The City of Chicago has officially and fully reopened. McCormick Place resumes conferences, including the venue’s biggest event: IMTS 2022, Sept 12-17. Even though it’s 14 months away, IMTS recently unveiled the show floor plan, and the news is good. Check it out! See how you can connect with the biggest names and smallest of innovators in manufacturing technology right now.

Internationally respected demographer Ken Gronbach predicts that the United States and the Americas will excel culturally and economically in the post-pandemic era. He predicts advanced manufacturing will expand abundantly — and soon. Listen to his 40-minute IMTS spark presentation. Here’s a sneak peek.

Supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic have clearly shown the vulnerability of the United States and its supply chain – renewing a call for strengthening our manufacturing industry. Take a look at the key points in several bipartisan bills designed to strengthen the U.S. manufacturing industry recently introduced in Congress.

Get an inside peek at C&A Tool where they work with superalloys such as Inconel® to make aircraft turbojet engines, engine turbine components, and parts for navigated surgery. Learn more about this widely-used alloy and how it’s machined. See a CNC machine so large that half a dozen people can climb inside.

Reshoring is gaining momentum throughout the country. Discover how the Reshoring Initiative is encouraging companies to bring advanced manufacturing jobs to the United States with resources that accurately assess a company’s total cost of offshoring. See how to shift collective thinking from “offshoring is cheaper” to “local reduces the total cost of ownership.” Gain tips to drive reshoring for your company.

A widening skills gap threatens to erode U.S. manufacturing competitiveness and thus our economy. A talent pipeline with a sufficient supply of properly aligned skills is imperative in meeting U.S. manufacturers’ needs for capacity, productivity and innovation. “Rebuilding and Reshoring: Skilled Workforce, the First Priority - Part 1” examines the manufacturing workforce skills gap and its impact on competitiveness and the U.S. economy.

Automation technology used in industry has evolved from conveyor belts used since the late 19th century to automated material handling (AMH) systems that provide multiple types of movement and functionality to robotic arms, which continue to grow in use as prices come down and advanced end-of-arm tooling (EOAT) and sensors expand their functionality and intelligence.

Recent advancements in end of arm tooling (EOAT) have made robotic arms increasingly useful throughout manufacturing. In this article, we review three of the most important types of EOAT: grippers, vision technology and sensors, and how they expand the functionality of robotic arms.

The two categories of robots used in manufacturing are industrial grade robots and collaborative robots (cobots); adaptive robots were only introduced in 2019. This article looks at how each new generation of robots is more flexible and intelligent than its predecessor.

From automated to autonomous, mobile robots have significantly evolved in the past decade due to advancements in sensors and big data processing. Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) are slowly replacing automated guided vehicles (AGVs) in manufacturing and logistics operations due to their greater functionality and flexibility as well as their lower upfront investment cost. We examine their key differences in this article. 

Programming is key to any robotic system because it is how instructions are communicated to the robot to make it function and carry out tasks. We review the three most common programming methods for industry robots: Teach pendants, offline programming or simulation, and lead through demonstration.

Lights-out manufacturing is receiving a lot of press due to its promise of complete automation. The thinking is that if some automation is good, complete automation is even better! However, for most manufacturers, it is more realistic to think in terms of lights-out processes rather than all-encompassing lights-out manufacturing. In this article, we explore the challenges of lights-out manufacturing.

In the past year, several new commercial off-the-shelf robotics applications have come to market to make programming and deploying cobots and robots much easier and faster, and they are designed for workers with very little to no programming experience. We take a look at four recent sets of software tools to provide a flavor of what’s out on the market right now.

Seventy percent of offshoring decisions are based on price. U.S. FOB (Free On Board) price averages 20% above developed countries and 40% above developing countries. Half of the gap would be closed if companies sourced based on Total Cost of Ownership instead of price, thereby recognizing relevant costs and risks amounting to 15 to 25% of price. The government must close the final gap by leveling the playing field. 

Localization, producing near suppliers and customers, often reduces total cost due to shorter supply chains and contributes to a lean and agile strategy. Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is the best way to recognize these savings instead of using less accurate measures like Free on Board price. Part one of this two-part series explains how using the TCO metric strategy can help companies uncover easily ignored hidden costs and risks, narrowing the apparent U.S. competitiveness gap

Get the details and learn how to effectively evaluate the true cost of domestic sourcing vs. offshore sourcing with the Total Cost of Ownership (TOC) Estimator. It’s helped 5,000 companies bring the manufacturing of parts and products back to the United States. Even gain tips for winning sales against offshore competitors.

Did you ever know a famous person back when they had a mundane life? Like when Michelle Pfeiffer was studying to be a court reporter. Russ Waddell – who has spearheaded MTConnect^®, the world’s first and most comprehensive, royalty-free data dictionary of common machine tool and equipment terms – was named a luminary by SME’s Smart Manufacturing magazine.

In April, two premier overseas industry shows took place with stricter health precautions including self-check-ins, wider aisles, and elbow bumps. McCormick Place is opening July 4. The Manufacturing Technology Series regional shows are scheduled for autumn 2021. Are these events signaling a robust era for manufacturing technology worldwide?

Do you, your customers, or supply chain use products that contain the chemical substance phenol, isopropylated, phosphate (3:1) (PIP (3:1))? Often found in components used in electronics, robotics, and manufacturing equipment for flame retardant purposes, PIP (3:1) processing and distribution may be prohibited in the USA by Sept. 4, 2021. Public comment is due to the EPA May 17. 

Get details on the President’s new multi-trillion dollar plan to rebuild the nation’s infrastructure, which includes large investments in the manufacturing sector, worker training, and R&D. It also comes with a proposal to increases corporate taxes to pay for it.