When driving by a wind turbine farm, it's impossible not to marvel at the sheer size and power of these machines. While the science may seem modern day, the concept has been around for millenniums. Its predecessor, the simple windmill, can be traced as far back as 200 B.C. when it was used for simple farming like grinding grain and drawing water. 

Students learn the fundamentals of gear manufacturing in this classroom and hands-on course. In the classroom, this course offers training in gearing and nomenclature, principles of inspection, gear manufacturing methods, and hobbing and shaping. In the hands-on gear lab, using manual machines, students can see the interaction between the cutting tool and the workpiece. They will understand the process and the physics of making a gear and can apply this knowledge in working with CNC equipment commonly in use.

The United Kingdom vote to leave the European Union, with all of its potential world changing implications, is certainly a hot topic in Washington and in the business community. The pundit blogosphere has virtually exploded with Brexit. Manufacturers need to pay attention. But the U.K. vote needs to be put into its proper perspective as one of many difficult challenges to global manufacturing success in a difficult economic period.

The number of applications for U.S. unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week, reaching a three-month low, indicating the labor market remains steady.

Economic data were mixed last week, but there was encouraging news related to manufacturing production, which rebounded in June after a disappointing May report. Output in the sector rose by 0.4 percent in June, following a decline of 0.3 percent in May. Strong growth in the motor vehicles and parts segment, up 5.9 percent, helped to boost the headline number. Despite some progress in June, it is safe to say that manufacturing activity remains quite challenged. Over the past 12 months, manufacturing production has risen by just 0.4 percent. That is an improvement from the year-year over year decline of 0.2 percent seen in May, but such sluggish growth was indicative of recent struggles that manufacturers have had in light of global headwinds. 

General Motors Co (GM.N) on Thursday raised its forecast for full-year profits after reporting a record second-quarter profit as it continued to capitalize on strong sales of pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles in the United States.

July data signaled a further rebound in business conditions across the U.S. manufacturing sector, led by a robust expansion of incoming new work and the fastest upturn in production volumes for eight months. Job creation also strengthened in July, with the latest increase in payroll numbers the fastest seen over the past 12 months. At the same time, input cost inflation edged up to its strongest since November 2014 but factory gate prices rose only marginally.

What economists call "advanced manufacturing" is a key to prosperity, not just in Orange County but also across the country as factories go high-tech. Blue-collar jobs are morphing into something closer to white-collar work and communities are scrambling to train manufacturing workers with suitable skills.

ESA's latest technical laboratory, inaugurated today by Director General Jan Woerner, will help to understand the capabilities of 3-D printing and other advanced manufacturing techniques for future space missions. The Advanced Manufacturing Laboratory is at the Science and Technology Facilities Council's Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) in Harwell, Oxfordshire, directly adjacent to ESA's UK facility.

According to the latest quarterly CBI Industrial Trends Survey, manufacturing output and domestic orders saw firm growth since the beginning of 2016, but this will likely fall between now and November. 

At Woodward, Inc., a leader in control solutions in the aerospace and energy markets, the past of U.S. manufacturing and testing is giving way to the future. The company, like many others, faces a costly and complicated global arena for production. Factors such as logistics, inventory costs, ease of doing business and the risks of operating extended supply chains are the chief drivers for keeping manufacturing in the United States.

Trends, by definition, are hard to trace. By the time an idea has taken hold with the individuals who pursue it, the circumstantial evidence is everywhere and all the new adherents want some credit. Big-stage events like IMTS are a good opportunity to see trends in action — but how can a prospective visitor know now what trends to be watching for in September. 

Often, the U.S. manufacturing sector is often praised for having built a thriving American middle class and solidifying the nation as an industrial force. But in recent years, the industry has been seriously challenged to maintain its competitive standing, which was put into sharp effect when Detroit — a manufacturing-focused region — endured the debilitating effects of its residents abandoned the city by the millions, and ultimately filed for bankruptcy. Since the 2007-2009 recession, the manufacturing sector has dealt with multiple impediments to its full recovery, and its has seen sparks of revitalization. Hiring is beginning to pick up and more jobs are available, but there are fewer qualified candidates to fill these roles. Effective training may be the remedy to this skills gap issue.

Whether it’s called smart manufacturing, Industry 4.0 or Industrial IoT, even a casual observer of the industrial landscape can see how manufacturing is changing, driven by new technologies and rapidly evolving customer demand. Buyers expect a greater range of choices and manufacturers have responded with mass customization - the concept of building flexibility into mass production.

While many designers and engineers find success with 3D-printing parts in plastic for prototyping and low-volume production, producing parts out of metal using similar technology has recently led to the creation of some of the most exciting 3D-printed parts in memory.

Modumetal is changing the way metal is manufactured, transforming a science that really is thousands of years old. It’s a far cry from the traditional steel mill that remains in operation today — as a monument to a long-ago industrial revolution. Currently, ore is melted at blisteringly high temperatures into a soup, refined into desirable composition, and poured into ingots or slabs, which later can be shaped into parts and structures.

Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Orbital ATK, and Space Systems/Loral were chosen for four-month studies that will explore how a Mars orbiter could communicate, take images  and carry out other essential operations on the Red Planet. Every concept will include solar electric propulsion, since it is flexible and feasible using the United States’ current technology capabilities. The proposed orbiter will support the Journey to Mars in a future mission.

Sales at Caterpillar (IW 500/24),  the world’s biggest machinery producer, have declined in the past three years as its customers cut back on drilling, mining and building. But all the while, one of the company’s key gauges of profitability -- gross margin -- has remained relatively steady during a period it has called its longest downturn ever.

Strong results in power and aviation boosted General Electric’s second-quarter results, despite an economy characterized by volatility and slow growth, the company said Friday. Net income was $2.7 billion, compared with a loss of $1.4 billion in the year-ago period. Revenues rose 14.6% to $33.5 billion. Performance among GE’s industrial divisions varied, with oil and gas experiencing big declines in revenues and operating profit due to the rout in oil prices.

How can your supply chain can drive digital transformation for your business? In today's era, a digitized extended supply chains align product design, manufacturing, and service to achieve customer-centricity and better business results.