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Why Choose Web Industries
Knowledge puts the "smart" in smart-contract manufacturing
Web Industries' VP of Corporate Development & Medical, Kevin Young, and Market Development and Strategy Manager, Ralph Tricomi, explain how experienced contractors can drive PPE and LFI tests rapidly.
Smart manufacturing means different things in different contexts. In the age of COVID-19, when US medical device manufacturers and makers of PPE are working under government mandates to reshore production of tests, gowns, masks and curtains from Asia, 'smart' means knowing how to earn Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the tests, ramp up production and bring a product to market in a hurry.
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Contract manufacturers deliver timely reshoring support
Kevin Young, Vice President of Corporate Development & Medical, and Ralph Tricomi, Market Development and Strategy Manager at Web Industries discuss how contract manufacturers have been able to deliver timely re-shoring support to PPE OEMs during the coronavirus pandemic.
Check out the article here Contract manufacturers deliver timely reshoring support
Web Industries is named Manufacturer of the Year for Massachusetts Eighth Middlesex District
Web Industries Inc., a precision converter and contract manufacturing organization (CMO), has been named Manufacturer of the Year for the Eighth Middlesex District by the Massachusetts Legislative Manufacturing Caucus. A framed certificate commemorating the award was presented to Web Industries President & CEO Mark Pihl by Representative Carolyn Dykema at the company's Holliston, Mass., plant in conjunction with the Massachusetts State Legislative Manufacturing Caucus's "Reimagined" 5th Annual Manufacturing Awards Ceremony.
The term "reimagined" indicates that this year's awards ceremony was held virtually. Fittingly, the award was presented during October, Massachusetts' official Manufacturing Month.
According to Pihl, Web Industries and the Eighth Middlesex District have a mutually beneficial relationship.
"We have enjoyed the support of Representative Dykema and local government," Pihl says, "and that has reinforced our efforts to ramp up production of lateral flow immunoassay (LFI) COVID-19 rapid diagnostic tests and hire hundreds of employees at our Holliston LFI Center of Excellence. Ultimately, this contributes to the district's, the Commonwealth's and the nation's economic vitality while helping us to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and return the country safely back to work."
Web Industries' LFI Center of Excellence is a one-stop manufacturing solution that offers a reliable path from small-scale test development to high-volume commercialization of new LFI devices. Purpose-built for automated reel-to-reel medical device production, it features an in-house biochemistry lab, reagent deposition, LFI strip manufacturing, device assembly and packaging.
Massachusetts Representative Carolyn Dykema presents Manufacturer of the Year for the Eighth Middlesex District citation to Web Industries President & CEO Mark Pihl.
About Web Industries
A 100% employee-owned company, Web Industries, Inc., is one of the largest and most diverse providers of precision converting and outsource manufacturing. We help customers in the Aerospace, Medical, Personal & Home Care, and Industrial markets bridge their capability gaps and accelerate their go-to-market success by leveraging close, trust-based relationships to develop ingenious solutions precisely tailored to their needs. From project inception through commercialization, Web offers creative problem-solving backed by deep technical and operational expertise.
Customer Inquiries:
sales@webindustries.com
Bob Giuliano
bob.giuliano@prplace.biz
Diagnosing COVID-19: Anatomy of an LFI Test Device
Claudio Hanna, Business Development Director, and Jennifer Ponti, Business Development Manager, have written an article featured online for Medical Design Briefs magazine. The article, Diagnosing COVID-19: Anatomy of an LFI Test, describes LFI diagnostic devices and the manufacturing operations needed to produce them in large volumes.
Check out the article here: Diagnosing COVID-19: Anatomy of an LFI Test Device
Web Industries will highlight new standard shielding tapes and PET core wrapping for cables at IWCS 2020's virtual symposium
Web Industries Inc., a contract manufacturer and solutions developer for diverse wire and cable applications, will highlight its new standard shielding tapes and PET cable core wrapping tapes at IWCS 2020's virtual symposium. This year's IWCS will take place entirely online due to the coronavirus pandemic. We Industries is a bronze sponsor at the virtual event.
IWCS attendees can visit Web's virtual exhibit in real time from Oct. 12 to 16 and Oct. 19 to 23, 2020, 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Eastern time. (For more information and to register for IWCS 2020, visit www.iwcs.org.)
"Web brings ingenuity and fresh thinking to the development of customized solutions for LAN and datacom cable and Power over Ethernet (PoE) applications," says Web's Charlie Belcher, business development manager, Industrial, Wire & Cable. "Web's new offerings at IWCS 2020 benefit from our expertise in converting, extruding, slitting, spooling and other manufacturing processes. In addition, Web's domestic manufacturing locations reduce the risk of disruptions in supply."
Web Industries' standard shielding tapes act as barriers to various negative forces associated with multi-conductor and multi-pair cables used in LAN electronic, control and instrumentation cable applications. Web's PET core wrapping tapes are polyester films that securely wrap and bind cable cores and components.
Heat-dissipative tapes, other offerings
IWCS attendees can also learn more about Web's existing product offerings, including heat-dissipative tapes and fully randomized segmented shielding tapes. The heat-dissipative, low-capacitance tapes consist of foamed fire-retardant layers and an aluminum or copper core. The tapes' foamed cells can be oriented to direct heat away from the cable's core, meeting requirements in PoE applications with ever-higher power loads. Web's segmented shielding tapes, designed for LAN/datacom and rapidly growing automated Ethernet applications, offer completely randomized spacing in the tapes' aluminum layer.
Web's SUPERBULK® cable fillers will also be featured. These include natural, flame-retardant and zero-halogen, low-smoke varieties. Made of foamed polypropylene, SUPERBULK fillers offer the optimum fill rate, prevent moisture absorption or wicking and resist harsh substances in cable applications.
Web Industries upgrades National Composites Centre membership to Tier 2 status
Web Industries Inc., a precision formatter of advanced materials including high-performance composites for aerospace, defense and industrial markets, has deepened its involvement with the National Composites Centre (NCC) by upgrading from associate to Tier 2 membership. The enhanced status enables Web to take greater advantage of NCC's formidable design and manufacturing capabilities and to collaborate more actively with other NCC members in early-stage development of new composite formatting solutions.
Based in Bristol, United Kingdom, the NCC supports the development of new processes and technologies for the design and manufacture of advanced composite products. The Centre boasts state-of-the-art equipment and industrial-scale manufacturing facilities and enables member companies to develop, adapt and validate new and existing processes and technologies.
As a Tier 2 member, Web Industries will be able to initiate research programs involving new composite formatting solutions and to collaborate from the design stage with other NCC members, including composite material suppliers, equipment manufacturers, aerospace parts suppliers and OEMs. In addition, Web will have access to high-quality composite materials and specialized software programs from industry-leading suppliers.
Supporting Omega Systèmes Acquisition
According to Patrick Markert, Web Industries' head of business development, Europe, Web's upgraded NCC status complements its recent acquisition of Omega Systèmes Atlantique and Aquitaine, a highly respected precision formatter with production sites in Nantes and Bordeaux, France. The acquisition is part of Web's strategy to support its aerospace customers' demands for formatting and materials management services.
"In Europe, new aerospace programs are typically carried out at R&D hubs like NCC," says Markert. "Web's recently acquired facilities in France will be able to coordinate closely with NCC's Bristol headquarters, shortening lead times and facilitating direct collaboration."
Omega Systèmes, a Web Industries company announces contract extension with Airbus
Omega Systèmes, a Web Industries company – has signed a three-year contract extension with Airbus covering the manufacture, supply and processing of high-precision composite materials. The contract includes material management, cutting services, storage and the delivery of composite parts for major fly and non-fly materials programs. It becomes effective immediately and extends a long relationship that Omega Systems has had with Airbus for another three years. Omega Systèmes is a Tier 1 supplier to Airbus. The contract remains in effect until December 31, 2021.
The extended contract covers the A320, A330, A350, A400M, ATR and other programs for Airbus Europe entities requiring fly and non-fly materials, including those for the Airbus Defence & Space and Airbus Helicopters divisions.
Omega Systèmes is a precision formatter of flexible thermoplastic composite materials for next-generation aerospace applications.
According to Vice President of Corporate Development for Web Industries Kevin Young, the contract extension was awarded based on Omega Systèmes sterling performance during its current contract.
Indeed, for more than 20 years Omega Systèmes and Airbus have collaborated on major aeronautics programs with the supply of fly and non-fly materials. Omega Systèmes is a supplier of very high reliability and quality products that meet the aeronautic industry's most demanding requirements.
"Chosen by Airbus following a call for tender, this decision demonstrates our ability to meet Airbus's technical, commercial, industrial and quality requirements," said Kevin Young, VP Corporate Development for Web Industries.
Directeur Général, Omega Systems Jean-Louis Bretin adds: "Airbus will benefit from the synergies offered by the new entity formed by Omega Systèmes and Web Industries for all ongoing and future aeronautical programs. At the same time, Omega Systèmes will be increasing its production capacities."
New Brochures from Web Industries Highlight Advanced Composite Solutions for Aerospace Applications
Two new brochures highlighting carbon-fiber composite solutions for aerospace applications are available from Web Industries Inc., a precision formatter of advanced materials including high-performance composites for the aerospace and defense industries.
Development Center for Composites Automation profiles Web's 10,000-square-foot facility for the development, testing and qualification of new prepreg composites used in Automated Fiber Placement (AFP), Automated Tape Laying (ATL) and other emerging manufacturing processes. The Center helps leading aerospace companies optimize their use of composites, shorten development time and move into production ahead of competitors.
The four-page brochure can be downloaded at the following link:
https://tinyurl.com/y38zzw9p
The eight-page Solutions for Aerospace brochure covers Web's proven ability to simultaneously support multiple major aircraft development programs. It outlines the full spectrum of Web's products, services and capabilities, including precision slit tapes, automated ply cutting, thermoplastic formatting, pre-assembled ply kitting and vendor-managed inventory. A capsule case study shows how an aerospace engine manufacturer saved nearly $4 million by turning to Web Industries for its composite ply formatting and kitting services.
Solutions for Aerospace can be downloaded here:
https://tinyurl.com/y3dkmlzg
The ABCs of Multi-Layer Insulation for Spacecraft
Lee Smith, Business Development Manager – Industrial, has written an article published by the online publication Design News. This feature story discusses how multi-layer insulation plays a critical function in thermal management.
Check out the article here: The ABCs of Multi-Layer Insulation for Spacecraft
Lowering Thermal Insulation Costs, Improving Reliability for SmallSats
Lee Smith, Business Development Manager – Industrial, has written an article published by Aerospace Manufacturing & Design magazine. This feature story discusses multi-layer insulation (MLI) production, co-sourcing, and materials efficiency.
Check out the article here: Lowering Thermal Insulation Costs, Improving Reliability for SmallSats
It's a Material Whirl!
Ben Winters, General Manager of CAD Cut Services at Web Industries, has been featured in an article for Aerospace Manufacturing magazine. This feature story discusses how supply chain responsiveness can be achieved through close partnerships with material formatters.
Check out the article here: It's a Material Whirl
Omega Systèmes will Highlight its Precision Composite Formatting Capabilities
Omega Systèmes will Highlight its Precision Composite Formatting Capabilities for Aerospace OEMs and Suppliers at 2019 Paris Air Show
Omega Systèmes, a Web Industries company, will highlight its impressive capabilities in the formatting of composite materials for commercial and defense aerospace applications at the International Paris Air Show, June 17-20, Paris, France. At the show, Omega Systèmes occupies Hall 2B, Stand C140.
"With Omega Systèmes' recent acquisition by U.S.-based Web Industries, we now boast an international reach and footprint," says Jean-Louis Bretin, founder and CEO of Omega. We have acquired new slitting technologies, expanding our offerings for aerospace customers.
"As part of Web Industries, Omega now has the ability to provide advanced formatting products and services on an international basis," he continues. "The formatted materials are fabricated by aerospace OEMs and suppliers into strong, lightweight composite parts, reducing weight and costs in structural and semi structural aerospace applications."
