Smart Manufacturing Blog

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Plex Manufacturing Blog

Active Planning at Plex and How Manufacturers Can Leverage It Too

Hemant Makhija October 19, 2017

Most businesses do planning and budgeting using spreadsheets. Everyone knows how to use them and they provide a good enough tool but, they are error-prone and time-consuming when it comes to sharing and collaboration. Links get broken and formulas have to be manually copied and pasted. Not a great solution when business moves at light speed or when things change, and they always do....

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Connected Manufacturers are Driving the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Kaitlin Rebella September 28, 2017

While some continue to herald the coming of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in manufacturing, many of today’s manufacturers are proving that it’s here already. Manufacturers are taking advantage of available technology to disrupt markets, accelerate innovation, and transform customer relationships. Yet, challenges still remain, like finding talent with the right skills and adjusting to…

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Automotive Manufacturers See the Future in Big Data

Stu Johnson June 6, 2017

Recently, I was thrilled to receive an invitation to participate on a panel at the recent inaugural SpeedNews AeroAuto Conference. For the past five years, SpeedNews focused its conference solely on the aerospace industry. This year, organizers brought professionals from the automotive industry together with leaders from the aerospace industry to share best practices....

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Advanced Manufacturing Technologies Provide Endless IIoT Opportunities

Kaitlin Rebella May 26, 2017

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) has a potential economic impact of $1.2-$3.7 trillion a year in 2015. Because of this enormous opportunity, many of metro Detroit’s technologists are talking about ways to integrate IIoT – where they can apply it, how they can benefit from it, and even how it can be used in their products and by customers....

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PowerPlex 2017 - Manufacturers Share Ideas, Discuss Skills Shortage and Give Back

Jane Clabby May 20, 2017

Skills Shortage In conversations with attendees at this year’s Plex conference, the industry-wide skills shortage was a common frustration. Many businesses are using Plex to automate processes that were previously done manually, enabling some shop-floor activities to be done with fewer people, allowing reallocation of resources throughout the company. ...

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For Plex Customers, the Future of Manufacturing is Now

Jane Clabby May 16, 2017

At this year’s PowerPlex 2017, participants were abuzz with ideas about where new technologies and emerging market trends will take them. I attended keynotes and break-out sessions and had the opportunity to talk one-on-one with individuals who “make things.” In doing so, I identified several common themes that provide insight into where manufacturing is headed and how customers will get there....

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Plex Supports mikeroweWORKS Foundation and America’s Hardest Workers

Kaitlin Rebella May 10, 2017

If you follow Executive Producer and TV Host Mike Rowe on Facebook or listen to his podcast, The Way I Heard It, you’ll be treated to stories about America’s skilled trade workers and how they’re making a difference. These stories inspire all of us at Plex who are privileged to support the manufacturing community....

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2017 Plex Impact Award Winners: Manufacturing Pioneers

Kaitlin Rebella May 10, 2017

Plex loves its customers. All of us at Plex are passionate about their work, and we’re eager to see how each of them are shaping the future of manufacturing in their own innovative way. That’s why choosing the Plex Impact Award winners, which annually recognizes industry leaders, innovators, and transformers, is an exciting process for the Plex team....

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Shop Floor Data Means More Business Insight for Hatch Stamping

Kaitlin Rebella May 2, 2017

For many manufacturers, finding a way to improve reliability, extend reach, and minimize time to value feels like the old adage “cheap, fast, or good: pick two.” In many scenarios, that’s the reality—but not all....

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Firstronic Named an IndustryWeek Best Plant Award Winner

Kaitlin Rebella February 16, 2017

A holistic approach to Lean Manufacturing led to big results for Plex customer, Firstronic. Firstronic, a premier electronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider serving the automotive, aerospace, commercial industries, has been named a Best Plant Award winner by manufacturing publication IndustryWeek....

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