Walking the Talk on Workforce Development January 2, 2020 When we talk about the skills gap, it sounds like one monolithic issue. In reality, it’s thousands of individual issues; every U.S. manufacturing company, each with unique needs and issues, must solve the riddle of attracting and retaining new talent.
Industry 4.0 is Big and Confusing, So Start Small December 4, 2019 Back in the early days of the Internet, when new sites were popping up selling everything from office supplies to dog food, I told a friend that I would never shop on the Internet. Too sketchy and unsafe. Well, some of it is still sketchy and unsafe, but I shop online—like billions of other people.
U.S. on Verge of New Status as a Net Energy Exporter November 7, 2019 The United States is about to begin a new era as a net energy exporter, according to U.S. Energy Department projections. The shift will snap a 67-year streak of being a net energy importer, going back to 1953.
The Future Flight Path of Aerospace Technology October 1, 2019 In today’s aerospace industry, manufacturers often feel bound to operate a certain way because it’s a tried-and-true, validated process or because the physics of aerospace dictate certain limitations on materials, systems and designs.
FABTECH Keeps the Heat On October 31, 2019 FABTECH is coming to my home town, Chicago, and I’m looking forward to it. Along with IMTS and EMO, it’s one of the top-shelf manufacturing trade shows and it’s big enough to keep people coming back every year to see new technology, get educated and network with their peers.
3D Printing Delivers New, Easy-to-Use Washout Tooling for Composites September 13, 2019 With today’s focus on lightweighting, hollow parts made from composite materials, such as ducting, fuel tanks, mandrels, and rocket shrouds, are in higher demand than ever before. The composite ducting market in the aerospace and defense sector alone is expected to reach $864.7 million by 2024, according to a recent report from Stratview Research.
Making Metal Additive Manufacturing Faster September 12, 2019 The aerospace and defense industry is leading the way in an exciting shift and step in the industrialization of additive manufacturing (AM) technology. The industry leaders historically responsible for driving the use and adoption of AM continue to make large investments in facilities, machines, technology and workforce to support their implementation strategies.
Taking on Jet Engine Blade Production Challenges September 11, 2019 Companies refer to the combination rotor and blade part in the combustion section of the gas turbine engine in different ways. Some companies refer to them as blisks, others call them IBRs (internally bladed rotors).
Industry Remains Strong Amid Controversy, Anticipated Changes September 9, 2019 Deloitte predicts the A&D industry will continue its growth trajectory in 2019, led by growing commercial aircraft production and strong defense spending. Reuters reported in mid-June that the “$150-billion-a-year commercial aircraft industry is entering a slowdown due to global pressures from trade tensions to flagging economies.”
Putting Machinery on a Strong Fitness Plan Starts with Real-Time Monitoring August 16, 2019 Having a plan for maintaining and improving the performance and reliability of every machine on a shop floor is vital to manufacturing operations. Reliable machines make short-notice production runs possible. And the more flexible manufacturers are, the more new customers they’ll attract.