Supporting Major Programs
Omega Systèmes' production facilities in Nantes and Bordeaux, France, can support major aerospace programs throughout Europe. The company specializes in advanced formatting technologies, including precision slitting, ply cutting, kitting and waterjet cutting. It is qualified for all major AFP and ATL lines.
About Omega Systèmes
For over 30 years, OMEGA Systèmes has specialized in the cutting of flexible and semi-rigid materials; first for the textile industry, then notably for the automobile and aeronautic industries. The company is a recognized partner in its line of business and it's expertise and "advisory" approach are appreciated by customers. Today OMEGA Systèmes is a partner recognized by major contractors, leading equipment manufacturers, numerous small- and medium-sized companies and administrations as regards to all upstream production phases.
IDEA 2019 Interview with Web Industries' VP of Sales, Jason Surman
The World Textile Information Network (WTiN) interviews Web's VP of Sales, Jason Surman, at the IDEA 2019 conference. Learn more about Web's ingenious solutions for nonwovens manufacturing by watching the video below.
Check out the interview here: Web Industries Interview – IDEA19
Q&A for Sustainable Nonwovens Magazine; Colour Convert
Adrienne Green, Director of Sales – Personal & Home Care, and Jason Surman, VP of Sales, have been featured in a Q&A style interview for Sustainable Nonwovens magazine. This feature story describes the investments Web Industries' has made to benefit the nonwovens industry.
Check out the article here: Colour Convert
How Automation Can Boost Medical Device Success
Claudio Hanna, Director of Sales – Medical, and Jennifer Ponti, Business Development Manager, have written an article published by Medical Design & Outsourcing. This article details the benefits of automated process for medical device manufacturing.
Check out the article here: How Automation Can Boost Medical Device Success
Web Industries to Expand Multi-layer Insulation (MLI) and Composite Ply Cutting Operations at Denton, Texas, Facility
Web Industries Inc., a precision formatter of advanced composites materials for aerospace, space and medical applications, is implementing a major expansion of its Denton, Texas, manufacturing facility. The expansion will increase the plant's productive capacity, smooth the flow of manufacturing activities and help support larger customer programs.
According to Ben Winters, general manager of Web Industries' CAD Cut Services business unit, the $1.5-million project will add 20,000 square feet of manufacturing space to the facility, nearly doubling its size, and create new multi-layer insulation (MLI) and composite ply cutting production cells.
The project will leave current production activities at Denton unaffected and is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2020.
"The completed expansion will transform Web Denton into one of the company's Centers of Excellence, joining other Web manufacturing hubs such as Atlanta, Ga., and Montpelier, Vt.," says Winters. "With the Denton expansion and the recent acquisition of Omega Systèmes, which has manufacturing facilities in Nantes and Bordeaux, France, Web has strengthened its position as the leading precision formatter globally for aerospace, space, medical and related applications."
Two-Phase Project
The Denton expansion will take place in two phases. Phase one involves creation of a 10,000-square-foot production area for the cutting and assembly of MLI blankets. These are multi-layer components that provide thermal insulation in space vehicles such as satellites and rockets, and in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines used in medical applications. The new area will be equipped with computer-controlled automated cutting tables and industrial sewing machines for blanket assembly.
"We've seen a surge in demand for MLI thermal solutions due to the new 'space race' and the launch of numerous small satellites," comments Winters. "The expanded MLI production area at Denton will help us meet both current and anticipated demand for MLI and other thermal solutions. The addition of sewing capabilities positions us to supply completely finished products ready for installation at the launch pad."
The expansion's second phase centers on a new composites ply cutting and kitting area, which will format materials for aerospace engines and related applications. Also slated for expansion are Denton's administrative offices and employee training facilities. In addition, the project gives Web the space and flexibility to install more freezers in the future for the proper storage of composite materials before processing.
Web Industries showcases automated manufacturing solutions for LFI and medical diagnostic devices at AACC 2019
Medical device OEMs in search of commercialization and manufacturing solutions for lateral flow immunoassay (LFI) and medical diagnostic devices will discover several new capabilities and services that virtually eliminate product variability, improve overall quality and lower costs from contract manufacturer (CMO) Web Industries at AACC 2019, August 4 – 8, Anaheim Convention Center. At the show, Web Industries will occupy Booth 2041. Web Industries' management and engineering personnel will provide medical device OEMs and trade media visitors to the booth with detailed explanations of Web's new capabilities and services.
Foremost in Web's exhibit are expanded converting resources, including automated lateral flow device assembly capabilities, automated test strip vialing, multi-layer laminating for fluidic channels and 8-color printing.
According to Director of Web Industries' Medical business Claudio Hanna, the expanded CMO product offering reflects Web's position as an industry leader in the formatting of flexible materials. "We use automation to convert flexible materials into precision, highly regulated multi-layer finished products that exactly meet customer specifications," says Hanna. "We've applied this expertise to launch our lateral flow CMO capabilities and are using it to make flexible fluidic chips. From project definition to high-volume production we take a transparent and collaborative approach, and we adhere to strict client confidentiality across all levels of the organization."
Web offers mid- to high-volume automated lateral flow manufacturing of qualitative, semi-quantitative and fully quantitative lateral flow test strips. Its design-for-manufacturing expertise coupled with large scale automation provides an extraordinary level of precision, quality and scale from a non-competing CMO. Automated LFI and medical device production reduces product variability and improves overall quality.
Web Industries to Build Seattle-area Composites Formatting Plant that will Speed Slit Tapes Delivery to Boeing
Aerospace original equipment manufacturers (OEM) in the U.S. Pacific Northwest will soon have a nearby source of precision-formatted composite materials from Web Industries Inc. The company has unveiled plans for a new plant near Seattle that will help aerospace manufacturers, including Boeing, to optimize supply chains and dramatically cut shipping time and inventory.
Situated on 12 acres in Marysville, Wash., the new production facility will supply composite slit tape for the Boeing 777X and position Web to provide responsive formatting services to other businesses in the region.
The plant is expected to be operational following construction, equipment qualification and employee training. It is located close to Boeing's final assembly plant in Everett, Wash., and supplier Toray Composite Materials America's (CMA) processing facility in Tacoma, Wash.
"Our new composites formatting facility is the realization of our commercial commitment to Toray and Boeing," says Web Industries President and CEO Mark Pihl. "By providing localized manufacturing to support the 777X, Boeing and Toray are expected to see improved affordability and sustainable competitive advantages. There are benefits associated with lower transportation, packaging and inventory costs, as well as reduced lead times. We look forward to the innovation and continuous improvement focus that will come with close collaboration."
The new plant will reduce freight transportation time between Web and Boeing facilities to less than 30 minutes and to roughly two hours between Web and Toray. The materials currently make a cross-country journey by freezer truck.
Boeing could realize additional benefits via inventory savings. Web now ships formatted tapes to Boeing twice per month. When the new plant is operational, smaller shipments will be delivered as often as twice per day, which will require less handling and storage at Boeing. The expectation is to achieve a just in time service model.
Toray, too, will enjoy advantages associated with Web's new nearby location. "Web has been a long-standing partner of Toray and enabled us to expand our product portfolio of advanced materials with great results, says Don Myers, director of aerospace sales, Toray CMA. "We look forward to continuing our work with Web Industries as they start up their facility in Marysville."
The manufacturing site, which will house:
75,000 square feet for Web's custom-built precision slitting, winding and spooling operations;
Space to add product development and composite material ply cutting and kitting services.
"Web will profit by adding value to our existing products and services and gaining entrée to new business opportunities with aerospace manufacturing companies throughout the Northwest region," says Pihl. "With our technical resources based locally, we will offer the ability to collaborate on new business development and help our customers enable their own growth strategies."
Web Industries to Purchase Seattle-area Land for New Aerospace Composite Materials Processing Plant
Prompted by increasing demand for precision formatted composite materials for the Boeing 777X and by the aerospace industry's burgeoning growth in the Pacific Northwest, Web Industries has purchased 12 acres of land for a manufacturing plant in Marysville, Wash., north of Seattle. The site is near Boeing's final assembly plant in Everett, Wash. and in proximity to material supplier Toray's processing facility in Tacoma, Wash.
The new facility will occupy 75,000 square feet and house Web's proprietary composites slitting and winding technology. Future capabilities include development services and product cutting and kitting. The plant will be operational once the building is constructed, equipment is qualified and employees are trained.
According to Web Industries President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Pihl, the plant's physical location positions Web to earn additional aircraft business in the region.
"The Pacific Northwest is the largest aerospace manufacturing center in the world," Pihl notes. "Washington alone has more than 1,400 aerospace-related companies and a rapidly expanding 'space cluster' of high-growth enterprises. Our new plant investment has Web Industries perfectly located to grow right along with these businesses."
$150,000 state grant
The Washington State Department of Commerce has provided a $150,000 grant from Governor Jay Inslee's economic development strategic reserve fund to support the new facility's location.
"We are proud to welcome Web Industries to the leading global aerospace industry hub here in Washington," says Governor Inslee. "The company's significant planned investments in Snohomish County are a tremendous addition to one of the most robust carbon fiber composite manufacturing clusters anywhere in the world."
Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring adds: "I am delighted to welcome Web Industries to the Arlington Marysville Manufacturing Industrial Center. This investment adds 75 new jobs in Marysville and will undoubtedly attract other employers who value available land and infrastructure at a more affordable rate than that of most of the Puget Sound."
Patrick Pierce, president and CEO of Economic Alliance Snohomish County, notes that Web Industries is the first sizeable composites formatter in the Seattle area. "Web's commitment to the region is the first significant one by a materials formatter in the carbon fiber space, and we expect others to follow," Pierce says. "Aerospace has been the center of our industrial activity for decades, and the adoption of composite materials for the Boeing 787 and now the 777X broadens our regional supply chain. We also anticipate that Web's expertise will have applications in industries outside of aerospace. Our interactions with Web executives over the past months have been most professional and we look forward to having them join our leadership community."
Web Industries to highlight thermal insulation solutions for space & aerospace applications
Web Industries to highlight thermal insulation solutions for space & aerospace applications at Small Satellite Conference
Space and aerospace OEMs interested in evaluating a thermal insulation product sample made of woven ceramic, Kevlar® and other materials are invited to Web Industries' exhibit at the Small Satellite Conference, August 5-8, 2019, Utah State University, Logan, Utah. Web Industries Inc. is a precision formatter of advanced materials for space and aerospace applications. At the conference, Web Industries occupies Booth #7T.
The woven sample features integrated grommets and fasteners showing how the full-size product could be attached and secured to an actual space vehicle.
"Conference visitors can examine the woven product close up," says Web Industries' Thermal Insulation Business Development Manager Lee Smith. "The sample highlights Web's capabilities in designing and manufacturing thermal insulation solutions for small satellite and other space applications."
MLI Blankets
In addition to the sample, Web also plans to showcase its multi-layer insulation (MLI) blankets for a wide spectrum of space applications. MLI blankets are lightweight components consisting of multiple layers of film or foil that reflect radiated heat energy. The blankets deliver exceptional performance in space environments.
"NASA scientists have tested MLI blankets using a calorimeter and obtained an R value (used to measure thermal insulation efficiency) of approximately 10,000," Smith reports. "That is phenomenal insulating performance, many times higher than any other insulation product."
