Axalta inaugurates new coatings plant in India

Axalta Coating Systems (AXTA) has inaugurated its new coating manufacturing plant at Savli, Vadodara in Gujarat, India. Approximately 70 guests, including local government officials, customers, university representatives, media, and employees attended the opening ceremony, which Axalta Chairman and CEO Charlie Shaver presided.

The 5,200 square meter plant is part of Axalta’s Savli manufacturing site that produces Axalta coatings for refinish, automotive parts, and commercial vehicle customers. The new plant will double Axalta’s coating manufacturing capacity to meet the growing demand for coatings in light vehicles, commercial vehicles, and industrial segments.

Axalta continues to make significant investment in India in line with its India growth strategy.  Since 2016, Axalta has opened a new and expanded technology center in Savli dedicated to the Indian automotive segment. Its new Axalta India headquarters in Gurugram, within the National Capital Region, also hosts Axalta’s global IT and other back office functions. Axalta has continued to further invest and upgrade its refinish training centers throughout India to better serve customers in the growing market.

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Rockwell's new Micro PLC can reduce complexity of large standalone machines

Rockwell Automation said that its new Allen-Bradley Micro870 PLC can support smart micro applications that require up to 304 I/O points, 280 KB of memory and 20,000 program instructions.

Thus, machine designers can use this new micro programmable logic controller (PLC) to help optimize the control architecture in large standalone machines or systems.

The Micro870 PLC uses a flexible design concept that provides designers up to three plug-ins and eight expansion I/O modules. This capability allows them to easily customize or expand the controller to meet each machine type’s unique requirements.

The controller’s 280 KB memory capacity supports modular programming and the use of user-defined function blocks to help reduce design time. Additionally, machine builders can use this memory capacity to maintain a single program for all machine models that use the Micro870 PLC.

The controller communicates via EtherNet/IP and includes multiple embedded communications options, including a USB programming port, a non-isolated serial port and an Ethernet port. It can also support up to two axes of motion.

Read more: Rockwell's new Micro PLC can reduce complexity of large standalone machines

Rockwell's new Studio software enhances productivity, reduces design time

Engineers can more quickly design, build and commission automation systems using the newly enhanced Rockwell Software Studio 5000 integrated development environment. The latest software release includes a new user interface that provides a common, modern look across all Studio 5000 applications, and includes updates to help engineers improve productivity from design to deployment.  

The Studio 5000 Logix Designer application now includes updates to several programming languages and a modernized structured text editor to help optimize design time. The text editor has been updated with many new features, such as collapsible code segments and inline value monitoring, for more productive programming and editing.

“The modified structured text editor improves ease of use for programmers at different skill levels,” said Andy Stump, business manager, Rockwell Automation. “Power users currently using structured text programming and new engineers who are unfamiliar with it will both be comfortable using the modernized editor.”

The new Logix tag-based alarm functionality allows engineers to easily add alarms to structures and manage them in a single environment, which helps save time by avoiding the need for programming. The update also includes new drive safety instructions in accordance with IEC 61800-5-2, and motion instructions for expanded kinematic support. In addition, the modern user interface includes multi-monitor support and tabbed views to help improve usability and reduce design time.

The Studio 5000 Logix Designer application also includes support for the new Allen-Bradley GuardLogix 5580 and Compact GuardLogix 5380 controllers. This provides new high-performance options for users as they design safety systems and can help reduce overall machine costs.

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Albemarle completes sale of polyolefin catalysts biz to Grace

Albemarle Corporation (ALB) has successful completed the previously announced sale of its polyolefin catalysts and components business to W R Grace & Co.

The cash transaction is valued at approximately $416 million. The organometallics and curatives portions of the performance catalysts solutions business remain with Albemarle.

"This sale supports our ongoing commitment to maintaining a business portfolio that is in the best interest of our shareholders. We appreciate the contributions that the global polyolefin catalysts and components team has made to Albemarle over the years and we look forward to continuing our industry-leading 

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Budget Reactions: What business pioneers have to say

Business leaders and companies are reacting after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presented the 2018/19 Union Budget.

The new budget mainly focuses on funds for agriculture and food processing sector, affordable housing sector, health insurance industry and the textile sector, also launched a health insurance programme for poor.

The government is committed towards doubling the farmers’ income by 2022. The agriculture sector in India is likely to perform better in the next few years.

Healthcare is one of the major announcements of the budget. The government projects many schemes that promise health cover to 10 crore families. In contrast, there will be a boost in pharmaceutical/ health sector in general. Overall healthcare expenditure will get a boost.

Read more: Budget Reactions: What business pioneers have to say

Gevo appoints Enerkem executive as chief commercial officer

Gevo Inc (GEVO) has appointed Tim Cesarek to the newly created position of executive vice president and chief commercial officer (CCO).  Cesarek brings over 20 years of knowledge and experience in strategic and commercial transactions, with 15 years in the field of renewable resource-based fuels and chemicals. 

In addition to overseeing Gevo’s commercial development of its fuel and chemical products, Cesarek is expected to develop and close deals with strategic customers and partners.

Cesarek, who most recently served as senior vice president global business development at Enerkem Inc, is a veteran in the field of renewable resource-based fuels and chemicals. 

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CB&I bags Novolen Technology contract in China

Chicago Bridge & Iron Company (CB&I) has been awarded a contract by CNOOC Ningbo Daxie Petrochemical Co Ltd, for the license and process design engineering of a 300 kta polypropylene plant in Ningbo, China.

 The plant will use CB&I's Novolen technology and proprietary Novolen high performance catalyst to produce a full range of polypropylene products, with a focus on high-end copolymers.

Read more: CB&I bags Novolen Technology contract in China