SYDNEY, Australia-Researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) are using nanotechnology to develop coatings they hope will be used for self-cleaning surfaces in hospitals and the home.

ANN ARBOR, MI-In 2005, North American robotics companies received more orders than ever before, surpassing the industry's previous high, set in 1999.

ITASCA, IL-Today's workers are safer on the job than they are at home, and these nonwork-related accidents are costing businesses plenty.

NORWALK, CT-Richard Schuler, director of lean implementation at Raytheon Co.'s Integrated Air Defense Center (Andover, MA), will present the keynote address "Lean Transformation Process: Leveraging the Power of Many" at this year's Assembly East trade show.

WASHINGTON-Insisting that not all lobbyists are like disgraced lobbyist Jack Abromoff, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) is warning Congress not to be overly zealous in its reform efforts.

WEST LAFAYETTE, IN-Engineers at Purdue University and Tel Aviv University (Tel Aviv, Israel) have created a new mathematical method for designing better structures, machines and robots.

HOLLISTON, MA-In an effort to streamline distribution, the Arlink and Ergomation product lines are now available through workbench and cabinet manfacturer Lista International Corp.

OSAKA, Japan-Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., maker of Panasonic-brand electronics is building the world's largest plasma display panel (PDP) plant in Amagasaki, Japan.

BARRINGTON, NJ-Edmund Optics Inc. has received $2.8 million from the U.S. Department of Defense to develop manufacturing equipment to produce advanced optical elements such as aspheres.

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA-Chain saw and power equipment manufacturer STIHL Inc. will invest $78.4 million to expand its Virginia Beach manufacturing and warehousing facilities.