Author: Debbie Holton, Director of Events and Industry Strategy, SME
Date: 5/1/2013
Shifting the innovation model to create new partnerships, connect with the market and prioritize workforce development is not easy. Our industry has spent many years building an enormous, but marginally effective, structure around manufacturing research and technology development. We are emotionally invested in what we’ve built, and therefore psychologically blocked from seeing what needs to change for the future.
Full Article Author: Tim Fausch, Director/Group Publisher, Manufacturing Engineering Media, SME
Date: 4/1/2013
It’s an old bit, but still funny. One guy stands bloodied and beaten to a pulp, but confidently says, “You should see the other guy.” Having spent many years in media supporting the construction market, that’s how I felt entering the manufacturing sector in late 2011. Yes, manufacturing took a beating during the Great Recession, but it has rebounded far faster and is much healthier than construction, which continues to lag.
Full Article Author: Mark C. Tomlinson, CMfgE, EMCP, Executive Director/CEO, SME
Date: 3/1/2013
Since 1996 In the past few months, we have seen US governmental officials continue to delay making the hard decisions that need to be made. They cannot come to a consensus on what the best path forward is for our great country. These officials also do not have answers to the great dilemma we face regarding gun control. If these so-called leaders were in the business of making things, they would be either out of a job or out of business!
Full Article Author: Brian A. Ruestow, President, SME Education Foundation
Date: 2/1/2013
In 1980, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) established the SME Manufacturing Engineering Education Foundation, now known as the SME Education Foundation (SME-EF). The $1 million fund established by the Society financed the Foundation during its first five years.
Full Article Author: Dennis S. Bray, PhD, FSME
SME President
Date: 1/1/2013
As we recover from our New Year’s celebrations, it is a good time for us to start thinking about the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead in 2013. The world is still trying to recover from its political and economic hangover.
Full Article Author: Mark C. Tomlinson, CMfgE, EMCP, Executive Director/CEO
Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME)
www.sme.org
Date: 1/1/2013
We are hearing in the daily news about the impending fiscal cliff. All of us know this problem needs to be solved quickly if we are going to stay on the path of economic growth. If not resolved, all the good work that has been accomplished around workforce development in 2012 will take a backseat to real economic and financial worries, which will ultimately affect our manufacturing vitality.
Full Article Author: SME President LaRoux K. Gillespie, Dr. Eng., FSME, CMfgE, PE
Date: 12/1/2012
This has been an exceptional year for SME. Using proven commercial modules in a cloud-computing environment, we changed 25 years of computing practice and coding, which took monumental effort on behalf of our staff.
Full Article Author: Brock Strunk, Chair, Member Council, SME
Date: 11/1/2012
As 2012 comes to a close, all of us can look back at the many great experiences we had as SME members and volunteer leaders. I would like to take this opportunity to say a special thank you to all of my fellow volunteer leaders and SME staff that provided their guidance and personal time to help this year’s Member Council lead the member engagement activities of the Society.
Full Article Author: Dennis S. Bray, SME President-Elect
Date: 10/1/2012
Dennis S. Bray, PhD, FSME, President-Elect, SME, explains the concept of the Technical Community Network, SME's growing role in the development of additive manufacturing and SME's dedication to lifelong learning and innovation.
Full Article Author: Ronald J. Bennett, PhD, Leader, Center for Education, SME
Date: 9/1/2012
Distracted by the economic downturn of the past few years and widespread reports of the "demise" of US manufacturing, we in the United States lost track of the emerging crisis. Unfilled jobs, worker shortages, and the impending loss of experienced manufacturing workers who postponed retirement because of the downturn have gone virtually unnoticed.
Full Article Author: Manufacturing Engineering Media Staff
Date: 8/16/2012
The Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) will be playing an integral role in the new National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute. The news was announced this morning by the U.S. Department of Commerce and Department of Defense in Youngstown, Ohio.
