About the Author
Plex Systems, Inc., a Rockwell Automation company, is the leader in cloud-delivered smart manufacturing solutions, empowering the world’s manufacturers to make awesome products. Our platform gives manufacturers the ability to connect, automate, track and analyze every aspect of their business to drive transformation. The Plex Smart Manufacturing Platform includes solutions for manufacturing execution (MES), ERP, quality, supply chain planning and management, Industrial IoT and analytics to connect people, systems, machines, and supply chains, enabling them to lead with precision, efficiency and agility.
Why Aren’t There More Women in Manufacturing?
The manufacturing industry has undergone tremendous transformation. Smart machines line the plant floor, products are customized in near real time, and mobile devices are used to provide insight into operations 24x7x365....
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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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Electronics Manufacturing Moves to the Cloud
“We focus on what we can offer that nobody else can,” explains Firstronic CEO John Sammut. “Our differentiators have become better shop floor controls, advanced technology, speed-to-market and flexibility.” Based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Firstronic makes electronic components for automotive, industrial and medical industry customers....
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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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2015 Detroit Auto Show
Nowhere is the spirit of making things more alive than on the floor of the Detroit Auto Show. This year there’s a ton of buzz about new exotics from Ford and Acura, because who doesn’t secretly want a new GT as their grocery-getter!...
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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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Repairing the Clumsy Relationship between People and Technology: Wearables on the Shop Floor at TEDxDetroit
Google Glass, Bluetooth and other emerging mobile and wearable technologies are poised to transform manufacturing practices and how people interact with materials on the plant floor. Imagine pairing Google Glass with RFID tags to create a way for people to see inside boxes and around corners without using their hands....
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