Ask the typical American about automobile history and you're likely to hear the name "Henry Ford." Pose the same question to a Brit, however, and get ready for an answer of "Morgan Motor Co. (MMC)."

Like so many things in manufacturing, product testing is not a one-type-fits-all-applications procedure. Among the more well-known types of testing that manufacturers regularly perform are leak, mechanical performance, material (such as tensile strength) and computer simulation modeling.

At the beginning of 2020, Hervé de Malliard, CEO of systems integrator MGA Technologies in Civrieux d’Azergues, France, observed the first signs of the COVID-19 crisis.

For decades, the University of Michigan has been at the forefront of robotics engineering. That's why Ford Motor Co. recently partnered with the school to build a new robotics research facility on campus.

Fillers are one of the most important ingredients in an adhesive, sealant or encapsulant. Some materials contain a single filler, while others have multiple fillers. These fillers may account for up to 50 percent of the product's ingredients.

The volatility and uncertainty resulting from trade wars and the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with increased consumer demand for faster delivery, customization and responsiveness, is helping to promote reshoring and foreign direct investment (FDI) in the United States. Reshoring and FDI are both motivated by the same logic: the agility and financial advantages that companies achieve by producing near their customers.

Software is both an essential and accessible tool for manufacturers, with many types to choose from.

Steel has been, is now, and will continue to be the predominant material for vehicle structures and body parts, such as doors, hoods, liftgates and fenders. But, other materials, such as aluminum, magnesium, plastics and composites, are becoming increasingly important.

Validation causes more headaches for medical device manufacturers than almost any other stage of the production process. For companies certified to ISO 13485, validation is always a costly and time-consuming undertaking, regardless of whether a new process is being set up or an existing process is being transferred.

First-pass yield is an important manufacturing metric. It measures the effectiveness of a process and provides an indication of how well we are eliminating waste.