Both Canadian and American stakeholders and business representatives, many of whom will be in attendance at 501 Pennsylvania Avenue, have been complaining for months about the slow pace of progress on behalf of American officials, and have questioned the U.S. commitment to the two-year-old initiative.

“The majority of the organizational work has been handled by the Canadians, now it’s time to see if the U.S. government is ready to breathe new life into the initiative,” Maryscott Greenwood, head of the Canadian American Business Council and a moderator at the event, said Wednesday.

“The cost of not making progress on RCC is unacceptable to the business community … In this day and age, why would you test and certify products twice for one integrated the North American market?”

Two White House regulatory officials—Andrei Greenawalt and Dominic Mancini— will likely be pressed by stakeholders for reassurances that the Obama administration still considers the RCC a priority and fully backs the council’s work.

The council’s creation, along with the Beyond the Border initiatives, was announced with great fanfare in 2011 by President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Stephen Harper, but White House turnover, among other issues, has hindered progress.

“We’re looking for a commitment along the lines of fully satisfying and executing all the action plans as quickly as possible because the time frames have slipped a little bit,” said Mark Nantais, president of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association.

“The tyranny of small differences adds up to many inefficiencies for both government and industry; it adds to our costs and makes us a lot less competitive. The root objective of all this was to improve integrated industries in Canada and the U.S. and thereby enhance our competitiveness. That’s the key here.”

Council officials are expected to assure business representatives on Thursday that they’re taking on a bigger mandate in the weeks to come, initiating a `”summer dialogue” on sectors that haven’t yet been dealt with. That’s following pressure from both the Canadian American Business Council and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, among other stakeholders, to take on a bigger load.

Energy efficiency is on the council’s agenda this summer, says Warrington Ellacott, senior manager of government relations for Whirlpool Canada.

“We’re discussing some challenges facing our sector and using the current regulatory disparity between the Natural Resources Ministry in Canada and the U.S. Energy Department as an example,” he said.

“In the appliance context, both countries used to have very insulated manufacturing and marketplace initiatives but since NAFTA, the manufacturing has predominantly left Canada so that now we’re a major importer of appliances. The game has changed, but the regulatory framework has not.”

Ellacott added that RCC officials are “very interested in the disparities and they see this as an opportunity for change.”

Greenwood added that in times of austerity, cutting regulatory red tape is even more important—a point she hopes to make on Thursday to U.S. officials.

“At a time when governments don’t have enough funding, the efficiencies in Canada-U.S. collaboration can save tens of millions in government regulatory spending, while not sacrificing an iota of consumer safety or environmental protections.”

Located at Christie Digital Systems Canada Inc.’s worldwide engineering and manufacturing center, Hyphen’s testing laboratory boasts top-of-the-line technologies including testing (vibration, thermal, tensile and compression, sound, drop testing and electromagnetic compatibility) as well as FDM, SLS, Polyjet, SLA 3D printing and CNC machining equipment.

“Hyphen is a state of the art resource, literally at our back door, that we can offer to Waterloo students to expand our capabilities in a rapidly evolving technology,” said Peter Teertstra, Director of the Student Design Centre, a facility unique of its kind in the world. “Strong ties with industry define the University of Waterloo experience and Hyphen’s dedication to supporting student projects through academic discounts on products, sponsorship of student team initiatives, training and technical support will impact programs across campus. Our 3D Print Centre has become one of the most widely used resources in the Student Design Centre.”
www.hyphenservices.com

Following the merger, AV&R will continue to serve IMAC Automation’s existing customers in Quebec in their various sectors with AV&R-IMAC. AV&R Die Casting (formerly IMAC Die Casting) says it will benefit from AV&R’s expertise in inspection and robotic finishing to further IMAC’s Cadence 100T small aluminum parts casting product.
www.imacinc.ca

