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EconoTimes U.S. industrial production expanded in March, recording the second largest rise in over a year. But the growth was nearly entirely driven by a sharp rise in utilities output that reflected the return of more normal temperatures in March. Looking past the headline, manufacturing production dropped 0.4 percent year-on-year, breaking a six-month string of growth.
Visit http://www.econotimes.com/US-industrial-production-likely-to-have-picked-up-modestly-in-April-says-Wells-Fargo-699923 to view the full article online. |
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Manufacturing Business Technology Another example of the arts positively impacting business is the growing recognition among manufacturers of the value of industrial design and design thinking. To advance design as an asset for improving manufactured products and processes, the National Endowment for the Arts has published Industrial Design: A Competitive Edge for U.S. Manufacturing Success in the Global Economy.
Visit http://www.mbtmag.com/news/2017/05/industrial-design-key-growth-manufacturing-sector to view the full article online. |
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National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) Americans have been more willing to open their pocketbooks this year than at this time last year. Along those lines, retail sales have risen 4.5 percent over the past 12 months, up from 2.8 percent year-over-year in April 2016. Yet, consumers have been more cautious so far in 2017 than we might prefer, with weak retail spending in February and March, helping to drag down real GDP growth in the first quarter. With that in mind, it was good news that retail sales picked up in April, rising 0.4 percent. We hope this is a sign that consumer spending will once again return to being a bright spot in the U.S. economy, lifting second quarter real GDP.
Visit http://www.nam.org/Newsroom/eNewsletters/Monday-Economic-Report/2017/Monday-Economic-Report---May-15--2017/ to view the full article online. |
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MiBiz This article discusses the shortage on industrial buildings in West Michigan and companies are left to decide if retrofitting currently owned buildings is a better choice.
Visit https://mibiz.com/item/24797-to-build-or-not-to-build-west-michigan-manufacturers-react-to-limited-inventory-of-industrial-facilities to view the full article online. |
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Advanced Manufacturing March U.S. cutting tool consumption totaled $200.05 million, according to the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute (USCTI) and AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology. This total, as reported by companies participating in the Cutting Tool Market Report (CTMR) collaboration, was up 14.3 percent from February’s $174.98 million and up 8.4 percent compared to the total of $184.57 million reported for March 2016. With a year-to-date total of $548.08 million, 2017 is up 5.9 percent compared to 2016.
Visit http://advancedmanufacturing.org/us-cutting-tool-2017-ytd-consumption-5-9-march/ to view the full article online. |
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June 20-22 | St. Augustine, FL Learn key factors in the inspection process that lead to better design of gears. Develop a broad understanding of the methods used to manufacture and inspect gears. Discover how the resultant information can be applied and interpreted in the design process.
Visit https://www.agma.org/education/advanced-courses/2017-gear-manufacturing-and-inspection/ to view the full article online. |
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Industry Week A high percentage of Americans want their government to invest further in the manufacturing sector. A new survey from Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute reported that quarters (76%) of Americans surveyed believe the U.S. should invest further in the manufacturing industry.
Visit http://www.industryweek.com/competitiveness/americans-believe-manufacturing-industry-critical-country-s-prosperity to view the full article online. |
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Bloomberg The global recovery in steel demand is making an often-beleaguered industry profitable again, but investors are still not convinced. The world’s largest producer, ArcelorMittal, posted its biggest quarterly profit in almost five years on Friday and earnings increased at Thyssenkrupp AG. Yet both shares sank as ArcelorMittal tempered its outlook for the second quarter and said Chinese exports remain a concern, while Thyssenkrupp predicted negative free cash flow.
Visit https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-05-12/steel-s-soaring-profits-not-good-enough-as-china-worries-simmer to view the full article online. |
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Mining.com World Steel Association data showed a 5.7 percent jump in global steel output in the first quarter of 2017 to 410.5 million tonnes with robust growth across all regions. The 50-year old industry body estimates that steel production in China, which is responsible for just shy of half the global total rose 4.6 percent year on year, but was fairly flat on a month-on-month basis.
