Pyramex®, the trusted leader in advanced personal protective equipment, is excited to announce the newest addition to its line of quality and affordable safety glasses, the PMXSPEC. This new eyewear is engineered to provide unparalleled comfort plus superior protection all in a sleek, stylish design workers will want to wear while on the job. Whether you’re working long hours on the jobsite or managing critical tasks in the most challenging conditions, the PMXSPEC glasses will keep your eyes well protected without compromising comfort or good looks.

The new PMXSPEC safety glasses are designed with ultimate comfort in mind, making them perfect for extended wear on the job. The glasses are extremely lightweight, plus they offer wearers a customizable fit, incorporating an adjustable soft rubber nose piece and non-slip temple grips that helps them stay securely in place even in the harshest conditions. Its panoramic wraparound lens enhances the field of vision, which is vital in busy work environments where peripheral awareness is key to staying safe.

Protection is paramount at Pyramex, and the PMXSPEC glasses deliver. The oversized lenses shield eyes from wind, dust and debris and are treated with anti-fog properties, ensuring clear, fog-free visibility even in extreme conditions. Built tough to meet ANSI/ISEA Z87.1-2020 standards and SEI certified to CAN/CSA Z94.3-20 high impact standards, the PMXSPEC safety glasses provide robust protection against impacts and harmful UV rays, making them a dependable choice for professionals across various industries. Of course, these glasses aren’t just functional eye protection, they also deliver on looks with stylish mirrored and beveled lenses which reduce glare while adding a sleek look.

“The new PMXSPEC safety glasses are more than just protective eyewear; they are a commitment to ensuring that workers are equipped with gear that meets the highest safety standards while also offering the comfort and style needed for continuous wear while on the job,” said Stephanie Aldrich, Product Category Manager for Pyramex.

The new PMXSPEC glasses are available in three lens/frame color variations including a Matte Black-Blue frame with Blue Mirror lens; a Shiny Black frame with Spectrum Mirror frame; and a Matte Black-Green frame with Green Mirror lens. For more information about the PMXSPEC glasses, visit pyramex.com.

Pyramex Safety delivers high-quality safety products through its innovative and stylish product lines. The company designs and manufactures a variety of personal protective equipment from eye, head, hand, welding, cooling, and hearing protection to hi-vis work wear, respirators, and ergonomic gear. Founded in 1991, the company has more than 3,000 distributors in over 65 countries and is committed to investing countless hours to research, design and testing to ensure Pyramex products meet the highest industry safety standards. To learn more about Pyramex Safety, go to pyramexsafety.com.

September 2024 - In the chemical, pharmaceutical, cosmetics and food industries, there is often an invisible danger in the air. Gases and dusts are constant companions which, in combination with a single ignition spark, can trigger a catastrophe. Find out in this technical article how the Ex weighing solutions from Minebea Intec, a leading manufacturer of weighing and inspection technologies, ensure safe and at the same time highly efficient work in this hazardous atmosphere.

In industrial production facilities where chemicals are used, conditions often prevail where flammable gases such as methane, propane or hydrogen are present in the air. These gases can be ignited by a tiny spark and lead to a catastrophic explosion that can endanger human life and production structures. Dust particles that can accumulate in the air are also extremely dangerous. Powdery substances in particular, such as flour, sugar or wood dust, can spread in the air and react explosively on contact with an ignition source.

Potentially explosive atmospheres are divided into zones depending on the probability of an explosive atmosphere occurring and the explosive substances present. In zone 0 or 20, there is a constant danger due to high concentrations of gases, dusts, vapors or mists. Zone 1 or 21 has a probable but not constant hazard in the vicinity of zone 0. In zone 2 or 22, there is a rare and short-term hazard at a greater distance from the source. This classification is based on international standards such as the ATEX directive for Europe and IECEx certification for the rest of the world. Zones 0, 1 and 2 refer to gases and, in contrast, zones 20, 21 and 22 apply to dust. "Given these potentially lethal hazards, it is vital that all equipment and instruments used in these potentially explosive environments meet the strictest safety standards," says Lena-Marie Fornika, Global Product Manager at Minebea Intec. "We offer weighing technologies that are certified for each of these areas."