Full Article Author: SME Executive Director/CEO Mark C. Tomlinson
Date: 8/1/2012
Manufacturing is still at the forefront of discussions across North America. Politicians, our current government, the press, and people having conversations by the water cooler are talking about the importance of this sector to the recovery of the economy. The dialog is as broad as how manufacturing helps in the development of a viable economy to as narrow as how an individual develops the right skills to be employable in this important sector.
Full Article Author: SME President-Elect Dennis S. Bray, PhD, FSME
Date: 7/1/2012
Since 1985 In Lewis Carroll’s novel, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Alice comes to the proverbial fork in the road and asks the Cheshire Cat "Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?" To which the Cheshire Cat responds, "That depends a good deal on where you want to get to." and Alice answers, "I don’t much care where."
Full Article Author: SME President LaRoux K. Gillespie, Dr. Eng., FSME, CMfgE, PE
Date: 6/1/2012
Many of us who grew up in SME chapters are used to the common issues of running a membership organization, but no one talks about what happens in SME Board of Director meetings. To some it is mysterious, a behind-closed-door meeting attended by only a few select attendees.
Full Article Author: Jesse Paschall, 2011 SME Education Foundation Family Scholarship Winner
Date: 5/1/2012
At North Carolina State University, I have quickly learned how to deal with situations that will be beneficial for the rest of my life. While much of my learning has been school based, my first year of college has essentially been about learning how to navigate college and life on my own. Living 850 miles from home, I have had to learn how to solve many of my own problems.
Full Article Author: Rodney Grover, Senior Development Officer, SME Education Foundation
Date: 4/1/2012
In 2011, the NAM Manufacturing Institute and Deloitte documented that 81% of Americans identified manufacturing as the No. 1 industry they would like in their community to build wealth and create jobs. Unfortunately, only 35% of those people would advise their children and grandchildren to work in manufacturing. That is a huge gap and much of it is created by the millions of Americans with an old, outdated image of manufacturing.
Full Article Author: SME Director of Events and Industry Strategy Debbie Holton
Date: 4/1/2012
Maybe you’ve heard the theory that people who live together for a long time start to look alike. The same is true when benchmarking competitors in our same marketspace, or worse yet, simply looking inward at our own operations. The smaller the circle of investigation and curiosity, the less likely true innovation will happen. Full Article
Author: SME Director of Membership Joseph J. LaRussa
Date: 3/1/2012
Growth is many things. It’s a business objective, a sign of health, a personal goal, and a measure of satisfaction. SME and its members consider growth to be all of these, and together we’re achieving it. Considering growth as a business objective, SME membership grew by 4% in 2011. More than 6700 new members joined the Society in 2011, demonstrating that our value promise to our members is strong and compelling. Full Article
Author: Chas Manning, SME Student Chapter Chair, Boston University S063
Date: 2/1/2012
SME’s Boston University S063 student chapter had an amazing opportunity in June 2011 when it sent three of its student members (myself, Brianna Nelson, and Colleen Neely) to Seattle for the 2011 SME Annual Conference. This occasion was made possible because of the support from Boston University’s College of Engineering and the incredible generosity of SME’s Boston No. 33 chapter.
Full Article Author: Paul D. Bradley
Date: 12/1/2011
As I end my term as the 2011 SME president, I do so with a great deal of pride and wonder. Pride because we’ve accomplished so much within such a short period of time, and wonder at all the activities that took place in just one year.
Full Article Author: Chris Riegel
Date: 11/1/2011
What is the driving force that allows the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) to be the world’s leading professional society for advancing manufacturing knowledge? The answer is our members who are willing to share their talents and time with other members and manufacturing practitioners throughout the world.
Full Article Author: Mark C. Tomlinson
Date: 9/1/2011
In the past, I have talked extensively about the collaborative activities SME has been involved in, which supports our vision of being the go-to place for manufacturing knowledge.
