PCB Design OO7 Manufacturing cost competitiveness around the world has changed dramatically over the past decade--so dramatically that many old perceptions of low-cost and high-cost nations no longer hold, according to new research released today by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

Shopfloor Manufacturers contributed $2.14 trillion in value-added output in the fourth quarter of 2013, according to new real GDP data by industry from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. For the first time, the government is releasing this information on a quarterly basis, allowing us to get a better sense of which sectors have had the largest impacts to real GDP in any given quarter. After bottoming out at $1.69 trillion in the second quarter of 2009, manufacturers’ value-added output has bounced back. Overall, the manufacturing sector makes up 12.5 percent of real GDP and has made outsized contributions to output since the end of the recession. For instance, in 2013, manufacturers added 0.40 percentage points to the 1.9 percent growth rate in real GDP, or just more than 21 percent.

The Tampa Tribune A survey last year of 109 manufacturing companies in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties showed a chronic need for high-skilled workers, from solderers to machinists to welders. The "skills gap" that the survey revealed exists despite the ongoing efforts of numerous vocational training programs in high schools and community colleges.

AGMA In this seminar, you can gain a broad understanding of the methods used to manufacture and inspect gears – and much more. You will take it one step further, learning how the resultant information can be applied and interpreted in the design process.

Associated Press via Manufacturing.net U.S. and North Dakota officials have big hopes for the growth of what are known as unmanned aircraft systems. And the remote northwestern state has positioned itself well to take advantage of its unique attributes: A first-of-its-kind academic program, an established military presence, a strong commitment from state and federal officials to find funding, and even the weather.

The Atlantic Hardly a day goes by without an article predicting, lamenting, or celebrating America's decline. The turmoil in Crimea and Syria, the polarized and frequently gridlocked U.S. political system, the deepening income and wealth inequalities in the United States, and the growing clout of rivals like China and Russia are all offered as proof of waning American power.

Dallas Business Journal While manufacturing might not be considered the strongest industry in the Texas economy, the Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey showed movement in the sector increased for the state in April.

Associated Press via Manufacturing.net Officials say the Coca-Cola Co. will build a new distribution center in Chattanooga, maintaining the company's 115-year business relationship with the city.

Industry Week When it comes to where to site a factory for manufacturing competitiveness, be prepared to throw the old stereotypes out the window. Over the past decade, the U.S. and Mexico have become "rising stars" among the top 25 export economies while China and Brazil are among the countries that have seen their cost advantages erode significantly, new analysis by the Boston Consulting Group shows.

LA Times Another win for the made-in-America movement: A new report found that U.S. manufacturing in the past decade has become much more competitive compared with low-cost manufacturing rivals.

The Timken Company The Timken Company announced on April 28th, 2014 the further expansion of its industrial services capabilities with the acquisition of assets from the Schulz Group, based in New Haven, Conn. According to Carl D. Rapp, the Vice President of Power Systems for Timken, "The acquisition of Schulz Group further advances our strategy to expand our capabilities and geographic reach." With The Timken Company's newest acquisitions, the company now provides industrial services throughout North America.

Industry Week What comes to your mind when you think of engineers? In my father’s days, there was a generalization that all engineers carried a slide rule. Early on in my career, calculators were popular items to have on hand. Whatever comes to your mind first, probably demonstrates a common misconception about engineers.