Certified Ex weighing solutions without compromising on precision and efficiency

Minebea Intec offers a wide range of load cells, industrial scales and weighing indicators that have been specially developed for use in hazardous areas. These products not only offer the highest levels of safety, but also precision and efficiency, which are essential for industrial applications. "In hazardous environments, choosing the right weighing and control technology is crucial to ensure maximum productivity and accuracy," says Lena-Marie Fornika. "We support our customers throughout the entire planning process and offer them tailor-made solutions that meet their Ex requirements."

Industrial scales in focus: Ensuring ATEX compliance for a leading aerospace company

The floor and bench scales Combics^® and Midrics^® as well as the IF floor scale from Minebea Intec offer many advantages for hazardous areas. The industrial scales in the Combics^® series are robust and versatile. Certified to ATEX, IECEx and FM, these scales ensure compliance with Ex requirements. They offer high accuracy, a user-friendly interface and various weighing units. The industrial scales in the Midrics^® series offer similar benefits, but in a more compact design. They are also approved for use in hazardous areas and offer high accuracy and reliability. The IF floor scales are ideal for applications with heavy loads and are even suitable for use in Zone 2/22. Overall, these scales offer the ideal combination of safety, precision and user-friendliness for use in hazardous areas.

The example of Avio, a leading Italian manufacturer of aerospace fuels, illustrates exactly how customers can benefit from these Ex-certified industrial scales. The company needed to adapt its equipment to the ATEX directives after internal audits revealed that the current instruments no longer complied with the updated regulations. Avio sought quotes from various suppliers and then chose an ATEX Zone 1 weighing solution from Minebea Intec. The company provided a complete solution, including ATEX-certified equipment and customised software. The solution comprised two Combics^® weighing platforms with resolutions of 15,000 d and 30,000 d and weighing ranges of 3,000 kg/200 g and 60 kg/2 g, a Maxxis 5 programmable weighing controller and PR 5110 remote displays. Minebea Intec's engineering support team developed a software solution for recipe management and also installed a control cabinet with intrinsically safe interfaces for secure data transmission. The solution not only complied with health and safety guidelines, but also optimized the efficiency of Avio's dosing system.

Weighing indicator Midrics^® 1 Ex is the latest addition to the Ex portfolio

Minebea Intec is constantly expanding its range of Ex solutions. For example, the company recently launched the Midrics^® 1 Ex weighing indicator. "With the Midrics^® 1 Ex weighing indicator, we offer a state-of-the-art solution for visualizing weighing results in hazardous areas," says Lena-Marie Fornika. "Users benefit not only from the affordable price, but above all from the reliability and intuitive operation of the product."
The intrinsically safe weighing indicator Midrics^® 1 Ex is suitable for a wide range of applications such as counting, inspection or pre-packaging control. Thanks to the use of high-quality materials, it is the ideal choice for quality managers, machine builders and technical engineers looking for a durable indicator solution for hazardous areas.

Best practice: SABIC and Ex-certified compression load cells

Another customer example demonstrates the performance of Minebea Intec's Ex-certified load cells. SABIC, a leading Saudi Arabian petrochemical company, was looking for reliable weighing systems for dosing hoppers and the replacement of defective components in granulate hoppers. Minebea Intec was chosen for its experience, accuracy and adherence to strict safety standards. Minebea Intec installed three S PR 6241 compression load cells for outdoor use in accordance with the ATEX directive. The load cells enabled a transmission range of 500 m. Minebea Intec supplied also four PR 6201 precision compression load cells and PR 6143 compact kits, all ATEX-certified, for the defective granulate containers. This successful partnership established Minebea Intec as an official supplier to SABIC and demonstrates the company's ability to provide customized solutions that meet the highest safety standards.

Ex solutions when danger is in the air

All Minebea Intec products for potentially explosive atmospheres comply with the strictest international standards such as ATEX, IECEx and FM. In a world where the risk of explosion is in the air, choosing the right technology is crucial. Minebea Intec offers holistic weighing solutions that not only ensure the highest levels of safety, but also precision and efficiency. Lena-Marie Fornika: "Our products are more than just devices - they are partners for safety and success in hazardous areas."