Web can design and produce MLI blankets at commercial scale and at a rate necessary to meet tight launch schedules.
Web will also highlight its precision cutting and kitting capabilities at the conference. The company can precisely format a wide range of specialty materials used for thermal insulation, cutting them into precise shapes and kitting them for easy handling and installation by space and aerospace OEMs.
Web Industries Announces Upcoming Launch of Thermal Insulation Center of Excellence at Denton, Texas, Facility
Precision formatter Web Industries Inc. is beginning work on a Center of Excellence for space-related thermal management solutions at its Denton, Texas, manufacturing facility. The 10,000-square-foot Center will support Web's strategy of providing a broad array of thermal insulation products for space/satellite applications. The announcement is being made in conjunction with the Small Satellite Conference, August 5-8, 2019, Utah State University, Logan, Utah. (At the SmallSat Conference, Web occupies Booth #7T.)
According to Web Industries' Thermal Insulation Business Development Manager Lee Smith, the Denton expansion will help Web meet the increased demand spurred by the new space race and the continuing proliferation of small satellite constellations. The Center of Excellence will promote lean manufacturing and smoother production flow, and will include new capabilities such as an advanced sewing operation.
"Customers supporting the new space race come to us for traditional multi-layer insulation (MLI) systems but also for sewn or stitched assemblies that are ready for installation by small satellite OEMs," says Smith. "The expansion will allow us to differentiate our offerings and position Web to meet increased demand in the future."
The MLI Center of Excellence at Denton is expected to be completed by early 2020.
LFI Devices: 3 Reasons for OEMs and Developers to Consider Automation
Claudio Hanna, Director of Sales – Medical, and Jennifer Ponti, Business Development Manager, have written an article published online by Medical Device & Diagnostic Industry (MD&DI). This article details the benefits of leveraging automation for lateral flow immunoassay (LFI) device manufacturing.
Check out the article here: LFI Devices: 3 Reasons for OEMs and Developers to Consider Automation
A Conversation With Lee Smith
Lee Smith, Business Development Manager for Thermal Insulation, has been featured in an article published by SatMagazine. This article introduces leaders in the medical and space industries to the advantages of automated production for thermal insulation materials.
Check out the article here: A Conversation with Lee Smith
Web Industries to Showcase Bulk Cable Fillers, Signal Isolation Tapes and Laminate Solutions
Web Industries to Showcase Bulk Cable Fillers, Signal Isolation Tapes and Laminate Solutions for Datacom Cables at IWCS 2019
Lightweight polypropylene cable fillers and signal isolation tapes will highlight the offerings of Web Industries Inc.'s Industrial Division at IWCS 2019, Sept. 29 to Oct. 2, Charlotte Convention Center, Charlotte, N.C. At the show, Web Industries will occupy Booth #307.
"We've broadened our offerings in response to the needs of today's LAN and datacom cable manufacturers and the growth of Power over Ethernet (PoE) applications," says Web Industries Business Development Manager Charlie Belcher. "Visitors to Web's exhibit at IWCS can find samples of many innovative products and discuss cable production issues and concerns with Web executives."
Web's family of SUPERBULK® cable fillers includes new varieties with higher flame-retardant characteristics. They complement existing standard, FR (flame-retardant) and ZHFR SUPERBULK (zero-halogen/low-smoke flame-retardant) fillers. Made of foamed or solid polypropylene, SUPERBULK fillers prevent water absorption and wicking and resist harsh substances in cable applications.
Web's extruded separator and signal isolation tapes are used to separate conductors, reduce capacitance and manage heat in LAN cables. The low-dielectric tapes come in different slit widths, colors and thicknesses. They can be slit and spooled to customer specifications.
Specialty Laminates
In addition, Web will showcase its ability to laminate a wide variety of substrates and materials. These specialty laminate constructions include foil/film shielding tapes in continuous and discontinuous forms, which help prevent electromagnetic interference and alien crosstalk in LAN and datacom cable applications. Other laminated products include low-capacitance and heat dissipation tapes, which draw heat away from a cable's core.
Visitors to Web's exhibit can also learn more about next-generation Shielded CrossWeb Tapes, currently in development. These tapes, which consist of laminated polyester and aluminum foil, protect twisted pairs of wire in datacom cables from internal and external crosstalk interference. They help cable manufacturers meet existing and anticipated interference standards.
The Rubik's Cube of Working Efficiently with Different Composite Materials
Michael Quarrey, VP of Aerospace Operations, and Ben Winters, General Manager CAD Cut Services, have written an article published by Composites World. The article, The Rubik's Cube of Working Efficiently with Different Composite Materials, explains how to determine the right composites materials and process (M&P) path for your aerospace needs, leveraging an outside partner's core competencies.
Check out the article here: The Rubik's Cube of Working Efficiently with Different Composite Materials
Web Industries Launches French and German Website Editions
In a move that places the online presence of its precision converting and outsource manufacturing services on the doorstep of European markets, U.S.-headquartered Web Industries has launched its website in German and French editions.
Each edition covers Web Industries' four market sectors: Aerospace, Medical, Personal & Home Care, and Industrial. The sites went live November 1, 2019.
According to Web Industries Vice President of Corporate Development Kevin Young, the French edition supports the acquisition earlier this year of France-based Omega Systèmes Atlantique and Omega Systèmes Aquitaine. The German edition reinforces the marketing presence of Web's precision formatting operations in Stade, Germany and its Hamburg sales offices.
"Our French and German website editions are a natural outgrowth of Web's expansion into European markets," Young says. "We acquired Omega just this year and opened our first European sales office in Hamburg a year earlier. France and Germany are gateway countries to the larger European aerospace industry and to other key markets. Web now has a presence in regions that reach far beyond the French and German borders. Businesses throughout Europe that converse in French or German can now readily access information on all Web divisions and interact with us without the need for translations."
Web Industries Head of Business Development Europe Patrick Markert adds: "Web Industries' acquisition of Omèga Systèmes has enabled us to establish a European supply chain complete with material suppliers and end users. This has created tremendous market demand. Our new multilingual website reinforces Web Industries' position as a company with global manufacturing and distribution capabilities that can meet the precision converting and outsource manufacturing needs of customers worldwide."
How to Leverage Precision Converting Amid Nonwoven Product Price Pressure
Adrienne Green, Sales Director for the Personal and Home Care market, has written an article published by Sustainable Nonwovens. The article, How to Leverage Precision Converting Amid Nonwoven Product Price Pressure, explores how collaboration with an outsource manufacturing partner can help hygiene, medical, nonwoven, and home care products companies achieve important objectives such as brand differentiation, competitive pricing and speed to market. It also details how precision converting can contribute to sustainability initiatives.
Check out the article here: How to Leverage Precision Converting Amid Nonwoven Product Price Pressure
Automation Can Help Manufacturers Ramp Up Production While Controlling Quality and Costs
Composite Formatting Automation: Automation Can Help Manufacturers Ramp Up Production While Controlling Quality and Costs
Ben Winters, General Manager CAD Cut Services, has written an article published in Aerospace Manufacturing and Design's 2020 Reference Guide.
The article, Composite Formatting Automation: Automation Can Help Manufacturers Ramp Up Production While Controlling Quality and Costs, describes how "automation will continue to gain prominence in aerospace design and manufacturing."
Check out the article here: Composite Formatting Automation: Automation Can Help Manufacturers Ramp Up Production While Controlling Quality and Costs
Web Industries Earns Award from Michigan State's Facility for Rare Isotope Beams
Web Industries Earns Award from Michigan State's Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) for Multi-layer Insulation Blankets
MARLBOROUGH, Mass – Precision formatter of advanced materials Web Industries Inc. has earned an award of appreciation from Michigan State University's Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB). The award honors Web's CAD Cut division for its work in supplying multi-layer insulation (MLI) blankets used in FRIB's superconducting heavy ion linear accelerator.
Based in East Lansing, Mich., FRIB is a joint project of the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science, Michigan State, and the state of Michigan.. The $730-million facility will enable scientists to make discoveries about the properties of rare isotopes and to investigate their possible medical, homeland security and industrial applications. Web Industries' MLI blankets are designed to minimize radiative heat loads affecting cryomodule components inside the FRIB accelerator.
Close Partnering
According to Web's Thermal Insulation Business Development Manager Lee Smith, FRIB's supplier selection process was highly competitive. "Web was chosen to supply MLI blankets by a team of FRIB purchasing officials, physicists and engineers," says Smith. "The choice was made based on Web's technical ability to produce precision cut MLI blankets to support FRIB's needs."
Subsequently, Web's CAD Cut division and FRIB partnered to produce refinements for manufacturability while maintaining FRIB's technical requirements. These included improved material cutting, layout, labeling and packaging. The MLI blankets are precisely cut to fit complex shapes. They are supplied in CAD Cut Cryokit™ packages, which contain everything needed for installation, including complete blankets with built-in grommets and fasteners, work gloves and part-specific installation instructions.
The MLI blankets destined for FRIB are designed, manufactured and packaged at Web's Denton, Tex. facility. To date, Web has supplied over 7,000 blankets to FRIB, in 377 different sizes and designs. FRIB's plaque of appreciation was presented to Craig Lang, Web Denton's operations manager.
Web Industries' Variance-in-Repeat Printing Creates Irregularly-Spaced Designs
Web Industries' Variance-in-Repeat Printing Creates Irregularly-Spaced Designs on Nonwovens Used in Personal Care Products
A printing capability for nonwoven materials that creates multiple repeat designs in the same print run is now available from the Personal & Home Care business unit of Web Industries Inc., a precision formatter of flexible materials. Field-tested variance-in-repeat printing delivers marketing and production advantages to manufacturers of personal care items such as adult incontinence wear, feminine care products and diapers.
The printing capability empowers brands to bring a variety of designs to market, rather than a single uniform design. For example, design images of flowers can be varied by location instead of appearing in the same place every time. Variations in images, colors or text are available.
"Our variance-in-repeat capability is an outgrowth of Web's ingenuity and determination to enhance our customers' product offering," says Business Development Manager Courtney Robinson.
Production efficiency
Variance-in-repeat printing streamlines manufacturers' production by incorporating multiple different repeating designs on a single roll of nonwoven material. The printed roll can run on one personal care product manufacturing line, offering variety and simplicity.
With conventional nonwoven material printing and formatting services, product manufacturers seeking variations in design need to order several different rolls, each carrying a repetitive and uniform design, process the rolls on separate lines and then collate them.
Supporting a major manufacturer
"We recently brought our print engineering services into play to craft a design solution for a personal care product manufacturing customer," Robinson says.
"The company turned to Web Industries for help in producing a more attractive feminine undergarment's waistband. Web succeeded in printing three slightly different repeating designs on a single roll of extensible nonwoven material."
Robinson adds that the variance-in-repeat capability enabled the manufacturer to package the three designs on the same production line. This eliminated the need to use three different lines and then later sort the designs. The result was greater manufacturing efficiency and a more appealing garment for consumers.
Symbiotic Supply Chains
Kevin Young, VP of Corporate Development, and Dave Pippa, Director of Global Supply Chain, have written an article featured in Aerospace Manufacturing magazine.
The article, Symbiotic Supply Chains, explains why aerospace manufacturers and tiered suppliers need an optimized total fulfillment model.
Check it out here: Symbiotic Supply Chains
Web Industries Opens European Center of Excellence for Aerospace composites development & commercialization
Web Industries Inc., a precision formatter of composite materials, announced today that it has opened a European Center of Excellence for Composite Development & Commercialization (CoE) at Omega Systèmes in Nantes, France.
