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Manufacturing Engineering: December 2019

The December 2019 edition of Manufacturing Engineering is available as a digital magazine. Links to individual articles are below.

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

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.
Jim Lorincz
By Jim Lorincz Contributing Editor, SME Media

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.
Ed Sinkora
By Ed Sinkora Contributing Editor, SME Media

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.
Kip Hanson
By Kip Hanson Contributing Editor, SME Media

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.