Regina, Saskatchewan, August 28, 2024 – Canadian food manufacturing plays a crucial role in addressing the need to sustainably feed a growing global population according to a recent FCC Economics report.

Food is the largest manufacturing sector in Canada by both employment and sales. With abundant natural resources and a strong global reputation for safe and high-quality food, the sector is poised to be a world leader in sustainable food production.

“If we’re going to tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing our planet like hunger, global health, climate change and stagnant economic growth, we need to build new and ambitious partnerships with key sectors like food manufacturing,” said Krishen Rangasamy, FCC manager economic insights. “To fully capitalize on this opportunity, we also need to engage investment and innovation by those in our industry and beyond.”

With the world’s population expected to exceed 9 billion by 2050, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that agricultural production needs to increase by 60 per cent over 2005 levels. This challenge requires producing more food with the same or fewer inputs- a task that Canadian food manufacturing is well-positioned to tackle as it makes the most of the potential created through smart manufacturing and digitization.

“Just as steam, electricity, and the internet propelled us to produce more with fewer inputs during previous industrial revolutions, automation, robotics, artificial intelligence, and blockchain are shaping up to do the same in food manufacturing in the fourth industrial revolution,” said Amanda Norris, FCC senior economist. “These technologies can improve output and labour efficiency, manage inventory, prevent unplanned downtime, forecast demand, track production, and ensure quality control - all opportunities to help improve productivity in Canadian food manufacturing.”

Productivity increases when output grows faster than working hours, a trend that has been evident in Canadian food manufacturing over the past two decades. Despite challenges between 2008 and 2012, the industry has rebounded, demonstrating resilience and the ability to produce more food in less time.

“Food manufacturing in Canada has already proven its resilience and adaptability. After a period of decline, the industry rebounded by investing in new technologies and consolidating operations, leading to an 11 per cent productivity growth between 2013 and 2017,” Norris explains. “Now, with productivity growth remaining relatively flat, it’s time for a renewed focus on innovation to drive the next wave of growth.”

Figure 1: Food manufacturing productivity rebounded after a slump between 2008 and 2012, but remains flat in recent years

Source: Statistics Canada

Rangasamy also underscores the importance of attracting investment from sectors outside of agriculture and food. “To truly harness the potential of the fourth industrial revolution, we need greater investment from those who may not traditionally see themselves as part of the ag and food industry,” he notes. “This will help us scale up and innovate, ensuring that Canada not only meets the food demands of tomorrow but does so in a way that benefits all Canadians.”

By embracing new technologies and fostering cross-sector investment, the industry can continue to lead in sustainable food production, ensuring a stable food supply and contributing to the global effort to feed the world.

“Productivity growth is not a one-size-fits-all solution; it requires a blend of efficiency, economies of scale, and innovation,” Norris stated. “By embracing new technologies and supporting a qualified labour force, Canada’s food manufacturing sector can help sustainably feed the global population and maintain a competitive edge in the international market.”

MONTREAL, Aug. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CN (TSX: CNR) (NYSE: CNI) announced today that effective 18:00 ET, it ended its lock out and immediately initiated its recovery plan.

As CN awaits the formal order from the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB), the Company is making this decision to expedite the recovery of the economy.

While CN is satisfied that this labour conflict has ended and that it can get back to its role of powering the economy, the Company is disappointed that a negotiated deal could not be achieved at the bargaining table despite its best efforts.

CN Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements by CN included in this news release constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and under Canadian securities laws. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. CN cautions that its assumptions may not materialize and that current economic conditions render such assumptions, although reasonable at the time they were made, subject to greater uncertainty. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of terminology such as “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “assumes,” “outlook,” “plans,” “targets,” or other similar words. Forward-looking statements reflect information as of the date on which they are made. CN assumes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect future events, changes in circumstances, or changes in beliefs, unless required by applicable securities laws. In the event CN does update any forward-looking statement, no inference should be made that CN will make additional updates with respect to that statement, related matters, or any other forward-looking statement.