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Is AI the secret to manufacturing efficiency?
Delany Martinez ManufacturingRobots are taking our jobs. It sounds terrifying, doesn't it? The specter of automation has reared up with a vengeance as overworked production facilities struggle to keep up with demand on several fronts: overall volume, specialty orders and particularly customer-facing customization options.
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Printed electronics allow technological leap in wearable devices
Adolfo Benedito EngineeringPrinted electronics use traditional 3-D printing technologies for the deposition of conductive, semi-conductive and dielectric materials. This eases the development of new flexible electronic components, such as organic photovoltaic (OPV) solar cells, light-emitting devices (OLED), flexible screens and RFID antennas. These are examples of the numerous developments in organic electronics, which will be able to be printed partially or totally in the coming years.
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The sky’s the limit: Learning from Tesla’s roofing innovation
Delany Martinez MarketingThe latest darling of the eco-innovation trend, Tesla's new solar panel/roof tile hybrid product has continued the consumer inroads that their well-liked electric vehicles have already been cruising. In fact, Forbes pulled no punches discussing the concerns as well as the potential of the Tesla tiles — a balanced, authoritative nod that speaks volumes.
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Work begins on Boeing’s first overseas production plant
Matt Falcus Transportation Technology & AutomotiveA strategic plan by Boeing to streamline output of its most popular airplane has taken a step closer to reality this week as work commenced on a new completion and delivery plant in China. The facility is located at Zhoushan Airport in eastern China, some 175 miles by road from Shanghai on an island in the East China Sea.
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10 tips for dealing with jobsite conflict
Sue Dyer Construction & Building MaterialsA project team was separated only by the locked doors to the two trailers that sat side-by-side on their wastewater treatment project site. Every day for six months the owner's team and the contractor's team filled their days with writing letters. Back and forth, they literally emailed more than 1,200 letters. The purpose of each letter was clear — to prove the other side was to blame.
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Softwood lumber dispute cuts both ways
Michael J. Berens Construction & Building MaterialsRecent news that the U.S. Department of Commerce would impose a 20 percent import tariff on softwood lumber coming from Canada set off alarm bells in the U.S. residential construction industry. Home builders have been cautioning for months that increased materials costs were driving up the price of newly built homes, placing them further out of reach of many prospective home buyers. The lion's share of those increases has come from the escalating cost of softwood lumber.
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The explosive danger of dust particles
Kyle Penner Facilities & GroundsCombustible dust explosions are a risk in many areas of a facility. Facilities can create dust particles that can become airborne and dispersed throughout the plant. It's when these particles are in a combustible environment that they represent a significant risk for an industrial accident. The serious hazards associated with handling fine dusts and powdered materials may be overlooked by many plant personnel because they are not fully understood.
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Daimler brought blinking into the headlights again
Andrew Gaved ManufacturingRegular readers of my column will recall regular dispatches on the saga of automotive giant Daimler and its questionable relationship with European refrigerant law, in the shape of the EU Mobile Air Conditioning (MAC) Directive. As of Jan. 1, 2017, all new cars are required to be fitted with a refrigerant with a Global Warming Potential (GWP) under 150, and, now Daimler is back blinking in the headlights. The carmaker has apparently been censured by its own national motor transport authority, the KBA, which last week demanded a recall of some 134,000 of Daimler's models installed with "noncompliant refrigerant."
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Manufacturing talent: The case for ‘homegrown’ expertise
Delany Martinez ManufacturingWhile the formulaic structure of manufacturing and assembly lines might not have much to do with company culture at a glance, the attitudes, expectations and even motivations of a brand still make their way into the factory. Even if two manufacturing outfits use the same machines and tools, everything from timing to technique can vary, which is why it's entirely possible for a manufacturing job candidate to look excellent on paper and terrible on the floor. For years, businesses tackled this issue in the same ways: patience, mentoring, on-the-job training, disciplinary measures and more.
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Are you ready for the ‘robocalypse’ coming to manufacturing?
Delany Martinez ManufacturingAutomation is the newest buzzword on everyone's lips when it comes to manufacturing. Is it reliable? Will it really replace humans effectively? Will there be a pushback from consumers? Apprehensive questions abound, but many are born out of misunderstanding the spread of automation, or overly-optimistic forecasts over how quickly "the turnover" will actually eclipse flesh-and-blood workers.
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