Record sales for Toyota

Toyota has reported its best-ever first-half sales in the US, 46 years after it first entered the US market. The company reported sales of 903 142 units, up 3.5 per cent from last year's record first six months.This is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest metallurgy industry news     

Production and sales up for Höganäs

Swedish powder producer Höganäs increased sales by 13 per cent during the first half of 2003 to SK 1918 million — about $240 million. This figure includes earnings of around $43 million from SCM Metal Products, the former powder metallurgy arm of OM Group acquired by Höganäs for $65 million earlier this year.This is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest metallurgy industry news     

Sandvik sells stake in French hardmetal producer as Q2 bites

Sandvik is selling its 49 per cent stake in French cobalt and tungsten producer Eurotungstene Poudres SA to the majority shareholder, Eramet. The move underscores the Swedish hardmetals and tooling group's determination to concentrate on core activities. Sandvik is a major supplier of cemented carbide and high-speed steel tools with 37,000 employees and annual sales last year of around $6 billion.This is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest powder metallurgy industry news.     

Vehicle production in North America declines.

According to Ward's Reports, vehicle production in North America — the US, Canada and Mexico — through the first week in September slipped 4.1 per cent off 2002's pace. The estimated production total is 11,107,011 vehicles. US production is off by 3.5 per cent to an estimated 8,172,266 units and Canada is down 5.1 per cent to 1,756,351 units.This is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest powder metallurgy industry news.     

Big future for nano biomedical devices says US analyst

A US business analysis house is claiming that the global nanoscale biomedical devices market will grow by about 35 per cent year on year up to 2007. Molecular modelling is also set to expand, says Connecticut-based Business Communications Company (BCC), but by a more modest 5.8 per cent average annual growth.This is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest metallurgy industry news     

New record high for EPMA membership

Membership of the European Powder Metallurgy Association (EPMA) grew to record levels of more than 260 in 2002. Of these, 164 are corporate members, broken down into 50 per cent component manufacturers, 36 per cent suppliers and 14 per cent end users and other institutions. The organisation launched a new version of its Health and Safety Guidelines, a working document for industrialists, at the Valencia Conference and Exhibition last month and is to continue lobbying on the proposed introduction of the European New Chemicals Policy, which has potentially large implications for the industry.This is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest powder metallurgy industry news.     

Q2 Hawk up — but PM sales decline

US engineering group Hawk Corporation reported that second quarter income from operations increased by 16 per cent to $3.6 million, up from $3.1 million for the same period of 2002.This is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest metallurgy industry news     

Copper gleams

Total world shipments of copper powder came close to 70?000 short tons last year. North America took 24?000 tons; Europe and Asia each took 20?000 tons and other countries 5 000 short tons. Bearing manufacture accounts for more than 50 per cent of the total.This is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest metallurgy industry news     

Changing patterns in aortoiliac reconstruction: a 7-year audit

A prospective vascular audit was performed in this hospital between 1988 and 1994. There was a substantial increase in the number of vascular reconstructions (78 in 1988; 141 in 1994). Aortobifemoral grafts for occlusive disease comprised 18 per cent of the operations in 1988 and 0.7 per cent in 1994 (95 per cent confidence interval 0.086-0.259). There was a corresponding increase in the number of extra-anatomic grafts (from 3 to 20.6 per cent). There was a threefold increase in the number of percutaneous angioplasties performed for iliac occlusive lesions (14 in 1988; 41 plus 13 iliac stent procedures in 1994). This had no impact on the total rate of surgical intervention for aortoiliac disease, although it probably aided the shift to extra-anatomic reconstruction by dilatation of the donor side. To investigate whether this change is national, rather than local, graft sales figures were obtained from two vascular graft companies; these confirmed a national trend away from aortobifemoral grafting and provide some evidence to support an increase in extra-anatomic bypass grafting.     

New polish for Institute of Corrosion

The UK's Institute of Corrosion is (IC) launching a ”new look” in a bid to encourage new members. The IC will be seeking to promote sound corrosion management practice, the advancement of cost-effective corrosion control measures, and a sustained effort to raise awareness at all stages of design and manufacture. It estimates that corrosion costs the UK 4 per cent of GNP every year.This is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest powder metallurgy industry news.     

More PM parts

The typical family vehicle built in North America contained 40 pounds of PM parts in the 2003 model year, up one pound from 2002. The 2004 model year should see 41.5 pounds of PM parts in the typical vehicle, a 3.8 per cent gain.This is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest metallurgy industry news     

Testing with a small footprint

A new series of single footprint hydraulic universal testing systems for metals, fasteners, composites and concrete has been launched by Instron. The SATEC series combine the frame, hydraulic power supply, electronics and control panel into a single machine, reducing floor space requirements by more than 60 per cent. The LX models range in capacity from 150 kN to 1000 kN, while the DX ranges from 300 kN to 3000 kN. The DX features two test spaces allowing tension and compression tests to be performed in separate areas. The systems are designed to support automatic extensometers.This is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest metallurgy industry news     

Job swap

Hans Soderhjelm has taken over as sales and marketing director at Höganäs North America, from Ralf Carlström who assumes the same role at the parent company, Höganäs AB in Sweden.This is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest powder metallurgy industry news.     

