Posts filed under 'Technology'
November 13th, 2009
Winnovation Robotics Team invites you to attend our Annual Pancake Breakfast and Flap-Jack Challenge/Tubular Tension Mini-bot Competition on Sat., Dec 5, at Winnebago Middle School. Breakfast is from 8am-noon. Mini-bot challenge is 10am-1pm. Students are busy building 25 lb. robots to play Tubular Tension, a game designed by a couple of our students. Teams from Oswego and IMSA/Aurora will join us in competition. Along with breakfast, we will have a Basket Raffle of wonderful items, along with a Bake Sale. We hope you can join us for a FUN morning!
For any or all of you attending FabTech next week at McCormick Place, Winnovation will be demonstrating their 2009 robot on Monday, Nov. 16 in the FMA booth courtesy of FMA. Two team members will also be featured on Chicago’s Channel 7, WLS-TV, at 11:15am that morning.
We hope to see you at one or both of these events in the coming weeks! And mark your calendars now for 2010 competition. We will compete in Kansas City, MO on Mar 5-6, and Chicago, Mar 19-20. Team members will travel to Milwaukee to cheer on Rockford Robotics Mar 12-13. We would love for you to join us at a competition!
Karen Hill
Coordinator of Team 1625 Winnovation
815-742-0873
November 12th, 2009
I thought this story was a good model that Italy used to enhance their leater making machinery industry.
Italy’s leather-making machine industry banks on quality, innovation and lean manufacturing to beat low-cost competitors. see it here.. Leather
November 9th, 2009
How can this be?
If you believed all the talk from Chrysler about how our tax dollars would help finance its fast-track electric-vehicle future, you’re in for a big disappointment.
Chrysler has disbanded the engineering team that was trying to bring three electric models to market as a rush job, Automotive News reports today. Chrysler cited its devotion to electric vehicles as one of the key reasons why the Obama administration and Congress needed to give it $12.5 billion in bailout money, the News points out. see the rest here.. Electric
November 4th, 2009
Congressman Don Manzullo (R-IL) today told President Obama’s Chief Climate
Change negotiator, Todd Stern, that the massive tax increase and new spending
programs proposed in the Democrats’ “cap and trade” legislation will result in
enormous job losses and an exodus of American businesses overseas.
During a Foreign Affairs Committee hearing today, Manzullo disputed the
Administration’s claim that enacting cap and trade legislation will rejuvenate
the economy by creating new jobs and reducing greenhouse gases. Manzullo is the
lead Republican on the House Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and the Global
Environment, which has legislative jurisdiction over the State Department’s
Office of Global Climate Change. Manzullo also co-chairs the House
Manufacturing Caucus.
According to a landmark study published by the University of King Juan
Carlos in Spain, the Spanish economy suffered enormously after adopting a cap
and trade framework that is eerily similar to the proposal in Congress.
The study notes that for “every renewable energy job that the [Government] manages
to finance…the U.S. should expect …about 9 jobs lost for every 4
created[.]” The study also calculates that since 2000, Spain has spent
over $840,000 for every green job created, including massive government
subsidies for certain industries.
“One of four people I represent in northern Illinois earns their living in
manufacturing. What the Democrat majority is trying to do with cap and
trade will put even more of them on the unemployment lines,” Manzullo said. “As
the study conducted by the University of King Juan Carlos in Spain shows,
adopting a cap and trade regime costs far more jobs than it creates.
Furthermore, signing on to a multilateral treaty to bind the U.S. to
unrealistically high requirements to stop emissions, while rapidly emerging
economies in countries such as China and India collude together to exempt
themselves from similar limitations, is nothing more than unilateral
disarmament. It will simply result in the transfer of pollution problems
to these nations and a massive tax on the American people.”
Please click here
to view Manzullo’s comments during the hearing.
November 3rd, 2009
I ran across a new green vehicle design that is quite intriguing. A car developed by Aptera Motors aspires to greater than 
100 miles per gallon! You can find out the details at http://www.aptera.com/. The sleek aerodynamic design is like crossing a Chrysler Prowler with a peapod. It looks as sporty to drive as a Formula One car. Interestingly it looks very reminiscent of a similar attempt when the technology didn’t do the design justice. Starting before World War II and into the 50’s, Messerchmitt produced a three wheel car,
the KR-200 series. What comes around, goes around, especially when it comes to motor vehicles. The intersting notion is that entrepreneurs keep trying. And of course, new macnufacturing techniques and design materials can have an
impact on how viable your product can be. If you’re interested in seeing many more KR-200’s you can visit the micro car museum and take a virtual tour at http://microcarmuseum.com/index.html .
October 25th, 2009
So say companies in the UK… here
October 20th, 2009
Could these bring jobs to Rockford Region? New
October 19th, 2009
A FREE half-day workshop for Illinois Manufacturing Companies; Sponsored by the Illinois Coalition for Manufacturing Innovation
Argonne National Laboratories, Illinois Institute of Technology and Chicago Manufacturing Center are teaming up with the SBA and the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce to provide executive-level insights on how manufacturing companies are taking innovative steps to stay competitive in a global economy.
When: Wednesday, November 4 from 7:30 am – 1 pm
Where: Harper College, Wojeck Conference Center
Building W, 1200 W Algonquin Road, Palatine, IL
Who should attend: Presidents, Chief Operating Officers, General Managers, VP Manufacturing, Director of Operations, Plant Managers, Director Supply Chain Procurement, Marketing Directors
Program Overview:
The Need for Innovation: David Baker, VP External Relations, Illinois Institute of Technology
How to Gain Access to Capital and Compete Globally
Panel: Robert Esquivel, Finance Chief, Small Business Administration; David Hansberger, President, Applied Strategies International; Mark Ryczek, Vice President, Business Banking, National City; Moderator: Bonnie Richter, Director, Illinois Small Business Development Center
How to Gain Access to Technology and Supporting Funding
Panel: Philip Nash, Ph.D, Mechanical, Materials & Aerospace Engineering, IIT; Ed Daniels, Director, Argonne National Laboratory; Guy Brada, Chief Metallurgist, A. Finkl & Sons Co.; Moderator: Jamal Yagoobi, Chair, Mechanical, Materials & Aerospace Engineering, IIT
The Need for Innovation – Legislation and Policy
Panel: Eric Mittelstadt, CEO, National Council for Advanced Manufacturing; Lance Pressl, President, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce Foundation Moderator: Demetria Giannisis, President, Chicago Manufacturing Center
Networking Lunch – Issues and Opportunities
SPACE IS LIMITED; Register on-line at: www.innovatenow.us/icmi
October 10th, 2009
In case you missed this story about recreating Michelangelo’s bozzettis using Eigerlab and Oregon artist and foundry technology, here it is… Michelangelo
I had the chance to view these statues when the were on display in Rockford and this is a really cool technology that will not only raise money for the museums that house these objects, but will help to preserve the art for future generations to learn. See the short video… here
October 10th, 2009
Reliance on outsourcing and products developed by biotechs could cause the pace of innovation to “decline considerably”, according to experts that are concerned about the lack of funding for small businesses.see why here..Innovation
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