Additive manufacturing underwent tremendous growth last year. But what are its advantages — and what challenges remain before we see more widespread use? Additive manufacturing is regularly referred to as 3-D printing. The process starts with a digital design before the printer layers ultrathin material to form the object in the design. The materials — such as plastics, metals,…
Read More
Whether it’s run by humans or by robots, it can be said without argument that the assembly line method is by far the most widely used in manufacturing. The assembly line, created and patented by Ransom Olds in 1901, is an arrangement of machines, tools, and workers in which a product is assembled by having…
Read More
You can trace the roots of reverse engineering, common in software development, to older industries such as manufacturing. The process involves deconstructing a finished product to determine how the parts fit together and machine functions as a whole. This in-depth approach can teach us a great deal about maintenance. Systematic view Reverse engineering follows a…
Read More
One of the earliest manufactured metals, cast iron has a long and varied history. Used for everything from plowshares to cookware, cast iron was an early manufactured metal because of its relatively low melting point. Cast iron makes a good manufacturing material not only because of its low melting point, but for its fluidity, castability,…
Read More
With plenty of facilities needing machinery to handle daily workloads, the temptation to invest in brand new machinery that will work seamlessly can be high. Who doesn’t love the look, feel and functionality of something new? There are, however, plenty of reasons purchasing and maintaining used or refurbished machinery is cost effective in more ways than…
Read More
From small-scale electronics to larger manufacturing industries, people are taking note of the environmental and financial burdens of electronics waste. A growing repair culture draws further attention to these issues as insiders work toward widespread support for those who prioritize repair and reuse over filling landfills with expensive — and often perfectly good — electronics….
Read More
Through talking with many maintenance supervisors and technicians throughout the years it seems like many of them dread the summer months. I thought the main reason for this was just due to having to work in facilities that reached well over 120° F in hottest months of the year. While that might be the case for…
Read More
Most manufacturers recommend regular equipment maintenance — not only to guard against catastrophic failures but also to keep equipment running ideally throughout its lifespan. Some simple maintenance operations include lubricating moving parts, inspecting machinery, and cleaning it all regularly. While many manufacturers schedule machine maintenance to prevent failure, some — under certain situations — operate on a “run-to-failure” maintenance…
Read More
Offshoring manufacturing jobs reached a peak in the 1980s and 90s. At the time, inexpensive labor was manufacturers’ prime motivation to move production out of the United States and into countries such as Malaysia, Mexico, and Taiwan. Proponents suggested Americans should innovate while those in other countries should focus on production. Supporters of NAFTA and other free trade…
Read More
Where precise control of a hydraulic system is needed, there are usually one or more electro-hydraulic servo valves in use. There are many on the market these days with countless varieties engineered for many different applications. Servo valves are typically used to control hydraulic actuators and motors. Due to their relatively high complexity, many small…
Read More