Articles
The Lead
NI Strengthens FIRST Partnership For Better STEM Education
April 30, 2013 | by Joel Hans, Managing Editor, Manufacturing.net | Comments
NI believes work with organizations like FIRST has already made inroads in improving STEM education and desire to pursue science- or engineering-based careers. NI itself is already starting to hire FIRST alumni, and Hsu says they’re better prepared for the engineering world than those who didn’t participate in the program.
Will 3D Printing Save The ‘TechBelt’?
September 24, 2012 8:36 am | by Joel Hans, Managing Editor, Manufacturing.net | Comments
The “TechBelt” region has been hit hard by the recession, with numerous plant closures and the...
Black & Denim: Aiming To Revive American Textiles
March 11, 2013 10:52 am | by Joel Hans, Managing Editor, Manfuacturing.net | Comments
Black & Denim, based out of Tampa, Florida, is working...
The ‘mini’ Future Of Education
April 10, 2013 3:55 pm | by Joel Hans, Managing Editor, Manufacturing.net | Comments
"I think the profession of teaching is an incredibly important one, and by and large, I think...
Equipment Financing Means Flexible Solutions For Unique Business Needs
June 18, 2013 5:58 pm | by William G. Sutton, CAE President and CEO, Equipment Leasing and Finance Association | CommentsAcquiring equipment through leasing and other financing methods is more flexible and customizable to meet unique business needs than most funding options. This makes equipment finance a perfect fit for startups and small businesses, both of which may have trouble getting traditional bank loans.
Talent Management: Easier Hires, Better Skills, More Compliance
June 17, 2013 4:34 pm | by Joel Hans, Managing Editor, Manufacturing.net | CommentsThe truth is that a large portion of this skilled labor shortage cannot be solved by any given manufacturer — in many cases, the people simply aren’t trained well enough, or aren’t willing to take on new skills. With that in mind, making the best of this situation is a matter of using whatever tools necessary to take advantage of the small portion that is under a manufacturer’s control.
Retaining Your Number One Asset: Employees
June 17, 2013 10:19 am | by Maria Ferrante, Vice President, Education & Workforce Development, PMMI | CommentsThere is one absolute that applies to every company, independent of industry: You cannot expect to operate efficiently without dedicated and skilled employees. When looking at the manufacturing industry specifically, finding a highly skilled workforce has proven to be one of the greatest challenges. With such a limited amount of talent in the applicant pool, companies are left to compete for the best employees.
Why Big Data Is Meaningless
June 17, 2013 9:40 am | by Michael Rothschild, Founder and CEO, Profit Velocity Solutions | CommentsVendors, managers and bloggers often cite the benefits of “big data,” though most miss the mark in understanding exactly what it is used for, and how it is analyzed. By itself, big data is just raw material, and without a focus on bottom-line results, it is not only meaningless — it can actually be harmful, diverting resources away from a company's core mission.
Machinists Deal With Memphis Heat With Big Fans
June 14, 2013 1:02 pm | CommentsMachinists at Memphis-based Engineered Medical Systems (EMS) were working up a sweat carving and shaping bars of steel into lifesaving surgical equipment. “If you’ve ever been to Memphis, you know it gets really hot here with really high humidity,” said EMS Controller Charles Stanford. “You sweat walking out to the mailbox. And that heat lasts for a long stretch of time.”
High-Voltage Battery Simulator & Test Systems
June 14, 2013 10:24 am | by Randall Beattie, President of SAKOR Technologies | CommentsHigh voltage battery simulator and test systems are essential for conducting testing of the high voltage DC power systems that are such a critical element of electric (EV) and hybrid/electric (HEV) vehicles. To accurately test a high voltage hybrid or electric drivetrain, you need to be able to provide precise, repeatable high-voltage DC power.
Top 6 Mobile Apps For Engineers
June 14, 2013 9:56 am | by Brian Spero, www.moneycrashers.com | CommentsBesides calling on knowledge and experience to get the job done, engineers rely on a host of resources and tools that, thanks to the development of mobile applications, are becoming increasingly accessible from handheld devices.
Measuring The Impact: Quality Metrics And Manufacturing Intelligence
June 13, 2013 4:02 pm | by Steve Wise, VP of Statistical Methods, InfinityQS Intl. | CommentsBecause quality affects every level of an organization — from the plant floor, to the C-suite, to the customer — it is far more than a cost of doing business; it is a game changer. However, not everyone in your company may understand the true value of quality.
