Manufacturing.net

Why U.S.-China Trade War Risks Hurting Firms in Both Countries

Tue, 10 Sep 2019 04:00:00 -0400

U.S. businesses are imploring President Donald Trump not to expand his tariffs to $300 billion in goods from China that have so far been...

Virtual and Augmented Reality in Manufacturing

Tue, 18 Jun 2019 03:00:00 -0400

More than 200 years ago, German philosopher Immanuel Kant described virtual reality as a reality that exists in our minds and is distinct from the external physical world. Nowadays...

Trump Turbulence Slows Momentum for North America Trade Deal

Wed, 05 Jun 2019 04:00:00 -0400

The momentum that supporters have tried to build for a new North American trade deal has run into some Trump turbulence.

The Trump administration had taken steps in recent weeks to work with Democratic and Republican lawmakers to address concerns about the proposed United States-Mexico-Canada agreement.

Then...

U.S. Delay to Huawei Ban Gives Tech Sector Time to Adjust

Wed, 22 May 2019 03:00:00 -0400

The United States is delaying some restrictions on U.S. technology sales to Chinese tech powerhouse Huawei in what it calls an effort to ease the blow on Huawei smartphone owners and smaller U.S. telecoms providers that rely on its networking equipment.

The Trump administration insists...

Embracing the Aging Workforce With 21st Century Loading Docks

Wed, 22 May 2019 02:00:00 -0400

America’s workforce is aging. In fact, according to AARP, nearly half of new jobs in the U.S. last year were filled by workers 55 years or older. Largely due to ongoing labor shortages, this disproportionately small demographic picked up more than 1.4 million of the 2.9 million new jobs in 2018. Many of which are in the growth sector of warehousing and distribution centers.

Unfortunately...

Boeing Didn't Tell Airlines That Safety Alert Wasn't On

Wed, 08 May 2019 04:00:00 -0400

Boeing said Sunday that it discovered after airlines had been flying its 737 Max plane for several months that a safety alert in the cockpit was not working as intended, yet...

Another Body Found at Illinois Factory; Death Toll Reaches 3

Wed, 08 May 2019 01:00:00 -0400

Search and recovery personnel found the body of another worker Sunday in the rubble of a northern Illinois silicone factory that exploded and burst into flames two days earlier, bringing the death toll to three employees with...

Acting Defense Secretary Shanahan Under Investigation After Alleged Boeing Comments

megan.crouse@advantagemedia.com — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 04:00:00 -0400

The Defense Department’s Office of the Inspector General has opened an ethics investigation into Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, it announced on Wednesday.

Shanahan, a former Boeing executive...

Lean Manufacturing and the Race Towards Efficiency

Mon, 25 Mar 2019 03:00:00 -0400

Efficiency is crucial in most business operations and, in particular, manufacturing. Like judges in a footrace, consumers usually only care about the result of a production “run”—the product itself. They don’t want to know how many working hours it took to assemble it; they could care less about...

China Says New Law Will Bar Demands for Technology Handover

Thu, 07 Mar 2019 01:00:00 -0500

China will bar government authorities from demanding overseas companies hand over technology secrets in exchange for market share, a top economic official said Wednesday, addressing a key complaint at the heart of the China-U.S. trade dispute.

The provision is contained in...

Manufacturing Orders Fell In December, but 2018 Numbers Remain Strong

megan.crouse@advantagemedia.com — Mon, 11 Feb 2019 04:00:00 -0500

Manufacturing orders posted $443 million in December 2018, according to the U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders Report from...

The U.S.-China Trade War Will Continue Hurting The U.S. Economy

Mon, 03 Dec 2018 14:00:00 -0500

Since 2015, China has been the United States' largest trading partner, representing approximately 15 percent of U.S. trade. Meanwhile, the U.S. became China's top and most important trading partner in 1998. According to a recent analysis by the U.S.-China Business Council...

Survey: U.S. Manufacturing Grew In November

Mon, 03 Dec 2018 14:00:00 -0500

U.S. manufacturers expanded at a faster pace in November as new orders surged, a positive sign for domestic economic growth heading into 2019. The Institute for Supply Management, an association of purchasing managers, said Monday its manufacturing index rose to 59.3 last month from 57.7 in October. Readings above 50 point to growth and manufacturers have expanded for the past 27 months. New orders jumped in November, while production and employment also saw gains. Out of 18 industries...

Dept. Of Labor Recovers $96,511 For Arkansas Tire Shop Employees

Tue, 20 Nov 2018 08:30:00 -0500

After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Rental Concepts LLC - doing business as RNR Tire Express in Springdale, Arkansas - has paid $96,511 in back wages to 239 employees to resolve systemic violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) overtime provisions. The employer also violated the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) recordkeeping provisions. WHD investigators found...

Cybersecurity Risk Management And Reliability In Manufacturing

Tue, 06 Nov 2018 15:40:00 -0500

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...

How AI Can Benefit Manufacturers In Rapidly Changing Industry

Tue, 06 Nov 2018 15:40:00 -0500

The manufacturing industry is facing incredible pressure from every side: customers, suppliers, and competitors. The solution to dealing with all of these factors may well lie in the ability to harness the potential of emerging technologies, such as...