Full Article Author: Paul D. Bradley
Date: 8/1/2011
When I first began my term in January and wrote my initial SME Speaks, there was still a great deal of activity surrounding Tooling U, the approval/purchase of the association management software (AMS), and preparation for the new knowledge delivery system—all of which are bringing SME to the forefront of technology, not behind it.
Full Article Author: Ronald J. Bennett
Date: 7/1/2011
Imagine being a king in the 16th century. You lived in a cold stone building with no central heating. You likely had neither running water nor indoor plumbing unless you were one of the world’s wealthiest kings. If you wanted entertainment, you had to bring the musicians, actors, and jesters to the court.
Full Article Author: Melly Meyers
Date: 6/1/2011
As the academic year comes to a close, I can confidently look back and say that I am proud of all I have accomplished here on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison as a nuclear engineering undergraduate. The college experience is so much better than I ever expected it to be—and I expected it to be pretty awesome!
Full Article Author: LaRoux K. Gillespie
Date: 5/1/2011
How do you document your professional development? How does your company determine how far along you are in your position and when you are ready for the next step up? As a manager of many people, I have had to assess that many times.
Full Article Author: Renee Parsons
Date: 4/1/2011
I am very fortunate to be the 2011 chair of SME’s Seattle No. 39, which is the host chapter for the 2011 SME Annual Conference, the theme of which is "Manufacturing Velocity."
Full Article Author: John R. Uzzolino
Date: 3/1/2011
How do you win friends and influence people? Through e-mail, Web sites, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, online forums, and YouTube? My guess is that Dale Carnegie would have answered this question by saying, "Read my book." How to Win Friends and Influence People is one of the most famous self-help books ever written.
Full Article Author: Paul D. Bradley
Date: 1/1/2011
Every New Year ushers in new opportunities, and in SME’s case, a different president. As with every SME president before me, we all share one common goal: to make SME as successful as it can possibly be; 2011 will be no exception. When I joined SME more than 20 years ago, I had no idea that I would one day become its president.
Full Article Author: Juergen Boenisch, PhD, Dipl.-Eng, CMC, CSCM, Past Chair and Senior Executive Advisor, Toronto No. 26
Date: 7/1/2010
Toronto No. 26 was founded in 1939 and is one of the oldest SME chapters. Over the years, our past chairs, executives, supporters, and predecessors have done a remarkable job of arranging countless and impressive events, plant tours, technical education, social gatherings, and workforce development.
Full Article Author: Joseph J. LaRussa, SME Director of Membership
Date: 6/1/2010
Webster's Dictionary defines membership as "the state of being a member, as of a society or club." In my opinion, membership is also a statement of commitment, pride, and loyalty. Being a member of an organization represents a measure of status that sets an individual apart from their peers. As the new director of membership and a proud SME member, I'm excited to be a part of the membership team, and motivated to work with all of our members to build a stronger, better SME.
Full Article Author: Barbara M. Fossum, PhD, FSME, 2010 President
Date: 5/1/2010
In 1938, SME began a longstanding tradition of gathering its members together every year to discuss Society business and to honor outstanding individuals for their contribution to manufacturing. What was originally known as the "Annual Dinner" evolved into the "Annual Meeting," and then into the "SME Annual Conference." While its title has changed, the two original key elements (the annual business update and the gala) are still a core part the Annual Conference."
Full Article Author: Khalil S. Taraman, PhD, FSME, PE, President, SME Education Foundation
Date: 4/1/2010
For more than 50 years, SME has recognized manufacturing professionals at various stages of their careers. In particular, SME's International Honor Awards honor those at the zenith of their careers who have made significant contributions to such manufacturing areas as research, education, processes, and the Society itself.
Full Article Author: Mark C Tomlinson, CMfgE, EMCP, Executive Director/CEO, Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME)
Date: 2/1/2010
As we emerge from the worst recession ever and look to the future, many economic factors need to change before the recovery reaches the core of the US manufacturing economy, the real engine for prosperity. The following actions could accelerate that recovery.