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Multimetre optimizes bench design
	Keithley Instruments Inc.’s 2110 5-1/2-digit dual-display multimetre handles a number of general-purpose system and bench design applications. Features include external triggering, a built-in reading buffer and an optional GPIB interface. Capabilities include: DC voltage (up to 1,000 V) and current (up to 10 A); AC voltage (up to 750 V) and current (up to 10 A); two- and four-wire resistance (up to 100 mega-ohms); temperature, frequency (10 Hz–300 kHz) and period; and capacitance (1 nanofarad to 100 microfarad ranges) measurements. A variety of mathematical functions and diode and continuity test functions are also included. A programmable A-D converter and filter settings optimize the signal-to-noise ratio to improve measurement accuracy. At the fast 4-1/2-digit setting, it takes up to 50,000 readings per second. The instrument’s dual display shows results from two measurements simultaneously, such as DC voltage and temperature, so users can monitor temperature fluctuations without interrupting other measurements. Keithley Instruments is a manufacturer of electrical test equipment based in Cleveland. www.keithley.com
Do a quick pressure check
	Check pressure status with just a glance using the PG10 digital gauge from Automation Products Group Inc. This IP65 rated indoor/outdoor gauge has a 5.5-in. display casing, full five-digit display with 0.68-in. characters, a 270-degree digital “dial” or radial bar graph that shows a user-selectable pressure range from 0 to 100%, and four large set-up buttons.Standard features include tare, peak hold, and max-min readings, as well as user-selectable units of measure and an auto-off timer. Two solid-state relays or SPDT mechanical relay outputs for basic to semi-advanced automation are optional. The gauge operates within a 0 to 160 degree F range and is accurate by ±0.25%. Pressures range from vacuum to 500 psi, or 0 to 10,000 psi.Outputs are 0-2 VDC for battery-powered units, 4-20 mA for loop-powered units, and 0-5 VDC for externally powered units. Data logging provides local access to the latest 60 readings. The Automation Products Group Inc. based in Logan, Utah supplies level and pressure sensing solutions for process control applications. www.apgsensors.com
Streamline surge protection testing
	To effectively protect equipment, operators must test surge protection devices regularly. Weidmuller’s V-Test portable unit streamlines testing with the Varitector VSPC pluggable surge protectors.The instrumentation manufacturer says the hand-held, battery-driven unit takes seconds to perform the test, without disconnecting any wiring from the installed surge protection device. Pluggable arrestors feature optional remote status, where the surge protector generates an alarm when the control system has not detected the condition. This works well with V-Test to confirm the condition of the arrester. Simply plug the arrester module into the the V-Test, enter the 10-digit item number via the keypad, observe the resulting “OK” or “NOT OK” display, and replace a failed arrester with a spare to get the system back in operation. The Weidmuller Group, based in Richmond, Va., makes industrial instrumentation. www.weidmuller.com.
SJ-301 improves surface testing
	Mitutoyo Canada Inc. has improved the surface measurement capabilities of the SJ-301 with the SJ-310 portable surface roughness tester. It comes with the same carrying case and includes a large colour LCD touch panel for high visibility, as well as the option to choose from one of 16 display languages. The X-axis measuring range is 16 mm (5.6 mm with a transverse tracing drive unit), and the resolution of the detector is 360 μm. Three drive units are available: standard, transverse tracing and retractable. External ports include USB, Digimatic output, RS-232C port and footswitch. Power is supplied from either a built-in Ni-MH rechargeable battery or an AC adapter. An optional SD memory card stores large amounts of measurement results and condition data and a high-speed, high-quality thermal printer built into the display unit prints approximately 1.5-times faster than the printer for the SJ-301. Mitutoyo, based in Toronto, is a supplier of measurement and inspection instruments. www.mitutoyo.ca.
Measures without coating removal
	You don’t have to mess up a product part to get a thickness measurement with Olympus NDT’s handheld 45MG ultrasonic gauge. It’s used for applications ranging from wall-thinning measurements of internally corroded pipes using dual element probes to very precise measurements of thin materials using single element transducers. Optional Thru-Coat and Echo-to-Echo technologies measure thicknesses without removing paint and coatings, and time-based B-scan converts live thickness readings into cross-sectional drawings. An optional single element high penetration feature measures on thick or highly attenuating materials, such as cast metals, rubber and fibreglass. It handles a range of weather conditions and difficult inspection environments, and meets IP67 requirements. An optional data logger provides internal storage capacity of inspection data equivalent to more than 475,000 thickness readings, or 20,000 waveforms in various file formats, while the MicroSD card slot provides additional storage. Olympus NDT is a manufacturer of non-destructive testing instruments based in Waltham, Mass. www.olympus-ims.com.