More black stuff

Timcal Graphite and Carbon has completed the acquisition of the Belgian carbon black unit of Erachem Comilog, a subsidiary of the Eramet Group. It has sales of €15m a year in the the battery and conductive polymer markets.This is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest powder metallurgy industry news.     

GKN puts positive spin on decline in sales

GKN put a positive spin on its PM businesses for the first half of 2003 despite a dip in sales to ?318 million ($512 million). The company attributed the decrease to the dollar’s decline against the Pound and the Euro. Sales levels remained stable in the face of reduced demand from markets in North America and Western Europe. The division is heavily dependent on U.S. automotive markets.This is a short news story only. Visit www.metal-powder.net for the latest metallurgy industry news     

Calcium in the treatment of diarrhoea and hyperoxaluria after jejunoileal bypass for obesity

Fourteen patients with jejunoileal bypass for obesity were treated for one week with a calcium supplement of 3g daily. During this period diarrhoea was significantly (P < 0.005) reduced by 23 per cent (97 per cent confidence limits: 7-46 per cent). Ten of the patients had hyperoxaluria (median value 961 mumol/24 h; range 633-2742 mumol/24 h). The treatment with calcium significantly (P < 0.005) decreased the concentration of oxalate in urine by 23 per cent (98 per cent confidence limits: -5-+54 per cent). The calcium supplement did not increase urinary calcium-excretion rate or albumin-corrected serum calcium.     

Systemic leakage during isolated limb perfusion for melanoma

A hazard of regional perfusion for melanoma is incomplete isolation, resulting in leakage of the cytostatic drug into the systemic circulation. Data were analysed retrospectively on 438 melphalan perfusions performed for melanoma of the extremities during the period 1978-1990; continuous isotopic measurement of systemic leakage was carried out. The cumulative systemic leakage after 60 min perfusion was 0.9 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval 0.7-1.1 per cent). Systemic leakage of > or = 1 per cent was detected in 12.6 per cent of perfusions, > or = 5 per cent in 6.2 per cent and > or = 10 per cent in 1.4 per cent. In 2.3 per cent of patients, systemic side-effects in the form of mild transient bone marrow depression occurred. Six variables related to the perfusion technique were assessed by multivariate analysis for their influence on systemic leakage. The level of isolation and diameter of the venous cannula emerged as significant factors. In addition, ligation of the internal iliac vein provided optimal isolation during iliac perfusion.     

Practical estimation of the actual laboratory diagnostics of cholera

A series of 116 nonselected and consecutive patients with acute pancreatitis with a fatal outcome underwent necropsy and have been analyzed with special attention paid to hepatic findings and the cause of death. This series includes the total fatalities caused by the disease during a 15 year period from 1956 to 1970. All but two patients died in the first attack of acute pancreatitis. The patients were divided into four etiologic groups: gallstone disease, 43 per cent; alcoholism, 25 per cent; idiopathic origin, 18 per cent, and postoperative origin, following abdominal operations, 14 per cent. Over the three five-year periods, the frequency of alcohol abuse as a predisposing factor increased, while gallstone disease showed a corresponding decrease. About 75 per cent of the patients had hyperbilirubinemia. Half of these showed signs of cholestasis. Macroscopic steatosis of the liver was recorded in 62 per cent of the alcohol addicts and in about 25 per cent of the patients in the other etiologic groups. Shock and late sequelae of shock were the dominating immediate causes of death in 72 per cent. About 50 per cent of the fatalities occurred within the first week. Most of these early deaths were caused by intractable circulatory failure. Early death was most commonly caused by alcoholism, followed in frequency by gallstone disease. It is possible that impaired hepatic function contributes to the fatal outcome in both early and late phases of the disease.     

Wound infection: a prospective study of 7519 operations

Wound infection was prospectively studied in 7,519 consecutive operations after preoperative classification as clean, clean-contaminated, and infected. The overall infection rate was 3.9 per cent. Clean, 3.2 per cent; clean-contaminated, 4.4 per cent; contaminated, 12.4 per cent; infected, 16.2 per cent. Wound infection was not seasonally related or dependent on changes in house staff. In clean cases, the predominant role of Staphylococcus aureus (37%) has been superceded by enterococci (44%). In clean-contaminated cases, enterococci (43.5%) were the most common, followed by Escherichia coli (40.0%). In contaminated wounds, E. coli was most common (40.0%). The infected case category grew mixed flora (E. coli, 82 per cent; enterococci, 54 per cent, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 43 per cent). Nosocomial organisms were important only in the contaminated (14%) and infected (43%) categories. Antibiotic therapy before cultures are available should include agents with activity against enterococci as well as S aureus, and E. coli in clean cases.     

Perinatal observations on the etiology of congenital dislocation of the hip

At least 1 per cent of all newborn infants in the United Kingdom have CDH (Fig 10). Among these infants, approximately 85 per cent are normally formed and 15 per cent malformed. Among the normally formed infants, 90 per cent of the CDH are of the Grade 1 type, and 10 per cent of Grades 2 and 3. Such infants have a perinatal mortality of about 5 per cent. In contrast, among the malformed infants, about 50 per cent are CDH Grade 1, and 50 per cent Grades 2 and 3; their perinatal mortality is around 70 per cent. In other words, a much higher proportion than usual of the severe grades of CDH are found among the infants with a high perinatal mortality.