Waste is one of the biggest problems in manufacturing. This doesn’t just apply to wasted raw materials, but also to wasted time, uneven workloads, wasted energy, and wasted attention. Efficiency is key in manufacturing, and waste impedes efficiency. There are a number of different ways to address waste in manufacturing. Over the past few decades… Read more »

Takeover might be too strong a word. People see the words “robot” and “takeover” in the same sentence and start searching their attics for pitchforks, and reminding us all about what happened to those in the movie Terminator who foolishly put their trust in robots. But the robot takeover that’s being mentioned in this post is… Read more »

3D printing has been around for more than 30 years, but the technology is still quite young. Additive manufacturing is nowhere close to where it will one day be, but despite the fact that additive manufacturing technology is only a sapling, it’s already starting to become mundane to some people. Our response to 3D printed… Read more »

Manufacturing would not be where it is today without industrial robots. Automation has made some truly incredible things possible in terms of speed, productivity, efficiency, and consistency. As amazing as industrial robots have become over the past few decades, they are only continuing to improve. But they’re not just getting better. Industrial robots are changing…. Read more »

The future of industrial automation lies in a fruit bowl. To be fair, it’s not really the fruit bowl that’s going to change industrial automation, it’s the robot with its hand in the fruit bowl. A British firm is building a robot capable of sorting different types of fruit. This will solve the age-old manufacturing… Read more »

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and friends and family will be gathering to give thanks for everything from turkey to football. There are so many things to be thankful for, and while plentiful food and the company of loved ones is sure to be on your list, you can’t forget about automation. Granted, automation isn’t going to… Read more »

Everyone knows that you have to keep a close eye on your machinery during the hot summer months, but cold winter weather doesn’t necessarily mean smooth sailing. People sometimes assume that hot means bad, cold means good, and that’s all there is to it. However, it’s not quite that simple. Yes, high temperatures are dangerous… Read more »

There have been a lot of conflicting reports regarding the state of U.S. manufacturing. There are those who say that American manufacturing is experience a renaissance, and is stronger than it’s been in decades. Then there are those who say that reshoring is a hoax, and industry in the United States, while improving, isn’t anything… Read more »

When you configure machinery in a factory or other production facility, you certainly have to consider efficiency. You’ll check those BEM drawings for cabinet doors that open into the path of another machine or into a major traffic pattern for human workers. You’ll also think about safety. It’s easy to recognize industrial machines as being… Read more »

There’s this mindset that bigger must mean better. Bigger portions, bigger cars, bigger screens; whatever it is, it can be improved by getting bigger, right? While it often seems this way, bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better. Firstly, it’s important to realize that “better” is a subjective term. In what way is bigger better than something… Read more »