FX Street
The economic activity in the U.S. manufacturing sector in February is expected to expand at a softer pace than it did in January with the IHS Markit’s Manufacturing PMI dropping to 50.8 in its advanced print from 51.9 in January. This reading came in worse than the market expectation of 51.5. Additionally, the IHS Market’s Services PMI dropped below the 50 mark in February to point to a contraction in the sector’s activity. 

Gear Technology
This information sheet describes design calculations for spur pinions and face gears that intersect with perpendicular axes.

MarketWatch
The IHS Markit flash eurozone manufacturing purchasing managers index rose to a 12-month high of 49.1 in February from 47.9 in January, while the services PMI reached a 2-month high of 52.8 from 52.5. Economists polled by FactSet expected a 47.5 reading for manufacturing and a 52.2 reading for services.

Fortune
5G’s larger purpose is to be the underlying digital fabric connecting all elements of our modern world. In particular, look for 5G to fundamentally change the way our manufacturing, automotive and healthcare sectors operate.

All 3DP
Lately, metal 3D printing has gained a great deal of traction in the world of industry. This is primarily thanks to several advancements in the relevant technologies but also because it seems like a game-changer, even for already disruptive 3D printing applications. 

3D Printing Media Network
The Australian Army has kicked off a 12-month pilot trial of the new technology in partnership with SPEE3D and Charles Darwin University (CDU). The $1.5 million venture recently announced by the Minister for Defense Industry will see 20 Darwin-based soldiers trained in advanced additive manufacturing. 

March 24-26 | Alexandria, VA
Gain a better understanding of steel and its properties. Learn to make use of steel properties in an application and understand the potential that different steel and heat treatment options can offer. Explore how performance of the material depends on how the steel is produced.

Jalopnik
Battery availability has recently been a major constraint on EV production. Tesla has been frequently battery cell constrained, Mercedes delayed its EQC due to battery production, the Jaguar paused I-Pace production because of battery availability problems, and new Audi E-tron manufacturing has temporarily stopped due to “bottlenecks in the parts supply,” The company said the issue was not China or Coronavirus related, and given all the other battery supply problems, it isn’t much of a stretch to think that is also the case here.

Bloomberg
The $2 billion project in Arnstadt to convert one of Europe’s largest solar-panel factories to the biggest electric-car battery plant is one of about a half dozen battery factories under construction in Germany alone. Worried European policymakers are desperate to ensure their auto industry doesn’t lose competitiveness in the transition to electric vehicles.

Forbes
Whether it’s called smart manufacturing, Industry 4.0 or just the industrial internet of things (IIoT), smart technology and smart people are transforming manufacturing back into an economic powerhouse. But getting there is easier said than done.

Outlook India
FMVG major HULL has announced its plans to set up a new subsidiary, which would be primarily engaged in manufacturing activities.

Echo Press
The Minnesota Precision Manufacturing Association’s Education Foundation is offering $2,000 scholarships to students of all ages with an interest in manufacturing to get the training they need to become successful in the field.

The Brownsville Herald
Dr. Jianzhi Li, University of Texas Rio Grand Valley (UTRGV) professor of Manufacturing & Industrial Engineering, has been awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Defense to establish educational opportunities that enhance manufacturing skills critical to the country’s defense systems.

The Fabricator
Changeover is a fact of life in a metal fabrication job shop. You perform changeovers on the press brake, the welding operation, and even in information-based operations like quoting. Changeovers happen, and making them more effective can have many positive results on an operation.

Singularity Hub
A host of high-tech products rely on a small set of scarce minerals. New research suggests that 23 of these face worrying risks to their supply chains that could derail U.S. technological progress.

Engineering 360
This case study provides information on how Lumenium uses the Desktop Metal Studio System. Lumenium is a company that is reinventing internal combustion for a new era of engine power.

New Atlas
The German Aerospace Center, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft und Raumfahrt (DLR), and aerospace research institute Bauhaus Luftfahrt are studying how to make electric commuter aircraft practical. The Cooperation for Commuter Research (CoCoRe) project is using the example of a 19-seat hybrid-electric commuter aircraft capable of flying from Mannheim to Berlin to learn more about the economics and environmental impact of the technology.

Gear Solutions
In this report, a test gear geometry for investigating contact fatigue strength (pitting) of high-performance clean steels is determined, and based on two well-established test gear geometries for contact fatigue test, a detailed comparison with regard to their potential of maximum contact pressure is performed.

Industrial Machinery Digest
JTEKT Toyoda Americas Corporation and Ace Micromatic Group have formed a strategic alliance to offer a complete range of high-speed production machines to their customers. JTEKT Toyoda Americas has signed a long-term agreement to be the exclusive importer of the entire Ace Micromatic machining line.

Surviving the Trade Hurricane: Overview of Key U.S. Trade Issues and Prospects for 2020 and Beyond
March 4, 2020 | 1:00pm – 2:00 pm Eastern
FREE for AGMA members
The past three years have seen many fundamental changes in U.S. export control, sanctions and trade laws. As the reach of these laws and their complexity grows, it is ever more important for companies to understand them and how they may impact their operations and investments, both in the United states and globally. In this webinar, Nate Bolin, a leading trade attorney and policy expert will provide an update on the “state of play” regarding various key trade law issues, detail the most significant changes on the horizon for 2020, and provide practical examples of how companies and investors in the bearing and gear industries can successfully navigate and reduce the many risks U.S. laws present while taking advantage of new opportunities.