Articles
How To Collaborate With Europeans
February 4, 2013 3:06 pm | by Mike Rainone, Contributing Editor, PD&D | CommentsThe other more astounding revelation from my visit was the sheer mass of manufacturing in Italy. From Bologna and further north, it seems that there is a factory at every countryside, city, and crossroad. While I will admit bias, since all of my grandparents came from Italy, I was astounded by the energy of the people, their inventiveness, and their entrepreneurial spark.
The Forefront Of Fuel Cell Technology
February 4, 2013 1:54 pm | by Frank Devlin, Fuel Cell Segment Manager, The Raymond Corporation | CommentsThrough its long-standing commitment to the environment and corporate sustainability initiatives, UNFI researches and identifies sustainable technologies for use in its facilities, including solar panels for the roofs of its distribution centers and energy-efficient lighting.
Making Use Of Advances In The Integrated Engineering Desktop
February 4, 2013 11:07 am | by Tony Christian, Director, Cambashi | CommentsThe advances that have made this level of accessibility to engineering tools possible are primarily in the areas of system integration, ease of use and processing power. The exchange of geometry between CAD and simulation and analysis systems has become practically seamless, even between systems from different vendors.
A Rose By Any Other Name Is A Lawsuit
February 4, 2013 8:36 am | by Trent Taylor, Partner, McGuireWoods LLP | CommentsShakespeare, while perhaps the greatest writer in the English language, would never have made it as a lawyer. Because, as a recent litigation trend makes clear, what is in a name, what label one gives to describe an item, makes a huge difference, at least with regard to the potential liability of a food manufacturer.
Q&A: Working With Companies To Secure Data
February 1, 2013 2:37 pm | by Jeff Multz, Director, North America Midmarket Sales, Dell SecureWorks | CommentsIn addition to layers of security, they need 24x7x365 human monitoring. And not enough organizations have that. Threat factors are after you 24/7. They don’t stop when you’re sleeping. When companies aren’t watching their networks, hackers can enter sight unseen, and leave malware behind.
Industrial Real Estate Continues To Strengthen Despite Slow Economic Growth
February 1, 2013 2:34 pm | by Jim Morris, Industrial Services Lead, Americas, Cushman & Wakefield, Inc. | CommentsDemand for industrial real estate continues to rise, but modest economic growth continues to impact the sector nationally, according to commercial real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield, Inc.’s 2013-2016 Industrial Forecast Report. And that modest economic growth trend is likely to continue to define the market’s progress for at least another year.
Boeing’s 787 Battery Eggs: All In One Lithium Basket
February 1, 2013 8:38 am | by Karl Stephan, Consulting Engineer, Texas State University, San Marcos | CommentsExcuse the tortured metaphor, but the old advice about not putting all your eggs in one basket applies to engineering as well as to other fields. The implication is that if the basket with all your eggs slips and falls, you’ve lost everything. Boeing hasn’t lost everything, but the battery troubles besetting its new 787 Dreamliner could not have come at a worse time.
Six Things To Consider Before Implementing An EQMS
January 31, 2013 11:28 am | by Mike Roberts | CommentsWhat does quality management software do? From a 30,000 foot view, it helps companies ensure the production and delivery of high quality products and processes. More specifically, though, it streamlines, standardizes, and centralizes cross-functional data from across the value chain.
America Makes, The World Breathes
January 30, 2013 2:26 pm | by Drew Greenblatt, President, Marlin Steel Wire Products LLC | CommentsWe noticed the severe conditions on our trip to China. The smog in Shanghai was stunning. Amid President Obama’s emphasis this week on reaffirming a commitment to combat climate change, it might sound counter-intuitive but bringing back more manufacturing to the United States would help.
Check The Simple Things First
January 30, 2013 8:46 am | by Alan Nicol, Executive Member, AlanNicolSolutions | CommentsWhether it’s equipment maintenance and repair, troubleshooting a process, or fixing business cultural problems, before you gear up for a complete overhaul, check on the simple fundamentals first. Often times the easily overlooked issue is the root cause.
