For older workers, wearables are where it's at May 13, 2020 When the ergonomics team at General Motors decided to field test wearables to augment their plant workers’ physical abilities, they partnered with body mechanics experts who collect data in a scientific way—and talked with users.
CESMII’s SMIP shines in test drive July 15, 2020 In a recent demonstration of the vendor-agnostic Smart Manufacturing Innovation Platform (SMIP) from CESMII, project partners first helped managers of North Carolina State University’s water purification plant get off the dime and analyze the data they were collecting with smart instruments.
CAM Software Plays Key Role in Shop’s 5-Axis Machining Success October 14, 2020 To grow in today’s manufacturing world, shops need to consolidate operations, automate, increase efficiency, capture and analyze data and more, in order to fully leverage opportunities in thriving industries, such as aerospace.
Improved Bucking Bars Speed Production, Increase Safety October 12, 2020 To speed production and increase worker safety in the aerospace industry, major manufacturers are willing to pay a higher price for quality equipment.
MTConnect Exec: Standards Help See Into Future, Integrate Diverse Equipment July 20, 2020 Russell Waddell, managing director at the MTConnect Institute, dives into why so many standards exist, what manufacturers can gain from a digital factory project, and how they can cut through the hype—to at least achieve shop floor monitoring. MTConnect, a standard with more than 10 years of history, frees up manufacturers to focus on value-add functions instead of normalizing data. And it has been installed on more than 50,000 devices worldwide. Today, the use case is not just what happened or what is happening “what is going to happen: looking at … anything that is forward-looking and anticipating what will happen next.” Perhaps most important, embracing standards allows for quick and easy integration of all types and brands of equipment.
What AM was planned for IMTS? July 20, 2020 Had IMTS 2020 taken place as scheduled, it would have been clear that making parts as quickly and cost-effectively as possible remains as the primary goal in manufacturing.
Okuma’s 5-Step Pre-Automation Checklist to Maximize Productivity August 19, 2020 With the potential for a 30% productivity increase or even more, there's a strong incentive for automating CNC machining processes. But before you flip the switch on that robot, you’ll need to check out the surrounding tools and processes.
The Connected Machine Shop June 22, 2020 Change is hard. Whether it’s learning a new software package or setting up a new model of machine tool, many of us wonder at some point, “Is all this hassle worthwhile?” Change can also be risky, raising the specter of lost time, revenue, and reputation.
Getting Supply Chain Risk Under Control June 8, 2020 William Crane, CEO of IndustryStar, an on-demand supply chain services and software technology company, dives into what manufacturers concerned about supply chain risk can do to worry less. In his estimation, “on-demand supply chain risk management resources have really been taking off.” It is possible, he said, to build a “supply chain competitive advantage.” Heard of agile supply chain? If not, he explains it.
Holy Toledo! Dana undertaking visionary digital transformation May 12, 2020 Dana Inc., the automotive supplier that outfits many of the world’s leading automobile brands with drivetrain components and more, is building something very special in-house.