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Small to midsize manufacturers are facing mounting pressure from unpredictable supply chain disruptions. From fluctuating customer demand to reshoring operations and diversifying suppliers, maintaining efficiency and protecting cash flow have never been more critical.
Global instability, shifting…
In October 1989, my company hosted Total Improvement Process Week, one of the most productive experiences of my career. Our consultant was Ryuji Fukuda, a Deming Prize winner and author of Managerial Engineering (Productivity Inc., 1983), a book I still value for its emphasis on management’s role…
(Advancion: Buffalo Grove, IL) -- Advancion Corp., a global leader in life science buffers and proprietary specialty ingredients, has released its 2024 Corporate Sustainability Report, available at advancionsciences.com/sustainability.
Now in its fourth year of comprehensive sustainability…
(ZeroTouch: Tualatin, OR) -- ZeroTouch, part of the Sandvik Group, is announcing the grand opening of its new headquarters, a state-of-the-art center designed to accelerate innovation in industrial metrology automation.
The expansion underscores ZeroTouch’s contribution to Sandvik’s purpose of “…
It’s called “work” for a reason. Most days we’re able to “work” through it and find enjoyment in what we do. But occasionally we’re faced with a grind that saps our strength and threatens to derail us. Fortunately, there are simple techniques for working through that grind.
I love writing this…
Promoting a “flat hierarchy” with fewer layers of managers might sound modern and progressive. It promises agility, equality, and empowerment. Yet, a new study co-authored by Wharton management professor Saerom (Ronnie) Lee suggests that while flat organizations may appeal to some candidates, they…
(Digital Twin Consortium: Boston) -- Digital Twin Consortium has announced the addition of eight new test beds to its Digital Twin Test Bed Program, bringing the total to 16. Members can model, simulate, integrate, verify, deploy, and optimize digital twin solutions by utilizing unprecedented…
(Onto Innovation: Wilmington, MA) -- Onto Innovation Inc. has introduced the Atlas G6 optical critical dimension (OCD) metrology system, designed to address the growing complexity of process control in advanced semiconductor nodes. As the industry transitions to second-generation gate-all-around (…
In this article I’m looking at the notion of organizational purposes in light of cybernetic constructivism. The ideas here are inspired by giants like Stafford Beer, Spencer Brown, Ralph Stacey, Werner Ulrich, Russell Ackoff, and Erik Hollnagel.
The corporate world seems to be obsessed with…
The plant manager’s day started perfectly. The production schedule was optimized, the teams were aligned, and the shift was running smoothly. Then, a critical pump on Line 3 failed. The floor supervisor tried to radio for maintenance, but his call dropped in the plant’s notorious dead zone. By the…
(4D Technology: Tucson, AZ) -- 4D Technology, an Onto Innovation subsidiary, announced that it has been officially approved as a FANUC collaborative robot (cobot) device supplier. This milestone coincides with the release of a new FANUC-certified plug-in that enables seamless integration between 4D…
(Energy Fuels: Denver) -- Energy Fuels Inc., a leading U.S. producer of uranium, rare earth elements and other critical minerals, announced that high-purity neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr) oxide produced at its White Mesa Mill in Utah has been manufactured into commercial scale rare earth permanent…
Quality initiatives rarely fail because of bad tools. They fail because people don’t adopt them.
Organizations spend months mapping processes, running kaizen events, or documenting corrective actions, only to watch the improvements unravel when employees quietly return to the “old way.” Leaders…
Plan a route, grab some snacks, and fuel up. Engineers and scientists have been sending massive magnets from U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national labs on cross-country road trips.
Magnets are at the heart of many scientific instruments at the DOE’s Brookhaven National Laboratory. They aren’t…
(ASTM: West Conshohocken, PA) -- To meet increasing customer demand for sophisticated digital formats and workflows, ASTM International is broadening its direct sales efforts and won’t be renewing its long-standing and healthy reseller relationship with Accuris (formerly IHS).
Andy Kireta, ASTM…
There’s a lot of talk about automation these days, not just in manufacturing circles but also the news in general. As the demands of modern manufacturing grow more complex, and manufacturing industries continue their digital transformation—with automation playing an ever-expanding role—where does…
(Sinopec: Beijing) -- On Sept. 25, China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation announced a new milestone in hydrogen mobility at the High-Quality Development Promotion Conference for Modern Industrial Chain of Hydrogen Energy Application, hosted by Sinopec in Nanjing, China. Three hydrogen-powered…
Today, manufacturing is largely shaped by supply chain volatility, complex labor dynamics, and—like most global industries—the rise of AI. Adopting AI technologies on the shop floor can help manufacturers minimize operational costs, mitigate risk, and optimize processes, which drives efficiency and…
Today, manufacturing is largely shaped by supply chain volatility, complex labor dynamics, and—like most global industries—the rise of AI. Adopting AI technologies on the shop floor can help manufacturers minimize operational costs, mitigate risk, and optimize processes, which drives efficiency and…
(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has announced more than $3.3 million in cooperative agreements intended to develop the workforce needed to protect our nation’s infrastructure and organizations from cybersecurity…
(DEWALT: Towson, MD) -- A new generation of young women in skilled trades is playing a key role in advancing the nation’s infrastructure, according to a new Chicago-based survey from DEWALT, a Stanley Black & Decker brand and leader in total job site solutions.
With the U.S. projected to…
Simulations still can’t predict precisely when an earthquake will happen. Still, with the incredible processing power of modern exascale supercomputers, they can now predict how they will happen and how much damage they will likely cause.
Imagine a colossal earthquake strikes the California coast…
Software selection, implementation, and ongoing maintenance are critical stages in the life cycle of biomedical software systems such as asset and calibration management platforms. Yet few industry resources provide detailed, practical guidance for managing these processes effectively.
One notable…
(Acer: Berlin) -- Acer has announced significant advancements in its SpatialLabs Pro solution, unveiling new integrations with NVIDIA Omniverse, Video Engineering’s ProteQ Viso stereo microscope, and Smart Surgery’s next-generation medical training platform.
These updates further expand the…