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.
Adaptive Robots: BFFs for Small-Batch Automation August 18, 2020 Manufacturing engineers, information technologists, and “smart” robots in flexible manufacturing cells are working ever more closely in manufacturing companies around the world.
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.
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.
NCDMM Announces Organizational Restructuring August 14, 2020 The National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) announced on August 13 the restructuring of its organizational operations to include a new holding company and a subsidiary/sister company to support its long-term growth strategy within the global advanced manufacturing industry.
Remotely Exploitable Industrial Control System Vulnerabilities on Rise August 19, 2020 New report from Claroty researchers finds latest ICS vulnerabilities most prevalent in energy, critical manufacturing, and water & wastewater sectors of critical infrastructure
Manufacturing at a ‘Tipping Point’ to Diversify Beyond China July 21, 2020 Manufacturing’s supply chain is approaching a “tipping point” of diversifying beyond China, consulting firm PwC said in a report.
New smart training framework works for Industry 4.0 jobs July 22, 2020 The credential hanging on my wall that swells me with pride is my machinist certificate. That apprenticeship experience was the “ON!” switch for my career path. The brightness of that light helped maintain the vision and the hope even as I faced significant racial bias almost 30 years ago.
Bringing the frontline to the forefront of Industry 4.0 July 21, 2020 I met a man recently. He had worked at a small manufacturing company for 20 plus years and was the sole technician responsible for the assembly of his company’s most complex product. After years of dedication to the company, he was set to retire.
Ericsson, Hexagon cook up example of 5G in action July 17, 2020 The promise of 5G is tempting. Fast data speeds and low latency rates make wireless connectivity, and real-time monitoring and decision making a possibility. Cost, legacy systems, security and other issues might be a deterrent that keeps some from dipping their toes into 5G waters.