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Video: “Hyperspecialization” is Coming
The current challenge in finding skilled manufacturing employees is probably the prelude to a much more dramatic shortage. In economies around the world, the retirement of Baby Boomers will lead to more and more retirees being supported by fewer and fewer in the workforce, until the ratio bottoms out at fewer than 2 working people for every 1 retiree.
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Video: What Is It Like to Study Manufacturing?
A student project team at a community college illustrates the learning and experience involved in preparing for a manufacturing career.
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MTConnect Aids Robotic Automation
MTConnect will make robots more flexible. That’s the implication of recent work by a team of researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
Read MoreRun for the School Board
Manufacturing leaders can do a lot of good within this elected office—for their communities, for young people and for their own businesses.
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Understanding Swiss-Type Machining
Once seen as a specialty machine tool, the CNC Swiss-type is increasingly being used in shops that are full of more conventional CNC machines. For the newcomer to Swiss-type machining, here is what the learning curve is like.
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Use the Machine Tool to Machine Tools
This shop has developed various time-saving tool components by creating them internally, including one tooling solution now being used by other shops as well.
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Questioning Capacity
This chart from Sober Look compares the maximum U.S. manufacturing capacity utilization in the wake of the major recessions of the last 50 years. The chart’s downward trend is striking. After each recession, we peak at less and less capacity use before starting down again.
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3D Printing and Custom Machining Fit Together
This video created by Jesel Inc. shows the operations this company employs to create custom valvetrain components that are tailored to the particular demands of individual auto racing teams.
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CNC Art II
Those who work with CNC every day (or those like me who write about it) can forget just how powerful this technology is and continues to be. Here is a reminder of what precise and programmable motion control is able to do.
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A Job Shop’s Brighter Outlook
Something felt unusual about Baklund R&D compared to other CNC machining job shops. I couldn’t put my finger on the difference until I took this photo of shop owner Jon Baklund and his son Justin.
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Video: Swiss-Type Machining Explained
This Chicago-area contract manufacturer has found success explaining his shop’s capabilities to purchasing professionals by creating a YouTube page. This video explains the shop’s latest capability: CNC Swiss-type machining.
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Manufacturing “Punches Above Its Weight”
Gene Sperling, Director of the National Economic Council under the President, gives this 60-second explanation of the importance of manufacturing and the value of the new Manufacturing Innovation Institutes.
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