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Wheels deburr stainless steel parts
	Rex-Cut Abrasive’s Smooth Touch type 1 wheels for robotic deburring and finishing precision stainless steel parts are made from cotton fibre impregnated with abrasives and a proprietary bond. Together they create a dense, yet flexible wheel that constantly reveals fresh abrasives as it works. Comparable to conventional 5-9 density unitized wheels, they operate at speeds up to 30,000 rpm depending on diameter and thickness, and last up to five times longer. They’re available in coarse, medium, and fine grits in 2, 3, 4, and 6-in. diameters. Rex-Cut is a manufacturer of cotton fibre abrasive grinding and finishing products based in Fall River, Mich. www.rexcut.com
Powders ease optics grinding
	Microlux Alumina Powders from Meller Optics come in two grades and seven particle sizes from 0.05 to 3.0 µm for surface finishes to 10-5 scratch-dig on a variety of hard and soft optical substrates. Ready to mix with de-ionized water, the alumina abrasives are an alternative to diamond abrasives for optics grinding, lapping, and polishing applications. For aggressive grinding and lapping, Meller Alumina Powders are offered in a Microlux-R version. Large agglomerated particles that break down under pressure for final polishing are 99.98% pure. For fine grinding and uniform polishing, Microlux-RZ powders are 99.99% pure and deagglomerated with controlled particle sizes. Meller Optics Inc. is a developer of optics finishing processes based in Providence, RI. www.melleroptics.com

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Continuous steel lubrication

DAYLube lubricant grease from Dayton Progress uses nanoceramic particles that act as sub-microscopic ball bearings to provide continuous lubrication to steel surfaces on heavy equipment such as loaders, dozers, haul trucks, excavators, skidders and crushers. With a much lower friction coefficient at all temperatures than traditional PTFE greases, chemically inert DAYLube is also environmentally friendly. It maintains its viscosity across the full temperature range and does not soften or run out. Adhesion extends production up to 10-times that of other greases by providing significant friction reduction and wear-resistance. DAYLube operates in temperature ranges from -40 to 425 degrees C, while the nanoceramic particles remain intact to 1,300 degrees C. The lubricant has high load-bearing properties, a low dielectric constant, does not contain metal or silicone and is resistant to steam, acids, and most chemical products. Dayton Process is a Dayton, Ohio manufacturer of nanoceramic greases and precision punches. www.daytonprogress.com

Why are we seeing so many mustard recalls? Mustard is now one of the 10 priority food allergens that must be declared in the ingredient list or have a clear statement that begins with “Contains…” on their labels. Even under the old rules, mustard had to be listed if it were a primary ingredient, but now, under the new rules, priority allergens must be listed even if they are merely a component of an ingredient. This long overdue reform corrects past situations in which manufacturers didn’t need to disclose the presence of an allergen if it were contained within what they listed as spices, flavourings or seasonings. Mustard is widely used in most salad dressings, barbecue sauces, vinaigrettes, curries, pickles and processed meats. Manufacturers of these products will now have to change their labels so the mustard-allergic consumer can finally know of the mustard’s presence. As Marilyn Allen, a consultant on the issues of allergies and anaphylaxis for Anaphylaxis Canada, has noted, until these new regulations were brought into operation the presence of mustard was “very, very difficult to ferret out” in literally hundreds of food products.

The new rules will not be as problematic for food manufacturers that have been exporting to Europe, as mustard has been a prioritized allergen for food labelling there for many years. For others, complying with the new labelling rules is proving to be quite a challenge. Often suppliers of prepared soups, sauces, gravies and spice combinations have not even disclosed the various ingredients to the food manufacturer.

A little history

Mustard is probably the world’s most common condiment. An ancient food, it was the Romans who introduced prepared mustard by grinding the seeds and adding wine to create a paste that is very similar to modern mustard. French monks at Dijon refined the process for creating prepared mustard, and by the 17th century Dijon became the mustard centre of the world. It was also there in 1777 that a M. Grey arranged funding from a M. Poupon to allow him to expand the production of his mustard processing facility, solidifying Dijon as the mustard capital of the world. It was not until 1904, at the St. Louis World’s Fair, that R.T. French added turmeric and introduced bright yellow mustard as a condiment for that other new American invention — the hot dog.

Most Canadians would be surprised to learn that we are the largest mustard seed producer in the world. The Canadian Grain Commission establishes and maintains quality standards for mustard seed under Section 5 of the Canada Grain Regulations, allowing it to be traded around the world with the highest reputation for quality. Nearly all those famous British and French mustards are made with Canadian mustard. This is another Western Canadian agricultural success story that deserves to be better known, just as we should all know that Canada, in just a few years, went from nowhere to being the largest producer of lentils in the world, thanks to the genius of our agricultural scientists and our highly innovative and efficient Western Canadian farmers.

