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Plex Manufacturing Blog
What’s Next for Wearables: Google Glass and Ring Scanners Find Practical Uses in Manufacturing Operations Management
Why wearables? We’re at an unprecedented time in technology evolution, where things like battery capacity, processor performance, display quality, cloud computing, wireless communication and sensor precision are all coming together to enable whole new classes of smart, connected devices....
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From Webcams to Wearables, Manufacturers Find Novel Uses for Technology on the Shop Floor
Who would have anticipated that the webcam – an inexpensive device designed for video chats – would play a vital role in keeping manufacturing operations running? For maintenance technicians who venture to different machines and locations in the plant every day, mobile access to information is vital. ...
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Could Detroit be the Next Technology Hub?
Last week’s Fortune article asks the question: Is Detroit the next Silicon Valley? While on the surface these two areas seem quite different – one known for auto manufacturing and the other a hub for technology – the two areas are more similar than you might think. Today, the industries are colliding and shop floors are going hi-tech....
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Manufacturing's Resurgence
Last week I had the opportunity to attend Forbes’ second annual Reinventing America Summit, a gathering of key players in the advanced manufacturing ecosystem. The innovation, ingenuity and enthusiasm on display reinforced my conviction in the resurgence of American manufacturing and our ability to compete globally. ...
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Valentine’s Day Floats on a Cloud
While Valentine’s Day has been celebrated since the 18th Century, it wasn’t until 1861 that candy makers placed their chocolates into heart-shaped boxes. The rest, as they say, is history. But what goes into making all the chocolates and truffles, and managing the increased demand for holidays like Valentine’s Day?...
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The Internet of Making Things: The Connected Torque Wrench
For more than 100 years the torque wrench has been an essential and valuable tool for manufacturers because it applies specific torque to a fastener, such as a nut or bolt. Torque can be the difference in the performance of the end product, whether that’s the power output of a diesel engine or the fit-and-finish of the latest iPhone....
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Why More Manufacturers Are Finding Quality Maturity in the Cloud
All manufacturers—from startups to those in the Fortune 100—are concerned with quality. However, where each is along the path to quality maturity varies. At LNS Research, we like to refer to the process of progressing forward on this path as an “endless journey,” because with an ever-evolving set of quality obstacles as well as continual innovation in strategies and technologies, there’s room for…
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Success Is ... Shape Corp.
Manufacturing quality takes many forms, from the consistency and flavor of ice cream to the perfectly aligned stitches that glide across the dashboard of a luxury automobile. Quality can be about precision, fit and even about experience. For Shape, quality is about safety. ...
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The Lego Hand
Topics like quality, efficiency, process and cost can dominate almost any manufacturing conversation. End-customer satisfaction depends on consistent quality and high value; as an industry, we spend billions of dollars annually to implement practices and technologies to make things better....
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What A and D Suppliers Need to Know About Quality and Compliance in 2014
There’s a lot happening in A&D right now. While public focus will likely always remain on large organizations—Boeing, Airbus, Raytheon, and more—the ears of executives leading tier 3, 2, and 1 suppliers must be burning. Nearly all of today’s large A&D OEMs are looking to the supplier network to identify areas for improvement, and it’s putting pressure on those organizations to make…
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