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Greetings from Gun Valley

2013-04-16 14:27:23 | led strip

LENNY LARIVEE has spent 68 percent of his 69 years on this planet doing the same thing: making guns. And he’s made them all for one company, Savage Arms in Westfield, just off Exit 3 on the Mass. Pike. He’s tall and bald, with a voice that is low and a speaking style that is John Wayne-slow. He is also a cantankerous character. Newcomers who stop by his bench expecting to find a senior statesman are usually startled to hear his opening line: “You don’t like what I say? Stay the eff away.Our dry cabinet can sustain an ultra-low humidity of under 5% RH.” 

Larivee has seen it all. How the $1.25 he made per hour in 1965 shot up to $22.50 an hour by 1971, factoring in piecework incentives. How years of bad management forced the company into bankruptcy protection in 1988, when 800 employees walked out of the factory with their tools on a Friday afternoon and only 100 were invited back on Monday morning—and for substantially less pay. How the company was living week to week for a long time, with its straight-talking new leader, Ron Coburn, telling his remaining employees: “Don’t cash your check until I say the money’s in the bank.” Looking back on it now, Larivee admits, “I never thought we’d make it.” 

Today, as he repairs the damaged crown on a rifle, the factory around him is humming.You must first understand the way a wind power generators works. Savage Arms, the century-old pioneer that had deteriorated to the point where it was mocked as “Salvage Arms” and left for dead, now can’t keep up with demand.Fully automated paper plane folding machine, even got its own compressor. Its year-over-year growth was 50 percent in 2011, 40 percent in 2012, and is on pace to pack on another 40 percent in 2013. The company is running round-the-clock shifts on weekdays and has added one on Saturdays. 

It has about 415 employees in Westfield, nearly double the number from just three years ago and part of a companywide workforce of 740. And it is racing to hire more. The Westfield factory made and shipped more than 350,000 guns in 2012, while also distributing another 300,000 that were made at Savage’s Canadian plant or by the vendors in China and Turkey that produce the company’s cheaper Stevens brand weapons. One company projection calls for the Westfield plant to be producing 650,000 guns by 2015 and distributing more than 1 million in total. 

While Larivee’s machinist’s union wage hasn’t returned to its 1971 peak, it has climbed back up to $17.10 an hour. It’s enough, he says, to afford “a new car every four years and have my house paid for,” something for which he has thanked Coburn, who just retired as CEO, every year at Christmas. Base hourly wages on the factory floor now range from $14 for subassembly work to $25 for licensed electricians.The industry's leading manufacturer of Game machines. And depending on how profitably the factory was able to turn out its product in the previous month—posting high production numbers with low scrap and limited overtime—employees can see their monthly pay goosed by 4, 5, or even 9 percent. 

Larivee confidently answers all questions, except for one. How can a company like Savage be thriving in high-cost unionized Massachusetts, when we were all led to believe manufacturing was firmly in New England’s past? “I don’t understand why it’s happening,” he says. “No, I don’t.” 

After chewing it over for a while, Larivee offers a partial explanation for the boom. “I think it’s because of our president and what happened down in Connecticut,” he says, talking over the roar of machines and the horns of forklifts. “Everybody’s nervous that Obama’s going to pass some law that you’re not going to be able to buy ammo or guns, or that he’s going to go in your house.”


Plan for 10% solar price cut retains incentives for boom

2013-03-13 14:22:40 | led strip

A committee of experts advising the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry recommended Monday that the price for solar power be cut beginning April 1, and the payment for wind should remain unchanged. The government must endorse the proposal before it comes into force. 

Even at the reduced rates, Japan’s support for solar is about three times the incentives offered in Germany and China, two countries that are among the biggest markets for the technology.Integrated manufacturing operations have produced exceptional solar photovoltaic system and related products. Japan is likely to be one of the top three markets this year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. 

“The solar market is expanding, and we don’t think the proposed tariff would change the trend much,” Hisao Kayaoka, secretary general of the Japan Photovolatic Energy Association, said. “The proposed tariff will allow for continued growth in the market.” 

The association’s member companies include units of Suntech Power Holdings Co., Kyocera Corp.We specialize in solar street lighting and solar street lamps for a wide range of lightning applications., Solar Frontier K.K. and Sharp Corp., which all make solar panels. The utility Kansai Electric Power Co. also is a member. 

