Ways to Effectively Address Supply-Chain Risk Laid Bare by COVID-19 October 2, 2020 When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, many aerospace and defense manufacturers realized they were not resilient enough to withstand the resulting challenges in their supply chains.
Manufacturing Expansion Eases in September October 1, 2020 Manufacturing economic expansion eased in September while remaining at strong levels overall, the Institute for Supply Management said today.
GM Quarterly Earnings Rebound November 5, 2020 General Motors Co. today reported a third-quarter earnings recovery on sales of high-profit trucks.
Targeting the Skills Gap in Forming and Fabricating July 24, 2020 As in other industries, U.S. forming and fabricating companies are experiencing a critical shortage of skilled labor. In this SME Media podcast, Alan Rooks, Editor in Chief of Manufacturing Engineering magazine, talks with Robert Tessier, National Director of Advanced Fabrication Technologies for Airgas about the skills gap in the forming and fabricating industry; changes needed in the education system to fill the need for skilled labor; how automation factors into efforts to reduce the skills gap; and efforts at Airgas to develop workers for manufacturing operations, including a special program for military veterans.
Autonomous Mobile Robots Drive Manufacturing Versatility September 3, 2020 Robotics have come a long way since the first industrial robot was installed at General Motors. Denise Ebenhoech, Regional Head of Advanced Robotics Applications at KUKA Robotics, sits down with Chris Mahar, Associate Editor, to discuss recent developments within mobile robots. From cleans rooms to job shops to moving entire airplane assemblies, autonomous mobile robots are helping manufacturers succeed in today’s advanced manufacturing landscape.
Protolabs CEO Headlines Panel Discussion at ‘The Best of SMX Virtual Event’ October 28, 2020 While the manufacturing industry learns to deal with COVID-19, it is also undergoing seismic change from other critical issues. Four industry leaders take on these issues in a panel discussion titled, “How Smart Manufacturing is Disrupting the Supply Chain - Are You Prepared?”
Executive Discusses AI's Impact on Workers October 14, 2020 The CEO of an artificial intelligence company discusses how AI affects workers and how AI can be deployed well.
Study Shows Big Increase in Digital Readiness September 29, 2020 While the manufacturing sector generates large amounts of data, relatively few companies have fully harnessed that data to improve operational efficiencies.
Rush job? No prob! September 24, 2020 Improvements in manufacturing management software, robotics, additive manufacturing and thermal controls are making small batch sizes more cost effective—even for smaller shops. Manufacturing plants are able to reduce inventory, improve throughput and reduce demands on human operators.
National Safety Council: COVID-19 on Pace to Become Third Leading Cause of Death in 2020 August 20, 2020 The National Safety Council says it is highly alarmed to see that the mortality numbers for COVID-19 already have surpassed the total annual number of preventable, accidental deaths in 2018, the most recent year of final data—and it is only August. At this pace, COVID-19 likely will be the third leading cause of death in 2020, behind only heart disease and cancer.