Design & Engineering

On March 2, mHUB, a physical-product innovation center and microfactory, celebrated its official grand opening in Chicago. The center is designed to galvanize the area's manufacturing ecosystem by generating innovative ideas, attracting world-class talent and fostering collaboration.

Divergent 3D, which developed the Divergent Manufacturing Platform™, in March announced a strategic development partnership with SLM Solutions Group, a 3D metal printing equipment manufacturer.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently reported that hiring in December 2016 was at a four-month high, while the number of manufacturing hires tied that of November for its best monthly performance since 2010. Separately, the BLS said that manufacturing companies created 5,000 new jobs in January for a second straight month of growth.

Chicago-based Digital Manufacturing and Design Institute has opened enrollment for the first three of a planned 10 online "101"-style courses on manufacturing and design technology. Developed in partnership with the University at Buffalo and coordinated by The Center for Industrial Effectiveness for the Coursera online learning platform, Digital Manufacturing and Design Technology launches on Jan. 30.

Following the election of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) released a letter from more than 1,100 manufacturing and business leaders pledging to help bring the country together after a divisive election.

Manufacturing Day - Oct. 7: This week, the U.S. Census Bureau joins a group of public and private organizations in celebrating the importance of the manufacturing sector of the nation's economy. This marks the fifth annual organized observance of Manufacturing Day. The Census Bureau releases manufacturing statistics that inform businesses and policymakers.

At GreenBiz, Mark Johnson, director of the Department of Energy's Advanced Manufacturing Office, describes the importance of manufacturing innovation to the burgeoning U.S. clean-energy industry.

EWI, a non-profit organization dedicated to innovating and implementing advanced manufacturing technologies for industry, soon will add an Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing (EBAM) system to its R&D toolbox. Chicago-based Sciaky Inc. announced the sale of its EBAM system in a news release issued July 20.

In America's factories, jobs are inevitably disappearing. But despite the political rhetoric, the problem is not mainly globalization. Manufacturing jobs are on the decline in factories around the world.

David A. Dornfeld, mechanical engineering professor, founding faculty director of the Jacobs Institute for Design Innovation and a leader at the College of Engineering, died of a heart attack on March 27. He was 66. Dornfeld was a renowned manufacturing expert, widely admired as a teacher and well-regarded as a thoughtful leader.

When Zach Kaplan visited the White House last June for a National Week of Making event, he had no idea it would mean giving away 50 of his company's 3D carvers (tabletop milling machines).