Because mustard belongs to the Brassica family, and canola oil can be made from both rapeseed (Brassica Napus and Brassica Rapa) and mustard seed (Brassica Juncea), the question has arisen whether canola oil should be considered a risk for people with a mustard allergy, and allergen labelling required. Health Canada has announced that because the oil has been highly refined, it does not contain appreciable amounts of the protein that could cause an allergic reaction.

Because mustard is so widely used in spice preparations, flavourings and sauces, we are likely to see many more recalls until food manufacturers get better organized to meet the new labelling rules.

Ronald L. Doering, BA, LL.B., MA, LL.D., is a past president of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. He is Counsel in the Ottawa offices of Gowlings. Contact him at Ronald.doering@gowlings.com

According to the automaker, the new Changan Ford Engine Plant (CAFEP) in Chongqing, located in Southwest China, has an initial capacity of 400,000 units annually, pushing its total engine production capacity in China to 750,000.

“This new engine plant is world class,” Ford president and CEO Alan Mulally said in a statement.

According to Ford, the plant will initially manufacture both 1.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder and 1.0-litre three-cylinder EcoBoost engines.

“The engines produced here and the process by which they are manufactured represent the latest in sustainable and green manufacturing processes,” Mulally said. “The 1.5- and 1.0-litre engines produced will help power Ford’s continued growth here in the world’s largest automotive market.”

The engines will be used in the Ford EcoSport and Fiesta models, according to the automaker.

Ford is hoping the new facility will help support its plans to roll out 15 new vehicles in China by 2015.

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For continuous use applications
	The Iroquois K100 rotary screw compressor from DV Systems Inc., an air compressor systems manufacturer based in Barrie, Ont., operates at a 100% duty cycle and is well suited for continuous-use applications where reliable, dry, clean air is required. The 100-hp unit delivers 463 scfm at 100 psi and an integrated, modular design makes the Iroquois a compact, quiet (at 75 dBA) system that provides high-capacity air delivery and stable system pressure. Variable speed, direct drive technology provides operating flexibility while optimizing energy consumption. Also in the product line-up is the heatless, regenerative desiccant air dryer for sensitive applications requiring clean, dry and contaminant-free compressed air. The ETC catalytic converter actively oxidizes hydrocarbons into water and carbon dioxide for pharmaceutical, food and beverage and electronics industries applications. www.dvsystems.ca
Portable units save energy
	Comairco has put its portable All Weather Air (AWA) compressors in insulated, self-contained packages for placement wherever space is an issue. Six models come in sizes from 254 to 320 cm high and lengths from 335 to 823 cm. They’re for use inside or outside (in temperatures ranging from -40 to 49 degrees C) and they run on electricity making them cheaper to operate than diesel portables. The heavy duty, sound-attenuated enclosure with easy access doors has forklift pockets for easy movement and placement. Controls are fully automated and circuit breakers are built-in. All models are either variable speed drive or fixed speed. Comairco, which provides air compressor systems from operations in Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, also offers optional remote monitoring. The controllers come in different screen sizes, they’re web accessible and have Modbus Ethernet capability. They feature pressure and temperature alarms, a 24 VDC power supply and they’re programmable to customer specs. www.comairco.ca
Vacuum with more capacity
	EXAIR’s 110 gallon heavy duty Dry Vac System is a rugged, industrial duty vacuum cleaner that sucks up large volumes of dry materials. A higher capacity drum requires fewer changes. The compressed air-powered vacuum has no motors or impellors to clog or wear out, making it suitable for the clean-up of abrasive materials such as steel shot, garnet, metal chips and sand. It runs at a quiet 82 dBA (half the noise of electric vacuums) and surrounding air is kept clean by the 0.1 micron filter bag that traps dusty particles. It comes with a 10-ft. static resistant hose, 20-ft. compressed air hose, shutoff valve, pressure gauge, aluminum tools, tool holder, drum dolly and a 110 gal. drum. Exair is a manufacturer compressed-air products based in Cincinnati. www.exair.com

According to the firm, it has reached an agreement-in-principle with Aéroports de Montréal (ADM) to open the facility in the Montréal-Mirabel International Airport industrial park, about 40 kilometres northwest of Montreal.

