US industries have historically led in the adoption of advanced automation, all the way back to the first Unimate installed in a New Jersey diecasting plant in 1961. Today, automation has come to describe a broad spectrum of technologies, from smart sensors to autonomously guided vehicles, and until now no single trade association has emerged to represent the US industry as a whole. This has changed with the amalgamation of four industry groups into the Association for Advancing Automation, or A3. With Asian and European firms rapidly deploying advanced automation in multiple industries, the pressure is on for US firms to innovate on an equal level, or risk being left behind. A3 president Jeff Burnstein discusses the new Association, and the prospects for advanced automation in American industry.

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Connectivity in manufacturing has evolved from paper-based systems to centralized monitoring and control of plant operations anywhere, any time. Now, industry is looking at a new world of cloud connected devices that generate very large amounts of data. The drop in cost of automation and the rise of general-purpose production equipment in the new high mix, low volume manufacturing environment means that multiple datasets must be managed simultaneously for profitable production.

Manufacturers simply cannot tool up for production runs in the millions anymore, even in traditional smokestack industries such as consumer durables or automotive. Can traditional manufacturers adapt, or is the advantage in the hands of smaller companies that build from the ground up with highly integrated control and analytics systems? Abby Eon, PTC Kepware General Manager, describes how the future for manufacturing data management may evolve, from the implications of cloud connectivity, to the way information technology may change the way parts and products are sourced and made, worldwide.

Learn more about the way connectivity is transforming modern manufacturing.

An extensive report compiled by the MIT Work of the Future project team used interviews with small and medium sized manufacturers across America to determine their attitudes toward data, automation technology, and the skills shortage. The results will surprise many who believe that American manufacturing leadership mirrors that of Europe and Asia. Jim Anderton discusses the report and its implications with the lead author, Dr. Suzanne Berger, the John M. Deutch Institute Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Read the complete research brief "Manufacturing in America: A View from the Field".

James Anderton is Multimedia Director of Content for engineering.com and former editor of trade publications in the automotive, metalworking and plastics industries with contributions to a wide range of print and on-line publications. He also brings prior industry experience in quality and manufacturing for a Tier One automotive supplier.

Many manufacturers design and build products and devices that need protection. Scientific instruments, optical devices and military hardware such as guided missiles are examples of hardware that must be protected from environmental extremes such as high humidity, vibration, shock or extremes of temperature. What is the difference between adsorption and absorption? What happens if a containerized device is exposed to rapid decompression in an airplane hold? What happens to volatiles off gassing from packaging materials?

Jim Anderton discusses the importance of controlling these issues with Jim McCorry, Director of Business Development at AGM Container Controls, Inc. who explains what engineers need to know about packaging and containerization strategies for equipment that need controlled environments for shipping and storage over timelines that may be measured from days to years.

Learn more about moisture control in packaging.

For American manufacturing, the Covid crisis is in many ways similar to World War II: an unprecedented challenge requiring novel and untried solutions. US manufacturing has simultaneously answered the call to produce critical goods to address the pandemic, while struggling to maintain a skills base and organizational structure during widespread shutdowns. The effect has been particularly hard on middle-market manufacturing companies, representing an estimated 17% of all midsize firms in the US.

According to the BDO survey, nearly ¾ of CFOs at midsize manufacturers say that their businesses are currently struggling or just surviving. Most expect 2021 to be a better year. But will it guarantee survival? Eskander Yavar, Manufacturing Practice Leader at BDO and NAM board member, discussed these issues with Jim Anderton.

Read BDO USA’s 2021 Manufacturing CFO Outlook Survey for more details.

Industrial automation was pioneered by big industrial corporations like General Motors and Volkswagen, but there is a new wave of robots available today. Collaborative, affordable, maintainable and easy to program, this new generation promises to bring big company productivity to small and medium-sized manufacturers everywhere. Universal Robots expert Joe Campbell weighs in on how this new technology can be implemented, and how smaller manufacturers can prepare for a bright future.

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High performance coatings have been industry staple for decades, from the hard chrome plating of automotive crankshafts to the ablative heat shields of re-entering spacecraft. Cold cathode coating technology promises to create custom tailored high-performance coatings on multiple substrates that can be tuned for demanding applications. Andrew Tudhope, Vice President of the Duralar Technologies division of AGM and Dr. Tom Casserly, Chief Technical Officer with Duralar, explain how cold cathode works and its industrial applications.

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Alexander Zoller, President of ZOLLER USA explains how additive manufacturing, cloud computing and Internet of Things makes precision and accuracy doubly important for tooling in the New Age of manufacturing.

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