Blogs
Thermal Processors Get Schooled
November 8, 2012 2:52 pm | by Krystal Gabert, Editor, Food Manufacturing | CommentsThermal processing applications can present great risks if not properly attended to. Not only do well-monitored and uniform cooking times and temperatures mean delivering a consistent product to customers, but a failure to adequately cook products, especially meat, can mean a proliferation of bacteria which can negatively impact public health.
Crowdfunding Fuels Innovation
October 29, 2012 2:53 pm | by Ryan Sauer | CommentsWhile it continues to be controversial in more conservative investment circles, crowdfunding is on its way to becoming a major source of venture capital for upstart companies. How much impact crowdfunding will have on business and manufacturing remains to be seen. Like such strategies as total quality management and Six Sigma, crowdfunding has the potential to redefine how people conduct, or at least start, business.
A New U.S. War: Restoring Our Competitiveness
October 29, 2012 10:42 am | by Gordon Zuckerman | CommentsIf the United States economy is to restore itself to earlier levels of full employment, prosperity and financial soundness, the American manufacturing community must engage in a national effort to resurrect its global competitiveness. Today, we are threatened by a new brand of economic imperialism.
Midwest Manufacturing: Turning Around The 2012 Decline
October 26, 2012 10:40 am | by Tom Bonine, President, National Metal Fabricators | CommentsToday’s trend of Midwest manufacturing declining is due to a triple hit: a Chinese ordering slowdown, a languishing European economy and the domesticU.S. fiscal direction being up in the air with the presidential election. As a result, it’s no surprise that the ability to sell and grow the movement of manufactured goods is suffering, especially on international markets.
Space Gets Sponsored
October 24, 2012 3:25 pm | by Joel Hans, Managing Editor, Manufacturing.net | CommentsWith the Red Bull Stratos mission ending in a resounding success, the energy drink maker just might have introduced the world to a new paradigm in how we push our technological limits through research and development. And it makes me wonder — could logo-emblazoned rockets and pressure suits become the new normal for dangerous and high-tech exploration, replacing the likes of that famous NASA patch?
A New World Record
October 24, 2012 1:24 pm | by Anna Wells, Executive Editor, IMPO | CommentsEd Shadle, the lead driver and project manager, told us about how his vision to bring the landspeed record back to the USA has been centered around an F-104 fighter fuselage. Ed and Keith Zanghi, North American Eagle’s director of operations, explained how the group took this proven design and attempted to convert it into something they could actually use.
A Manufacturing History Lesson
October 23, 2012 11:26 am | by Jonnatha Mayberry, Associate Editor, Chem.Info | CommentsToday, it is well-known that women work in the manufacturing field, but it is also well-known that women are greatly outnumbered by men on the factory floor. “According to the National Association of Manufacturers, about a third of all manufacturing workers today are women,” CNN Money reports.
U.S. Manufacturing Needs A Brand Makeover
October 22, 2012 9:44 am | by Eileen Markowitz, Thomas Industrial Network | CommentsWhen I was growing up, it seemed like everyone believed that United States manufacturers made the greatest products in the world. From our home appliances to our cars, we all chose Made in America products for their quality and their value. Of course, the sentiment has changed since then as the economy has grown more global, and countries like China compete on price.
Genes And Sneakers
October 18, 2012 8:53 am | by Karl Stephan, Consulting Engineer, Texas State University, San Marcos | CommentsJust as it’s illegal for you and me to print money, but perfectly legal for the government to print money, there may come a time when the government deems it necessary to analyze your DNA for reasons of “efficiency” or “cost-effectiveness.”It is truly amazing how rapidly a feat which was once hailed as one of the most difficult achievements in the history of humanity is now something that may cost as little as $1,000 in a few years.
Leave Innovation To The Private Sector
October 16, 2012 8:27 am | by Chris Fox, Associate Editor, PD&D | CommentsIf the dollar wasn’t so dirty and we could start clean – I mean completely bleached of the corruption and the twisted version of ethics that business has been paired with – innovation should be left completely up to the private sector. The problem with privatization is the drive for profit over progress, loopholes, and putting a dollar over the greater good.
