Manufacturers face a plethora of challenges every day, regardless of where they are located and the industries they serve.

Light is critical for our health and well-being. In the morning, bright light helps us wake up and feel alert and energized. At night, dimmer light cues us to go to sleep. Equally important, the right type of light enables hospitals to provide surgery and other essential medical services 24/7.

Whether a manufacturer is large or small, it’s always interested in saving money—whether it’s a large or small amount. Consider a huge company like Lockheed Martin Space Systems, and its constant need to cut costs in every aspect of a project, such as parts needed to build a satellite.

For more than 30 years, manufacturers have used infrared welding (IW) to assemble plastic components that are large, made of challenging materials or have high strength and hermetic requirements.

Lumps of coal go to Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton for giving us a choice between Scylla and Charybdis. An extra lump goes to The Donald for running a campaign that set new lows in civil political discourse.

Power tools collect a wealth of data about the fastening process. With some simple statistical analysis, engineers can obtain valuable insight into the fastening process.

When the market demands products be made better or faster, manufacturers must respond in kind. For manufacturers in many industries, robots are essential to meeting these ever-changing customer needs.

Just a few decades ago, the typical American or European driver would never have believed that China, a communist country, would one day be the world’s largest car producer (by volume).

With all the hype surrounding self-driving cars these days, steering wheels seem a bit archaic. Some experts claim the humble device will soon find itself alongside bench seats, carburetors, chrome bumpers, hubcaps and other relics of the past.

This time of the year, many homeowners in the Midwest and Northeast start covering their barbecue grills, patio furniture, rosebushes and swimming pools. The type of cover they choose can make a big difference in how those objects survive cold winter temperatures and heavy snow.