Manufacturing Contracts: New Phase for Lightweighting

Advanced Manufacturing Now

Auto Trade Uncertainty

September 11, 2019

Manufacturing Contracts in August, Snaps 35-Month Streak of Expansion

The Institute for Supply Management’s manufacturing index contracted in August, ending a 35-month streak of economic expansion, the Tempe, Ariz.-based group said. The index, known as the PMI, was 49.1 percent last month. It was the first monthly contraction since August 2016. The PMI was 51.2 percent in July. Institute officials said last month’s results may be more serious than the August 2016 contraction.

Renishaw strengthens industrial metrology fixturing solutions

Renishaw Fixturing Solutions (formerly R&R Fixtures) provides existing and prospective customers, with a greater choice of high-quality fixturing solutions, reinforced by Renishaw’s strong service and support ethos. Using Renishaw fixtures can improve the throughput, reproducibility and accuracy of your inspection process with quick and repeatable fixturing set-ups. Whether you are inspecting parts for aerospace, automotive, electronics, industrial or medical applications, Renishaw fixtures are a complete solution to your fixturing requirements.

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Lightweighting's New Phase: Mixed Materials

Five years ago, automotive lightweighting was supposed to be steel versus aluminum. However, the consensus today is industry's future will be a mix of materials, a mix that will vary from vehicle to vehicle. It’s also likely to be a more complex future, with composite materials making inroads in the long run.

We don’t want to fix CRM - we want to kill it

CRM is time-consuming and sales people hate it. That’s why Spiro is introducing a new sales platform that eliminates the need for data entry while providing recommendations that move deals forward. We’d love to show you how we’ve helped manufacturing companies gain full visibility into their sales pipeline in order to reach more prospects and close more business.

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UAW Selects GM as Bargaining 'Target'

The United Auto Workers union selected General Motors Co. as its “target” automaker in negotiations with Detroit-area automakers. The Detroit-based union is concentrating its bargaining efforts at GM. It will then use an agreement with GM to set the basic structure, or pattern, for contracts at Ford Motor Co. and FCA US LLC. The union has clashed with GM about its plans to close four UAW-represented plants.

Take your aerospace machining to new heights.

For tough and demanding metalcutting needs, look to the innovative solutions of Greenleaf cutting tools. Increase your productivity and cost savings from heavy roughing of high-strength alloys to extremely precise finishing on wall thicknesses as low as .050” – and every critical cut in between. Greenleaf proudly offers engineering services to address your specific, and often complex, requirements. Greenleaf gets you where you need to be – from concept to completion.

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Analyst: Auto Industry Faces Trade Uncertainty

The U.S. auto industry faces trade uncertainty, including questions whether a new trade pact is ratified and possible new tariffs, an industry analyst said. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement “might incentivize more (U.S. vehicle) production but it has to pass first,” Kristin Dziczek, a vice president of the Center for Automotive Research, said at a conference at the Detroit branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. USMCA is intended to replace and update the North American Free Trade Agreement. The accord must be ratified by both the U.S. and Canada before it can take effect. Mexico has approved the pact.

Simply Measure with ZEISS CALYPSO: The easy way to get from a drawing to measurement

ZEISS CALYPSO takes characteristics from a part drawing - dimensions, position tolerances and form errors - to create objects to build a measurement plan. These object-driven characteristics eliminate the frustrations of programming code and allow measurement plan building and editing to take seconds, not minutes, which gives your products speed to market.

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Toyota Motorsport, 3D Systems Join Forces to Revamp Auto Engineering

3D Systems and Toyota Motorsport GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corp., said they formed a partnership to change automotive engineering. TMG provides services to external clients as well as members of the Toyota family from its testing and development facility located in Cologne, Germany. 3D Systems designs additive manufacturing solutions designed to accelerate manufacturers’ production workflows. Through this partnership, the companies say they intend to develop manufacturing solutions — including 3D printers, materials and software — to change automotive design and production.

Florida Is Built for Your Business

Why do more than 20,000 manufacturing companies call Florida home? Not only do we have space to accommodate them, we also have the custom-trained workforce, infrastructure and trade expertise to ensure success. Add to that a pro-business and cost-competitive environment, and it’s easy to see why Florida ranks among the nation’s top five states for manufacturing. Your company can make something big of that.

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Manufacturing Job Growth Slows Way Down in August

Manufacturing added 3,000 jobs in August, with durable goods breaking even. Non-durable goods accounted for the entire net manufacturing job gain, according to a breakdown by industry issued by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This year has seen erratic manufacturing job performance, strong some months, weak during others.

Reach Decision Makers Searching for Smart Manufacturing Solutions, June 2 – 4, 2020

The Smart Manufacturing Experience, June 2-4, 2020 in Pittsburgh, PA, is an event that provides practical, real-world solutions for applying the latest smart manufacturing technologies that drive results. The two greatest champions of advanced manufacturing in the U.S. - SME and AMT, are producing the Smart Manufacturing Experience so you can showcase your smart technologies to an audience hungry for latest innovations and know-how in this rapidly growing area. Apply for your exhibit space today at smartmanufacturingexperience.com

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Lockheed Explores a Different Kind of Space for NASA

NASA is developing the Orion spaceship, which will launch astronauts back into lunar orbit, to the moon’s surface and, if all goes as scheduled, to Mars. Protolabs is one of the companies making NASA’s dream journey a reality—by providing sheet metal fabrication capabilities to aerospace giant Lockheed Martin, a major NASA contractor, for this critical next step to the Moon.

Is Virtual Reality Right for Your Aircraft?

In this webinar you’ll learn how to simulate real-world functions and interactions, leading to unlimited tryouts, with advanced VR technology with real-time physics, improve your overall efficiency by reducing the number of product and process development cycles required and make informed decisions early, leading to significant reductions in costly late engineering changes.