Smart Manufacturing: November 2018
The November 2018 edition of Smart Manufacturing is available as a digital magazine. Links to individual articles are below.

AI Reaches ‘Irresistible’ Status
June 5, 2018
Artificial Intelligence is weaved in with capacity management, cybersecurity, data science, diagnostics, ERP-PLM integration, location analysis, machine learning, predictive maintenance, process optimization, situational awareness and supply chain management.

At Smart Manufacturing Experience, Focus Is on Speed, Action, Preparedness
May 9, 2018
Smart Manufacturing Experience 2018, produced by SME and AMT—The Association for Manufacturing Technology, was held April 30 to May 2 at the Boston Convention Center. More than 2000 industry professionals attend the trade show and conference, which focused on the latest advanced manufacturing technologies.

Sensors Help With IT/OT Integration … Outside the Factory
October 9, 2018
Smart sensors, already an integral feature of many manufacturing plants that are integrating IT and OT, are now making their way into the supply chain where they monitor reliability and shipping conditions, improve predictive maintenance and make just-in-time delivery (the innovation from the 1980s) easier.

Taming the Most Detailed Product Data Imaginable
October 9, 2018
Some things are a given today. One is computing is cheap and powerful, and it is getting cheaper and more powerful. Another is the dropping price of industrial sensors. Combine this with easier ways of moving around data from those sensors and you get lots of data: Terabytes of data.

Ooh-la-la! These French firms are focused on people and what drives them
August 21, 2018
What’s sexy? Try 3D printing, cobots, Yammer, VR, AR, blockchain technology

Making Hay With Reams of Data—From Supply Chain Players
October 3, 2018
Within manufacturing, a shift has begun to extend big data analytics and condition monitoring beyond the factory door to both ends of the supply chain—to customers, other end users and to second-and third-tier suppliers.
Up Front
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Smart Manufacturing
Will U.S. get serious about leadership in future tech?
October 16, 2018The U.S. needs to build a national infrastructure in engineering and manufacturing R&D that parallels its scientific infrastructure. While it makes all the sense in the world, it is not happening.
Mfg Intel
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Additive Manufacturing & 3D Printing
Hybrid Machine Tools Offer One-Two Punch
August 17, 2018When additive manufacturing first hit the market, some said it would eventually be the death of traditional, or subtractive, CNC machining. More than 30 years later, new machines are showing additive manufacturing as it really is—a complementary technology.
Tech Front
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Smart Manufacturing
USC researchers find method to separate AM builds, surface
October 4, 2018Additive manufacturing (AM) refers to processes used to make a three-dimension object layer-by-layer. The shape of each layer can be dynamically controlled by computer-aided design (CAD).
Passport To Innovation
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Smart Manufacturing
Why the U.S. needs a bold, long-term innovation strategy
October 2, 2018A conversation between Smart Manufacturing Editor in Chief Brett Brune and Sridhar Kota, professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Michigan and Executive Director of MForesight.
Guest Columns
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Smart Manufacturing
Additive Hybrid Machine Tool Advancements Springing Up
October 16, 2018The combination of metrology hardware, adaptive CAM software and connectivity to plant-wide systems is making additive hybrid machine tool applications ever more practical on the shop floor. -
Smart Manufacturing
Make no mistake: Welders, engineers care about UX, too
October 9, 2018Several years ago, a global commercial vehicle maker asked my firm to develop a remote fleet management, health and performance portal that would open a new revenue stream. -
Smart Manufacturing
When is it best to make your own components?
October 3, 2018Most manufacturers have relied on third-party vendors to make parts that are then incorporated into the final product. From automakers sourcing stereos and aircraft makers contracting for jet engines to a small bakery ordering plastic bags or a woodshop buying nails, producers of all types have supplemented their internal capabilities through a painstakingly developed supply chain of external vendors. -
Smart Manufacturing
A case of less is not only more but quite necessary
October 9, 2018Being a competitive player in the aerospace and defense industry is no small feat. In an industry in which you need to be accountable for every piece of an assembly, meeting customer expectations and requirements can be daunting tasks. -
Smart Manufacturing
And now, material freedom via additive manufacturing
October 9, 2018The low temperature intrinsic to solid-state printing processes allows manufacturers to weld layers of dissimilar metals without fear of metallurgical incompatibility issues. -
Smart Manufacturing
Why Life Sciences Product Makers Must Go Digital
October 30, 2018What does a submarine operating underwater have in common with a metal stent propping open a human artery? More than you’d think initially. -
Smart Manufacturing
Industrial robots can create more palatable human jobs
October 9, 2018A decade removed from the Great Recession, the U.S. job market is thriving. Because employers are struggling to fill empty positions, they must explore other ways to increase production needs. -
Smart Manufacturing
GDPR: A Rick Oppedisano AI Love Story
October 16, 2018Artificial intelligence will go long way to imbue data management with trust.
Podcasts For You
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