Additive manufacturing has already transformed the way that products are designed and produced in a wide variety of industries. The technology is now starting to be used by appliance engineers to assemble coffee makers, ovens, refrigerators and other household products.

As a part of its Energy Conservation Program for consumer products, the Department of Energy (DOE) establishes energy efficiency standards for many appliances used daily in American households.

Every electrically-powered machine is filled with wires, connectors and delicate electronics, such as circuit boards and sensors. These parts are subjected to stress from constant vibration, physical strain, abrasion and impacts. These stresses can damage parts and leave them useless without some level of protection.

In January, President Donald Trump traveled to Davos, Switzerland, to speak at the annual World Economic Forum (WEF). His message: "America is open for business."

It is a common misconception among fabricators that bonding with two-part acrylic adhesives before powder coating cannot be successfully accomplished because high temperatures used in the process raise concerns about possible degradation of the cured adhesive. Engineers believed that their only options were rivet bonding, mechanical fasteners or welding.

There are many ways to perform destructive testing. The most helpful, and preferred by manufacturers, is to intentionally destroy an assembly in a controlled environment to determine the performance capability of one or more of its components. Another way, done unintentionally and all too often by consumers, is to simply misuse a product.

Last month, I wrote about the Trump administration's decision to impose tariffs on imported washing machines. As with much of what this administration has done so far, there were no shortage of opinions one way or the other, and I received many comments.

NEWBERRY, SC—Samsung will expand the production footprint of its assembly plant here, making progress on a plan to create nearly 1,000 jobs in the state by 2020.

In January, the Trump administration imposed tariffs on imported washing machines.