Full Article Author: Innovation Watch Committee, SME
Date: 1/1/2010
What do you do when the rules of the game change? Most will do something different. That's the situation many manufacturers are facing today. SME is playing multiple roles to support these efforts by connecting manufacturing professionals to resources that can help them define their future.
Full Article Author: Barbara M. Fossum, PhD FSME, 2010 SME President
Date: 1/1/2010
Thank you for the opportunity to be your SME President in 2010. Over the past few years as an officer of SME, I have been growing a wish list. I would like to share this list with you now, to give you an idea of what I think is important. Please open your imaginations for a few minutes, to project yourselves into the future with this wish list.
Full Article Author: Richard W. Shoemaker, FSME, 2009 President, SME
Date: 12/1/2009
When I began my term as SME President in January, the recession was in full swing, and all of us were feeling the effects of the economic downturn. It's now late 2009, and the Federal Reserve has indicated that "the recession is ending and the economy is finally growing again" (AP, 2009). Let us hope that the Fed is correct. Individually and collectively, we've all learned valuable lessons from living in and coping with the recession.
Full Article Author: Michael F. Molnar, FSME, CMfgE, PE, Chair, 2009 SME Member Council
Date: 11/1/2009
SME has been described as many different things, and in a sense all are true as dimensions of the leading society for advancing manufacturing knowledge. As a source of expositions, technical conferences, training, and a myriad of publications, our claim to "influencing more than half a million manufacturing practitioners annually" is widely regarded as a very low, conservative estimate. Tens of thousands choose to be individual members of SME, and these members are the basis of our first distinction as THE manufacturing professional society.
Full Article Author: Mark Tomlinson, CMfgE, EMCP, Executive Director and General Manager, SME
Date: 10/1/2009
SME is almost 78 years old. If you do the math, it means the Society was started during the depths of the Great Depression. I sometimes wonder what the Society's founders were thinking. Were they thinking that, as the country was coming out of its worst economy in history, was it a good time to provide information to companies and manufacturing practitioners? Were they wondering how to be competitive in an environment where just surviving was at the forefront of everyone's mind?
Full Article Author: Isidro "Izzy" Galicia, President and CEO, Incito Consulting Group
Date: 9/1/2009
This fall, nine manufacturing leaders will be elected to the SME College of Fellows. An SME Fellow is a member recognized by the manufacturing community as a contributor to the social, technological, and educational aspects of the profession. This prestigious honor can only be earned through at least 20 years of dedication and service to manufacturing engineering by SME members in good standing.
Full Article Author: Rex K. Brown, Principal Engineer, National Nuclear Security Administration
Date: 8/1/2009
Benjamin Franklin wrote in a letter to Benjamin Webb dated April 22, 1784: "I do not pretend to give such a Sum; I only lend it to you. When you meet with another honest Man in similar Distress, you must pay me by lending this Sum to him; enjoining him to discharge the Debt by a like operation, when he shall be able, and shall meet with another opportunity. I hope it may thus go thro' many hands, before it meets with a Knave that will stop its Progress. This is a trick of mine for doing a deal of good with a little money."
Full Article Author: Richard W. Showmaker, FSME, 2009 SME President
Date: 7/1/2009
In 1932, when the Society of Tool Engineers (now the Society of Manufacturing Engineers) was originally formed, the world was in crisis and living through the Great Depression, where jobs and food were scarce. In 1933, at the worst point in the depression, more than 15 million Americans—one-quarter of the nation's workforce—were unemployed (MSN Encarta, 2009).
Full Article Author: Mark C. Tomlinson, CMfgE, EMCP, Executive Director and General Manager, SME
Date: 6/1/2009
We are in turbulent times. Many traditional jobs in manufacturing are disappearing. The decreasing need for repetitive-assembly and lower-skilled manufacturing positions is talked about on a daily basis by the pundits as a portent of the decline and eventual disappearance of the manufacturing sector in the US. I personally believe they are wrong.