The new CoE offers the European market access to technical teams, a material analysis lab and pilot lines for demonstration, rapid development, testing and qualification of different composite material formats, including thermosets, thermoplastics and other composite types. The facility has high-volume composite formatting lines to transition new materials and processes to commercial-scale production. In addition to speeding new product development, the CoE can help customers devise strategies to enhance productivity and reduce costs for mature product programs.
"With this investment we offer our customers the customized support of a strategic outsourcing partner to accelerate the development of new aircraft programs and meet the market's fast-growing needs for formatted composite materials," said Jean-Louis Bretin, general manager, Omega Systèmes.
Web Industries acquired Omega Systèmes in January 2019 and has been investing in Omega's France-based team, technologies and manufacturing capabilities. The Nantes CoE will collaborate with Web's North American CoEs for composites automation and thermoplastic composite development. With its location in the west of France, the new CoE is in proximity to aerospace original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and their tiered suppliers throughout the United Kingdom and European Union. The CoE also is an active collaborator and member of many European research institutes, such as the National Composites Centre, Thermoplastic Composites Research Center, Technical University of Dresden and Technical University of Munich.
"These collaborations enable Web to be at the forefront of many innovations and trends and provide us with pathways to help our customers integrate R&D with commercialization," said Grand Hou, director of research and technology, Web Industries. "By working collaboratively with customers early, we can drastically reduce timelines to commercialization and often reduce their cost structure through early process optimization."
Web Industries, Inc. COVID-19 Statement
Dear Valued Partners,
The Web Industries Leadership Team would like to provide the following update to our response to the ongoing COVID-19 health emergency and its potential adverse impact on supply chain continuity:
The health and safety of our employees, customers, and suppliers remains a top priority, and we are closely tracking the status of the outbreak. As the number of reported cases escalates, we are taking the following additional preventative measures:
Our locations are complying with all government requirements covering all manufacturing facilities and offices.
We are implementing site entry restrictions and staggered staffing schedules to prevent the potential spread of the disease into our facilities.
We have implemented an international travel ban and are significantly limiting our domestic travel.
We are disinfecting all common surfaces in our facilities more frequently and making hand sanitizers available at all locations.
Web Industries is committed to remaining proactive and transparent, and we will do everything possible to anticipate future challenges that may affect the supply chain. We are receiving regular status reports from our suppliers, and while everything we have heard so far has been favorable, we will continue to monitor the situation. If there are any indications that our supply chain has been impacted, we will proactively inform our customers.
For additional information about COVID-19, please visit the Centers for Disease Control website.
Web Industries Introduces Functional Ink Printing Capability
A new functional ink printing capability for communicating changes in a garment's or material's condition is now available from the Personal & Home Care business unit of Web Industries Inc., a precision formatter of flexible materials. The capability enables two- or three-part ink chemistries to be printed on nonwovens, paper, tissue, films, or textiles to signal a change in material condition. It is designed for personal care items including incontinence wear, diapers and feminine hygiene products, but also has potential uses in industrial applications.
Functional ink refers to printed coatings that register a change when exposed to reagents such as moisture. The change could involve fading or becoming a different color, releasing a telltale odor or triggering an increase or decrease in temperature. Web Industries' Fort Wayne, Ind., printing facility can apply functional ink coatings to a variety of materials on behalf of manufacturing customers.
"Functional ink is all about providing information to product users," says Business Development Manager Courtney Robinson. "Garments or materials printed with functional ink indicate changes and can prompt corrective actions. Personal care product manufacturers, for example, can employ functional inks to indicate the status of incontinence wear, where the ink will fade or alter color when exposed to moisture, alerting caregivers to change the garment."
Functional ink coatings also have a wide range of industrial uses. "The ability to build chemical or bio-reactive markers directly into personal protective equipment or other product components can provide an added level of awareness and safety for first responders and other users," Robinson notes. "For instance, a tailored coating could be applied to specific areas of single-use hazmat suits that would change color to indicate the presence of specific levels of a contaminant. By providing passive monitoring during an emergency situation, these 'sensing areas' would allow the wearer to focus on their specific task while knowing that their exposure to harmful chemicals or bio-agents was being assessed.
"Another high-potential use is in industrial control systems," Robinson said. "For instance, an electrically-conductive functional coating could be applied to a substrate that breaks down in the presence of excessive heat. Used as a sensor component, an overheating condition would cause the material to degrade, breaking the electrical connection and signaling the equipment's PLC/computer."
Web Industries, Inc. COVID-19 Update – March 16, 2020
Web Industries recognizes the increasing disruptions and anxiety caused by the global coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. As such, we have taken a proactive approach to this crisis and have been developing and modifying organizational plans to ensure we minimize our risk of business interruption and continue to provide the highest level of safety to our employees, their families, our customers and our suppliers.
In response to the COVID-19 situation, we are following best practices recommended by local and federal authorities to control the risk of exposure. We have implemented a mandatory suspension of international travel and are requiring executive approval for any essential domestic travel. We are utilizing video conferencing both internally and externally to reduce face-to-face interactions. We have suspended all event and trade show participation for the next few months. And we are utilizing heightened cleaning protocols at all of our facilities with mandated cleaning & disinfecting intervals, processes and locations. Rest assured, we are fully defining our human and operational risks and will be putting in place several continuity measures.
We are constantly assessing the health of our supply chain and have executed mitigation strategies for any materials or products defined as "at risk". To date, we have not seen any disruption of material continuity related to the COVID-19 crisis. We continue to work with our suppliers and partners to define any potential disruptions as the situation develops further.
Currently, all of our locations are operating with full staff and on normal schedules. We are analyzing all operations and defining minimum requirements at each site to continue manufacturing if the crisis deepens.
This situation is fluid and developing on an hourly basis. If there are any significant changes in our status due to new local or federal mandates, resource availability, supply chain disruption, or other unforeseen factors, we will provide you with an immediate update.
David Pippa
Global Director of Supply Chain
Web Industries
Interview with Kevin Young and Tom Lucas by Technical Textiles
Kevin Young, VP of Corporate Development, and Tom Lucas, Project Manager, have been interviewed by the digital publication TechnicalTextiles.net.
This broad-ranging interview covers Web's background, sustainability, our P&HC services, our recent expansions, our take on industry trends, and our outlook on the global market and market dynamics.
Check it out here: Interview with Kevin Young and Tom Lucas
Web Industries' LFI Center of Excellence Allocates Priority Capacity for COVID-19 Diagnostic Tests
Web Industries Inc., a precision converter and contract manufacturing organization (CMO), has allocated production capacity at its Holliston, Mass., plant to support developers of COVID-19 lateral flow immunoassay (LFI) diagnostic tests. LFI tests are one type of diagnostic device under research and development as public health leaders seek solutions to efficiently test large numbers of people for COVID-19.
Web's Lateral Flow Diagnostic Center of Excellence, a 6,500-square-foot facility built specifically for LFI manufacturing, offers the following CMO services:
Automated reel-to-reel medical device production
In-house biochemistry lab
Reagent deposition
LFI strip manufacturing
Device assembly and packaging
Web Industries' medical team has devised processes to help LFI device manufacturers expedite the transition from the research lab to large-volume reel-to-reel production of millions of tests. Web has an LFI economic and manufacturing model available to share with device developers, academic researchers and companies responding to U.S. market needs for COVID-19 test kits.
"As the medical community mobilizes in response to ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks, rapid diagnostics will play an increasingly crucial role in slowing the spread of the disease," said Kevin Young, Web Industries vice president of corporate development. "As an independent U.S. manufacturing partner, we're ready to play our part in responding to the COVID-19 crisis."
Web Industries' U.S.-based manufacturing operations are a critical component of its overall value proposition. "Our LFI manufacturing plant is ready to work on a priority basis to be part of the solution," Young said. "We can help LFI device developers to efficiently scale up production after they discover a viable LFI solution."
Web Industries is a domestic production source for all its business sectors, which include Medical, Aerospace, Personal & Home Care, and Industrial. To learn more about Web's medical CMO services and how they can support development and commercialization of COVID-19 diagnostic tests, contact Web online.
As researchers and device makers race to develop new diagnostic tests for COVID-19, Web Industries is prioritizing production capacity for makers of LFI tests at its Lateral Flow Diagnostics Center of Excellence. Photo courtesy of Web Industries Inc.
Web Industries Allocates Medical Nonwoven Material Converting Capacity for COVID-19 Response
Web Industries, Inc., a precision converter and contract manufacturing organization (CMO), is prepared to develop nonwoven and material converting solutions and is offering production capacity to support the manufacture of disposable medical products for the COVID-19 crisis. Converting is an important step in the supply chain in which materials are formatted so that they can be run more efficiently on automated manufacturing lines.
Certified under ISO 14001 and ISO 9001, Web has multi-color, high-speed printing, slitting and traverse winding, or spooling, lines at its factory in Fort Wayne, Ind., the company's Center of Excellence for converting personal and home care products. The recently expanded facility has state-of-the-art equipment for converting nonwoven materials. Web's team is available to discuss how it can support manufacturers of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other medical consumables. Most disposable PPE products, such as surgical masks and protective gowns, are made of nonwoven materials.
Currently, Web converts ties and bindings for surgical masks at the Fort Wayne facility, which predominantly processes nonwoven materials for diapers and other personal and home care products.
"We are available to discuss how we can use our converting lines and expertise to help manufacturers meet demand for disposable medical products needed for the COVID-19 response," said Adrienne Green, director of sales, personal and home care. "Our engineers are skilled at devising solutions for working with a wide variety of materials and converting them into formats that can be efficiently and seamlessly integrated into the end-product manufacturer's operations."
Web Industries is a domestic production source for all its business sectors, which include Medical, Aerospace, Personal & Home Care, and Industrial. To learn more about its medical nonwoven converting services and how they can support disposable medical product production, contact Web online.
Temporary closure of the OMEGA SYSTEMES Atlantique and Aquitaine sites – COVID-19 Update
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which constitutes a case of force majeure, and in application of French governmental directives, the health security measures taken by our customers and suppliers required us to close the OMEGA SYSTEMES Atlantique and OMEGA SYSTEMES Aquitaine plants at noon on Tuesday, March 17th, 2020. Because of the uncertain time frame surrounding the current health crisis, these facilities will be closed for an indefinite period of time.
During this closure period, it will be impossible to receive or deliver materials at those sites.
When the public health situation is determined to be safe for our employees and our customers, we will gradually resume normal work activities, following all relevant medical and cleaning guidelines.
Please contact sales@webindustries.com if you have any questions.
Web Industries, Inc. COVID-19 Update March 24
Web Industries, Inc. COVID-19 Update March 24, 2020
Web Industries thanks you for your continued support during this very challenging situation, and we want to provide you with an update on our response to the COVID-19 health emergency. The Web Industries Leadership Team is closely monitoring the status of the outbreak and its potentially adverse impact on supply chain continuity in all our businesses.
