Unplanned downtime is the single largest cause of lost production time for manufacturers in processing — that is food and beverage, pharmaceutical, chemical, and oil and gas production. Production stoppages in these sectors can be attributed to several causes, perhaps a lack of ingredients... Continue Reading
Lightweighting isn’t new to the auto industry, but it’s finally mature enough to make a significant impact on manufacturers, drivers, and the whole planet. Even if you’re not a car aficionado, you can see why the Chevy Corvette C2—aka the Stingray—is revered... Continue Reading
HOW A NEW GENERATION OF GRIPPERS WITH IMPROVED 3D PERCEPTION AND TACTILE SENSING IS LEARNING TO MANIPULATE A WIDE VARIETY OF OBJECTS. Photo: Robotic Materials Inc. A gripper created by Robotic Materials Inc., founded by the author, Nikolaus Correll, performs a manipulation task during the... Continue Reading
Protect personnel and processes by conducting a thorough review before operating new or updated units. A pre-startup safety review (PSSR) is a critical element of the process safety management (PSM) program mandated by the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).... Continue Reading
Oakland University professor of Lean studies Robert Van Til, Ph.D., teaches you to apply continuous improvement concepts into your shop operations. One of the most common misconceptions about Lean manufacturing techniques is that they only apply to large-scale operations. Lean is the continuous... Continue Reading
Amid all the cybersecurity concerns and advice circulating throughout industry, a short checklist can be a good ongoing reference to make sure you're on track. With all the news surrounding industrial cybersecurity—from Russian hackers targeting industry to the maze of new companies created... Continue Reading
How the top 10% of safety performers make the most of their data. In the 1980s and early ‘90s, in order to be safer, companies typically had to slow down. In order to increase productivity, they had to take more risks. Then companies realized that safety couldn’t play second fiddle... Continue Reading
With digital technology reaching an inflection point, manufacturers have a critical choice to make. They can continue to digitize individual factory functions, making them more efficient, or begin to integrate digital capabilities across the factory. The digital factory, which integrates all... Continue Reading
Documenting and recording the eight types of waste in any process is essential for any manufacturing operation. Here are a few tips on how to identify each type: Continuous-improvement efforts begin with finding, then eliminating, the waste that exists in a process. In fact, waste elimination... Continue Reading
The pace of technological innovation in industrial manufacturing has accelerated drastically in recent years—for better and for worse. The Internet of Things (IoT) continues to take hold across industry, and driving the most value from it requires manufacturers to unify their operations and... Continue Reading
Originally posted by Jamie Jones Dear MTI Members, I am excited to have been elected to serve as President of the Metal Treating Institute for the next year. It is truly an honor. My company, Solar Atmospheres, is a family-owned, commercial heat treating company, and we have been an MTI... Continue Reading
Manufacturing is a fast-paced industry where success is dependent on timing and quality. That’s why it is crucial to constantly monitor every stage of the production process. Defining and tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) can help manufacturers hone in on what is contributing to,... Continue Reading