“This site will provide us with an excellent environment for the success of the Aerolia group in Canada and its development in North America,” Aerolia Canada president and CEO Marie-Agnès Veve said in a statement.

Under the agreement, which is for an initial 15-year period with three five-year renewal options, ADM will build and lease a facility to Aerolia customized to the firm’s needs.

The proposed 7,300-square-metre building will house the headquarters of Aerolia’s Canadian subsidiary as well as fuselage assembly shops, according to the company.

A member of the EADS Group, Aerolia plans to use the facility to produce the centre fuselage assembly for Bombardier Aerospace’s Global 7000 and 8000 business jets.

According to Aerolia, ADM will invest $9.5-million in the facility, which will create an estimated 150 jobs in the Montréal-Mirabel area.

The facility is expected to open in January 2014, becoming the firm’s second operation in the province.

The announcement by Aerolia comes on the heels of similar plans announced by Sogeclair, Aero Hardware Equipment (AHE) and Loiretech.

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Cameras eliminate thermal guesswork
	FLIR Systems Inc.’s FLIR A5sc, A15sc, and A35sc long wave infrared thermal imaging camera kits ease thermal benchtop testing applications in tight machine locations. The vision systems are available in a variety of pixel resolutions from 80×64 and 160×128 up to 320×256 to meet multiple spatial resolution requirements. The thermal imaging cameras provide technicians, researchers and manufacturers with a non-destructive, non-contact T&M tool that helps eliminate temperature measurement guesswork during product development and on the production line. The tool sees heat patterns and extracts temperature values via live and recorded imagery, and infrared technology. The kits include a compact goose-neck stand for easy aiming. Cameras are light and compact measuring 4.2 x 1.6 x 1.7 in. Plug-and-play compatibility through GiGE Vision and GenICam protocols, and a 60 Hz frame rate for streaming images provides camera control and image capture in real time. FLIR is a manufacturer of thermal imaging systems based in Portland, Ore. www.flir.com
Camera eases tricky inspections
	RIDGID’s micro CA-25 handheld camera makes tricky inspections, such as peeking into cracked heat exchangers or stuffy dryer vents, easier thanks to a 17-mm aluminum camera head and one-handed pistol grip. The camera is permanently attached to a fixed 3-ft. cable and slides into tight spaces behind walls and ceilings, inside mechanical devices, and in plumbing fixtures. Images are transmitted to the device’s 2.4 in. colour (480 x 234 resolution) LCD display that provides a 180-degree digital rotation. Four adjustable, ultra-bright LEDs are built into the camera head. The lightweight device (1.3 lb.) comes with a television output and 3-ft. RCA cable for video transmissions to larger displays. RIDGID is a manufacturer of handheld tools based in Elyria, Ohio. www.ridgid.com
Optics ease part changes
	Cognex’s In-Sight 7010 vision system completes tasks where standard vision systems may not be cost effective and vision sensor capabilities are too limited. The system is self-contained and includes autofocus optics with integrated lighting in a compact IP67-rated industrial housing. The vision library is simple and focuses on tools most frequently used in straightforward vision applications. A built-in autofocus capability available in five lens options matches working distance and field of view requirements for situations that require regular part changes or hard-to-reach spaces where manual focus adjustment is difficult. Cognex, based in Natick, Mass., manufactures vision systems and sensors for manufacturing automation applications. www.cognex.com.

Speaking at the Western Manufacturing Technology Show (WMTS) in Edmonton, a group of six innovation specialists touted Alberta as a hub for research and development— an ideal location for manufacturers and innovators alike to advance their products.

From innovation centres at colleges throughout the province to regional networks that provide full-service product development and incubation for entrepreneurs, Alberta has it all.

“We are a catalyst for innovation in Alberta, for Alberta,” said Karen Young, executive director of partnerships and collaborations with Alberta Innovates Technology Futures (AITF).

According to Young, AITF is an arm’s length government body that works to encourage entrepreneurial activity in the province through the development of knowledge-based industry clusters and the facilitation of commercializing new technologies for a broad spectrum of industries.

AITF offers more than 100,000 square metres of product and process development facilities and a 300 hectare research farm, three greenhouses and 36 growth chambers on a fee-for-service basis for research and development, specifically in the areas of petroleum, environment and carbon management, and bio and industrial technologies.

Just one of the many innovation outlets in Alberta, AITF also takes on the role of umbrella organization for the Alberta Regional Innovation Network System (ARINS), which reaches throughout Wild Rose Country.

