Here's the latest news about manufacturing. Fusion 360 community members discuss the week's happenings and share news regarding manufacturing innovation. The Fusion 360 community covers everything, from Alexandria Industries to Festo’s expansion plans. From the latest product launches to news about additive manufacturing, Fusion 360 covers a wide range of topics. Here are some recent articles on manufacturing innovation. Continue reading to learn more.
Alexandria Industries
Alexandria Industries recently announced that they are expanding their operations in Douglas County. They have 480 employees and are currently investing several million in new facilities to grow. Alexandria Industries has long outpaced revenue growth and employment, but they are still having trouble finding qualified applicants for 50 of their new jobs. These positions pay $15-30 an hour, plus benefits. Alexandria Industries is looking for a new career.
Alexandria Industries recently hired new management to help them grow. Jonathan D. Olson is the new CFO of Alexandria Industries. He is determined to make investments in the company, and the people who work there. He was also appointed the company's CFO. He is looking to improve the working environment of employees and invest heavily in training programs. Alexandria Plastics, Inc., which manufactures foam-molded and plastic injection components, will be integrated into the new acquisition, which will increase the company's capabilities.
Festo U.S. expansion plans
Festo Corp. recently announced expansion plans for its North American manufacturing operations. The company will increase its presence in Mason by three times and create 350 additional jobs. The expansion will cost $90 million, and will create new jobs over the next five years. Festo will provide support services as well as industrial training solutions. The expansion will also include a new Didactic Education Center to provide support services for manufacturing businesses and colleges throughout the Tristate.
The expansion will result in a new Mason, Ohio location dedicated to the manufacturing of automation components. This new facility will house both the Research and Development Center and Global Production Center. Each facility will have more than 1000 employees when it is completed. The company plans to create more jobs, as well establish a new research & development center to enhance its automation systems. This expansion is part an overall plan to concentrate on the U.S.
Additive Manufacturing
As technology advances, additive manufacturing has become more popular among manufacturers. To reach the global marketplace, several companies have made partnerships. Voxeljet is one of the partners. AGC Ceramic is a glass and ceramic manufacturer. Voxeljet, AGC Ceramic and AGC Ceramic are collaborating to create Brightorb, which is a high-performance ceramic material. They also plan to optimize the VX1000 3D printing ceramic powder. Stratasys has partnered up with Tata Technologies in order to promote additive manufacturing technology in India.
New technologies are being developed to aid in the additive manufacturing process. Optimus 3D now owns a fourth Renishaw system for metal additive manufacturing. Moreover, the company has also expanded its 3D printing machine portfolio to include metal powder. These developments will make additive manufacturing an integral part of advanced PLM. It will also be more IoT-oriented and integrated. These developments will allow for rapid growth in a variety of industries.
Collaborative Manufacturing
What is collaborative Manufacturing? Collaborative Manufacturing is the direct input from the plant floor. This information is an important part of the management process. This also requires interaction between the manufacturing and design teams. Collaborative manufacturing is a way to increase productivity and improve quality. It also reduces the number of people needed for each production step. What are the benefits to collaborative manufacturing? Let's examine a few. How can collaboration in manufacturing help improve the performance of plants? Continue reading for more information.
Collaboration is a growing trend in many industries. It is used to create new products, improve product design, synchronize inventory across the supply chains, and lower logistics costs. Collaborative manufacturing can also reduce time-to market and volume and shorten the manufacturing cycle for designated suppliers. Collaboration can have significant benefits for everyone. This is something that companies need to recognize. But not every company can benefit from collaborative manufacturing. Before adopting collaborative manufacturing, consider the benefits.
FAQ
What are the jobs in logistics?
There are many jobs available in logistics. Some examples are:
-
Warehouse workers - They load trucks and pallets.
-
Transportation drivers – They drive trucks or trailers to transport goods and perform pick-ups.
-
Freight handlers: They sort and package freight in warehouses.
-
Inventory managers - They oversee the inventory of goods in warehouses.
-
Sales reps - They sell products and services to customers.
-
Logistics coordinators – They plan and coordinate logistics operations.
-
Purchasing agents are those who purchase goods and services for the company.
-
Customer service representatives - They answer calls and emails from customers.
-
Shipping clerks: They process shipping requests and issue bills.
-
Order fillers – They fill orders based upon what was ordered and shipped.
-
Quality control inspectors (QCI) - They inspect all incoming and departing products for potential defects.
-
Others - There are many other types of jobs available in logistics, such as transportation supervisors, cargo specialists, etc.
How can I learn about manufacturing?
Hands-on experience is the best way to learn more about manufacturing. But if that is not possible you can always read books and watch educational videos.
How can we improve manufacturing efficiency?
First, identify the factors that affect production time. We then need to figure out how to improve these variables. If you don’t know where to begin, consider which factors have the largest impact on production times. Once you have identified the factors, then try to find solutions.
Can we automate some parts of manufacturing?
Yes! Since ancient times, automation has been in existence. The Egyptians discovered the wheel thousands and years ago. To help us build assembly lines, we now have robots.
There are many uses of robotics today in manufacturing. These include:
-
Robots for assembly line
-
Robot welding
-
Robot painting
-
Robotics inspection
-
Robots create products
There are many other examples of how manufacturing could benefit from automation. 3D printing is a way to make custom products quickly and without waiting weeks or months for them to be manufactured.
How does manufacturing avoid bottlenecks in production?
Production bottlenecks can be avoided by ensuring that processes are running smoothly during the entire production process, starting with the receipt of an order and ending when the product ships.
This includes both quality control and capacity planning.
Continuous improvement techniques such Six Sigma are the best method to accomplish this.
Six Sigma is a management system used to improve quality and reduce waste in every aspect of your organization.
It is focused on creating consistency and eliminating variation in your work.
Statistics
- In 2021, an estimated 12.1 million Americans work in the manufacturing sector.6 (investopedia.com)
- It's estimated that 10.8% of the U.S. GDP in 2020 was contributed to manufacturing. (investopedia.com)
- You can multiply the result by 100 to get the total percent of monthly overhead. (investopedia.com)
- According to a Statista study, U.S. businesses spent $1.63 trillion on logistics in 2019, moving goods from origin to end user through various supply chain network segments. (netsuite.com)
- (2:04) MTO is a production technique wherein products are customized according to customer specifications, and production only starts after an order is received. (oracle.com)
External Links
How To
Six Sigma: How to Use it in Manufacturing
Six Sigma is defined by "the application SPC (statistical process control) techniques to achieve continuous improvements." It was developed by Motorola's Quality Improvement Department at their plant in Tokyo, Japan, in 1986. Six Sigma is a method to improve quality through standardization and elimination of defects. Since there are no perfect products, or services, this approach has been adopted by many companies over the years. Six Sigma's main objective is to reduce variations from the production average. If you take a sample and compare it with the average, you will be able to determine how much of the production process is different from the norm. If you notice a large deviation, then it is time to fix it.
Understanding the nature of variability in your business is the first step to Six Sigma. Once you've understood that, you'll want to identify sources of variation. This will allow you to decide if these variations are random and systematic. Random variations are caused when people make mistakes. While systematic variations are caused outside of the process, they can occur. These are, for instance, random variations that occur when widgets are made and some fall off the production line. But if you notice that every widget you make falls apart at the exact same place each time, this would indicate that there is a problem.
Once you identify the problem areas, it is time to create solutions. You might need to change the way you work or completely redesign the process. You should then test the changes again after they have been implemented. If they don’t work, you’ll need to go back and rework the plan.