A Third Of Chemicals In Use In The EU Are Illegal Under EU Safety Laws

Mon, 22 Oct 2018 07:53:00 -0400

A third of the high production volume chemicals made or imported into Europe since 2010 break EU laws designed to protect the public and environment from harmful exposure, according to a three year investigation into the chemical industry by national authorities. Only 31 percent of...

Tesla Secures Land In Shanghai For First Factory Outside U.S.

Mon, 22 Oct 2018 07:48:00 -0400

Electric auto brand Tesla Inc. said it signed an agreement Wednesday to secure land in Shanghai for its first factory outside the United States, pushing ahead with development despite mounting U.S.-Chinese trade tensions. Tesla, based on Palo Alto, California, announced plans for the Shanghai factory in July after the Chinese government said it would end restrictions on full foreign ownership of electric vehicle makers to speed up industry development. Those plans have...

Skilled Talent Shortage, Market Uncertainty Complicate Hiring In Oil & Gas

Tue, 25 Sep 2018 07:59:14 -0400

The battle for talent is on in the oil and gas industry. Major companies are rushing to invest in strong growth regions like the Permian Basin and Bakken Shale Play, which are already have full employment. Labor shortages and tensions around tariffs and trade are frustrating hiring teams. When coveted talent is identified...

Dept. Of Labor Finds AL Company Violated FMLA, Unlawfully Discharged Employee

Tue, 25 Sep 2018 07:57:28 -0400

Ozark Safety Services LLC - based in Montgomery, AL - has paid a former employee $10,095 in lost wages after a U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) investigation found the company violated the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). WHD investigators found...

6 Ways Team Communication Apps Help With Safety Compliance

Mon, 10 Sep 2018 11:12:19 -0400

In the manufacturing industry, highly-dispersed frontline workforces present countless safety compliance hurdles. This is largely due to working across job sites or manufacturing plants, and without access to company internal communication like email or a centralized office hub. Depending on the size of the job site or plant, ensuring...

China Promises Retaliation If U.S. Imposes More Tariffs

Mon, 10 Sep 2018 11:09:37 -0400

China on Monday promised retaliation if U.S. President Donald Trump escalates their tariff battle, raising the risk Beijing might target operations of American companies as it runs out of imports for penalties. The threat came after...

Crisis Management In The Manufacturing Industry

Mon, 27 Aug 2018 07:05:28 -0400

Crisis management, particularly in the manufacturing sector, can make the difference between an extended and costly disruption and a quick resumption of operations. The worst-case scenario, of course, is absolute failure and this has consequences that are far-reaching, such as affecting the financial well-being of stakeholders and the loss of livelihood for one's hard-working employees. Crises can come in several guises...

The Next Manufacturing Disruptor: Blockchain

Mon, 27 Aug 2018 07:03:15 -0400

When the general public hears about advanced manufacturing these days, its most often tied to one of two topics. The first is that manufacturing in North America has declined to a point of no return, hollowed out by a move to much cheaper foreign factories. Countless stories have pointed out that while the trend is happening, they've also pointed out that advanced manufacturing facilities in North America are still thriving to such an extent that it's impossible to find enough workers to fill jobs in these 21st century facilities. Not surprisingly...

Embracing Robots In Manufacturing

Wed, 08 Aug 2018 10:45:54 -0400

According to the World Robot Statistics, 74 robots per 10,000 employees is the world's average robot density. The United States sits comfortably above this, at 189 robots per 10,000 employees. However...

Industry 2020: What the New Industrial World Will Look Like

Tue, 17 Jul 2018 07:33:12 -0400

As consumers, we've grown to expect everything as a service, everything on demand, and to only pay for usage as opposed to making up-front investments. This is enabled by multiple advancements in technology and behavioral changes in society. We are at a point where these same shifts are rapidly coming into the industrial sector, with the potential of massively changing how business is done...

Six Transformative Technologies Impacting Manufacturing - Part 1

Mon, 23 Apr 2018 09:27:07 -0400

Every industrial manufacturing company is looking to implement technologies to help them manufacture their products smarter, cheaper, better and faster. The question becomes, "Which technologies will transform my traditional factory into an Industry 4.0 factory?" To answer that question...

Construction Robots Weld, Bolt, Lift To Beat Worker Shortage

Mon, 23 Apr 2018 09:23:28 -0400

Robots that can weld, lift and bolt are being developed to help bridge labor shortages at Japanese construction sites, though their use will be limited to night shifts when no human workers will be nearby due to safety and regulatory concerns. Major Japanese construction company Shimizu Corp. showed off several robots Monday, including...

Workers' Radiation Exposure Halts Nuke Plant Demolition

Mon, 09 Apr 2018 09:49:04 -0400

Seven decades after making key portions of the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan, workers at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation are being exposed to radiation as they tear down buildings that helped create the nation's nuclear arsenal. Dozens of workers demolishing a plutonium processing plant from the 1940s have inhaled or ingested...

US-China Trade Rift Could Squeeze Growth And Hurt Consumers

Mon, 09 Apr 2018 09:46:18 -0400

Higher prices. Slower growth. Farmers losing access to their biggest foreign market. Even President Donald Trump is warning that Americans might have to accept "a little pain" before they enjoy the fruits of his escalating trade fight with China. On the pain part, if not necessarily on the "little" part...