Powerful trends will push manufacturing close to complete automation by 2050, while the people still working in the industry will be empowered to rapidly innovate like never before. Years ago Warren Bennis predicted that, “The factory of the future will have only two employees, a man

Cofounder Johannes Trabert, who lives a poetic life in the Thuringian Forest, says the future will be focused on ‘the clever share of work’ between humans and robots. ILMENAU, Germany — Johannes Trabert’s voice carries repose as he zips past the construction site for

The energy industry is often at the forefront of our minds as we watch fuel prices climb and then celebrate when they come down. We continually find ways to be as energy efficient as possible in our homes and workplaces. Media outlets keep us constantly informed of this often-volatile industry

Basin Precision Machining LLC increases quality by utilizing an efficient single-piece flow production system across its shop floor. Erik Anderson, president and CEO of Basin Precision Machining LLC, has determined that setups are the root of all evil when it comes to manufacturing producti

Technology systems provider Siemens USA(Washington) has been selected by Boeing(Chicago) to implement new automation solutions aimed at developing automation standards that will make Boeing’s manufacturing systems more efficient and safer. As part of a multi-year agreement,

IQMS provides all-in-one solution to optimize engineering, manufacturing and business processes Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform to become the business operations platform for manufacturers, supplementing its offering for the large SOLIDWORKS install base World’s 25

Fracking has led to big changes in the oil patch and big changes in parts machining. Rod Zimmerman of cutting tool manufacturer Iscar Metals lives in a pleasant green zone in a Fort Worth suburb. Yet within a half mile of his home, an oil company has sunk a vertical hole 7,500&pri

Although drivers may not know it, cable connections for the airbags and seatbelt buckle systems in their vehicle simply would not work without components manufactured by ODW-Elektrik. A development partner and supplier for high-quality cabling, solenoids and mechatronic systems used in

Increases in size and quantity of its orders led Wisconsin-based auto parts manufacturer Felss Rotaform LLC (New Berlin, WI) to expand operations through a new dual-robot machine-tending cell. The company is a supplier of precision parts using its rotary swaging, axial forming and tube end-

According to CIMdata’s latest report, Mastercam is the No. 1 CAM software used worldwide. CIMdata also ranked Mastercam’s global support network as the largest in the field of CAM. Mastercam topped the list in both the educational and industrial categories, with nearly twic

Universal Robots (UR, Odense, Denmark) was one of the pioneers of today’s modern field of collaborative robots (cobots) with the launch of the UR5 robot in 2008, however the company didn’t rest on its laurels at IMTS 2018 in Chicago. The company used the show to highlight i

Automating EDM processes takes more than good machinery For the most part, EDMing is an unattended, or at least lightly-attended process. Unlike CNC lathes and machining centers, where a broken cutter during the night can make for a truly bad morning, sinking a mold cavity or cutting a trim

I just returned from IMTS in Chicago and my first thought was, “where will I be able to rack up all those bonus steps I got last week?” On the easiest day, I walked 7.9 miles, and I topped 10 miles on two other days. It’s easy to understand why. The show ran from Sept. 10-15,

Various industries are still struggling with automation despite long-standing efforts, consulting McKinsey & Co. said in a report. “Organizations in every region and industry are automating at least some business processes,” New York-based McKinsey said. However, it added, that

For today’s industrial cutting tool manufacturers there is a continuous and increasing demand for faster cycle times, better asset utilization, tighter tolerances and improved quality. Running a successful manufacturing facility takes more than acquiring the latest state- of-the-art equi

Tired of riding the red button? Simulation software is the key to safer, shorter machine setups. In a perfect CNC world, the first part is always a good one. There’s no need for extra blanks or barstock. Setup times are only as long as is needed to swap out a few tools and load a new pro

The focus on digitalization in design and machining has highlighted the importance and advantages of more sophisticated digital tool management (DTM) systems. While this has generated a great degree of differentiation, and some confusion regarding a generally accepted system definition, it

ACME, MI – General Motors Co. (Detroit) is boosting its use of collaborative robots, a manufacturing executive said at this week’s Management Briefing Seminars (MBS). Collaborative robots, or cobots, can be deployed in close proximity to production workers. Conventional robots a

The virtualization of business-critical infrastructure is transforming the production and distribution of goods and services throughout the supply chain as industrial organizations shift focus from private to public and, ultimately, hybrid cloud deployments that connect and integrate on-pre

At Hirsh Precision Products, the culture is based on conducting business with integrity and core values of trust, confidence, and commitment From a simple locating pin to a complex fluid manifold, every manufactured part starts out as an idea. A Colorado shop brings its customers’ con