Business News
MRJ Completes First Flight
Nagoya: Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) today conducted the first flight of the first flight test aircraft for the MRJ (Mitsubishi Regional Jet), their next-generation regional jet. The MRJ took off from Nagoya Airport and confirmed its basic characteristics and functionality in ascent, descent and turning in airspace off the Pacific coast during its 1.5-hour first flight. “The MRJ successfully took to the sky today thanks to ongoing cooperation and support from all members involved,” said Hiromichi Morimoto, President, Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation. “We will make our utmost efforts towards type certificate acquisition, committing all our resources to develop and produce the finest regional jet aircraft to enter commercial service in 2017.” “Operational performance of the MRJ was far better than expected. We had a significantly comfortable flight,” said Pilot Yasumura, who served as captain. Mitsubishi Aircraft and MHI will continue to conduct flight tests for the first delivery scheduled for the second quarter of 2017. The flight tests in the US are scheduled to start in the second quarter of 2016, from the MRJ base at Grant County International Airport at Moses Lake in Washington State. Going forward, Mitsubishi Aircraft and MHI continue to devote their collective resources towards the successful completion of the MRJ project.
MHIEC Receives Order to Refurbish 525 tpd MSW Incineration Plant in Nishonomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan
TOKYO – Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Environmental & Chemical Engineering Co., Ltd. (MHIEC), a group company of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI), has received an order from Nisihinomiya City in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, to refurbish core components at the Nishinomiya Waste Municipal Refuse Disposal Center, a municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration plant. The order calls for refurbishment of a stoker type incineration plant(1) with a total capacity of 525 tons per day (tpd) to maintain the plant’s functionality, extend its service life, and further enhance energy conservation. The 2.48 billion yen project is slated for completion in March 2020. The existing MSW incineration plant was designed and constructed by MHI and completed in August 1997. The plant incorporates three stoker incinerators with capacity of 175 tpd each, and can generate up to 6 megawatts (MW) of electricity. The order just placed with MHIEC includes the replacement or refurbishment of superannuated equipment used primarily for incineration, combustion gas cooling, flue gas treatment and ventilation, as well as electrical and instrumentation systems. The refurbishment project will also target enhanced energy conservation, largely through the adoption of MHIEC’s proprietary new exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) low excess air combustion system and use of high-efficiency invertor motors in key equipment. With these measures the refurbished plant will be able to reduce CO2 emissions by more than 20%, or 2,200 tons of CO2 per year, to help curb global warming. Modification and improvement of existing MSW incineration plants are increasing to extend their operational lives and reduce their environmental impact. This trend has also accelerated since the Japanese national government introduced a subsidy system in 2015 to help extend operational life and enhance energy savings at local waste treatment facilities.(2) MHIEC took over MHI’s waste treatment plant business in 2008, acquiring MHI’s technological development capabilities in environmental […]
Coca-Cola Amatil Indonesia creates Windows 10 app for sales force
In the picture: Suyono Kurniawan, Solution Delivery Manager, PT. Coca-Cola Amatil Indonesia. 6 November 2015 – Coca-Cola Amatil Indonesia (CCAI) has announced that it aims to equip its entire sales force of 3,000 across Indonesia with complete access to e-Coaching, a Windows 10 app created to provide sales employees access to various facets of the business including visibility in the market, sales force productivity, engagement with its retailers, people development, and data accuracy. On the sidelines of Microsoft’s TechDays Indonesia 2015, Deborah Intan Nova (Debbie), HR and IT Director, CCAI, said: “The e-Coaching app ensures our product availability and in-outlet execution in order to deliver the best service and best products to customers, which is fundamental to us since CCAI’s vision is to create millions of moments of happiness and possibilities every day for our stakeholders, including our retailers and consumers.” Implemented in April 2015, e-Coaching replaced a more laborious and time-intensive system which involved the sales force requiring to jot down information about retailers using pen and paper, such as the refrigeration conditions and product availability, before manually entering it into the company’s system when they return to the office. With the e-Coaching app, the company sees improved data accuracy and efficiency by eliminating manual and paper-based data input, surveys, as well as duplications while providing CCAI with high-quality information for prompt follow-ups and further improvements. “Now, our sales force has a check-list of questions pre-programed in the e-Coaching app available on their Windows 10 tablets when they do their regular visits to retailers. They can review the retailers’ performance and work together with them to improve. They are also able to spend more time with the customer because all data input can now be submitted directly into CCAI’s database via the e-Coaching app,” Ms. Intan Nova said. “By […]
Henri Winand addresses Asia Clean Energy Summit on the importance of air quality
