Friday, January 08, 1999
INDUSTRY NOTES: MANUFACTURING
Vulcan Oil wins contract with Ispat
BY MIKE BOYER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
St. Bernard-based Vulcan Oil & Chemical Products Co. beat out some heavy-duty competition for a three-year contract valued at $5.4 million to supply cold rolling oil to Ispat Inland Inc.'s East Chicago steel plant.
Vulcan said it successfully completed a comprehensive rolling oil evaluation, spanning seven months, designed to test the productivity and cost effectiveness of new semisynthetic rolling oils. The evaluation included competing lubrication suppliers Henkel, D.A. Stuart and Quaker Chemical. The contract calls for supplying pickling, rolling and temper oil for the East Chicago plant's five-stand tandem rolling mill and a sister four-stand mill.
Vulcan said the contract is unique in that it provides for billing based on the quality of the steel produced. Vulcan, a fourth-generation supplier of lubricants and oils, has been in business 87 years.
R&D spending expected to increase 7% this year
Spending for research and development in the United States is expected to rise to almost $236 billion this year, according to the annual Battelle-R&D magazine forecast.
That represents an almost 7 percent increase from the $221 billion that the National Science Foundation estimated was spent in 1998.
The increase reflects continued R&D spending growth, which had stagnated in the early 1990s, the report noted.
“Barring any major economic downturns, the increase in 1999 will be part of a trend that will continue into the 21st century,” said Jules Duga, a Battelle senior researcher and co-author of the report.
Private industry continues as the dominant research spender, increasing expenditures 9 percent to $157 billion, the magazine said. The federal government will spend $68.1 billion, up slightly from 1998. Universities and other nonprofit organizations will spend $10.8 billion, up 5 percent from last year. The full report is available in the January issue of R&D magazine.
Cincinnati Industrial unveils parts washer
Cincinnati Industrial Machinery, the Sharonville unit of Eagle-Picher Industries, has introduced a small-parts washer with a unique 360-degree rotation and separation design.
The parts washer was designed for General Electric to clean electric motor shafts and includes S-shaped track guides that move round parts from side to side. The parts remain separated in the wash and blow off stages via a stationary slot. The company's Web site is www.cinind.com
Monarch Machine Tool buying Milwaukee firm
Dayton, Ohio-based Monarch Machine Tool Co. has acquired GFG Corp. from Derlan Industries Ltd. for $13.5 million, subject to closing adjustments.
Milwaukee-based GFG, which has sales of $20 million, designs and assembles roll coating, electrostatic oil application and strip processing equipment for the metal coil industry. Monarch said the acquisition will complement its Stamco division's product lines. Monarch said the deal should be additive to earnings this year.
Cincinnati Machine establishes Web site
Cincinnati Machine, formerly Cincinnati Milacron's machine tool business, has established a Web site at www.cinmach.com that includes information on the company and its range of products and services.
Founded in 1884, Cincinnati Machine was acquired by Unova Inc. in October but retains the same management, product lines and support.
Holiday sales make comeback
Provident Bank expands ATM group
Surfing on sofa becomes science
Toyota VP predicts more record sales for Camry
Bankers sue to derail new credit union rule
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