Keeping It Fresh
June 13, 2013 1:57 pm | by Krystal Gabert, Editor, Food Manufacturing | CommentsThe triple helix. The golden triangle. The Dutch government uses many names to describe its unique three-pronged approach to economic development, but one thing’s for certain: for companies seeking innovation, the system can offer tremendous benefits.
Leveraging Sales Force Automation In Manufacturing
June 13, 2013 10:12 am | by Bob Barr, Senior Vice President, Acquity Group | CommentsSales force automation streamlines the sales process, equipping manufacturers with the tools they need to create more effective and more efficient sales programs. But to fully leverage the benefits of sales force automation, manufacturers need to understand how to properly apply these tools across their customer bases.
Networks Of Responsibility: The Philadelphia Building Collapse
June 13, 2013 8:28 am | by Karl Stephan, Consulting Engineer, Texas State University, San Marcos | CommentsWhile properly built brick buildings can reach heights of fifty feet or more and last for thousands of years, any substantial sideways force on the structure cracks the mortared joints between the bricks and turns the thing into a big pile of loose bricks, which do unpredictable things.
What eCommerce Features Are Best For Manufacturing?
June 12, 2013 9:32 am | by Bob Barr, Senior Vice President, Acquity Group | CommentsThe eCommerce imperative in manufacturing is driving a rush to develop and implement first-class eCommerce technologies capable of providing customers the kinds of online experiences they have come to expect from their favorite B2C brands. But blindly adding features and capabilities is a recipe for disaster.
4 Ways Manufacturers Can Cope With Rising Energy Prices
June 11, 2013 5:30 pm | by Michael Lewis | CommentsNo segment of American industry has more to gain from energy efficiency than the manufacturing sector, using almost 40 percent of the energy consumed in the United States. Replacing inefficient machinery, employing "smart" environmental controls and upgrading lighting, heating and air-conditioning systems can drop utility bills by 20 percent to 30 percent.
Q&A: Light On Packaging, Long On Shelf Life
June 11, 2013 2:22 pm | by Lindsey Jahn, Associate Editor, Food Manufacturing | CommentsFood manufacturers seeking sustainable packaging options often face a tough challenge: finding an eco-friendly solution that does not negatively impact shelf life. Ron Puvak of Plastic Technologies, Inc. (PTI) spoke with Food Manufacturing about how manufacturers can find sustainable packaging solutions, without compromising shelf life.
Take Control Of Your Company’s Future: The R&D Tax Credit
June 10, 2013 10:47 am | by Dean Zerbe, alliantgroup National Managing Director and former Senior Counsel to the Senate Finance Committee | CommentsHappily, the tax code rewards manufacturers who are engaged in these efforts to stay competitive with the R&D tax credit. Unhappily, far too many manufacturing companies, especially the small- and medium-sized, are failing to take advantage of the R&D tax credit.
Strong Tours Show ‘Em What You’re Made Of
June 10, 2013 10:19 am | by Cory Schaeffer, Co-Founder of Listen Technologies | CommentsI’ve been on a lot of facility tours. Some have been interesting, while others have been scattered, unorganized and uninspiring. And some have been so informative and engaging that after walking out of the building, I have found that I am not only a life-long customer and advocate of the company’s products, but my confidence has been so validated, that I have sought out and purchased stock in the company.
5 Quick Questions: Siemens’ Helmuth Ludwig
June 10, 2013 9:29 am | CommentsAlthough the company operates a diverse collection of business units in 190 countries, German-based Siemens also employs more than 60,000 people in 130 U.S. manufacturing facilities. So with this in mind, we recently sat down with Helmuth Ludwig, the CEO of Siemens’ Industry Sector in North America.
Q&A: ISO 9001 And ISO 14001 Standard Revisions
June 7, 2013 2:26 pm | CommentsDeveloped through global consensus, International Organization for Standardization standards help to break down barriers to international trade. It just so happens that the revision cycle has fallen on some of the world’s most popular standards, with both ISO 9001 (quality) and ISO 14001 (environmental) among those currently being revised.
Comprehensive Recall Protection, Inside And Out
June 7, 2013 9:22 am | by Joel Hans, Managing Editor, Manufacturing.net | CommentsIn today’s business climate, in particular for many industries that serve consumers directly operate under the assumption that they’ll be subjected to a recall incident at some point. But what about the manufacturers who still think, ‘I’ve never had a recall. It’s not going to happen to me.’?
Graphene Still Strongest Material In The World
June 6, 2013 4:59 pm | by Columbia University | CommentsIn a new study, published in Science May 31, 2013, Columbia Engineering researchers demonstrate that graphene, even if stitched together from many small crystalline grains, is almost as strong as graphene in its perfect crystalline form.