Visit http://www.mining.com/world-steel-production-flatline-two-decades/ to view the full article online. |
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U.S. News & World Report More manufacturing outfits brought on new workers in March than at any point since the front end of the Great Recession in early 2008, according to a report published Tuesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Visit https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2017-05-09/jolts-report-manufacturing-hiring-surges-but-skills-gap-sows-vacancies to view the full article online. |
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Engineering.com Short run, small scale manufacturing is becoming more popular and more accessible these days. Because the price of CAD software, prototyping and short-run additive manufacturing has continued to fall, just about anyone with a bit of training can begin designing. But just because you have the skills to design doesn’t mean that a design is going to come out perfect on your first go. The trick to transforming a design into a manufacturable product is to try to foresee these issues before they appear and design around them.
Visit http://www.engineering.com/DesignSoftware/DesignSoftwareArticles/ArticleID/14905/The-Ins-Outs-Ups-and-Downs-of-Modern-Manufacturing.aspx to view the full article online. |
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Manufacturing.net Maryland regulators on Thursday approved plans for the nation's first large-scale offshore wind projects, saying the decision will position the state to be a leader in the developing industry. The Maryland Public Service Commission awarded renewable energy credits for two projects off Maryland's Eastern Shore near Ocean City. The PSC says the decision allows US Wind of Baltimore and Skipjack Offshore Energy, a subsidiary of Deepwater Wind, to build a total of 368 megawatts of capacity.
Visit http://www.manufacturing.net/news/2017/05/maryland-regulators-ok-nations-largest-offshore-wind-plan to view the full article online. |
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AGMA Bevel Gear System Design – Sept. 6-8, San Diego, CA Steels for Gear Applications – Oct. 4-6, Alexandria, VA Detailed Gear Design – Nov. 14-16, Dallas, TX Gear Failure Analysis – Dec. 6-8, San Francisco, CA Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/gea-nwl/articles/index.asp?aid=442315&issueID=50121 to view the full article online. |
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Manufacturing Business Technology The vast majority of surveyed Americans believe manufacturing plays a vital role in safeguarding U.S. economic prosperity and maintaining their quality of life, according to the 2017 Manufacturing Perceptions Survey from Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute. The study found more than three-quarters (76 percent) of Americans surveyed believe the U.S. should invest further in the manufacturing industry.
Visit http://www.mbtmag.com/news/2017/05/survey-manufacturing-critical-american-way-life-needs-more-investment to view the full article online. |
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Robotics & Automation News (Video) In a wide-ranging interview with RoboticsAndAutomationNews.com, recorded at Hannover Messe, Neil Dueweke – who was competing to be heard over a loud musical band in the background – says the company has big ambitions.
Visit https://roboticsandautomationnews.com/2017/05/14/fanuc-open-to-building-manufacturing-plant-in-outer-space/12365/ to view the full article online. |
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Fierce Wireless Executives around the world are expecting big things from the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), according to a report released today by the Business Performance Innovation (BPI) Network. But most of them aren’t ready for it. BPI said 52 percent of executives at large companies expect the IIoT to have a "significant or major" impact on their industry within three years, and 41 percent of executives at all companies have similar expectations. Moreover, 55 percent of those polled said the IIoT is already gaining adoption within their industries, either in pilot programs or larger-scale deployments.
Visit http://www.fiercewireless.com/wireless/most-businesses-aren-t-ready-for-industrial-iot-report to view the full article online. |
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Industrial Distribution Honeywell Process Solutions and SKF have launched a joint pilot project aimed at developing Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solutions. The pilot project, at a copper mine in Latin America, aims to create a digital standard for improved machine efficiency, reliability and competitiveness for industrial customers.
Visit https://www.inddist.com/news/2017/05/honeywell-and-skf-launch-industrial-iot-project to view the full article online. |
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MLive.com Muskegon-area workers are building parts for the engine that powers the Boeing 777 airplane. Johnson Technology's Brilliant Factory in Norton Shores is now open. Johnson Technology, a subsidiary of GE Aviation since 1997, has hired 90 people since fall 2016 for the site, according to a release. That puts the company's total Michigan employees close to 800.
Visit http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2017/05/aviation_manufacturer_opens_14.html to view the full article online. |