivered on time and under budget,” added Esty.

Four rail cars will be installed with the integrated SmartTray solution for the 2016 Alaska season, which runs from May – September. Princess Cruises Rail offers service between Anchorage, Talkeetna, Denali National Park and Fairbanks. Princess also offers Direct to the Wilderness rail service between the cruise terminal in Whittier and Princess Denali-area wilderness lodges.

 

 

Let HEC Distribution source your projects at great competitive prices!

Right Products. Great Price. Goals Met.

 

Super Duty Electric Round Knife Cutter

The TASW12M is especially suitable for cutting composite materials like glass fiber, carbon fiber, Aramid or any soft material up to 2″ (50mm) thick. The impressive 350-Watt motor creates high torque, which combined with the slow RPM of the knife allows cutting of rubber and plastic based material. It is often used in the carpet and industrial flooring fields.

The push button sharpening stone allows the sharpening of the knife-edge to be done in less than 10 seconds without removing the knife.

Direct-Drive Bi-directional Slitter
Electric 3-Phase Round Knife Cutter

TADD120DT: Our professional cutting unit for high-speed cutting in Technical Textile and Composite applications allows you to use both hands to feed the material through the blade.

The TADD120DT is able to cut both directions (through an inverter). The 8-sided 120 mm knife allows a cutting thickness up to 2″ (50mm), even for multiple layers. It is direct drive (has no coupling gear), which means no maintenance, reducing operation costs. The model is widely applied in textile, technical fabrics or composite material fields. It can even cut many rubber and plastic-based materials. The knife can reach a speed of 2600 RPM, perfect for working at very high speed during non-stop 24h/7 day cutting.The push button sharpening stone allows the sharpening of the knife-edge in less than 10 seconds without removing the knife.

The sun is always hanging in space, blasting out more energy than we could even use here on Earth. However, sunlight is much less consistent at ground level. You have to contend with nighttime, clouds, and inclement weather to use solar energy, and that means storing it. Researchers from MIT have developed a material that might make it feasible to store energy from the sun as heat that can be released on-demand.

Most methods for storing solar energy are based on batteries, which have been notoriously slow to improve. This new material could make the process more efficient by storing energy via a chemical reaction for later release as heat. At that time, you could use the heat for anything you want. It’s an incredibly adaptive material as well, in the form of a transparent polymer film. It could be built into car windshields to remove ice, or as a layer in your favorite sweater to keep you warm on a chilly day.

Researchers were able to create this material with the aid of a molecule that exists in two states, one of which can store significant energy. The material is what’s known as a solar thermal fuel (STF), which have been developed in the past. However, this one is different (and more useful) in that it’s actually functional in a solid material. Past STF molecules were only active in a liquid phase suspension.

When exposed to sunlight, an STF flips to a charged state. It can remain “charged” for several days. The molecules can then be triggered on demand with a small temperature increase or some other stimulus to release that energy as heat. You won’t be boiling water with this system right now, but it’s still impressive for an early design. The polymer film designed at MIT can currently release a burst of heat about 10 degrees Celsius warmer than the surrounding environment (about 18 degrees F).
The researchers are using a car windshield application as a way to test viability of the material. It would consist of a single layer of STF film sandwiched between two layers of glass. It’s a straightforward, but potentially quite useful application of the technology. It’s illegal to embed opaque heating wires in front windshields as many cars have in the rear, but the transparent STF film could be even more effective anyway. Testing shows that the burst of heat from a “charged” STF film is enough to melt the ice from a car windshield.

The team believes that it can raise the heat output of the material to as much as 20 degrees C above room temperature with some more fine tuning. They’ll also work to improve its transparency. Right now it has a slight yellowish tint. At that point, it could make a significant impact on electric cars, which use a large amount of their battery power to de-ice windows with electric heaters — and that’s only the start.

Request a quote from HEC Distribution for your solar equipment needs.

“Right Products. Great Price. Goals Met.”

 

 

Source: http://opcoa.st/0KQdb-8b04d

 

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• Industrial / Commercial Equipment & Supplies
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• And much more

Because we house a broad spectrum of goods and supplies at some unbeatable prices, HEC Distribution becomes a great go-to option for all of your supply needs. Allow HEC Distribution to make shopping for your business or agency a quick and cost-efficient task. Browse our product line-up today!