Rising To The Gluten-Free Challenge
January 29, 2013 2:01 pm | by Lindsey Jahn, Associate Editor, Food Manufacturing | CommentsAs gluten-free products become a necessity for a growing number of consumers being diagnosed with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, food companies will need to develop more gluten-free options. While gluten-free manufacturing is no easy undertaking, it offers unique rewards for companies willing to accept the challenge.
Obsolete Industries Won’t Drive Economic Growth
January 29, 2013 1:55 pm | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor, ECN | CommentsUltimately, this mentality serves no one, impedes economic growth, and ignores the explosive potential of new industries to create jobs (see: the Internet) ... and I don’t mean the dubious “green jobs” that were a central tenet of our president’s economic platform. I mean the industries which rise up to make “travel agent” a relic of a bygone era.
New Research Indentifies Major Climate Threat To Global Supply Chains
January 29, 2013 8:49 am | by CDP & Accenture | CommentsSeventy percent of companies believe that climate change has the potential to significantly affect their revenue, a risk which is intensified by a chasm between the sustainable business practices of multinational corporations and their suppliers, according to research published today by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) and Accenture.
Benefits, Risks & Solutions Of Implementing BYOD Policies
January 28, 2013 1:38 pm | by Dean Wiech, Managing Director, Tools4ever | CommentsA new trend gaining speed in many industries is the concept of “bring your own device” (BYOD). Plainly put, BYOD is when employees have the ability to bring their own technical devices—like smart phones, tablets and laptops -- and use the company’s network instead of a company-provided device.
Seven Tips To Help Save Money On LTL Shipping
January 28, 2013 1:13 pm | by Nicholas Isasi, Executive Vice President, DM Transportation | CommentsDespite the benefits of LTL freight shipping, LTL rates can be very confusing. While truckload rates are usually based on a per-mile rate plus a fuel charge, many factors determine LTL rates, and these factors can dramatically impact the cost of a shipment. Here are seven things to know about LTL carrier class rates.
Keep Track Of Your Assets
January 28, 2013 8:22 am | by Adebayo Onigbanjo, Product Marketing Manager – Location Solutions (LS), Zebra Technologies | CommentsGlobal manufacturers are constantly looking for ways to make their operations more agile, efficient and profitable. A smart way to reach those goals is to realize the most value from every asset in its supply chain. However, traditional asset management processes require significant time and resources to search for, identify, and log asset information.
PC VUE Monitors U.S. Wind Farms
January 25, 2013 12:54 pm | by PC VUE SCADA | CommentsIn a room that looks a like NASA Mission Control, systems analysts oversee every turbine at every wind farm throughout the U.S. They monitor the performance and efficiency of every turbine, and they keep an eye on approaching storms to warn technicians of the danger in the field.
Environmentally Friendly Pest Management
January 25, 2013 8:29 am | by Patrick T. Copps, MS, B.C.E., Technical Services Manager, Orkin, LLC | CommentsThe push to use environmentally friendly methods in plant operations, including pest management, continues to gain traction. Conservation and recycling efforts now play a major part in our daily lives, whether at home, at work or at another public place. But what about your facility?
Zero-Max CD Couplings Synchronize Motion In Automated Loading Systems
January 24, 2013 1:19 pm | by Pines Technology | CommentsThe design challenge for the loader system of this size was to come up with a method that would ensure smooth, synchronous motion. The design configuration had to be simple enough to allow for disassembly after initial testing in Pines’ manufacturing plant, then reassembled for actual operation in the customer’s overseas production facilities.
Preventing Miscommunications & Miscalculations
January 24, 2013 7:43 am | by Michelle Lange, Marketing Manager, System Level Engineering Division, Mentor Graphics | CommentsThe development of any aerospace platform is a long-term project fraught with complexity. The penalties for miscommunication or miscalculation often manifest as cost overruns, schedule delays, reliability problems, or potentially dangerous product failures.