The safety of our employees, communities, customers, and suppliers is our primary concern. We are following the guidance of global health experts at the World Health Organization (WHO) and U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on preventing the spread of the COVID-19 virus. We are taking several measures to ensure that we safely manage this situation while continuing to conduct business effectively. We are rigorously cleaning and disinfecting our facilities and equipment on a set schedule and our employees practice frequent hand washing. Most importantly, we are asking that our employees stay at home if they feel sick.
Numerous state governments have ordered individuals to stay home or at their place of residence, except as needed to maintain continuity of operations of the federally recognized critical manufacturing sectors as outlined at https://www.cisa.gov/identifying-critical-infrastructure-during-covid-19. Under this Order, Web Industries is continuing business operations in order to maintain continuity of operations in these critical manufacturing sectors.
During this time, the health, safety and well-being of our employees, customers, communities and suppliers are our top priorities as we provide continued service to our U.S. government and non-government customers.
As the number of reported COVID-19 cases continues to escalate, we are taking the following additional preventative measures:
Our locations are complying with all governmental requirements covering manufacturing facilities and offices.
Wherever possible, all non-manufacturing personnel are working from home.
We are practicing "social distancing" at our facilities and encouraging our employees to practice it in their communities to help slow the spread of this virus.
We are holding all internal and external meetings via Zoom.
We have implemented site entry restrictions and have staggered staffing schedules to prevent the potential spread of the disease into our facilities.
We have implemented an international and domestic travel ban within our company.
Web Industries is committed to remaining proactive and transparent during this crisis. We will do everything possible to anticipate future challenges that may affect the supply chain. We are receiving regular status reports from our suppliers and are continuing to monitor the situation. If there are any indications that our supply chain has been impacted, we will immediately inform our customers.
These are very difficult and uncertain times for everyone, but Web Industries remains focused on providing a safe work environment for all our employees. Additionally, we are committed to helping our global community meet the needs of customers that support the critical manufacturing sectors as designated by the U.S. government and other countries. We hope that you and your families are staying healthy, and we look forward to better times for our continued work together.
Movers and Shakers: Interview with Kevin Young, Vice President of Corporate Development at Web Industries Inc.
Kevin Young, VP of Corporate Development, has been interviewed by the digital publication Innovation in Textiles.
The interview focuses on Web's P&HC slitting and printing capabilities. It also covers insights on the P&HC and Industrial sectors' receptiveness to new ideas, Web's sustainability approach, and the ability to innovate on behalf of customers.
Check it out here: Interview with Kevin Young, Vice President of Corporate Development at Web Industries Inc.
Web Industries Launches WebPrecisionPlus
Web Industries Launches WebPrecisionPlus™ Printing, Slitting/Traverse Winding Capability for Consumer Brands and Contract Packagers
A new multipronged solution for consumer brands and contract packagers that combines high-quality printing and precision slitting/traverse winding is now available from Web Industries Inc., an outsource manufacturer and precision formatter of flexible materials. The new offering, called WebPrecisionPlus™, incorporates brand-enhancing flexographic printing with precision narrow-width slitting and tightly controlled traverse winding, or spooling.
Potential applications exist in the food, pet food, household and personal care sectors, and anywhere else goods are marketed in flexible packaging. A few examples: narrow tear strips for small tissue packages, mid-size drawstrings for trash bags, and wide overwraps for the packaging of beverages and towels.
"WebPrecisionPlus enables consumer brands and contract packagers to create colorful, eye-catching flexible packaging while achieving greater production efficiency," says Web's Adrienne Green, director of sales, Personal & Home Care. "It allows businesses to outsource certain challenging printing, slitting and winding operations entirely to Web. The companies can then focus greater attention on their core product manufacturing and packaging activities. Options include complete printing, slitting and winding; slitting and winding only or roll-to-roll printing of master rolls of material.
Wide-web printing
Web Industries' wide-web printing capability—92 inches wide for single-color printing, 62 inches wide for eight colors—features 100% vision inspection paired with high-resolution cameras to inspect the full web while printing. The vibrant, high-quality printing helps promote brand preference for packaged goods on retail shelves and online, wherever needs exist to capture customer attention. Web prints on a huge variety of packaging substrates including paper, paperboard, film, foam, nonwovens, laminated materials and substrates with overprint varnishes (OPV). Brands can select either water-based or solvent-based ink systems according to their preference.
In addition, Web supports the use of "functional inks," a growing category. These inks alter their color or appearance when exposed to moisture, sunlight or another agent. This can communicate a promotional message or convey a change in a material's or garment's condition, such as a wet diaper.
Precise slitting/winding
WebPrecisionPlus' slitting and traverse winding operations produce large rolls that easily integrate into packaging lines. Web Industries precision slits materials to widths as narrow as 1 millimeter up to 12 inches wide and then traverse winds them onto spools to extend the customers' production run time. Accuracy ranges to ±.003 inches for stiffer materials.
The slit material is then traverse wound, or spooled, under the supervision of Web technicians. Each winding pattern custom fits its application. Dynamic tension control and accurate winding prevent material damage and reduce the risk of foldovers and jams on packaging lines.
Once installed, the large rolls feed thousands of linear feet of material to packaging lines and can run 10 hours or more without a roll change. This cuts material waste and needs for splicing during a production run.
In addition, the larger rolls deliver sustainability advantages. A single large roll produces less packaging waste than multiple smaller pad rolls.
Web Industries Omega Systèmes Earns French General Directorate of Armament approval for COVID-19 Facemask Production
Omega Systèmes, a Web Industries company, is shipping 900,000 personal facemasks approved by the French General Directorate of Armament to the Ministère des Armées for distribution to food manufacturers, supermarkets and nursing homes conducting business in France.
Obtaining the French General Directorate of Armament approval for mask production called for Omega to pass a series of tests carried out in accordance with stringent Armament specifications, including those for wearer protection.
The announcement comes at a time when demand for the facemasks is high throughout France. Prime Minister Édouard Philippe has extended COVID-19 containment measures until April 15th, as the number of infections in France exceeds 81,000 with more than 10,800* deaths in hospitals. The masks are being supplied by the Ministèred Armées to businesses whose personnel are at a high risk of contamination, such as those working in the food sector and facilities housing the elderly. These single-use masks can be worn for up to four hours before being changed and offer a 96% protection rate.
To meet this demand, Omega is operating around the clock, running three eight-hour shifts to produce more than 150,000 masks per day. The company plans to fulfill orders for more than 4 million masks per month.
According to Web Industries Vice President of Corporate Development Kevin Young, Omega converted parts of its Nantes France operation from aerospace component manufacturing to the production of facemasks to assist France's overall fight against the coronavirus.
"We are allocating assets and running multiple shifts at our plant to support the government and the people of France during this time of pandemic," he said. "We'll continue facemask production for as long as needed, and we'll be looking for additional opportunities to help."
Omega Systèmes is making every effort to address the urgency of COVID-19 by developing prototypes of individual protective masks and then putting the designs into mass production in an extremely short time frame. At the same time, the company has put in place reinforced measures to ensure the safety of personnel. Omega Systèmes is equipped to produce and supply the essential elements in the fight against Coronavirus for as long as demand exists.
* Data from: WHO.int
Véronique Cohard
v.cohard@omega-systemes.fr
Web Industries Launches Composite Formatting Line in France
Web Industries Inc., a precision formatter of composite materials, has announced the installation of a high-volume composite slitting and spooling line at its Omega Systèmes plant in Nantes, France. The new production line adds capacity to serve growing demand for both thermoset and thermoplastic slit tape composites from aerospace fabricators across the European market.
The 48-head line is the first of many that Web Industries expects to install at Omega Systèmes, which was acquired by Web in January 2019. The line's custom slitting and spooling capabilities mirror those of Web's North American precision converting operations, enabling the company to offer identical formatting services and quality standards to customers on both sides of the Atlantic. The new line can take master rolls of composite materials, precision slit them into narrower widths and then traverse wind the slit material onto spools. Customers can then easily load these spools of slit tape onto their robotic automated tape laying machinery or other fabrication equipment.
"We are entering an era in which competition will intensify, and production optimization will be an increasingly important factor in productivity gains," said Web Industries Vice President of Corporate Development Kevin Young "The new machinery we have developed and implemented can format both thermoset and thermoplastic composite materials to supply the entire European market."
With this capacity investment, Web Industries is deploying resources to help customers meet composite material requirements for next-generation aircraft programs. These programs are expected to drive a surge in manufacturing of single-aisle airplanes with significant composite content. "We are focused on this challenge and are working with material suppliers, automation developers and fabricators to find new approaches that deliver improved yields, increased throughput and lower cost," said Michael Quarry, vice president of aerospace operations, Web Industries.
COVID-19 Mask Production Update
Web Industries is equipped to develop nonwoven and material converting solutions that support the manufacture of disposable medical products, including masks and gowns, for the COVID-19 crisis throughout North America and Europe.
Web Industries' Omega Systèmes business is currently filling an order for 7,800,000 personal face masks, up from 900,000 one week ago. The masks are approved by the French General Directorate of Armament to the Ministère des Armées for distribution to food manufacturers, supermarkets and nursing homes conducting business in France.
How to Select a Medical Device CMO
Claudio Hanna, Director of Sales for the medical market, and Jennifer Ponti, Business Development Manager, have written an article featured online for Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry (MD&DI).
The article, How to Select a Medical Device CMO, explains how contract manufacturing organizations (CMO) can free medical device manufacturers to focus on innovation. Plus tips for when and how to pick a CMO partner.
Check it out here: How to Select a Medical Device CMO
Web Industries Omega Systèmes Produces Single-use Aprons for France-area Hospitals
Omega Systèmes, a Web Industries company, is responding to needs for personal protective equipment (PPE) in the Pays de la Loire region of France by producing and delivering 60,000 single-use, disposable aprons per day to local hospitals.
Single-use aprons are among the most needed PPE items in France, along with face masks and gowns. When Omega Systèmes was contacted by Nantes University Hospital in mid-April 2020 with a request for aprons, the company responded quickly.
"We produced prototype aprons for the Hospital's review," reports Web Industries Michael Quarrey, vice president of aerospace operations. "We put production into high gear immediately following the Hospital's validation of our product. Omega currently has material to manufacture one million single-use aprons. With our materials supply chain and high-speed precision formatting equipment, we can quickly meet apron needs for hospitals and care facilities throughout France and other European countries."
The polyethylene aprons are worn by nurses, doctors, medics and caretakers who meet with patients to examine and carry out treatments, such as taking temperatures or changing an IV line. They are delivered in protective plastic sheaths that meet Nantes University Hospital's strict sanitary requirements.
Face masks and gowns
In a related note, Quarrey says that Omega Systèmes is currently filling orders for more than 7.8 million face masks for other France-based customers, and is equipped to manufacture face masks and gowns for use in hospitals and health care facilities throughout Europe.
Web Industries to hire 125 people and invest millions in COVID-19 test production equipment at its Holliston, Mass., plant

