Week 12 in Manufacturing News

U.S. Factory Activity Picks up in March; Cost Pressures Building – IHS Markit; 95 U.S. Manufacturing Plants Earn 2020 ENERGY STAR Certification; UK Manufacturing Outlook Improves in March, CBI Survey Shows; Clean Tech: The Great Green Opportunity?

U.S. Factory Activity Picks up in March; Cost Pressures Building – IHS Markit

U.S. factory activity picked up in early March amid strong growth in new orders, but supply chain disruptions because of the COVID-19 pandemic continued to exert cost pressures for manufacturers, which could keep inflation fears in focus.

Data firm IHS Markit said on Wednesday its flash U.S. manufacturing PMI increased to 59 in the first half of this month from a final reading 58.6 in February, when activity took a step back after a cold snap hit large parts of the country.

Source: Reuters

95 U.S. Manufacturing Plants Earn 2020 ENERGY STAR Certification

Across the U.S., 95 manufacturing plants earned U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ENERGY STAR certification in 2020 for being among the most energy-efficient in their industries. By strategically managing their energy use while the country dealt with challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, these ENERGY STAR certified plants saved nearly $400 million on energy bills—equal to the payroll value of over 8,000 U.S. manufacturing jobs.

Source: Business Facilities

UK Manufacturing Outlook Improves in March, CBI Survey Shows

Output volumes in the UK manufacturing sector in the three months to March improved to broadly flat, which marked the highest balance since May 2019.

This is according to the CBI’s latest monthly Industrial Trends Survey.

The survey of 321 manufacturers found that output increased in eight out of 17 sub-sectors. Growth in the electronic engineering and plastic products sub-sectors was largely offset by declines in paper, printing & media and aerospace in the headline balance.

Source: Production Engineering Solutions

Clean Tech: The Great Green Opportunity?

Whether or not the federal government adopts a formal goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, the private sector seems convinced of the need to decarbonise and the financial benefits attached to doing so.

And official net zero target by 2050 — adopted by over 110 countries at the last count — aside, significant government support is being given in Australia to clean technology. 

Source: AUmanufacturing