Sitting With America
October 12, 2012 1:56 pm | by Rachel Leisemann Immel, Associate Editor, IMPO | CommentsIf you’re not familiar with the “dollar a day for U.S. manufacturing” statistics, I’m talking about the fact that economists say that if every one of us spend an extra $1 on U.S.-made goods every year, it could create nearly 1.3 million new jobs.
Moving Up In The World
October 11, 2012 11:49 am | by Anna Wells, Executive Editor, Manufacturing Business Technology | CommentsTechnology has improved over time to ensure that most winches, hoists, and cranes serve their purpose safely. However, advanced equipment technology isn’t the complete solution, and this critical area of material handling still requires some user know-how when it comes to accurate selection and maintenance.
Beer Bombs
October 9, 2012 8:49 am | by David Mantey, Editor, PD&D | CommentsBack in 1956, three executives from the Can Manufacturers Institute and the Glass Container Manufacturers Institute wrote a report titled “The Effect of Nuclear Explosions on Commercially Packaged Beverages.” Their motivation was simple: In the event of a nuclear explosion, what, if anything could be consumed after the fallout?
How To Lose Your Job To A Robot
October 2, 2012 1:19 pm | by Chris Fox, Associate Editor, PD&D | CommentsAs our society progresses, robotics and algorithms are becoming more advanced at an exponential rate. This has been apparent for quite some time. So, are droids really taking our jobs? In a word, yes. Though, this brings about a much more political issue – job creation.
Product Design For A Beloved American Sport
September 25, 2012 8:32 am | by Meaghan Ziemba, Associated Editor, PD&D | CommentsFootball season is once again upon us, and crazed fanatics are trash-talking their rivals and sporting their favorite teams’ gear. However, there is a dark shadow looming over football that not too many people are aware of, and product design is in the running to play a major role in the future of the sport.
Drought Looms Large For Food Processors
September 20, 2012 1:31 pm | by Krystal Gabert, Editor, Food Manufacturing | CommentsThe reasoning behind the seemingly counterintuitive notion that food prices could level out — or even decrease — in the midst of a drought is that, faced with increasingly steep corn prices, ranchers may rush cattle to slaughter, causing a glut in the beef market and, in turn, lower prices.
Google’s War On Drugs
September 17, 2012 8:23 am | by David Mantey, Editor, PD&D | CommentsThe war on drugs is an age-old bullet point issue with politicians, but until Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt brought up the issue during the Illicit Networks Forces in Opposition conference (organized by Google’s think tank, Google Ideas) it often seemed like a lost cause.
Glaring Military Incompetence
September 12, 2012 10:08 am | by Mike Rainone, Co-founder, PCDworks | CommentsWhat if Apple designed an iFighter? That was the question posed by Arthur Herman in a recent op-ed for the Wall Street Journal. The central premise questioned whether or not the United States’ military bureaucracy is up to the task of procuring the materials necessary for our current or future military needs. According to Herman, it might be time to let “businessmen” take over.
Construct Your Own Innovation Pipeline
September 10, 2012 2:16 pm | by Mike Schmidt, Associate Editor, Manufacturing Business Technology | CommentsAT&T developed a tool called The Innovation Pipeline (TIP) an outlet for company employees to share imaginative ideas with AT&T and one another. After rigorous examination and development, some of these ideas are turned into AT&T products, applications, and services.
Is The Ongoing Mortgage Crisis Harming Our Manufacturing Skills Crisis?
September 7, 2012 9:47 am | by AJ Sweatt | CommentsThe reality is that with so many houses underwater, so many homeowners tied to them, and so many potential employers in manufacturing ready but unable to hire, the mortgage crisis must be included in any discussions about what’s causing our lack of manufacturing talent and how to help relieve that deficit.