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Ниссин () е броненосен крайцер, втори кораб на типа "Касуга", построени за Японския императорски флот от Италия. Участва в Руско-японската и Първата световна война.

Конструкция

Въоръжение
Главният калибър на крайцера са четири 203-mm оръдия с разделно зареждане система на Уилям Армстронг с дължина на ствола 45 калибра. Оръдията са сдвоени в кули с овална форма с плосък покрив в носа и на кърмата на кораба. Куполните установки имат електропривод и резервно ръчно управление. Максималната далечина на стрелбата им е до 18 000 m, максималната скорострелност до 2 изстрела в минута.

Артилерията на средния калибър се състои от 14 152-mm скорострелни оръдия с разделно зареждане система "Армстронг" с дължина на ствола 40 калибра. Максималната далечина на стрелбата е до 9100 m, максималната скорострелност 5 – 7 изстрела в минута. От тях десет оръдия са в бронирана батарея – по пет оръдия на борд, четири оръдия са на горната палуба.

Десетте 76 mm скорострелни оръдия са поставени: шест на горната палуба (по три на борд), по две оръдия на носа и в кърмата на батарейната палуба. Максималната далечина на стрелбата съставлява до 10 740 m, максималната скорострелност е до 15 изстрела в минута.

Шестте 47-mm скорострелни оръдия "Хочкис" са поставени по две на кърмовия и носовия мостик и по едно на десния и левия борд при мачтата. Максималната далечина на стрелбата съставлява до 6000 m, максималната им скорострелност до 20 изстрела в минута.

Също има и четири 7,62-mm картечници "Максим".

История на службата

Руско-японска война
На 11 април 1904 г. крайцерите "Ниссин" и "Касуга", с края на прехода от Италия, влизат в състава на Съединения флот. На 12 април "Ниссин" и "Касуга" заедно с 1 боен отряд отплават към Порт Артур за прикриване на постановката на мини от транспорта "Корио мару". През нощта при Порт Артур има бой между прикриващите постановката на мини 2-ри отряд изтребители и миноносеца "Страшний", в резултат на който руският кораб е потопен. Излезлият на помощ на миноносеца броненосен крайцер "Баян" е обстрелян от крайцерите на 3-ти боен отряд, изпратен специално, за да "подмами" руската ескадра към поставеното от "Корио Мару" минно поле. Корабите на руската ескадра начело с броненосеца "Петропавловск" под флага на вицеадмирала Степан О. Макаров, "Полтава", "Асколд", "Диана" и "Новик" излизат към мястото на гибелта на "Страшний" и успешно преодоляват минното поле. "Петропавловск" открива огън по японските крайцери и те започват да се оттеглят на изток. Към 09:15 в района на боя пристига 1-ви боен отряд заедно с "Ниссин" и "Касуга", след което руските кораби обръщат към Порт Артур. Тук към тях се присъединяват броненосците "Победа" и "Пересвет", след което Макаров отново излиза за сближение с японските кораби. Този път курсът води направо към мините. В 09:43 броненосецът "Петропавловск" се натъква на мина и потъва с по-голямата част от екипажа си. Японските кораби не се решават да атакуват руската ескадра под прикритието на бреговите батареи и се връщат на котвената си стоянка.