Singapore 27 October – Intelligent Energy is actively working with Singapore’s Asia Clean Energy Summit (ACES) this month (27-28 October) – the perfect platform to highlight the company’s increasing commercial and operational presence in the region and the vast opportunities for its proprietary fuel cell technology. Intelligent Energy’s key focus at the conference will be to highlight solutions to air quality issues in urban areas – an issue with which Singaporeans are well acquainted. Over the past two years, Intelligent Energy has established an operational hub in Singapore to foster relationships, unlock opportunities and build capability from an operational, business and technology basis. The company has been working closely with a number of strategic partners in the region including SMILE FC System Corporation in Japan, a joint venture established in 2012 by Intelligent Energy and the Suzuki Motor Corporation to develop and manufacture air-cooled fuel cell technologies for the motive sector. In addition, the company is working with high technology Singaporean partners, Manufacturing Integration Technology Ltd (MIT) and Sunningdale to supply key components for fuel cell systems for its Distributed Power & Generation (DP&G) and its Consumer Electronics division’s applications. This also includes working on various opportunities with Japan, Singapore, China and other Asian based partners in all three of its business divisions Motive, Consumer Electronics and DP&G. Intelligent Energy’s Chief Executive Officer, Henri Winand, will be addressing the delegates at ACES on the importance of adopting a portfolio approach to low carbon technologies. Dr Winand commented: “I am delighted to proactively support such an important event which builds on our commitment to our business activities in Singapore. Our presence and strategic partnerships reflects the increased importance of our activities across Asia. We see Asia as the leading region for fuel cell technologies and our recent announcements including a £1.2bn […]
Road Traffic Solutions for Phnom Penh, Cambodia Smart City Plan
TOKYO– Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) and Minebea Co., Ltd. (Minebea) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaborate in the development of road traffic solutions based on information and communication technology (ICT) as part of a Smart City Plan for Phnom Penh which Minebea is now promoting, in the Kingdom of Cambodia. Minebea is currently undertaking the installation of approximately 9,000 high-efficiency smart LED street lights in five areas around Phnom Penh and Angkor Wat. The company plans to control the lights via a wireless network that will dim lighting automatically to enable significant reductions in energy consumption. The installation project is slated to be carried out within the framework of a Joint Credit Mechanism (JCM) established by the Ministry of the Environment Government of Japan. Minebea intends to promote the Smart City concept in Phnom Penh by enabling the street lights to also function as communication bases. Toward realisation of the Smart City concept, MHI will provide various technologies related to traffic control, and will jointly develop additional requisite technologies through close collaboration with Minebea. Minebea is the precision components manufacturer engaged in the machinery components business such as ball bearings and electronic devices and components business including LED backlights used for smartphones, small-sized motors, etc. Minebea manufactures the miniature-sized ball bearings having the outer diameter of up to 22 mm in which the company has the largest global market share. On top of that, Minebea has kept trying to take new challenges and initiatives such as entering into the wireless communications business as well as the markets for lighting and censors, and the like. MHI is one of the world’s leading heavy machinery manufacturers and operates more than 300 group companies in Japan and other countries. MHI’s diverse lineup of products and services encompasses various power generation […]
Power TechED unlocked technology challenges
Rockwell Automation’s inaugural educational event focused on power and energy. Power TechED was held in September at the Gold Coast Convention Centre, Queensland. Advances in technologies such as the Internet of Things, are enabling machines to get smarter and meet endusers networking, integration, diagnostics and intelligence demands. Power and energy applications are no exception. Motors and drives are gaining improved integration and connectivity. Energy monitoring and efficiency technologies are advancing their real time data capabilities and mobility. To remain competitive, organisations need to keep informed of the latest technology advances. “Power TechED was an educational event that fills a gap in the market by covering the power centric industries and applications, said Matthew Treeby, commercial marketing manager at Rockwell Automation. “Featuring hands-on labs, workshops and presentations, Power TechED appealed to people from a wide variety of industries such as food & beverage and manufacturing through to mining and heavy industries, all under the one roof,” he explained. Attendees chose from four streams of learning: Intelligence, Industry, Power Quality & Energy and Safety & Motion. Experts from a wide range of industries were on hand to share experience on electrical standards, industry applications and new innovations. “The agenda specifically addressed evolving trends and technology in this space. One example is the opportunity to leverage the intelligence that already exists in many “smart” motor control and energy devices today. This information can deliver real actionable insights provided it reaches the right people but it also creates a skills gap where traditional power engineers and electricians need to be aware of networking and automation,” said Treeby. “Power TechEd offered hands on Ethernet networking and automation workshops to assist users update their skills in these areas. This allows organisations to leverage real time decision making for improved productivity.” Power TechED is a collaborative event […]
Rockwell Automation and Endress+Hauser to Exhibit at Gastech Singapore 2015
