Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing as it's often called, is not about to replace mass manufacturing. Even though the technology is improving, the finish and durability of some printed items can still fall short of what producers require.
When 3D printing allows anyone to scan an object and create it, the concept of intellectual property and trademarks will increasingly become irrelevant.
Mid-sized manufacturers are optimistic about revenues and employment despite concerns about federal regulations and fiscal policy uncertainties, according to the 12th semi-annual Group Outlook Survey from Prime Advantage, a purchasing group for industrial manufacturers.
Export manufacturing has recently become the unsung hero of the U.S. economy. Despite all the public focus on the U.S. trade deficit, little attention has been paid to the fact that the country's exports have been growing more than seven times faster than GDP since 2005. As a share of the U.S. economy, in fact, exports are at their highest point in 50 years.
If you haven't yet gotten used to the idea that 3D printing is playing an important role in the supply chain, you'd better hurry up. 4D printing is about to change today's manufacturing by adding transformation capabilities to 3D-printed objects on an industrial scale.
Where are the most manufacturing jobs? A number of states have plenty. We all know Texas does. But not as much as Michigan does, according to a recent study.
Consolidating multiple shipments of vehicle accessories and replacement parts, some quite heavy, into one movement has saved a U.S. distributor a lot of money and really given the gas to its business growth in Canada.
Italika, the top-selling brand of motorcycle in Mexico, improves on-time delivery of parts sourced from China by changing port-to-port ocean routing and land transportation.
Manufacturing expanded in July at the fastest pace in more than two years, sparked by surges in orders and production that signal companies are growing more optimistic about the U.S. economy's prospects.
Ulf Harring, head of the global supply chain at Electrolux, discusses the strategy behind Electrolux's global sales and operations planning process and the challenges of rolling S&OP out across a globally diversified company.