Вечерта на 14 април в състава на 1-ви боен отряда "Ниссин" и "Касуга" отново се насочват към Порт Артур. В утрото на 15 април "Ниссин" и "Касуга" се отделят от отряда, за да водят балистична стрелба по руските кораби, които се намират на вътрешния рейд в Порт Артур.

Около 09:30 двата крайцера откриват огън по града и залива. С първите изстрели са повредени броненосеца "Ретвизан" и канонерската лодка "Отважний". Един снаряд уцелва подводната част на бронирания пояс на броненосеца "Пересвет", но не се взривява и не нанася повреди. По японските крайцери е открит огън от бреговата батарея на Ляотешанския полуостров и корабите, стоящи в залива на котва – "Ниссин" и "Касуга" успяват да подавят огъня на бреговата батарея, а при близки падения на снаряди от руските кораби маневрират, уклонявайки се от попадения. В 12:50 по команда на адмирал Того Хейхачиро стрелбата е прекратена. Всичко в града и порта падат около 190 снаряда, в резултат са ранени пет матроса, убити са седем и са ранени трима китаеца. От руските кораби по "Нассин" и "Касуга" са произведени 34 изстрела, в т.ч.: "Пересвет" – 28, "Севастопол" – 3, "Полтава" – 2 и "Победа" – 1, попадения няма. При стрелбата на броненосеца "Севастопол" се чупи лафета на дясното носово 305-mm оръдие, което не успяват да поправят до края на бойните действия.

По време на стрелбата японските кораби, намиращи се извън обсега на стрелбата срещу входа на залива на Порт Артур, коректират огъня по радиотелеграф. Изпълняващият задълженията на командващ на флот контраадмирал Павел Ухтомски заповядва на радиостанциите на броненосеца "Победа" и Златна Гора да прекъснат японските телеграми, чрез собствени сигнали с по-голяма мощност, което съществено препятства точна стрелба от "Ниссин" и "Касуга". Именно този случай се счита за първото успешно използване на средства за радиоелектронна борба и се отбелязва като ден на специалиста от Войските за РЕБ на ВС на Руската Федерация.

Командири на кораба
 капитан 1-ви ранг Такеучи Хейтаро (Takeuchi, Heitaro) – от 16 февруари 1904 г. до 12 декември 1905 г..
 капитан 1-ви ранг Фукуи Масайоши (Fukui, Masayoshi) – от 12 декември 1905 г. до 17 май 1907 г..
 капитан 1-ви ранг Камая Тадамичи (Kamaya, Tadamichi) – от 22 октомври 1906 г. до 5 август 1907 г..
 капитан 1-ви ранг Нишияма Ясукичи (Nishiyama, Yasukichi) – то 5 август 1907 г. до 7 април 1908 г..
 капитан 1-ви ранг Ушида Дюзабуро (Ushida, Juzaburo) – от 7 април 1908 г. до 20 ноября 1908 г..
 капитан 1-ви ранг Ямада Нараносуке (Yamada, Naranosuke) – от 10 декември 1908 г. до 1 декември 1909 г..

Източници

Литература

Външни препратки
 KASUGA armoured cruisers (1904)

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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Daniel Bard was part of the Red Sox' starting rotation at this time a year ago. He was 3-4 with a 4.30 earned run average, showing just enough to continue getting chances.
Now the Red Sox are wrestling with whether it's a good idea to have Bard continue pitching for Double A Portland given his mounting control problems.
Bard walked five of the nine batters he faced Wednesday night and threw two wild pitches. Only eight of his 30 pitches were strikes.
The Red Sox called Bard up April 24, saying at the time he had a chance to remain in their bullpen. He pitched in two games and was demoted back to Portland April 28.
The 27-year-old righthander has struggled mightily since. In five appearances, Bard has pitched 3⅔ innings and allowed five earned runs on five hits and 13 walks. He has struck out only two. Of Bard's last 109 pitches, 37 have been strikes.
Counting his brief stint in the majors, Bard has walked 19 and thrown eight wild pitches in 13⅔ innings this season.
In all games, majors and minors, since the start of the 2012 season, Bard has walked 91, hit 18 batters, and thrown 18 wild pitches over 105 innings.
The Red Sox, manager John Farrell said, are not yet ready to send Bard to extended spring training.
The issue is not a physical one, Farrell reiterated.
"It comes from repeating a delivery and what allows that to happen. That's being in a good place mentally and confident you're going to execute a pitch in a given situation. That's been elusive for him right now," Farrell said.
The Red Sox have had their in-house sports psychologist, Bob Tewksbury, working with Bard. They also believe Bard responds well to Portland pitching coach Bob Kipper.
Farrell said Kipper has been "very direct, very pointed" with Bard.
Bard, at least based on his comments, is remaining positive.
For now, Farrell said the Red Sox will keep Bard in Portland.
Andrew Bailey is scheduled to pitch an inning for Triple A Pawtucket on Saturday at McCoy Stadium after throwing 15 pitches in a simulated game Thursday.
Facing teammates Mike Carp and Ryan Lavarnway, Bailey got three fly balls.
If Bailey gets through his brief rehabilitation assignment without issues, he would be activated on Monday in Chicago.
Farrell said Bailey would return to closing once he returns. Bailey has not pitched since April 28 because of a strained biceps.
Bailey would have preferred to be activated right away. But he understood the team wanting him to pitch a game in the minors.
"We kind of discussed that. What we talked about is that I missed enough time to warrant just at least one inning. Kind of getting sharp. But everything feels great. It's just kind of getting back baseball-wise," Bailey said.
Bailey was pitching well before his injury. In 13 appearances, he allowed two earned runs on six hits over 12⅓ innings, with four walks and 20 strikeouts.
The injury, Bailey said, is no longer an issue. Farrell said he has spoken to Bailey at length about making sure he keeps the team informed about his physical condition after each outing.
It was the worst-case scenario for righthander Joel Hanrahan, who went in for surgery by Dr. James Andrews Thursday.
In addition to flexor tendon surgery, Hanrahan required Tommy John reconstruction surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow. He also had bone spurs removed, according to one his agents, Mike Dillon.
Hanrahan is expected to miss 12-15 months. The 31-year-old will be a free agent after the season.
Hanrahan, who was obtained from Pittsburgh in December, appeared in only nine games for the Red Sox.
Former Boston College and Patriots quarterback Doug Flutie was at the game, wearing a Sox jersey . . . There was a heartwarming moment before the game. The Rays had 9-year-old Alayna Adams of Dunedin throw out the first pitch with her mother, Dana, also on the mound. The catcher proved to be Army Lieutenant Colonel William Adams, home after a one-year deployment to Afghanistan. William Adams had on a Rays uniform with full catcher's gear and surprised his family. His wife and daughter ran to the plate to hug him. The crowd then gave the family a standing ovation.


Very good condition car seat - has isofix to make it secure and easy to install in car. Available for pick up Endeavour Hills.
Safe n Sound brand baby car seat. One button retract harness retractor. Rear facing for babies and forward facing for toddler.


Achieving high levels of harmonisation and efficiency in post trade has long been aspired to by industry and regulators alike, and much good work has been done on furthering that agenda. But with significant market changes, technological advances and the important objective of achieving Capital Markets Union (CMU) there is now a clear imperative to push forward with renewed vigour.
The Giovannini group first identified the key barriers to efficient and resilient post trade in Europe back in 2001. There have been many notable initiatives and regulatory changes since then, such as European market infrastructure regulation (EMIR), Central Securities Depositories Regulation (CSDR) and the introduction of the TARGET2-Securities T2S settlement platform. While each has brought improvements, the reality is that post trade remains segmented and processes continue to be delivered at a national, rather than pan-European level.
More recently, the European Post Trade Forum (EPTF) published its report last year assessing the state of post trade in Europe. While much in the industry has moved on since 2001, including the size and complexity of markets and the growing role of central counterparties (CCPs), (i.e. some of the original barriers have been dismantled), it concluded that many of the same issues remain, and indeed some new ones have developed. It also published its own list of barriers to integrated post trade across Europe, thus giving the industry a clear and up-to-date mandate to work from.
The report also acknowledged the crucial role of post trade reform in achieving CMU. A project which the Commission clearly remains committed to, having published its latest action plans on Fintech and Sustainable Finance in March this year. And, more widely, there continues to be strong support for CMU, including from AFME. Integrated post trade is an essential requirement in order for Europe's capital markets to deepen, diversify and support economic growth.
Many of the barriers to more efficient post trade relate to older processes and technology. With the advent of new technology, such as artificial Intelligence, cloud-based applications and distributed ledger technologies there is also the potential to revolutionise how post trade services are delivered. Regulators are rightly monitoring these developments. Creating standardised processes that can be managed and delivered at a truly pan-European level, without national barriers is a necessity if these technologies are to be fully utilised. The consequence for industry of not decisively gripping new technology, developing common standards and collectively maximising its benefits could be further fragmentation. Therefore, industry must work collaboratively on this.
AFME has explored these issues and outlined some key objectives for public authorities and industry to achieve in order to resolve them in our latest 2018 White Paper 'A Roadmap for Integrated, Safe and Efficient Post Trade Services in Europe' due to be published towards the end of May.
Areas of focus include a sound legal basis for cross border settlement, an efficient method of reclaiming withholding taxes, ensuring open access and interoperability for European CCPs, ensuring collateral management is harmonised and unencumbered by unnecessary restrictions and continuing the process of fully embedding T2S as a low cost, pan-European settlement platform.
To make progress towards the robust but integrated, low-risk and low-cost post-trade eco-system needed in Europe, European and national authorities should prioritise reform, particularly ensuring that national laws and regulations are appropriately calibrated. Public and private sectors also have a key role to play, and there should be close and institutionalised cooperation between them.
The overarching goals of post trade reform are well-established, the mandate and the foundations have been clearly set, now it's time for action.