Full Article Author: Michael C. Burstein, PhD, CEI, President, T.I.P.E. Inc.
Date: 5/1/2009
When chapter activity throughout the Society was at its peak, the focus of this activity was preparation of members for certification exams, and then the provision of chapter events to give members the opportunity to earn credits to maintain their certifications. With the notable exception of a handful of chapters across the US and Canada, this central role of the chapters in certification has faded away.
Full Article Author: LaRoux K. Gillespie, Dr Eng, FSME, CMfgE, PE, SME Secretary/Treasurer
Date: 4/1/2009
In March 2008, then SME President Neil Duffie, PhD, FSME, CMfgE, tasked a group of SME members to provide strategies for the Society's role in higher education, the results of which will be released later this year. One of the most thought-provoking issues that arose from this task force and its discussions was: "Where should SME focus its efforts?"
Full Article Author: Terry Wohlers, FSME, Manufacturing Enterprise Council, SME
Date: 3/1/2009
This marks the second year for SME to showcase Innovations That Could Change the Way You Manufacture. It is a member-driven initiative that reveals new and emerging technologies that are expected to impact the future of manufacturing. SME members have steered this program through the Technical Community Network (TCN) and Manufacturing Enterprise Council (MEC).
Full Article Date: 2/1/2009
SME established its International Awards and Recognition Program in 1954. The first award recipients were honored at the Society's 1955 Annual Meeting.
Full Article Author: Richard W. Shoemaker, FSME, 2009 SME President
Date: 1/1/2009
For many of us in the manufacturing community, 2008 was a year filled with economic struggles, a historic election, and a growing sense that change is necessary. Every morning, the news headlines tell us that manufacturers are fighting a battle to keep their products in the marketplace, while others are waging a war to keep their doors open and their employees working. There are those, however, who have decided that their old methods and current product lines will have to change to keep up with the evolving world that we live in.
Full Article Author: Neil A. Duffie, PhD, FSME, CMfgE, 2008 SME President
Date: 12/1/2008
Throughout the year, the SME Speaks guest editorials that appear in this magazine have offered you a glimpse into the complex world that is SME. Being a complex organization—with a core of strong, loyal members—allows the Society to do what it does best: transfer manufacturing knowledge to knowledge seekers.
Full Article Author: Ronald A. Bohlander, PhD, FSME, Chair, 2008 SME Member Council
Date: 11/1/2008
It is my pleasure as the 2008 chair of SME's Member Council to say "thank you" to all the many volunteers who have done so much to make the Society a true community. As involved members, we share a strong sense of the excitement of meeting challenges in our personal career journeys, and also in the lives of the companies and institutions we work for in the global manufacturing community. Beyond that, we share a commitment to one another in building a Society of mutually supportive people, and creating many avenues in which we share our professional excitement and knowledge.
Full Article Author: Mark C. Tomlinson, CMfgT, CEM, Executive Director and General Manager, Society of Manufacturing Engineers
Date: 10/1/2008
In the day-to-day activities of a manufacturing enterprise, practitioners are always looking for ways to obtain a competitive edge that allows their company to gain an advantage over the competition. Innovation and process improvement are key attributes in a company's success. To evaluate the success of a society like ours and determine what is best for our members, readers, and product buyers, we have to be mindful of our mission—which is to transfer knowledge.
Full Article Date: 9/1/2008
Throughout the Introduction to Motorsports class recently conducted as a joint venture by two of America's leading motorsports universities, the most commonly asked question was, "Why wasn't there a class about racing like this when I was in college?" That query was echoed time and again by guest speakers and industry representatives from all over motorsports, as Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) and Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) conducted this two-week class that immersed students in an indepth exposure to careers in the motorsports industry.
Full Article Author: Neil A. Duffie, PhD., FSME, CMfgE, 2008 SME President
Date: 7/1/2008
Since the Society was formed more than 75 years ago, its goal has been to serve its members and advance manufacturing engineering. One of the ways in which the Society accomplishes this goal is through its technical publications.