That network, which spans from Lethbridge and Medicine Hat to the south, up through Calgary, Red Deer and Edmonton in central Alberta and to Grande Prairie in the north, relies on strategic geographical locations for small and medium-sized firms around the province looking to gain access to a host of programs and services to help grow their businesses.

“One of the benefits in the province of Alberta is we’re not only focused on manufacturing and technology in Edmonton and Calgary,” said Dr. John Wolodko, portfolio manager of advanced materials with AITF. “The regional areas have a lot of vested interest as well as contribute significantly to the province in terms of economic activity.”

Located in Grande Prairie, about 450 kilometres northwest of Edmonton, the Centre for Research and Innovation (CRI) is one member of the ARINS network that provides innovation services and applied research for inventors, innovators and researchers in a key economic region of the province.

While home to only five per cent of the population, the Peace Region surrounding Grande Prairie provides 40 per cent of all patent inquiries in Alberta, making the CRI a tremendous asset to those looking to commercialize their ideas.

Through the CRI, which is associated with Grande Prairie Regional College (GPRC), innovators can learn how to develop products and ideas for the marketplace while utilizing facilities and faculty members with expertise in a variety of areas.

Take a trip southeast of Grande Prairie on Highway 43 and innovators can access similar research and development tools and services through the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) and its NovaNAIT applied research and technology centre.

Prototype development and product testing are just a few of the areas NovaNAIT specializes in, with a variety of centres and labs created for students but available to industry.

Also located in Edmonton—with a co-location in Calgary—is the Alberta Centre for Advanced MNT Products (ACAMP), a not-for-profit organization that offers specialized services to micro nano technology clients.

With more than $12-million in equipment and 26 engineers on staff, ACAMP doesn’t work in the development side of innovation, but jumps in after the idea phase, according to CEO Ken Brizel.

“Design for manufacturing is what we’re all about,” Brizel said.

Operating between Edmonton and Calgary is the Central Alberta Regional Innovation Network (CARIN), which partners with Red Deer College to help develop new innovations and technologies in the area.

CARIN also offers a full suite of tools and expertise to manufacturers, including business strategy consulting and access to advanced equipment like 3-D printers.

According to CARIN’s technology development advisor Michael Kerr, taking advantage of the business operations support is something many manufacturers could benefit from, whether due to lack of time or know-how.

“Companies in the manufacturing side are very good at manufacturing, but what they tend to struggle with is working on the business,” Kerr said.

According to Kerr, one service that occupies the majority of his time is helping firms figure out whether their ideas have the potential to take off.

“An idea or innovation without a market is more like a hobby than a business,” he said. “So one of the things I probably do the most is help companies with market assessment, understanding the market (and) what are the potentials.”

What you get when you tie all the organizations together under ARINS is a network that has firms’ best interests in mind and works hard to fill in any gaps SMEs and innovators may have.

“The innovation network is about serving the companies, not the companies serving the bureaucracy,” said Bob Hall, manager of innovation services with Grande Prairie’s CRI.

From its innovation centres and networks to product development and much more, Alberta is full of resources to help manufacturers propel their ideas forward.

ST. JOHN’S, NL — Statoil has discovered light, high-quality oil in the Flemish Pass Basin, offshore of Newfoundland while drilling the Harpoon prospect about 500 kilometres northeast of St. John’s.

Harpoon, about 10 kilometres south-east of Statoil’s Mizzen discovery, which is estimated to hold between 100 and 200 million barrels of oil, was drilled by the semi-submersible rig West Aquarius in approximately 1,100 metres of water.

“While it is still too early to determine Harpoon’s resource potential, this is very encouraging for the area and especially for the Bay du Nord well planned for later this year,” says Erik Finnstrom, senior vice-president of the Norwegian oil company’s North American operation.

Finnstrom says the exploration strategy to test high-impact oil prospects in the Flemish Pass Basin is on target and the Harpoon results will contribute to a greater understanding of the area.

“We anticipate there will be further appraisal drilling to mature this discovery in the future. We will continue to build this area as a core exploration region for Statoil.”

Statoil is currently drilling its Federation prospect, located in the Jeanne d’Arc Basin off Newfoundland. The company will then return to the Flemish Pass Basin to drill the Bay du Nord prospect, which is located southwest of the Harpoon and Mizzen discoveries.

Statoil has a 65% interest in Harpoon with Husky Energy, which holds 35%.

