Millions are at stake when it comes to maintaining planes, plants, and mission-critical industrial equipment. It's money worth fighting for, and it could be yours if you master the digital thread. For many years, the question of who manages the maintenance of complex products like airplanes,... Continue Reading
New systems open door to big operational equipment efficiencies, less scrap, better quality and Batch Size 1 New systems, software, and processes are replacing so-called islands of automation with seamless, automated manufacturing lines that boost overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) from 30... Continue Reading
Job openings in the manufacturing sector recently soared to the highest reading since January 2001, with 451,000 openings in April, up from 421,000 in March. Overall, the pace of manufacturing job openings has trended higher, consistent with the tight labor market seen in other data. While the... Continue Reading
We walk through the key steps and essential building blocks required to develop a disaster recovery strategy and how to write a disaster recovery plan. The main aim of IT disaster recovery planning is to generate a detailed recovery plan that can be executed upon in the case of an unforeseen... Continue Reading
The connected worker is proactive not reactive. Timely data, automation, and information mean their attention is redirected toward more valuable activities like continuous improvement. You might have noticed smartphones and wearable technology made for the average consumer now being integrated... Continue Reading
With summer fast approaching, it’s prudent to examine the factors that determine the price of electricity and natural gas supply throughout the United States. Summer is typically a “demand” season – a season where the energy needs of the country necessitate that we expend... Continue Reading
Artificial intelligence is positioning itself as the transformative technology of the century. The speed at which it is improving manufacturing operations leaves the industry with two options: Embrace the machines or get left behind. It's difficult to identify exactly what Stephen Hawking will be... Continue Reading
There were continuing signs of strength in the U.S. manufacturing sector in the latest data. For instance, the IHS Markit Flash U.S. Manufacturing PMI inched up to 56.6 in May, its strongest expansion pace since September 2014. Employment and future output helped to lift the overall headline... Continue Reading
There’s a symbiotic relationship between MES and ERP systems. Your competitive advantage depends on the integration of data from the shop floor up. For more than 10 years I have been following a number of companies in the implementation of manufacturing execution systems (MES). My... Continue Reading
A look at how selecting the right plastic can reduce material and manufacturing costs while improving durability. When engineering-grade resins were introduced in the 1950s, some auto manufacturers were unfamiliar with the benefits of metal-to-plastic conversion, i.e. how to design plastics into... Continue Reading
Over the last several ASTM meetings, MTI has become very active in the discussion surrounding the usage of portable hardness testers and direct verification. These issues are being debated as well at AMEC Committee meetings and Nadcap. MTI’s Technical Standards Committee has weighed in... Continue Reading
The Federal Reserve reported that manufacturing production rose 0.5% in April, bouncing back from being unchanged in March. Overall, the data continues to show healthy growth for manufacturers. Along those lines, the manufacturing production index has risen from 102.2 in April 2017 to 104.1 in the... Continue Reading
