Industry Trends & Analysis

Machinist's Corner: It is a great time to be in manufacturing. For qualified workers that means better wages and benefits.

Why resurrecting an old piece of iron with a new control may financially make sense.

Machine Technology: Researchers are close to developing a precision robotic arm for more economical milling.

Interest in cryptocurrencies is grabbing the attention of companies across the gamut of industries, including metalcutting.

Manufacturing is booming. Many say that's great news for the stock market because increased manufacturing activity is evidence of a stronger economy. This seems logical, but does data support such a conclusion? And is it prudent to use manufacturing indicators to time your exposure to stocks?

In preparation for this year's celebration of Manufacturing Day on Oct. 5, I read the book "Finding America's Greatest Champion: Building Prosperity Through Manufacturing, Mentoring and the Awesome Responsibility of Parenting" by Terry M. Iverson, president of machine tool distributor and rebuilder Iverson & Co., Des Plaines, Illinois. The word "champion" in the title connects with the organization Iverson started called CHAMPION Now! CHAMPION is an acronym for Change How American (or Advanced) Manufacturing's Perceived In Our Nation.

The metal fabrication and manufacturing industry has adjusted in recent years to meet the demands of an evolving global economy, impacted by social, political, economic and technological advancements that effect all aspects of the industry. In changing times and in a historically male-dominated industry, manufacturing has seen a steady rise in women playing key roles in the industry, shaping the next generation of manufacturing to be more gender diverse, innovative, and rewarding for those who pursue a career path in this compelling field.

A close look at the performance of America's top manufacturing companies reveals a surprising story of industrial growth. It also suggests an alarming future.

Kelsi Maree Borland writes that e-commerce has become the principal, or at least the most fervent, driver of industrial activity in the United States and particularly in Southern California, which is home to some of the country's tightest industrial markets. While e-commerce dominates U.S. industrial activity, manufacturing activity is still booming—south of the border. Mexico has picked up much of the industrial manufacturing business, and as a result the north Baja industrial region is seeing record-breaking stats.

China's capital, Beijing, will shut about 1,000 manufacturing firms by 2020 as part of a program aimed at curbing smog and boosting income in neighboring regions, state media said. Beijing will focus on dynamic, high-tech industries and withdraw from "ordinary" manufacturing, reported the People's Daily, a Chinese Communist Party newspaper, citing a recent policy document published by the Beijing municipal government.

Terry Iverson, a machine tool industry veteran, is on a quest to change the perception of the American manufacturing workforce landscape. The manufacturing floor is not what it once was. Computerized, clean and automated cells have emerged in the market and need an entirely new level of shop expertise.

U.S. manufacturing is not in decline but alive and well, producing record levels of output in recent quarters despite significant price deflation for manufactured goods. No other sector of the U.S. economy delivers greater value to American consumers than manufacturing when it comes to providing more and more output at prices that have declined annually by 2.64 percent in real inflation-adjusted terms over the past quarter century.