Vertical Integration: an arrangement in which a company owns its supply chain; usually each member of the supply chain produces a different product or service, and the products combine to satisfy a common need Vertical Integration is an interesting strategy in the manufacturing industry and has become simpler to achieve in recent times. The concept…
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Manufacturing in the United States traces its roots to Oliver Evans. In 1785, he developed a system of buckets, conveyors, and other parts to build the first automated flour mill. We’ve been busy reinventing ever since. Henry Ford’s assembly line in the early 1900s revolutionized manufacturing, increasing productivity and decreasing overhead. If Ford was alive now, he…
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Plenty has been said about big companies investing or reinvesting in manufacturing their products in the United States. However, it’s easy to overlook the impact that the homegrown manufacturing resurgence might have on small businesses. For several industrial small businesses in recent years, the overhead and logistics of “owning” the entire product development process has…
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Additive manufacturing is the process of technologies that create 3D objects by adding layer upon layer of an ultra-thin material, whereas traditional manufacturing begins with a solid block or amount of material and the excess is cut away to create a finished product. A wide variety of materials can be used as additives such as plastics,…
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If keeping your production line running is critical to your profitability, a reliability centered maintenance plan can help you prioritize your maintenance schedule to prevent system failures. And that’s what sets a reliability centered maintenance (RCM) plan apart. It’s designed to protect system operations — rather than be focused on sustaining individual assets. System function is the…
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When you hear the term “industrial manufacturing”, or “manufacturing” in general, certain themes come to mind; sparks flying as welders weld large pieces of steel, the clank and noise of machinery pushing goods along a conveyor belt, hard hats, steel toed boots and the smell of oil. However, even the most delicate products are manufactured…
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Downtime is inevitable. Despite our best efforts to keep lines humming, forces beyond our control can slow or stop production. But that doesn’t mean we need to lose productivity. Savvy businesspeople prepare for the unexpected. Here are a few tips on how to make the most of your time when manufacturing is offline: Train employees…
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The earliest American manufacturing started after the American Revolution in the textile industry. The first American factories were textile mills necessitated by a growing need for independence from Britain. Textile manufacturing also provided income for many poor families in a growing urban country. Because of the American Revolution and the subsequent British restrictions on exporting…
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Mark Fields, Ford CEO, recently spoke on television about the future of transportation as it relates to advancements in technology and infrastructure. In particular, he mentioned autonomous vehicles and interconnected elements via the Internet of Things. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, it revolves around the concept of everyday devices, vehicles, buildings and more being…
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When you adopt a company Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) plan, you involve everyone in machine maintenance, upkeep, reliability, and overall performance. Main TPM concepts involve improved machine performance, reduced downtime, and improved productivity. These concepts are similar to Total Quality Management (TQM). TPM implementation involves employee empowerment, benchmarking, documentation, and other TQM tools. Nippondenso and other Japanese TPM…
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