All Features
Dr. Scott Davis
Imagine what life would be like without GPS, something you use all the time without thinking about where it came from.
NIST’s atomic clock research helped bring us GPS, which has had more than $1 trillion dollars in economic impact.
This is just one of the many scientific breakthroughs to come out…
JoAnna Wendel
A common lithium salt has revealed new possibilities for manufacturing cheaper, longer-lasting battery materials.
The discovery centers on sublimation, a commonly known process whereby, under the right conditions, a solid turns directly into a vapor. Sublimation is what creates the tail of a comet…
Harry Hertz
In an earlier blog, I introduced you to Arnie Weimerskirch, a former vice president of corporate quality at Honeywell and the former chair of the Baldrige Judges Panel. I recently had lunch with him and learned how he got involved with the Baldrige Program and how it influenced his career. I think…
ISO
Imagine you’re stuck in traffic during rush hour, frustrated and late, when suddenly the lights ahead adapt to the flow of traffic, easing the congestion in no time. This is the promise of intelligent transportation systems (ITS), an interconnected network of technologies designed to optimize the…
CIH Equipment
Industrial hygiene equipment plays a critical role in ensuring workplace safety by monitoring airborne contaminants, noise levels, and other hazardous conditions. However, accurate readings depend on regular industrial hygiene equipment calibration to maintain precision and compliance with…
Cadrex
The semiconductor manufacturing industry is undergoing rapid transformation driven by technological advancements, increased demand for AI and electric vehicle (EV) chips, and geopolitical shifts. Needless to say, the semiconductor industry and the companies that fabricate the equipment used in the…
Stefanie Koperniak
For more than a decade through a collaboration managed by MIT.nano, MIT and Tecnológico de Monterrey (Tec), one of the largest universities in Latin America, have worked together to develop innovative academic and research initiatives with a particular focus on nanoscience, nanotechnology, and,…
Elisa Duquet
The semiconductor industry is one of the most complex, dynamic, and technologically advanced sectors in the world. It plays an essential role in shaping modern life, serving as the foundation for everything from smartphones and MRI machines to kitchen appliances and space shuttles. In today’s…
John O'Kelly
Warehouses are the backbone of supply chains, ensuring that goods move efficiently from suppliers to consumers. However, the physical demands of warehouse work—heavy lifting, repetitive motions, and prolonged standing—can take a toll on employees, leading to fatigue, injuries, and long-term strain…
Kelley Jacobsen
As global trade uncertainty intensifies, health systems should take steps to minimize the effect of this volatility on their medical equipment inventory. The evolving policies of the United States and its trading partners could strain global supply chains and make acquiring or maintaining medical…
Gleb Tsipursky
Once hailed as both an ethical mandate and a strategic necessity after the upheaval of 2020, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives now face intense scrutiny and pushback. Major corporations—ranging from Walmart to Google—are quietly retreating from these programs amid escalating…
Angelina Rivera
Manufacturing is a fast-paced, constantly evolving, and dynamic environment, and the supply chain is at its heart. For small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs), navigating the complexities of the supply chain often feels like a high-stakes balancing act. From juggling fluctuating material costs…
Jonathan R. Todd
Geopolitical risk is emerging as one of the greatest challenges facing domestic and international business today. It has risen from a boardroom issue to one drawing the awareness and attention of both personnel and the general public. These days everyone knows the word “supply chain” and has some…
NIST
The U.S. manufacturing industry is evolving at a rapid pace, driven by new technologies, smarter supply chains, and an increasingly dynamic workforce. This year, small manufacturers will face a mix of opportunities and challenges as they navigate these changes. To stay competitive, small and medium…
Nathan Ginty
In recent years, reshoring—the process of bringing manufacturing back to the U.S.—has gained momentum. Companies are reevaluating their offshore supply chains, driven by rising costs, geopolitical risks, and supply chain disruptions. For smaller manufacturers, this shift also presents a unique…
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
By editing the polymers of discarded plastics, chemists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have found a way to generate new macromolecules with more valuable properties than those of the starting material. Upcycling may help remedy the roughly 450 million tons…
Gleb Tsipursky
New research provides a compelling analysis of the repercussions of return-to-office (RTO) policies on employee turnover, hiring, and the overall talent pool within major corporations. Using data from more than 3 million LinkedIn profiles, Mark Ma, at the University of Pittsburgh, along with other…
Adam Grabowski
Cash is king for manufacturers, from the owner down to the machine operators. If you visit any manufacturer, you’ll see that most have a keen eye on how everything is being used. Machines are generally only running if they are making parts; employees are typically only working if orders are coming…
Eric Linxwiler
Quality management has evolved far beyond traditional checklists and periodic inspections. For complex supply chains, quality is no longer a static endpoint. It’s a dynamic real-time process deeply interwoven with collaboration, transparency, and data-driven decision-making. As supply chains grow…
Siemens USA
Since the early 1980s, the automotive industry has used hydraulically actuated (servo-hydraulic) test systems to simulate operating speeds and road conditions for testing OEM components and fully assembled vehicles. These systems have helped unlock vast improvements in the quality, safety, and…
Yushiro Kato
Artificial intelligence (AI) is gaining momentum across a vast array of fields. Nearly everyone has tried or actively uses a form of AI, whether for personal or professional purposes. Many are finding benefits of the technology in industries that use large amounts of data that must be analyzed,…
Matt Tweedy
In global manufacturing, two key goals—intertwined yet distinct—heavily dominate the industry’s agenda: addressing the growing demand for environmentally sustainable practices, and optimizing operational efficiency. With these priorities in mind, companies are seeking multifaceted solutions that…
Seb Murray
New research co-authored by University of Pennsylvania academics challenges a core assumption in economics: That the most successful companies achieve their dominance purely through superior productivity. Instead, this study highlights the important role of scalability—how well firms can grow as…
Akhilesh Gulati
Paul was sitting in his office staring at production numbers from the past quarter. Despite having a great team, strong customer demand, and state-of-the-art equipment, the factory’s performance wasn’t meeting expectations. There was a bottleneck in the assembly line—a critical chokepoint that was…
Anne Trafton
For many industrial processes, the typical way to separate gases, liquids, or ions is with heat, using slight differences in boiling points to purify mixtures. These thermal processes account for roughly 10% of the energy use in the United States.
MIT chemical engineer Zachary Smith wants to…