Clothing manufacturing has always been a labor intensive industry with the advantage going to the country with the lowest cost labor. Automated sewing factories with SoftWear machines could change all that.
Cheaper robots may help move some car manufacturing work away from low-cost locations like China back to factories in Germany and North America, Donald Walker, Chief Executive of auto supplier Magna told Reuters.
3D printing has had a lot of hype the last few years, but most recently, it seems this technology arena has entered the “trough of disillusionment,” as 3D printing stock prices have taken a hit. But the technology is still early in its childhood and its potential for massive disruption (of manufacturing and supply chains) still lies before us. Continue reading… “3D printed cars or jet engines are just the beginning”
Last week, CloudDDM revealed a first-of-its kind, fully-automated 3D printing factory right in the heart of UPS’ worldwide hub in Louisville, Ky, that will be able to use the tie-in to UPS to ship its products quickly. Continue reading… “New factory with 100 printers, only 3 employees”
Big data analytics answers the question of what the most profitable industries are.. The most profitable sector in the United States is electrical equipment manufacturing, according to Powerlytics, a big data analytics company that offers financial insights into millions of businesses.
In October, HP announced that it’s entering the 3D printing market with an industrial machine that is 10 times faster and 50% cheaper than current systems, immediately brought out the online snark.
U.S. based executives see a larger share of their manufacturing capacity will be in the U.S. in 5 years.
The number of U.S. manufacturers moving home is growing. According to a new survey from The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), more U.S. companies are moving production back from China.
Image of the LD process fabricating several test specimens.
It’s amazing how quickly additive manufacturing technology has been progressing. Laser sintering of metals within the manufacturing industry was a process used by only a few companies, mostly in a research capacity, just a few years ago. Now numerous companies are using laser sintering additive manufacturing machines to print extremely important metal components for a variety of products, from airliners to race cars.
SolarCity hope to create competitive made-in-the-USA panels.
In addition to Elon Musk’s revolutionary SpaceX and Tesla Motors businesses, he’s trying to revolutionize solar energy, too. Now Musk’s solar company SolarCity wants to build a gigantic solar panel manufacturing plant in New York intended to build enough plans to meet what he hopes will be rapidly rising demand.
More than 80% of companies bringing work back to the U.S. have $200 million or less in sales.
In recent years, some small and midsize companies have brought manufacturing back to the U.S. but they have found it a bumpy road. Shortages of skilled workers are a common problem, as are difficulties navigating complex regulatory systems that govern modern American manufacturing.
Gangjian Cui’s “The Rise of the Plasticsmith” speculates China’s post-industrial future. Cui envisions the rise of a new breed of workers who will use plastic crafts to tell the history of the industrial age. (Photos and videos)