Full Article Author: Rod Handy, Michael Whitt, Satish Boregowda, Henry Kraebber, and Christy Bozic
Date: 6/1/2008
SME is teaming up with a technical engagement group from Purdue University on the development of a Green Manufacturing Skills/Specialist Certificate Program. After completion of an extensive competency and outcome assessment by SME Certification, this program could lead to a full-blown, professional certification program in the area of green manufacturing.
Full Article Author: Glen H. Pearson, President, SME-EF
Date: 5/1/2008
Envision living without cars, computers, or air conditioning. Daily life would be very different without these and many other American inventions, from the common zipper to cutting-edge lasers. Fortunately, Americans have a rich history of invention and an unwavering dedication to innovation. These qualities have given us an edge in engineering and manufacturing, and make us a true powerhouse in the global marketplace.
Full Article Author: Robert B. Pojasek, PhD, Senior Associate, First Environment
Date: 4/1/2008
The term "green manufacturing" has different meanings to different people, usually based on their discipline and training. You can get needlessly sidetracked by definitional disputes. Becoming green should be considered to be a journey, not a destination or static state.
Full Article Author: Lee H. Loeb, Manufacturing Consultant, LHL Design & Drafting Services
Date: 4/1/2008
Manufacturing engineers have been employed for decades to manufacture medical devices, working with biomedical product design engineers and physicians. In 1973, I was a tool and mold designer for a small medical company that molded and extruded medical-grade silicone rubber.
Full Article Author: Manufacturing Enterprise Council, SME
Date: 3/1/2008
In October 2007, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers made the announcement that a new initiative had been developed—Innovations That Could Change the Way You Manufacture—a member-driven program to discover and showcase new and emerging technologies that are making a difference in manufacturing.
Full Article Author: Mark C Tomlinson, CMfgE, EMCP, Executive Director/CEO, SME
Date: 2/1/2008
In our daily lives, where we continue to balance our work, family, and personal time, acquiring information that supports our professional needs becomes increasingly difficult. Our first recourse is to search the Internet, which can sometimes be overwhelming because of the large amount of information that is available. We also look for articles from publications we subscribe to, such as the one you opened today—Manufacturing Engineering magazine.
Full Article Author: Neil A. Duffie, PhD, FSME, CMfgE, 2008 SME President
Date: 1/1/2008
In recent years, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers has used the tagline Where Manufacturing Comes Together to emphasize and promote one of its greatest assets—its members and their ability to help one another and the manufacturing community at large. As I begin my term as the 2008 SME President, I do so with a great deal of excitement and anticipation, because I know that 2008 is going to be full of opportunities for the Society and its members.
Full Article Author: Gunter Warnecke, Dr.-Ing, University of Kaiserlautern, Germany
Date: 12/1/2007
Production forms the backbone of every economy. Industrial production includes the systems and processes of planning, manufacturing, logistics, quality management, and control. At the same time, manufacturing technique, as the core of industrial production, covers a wide spectrum of key technologies for processing of raw material and molding of components, as well as assembly of modules and products.
Full Article Author: F. Brian Holmes, CMfgE, 2007 SME President
Date: 11/1/2007
It's hard to believe how quickly the year is winding down, and that this will be my last column in Manufacturing Engineering as President of SME. Of course, I will continue to do what I can to help the Society achieve its mission and goals in the future, but from a different perspective.
Full Article Author: Gary A. Langenwalter, ConfluencePoint
Date: 10/1/2007
Although lean and quality are powerful and effective, so many companies have implemented these processes in the last 20 years that they no longer provide a competitive edge. Instead, they are expected to be the foundation on which any good business operates. The next competitive edge is sustainability, which incorporates environmental and social values in the corporate focus/goals.
