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Plex Manufacturing Blog
Cloud Manufacturing Software: Understanding SaaS Solution Availability
Cloud-based software is all around us. From the social networks you use to connect with family, to the app that you use to pay your friend back for lunch, the cloud enables the technology that we rely upon to process incredible amounts of data....
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2019 PMA IoT Experience: What Metalformers and Fabricators Can Do with Shop Floor Data
I was surprised while speaking at the IoT for Manufacturers event held by MetalForming Magazine, how many people raised their hands when I asked who was attending their first IoT conference: nearly the entire audience....
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Canada APMA 2019: Survival of the Fastest—and Most Adaptive
I recently had the privilege of speaking at Canada’s Automotive Parts Manufacturer’s Association (APMA) Annual Conference and Exhibition in Windsor, Ontario and what struck me was the amount of change happening within this industry. One example of this is for the first, time conference organizers added an entire day to the schedule dedicated to technology....
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3 Things About ERP Implementations Most Manufacturers Don’t Know
A recent survey conducted by Mint Jutras and commissioned by Ultra Consultants looked at ERP implementations—whether they are doomed to fail or whether ROI expectations are high enough. For small- to mid-sized manufacturers, ERP is an endeavor that becomes necessary as the business grows since managing a complex operation with spreadsheets is unsustainable....
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6 Myths About an Industrial IoT Implementation
As more manufacturers take a serious look at the benefits of Industrial IoT, understanding what an implementation will involve becomes important. But before we get into the list of myths about an Industrial IoT implementation, I’d like to reiterate what I’ve said about Industrial IoT before:...
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Women Leaders in Manufacturing and Technology: Facing Challenges, Taking Action, and Bridging the Gap
The shortage of skilled workers in manufacturing is the biggest challenge facing the industry right now. In the U.S., some estimated two-million jobs will need to be filled in manufacturing over the next decade—and six out of 10 positions are currently unfilled.1 Women constitute one of US manufacturing’s largest pools of untapped talent; however, they still represent less than 30 percent of the…
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Romeo Power Innovates for a Clean, More Sustainable Future
Romeo Power is a battery technology company looking to create an emission-free future. The company designs more energy efficient, lighter lithium-ion battery packs that take electric vehicles (EV) further without gas or emissions. Romeo Power also designs scalable energy storage systems that help businesses and utilities save money, survive and prevent power outages, and harness wind and solar…
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Hype vs. Reality: What’s Really Happening with Industrial IoT in Manufacturing?
Reading any of the major technology media outlets, you will find stories of big manufacturers that are heavily investing in Industry 4.0 projects. Stories like these would make anyone believe that U.S. factories are filled with robots, machines, and sensors that transmit real-time data about everything from product engineering to quality to production performance—and that the data is being used…
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How to Create the Next Generation of Manufacturers
Us technologists solve problems...we can always wait for politicians or lawyers...but why wait? Inventor and entrepreneur and FIRST® founder Dean Kamen closed his keynote at PowerPlex 2019 with this call to action, referencing not only the role of science and technology in solving problems through innovation—but also the astounding shortage of skilled workers manufacturers face today....
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PowerPlex 2019: Highlights and Key Takeaways
It is hard to believe that last week’s PowerPlex 2019 has come and gone. More than 1,000 manufacturing technology professionals gathered to connect on evolving trends including Industry 4.0 and smart factories, the latest in cloud ERP and MES, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), as well as the challenges and opportunities they face each day....
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