SkillsUSA: Real-World Experiences Build a Better Workforce March 11, 2019 SkillsUSA wields a large shovel, but we have a big hole to fill. That hole is in the American economy and it is called the skills gap—the widening gap between the jobs available and the skilled workers ready to fill them.
AM, Spare Parts, and the Rise of the Micro Factory March 8, 2019 Manufacturing got smart when companies figured out how to make products in one market and sell them in another. Today, we call this supply chain logistics. But somewhere along the way, the innovation chain connecting supply (manufacturing) and logistics (the supporting infrastructure) started to diverge.
Wohlers Report 2019 Details of Developments in Additive Manufacturing Worldwide March 28, 2019 Fort Collins, Colo.-based Wohlers Associates announced the publication of “Wohlers Report 2019,” the 24th annual installment of its undisputed, industry-leading report on additive manufacturing (AM) and 3D printing. The worldwide study reports on growth, development, and the future of AM materials, applications, systems, services, design, software, patents, startups, standards, investment, and research.
Racer Revs Up New Shop, Heads Into First Turn March 6, 2019 Metalworking is a great industry that makes a major contribution to the U.S. economy, but it doesn’t typically attract movie idols or sports stars. That changed when NASCAR champion Brad Keselowski joined the ranks of metalworking entrepreneurs.
SME Will Introduce iRAMP at RAPID + TCT to Accelerate Adoption of Additive Manufacturing April 10, 2019 After decades of hype and predictions surrounding additive manufacturing (AM), AM is poised to be on the brink of becoming the disruptive technology that many have long expected. Disruptive technologies are often deemed too costly, less capable or too niche to replace incumbent technology. But over time, many of these technologies reach a tipping point and rapidly replace these incumbents.
Testing the Metal November 27, 2018 Materials science has opened new possibilities for designers of cars, planes and other products. Metal alloys are now as precisely engineered as they are machined. The result is longer lasting, stronger parts. But with a wider selection of materials comes risk—how can you be sure that one piece of gray metal stock is different than another? Careful warehousing procedures and paperwork only go so far.
Bridge Tool & Die: CNC Turns ‘Feel’ Into High-Precision Carbide Grinding November 28, 2018 Glenn Bridgman describes the difference between his shop’s manual grinders and its newest state-of-the-art CNC ID/OD grinder, a Studer CT960 OD/ID from United Grinding (Miamisburg, OH), as “feel vs. facts.” Bridgman, president of Bridge Tool & Die (Buckley, MI), believes that manual grinding is a somewhat personal operation.
How AM is Changing Inspection in Smart Factories November 1, 2018 In the manufacturing industry, the importance of metrology, or the science of measurement, is often underestimated. However, inspection is critical for ensuring products work and operate safely.
A Shoe for Imre May 29, 2020 Imre Patterson has a smile that lights up any room he walks into. Imre was born with a femoral discrepancy, causing one leg to be shorter than the other.
Hitachi Powdered Metals Embraces Robotic Automation, Boosts Volume 400 percent in Tight Labor Market March 30, 2020 Hitachi Powdered Metals (USA) Inc. began a gradual investment in industrial robots at their Greensburg, Ind. plant in 2005, driven by the emergence of a tightening labor market and the opportunity to produce an extremely fragile product.