- Technology, Automation and Employment - We’ve had a lot of discussion recently about returning manufacturing jobs to the United States. One of the major factors for manufacturing being outsourced initially was the cost of labor. One of the successful ways to keep manufacturing in the United States is to provide higher levels of automation. Automation can often effectively reduce the… Continue Reading
- US Manufacturing in 2017 - A year ago we took a look forward into manufacturing in 2016. Most of our focus was around technology. These included the top tier of hot impactful technologies which are viewed to have most value for implementation. In summary we talked about robotics, additive manufacturing, the internet of things, ecommerce and improved logistics. We waited… Continue Reading
- How to effectively deliver CapEx projects with third-party integrators - It's that time of year when you look towards the end of the calendar in an attempt to squeeze whatever remaining capital can produce some effective results for your operations. Or you may be looking ahead to the new year, plotting and planning how to best tackle the most important and complex challenges facing your… Continue Reading
- Meeting the next generation of the glass industry - I recently attended the 77th annual Glass Problems Conference (GPC) in Columbus, Ohio. GPC is the largest glass manufacturing event in North America, attracting global manufacturers and suppliers to exchange innovations and solutions. This is a conference that is co-organized by the Glass Manufacturing Industry Council (GMIC) and Alfred University, with programming direction provided by… Continue Reading
- National Apprenticeship Week - November 14 – 20, 2016 was National Apprenticeship Week. This was an opportunity to highlight how Registered Apprenticeships meet the needs for a skilled workforce for employers, education, and industry associations. 47 states made proclamations and participated in the celebration. New York was not one of them. The reason why New York passed it by… Continue Reading
- Does Your Consultant have Dirt Under His Fingernails? - In today’s rapidly changing manufacturing landscape, many companies that produce consumer or industrial products have evolved to a staffing construct that is lean and cost effective. These companies have found that they can’t afford to carry a technical staff to support all aspects of both their manufacturing platform and their plant infrastructure. So, out of… Continue Reading
- Coal to Gas Conversion – A Major Capital Project in Rochester - Much of our focus in Rochester during the past year has been about photonics and the millions of dollars being provided and spent on development of photonics technologies. This focus has overshadowed investments in other less flashy manufacturing projects. Many of these other opportunities, new and old are located in the repurposed Eastman Business Park… Continue Reading
- The Face of Manufacturing in Rochester - Following the theme of small business and manufacturing, it's worth noting that the Rochester region in particular is exceedingly strong in these categories. Especially in the market segments of advanced manufacturing, photonics, and energy, upstate New York reigns. According to the Greater Rochester Enterprise (GRE), a regional economic development organization, this region is not only… Continue Reading
- Small Manufacturing Companies in the USA - The New York Times recently ran a story about how Small Factories Emerge as a Weapon in the Fight Against Poverty. Their story centered on urban manufacturing. I live in upstate New York where there are lots of small manufacturing companies scattered across rural communities. Small manufacturers who exist in inner city neighborhoods or small… Continue Reading
- Loading Batch IDs using the Orders database - It is the goal of most batch oriented production facilities to be able to expose the scheduling and order information that has been entered into a corporate database to a downstream manufacturing control system. The truckloads of materials that have been received are normally lot tracked as they arrive and are verified against purchase orders and… Continue Reading
