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Media
Manufacturing Engineering & Technology Magazine
December 2019
Manufacturing Engineering: December 2019
The December 2019 edition of Manufacturing Engineering is available as a digital magazine. Links to individual articles are below.
View Digital Magazine
Time to Prepare, Not Panic, in 2020
November 26, 2019
Expect at least two recessions, or downturns in GDP growth, in the next few years. That is the prediction of Brian Beaulieu, CEO and chief economist for ITR Economics.
By
SME Media Staff
Manufacturing Management
Purchasing Cutting Tools in the Digital Age
November 27, 2019
You don’t have to spend too much time looking to be overwhelmed with useful information from distributors and cutting tool manufacturers about solutions that yield lowest cost per part, per hole, or per tool.
By
Jim Lorincz
Contributing Editor,
SME Media
Tooling & Workholding
Machine Tool Buying in the Internet Age
December 2, 2019
Much about the process of buying machine tools has changed over the last decade. And much hasn’t.
By
Ed Sinkora
Contributing Editor,
SME Media
Tooling & Workholding
Sizing Up Deburring Operations
December 3, 2019
It’s a sad fact of practically all metal removal operations that, no matter how sharp the tool or free-machining the material, there are going to be burrs, hanging chads, ragged corners, and other edge quality issues that must be dealt with before calling the workpiece complete.
By
Kip Hanson
Contributing Editor,
SME Media
Grinding & Deburring
Shop Solutions
MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING
The Hidden Friction in Automation Integration
Meaghan Ziemba, Contributing Editor
April 16, 2026
Manufacturers continue to invest in shop-floor automation, but the hardest part of the work rarely starts with choosing a robot, selecting end-of-arm tooling or approving a software platform. Trouble starts when a concept that makes perfect sense in planning is forced to live inside a real factory, where aging equipment, inconsistent inputs, disconnected data, undocumented workarounds and relentless production pressure all shape the outcome. Automation often enters a facility as the answer to a problem, yet implementation has a way of exposing everything that slowed down operations for years.
NEWS DESK
Manufacturing Workers at Higher Risk of Injury
Michael McConnell
April 16, 2026
Manufacturing remains one of the industries where workers—especially new workers—are more likely to suffer on-the-job injuries.
ADDITIVE
Additive Manufacturing as a Strategic Link Between Defense and Energy
Eartha Hopkins, Content Coordinator, America Makes
April 15, 2026
Global supply chains continue to face sustained strain, marked by extended lead times, rising costs and limited flexibility when disruptions occur. In the defense and energy sectors, where reliability and responsiveness are mission critical, these pressures pose serious operational risk. Equipment downtime, delayed repairs and constrained access to replacement parts can quickly ripple into readiness gaps or lost production.
Upfront
MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING
The Hidden Friction in Automation Integration
Meaghan Ziemba, Contributing Editor
April 16, 2026
Manufacturers continue to invest in shop-floor automation, but the hardest part of the work rarely starts with choosing a robot, selecting end-of-arm tooling or approving a software platform. Trouble starts when a concept that makes perfect sense in planning is forced to live inside a real factory, where aging equipment, inconsistent inputs, disconnected data, undocumented workarounds and relentless production pressure all shape the outcome. Automation often enters a facility as the answer to a problem, yet implementation has a way of exposing everything that slowed down operations for years.
NEWS DESK
Manufacturing Workers at Higher Risk of Injury
Michael McConnell
April 16, 2026
Manufacturing remains one of the industries where workers—especially new workers—are more likely to suffer on-the-job injuries.
ADDITIVE
Additive Manufacturing as a Strategic Link Between Defense and Energy
Eartha Hopkins, Content Coordinator, America Makes
April 15, 2026
Global supply chains continue to face sustained strain, marked by extended lead times, rising costs and limited flexibility when disruptions occur. In the defense and energy sectors, where reliability and responsiveness are mission critical, these pressures pose serious operational risk. Equipment downtime, delayed repairs and constrained access to replacement parts can quickly ripple into readiness gaps or lost production.
Advanced Manufacturing Now
MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING
The Hidden Friction in Automation Integration
Meaghan Ziemba, Contributing Editor
April 16, 2026
Manufacturers continue to invest in shop-floor automation, but the hardest part of the work rarely starts with choosing a robot, selecting end-of-arm tooling or approving a software platform. Trouble starts when a concept that makes perfect sense in planning is forced to live inside a real factory, where aging equipment, inconsistent inputs, disconnected data, undocumented workarounds and relentless production pressure all shape the outcome. Automation often enters a facility as the answer to a problem, yet implementation has a way of exposing everything that slowed down operations for years.