Efforts to shape advanced artificial intelligence (AI) may be among the most promising altruistic endeavours. If the transition to advanced AI goes wrong, the worst outcomes may involve not only the end of human civilization, but also astronomical amounts of suffering – a so-called s-risk.
In light of this, Lukas Gloor suggests that we complement existing AI alignment efforts with AI safety measures focused on preventing s-risks. For example, we might focus on implementing safety measures that would limit the extent of damage in case of a failure to align advanced AI with human values. This approach is called worst-case AI safety.
This post elaborates on possible focus areas for research on worst-case AI safety to support the (so far mostly theoretical) concept with more concrete ideas.
Many, if not all, of the suggestions may turn out to be infeasible. Uncertainty about the exact timeline, takeoff scenario, and architecture of advanced AI makes it hard to predict what measures are promising. Hence, the following ideas are not silver bullets; they are merely a first step towards understanding what worse-case AI safety could look like.
In engineering, there are two common approaches to improving the reliability of safety-critical systems – redundancy and fail-safe designs. Put briefly, redundancy involves duplicating important components of a safety-critical system to serve as backups in case of primary component failures (e.g. backup power generators), while fail-safe designs are specific design features whose sole function is to limit the extent of damage in case of a particular type of failure (e.g. fire suppression systems).
Similarly, we could attempt to make AI safe by combining many different safety measures that kick in if the system fails. A complete and watertight solution to the perils of advanced AI remains elusive, but we might hope that at least one of many redundant measures will work, even if any particular one is flaky.
I'm not claiming that this is a good strategy for aligning an AI with human values. In fact, it probably isn't. But the strategy may be more promising for worst-case AI safety in that its goal is merely to prevent the worst failure modes (i.e. those that lead to s-risks), rather than achieving a specific positive outcome such as CEV. In other words, the key question for worst-case AI safety is how to ensure that an AI system will not engage in certain behaviors that might cause large amounts of suffering. For example, if we constrain an AI system so that a specific troublesome behavior is prevented, the nearest unblocked strategy – although not necessarily closer to an aligned AI – will hopefully be less dangerous in terms of s-risks.
Hard-coding a rule against creating (large amounts of) suffering. Needless to say, this runs into a plethora of conceptual and practical problems.
Training separate neural networks to detect actions that would lead to (large amounts of) suffering and if necessary shut down the AI system.
Finding correlates of suffering, such as the creation of new sentient beings, and making the AI ask for human approval whenever considers a potentially harmful action.
The crux of the matter is whether the AI has an incentive to remove such constraints. Since safety measures interfere with utility maximization, the AI would by default want to eliminate them, e.g. by rewriting its own source code. We can place our bets on the AI's inability to circumvent our safety measures, but not incentivizing it should be the first line of defense. We don't yet have a rigorous solution to this problem, but it might be possible to build safety measures directly into the utility function or goal system, so that the AI does not have an incentive to remove them.
A tripwire is a mechanism that shuts down or destroys an AI if it shows signs of dangerous activity.2 This would involve deliberately introducing easy-to-find and tempting opportunities ("honeypots") that appear to let the AI increase its utility by doing something "forbidden", but that actually trigger a shutdown or self-destruct mechanism if acted upon. The hope is that the AI either is safe, i.e. steers clear of all forbidden activity, or that it triggers the tripwire and destroys itself.
We could set up a situation where the AI can (apparently) gain a lot, but doing so would create vast amounts of suffering – e.g. via mindcrime – as a side effect.
We could make it look as if the AI can gain power (e.g. escaping from its "box" or gaining internet access) by extortion.
This approach is rather flaky in that a truly superintelligent AI might be able to recognize any tripwire of human design, and if so, would probably find ways to circumvent them. Still, it's worth looking into tripwires as one of several approaches.
Research on tripwires could analyze in more detail how we can best implement them, which scenarios we should use, and how scalable the approach is in the face of increasing AI capabilities.
Paul Christiano suggests adversarial training (so-called "red teams") to make AI systems more robust against catastrophic failure. Following this approach, we could use highly capable3 AI to search for input situations in which the (new) AI might cause an s-risk. If the search fails, that's evidence that the system is safe. If the search succeeds, we can incorporate the results in the next iteration of training processes. We can hope that this procedure is more reliable than manually trying to come up with tests that cover any possible failure modes.
Similarly, if we run several instances of advanced AI systems, we could split them into "Team A", whose goal is to come up with a plan or idea that convinces a human judge; and "Team B", whose goal is to convince the human that the plan is flawed. In the context of worst-case AI safety, it would be especially valuable to have a third "Team C" that tries to convince the judge that realization of the plans would be an s-risk (and not just flawed in some other way).
Further research in this area could examine the practical feasibility and usefulness of the approach, come up with refined variations of the idea, or experiment with (simplified) practical implementations to improve our understanding.
Similarly, we could work on formal descriptions of classes of behaviors that are particularly dangerous. For instance, extortion could potentially cause a lot suffering, so it would be valuable to have a better grasp of how to distinguish it from positive-sum trade. A rigorous definition of extortion remains elusive, and progress on this problem would make it easier to implement safety measures.
By expressing the different utility functions as conditionals in a single utility function, we can make it a direct part of the AI's goal system, which might avoid the problem of bad incentives to resist shutdown or changes to the utility function.
Further research on backup utility functions could examine which simple goal systems would robustly prevent s-risks. Alternatively, one could think in more detail about how to test whether a utility function "fails", or analyze how promising this approach is in comparison to tripwires or other measures.
Simple goal systems could also be useful in test environments. If something goes wrong and an AI unexpectedly "escapes" from the test environment, then we can't reasonably hope that the AI would pursue human values. We can, however, try to make sure that the AI does not create astronomical suffering in such an event.
The crux, of course, is that the test environment also needs to be sufficiently complex to test the capabilities of advanced AI systems. Research on benign test environments could examine in more detail which failure modes are most likely to lead to s-risks, and which goal system and test environment can avoid these failure modes.
We could also try to sidestep the most delicate aspects of superintelligent reasoning – assuming that's even possible – when we test (the first) advanced AI systems. For example, modeling other minds is particularly dangerous because of both mindcrime and extortion, so we can try to set up the test environment in such a way that an unsafe AI would not model other minds.
I am indebted to Max Daniel, Brian Tomasik, Johannes Treutlein, Adrian Rorheim and Caspar Österheld for valuable comments and suggestions.
If the utility of other goals is unbounded, this requires an infinitely strong "do not cause suffering" term to work reliably. The approach is therefore more promising if other goals are bounded. Alternatively, one could use a moral-parliament approach where the anti-suffering faction has a significant share (maybe a majority) of votes.
See Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies, p.137.
The approach works best if the AI system used to find catastrophic inputs is more capable than the new AI that we're trying to make safe.
If such risk aversion fails to maximize (in expectation) what we care about, it is typical of how backup utility functions could be safer yet suboptimal.
1. The ai safety community will only be able to exert marginal influence on trajectories of ai development.
2. Concentrated effort is more likely to affect trajectories.
3. Simpler alterations are more likely to affect trajectories.
4. Therefore find the simplest influence that the largest coalition can agree to push for.
My current best candidate is right-to-exit as a much simpler constraint/safety valve for s-risk than others. It leaves the problem of being a selection filter for agents who underweight suffering (ofc this has already occurred and is somewhat terrifying), but still cuts off a tail of super bad outcomes.
I'd be curious what exactly you mean by "right-to-exit" and why you think that's a simpler safety valve for s-risks (if you have time to elaborate).


Young Rebel star Prabhas is busy giving final touches to his high octane thriller movie Saaho. But what everyone doesn't know is that Prabhas is also taking part in the shoot of his next #Prabhas20 with Jil director Radhakrishna Kumar .
The film is tentatively titled as 'Jaan'. Prabhas is returning to the romance genre after a long gap. Pooja Hegde has been signed to play Prabhas' Jaan in the movie. A specially erected set reminiscent of vintage Italy has been created by designer Ravinder at Annapurna Studios where the film's next schedule is going to take place.
The makers are planning to release Jaan during Sankranthi 2020. Gopikrishna Movies and UV Creations banners are jointly producing this high budget romantic entertainer. Amit Trivedi is scoring the soundtrack.
Dilemma On Lakshmi's NTR Release Date?


Apart from two very wet days last week I have been on the Brompton and Trek cycling around my little corner of the World. I am stunned by the large number of pot holes which spring up after a little bad weather. Both bikes are holding up very well in the cold but need a clean. Advice. Clean your bike when there is only a little bit of dirt on it so it is just a wipe down.
I have of course been to a few sales, but not seen any thing worth grabbing or in my size. (Missed out on a lovely pair of mustard coloured t-bar shoes in Next.) The sales start very early these days so really I should have looked before Christmas. But I want real bargains so I have waited until now. I have enough shoes so I don't mind if I don't get anything this time around. Advice. Be prepared to walk away with nothing.
I saw these quirky animal print ankle boots in M&S before Christmas so I will be going to see if there any on sale.
Never mind the pot holes - watch out for the lateral frost cracks - long lines like mini earthquakes. I saw a lot of these yesterday on main roads. All those roadworks are going to start coming apart at the seams.