For decades, batteries have powered everything from toys and toothbrushes to personal electronics and power tools. But, that's just scratching the surface. During the next decade, advanced batteries will be mass-produced for a wide variety of new applications on land, sea and air.
In my first postcollege job, I was a manufacturing engineer for Cummins Engine Co. in Columbus, IN. Two weeks into the job, my boss came to me with a project to purchase an industrial wash system, and I leaped at the opportunity. It was a disaster.
When manufacturing engineers are tasked with automating a process that is currently done manually, their main question for an automation supplier is, "Have you ever automated this specific process before?"
Two-component epoxies are suitable for structural bonding and protective potting. For many industrial applications, the time lapse before reaching initial strength has been deemed a major disadvantage, until now.
Inventors of manufacturing technology have many sources of inspiration. One is human anatomy, which has led to the development of things like hand-like grippers and collaborative robots. Another is commercial technology that is used in toys.
Flow and leak testing are required for any medical device that brings a substance to or from the body. Flow testing ensures that there are no blockages and the substance being delivered can make it through.
French company Prodeo develops and implements software that helps companies improve their production processes to increase efficiency and productivity.
Manufacturers in agriculture, mining, petroleum and other industries rely on centrifugal slurry pumps to move thick, particle-filled liquids. These heavy-duty pumps feature a rotating impeller that uses centrifugal force to move water and solids through pipelines over short and medium distances.
Since 2016, China has been the world's largest industrial robot market. Reports from the International Federation of Robots show that foreign robot makers sold nearly 90,000 units to Chinese manufacturers that year and more than 103,000 robots in 2017
Even in a good economy, most governors would welcome plans by a Fortune 100 corporation to build a new factory in their state, and create more than 500 manufacturing jobs. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, however, was not so sure.
In my last column, we discussed how a shift in consumer behavior and the adoption of new technology are transforming the traditional supply chain. We learned that some manufacturers are making the complex move to cut out the middleman and ship their products direct to consumers (D2C) for increased profits and greater control over brand, price and customer data.