Thu.Jan 23, 2025

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How AI is Closing the Skills Gap and Building a Resilient Workforce

Automation World

The ongoing industrial labor shortage threatens productivity and competitiveness, but its also an opportunity for change. Heres how the latest digital technologies, powered by explainable AI to share operations expertise, are beginning to address the workforce challenge.

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LeGrand Metal Works leans into plasma cutting prowess

The Fabricator

Jake LeGrand discusses his passion for plasma cutting, his one-man shop in Missouri, and turning an empty water tank into a campground fire pit.

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Rapid adoption of EVs risks UK grid instability by 2030, analysts warn

E&T

Electric vehicles (EV) could be responsible for as much as 5% of total power demand by 2030, but analysts have expressed concern that the demand could eclipse the capacity of the UK grid.

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Metal formers begin new year with optimism

The Fabricator

Metal forming manufacturers remain optimistic about business conditions, according to the January 2025 Precision Metalforming Association (PMA) Business Conditions Report, continuing an upward trend that began in October 2024.

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Accelerate America's Manufacturing Agility & Supply Chain Resilience

Discover how to accelerate manufacturing agility and build supply chain resilience in our live webinar on February 6, 2025, at 3 PM PST. Explore insights from a former SpaceX leader on scaling hardware production, balancing speed with quality, and leveraging advanced tools like ION Factory OS. Learn from historical examples and modern approaches to innovation while uncovering how AI and real-time data can automate processes, strengthen supply chain operations, and ensure scalability.

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Precision Shop Adopts Machine Monitoring, Boosts Revenue

Modern Machine Shop

Caddis Systems is a subsidiary of LeClaire Manufacturing. Development of the technology (such as the system’s physical component, the blue box seen in the image) has progressed to meet LeClaire’s specific machine monitoring needs, though the company also sells to other machine shops. Images courtesy of LeClaire Manufacturing. Effective machine monitoring relies on gathering the right data points and presenting them in a usable format.

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Microgrids for Manufacturing: Production Pulse

Industry Week

With many new and existing manufacturing facilities adding solar panels, diesel generators and other sources of power, microgrids that handle that energy are getting more popular.

More Trending

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Basetwo secures $11.5M in Series A funding to transform manufacturing with Physics AI

Automation Mag

Toronto-based startup Basetwo, which provides an AI platform for manufacturing engineers, has raised USD $11.5 million in Series A funding. The investment reportedly allows the company to accelerate its mission to revolutionize how pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturers optimize their production processes. Basetwo’s Physics AI platform reportedly combines fundamental chemical engineering principles with artificial intelligence to optimize pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturing proces

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Lantek opens subsidiary in Japan

The Fabricator

Sheet metal software developer Lantek has opened a subsidiary in Japan.

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Baya Systems Raises $36M+ to Propel AI and Chiplet Innovation

Manufacturing Tomorrow

Series B funding led by Maverick Silicon fuels market expansion and ability to meet rapidly growing demand for hyper-efficient data movement in agile complex silicon systems

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Georgia Trade School appoints vice president

The Fabricator

Georgia Trade School has announced the promotion of Scot McKneely to vice president.

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Unmasking Energy Waste: Manufacturing’s Hidden Inefficiencies and Costly Impacts

Energy inefficiencies are silent thieves eroding manufacturing profits and sustainability efforts. From overworked pumps to leaky compressed air systems, these hidden drains often go unnoticed without advanced energy monitoring. Panoramic Power empowers manufacturers with granular, device level energy visibility, and real-time insights to identify and eliminate inefficiencies, transforming waste into savings.

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Wauseon Machine New Electric End Former offers Enhanced Precision and Sustainability

Manufacturing Tomorrow

Advanced capabilities in rapid prototyping, reverse engineering, and heat treating enhance end-to-end support for manufacturers

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CNC machining added to instant quote platform

The Fabricator

Prototek is adding to its Instant Quoting platform, this time for CNC projects.

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Cincoze Launches New Compact Industrial Computers (DC-1300 series) for Smart Manufacturing

Manufacturing Tomorrow

The DC-1300 continues the legacy of the DC series for successful integration in space-limited industrial automation applications, providing customers with the latest solutions.

