Month: January 2018

With the Federal Reserve expected to make more interest-rate hikes, more customers are expected to be forced to buy a used car over a new car. The Fed raised rates a quarter percent in December, which was the third rate hike of 2017. It's now broadcasting at least three more increases this year. Potential buyers with excellent credit, the impact of these rate hikes is barely noticeable. However, 43% of people choose to finance their vehicle, and not all of them have great credit. According to Jonathan Smoke, Chief Economist for Cox Automotive, those potential buyers with subprime credit scores of around 600 or lower are now settling for used cars. Even just last year, subprime buyers got significantly better rates. The average subprime rate jumped to 16.84% from a rate of 5.91%...

While most people are gearing up for the winter weather with warm clothes and jackets, one high school teacher is hoping to teach his students about the ins-and-outs of a homeowner's winter lifeline, also known as the HVAC system. According to the Free Press Standard, Matt McGraw, a certified HVAC-R contractor, is Carrollton High School's Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration class instructor. His goal with the class is to help his students learn everything they need to know about their possible future careers in the field. He teaches them the importance of having HVAC units serviced every year, and that it's crucial to have your filters changed every three months. In fact, Energystar.gov says most HVAC filters must be changed every one to three months. McGraw spok...

The University of Pittsburg has been awarded more funding money following their breakthrough research within the 3D printing industry. According to 3D Print, the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering has already received over $1 million to research 3D tech and how it could be used to improve the durability of gas turbine metal coatings. Now, Dr. Minking Chyu, Distinguished Service Professor and the Leighton and Mary Orr Chair Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science at Pitt's Swanson School of Engineering, has received even more funding. Dr. Chyu and his team of 3D researchers received $777,192 for the study, "Integrated Transpiration and Lattice Cooling Systems Developed by Additive Manufacturing with Oxide-Dispersion-Strengthened Alloy." The fu...

On March 8, 2014, Malaysian flight MH370 mysteriously disappeared. And now almost three years later, a Norwegian research ship is on its way to follow some educated guesses about its location in hopes of finding what's left of the aircraft. Ocean Infinity, a company based in Houston, Texas, is leasing the "Seabed Constructor", which will be accompanied by a fleet of eight autonomous submarine drones called HUGINs. Each HUGIN is 5 meters and weighs 1,800 kilograms. They are encased in titanium in order to protect the electronic innards against the atmospheric pressure. Some experts believe the plane crashed around 1,500 kilometers west of Australia, but the reality is that nobody actually knows where MH370 is. According to The Economist, the disappearance of MH370 lead to the large...

Across the manufacturing industry, industrial sheet metal is the number one most common type of metal in use today. Though this metal is extreme useful, durable, easy to work with, and essential to modern life, like all great tools it also can be quite dangerous. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the metal fabrication industry is projected to grow by 9% from 2016 to 2026. Actually handling sheet metal is dangerous, yes, but it's the flammability aspect that really puts workers and other people in danger. Across the United States, more and more sheet metal plants and buildings have been catching fire as of late, prompting concern within the industry. According to the Ames Tribune, an agricultural construction company's metal building suffered $300,000 in damage aft...