Preparing to automate a plant is an exciting prospect. Automation can easily make the processes and production run more efficiently than before. The prospect of new technology is also exciting in itself. Despite the thrill, plant managers shouldn't leap too quickly into automating their work space. Doing so can have consequences that can...
In a manufacturing enterprise, the safety of workers has to be an omnipresent concern, from line workers to plant managers to administration. A company which is unable to guarantee the safety of its workers (within reason) is in no position to be providing its customers with quality products, and chances...
Process and Product Validation can seem like an uneccessary step in the already complex process of bringing a product to completion, but it's as critically important a step as test-driving a car before it gets to market to make sure that it's safe for consumers. It can also do a...
The public image of a company is just as important as the product it makes. A little bad press can go a long way toward alienating customers and tanking sales, even when it’s entirely undeserved. That’s why it’s important to use ethical products and practices in your business, and make...
When we discussed the first steps factory managers have to take in an emergency situation, we mentioned having a clear grasp of your company's emergency plan ahead of time. Today, we'll talk about a few attributes of a fine-tuned emergency management plan. 2011 has already been a dangerous year for natural...
Imagine that the power has gone out, or the snow has piled up quickly, with several managers and an entire shift of workers still working in the plant. What happens next? In the first few minutes of a crisis, it is of critical importance that you already have an established...
Lean manufacturing is a popular philosophy in manufacturing, designed to help companies operate efficiently. It is a policy that covers everything from inventory to maintenance schedules. Plant managers, preventive maintenance departments and even purchasing must all work together in order to make the lean system perform as it should. It...
For many years there’s been a fear of outsourcing in manufacturing. This fear comes from a time when companies were relocating outside of the U.S. to take advantage of cheaper labor and infrastructure. Once the Great Recession started on the slow path to recovery, a curious thing began to occur....
The green movement is much more than a way to jump onto the eco-friendly bandwagon, it can also be a way to reduce plant-operating costs considerably over time. Many plants have found that simple monitoring, maintenance, scheduling, and other techniques are easy to implement. Others have to add energy-saving equipment...
The Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT) and the American Machine Tool Distributors’ Association (AMTDA) released a report on the status of the manufacturing technology industry in 2010. Manufacturing technology describes tools used to produce the goods manufactured each year. The state of this industry reflects a few things about the...
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