GE to build manufacturing R&D centre

General Electric says it will build a $100 million manufacturing technology centre in Michigan that will eventually employ about 1 200 workers, reports The Associated Press.

The Advanced Manufacturing and Software Technology Centre will include a GE research and development facility with scientists and engineers who will develop manufacturing technologies for GE's renewable energy, aircraft engine, gas turbine and other products.

The centre, which is expected to open later this year in Van Buren Township, Michigan, also will develop software, networking and other services.

Microsoft has announced the Social Enterprise Alliance, a strategic collaboration between two of the company's Gold Certified partners, Telligent Systems and speakTech, says OnWindows.com.

The alliance aims to deliver an integrated social networking solution for customers in the manufacturing and consumer goods sectors.

The alliance will introduce the Social Enterprise Solution, which includes platform and application products and services that enable companies to connect to and leverage key customer communities through social networking and analytics technologies.

Lattice Technology, developers of digital manufacturing applications using the XVL format, is now an Adobe Solution Partner, according to Cad Cam News.

Lattice Technology is integrating its applications with Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro Extended software to allow 3D CAD data contained within PDF documents to be quickly and easily enhanced with additional data relevant to downstream processes.

This data will, in due course, include interrelated parts lists and BOMs, annotations, process designs and instructions, assembly animations, motion simulations and more. That data can then be saved back into the PDF document for sharing and collaboration across the manufacturing enterprise by anyone with free Adobe Reader software.