The development of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) came in the aftermath of the devastation wrought on Europe in World War 2. The organization was an offshoot of the earlier International Federation of National Standardizing Associations (ISA), which started in 1926 to cr…
What is ROHS?
RoHS are the initials for Restriction of Hazardous Substances. Its formal name, the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive 2002/95/EC, is a compliance directive adopted and issued by the European Union (EU) in February of 2003. The directive banned the application or use of specific hazard…
4 Key Ways to Achieve Innovation
According to Webster, the definition of innovation is “the act or process of introducing new ideas, devices, or methods.” This word is being paired with manufacturing a lot these days because the industry is doing just that—collectively coming up with solutions, technologies, and products that ar…
2 Major Trends in Manufacturing
If it seems like there are new trends in manufacturing emerging daily, that’s because there are. Like trends in any industry, some will last and some will not, depending on their viability, their concrete potential, and their cost-effectiveness—among other factors. Some of the trends in manufactu…
4 Ways to Ensure Safety in the Shop
In a manufacturing facility or machine shop, one accident or injury is one too many. The most important goal of any facility owner is to keep workers safe. And a safe workplace means happier employees, a better reputation, less downtime, and higher productivity. There are many specific ways of en…
Automation and Manufacturing: A Partnership in Technology
Automation: It’s one of the biggest trends in manufacturing these days, and a perfect example of the ways the industry is making the most of cutting edge technology. From small businesses using it to enhance efficiency and boost profitability, to giants such as Boeing who are investing $1.2 billi…
Reshoring America’s Manufacturing Sector
Reshoring. It’s a term that has been thrown around a lot lately, but what does it mean for American manufacturers? During the Great Recession and over the past decade many companies outsourced operations overseas or shut their doors altogether, resulting in the loss of 2.3 million manufacturing j…
Why Manufacturing Still Matters
A simple internet search for manufacturing can produce dizzying results full of articles arguing for and against an industrial renaissance in the United States. It can be difficult to determine what all of the indexes and data really mean when it comes to the health of American manufacturing busi…