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Zirconia flap discs feature flexible cotton backing for intricate contours

The Fabricator

Weldcote, a division of Zika Group, has introduced its line of Z-Cotton zirconia flap discs with a flexible cotton backing suitable for fine finishing work on detailed contours.

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The Supply Chain in 2025: What to Expect

In 2025, the Supply Chain continues its evolution toward “Logistics 4.0,” inspired by Industry 4.0. Two major characteristics define this transformation: automation, driven by robotic solutions, and prediction, paving the way for an era of planning and simulation powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI).

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E+T scoops gold and silver at annual International Content Marketing Awards 2024

E&T

E+T has received gold in the Best Membership category and silver in the Designer of the Year category at the International Content Marketing Awards 2024.

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Chromasens Camera Supports Inspection of Large, Complex Parts

Modern Machine Shop

Source: Chromasens GmbH Chromasens ’ 3DPIXA pro dual 200µm camera is said to merge line scan imaging technology with fast 3D stereo computation. Its 55" (1400-mm) field-of-view addresses a number of inspection and measuring challenges that arise in the scanning of large, complex or irregularly shaped objects for flaws. Boasting line rate speeds of 29.7 kHz and optical resolution of 200 µm/pixel, the 3DPIXA pro dual 200-µm camera simultaneously captures 2D color images al

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Servo-Electric Core-Pulling Units Benefit Injection Molding

Mold Making Technology

Source | Servomold Servomold , a supplier of injection mold tooling automation, offers a new generation of SLY-type, servo-electric, core-pulling units, positioning them as a compact, powerful and clean alternative to hydraulic and pneumatic cylinders. Equipped with ball screw drives, the core-pull units can achieve positioning of slides, cores and plate movements in injection molding tools with accuracy down to the micron, according to Servomold.

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Fastems Appoints President of Americas Region

Modern Machine Shop

Source: Fastems LLC Fastems has appointed Greg Haley to the role of president of its Americas Region operations. Haley is said to bring over a decade of automation and long-term strategy experience to this role. He plans to focus on growing the sales and service teams throughout the U.S. to provide more localized support of Fastems partners and customers.

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The 2nd Generation of Innovation Management: A Survival Guide

Speaker: Chris Townsend, VP of Product Marketing, Wellspring

Over the past decade, companies have embraced innovation with enthusiasm—Chief Innovation Officers have been hired, and in-house incubators, accelerators, and co-creation labs have been launched. CEOs have spoken with passion about “making everyone an innovator” and the need “to disrupt our own business.” But after years of experimentation, senior leaders are asking: Is this still just an experiment, or are we in it for the long haul?

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Elon Musk openly criticises Trump’s $500bn Stargate AI initiative

E&T

Elon Musk has cast doubt on the first major tech investment announcement made by Trump.

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How to Rapidly Develop Edge Vision Solutions for Object Recognition and Tracking

Design World

Machine vision (MV) for object recognition and tracking solutions can be an important part of smart agriculture, industrial automation, environmental monitoring, robotics, logistics, and similar applications. However, developing object recognition and tracking applications takes much more than a camera and some artificial intelligence (AI) software.

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EPC optimizes new GaN-based motor drive for humanoid robots

Robotics Business Review

EPC said GaN enables high-performance motor drives for high-voltage battery applications. | Source: Efficient Power Conversion Efficient Power Conversion Corp., or EPC, this week launched EPC91104, a high-performance, three-phase brushless DC motor drive inverter reference design. The company said this design is suitable for powering compact, precision motors in humanoid robots, such as those used for wrist, finger, and toe movements.

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Use MCUs with Integrated Neural Processing Accelerators to Speed the Design of Edge ML Systems

Design World

The proliferation of edge devices that employ artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) presents designers with a growing array of challenges, including overcoming performance limitations, supporting connectivity, and ensuring security, all while minimizing power consumption. Balancing the need to maximize performance while minimizing power consumption can be especially difficult.

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15 Modern Use Cases for Enterprise Business Intelligence

Large enterprises face unique challenges in optimizing their Business Intelligence (BI) output due to the sheer scale and complexity of their operations. Unlike smaller organizations, where basic BI features and simple dashboards might suffice, enterprises must manage vast amounts of data from diverse sources. What are the top modern BI use cases for enterprise businesses to help you get a leg up on the competition?