SINGAPORE – Rockwell Automation, the largest company dedicated to industrial automation and information solutions, announced it will be participating in Gastech Singapore 2015, the world’s leading liquefied natural gas (LNG) Conference and Exhibition, held 27 – 30 October, at Singapore EXPO. Convened every 18 months in a different international location since 1973, this independently run tradeshow focuses on both the commercial and technical aspects of the LNG industry. The Rockwell Automation and Endress+Hauser strategic alliance will be exhibiting its pre-engineered, pre-tested, supported and maintained solutions – combining best-in-class instrumentation, software and control systems – to meet customer needs from exploration through refining and transportation logistics. In addition, in line with the Rockwell Automation vision of the Connected Enterprise, the company will be focusing on how oil and gas (O&G) companies can now speed high-performance production and enhance global competitiveness by securely connecting plantwide smart devices and in-the-field assets to enterprise teams and business systems. “Accelerated by the convergence of enabling technologies − such as the Internet of Things and a protected network infrastructure − O&G companies can now become Connected Enterprises by collecting and analysing critical and actionable data, and then delivering contextualised information ubiquitously and seamlessly to company business leaders,” said Bob Buttermore, Regional Director, Southeast Asia, Rockwell Automation. “As a result, operators can improve production and asset utilisation, boost operational efficiency, shorten time to market, minimise total cost of ownership and downtime, increase safety, and lower enterprise risk for a tangible competitive advantage.” “Our global partnership draws from the core competencies of both companies to produce scalable engineered solutions that include measurement, automation, services and software applications for O&G customers,” said Jae Kyu Kim, Oil and Gas Manager, Southeast Asia, Rockwell Automation. “Rockwell Automation has helped the world’s largest and most progressive O&G companies with some of the […]
Autodesk Strengthens Manufacturing Leadership with Two Strategic Acquisitions
SINGAPORE, Sept. 30, 2015 — Autodesk, Inc. has signed definitive agreements to acquire SeeControl, a San Francisco-based developer of an enterprise Internet of Things (IoT) cloud service platform; and netfabb, a Lupburg, Germany-based developer of software solutions for industrial additive design and manufacturing. Adding Enterprise Internet of Things Cloud Service to Autodesk Portfolio with SeeControl SeeControl’s service helps manufacturers and systems integrators connect, analyse, control, and manage remote products, things, and assets and create new service revenue opportunities. “A new future of making things is emerging, where any built object, product or environment can be embedded with sensors that can feed information back into the design process. The acquisition of SeeControl is the first step on Autodesk’s ongoing efforts to develop new technologies and solutions that will help our customers leverage the Internet of Things, starting by enabling them to capture, analyze, and utilize data from their products,” said Amar Hanspal, Autodesk Senior Vice President for Information Modeling and Platform Products. Autodesk intends to continue to sell and support the SeeControl platform and to incorporate the technology into design solutions for the manufacturing and building industries. Autodesk also plans to develop a new IoT solution based on the SeeControl technology that will allow companies to gain real world insights of how their products perform, enabling customers to explore innovative new service models. Taking 3D Printing Beyond Prototyping and Plastics with netfabb In addition to the acquisition of netfabb, Autodesk will also make a strategic investment in FIT Technology Group, the parent company of netfabb and provider of additive manufacturing software and services. The two companies will collaborate to increase adoption of technology for industrial additive manufacturing. “Autodesk has always been impressed by FIT’s track record in creating powerful solutions to meet the challenges of industrial additive manufacturing and together we […]
The Rubik’s Cube of Economics
Deciphering real world issues in economics is like solving a Rubik’s Cube, says SMU Assistant Professor Zhang Haiping. By Yamini Chinnuswamy “The job of an economist is to explain how the world economy works – from analysing economic data, conceptualising economic phenomena, forecasting economic trends to making policy suggestions,” says Assistant Professor Zhang Haiping from the Singapore Management University (SMU) School of Economics, whose work focuses on international finance and trade. Like the Rubik’s Cube, a three-dimensional combination puzzle where every twist also scrambles the face opposite of it, economics puzzles are similarly interlinked—a change in policy may lead to repercussions elsewhere. “My research is motivated by empirical puzzles in economic literature,” he says. “As economists, we seek to augment or update existing economic theories to explain real world data. The challenge lies in the fact that markets and economies seldom function in a frictionless manner.” For example, Professor Zhang notes that capital has been flowing “uphill” from the poor to the rich, and from emerging economies to developed ones since the end of 1990s. This stands in stark contrast to neoclassical economic theory which states that capital should flow from the rich to the poor, as the rate of return on investments in poor countries should be higher than in rich countries. Financial friction and the resulting borrowing constraints in poor countries can explain such a puzzling fact, he explains. Similar income levels, different patterns of capital flows Patterns of international capital flows in emerging economies are another real world puzzle Professor Zhang has studied. Although income levels per person were comparable in emerging Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam) and emerging Europe (countries such as Hungary, Poland and Romania in Central and Eastern Europe), their patterns of international capital flows were not. “We looked at the data […]