Columns

Automation 27 May 2020

After Machine Monitoring, Is Machine Learning the Next Step? Getting Ready for AI in Manufacturing

Is artificial intelligence coming to machine shops? Automatically gathering data is already widespread. Automatically analyzing data is likely the next step. One book offers a useful perspective on what this will and will not mean.

Additive Manufacturing 26 May 2020

Additive Manufacturing Versus COVID-19: The Race for PPE

Reporting from the front lines of the fight against coronavirus — still deep in the trenches.

CNC & Machine Controls 13 May 2020

Which Kind of "More So" Are You?

The coronavirus pandemic has brought many people, businesses and industries to a standstill. How are you reacting?

Data-Driven Manufacturing 21 Apr 2020

Can Sharing CNC Data Lift the Machining Industry?

Masses of anonymous metrics arrive ahead of even the leading economic indicators and help machine shops benchmark performance.

20 Apr 2020

What Comes Next: The Beginning of a Reshoring Policy for U.S. Manufacturing

The current crisis is a reckoning. Right now, the challenge is saving livings. But once we are free to look ahead, let’s learn the lessons and prepare ourselves better for the next crisis that comes.

Medical 17 Apr 2020

Additive Manufacturing in the Age of COVID-19

Reporting from the front lines of the fight against Coronavirus — how my journey began.

Workforce Development 16 Apr 2020

OEMs and Job Shops See Metal Additive Manufacturing Differently

When should a machine shop consider production metal 3D printing? Part of the answer might be when that machine shop also does design. Cobra Aero is a small shop thriving with AM, because it’s also an OEM.

Automation 25 Oct 2021

What Makes Smart Robots Smart?

How manufacturing technology “thinks,” and the extent to which it should, are critical considerations in applying artificial intelligence intelligently.

CNC & Machine Controls 21 Jun 2022

6 Steps to Take Before Creating a CNC Program

Any time saved by skipping preparation for programming can be easily lost when the program makes it to the machine. Follow these steps to ensure success.