NEWS DESK
Manufacturing Workers at Higher Risk of Injury
Michael McConnell
April 16, 2026
Manufacturing remains one of the industries where workers—especially new workers—are more likely to suffer on-the-job injuries.
ADDITIVE
Additive Manufacturing as a Strategic Link Between Defense and Energy
Eartha Hopkins, Content Coordinator, America Makes
April 15, 2026
Global supply chains continue to face sustained strain, marked by extended lead times, rising costs and limited flexibility when disruptions occur. In the defense and energy sectors, where reliability and responsiveness are mission critical, these pressures pose serious operational risk. Equipment downtime, delayed repairs and constrained access to replacement parts can quickly ripple into readiness gaps or lost production.
SME Speaks
MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING
The Hidden Friction in Automation Integration
Meaghan Ziemba, Contributing Editor
April 16, 2026
Manufacturers continue to invest in shop-floor automation, but the hardest part of the work rarely starts with choosing a robot, selecting end-of-arm tooling or approving a software platform. Trouble starts when a concept that makes perfect sense in planning is forced to live inside a real factory, where aging equipment, inconsistent inputs, disconnected data, undocumented workarounds and relentless production pressure all shape the outcome. Automation often enters a facility as the answer to a problem, yet implementation has a way of exposing everything that slowed down operations for years.
NEWS DESK
Manufacturing Workers at Higher Risk of Injury
Michael McConnell
April 16, 2026
Manufacturing remains one of the industries where workers—especially new workers—are more likely to suffer on-the-job injuries.
ADDITIVE
Additive Manufacturing as a Strategic Link Between Defense and Energy
Eartha Hopkins, Content Coordinator, America Makes
April 15, 2026
Global supply chains continue to face sustained strain, marked by extended lead times, rising costs and limited flexibility when disruptions occur. In the defense and energy sectors, where reliability and responsiveness are mission critical, these pressures pose serious operational risk. Equipment downtime, delayed repairs and constrained access to replacement parts can quickly ripple into readiness gaps or lost production.
Workforce Pipeline
MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING
The Hidden Friction in Automation Integration
Meaghan Ziemba, Contributing Editor
April 16, 2026
Manufacturers continue to invest in shop-floor automation, but the hardest part of the work rarely starts with choosing a robot, selecting end-of-arm tooling or approving a software platform. Trouble starts when a concept that makes perfect sense in planning is forced to live inside a real factory, where aging equipment, inconsistent inputs, disconnected data, undocumented workarounds and relentless production pressure all shape the outcome. Automation often enters a facility as the answer to a problem, yet implementation has a way of exposing everything that slowed down operations for years.
NEWS DESK
Manufacturing Workers at Higher Risk of Injury
Michael McConnell
April 16, 2026
Manufacturing remains one of the industries where workers—especially new workers—are more likely to suffer on-the-job injuries.
ADDITIVE
Additive Manufacturing as a Strategic Link Between Defense and Energy
Eartha Hopkins, Content Coordinator, America Makes
April 15, 2026
Global supply chains continue to face sustained strain, marked by extended lead times, rising costs and limited flexibility when disruptions occur. In the defense and energy sectors, where reliability and responsiveness are mission critical, these pressures pose serious operational risk. Equipment downtime, delayed repairs and constrained access to replacement parts can quickly ripple into readiness gaps or lost production.
Viewpoints
MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING
The Hidden Friction in Automation Integration
Meaghan Ziemba, Contributing Editor
April 16, 2026
Manufacturers continue to invest in shop-floor automation, but the hardest part of the work rarely starts with choosing a robot, selecting end-of-arm tooling or approving a software platform. Trouble starts when a concept that makes perfect sense in planning is forced to live inside a real factory, where aging equipment, inconsistent inputs, disconnected data, undocumented workarounds and relentless production pressure all shape the outcome. Automation often enters a facility as the answer to a problem, yet implementation has a way of exposing everything that slowed down operations for years.
NEWS DESK
Manufacturing Workers at Higher Risk of Injury
Michael McConnell
April 16, 2026
Manufacturing remains one of the industries where workers—especially new workers—are more likely to suffer on-the-job injuries.
ADDITIVE
Additive Manufacturing as a Strategic Link Between Defense and Energy
Eartha Hopkins, Content Coordinator, America Makes
April 15, 2026
Global supply chains continue to face sustained strain, marked by extended lead times, rising costs and limited flexibility when disruptions occur. In the defense and energy sectors, where reliability and responsiveness are mission critical, these pressures pose serious operational risk. Equipment downtime, delayed repairs and constrained access to replacement parts can quickly ripple into readiness gaps or lost production.