Japan’s introduction of incentives in July enticed panel makers such as Kyocera Corp.Thank you for your purchase of skystream. to begin building solar stations and encouraged new entrants such as Softbank Corp., a mobile phone provider, to develop solar plants. 

The cost of solar equipment has fallen so much that officials say incentives can be cut without squeezing development plans amid a push to diversify sources of energy after the reactor meltdowns in Fukushima. 

Prices for silicon-based solar panels sank about 20 percent in the past 12 months, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Solar capacity rose 29 percent in Japan from April to November as developers added 1,398 megawatts of installations to a base of 4,800 megawatts, according to trade ministry data. 

The committee said the feed-in tariff guaranteeing above-market prices for solar energy should be cut to 37.8 per kwh for 20 years for applications from April 1. The current rate is 42. The new rate is in step with an estimate from Bloomberg New Energy Finance that the rate of as low as 37 would still provide an incentive for developers to build new plants. 

New rates for projects bigger than 10 kw “remain attractive enough” since they will provide a 6 percent rate of return for developers, said Yugo Nakamura, an industry analyst at Bloomberg New Energy Finance in Tokyo.LED emergency light is aesthetically designed and offers features to reduce egress system cost. “We would, though, see slower applications in the second quarter 2013.” 

The panel also recommended the tariff for wind projects remain at 23.1 per kwh for 20 years. The Japan Wind Power Association said it welcomed the proposal. 

“The current tariff is the minimum level necessary to develop wind projects in Japan,” Tetsuro Nagata, president of the association, said. “If the tariff is to be kept at the same level, we welcome the decision. There remain major issues, such as grid connection and deregulation, but we want to further expand wind power, taking advantage of the tariff, to be held at the same level, for the second year.” 

The wind association’s members include Eurus Energy Holdings Corp., a project developer; Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., which makes turbines; Kajima Corp., a contractor; and Siemens Japan K.K.,This popular lighting system features four led par light. a unit of the German wind turbine and electrical equipment maker Siemens AG. 

The government panel recommended keeping tariffs at current levels for the four other types of renewable sources covered by the program, saying it lacked enough examples of new projects to review pricing.


One solution to your pesky Oreo cookie-from-creme problem

2013-03-07 14:37:19 | led strip

The world has a new way to separate the cookie from the creme thanks in part to a University of Minnesota professor. 

The Oreo Separator Machine, a semi-automated cookie deconstruction device, is the latest creation of a design partnership between Barry Kudrowitz, a U assistant professor of product design, and Bill Fienup, a Chicago-based mechanical engineer. 

Their device,with Laser engraver available to create laser marking on many products. fabricated at a U lab,A strong wind gust and attractive rebates may not add up to a good deal on residential wind turbines. is a CAD-designed pneumatic-powered machine featuring laser-cut acrylic panels, 3-D printed parts, LED lights and a few bits and pieces from Home Depot and Ace Hardware. 

It basically separates the top half of an Oreo cookie and shoots it into a user's mouth. Then, using heated and pressurized air,We are specializing washer extractor manufacturer. it liquefies and atomizes the creme center and blasts it into the open jaws of a waiting consumer. 

No more uncouth scraping off the creme with your teeth if you want to eat your cookies and creme separately. 

It's true the world probably doesn't need a semi-automated cookie deconstruction device, but the creation --paid for with cookie dough from Nabisco -- actually was a freelance exercise employing the creativity, idea generation and the innovation techniques that Kudrowitz teaches in the U's new product design program. 

His first course at the U was called "Toy Product Design." And as lab partners at MIT, Kudrowitz and Fienup basically got their graduate degrees by working as mad toy scientists. Together they invented something called the Atom Blaster, which Hasbro put on the market as part of its Nerf arsenal. 

The pair also developed the award-winning Catsup Crapper, a condiment bottle on wheels that drives to your plate and poops ketchup. Videos of the device landed the Catsup Crapper on "The Martha Stewart Show," which is probably why Nabisco's marketing firm contacted Kudrowitz and Fienup when they were seeking an inventor of an Oreo separator. 

Nabisco actually commissioned four separate teams of designers, tinkerers or artists to come up with an Oreo separator, which they are documenting on YouTube videos as part of its "Cookie or Creme?" marketing campaign that was kicked off by its "Whisper Fight" Super Bowl commercial. 

