Industry News

Worthington, Ohio-based Hyperion Materials & Technologies, a global leader in developing hard and superhard materials for a wide range of demanding applications, on Jan. 1 completed the acquisition of AFC Hartmetall, a premium cemented carbide tool blank manufacturer, marking the close of the complementary agreement announced in September.

North American Tool Corp., South Beloit, Illinois, has announced the appointment of Steve Mayse as director of manufacturing.

Manufacturers are looking to lower costs and increase speed without sacrificing quality. This means getting more done in less time with less manpower, less scrap and fewer mistakes. To do this, the manufacturing industry is investing more in automation.

The manufacturing industry got a huge boost from President Donald Trump's election, seeing a groundswell of job gains during his first year in office. But the trade war with China has undone that progress. Jobs in the sector have stalled out and turned negative in 2019.

U.S. companies aren't likely to pack up manufacturing operations in China and move back home amid the trade war. That's because supply chains are "very difficult to put together and equally difficult to disentangle," said Stephen Roach, senior fellow at Yale University.

Smart manufacturing, or Industry 4.0, is transforming manufacturing back into an economic powerhouse. Industry 4.0 helps companies digitally transform manufacturing operations to provide new capabilities, reduce costs, empower teams, improve decision-making and create better ways of doing business. An integral part of smart manufacturing is the concept of the digital thread, which is key to capturing and managing the information associated with manufacturing operations.

Factory work used to be dirty, dangerous and bleak. Technology has changed that, creating a manufacturing sector that looks radically different.

New robots will be able to generate savings in manufacturing and plug short-term gaps while helping create future jobs.

Private equity firms are snapping up manufacturing companies at a quick pace, setting off a merger and acquisition gold rush while leaving multicloud manufacturing systems unprotected in a zero-trust world.

It's hard to believe that the phrase "war for talent" was coined more than 20 years ago. Today, the fight to attract and retain talented employees rages on in virtually every industry — and manufacturing is no exception.

The Oregon Manufacturing Innovation Center Research and Development (OMICR&D) has welcomed Sumitomo Electric Carbide Inc. as its 30th member. Sumitomo, whose U.S. subsidiary is headquartered in near Chicago, also has other several other U.S. based cutting tool manufacturing facilities, and its main headquarters is in Hyogo, Japan.

Continental needed a high capacity system capable of rapid inspection cycles combined with fast surface scanning and accurate feature measurements, the aim being to gain more comprehensive insight into the company's products. The range includes electronic and hydraulic brake and chassis control systems, wheel and engine speed sensors, airbag electronics and electronic air suspension systems.