Protolabs Launches All-New Digital Quoting Platform in U.S. February 3, 2021 The digital manufacturing company unveiled to customers its new e-commerce system for online quoting, design analysis, and ordering.
Driving a New Normal December 18, 2020 2020 was certainly an unusual year—for SME, for our industry, and for the world. There is no question that these unusual times will carry over into 2021. Unusual does not necessarily mean bad; it just means different. Often hidden within those differences are opportunities.
Carbon Fiber Recycling Developing as an Industry December 14, 2020 Anyone who’s worked with wind turbine blades or just seen one up close can attest to the massive size of these clean-energy workhorses. Ever thought about what happens to that costly, high-tech material once the blade reaches the end of its lifespan in 20 years or so?
Use the Swiss Cheese Model to Fight COVID-19 January 5, 2021 In 2020, most manufacturers focused on mitigating the impact of COVID-19, but mitigation is too little too late. Many companies learned that lesson after seeing how COVID-19 outbreaks affected either their own facilities or other manufacturing firms.
ROKiT MADE to Build Largest e-Bike Factory in the United States October 19, 2020 ROKiT MADE, is building what it calls the largest e-bike manufacturing facility in the United States. ROKiT MADE’s campus, called the “ORB,” is slated to open in 2021. ROKiT MADE has committed the necessary funds to building the infrastructure and ORB campus and plans to merge with a SPAC.
Weymouth and Bial join Xometry Board of Directors October 14, 2020 Xometry, the on-demand manufacturing marketplace, announced that Katharine Weymouth and Deborah Bial will join Xometry's Board of Directors as independent directors.
Durable Goods Orders Rise on Transportation October 27, 2020 Durable goods orders increased in September on transportation equipment, the U.S. Commerce Department said today.
Caterpillar Profit Falls as Product Demand Drops October 27, 2020 Caterpillar Inc., the maker of heavy construction and mining equipment, today reported a sharply lower third-quarter profit as demand for the company’s products dropped.
View Marketing as an Investment—Not an Expense September 29, 2020 Peter Drucker, known as the father of modern management, was quoted in a 2006 article in Forbes as saying, “Because the purpose of business is to create a customer, the business enterprise has two—and only two—basic functions: marketing and innovation. Marketing and innovation produce results; all the rest are costs.”
Keeping Old Planes in the Air with Laser Scanning June 21, 2017 Your father’s Oldsmobile may be long gone but his B-52 is still pulling missions, and they haven’t built the “BUFF” (Big Ugly Fat Fellow) since 1962. The last KC-135 tanker was built in 1965. Besides aging warbirds (the average plane in the US Air Force is over 28 years old) there are hundreds of ancient civilian airliners carrying friendlier payloads everyday. The key to doing this safely is of course excellent maintenance and periodic upgrades. Laser scanning plays an essential role.
