Manufacturing Engineering: September 2020
The September 2020 edition of Manufacturing Engineering is available as a digital magazine. Links to individual articles are below.

Auto Industry Gets Back Into Gear Following COVID-19 Shutdown
August 17, 2020
The North American auto industry slammed on the brakes in March because of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The sector already had been forecast to slow down in 2020, with lower light-vehicle demand. That turned into a sudden stop as the coronavirus spread.

Making Parts for Next-Gen Vehicles
August 18, 2020
Tesla and the march to all-electric cars and trucks may get most of the press. But the reality is that most U.S. automakers need to tackle the twin challenges of building both new components unique to electric vehicles while also building internal combustion engines (ICEs) that are ever-more fuel efficient.

Making Robots Smarter and Safer
August 19, 2020
COVID-19 has taught manufacturers a valuable lesson: when humans fall ill, machine tools and equipment sit idle. Granted, they already knew it, just as they knew that employees take lunch breaks and vacations, arrive late because their car won’t start, and go work at the shop down the street for fifty cents more an hour.

CMMs: More Than Precision
August 20, 2020
The makers of coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) spent a long time in competition to reach the highest levels of repeatable measurement accuracy.

Moldmakers Power Up With Advanced Tech
August 21, 2020
Complex molds containing cores and cavities with fine details and demanding surface finish requirements for injection molding, blow molding, glass molding or blow molding parts require high accuracy for use in automotive, medical, aerospace, or consumer products.

The Connected Machine Shop
August 24, 2020
Part 1 of this three-part series on the Connected Machine Shop ran in the July issue of Manufacturing Engineering.
Shop Solutions
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Measurement & Metrology
Transmission Manufacturer Upgrades QA, Partners with OEM on New Heavy-Duty CMM
August 25, 2020Lean thinking focuses on ways to add value without wasting resources. Benjamin Franklin captured the idea in “Poor Richard’s Almanack,” when he said, “He that idly loses five shillings worth of time, loses five shillings and might as prudently throw five shillings into the river.” -
Grinding & Deburring
Carbide Shop Grows with Advanced Grinding Technology
August 27, 2020To advance means to move forward or expand. In that case, Advanced Carbide Grinding Inc., Derry, Pa., is certainly true to its name. Since the shop’s start in 1999, continuous growth and a commitment to producing the highest-precision quality parts have driven, and continue to drive its success.
Up Front
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Expert Opinion
Taking on ‘Tough’ Challenges in Manufacturing
August 17, 2020One of the truisms about manufacturing today is that manufacturers have a difficult time finding and keeping skilled workers and developing diverse workforces. It’s one of the things I mentioned in my July column.
SME Speaks
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SME Speaks
A Real Challenge Leads to New Science
August 20, 2020The power of any nation owes much to her manufacturing prowess. Our living standard owes much to the ingenuity of humanity. For example, welding was, is and will be an intimate partner in the history of manufacturing.
Advanced Manufacturing Now
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Automation
Adaptive Robots: BFFs for Small-Batch Automation
August 18, 2020Manufacturing engineers, information technologists, and “smart” robots in flexible manufacturing cells are working ever more closely in manufacturing companies around the world. -
Additive Manufacturing & 3D Printing
Bioprinting on the Front Line in War Against Virus
August 19, 2020Bioprinting is in the vanguard of the war against the novel coronavirus and holds promise for greater understanding of the way SAR-CoV-2 works in the human body. -
Manufacturing Management
How Manufacturers Can Navigate in a Crisis
August 28, 2020The manufacturing, automotive and energy sectors are currently battling tremendous challenges as they respond to the unfolding COVID-19 crisis globally.
Software Update
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Software
Intuitive Workflows Speed Product Development
August 21, 2020Manufacturing Engineering: What are some of the latest trends in simulation software for manufacturing? Uwe Schramm, CTO, solvers, optimization and multi-physics, Altair Engineering Inc., Troy, Mich.: I see three trends here. First, manufacturing sim
Viewpoints
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Manufacturing Management
A Playbook for Manufacturers Fighting COVID-19
August 26, 2020When an unanticipated global crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic disrupts national economies in a domino-like effect, a rapid response is required to mitigate supply chain disruptions.