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Trade Wars
Physics Nobel Awarded To Three Scientists For Work On Quantum Computing
The Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret and John M. Martinis for their work on quantum mechanics that is paving the way for a new generation of very powerful computers. "There is no advanced technology used today that does not rely on quantum mechanics, including mobile phones, cameras... and fibre optic cables," said the Nobel committee. The announcement was made by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences at a news conference in Stockholm, Sweden.
"To put it mildly, it was a surprise of my life," said Professor John Clarke, who was born in Cambridge, UK and now works at the University of California in Berkeley. Michel H. Devoret was born in Paris, France and is a professor at Yale University while John M. Martinis is a professor at University of California, Santa Barbara. The Nobel committee recognised breakthrough work performed by the three men in a series of experiments in the 1980s on electrical circuits. In the words of the committee, "the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantisation in an electric circuit". Its implications have been profound and far-reaching. The electronic devices that most of us use rely on it, and the findings are being used to build extremely powerful computers.
Read more at BBC
Tesla Offers Cheaper Versions Of 2 Electric Vehicles In Bid To Win Back Market Share In Tough Year
Tesla rolled out new, cheaper versions of two of its electric car models on Tuesday in hopes the offerings will help revive flagging sales. The new Model Y, costing just under $40,000 with a stripped-down interior, follows a slump in Tesla sales covering most of the past year due to anti-Elon Musk boycotts targeting the company. The company is also offering a cheaper version of its Model 3 for under $35,000.
The company is under intense pressure to lift sales but is facing big challenges. In addition to anti-Musk backlash, it is contending with a likely hit to demand after a federal tax credit worth as $7,500 for EV purchases expired at the end of September. Compared to previous models, the new Model Y comes with a shorter 321-mile driving range, fewer audio speakers and a fabric interior, not microsuede. The model also lacks a panoramic glass roof and a touchscreen in the second row.
Read more at Yahoo finance
Airbus A320 Flies Past Boeing 737 As Most-Delivered Jet In History
Europe's Airbus broke a major commercial barrier on Tuesday when its A320 family of planes overtook the Boeing 737 to become the most-delivered jetliner in history. Boeing's decades-old record fell with the handover of an A320neo to Saudi carrier Flynas, bringing total deliveries to 12,260 since the A320 series entered service in 1988, according to benchmark data from UK-based aviation analytics firm Cirium.
Demand for the industry's workhorse A320 and 737 jets has surged in recent years, as economic growth led by Asia brought tens of millions of new middle-class travellers into the skies. Together, Boeing and Airbus have delivered more than 25,000 of these jets, originally designed to serve major hubs but later widely adopted by low-cost carriers, which Airbus courted after Boeing cut output during a downturn in demand post-9/11. Already the world's largest planemaker by annual deliveries, Airbus now claims the top spot for cumulative narrow-body deliveries, capping a 40-year transatlantic battle for market share after early disagreements over strategy and the share of jobs among partner nations, France, Germany, Spain and Britain.
Read more at Reuters
Turkish Airlines Orders Boeing 787 Dreamliners, More 737 MAX Jets
Turkish Airlines placed a firm order for up to 75 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, the flag carrier's largest ever Boeing widebody purchase. The deal includes 35 of the 787-9 model, 15 of the larger 787-10, and options for 25 787 Dreamliners to grow and modernize the airline's fleet. The new order will support more than 123,000 jobs across the U.S. The airline also announced its intent to purchase up to 150 more 737 MAX airplanes, which will be its largest Boeing single-aisle order when finalized. The 787 and 737 MAX orders combined will double Turkish Airlines' Boeing fleet as the carrier expands its capacity and network.
