Manufacturers need to create more production setups as batch sizes get smaller. Skilled labor continues to be hard to hire and keep. Higher levels of automation are needed, not just in material handling but also in fabricating, machining, assembly, and inspection.
The Oregon Manufacturing Innovation Center Research and Development (OMIC R&D), a manufacturing research campus hosted by Oregon Tech, has received a $154,000 sponsored project from SMW-AUTOBLOK Corp.