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Robots show tenacity in retail

Robotics Business Review

Ricoh showed its comprehensive service systems for retail at NRF. Credit: Georges Mirza Like every NRF in the recent past, on-shelf availability systems were exhibited throughout the retail event’s show floor. Solutions ranged from robots to fixed cameras and handheld devices. Most of these products are now over a decade in the making. Although significant progress has been slow, vendors have demonstrated persistence and determination in developing their capabilities to deliver inventory d

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Programming PLCs: A Technical Summary with Siemens Examples

Design World

By Lisa Eitel, Contributed By DigiKey’s North American Editors Programmable logic controllers (PLCs) are ruggedized microprocessor-based electronics essential to all modern automation, including: The process-heavy industries of oil and gas, nuclear, steelmaking, and wastewater treatment Industries with an emphasis on control of discrete tasks including general factory automation, automated warehousing, packaging, food and beverage,… The post Programming PLCs: A Technical Summary wit

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New Fed Gov’t investment in Clean Energy Finance Corporation

Manufacturer's Monthly

Image: marcin jucha/stock.adobe.com The Federal Government is providing an additional $2 billion to the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) to support the shift to cheaper, clean, reliable, renewable energy. This new investment, provisioned for in MYEFO, means the CEFC can also offer significant savings for households and small businesses making the switch to renewable energy.

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How Smart Motor Controls Can Maximize Resilience and Uptime

Design World

Smart motor controls are needed that can maximize resilience and uptime of machinery in the next generation of Industry 4.0 manufacturing, metals and basic materials processing, mineral extraction and mining, and critical infrastructure like drinking water and wastewater plants. The motor controls in these applications must be able to control and protect motors between 75… The post How Smart Motor Controls Can Maximize Resilience and Uptime appeared first on Design World.

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The Future of Manufacturing: Behind-the-Scene Insights from the IMTS Conference

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New NSW Gov’t Industrial Lands Action Plan

Manufacturer's Monthly

Image: praethip/stock.adobe.com The NSW Government has released its Industrial Lands Action Plan which sets out a new approach to plan, secure, and manage the supply of industrial lands. The action plan is focused on opening up more land zoned for industrial or similar purposes, such as depots, distribution centres, factories and warehouses. These services are crucial to the economic viability of our cities and towns as they create ongoing jobs and are critical for the production and delivery of

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Quickly Building and Training Edge AI Multi-Sensor Smart Home Devices with Matter Connectivity

Design World

By Jeff Shepard, Contributed by DigiKeys North American Editors Smart home energy management systems, heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) controllers, smart locks, and more are being designed using the Matter connectivity standard. Many smart home systems need a variety of sensors for monitoring motion, sound, light, and environmental parameters like temperature, humidity, air quality, and… The post Quickly Building and Training Edge AI Multi-Sensor Smart Home Devices with Matter

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Outrider uses reinforcement learning to speed path planning by tenfold

Robotics Business Review

Outrider is using reinforcement learning to enhance throughput at truck yards. Source: Outrider Outrider Technologies Inc. today said it has deployed advanced reinforcement learning, or RL, techniques to maximize freight throughput at customer sites. The company said its RL models can increase path-planning speed by 10x and enable the Outrider System to move freight more efficiently and safely through busy, complex distribution yards.

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How to Use Digital Twins and Virtual Reality to Explore and Deploy Robotic Solutions Rapidly

Design World

Robots and collaborative robots (cobots) are on the leading edge of factory automation technologies. Digital twins and virtual reality (VR) are on the leading edge of design and development tools. Combined, they can be leveraged to create an industrial metaverse that delivers higher productivity faster, even for small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

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CNC Design Guide: Enhance Machining for Precision, Efficiency, and Cost Reduction

Unlock the full potential of CNC machining with our comprehensive design guide. Learn how to optimize your designs for precision, efficiency, and cost savings. Gain key insights on part complexity, tolerances, materials, finishes, and much more. Whether you’re developing prototypes or production parts, our guide offers practical tips to streamline your process and ensure high-quality results.