Across a network that reaches the most countries of any airline in the world, Turkish Airlines operates more than 200 Boeing jets today, including the 787-9, 777, 737 MAX, Next-Generation 737, and 777 Freighter airplanes. Adding the larger 787-10 to its future fleet will enable Turkish Airlines to benefit from additional passenger and cargo capacity while improving fuel efficiency on high-demand routes between Istanbul and destinations in the U.S., Africa, Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
Read more at Aerospace Manufacturing & Design
Another Delay Seen for Boeing’s New 777X
Amid investor speculation that Boeing has started planning a new single-aisle aircraft, a separate series of reports indicates that the much-delayed twin-aisle 777X will be delayed until 2027. If so, that would be the sixth time that the new long-haul aircraft has been delayed since Boeing introduced it in 2013. The new aircraft was intended to have a commercial debut in 2020.
The is no clear explanation for the cause of any current delay in the program is unknown, but analysts speculate the expanded level of involvement by the Federal Aviation Administration has extended testing programs. There is no indication that the same issue may affect the still pending certification of Boeing’s 737 MAX-10. The 777X is a twin-engine, long-range aircraft that modernizes the current 777 to improve fuel efficiency while also incorporating the more spacious passenger cabin achieved with Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner. The 777X is also designed to match the 787’s flight systems – for flight crews’ familiarity. To ensure the new aircraft will be able to operate from existing hangars and gates, its longer wings have folding carbon-composite tips.
Read more at American Machinist
Fire At Novelis’ Plant in Oswego NY Set To Disrupt Auto Production For Months
A fire that broke out at Novelis' New York plant in Oswego will disrupt business at Ford and other automakers for months, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. Ford, the biggest user of the plant's aluminum, will likely flag potential implications of the setback to investors when it discloses quarterly financial results later this month, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter. Novelis, the world's largest recycler of aluminum, reported a fire incident at its Oswego plant on September 16, with no injuries.
In a statement to Reuters on Monday, Novelis — which is owned by India's Hindalco — said it anticipates operations to restart at the Oswego facility's hot mill by the first quarter of 2026. Ford, Stellantis, Toyota, Volkswagen, which depend on aluminum from Novelis, did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.
Read more at Reuters
Cracked Valve Involved In US Steel Plant Explosion: Chemical Safety Board
A maintenance procedure involving a cracked valve may have led to the Aug. 11 explosion at U.S. Steel’s coke works plant in Clairton, Pennsylvania, that killed two people, according to the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board’s initial report released Sept. 29. The Clairton facility processes raw coal into coke, which is used as a component in making steel and iron, according to the CSB press release. The facility is located about 15 miles outside of Pittsburgh and spans 392 acres, employing nearly 1,300 workers.
About a month before the explosion, U.S. Steel discovered a coke oven gas leak emanating from a valve cracked near one of its components. The cracked valve was downstream of Battery 13’s isolation valve, an 18-inch cast-iron double-disc gate valve manufactured in 1953 and refurbished in 2013. U.S. Steel temporarily repaired the cracked valve to prevent flammable coke oven gas from leaking into Battery 13 and 14’s basement. The steel manufacturer made plans to replace the damaged valve, along with at least three other valves, by isolating Battery 13 from the coke oven gas supply. On Aug. 11, the day of the explosion, the steel maker decided to exercise Battery 13’s gas isolation valve, which involves closing and reopening to help separate the downstream equipment and piping. A company supervisor called on one employee from MPW Industrial Services to provide a pump to flush the valve seat.
Read more at Manufacturing Dive
Inside Rivian’s Design Factory And The Story Behind Those Distinct Headlights
Rivian made a name for itself when it unveiled one of the first electric pickup trucks, the R1T, in 2018. It followed that up with an SUV built off the same platform, the R1S, and has since built a passionate fan base around a brand that celebrates adventure and the outdoors. Now it’s preparing for its next chapter with the R2, a smaller spin on the R1S SUV, and the R3, a rally-inspired hatchback.
The new vehicles, which were unveiled in March of last year, are part of Rivian’s strategy to reach a broader market for its electric vehicles, which currently start upwards of $70,000. The R2, which the company says will start around $45,000, is expected to go into production by the end of this year at the company’s Normal, Illinois, manufacturing facility. “While R1 was designed through addition, we had to look at R2 through subtraction,” Hammoud said. “What are the things we can remove or take away, but still keep the ethos of the product and the brand?”
Read more at CNBC
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