Tag: Technology

July 27, 2017

Foxconn, Taiwan’s giant electronics manufacturing services provider, announced today it will invest $10bn by 2020 to build a world-class LCD manufacturing campus in Wisconsin, USA, generating 13,000 new jobs in the state. The investment represents the largest new greenfield investment made […]

July 27, 2017

With nearly 91,000 vessels, the global maritime industry crosses social, economic and geographic frontiers, but it has not yet crossed the data boundary by embracing big data. With connectivity options and speeds improving, ships are beginning to join a data […]

July 24, 2017

According to Exact, a creator of business software for SMEs, American manufacturers are already responding to the current administration’s regulatory industry plans and are generally optimistic about the current and future market. The independent survey commissioned by Exact examines the impact […]

July 21, 2017

The top manufacturing facility of Toyota transmissions isn’t based in Japan but in Durham, North Carolina. The AW North Carolina (AWNC) plant — a subsidiary of AW, which is based in Anjo City, Japan — churns out more than 600,000 […]

July 21, 2017

China aims to make the artificial intelligence industry a “new, important” driver of economic expansion by 2020, according to a development plan issued by the State Council. Policy makers want to be global leaders, with the AI industry generating more […]

July 18, 2017

The move to an electronic batch record (EBR) system has been beneficial for most biopharma producers. By replacing paper-based workflows with computer-based workflows, they have reduced the risk of human error and sped up compliance processes. But EBR systems can do […]

July 18, 2017

Xplore Technologies, based in Austin, Tex., is a $78 million manufacturer of rugged tablets, and as its CEO and president, Mark Holleran, puts it, “Rugged tablets are all we do, and we’ve been doing it for more than 20 years.” […]

July 12, 2017

Tesla CEO Elon Musk just tweeted a photo of the first Model 3 to roll off the production line. In the world of electric cars, this model is a true watershed moment as it will bring good-looking, range anxiety-free, state-of-the-art […]

June 29, 2017

Ramping up an auto manufacturing line is difficult. For a newcomer, reaching efficient and lean operation at the level of Toyota and GM is extremely challenging. And, as I pointed out in the past, Tesla’s ongoing manufacturing woes are a […]

June 28, 2017

On a recent visit to a household products manufacturing plant in California we were awestruck at the miles of machinery humming away on lonely factory floors. Only 75 employees in total were needed to keep this enormous 300,000 square foot […]

June 15, 2017

You’re in the business of producing high-quality products. You want the systems that run your operations to just work. You don’t have the time, resources, or money to spend making sure those systems and tools integrate with each other or […]

June 15, 2017

Those words, or similar ones, are most frequently attributed to Heraclitus, an ancient Greek philosopher who very likely wasn’t looking at a factory floor when he made this observation. Nevertheless, it is a fitting comment on the state of manufacturing. […]

June 12, 2017

While widely adopted in enterprise systems, remote access in industrial automation and control systems (IACS) has long remained a challenge. Obstacles to adopting industrial remote access have included security concerns, insufficient connectivity and a lack of collaboration between IT and […]

June 12, 2017

From boardrooms and shareholder meetings to conferences and collaboration circles, it seems everyone is talking about the fourth Industrial Revolution (i4.0). Manufacturing executives are increasingly challenged to evolve to remain competitive in this age of rapid technological disruption. Depending on […]

June 9, 2017

Did you know the integration of nanomaterials, manufacturing and garment fabrics is on the cusp of creating a whole new wearable “power suit” that can help monitor patients or generate energy — among countless other possibilities? Four Manufacturing USA Institutes […]

June 5, 2017

Disruptive technologies and megatrends are shaping the future of manufacturing. The fourth industrial revolution—Industry 4.0—has been gathering momentum in recent years and is set to be transformative in 2017. Industry 4.0 is the digitisation of the manufacturing industry and a […]

May 31, 2017

If you gather a group of manufacturers and ask them what their biggest challenge is today, you’ll likely hear them respond in unison: difficulty filling skilled-labor jobs. Finding the right people with the right skills is both a result of […]

May 26, 2017

Frequently, people opt to read on e-readers and purchase paper or hardback copies of only their favorite or rarest books. The perception is that paper represents quality and preserves information better for easier later reference. It seems paradoxical then, that […]

May 19, 2017

When Hasso Plattner talks, it is best to listen. The SAP SE co-founder and current chairman of its supervisory board, can explain technical issues with the best in the world, words often leaping from his lips with a German lilt. […]

May 15, 2017

Not long ago, Toyota engineers prepared a special treat for President Akio Toyoda, with an eye to the electrified future. It was an all-electric version of his beloved Toyota 86, the sporty coupe Toyoda had a personal hand in creating […]