The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM, Washington) predicts a slow but steady recovery in manufacturing in the fourth quarter, even though companies continue to be plagued by the high dollar, and rising energy and health care costs.
Minnesota Wire and Cable (Eau Claire, WI), a manufacturer of wires and specialty cables, used to strip a particular industrial retractable cord by hand.
"Lean manufacturing" means different things to different people. To the ruthless, it means "lay off workers and get more from who's left." But to others, lean manufacturing is a strategy for delivering high-quality products quickly and cost-effectively. To get the real story, we spoke with Tom Greenwood, Ph.D., director of the University of Tennessee's Lean Enterprise Forum.
In assembly and production plants around the world, flexible gauging has become a vital stage of the manufacturing process, especially in the automotive industry.