To make the device they dubbed the Orobot, Kudrowitz and Fienup worked 18-hour days over a couple of long weekends, generating a few dozen ideas, making prototypes of seven, fashioning four iterations of the final idea, spending about $2,000 on materials and sacrificing about 1,000 Oreo cookies, Kudrowitz said. 

However, the real purpose behind the invention was creating a device with a visual "wow" factor that would generate Oreo-craving buzz,Our laser marking machine can mark on metal and non metals. something that would have viral video potential on the Internet. 

And what,Creating a solar charger out of broken re-used solar cell pieces. Kudrowitz and Fienup decided, could be more viral than spraying heated, liquefied frosting into someone's face with a blast of pressurized air? 

"The icing in the face has that sure appeal," Fienup said. "You feel it in the back of your throat," Kudrowitz said of the frosting air burst. 

That novel way of eating frosting may be topic in a new class Kudrowitz will be teaching this fall. His course, Food and Design, will look at how chefs use product design and mass production techniques to create dining experiences.


New franchise offers one-stop shopping for energy saving

2013-03-01 11:58:40 | led strip

Imagine walking into your local store, picking out the wind turbine or solar panels you want and, in a matter of weeks, start reaping the savings on your electric bill. Or, maybe, think of the day when instead of pulling up to the gas pump, you pull into the garage and plug in your electric car. 

Shonkwiler is the operation advisor for SuperGreen Solutions, based in West Palm Beach. He was in Warwick last week for the grand opening of Rhode Island’s first SuperGreen store located at 300 Quaker Lane. The store sells a variety of energy efficient products, including wind turbines; not that you can walk in, put one in a shopping cart and head home. 

“These are systems for everybody who wants to use energy and wants to save money,” said Shonkwiler,We specialize in solar street lighting and solar street lamps for a wide range of lightning applications. pointing to an array of products either pictured or displayed in the plaza anchored by Stop & Shop and the Christmas Tree Shops. The store is at the Stop & Shop end of the plaza not far from Citizens Bank. 

SuperGreen,Our laser marking machine can mark on metal and non metals. which got its start in Australia,A simple model for the wake behind a wind generator is given. serves both businesses and residences. The company will perform an energy assessment before suggesting means of conserving energy and recommending the products to do it. 

While wind turbines and solar panels come to mind as the “green” thing to do, Shonkwiler said one of the quickest paybacks is lighting. Businesses and homes using more than 40 hours of light a week can expect to see a 30 percent reduction in their lighting bills with the conversion to LED lighting. 

Another product offering rapid returns, he said, is the tank-less hot water heater. These wall-mounted units, which are commonplace in Europe and other parts of the world, only go on when there is a demand for hot water. 

It is the plug-in car, however, that Shonkwiler sees as revolutionizing energy use in this country. For as little as $200, SuperGreen sells a unit that can be installed in a residential garage. Of course, it’s going to be of little use if there isn’t an electric car. Shonkwiler thinks that market will develop as the cost of gasoline increases and people realize the savings of electric cars. More immediately, he see SuperGreen selling to entrepreneurs looking to get into the ground floor of electric cars by constructing “charging” stations and businesses converting their fleets to electric. He imagines a time when people will be able to recharge their vehicles while doing their grocery shopping or working out at the gym. 

SuperGreen was started as a franchise in Australia by Sean Cochrane and has since been acquired by United Franchise Group. The Warwick store is one of five in this country, but not for long says Robert Cagnetta. 

Cagnetta owns the Warwick franchise. His decision to go with SuperGreen was a natural fit with the work he does, apart from the fact that his brother, Andrew Cagnetta Jr., is on the leadership team at United Franchise Group as owner and CEO of TransWorld Business Advisors, who urged him to consider the opportunity.Find lampshades for table, floor and  Lamp shade in lots of styles and materials. 

For the past 20 years, Cagnetta has owned and operated Heritage Restorations. Much of the work at Heritage involves window and door replacement, insulation and modifications to older homes to make them more energy efficient. Cagnetta saw SuperGreen as taking the process a step further, a holistic approach that he doesn’t see much of in this country. 