Full Article Author: F. Brian Holmes, CMfgE, 2007 SME President
Date: 9/1/2007
September is traditionally the time for a restart. School and continuing education classes get going with the promise of personal development and challenges for the future. It's the time to kick-start any stalled goals for the year, the time to focus on harvesting the results from the work of the previous seasons.
Full Article Author: Philip J. F. Spiers, B. Eng, C. Eng, MRAeS, Manager, Messier Dowty Ltd., A Safran Group Co.
Date: 8/1/2007
When I was asked to write this "SME Speaks" guest editorial, I thought that it would be simply a matter of listing the technologies that I am currently looking at in my day-to-day work. However, the more I thought about it and the more I tried to write, I realized that there is a very large human-relationship side to technology development.
Full Article Author: F. Brian Holmes, CMfgE, 2007 SME President
Date: 7/1/2007
Summer is upon us—the traditional time to take vacations with our families and recharge. For me, it's a time to enjoy the family, the weather, the garden, and the motorcycle. It is also a time to revamp the plant for more efficient molding and toolmaking, to ensure our competitive edge for the years to come.
Full Article Author: Glen H. Pearson, President, SME Education Foundation
Date: 6/1/2007
A good education is the key to much of what we all want in life. In this month's SME member communications, we celebrate the Society's commitment to education. Evidence of this commitment to youth is found in the programs and actions of the SME Education Foundation.
Full Article Author: F. Brian Holmes, 2007 SME President
Date: 5/1/2007
Welcome to spring! This is a time of growth and renewal in all things, and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers is also growing and renewing in many ways. On the technical information front, May is a very busy month for us. We've organized leading events to bring manufacturing practitioners and their companies the technology and trends info they need to be competitive.
Full Article Author: John Morehouse, Chair, SME Atlanta Chapter 061, Research Engineer, Georgia Tech
Date: 4/1/2007
In the spring of 2003, after working in design and manufacturing in industry for six years, I began my current position as a research engineer at the Manufacturing Research Center at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). Shortly after I started, I asked myself: "What things do I need to do to be successful in this position?"
Full Article Author: F. Brian Holmes, CMfgE, 2007 SME President
Date: 3/1/2007
Excellence. World Class. Global Leadership. These terms all refer to the best and the brightest. We need these people in all facets of manufacturing today if we are to be world leaders in products and value.
Full Article Author: Richard C. Peters, CMfgE, PE, Past President SME, Chief Manufacturing Engineer, The Timken Co.
Date: 2/1/2007
It's February—the shortest, coldest, most-often-misspelled month of the year. In my book, that makes February just about the most unappreciated page on the calendar. But for all of those apparent shortcomings, this month has a truly redeeming quality: it is the time that we engineers set aside to celebrate our great profession.
Full Article Author: F. Brian Holes, CMfgE, 2007 SME President
Date: 1/1/2007
I have been reflecting on the 75th anniversary of SME as I step into the office of the SME president. Today, while we have many advantages over those who went before us, we face many challenges that are not unlike those of our predecessors.
Full Article Author: William J. Geary, 2006 SME President
Date: 3/1/2006
Six years ago, in his groundbreaking book, Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of the American Community, Robert Putnam observed society’s declining participation in community activities such as bowling teams, political parties, clubs, and professional associations. He noted that with the rise in dual-income households, increased work pressures, and electronic communications, people just weren’t finding the time for these critical bonding activities.
Full Article Author: Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, President, Starcraft Enterprises
Date: 2/1/2006
SME members have experienced many walks of life and many cultures. Society's need for their manufacturing expertise has sent them to the most remote locations, to the highest buildings, and into the deepest oceans. The SME member who's "speaking out" this month has traveled further than anyone we've talked with before—to the moon.
Full Article Author: William J. Geary, 2006 SME President
Date: 1/1/2006
When you compare the aerospace industry with the performance racing industry, it's exciting to see the similarities between the manufacturing applications and approaches used by their top engineers. These similarities demonstrate the value of sharing technical knowledge across manufacturing industries.
Full Article