New Faurecia Plant Near Kansas City, Mo., to Bring Jobs and Smart Manufacturing Technology

By Roger Shelzer, Account Manager March 14, 2018

Leaders at auto parts manufacturer Faurecia Interior have sparked excitement in the Missouri manufacturing industry by announcing plans to build a new interior production plant in Blue Springs, a suburb outside Kansas City. Headquartered in Nanterre, France, Faurecia executives have built their company’s global reputation and business model on new technologies, particularly clean mobility, automotive seating,…
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Nikola Motor Company Sets Sights on Phoenix Suburb for New Manufacturing Plant

By Roger Shelzer, Account Manager March 13, 2018

One year, nine states, and 30 potential sites later, Salt Lake City-based Nikola Motor Company leaders have chosen the suburb of Buckeye, Arizona, as the new location for both their corporate headquarters and fully electric hydrogen semitruck manufacturing facility. Located about 40 minutes west of Phoenix, Nikola Motor Company will be investing $1 billion in the…
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What Is Mechanical Backlash?

By Chris Long, General Manager March 12, 2018

When reporting on mechanical assemblies such as ball screws, gearboxes, reducers and gear motors, often our customers will see notes on the amount of backlash that is present and wonder what that term means. Backlash is a movement or amount of “play” you see in a mechanical system which is caused by a gap between…
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Top Five Tips for Time Management

By Anna Lewis, Account Manager March 11, 2018

In the manufacturing world, the phrase “time is money,” may be truer than it is anywhere else. The more you can produce, the more you can sell and the more customers you can satisfy. In almost any industry, good time management is important — but in manufacturing, effective prioritizing and good time management are absolutely…
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Prepping for Daylight Savings Time

By Jacob Smith, Sales Manager March 10, 2018

Clocks are set to spring forward an hour this coming weekend, marking the beginning of Daylight Savings time. Designed to increase daylight hours into the evening at the expense of daylight sunrise, the practice of moving clocks forward has several benefits for several industries, such as more efficient energy usage due to abundance of natural…
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February Manufacturing Industry Report: Highest PMI in ‘Nearly 14 Years’

By Roger Shelzer, Account Manager March 9, 2018

Showing continued overall economy expansion for 106 months in a row, the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) manufacturing index increased 1.7 points to reach 60.8% in February, beating January’s reading of 59.1%. In fact, according to ISM Manufacturing Survey Committee Chair Timothy Fiore, “The PMI® at 60.8 percent is the highest…
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Guide to Troubleshooting PCBs

By Anna Lewis, Account Manager March 8, 2018

Electricity Printed Circuit Boards Troubleshooting on Old PCBs Analogue Signature Analysis How to Diagnose Problems With a PCB How to Analyze the Results of PCB Diagnostics How to Fix a PCB Common Issues With PCBs PCB Repair Guide to Troubleshooting PCBs Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are manufactured according to designer specifications. However, errors can occur…
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February Regional Manufacturing Numbers: Trends, Insights, and Takeaways

By Addison McCormick, Account Manager March 7, 2018

Of the 12 Federal Reserve Regional Districts, five report monthly manufacturing data that provides a measurement of economic stability for the region as well as an overall measurement of how national trends affect the area. While each individual region’s data varies month to month, a longitudinal look at each region’s report over longer periods of…
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$190 Million Expansion Shows Denso Confidence in US Manufacturing

By Roger Shelzer, Account Manager March 6, 2018

Leaders at Denso Corp., a global manufacturer that supplies advanced “thermal, powertrain control, electronics and information and safety” for automotive components, systems, and technologies, have announced another investment in Tennessee manufacturing. The $190 million expansion in its Athens, Tennessee, facility will bring with it 320 new jobs. Denso Corp. Headquartered in Kariya, Aichi prefecture, Japan,…
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Relays

By Virginia Johnson, Senior Sales Manager March 5, 2018

A relay is defined as an electrical device, typically incorporating an electromagnet, that is activated by a current or signal in one circuit, to open or close another circuit. Carl Gauss and Willhem  Weber developed an electromagnetic relay in 1833.  Although, Joseph Henry claimed he invented the relay in 1835. Relays are simply switches that open and close…
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