MULTIVAC, a Germany-based global leader in the manufacture of thermoform packaging machinery has won the DuPont Award of the packaging industry for its innovative Heinz Dip & Squeeze ketchup pack in the category of ‘ Innovations which change the way we eat ‘. Judged independently, the prestigious award is the oldest global award within the packaging industry, with this years competition garnering over 200 entries from North and South America, Europe and the Asian Pacific region. “We are very appreciative of the recognition which the distinguished jury panel has expressed for the Dip & Squeeze pack”, states Jan Erik Kuhlmann,  president and chief executive officer of the North American subsidiary of MULTIVAC, during the awarding of the prize, which took place this past June.

London, Ont. – A large food processing company could be setting up a plant in the city, reports say.

MISSISSAUGA —KSB Pumps Inc. has relocated its Canadian operation to a 18,000 square-foot facility in Mississauga, according to the company’s president, Mike Blundell. The new building will accommodate an expanded showroom and office space

WINDSOR —An Ontario solar panel plant is laying off staff and a company official is blaming the province’s PC party and the Ontario Power Authority. Siliken Canada is laying off 60 plant workers and says they could be out of work for an unspecified amount of time

Montreal — SNC-Lavalin announce it has acquired MDH Engineered Solutions, an engineering consulting & research firm based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. In business since 1980, MDH Engineered Solutions provides geo-environmental, geotechnical, hydrogeological and environmental engineering consulting services to the mining, oil & gas, transportation, utility and government sectors. The firm has approximately 175 permanent employees working in offices in Saskatoon, Regina, Prince Albert and Esterhazy, Saskatchewan, and in Edmonton and Fort McMurray, Alberta

Walter introduces a new grade to its Tiger·tec Silver family of cutting tool materials in response to very positive customer feedback. The existing, universal WKP35S grade is joined by WKP25S, a grade whose main area of application is the machining of steel and castings.The newly developed Tiger·tec Silver WKP25S milling/cutting material is designed to process all steel materials at high cutting speeds as well as average feed rates

CIMSOURCE Software, a business unit of the Germany-based CIM Aachen GmbH, will launch its next-generation tool management software, ToolPal, for small and medium enterprises during the upcoming EMO Hannover 2011 from September 19-24.As CIMSOURCE Software introduces, ToolPal offers a cost-efficient “on-demand” approach to tool management, featuring technologies including cloud computing and the optionally available RFID.While the benefits of cloud-computing bring highly efficient tool management into reach of small and medium manufacturing operations, RFID is used to automate otherwise manually executed data entry operations, the developer says.In addition, extensive tool kits, complete tool carts as well as single tool assemblies may be localized and identified anytime.

According to a report of China Die & Mould Industry Association on the recently published June/July issue of Chinamac Journal, the country targets to increase its annual sales of dies and molds to around RMB174 billion (approximately US$27 billion) by 2015 as part of its 12th Five-year Plan.Particularly, exports will account for 15% of the annual sales, or US$4 billion in value, by 2015.It is also targeted to raise the number of key enterprises in the industry to around 160, including 10 enterprises making annual sales of RMB1 billion. These key enterprises will dedicate 5% of their sales income to research and development by their in-house research teams, while having developed their proprietary technology.Furthermore, by the end of 12th Five-year Plan, half of them are expected to have established their own technical centers.

Graphite Metallizing Corporation has announced the availability of additional sizes of the GRAPHALLOY 453 family of self-lubricating bushings.

CALGARY— ATCO is planning to acquire Western Australia Gas Networks (WAGN) for $1 billion. Calgary-based ATCO Group is a utilities, energy, logistics, infrastructure and technologies firm headquarted in Calgary.