Rebounding into a fresh pursuit of American manufacturing is going to be a difficult journey. It will mean grappling with the full realities of today’s market, refreshing our understanding of the industry and taking a sobering look into the future. But the groundwork is there and U.S. manufacturing can rise again.

The 2018 Annual Meeting combines the expert knowledge of the gear and bearing industries with the latest emerging technologies that influence manufacturers and suppliers. More than 300 executives will gather in Naples, Florida, this April, to experience the information-packed week full of top-tier speakers. Members will be connected to innovation and opportunities in the industry with potential to strengthen business connections and relationships. Join AGMA & ABMA for an event that is tailored directly for our members to address trends, successes and future possibilities. 

In November 2014, the average hourly pay of production and nonsupervisory workers in durable goods manufacturing fell behind that of their peers in the rest of the private sector for the first time on record, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ monthly establishment survey. 

The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) reported that manufacturing activity continued to expand solidly in March, even as it pulled back from the best reading since May 2004 in February. The ISM Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index declined to 59.3 in March, but the data continue to indicate strength in the sector overall. 

3D printing is being used for more and more automotive applications, lending itself to everything from internal components to the entire chassis. Even tires can be 3D printed. The technology offers numerous benefits, including more lightweight components, less waste material, quicker fabrication time and less cost,. But there are parts of a car for which 3D printing isn’t exactly ideal. 

Not long ago, the total 3D printing industry revenue was about $1 billion, and now many financial institutions five-year revenue forecasts predict the overall industry revenue to be over $30 billion. The Wohlers Report is another indicator that estimated the CY2016 market growth to be at 17.4 percent.

AGMA is hosting a two-hour webinar where IHS will present the contents of the Gear Market Report Check out the AGMA website for complete details.

The question of the advantages of going to work for a big company versus a small company or start-up is not a new one. In fact, there are advantages and disadvantages to any size company.

Today’s designers needn’t ask the question, "will machines think?" Instead, they should ask, "how will machines compute so designers can best understand the algorithms and processes that comprise their "thoughts?" Engineers, programmers and design experts are all invested in ensuring excellence in the technical proficiency of thinking machines. 

As additive manufacturing continues to make its way into real-world applications throughout a variety of industry sectors, major multinational corporations are increasingly adopting and developing expertise in the technology. One high-profile global player that has built up and is now leveraging its expertise in additive manufacturing is Siemens.

Manufacturing giant DJI has announced the launch of the Alliance for Drone Innovation (ADI), an effort to broaden the support for the goals of the former Drone Manufacturers Alliance originally formed 2 years ago by 3DR, GoPro, DJI and Parrot. The new organization will address the same issues – but the coalition has now expanded to include suppliers and software developers of both personal and professional drones "as well as the innovative Americans who fly them for recreational, artistic, and business purposes," says the Alliance.

This course explores all factors going into good gear design from life cycle, load, torque, tooth optimization, and evaluating consequences. An in-depth discussion of real-life gear failures is provided. Students should have a good understanding of basic gear theory and nomenclature. 

The Industrial Internet of Things facilitates fact-based decisions, providing data and analytics that could improve the effectiveness of Lean Six Sigma programs and Kaizen teams.

It’s no secret that Internet of Things (IoT) networks have a security problem. For the past two years there have been a regular stream of headlines about large-scale attacks carried out by infiltrating wireless IoT devices as a back door into corporate networks.

In days past, the majority of gains in manufacturing efficiency were won on the shop floor. Nowadays, optimizing a production line is a much more abstract affair. Manufacturers have access to more data and more powerful analytics than ever before – tools that can unlock whole new levels of efficiency, but only if you know how to use them.

An employee-owned Minnesota company has acquired Integrated Packaging LLC, an automation manufacturer based in Rockford, Minn. The parent company of Alexandria, Minn.-based Douglas Machine Inc., an automated secondary packaging company, is hoping to take "major steps towards realizing" its "vision and strategy for sustained value creation" by adding the Rockford-based company to its portfolio of companies, President and CEO Jon Ballou said in a statement.

This year, the first manufacturers will hit cumulative sales of 200,000 plug-in electric cars in the U.S, a sales figure that will trigger the phaseout period of the $7,500 federal tax credit.

The Army’s squad multi-purpose equipment transport program is about to enter a new phase and will soon test the service’s ability to rapidly acquire new platforms. The aim of the SMET project is to field robotic vehicles that can carry dismounted soldiers’ gear and lighten their load. Once Congress passes a final defense appropriations bill for fiscal year 2018 – which was expected to happen before the end of March – the Army planned to award contracts for each vendor to build 20 prototypes.

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(Video) This video takes a closer look at Skydio’s $2499 "self-flying" drone that knows where you are and where you’re going.

Two of Honda’s Ohio automobile manufacturing plants have earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA’s) ENERGY STAR certification (the 12th consecutive award for both), while Honda Manufacturing of Indiana in Greensburg, achieved the designation for the sixth year in a row.