Week 12 in Manufacturing News

Ford Provides Peek of Its Digital Manufacturing Strategy

The digital investment coincided with a general revamping of the plant as new transmissions were introduced.

Industry 4.0 and IoT technology enables operators to monitor data generated at different work stations.

Individual parts can be tracked. Inspections occur during production. The company also has stepped up its use of digital design and virtual reality computer simulations.
Ford said it has standardized software and controls as part of its digital manufacturing strategy.

Full article on Advanced Manufacturing.

Empire State manufacturing index shows only slight activity in March

The New York Fed’s Empire State business-conditions index fell to a reading of 3.7 in March from 8.8 in the prior month. This is the lowest level in almost two years.

The new-orders index fell 4.5 points to 3 in March. The shipments index slipped 2.7 points to 7.7. The index for the number of employees climbed 10 points to 13.8 and average workweek turned negative for the first time since 2016.

Full article on MarketWatch.

When Will 5G Arrive? What Will It Mean for Manufacturers?

There are different opinions regarding 5G and when will it be working for
industrial environment. Two specialist – Glenn Longley, VP for IoT product management at Inseego and BeSpoon CEO Jean-Marie André share their thought on this matter on Advanced Manufacturing.

Smart Manufacturing Helps Reduce Industrial Emissions

Members of Congress have introduced a bipartisan, bicameral bill to curb energy demand from small and medium manufacturers. If implemented, the Smart Manufacturing Leadership Act is estimated to save consumers $5 billion in energy costs by 2040 and reduce carbon emissions equal to the pollution coming from 116 million cars in a year.

Full article on NRDC.

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