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Optic sensors see more
	WTB4 MultiLine Photoelectric sensors from SICK USA use optics to create two line-shaped light spots that continuously detect objects with large gaps (such as PCBs and products that are shiny or dark) from leading to trailing edge in a range of packaging and semiconductor applications. Both light sources must reflect the light back to the sensor to activate the output. Once they’re returned, the sensor stays active even if one of the light beams is not returned. Using two light streams minimizes downtime caused by incorrect detection from single point sensors. SICK’s ASIC technology incorporates OES3 to boost background suppression and allow the sensors to ignore shiny targets, detect multi-coloured objects and enhance ambient light immunity. SICK, based in Minneapolis, manufactures sensors, safety systems and automatic identification products for industrial applications. www.sickusa.com
SJ-301 improves surface testing
	RESOLUTE UHV ultra-high vacuum encoders from Renishaw Inc. deliver absolute position feedback, sub-micron accuracy and resolutions to 1 Nm for both linear and rotary applications. They’re made from clean vacuum-compatible materials and adhesives with low out-gassing rates. Based on proven clean residual gas analysis (RGA), they’re suitable for high performance, semiconductor and scientific applications that require vacuum compatibility to 10-10 Torr. Switch it on and the ultra-high vacuum variant immediately determines position. Instant commutation means axes are under control after power loss to eliminate unchecked movements or collisions, which is an advantage in applications such as wafer handling. The encoders eliminate auxiliary 1 Vpp signals, provide higher noise immunity and detect data corruption. A range of serial protocols include BiSS, FANUC, Mitsubishi and Panasonic. Renishaw is a developer of measurement and motion control technologies based in Glouchestershire, UK. The company has a Canadian office in Mississauga, Ont. www.renishaw.com.
Long sensor range detects magnetic fields
	MFxM proximity switches from Baumer detect magnetic fields over distances up to 60 mm where the target is behind a wall of non-ferromagnetic metal, such as stainless steel or aluminum. MFxMs replace inductive sensors where long distance influences the detection of magnetic fields. A large sensing range increases tolerance to compensate for objects subject to rocking motion. Compact rectangular housings measuring 8 x 8 mm, or standard M8 are available. Baumer, based in Frauenfeld, Swizerland, is a manufacturer of sensors for process automation. It has a Canadian office in Burlington, Ont. www.baumer.com.

“We congratulate Air Canada not only in winning this major award, but the fact they are continuing their success from earlier years to retain this title as the Best Airline in North America,” said Edward Plaisted, CEO of Skytrax. “This award for the Best Airline in North America is testament not only to the many improvements introduced by Air Canada during the past year, but to the standard of service being delivered by Air Canada staff in all customer-facing areas, on the ground and on-board flights.”

The Skytrax Survey is operated during a 10-month period, with customers representing more than 100 nationalities from over 160 countries around the world participating. The 2013 Awards are based on 18.2 million completed customer surveys, and include over 200 airlines worldwide. The survey covered all types of airline, with customers ranking quality standards across more than 40 areas of airline front-line product and service.

Company leaders said they were optimistic about long-term growth in the luxury segment and have aggressive plans to expand Cadillac’s dealer network.

“Rising incomes per capita are going up. China’s a great market,” said GM CEO Dan Akerson. “We’re going to bring our high-end premium product here and we’re going to see how we run against the competitors from Europe and Japan.”

GM has made it a priority to increase Cadillac sales in China, where the luxury market is dominated by brands like BMW and Audi.

Speaking ahead of the groundbreaking ceremony for the plant, GM executives said they forecast China’s luxury market to grow by 4% this year, about half the rate they expected six months ago. For the overall car market in China, the company expects at least 8% growth.

Sales of luxury goods in China have slowed amid a crackdown by the Communist Party on government extravagance aimed at reducing corruption by officials, a major source of public anger that threatens the party’s legitimacy.

“I don’t think we should put too much emphasis on the fact that in the last six months in China the luxury market has gone down,” said Bob Socia, president of GM China. “Clearly it’s not at the level of growth we expected at the first part of the year.”

However, Akerson added that certain segments of the luxury market would grow faster than others and that it would take GM time to catch up.

“We just have to be agile enough,” he said. GM forecasts China will account for up to two-fifths of the global luxury auto market by 2020.

