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Report: America’s 50 advanced industries and their impact on manufacturing
Chelsea Adams ManufacturingA newly released analysis by the Brooking Institution's Metropolitan Policy Program identifies 50 high-tech innovation industries deemed crucial to economic prosperity in the United States. However, without changes, these 50 industries face significant challenges to remain competitive on the global manufacturing landscape.
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Medical plastics packaging trends keep expanding
Don Rosato EngineeringIn terms of the future, experts say medical packaging will be dramatically different by the end of the next decade. Medical device and pharmaceutical packaging will become easier to use, less costly to produce and provide much better protection in the future.
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Accident prevention: What’s it going to take?
Michael S. Haro, Ph.D. Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementThe news media are consumed with critical incidents in the workplace. Before these incidents are thoroughly investigated and reported on, media outlets jump in, aiding and abetting emotional aspects that incite and seemly encourage an outpouring of negative behaviors.
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European HFC producers worry about ‘stockpile syndrome’
Andrew Gaved Facilities & GroundsThe ambition of the European Union's F-Gas Regulation to reduce use of higher-GWP HFCs through a combination of bans and production phasedowns has been widely admired — indeed it looks set to be the model for what happens in the U.S. and the rest of the world.
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Manufacturing jobs reach 7-year high despite stumbling economy
Chelsea Adams ManufacturingWhile overall jobs growth was lower than projected in January, the manufacturing sector saw gains in several key workforce measures. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics monthly labor report, manufacturing companies added 29,000 workers in January, the fourth consecutive month that saw an increase. That translates to 12.4 million workers in the industry, the highest number in seven years.
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Barcodes, QR codes or RFID tags? How companies select products
Dr. William Oliver Hedgepeth Distribution & WarehousingWhat happens with product information when a customer returns a product to the retail store or sends it into the reverse logistics supply chain of the online or face-to-face retail seller? A manufacturer of a product — such as a laptop computer or a new coffee maker — may have conducted their engineering analysis and later value analysis to make sure the laptop has been produced with the least expensive but reliable parts. But what about that information needed by the consumer on the product's use and safety?
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Who is to blame for the hoverboard fires?
Dr. William Oliver Hedgepeth ManufacturingHow do we prepare our college students or even high school students for the real world? Our texts are full of theories of how a perfect process should work, such as in the making of a laptop computer or bridge. Take, for example, the hot Christmas present of 2015: the hoverboard. We've since learned the hoverboard's lithium battery has a tendency to burst into flame, burning people and property. Who is to blame for this product mistake?
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8 of the best factory tours across America
Dave G. Houser Recreation & LeisureAlthough it sometimes seems we live in an age of foreign imports, let's not overlook the bounty of goods and products that proudly bear the "Made In America" label. From jumbo jets to hot sauce — and baseball bats to blankets — we still make lots of good stuff here in the U.S.A., and many manufacturers invite you to come see how their products are made. These behind-the-scenes tours can be quite entertaining and informative — and they’re usually offered at no or very low cost.
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Cold collaboration in UK’s refrigeration industry
Andrew Gaved ManufacturingOne of the things the cooling industry in Europe often seems to find difficult is collaboration. It is hardly surprising, given that the companies involved are quite small in scale, for the most part. Therefore, they don't necessarily have the resources or the will to work on bigger projects — particularly when it requires working with potential competitors.
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Has America’s manufacturing reshoring trend ended before it began?
Alan Kelsky ManufacturingAt the end of 2015, A.T. Kearny Consulting issued its second annual U.S. Reshoring Index. In 2015, the Index dropped to minus-115 — down from minus-30 in 2014. This represents the largest year-over-year decrease in the last 10 years.
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