Industry Trends & Analysis

News • September 10, 2015

Manufacturing growing at slower pace

Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in August for the 32nd consecutive month, and the overall economy grew for the 75th consecutive month, according to the nation's supply executives in the latest "Manufacturing ISM Report On Business" released Sept. 1.

News • September 9, 2015

August manufacturing technology orders down

August U.S. manufacturing technology orders totaled $285.92 million according to AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology. This total, as reported by companies participating in the USMTO program, was down 10.2 percent from July's $318.48 million and down 21.2 percent when compared with the total of $362.65 million reported for August 2014. With a year-to-date total of $2,771.23 million, 2015 was down 10 percent when compared with 2014.

News • August 28, 2015

PRAB acquires Puckmaster

Industrial material handling equipment manufacturer PRAB Inc., Kalamazoo, Mich., has completed its purchase of Puckmaster Co., manufacturers of briquetting machines for metal compression and coolant collection.

News • August 17, 2015

Smalley donates waterjet machine

Smalley Steel Ring Co., a designer and manufacturer of retaining rings and wave springs, donated an OMAX 2652 to the College of Lake County (CLC) in Grayslake, Ill.. The abrasive waterjet machining center is the college's first and broadens the CNC/Machine Tool Trades Department's ability to offer the waterjet technology skills sought by many employers recruiting CLC graduates, including Smalley.

News • August 5, 2015

Airline industry lifts manufacturing

Industrial Info Resources, a market research company based in Sugar Land, Texas, reported Aug. 5 that demand for aircraft parts has helped give rise to U.S. manufacturing plant expansions.

News • August 5, 2015

Okuma expands warehouse, increases service

Charlotte, N.C.-based Okuma America Corp.'s newly-expanded warehouse increases the company's capacity for mechanical repair and exchange service, providing faster spindle and cam box replacement service, according to the company.

News • August 5, 2015

Veterans bring skills to Fives Machining

U.S. military veterans are finding post-service success at machine tool builder Fives Machining Systems, putting their troubleshooting skills and technical experience to work in field service and customer support positions. Since 2014, the company has hired nearly 20 former members of the various military branches at 10 field service locations throughout the U.S., as well as accepting veterans into its apprenticeship program.

News • August 1, 2015

3D printing cuts production costs in half

Stratasys Ltd., a leading global provider of additive manunfacturing (AM) solutions, this week reported that Italian Service Bureau, ZARE, has halved production costs for its direct manufacturing customers in automotive and aerospace since purchasing a fleet of Stratasys Fortus 3D Production Systems. In a July 22 news release issued by Stratasys, which is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., and Rehovot, Israel, the AM company underscored ZARE's decision to use 3D printing for production parts.

News • July 28, 2015

Report sizes up laser cutting machine market

Though more than 30 percent revenue share of the global laser cutting machine market went to North America in 2014, a new market research report suggests that the Asia-Pacific market will make some significant gains over the next few years. The North American market remains the largest for laser cutting machines globally, but the Asia-Pacific market is expected to grow at a cumulative annual growth rate of 12.8 percent each year through 2020.

News • July 15, 2015

IMCP recognizes 12 communities

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker today announced 12 new communities that have received designations under the Obama Administration's Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP) initiative. In May 2014, Secretary Pritzker announced the first 12 communities to receive the designation under this U.S. Commerce Department-led program, which is designed to accelerate the resurgence of manufacturing in communities nationwide by supporting the development of long-term economic development strategies.

News • July 15, 2015

Remembering the Alamo just got easier for manufacturing

The Alamo Manufacturing Partnership (AMP), led by the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), last week was among 12 groups to receive designation as a manufacturing community through a federal initiative designed to accelerate the resurgence of manufacturing in communities nationwide by supporting long-term economic development strategies.

News • July 7, 2015

Tsugami/Rem opens new tech center

Tsugami/Rem Sales, Windsor, Conn., exclusive North American importer of Tsugami machine tools, will open a new Tsugami technical center in Fullerton, Calif.