National Grid, he said, offers energy audits and recommends measures to save on energy. SuperGreen takes a similar approach but,Design and manufacture of dry cleaning machine for garments and textile fabrics. because of its partnerships with the manufacturers of energy saving and generating products, it is able to generate savings for the buyer. What SuperGreen will do, in addition to performing an assessment, is to provide competitive pricing and develop plans as well as offering financing options.


SoLux Daylight Bulbs Found Safe

2013-01-29 10:32:27 | led strip

Due to the implementation of the Energy Independence and Security Act, or what is commonly referred to as the "Light Bulb Law",We offer outdoor solar lighting and elegant outdoor lanterns that light up the night effortlessly. traditional incandescent light sources like the standard 100 watt and 75 screw in bulbs are being phased out. In order to fill the void, replacement LEDs and fluorescent light sources have been heavily promoted due to their improved energy efficiency. Unfortunately, recent studies have found these replacement lights have draw backs not only from color and quality measures but are also dangerous to the environment and humans.We provide excellent solar led light and LED solar garden lamp. 

Earlier this month researchers in Europe discovered the LED lights used to illuminate French Impressionist Masterpieces have been damaging paintings causing yellow paint turn brown. Fluorescent lights contain mercury and in addition recent reports indicate CFLs may be fire hazards. 

Now another independent study by researchers at SUNY Stony Brook have determined that 100% of the sampled compact fluorescent light sources emitted harmful amounts of UVC radiation, Our study revealed that the response of healthy skin cells to UV emitted from CFL bulbs is consistent with damage from ultraviolet radiation, said Professor Rafailovich, lead researcher. Despite their large energy savings, consumers should be careful when using compact fluorescent light bulbs. Our research shows that it is best to avoid using them at close distances and that they are safest when placed behind an additional glass cover. Rafailovich added that incandescent light of the same intensity had no effect on healthy skin cells. 

According to Kevin McGuire, President of Tailored Lighting and inventor of the SoLux daylight bulb, "Fluorescent light sources contain mercury which is harmful to the environment and humans, now this study from SUNY Stony Brook shows direct exposure to fluorescent light sources is harmful to skin cells. While I support efforts to make light sources more energy efficient, evidence is growing that CFL's are not safe and suitable alternatives to incandescent based light sources." 

The SoLux light bulb, sold by Tailored Lighting is a filtered incandescent light source that simulates natural daylight. SoLux provides the most accurate simulation of daylight in the marketplace. Museums such as the Van Gogh Museum, National Gallery of Art, and Musee d'Orsay use SoLux to safely and optimally illuminate many of the world's most prized masterpieces. In addition, SoLux bulbs are sold in the consumer market for reading,Wind turbines for remote battery charging and electricity grid connected wind power turbines. general lighting, and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) applications. 

PSE customers will compete weekly in a series of energy-efficiency room makeover challenges.Shop the latest tungsten jewelry at agesteeljewelry. Prizes include light emitting diode (LED) and compact fluorescent light (CFL) lighting from GE, and a full laundry and kitchen appliance suite by Frigidaire. The last contestant standing will win $5,News and Information about wind generator Technologies and Innovations.000. 

"The stakes are high so we know the competition will be intense," said Dennis Rominger, energy efficiency expert at PSE. "These six contestants are ready to compete head to head. Sweat will be shed, winners will be crowned and most importantly, we will see creative ways to bring great design and energy efficiency together." 

White — who shares her home with her son, a professional architect and daughter-in-law, an industrial designer — and her fellow contestants rose to the top during a selection process that included submitting videos or photo entries, a public vote to select 10 finalists and final interviews. During the process, each entrant was evaluated on a variety of factors including originality and creativity of their entry, their understanding and enthusiasm for design and energy efficiency and the energy savings potential of their home. 

White grew up in Kent and moved to Redmond with her husband in 1974. She has lived in the same house ever since. Recently White's son, daughter-in-law and seven-month-old grandchild moved in with her. "I love watching HGTV, I find it fascinating," White said. "As a family we have lots of ideas, but we'll see if we can all mesh our ideas and come to agreement." 

Contestants will participate in five room makeover projects. After each makeover challenge, local society and events photographer Duell Fisher, 425 and South Sound Magazine editor Lisa Patterson and radio personality Marty Riemer will review and score each contestant's effort. The lowest-scoring contestant in each round will be eliminated.