The executives did not say which models would be produced at the $1.3 billion plant in Shanghai’s Jinqiao zone, which will have a capacity of 160,000 vehicles a year and includes a research and development centre.

GM currently makes just one Cadillac model, the XTS sedan, in China. Production began in February at another plant in Shanghai. It also sells the SRX sport-utility vehicle.

The executives reiterated plans to triple the number of Cadillacs sold in China to 100,000 by 2015 and quadruple its share of the luxury car sector to 10 per cent by 2020. GM has said previously that it plans to launch one new Cadillac model in China each year for the next five years.

Socia said the number of Chinese Cadillac dealers will rise to 200 by the end of the year from 69 at the end of 2012.

Global and Chinese manufacturers are intensifying competition for increasingly prosperous drivers in China, the world’s biggest auto market by number of vehicles sold. Auto sales last year topped 19 million and analysts and automakers expect that number to rise to as much as 32 million by 2020 – the equivalent of the US and Europe combined.

BOSTON — The Cape Wind offshore wind project has secured a $200 million investment from a Danish pension fund in what the wind farm’s president said is a milestone for the long-delayed project.

In a statement announcing the commitment, PensionDanmark’s chief executive Torben Moger Pedersen noted the fund has already invested in two offshore wind projects in Denmark and said it was “delighted to participate in the Cape Wind project.”

The $2.6 billion Cape Wind project aims to be the United States’ first offshore wind farm. But the project, proposed in 2001, has been beset by lengthy review and entrenched opposition and has been seeking investors.

The PensionDanmark announcement is the first guaranteed financing commitment of a specific dollar amount that’s been announced by Cape Wind.

In March, Cape Wind said The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ would co-ordinate its financing, and also invest in the project, but no specific commitment was disclosed. Cape Wind has said its turbine supplier, Siemens, was tentatively committed to a $100 million investment.

Cape Wind is also pursuing a Department of Energy loan guarantee of an unspecified amount.

PensionDanmark’s investment is conditioned on whether Cape Wind officials have the rest of the project financed by year’s end, but Pedersen said he’s confident they will.

Cape Wind president Jim Gordon said PensionDanmark’s “important investment is a milestone in the Cape Wind project.” Project spokesman Mark Rodgers said the fund is a respected global voice on offshore wind financing, and called its commitment “a great validation of the soundness and merits of the project.”

But project opponent Audra Parker of the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound called the announcement a “non-event,” noting the $200 million is less than 10% of the project’s development costs.

She said pending lawsuits and opposition from some prominent Massachusetts business groups, who recently took out newspaper ads against Cape Wind, “show 2013 is the beginning of the end for Cape Wind.”

The project, planned for Nantucket Sound, is touted as a way to reduce pollution and dependence on fossil fuels, while jumpstarting a new industry that can bring critical jobs and local investment.

But critics say the project will ruin the pristine sound while producing electricity at above-market cost that will make Massachusetts less competitive.

Cape Wind plans to be operating by 2015, when the starting price for its power is 20 cents per kilowatt hour under its power purchase deals. That’s well above the cost of other alternative fuel and fossil fuel energy sources, including onshore wind and natural gas.

But state regulators who approved the deals, which Cape Wind made with the state’s two largest utilities, said Cape Wind’s benefits are worth the price.

Cape Wind is proposed as a 130-turbine wind farm. But since it doesn’t have committed buyers for 23 per cent of its planned power output, officials are currently trying to finance just the first 101 turbines, then seek investors for the remaining turbines if and when it finds a buyer for the remaining power.

If the project ends up being smaller than originally planned, the price of Cape Wind’s electricity goes up under the terms of its existing power purchase deals.

According to the company, the new service cuts 20 hours from previous schedules, meaning a trip between the two cities now takes 64 hours to cover the 3,400km distance.

Ed Greenberg, a spokesperson for CP, says the company has achieved this through an assortment of means.

“First of all, we have reviewed all scheduling across CP’s network to ensure efficient train meets and coordination, which includes building trains with blocks of cars for specific intermodal long-haul destinations, reducing the number of stops and streamlining the connections these transcontinental trains make en route to final destination. We have also been working with customers for more efficient origin and destination management,” he said.

“Capital projects and investments in key corridors of our network in the last number of years have contributed to the overall efficiencies, as well.”

CP says shortening the time on the Toronto to Calgary route is just a continuation of practices begun last year, when it reduced the travel times between Vancouver and Chicago and Vancouver and Toronto.