Manufacturing News

TODAY video: Turning a dream into a fashion empire
June 22, 2012 | The Today Show
Jan Erickson became a fashion designer overnight after she awoke one morning and made a sketch of the clothing she’d seen in a dream. Inspired by the elderly church parishioners she assisted, Erickson created a wellness line of clothing to help “less abled” fashionistas feel more stylish.
Defense Suppliers Reveal Best Practices for Establishing Sustainable Manufacturing
June 21, 2012 | ThomasNet News
ThomasNet.com Green & Clean has covered various sustainability efforts of the U.S. Department of Defense, including its commitment to biofuels, but learning the specifics of how the agency is becoming greener and cleaner was harder to come by — until now. A recently published overview from the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining sheds light on why and how sustainable manufacturing is a core part of a strong U.S. military.
Iron-aluminium compound could replace palladium catalyst, reducing the cost of plastic production
June 20, 2012 | phys.org
An alternative to precious metal: Max Planck scientists used this crystal of an iron-aluminium compound to catalyse an important step in the production of polyethylene plastic. To date, industry has used a palladium compound for this process. © MPI for Chemical Physics of Solids
Company improving breath-testing devices
June 19, 2012 | Our Colorado News
Technicians from NASA’s Glenn Research Center, located in Cleveland, Ohio, are working with a Wheat Ridge company to help make better breath-testing devices. LifeLoc Technologies has been in Wheat Ridge for the past 30 years, making breath-testing technology for employers, law-enforcement personnel and individuals to use to test alcohol levels. The Colorado Association for Manufacturing and Technology and NASA created a manufacturing innovation partnership last month, which made the company’s relationship with NASA possible..
Fostering Growth through Innovation
June 8, 2012 | Global Manufacturing Outlook 2012: Fostering Growth through Innovation
However, as Global Manufacturing Outlook 2012: Fostering Growth through Innovation, an Economist Intelligence Unit report sponsored by KPMG, reveals, global manufacturers worldwide remain optimistic about the near-term outlook for their businesses. They are using the low-growth environment to become leaner and more efficient. Since 2011, manufacturers have become slightly more bullish that an upswing in the global economy is imminent. Thus they are ramping up their innovation activity, finding ways to increase efficiency (for example, by improving the ways they manage costs and optimize their supply chains), and add value to their offerings simultaneously.
Additive Manufacturing: Status and Opportunities
June 8, 2012 | IDA - Science and Technology Policy Institute
Additive manufacturing (AM), also referred to as 3D printing, is a layer-by-layer technique of producing three-dimensional (3D) objects directly from a digital model. With markets including prototyping, tooling, direct part manufacturing, and maintenance and repair, the industry has grown significantly to $1.3B of materials, equipment, and services in 2010. Despite significant progress in the field, a number of technical challenges remain.
White House Announces Plan to Credential Military Servicemembers with NAM-Endorsed Manufacturing Certifications - June 1, 2012
June 4, 2012 | Manufacturing Institute
06/01/12 - Washington, D.C., May 31, 2012 - National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) President and CEO Jay Timmons and Manufacturing Institute President Jennifer McNelly issued the following statements after the White House announced its support of partnerships to certify military veterans with NAM-endorsed manufacturing certifications. These partnerships will reinforce the goal of awarding 500,000 nationally portable, industry-recognized credentials for highly skilled manufacturing jobs.
R&D, Patents are Key Manufacturing Drivers Chief Economist Mark Doms Tells National Association for Business Economics 2012 Conference
June 1, 2012 | Commerce.gov
Chief Economist Mark Doms previewed an upcoming ESA report showing that many communities depend critically on manufacturing, and these communities are spread all across the United States. That is because manufacturing provides the basis for many middle class jobs with good benefits.
Got some explaining to do? Snag NIST's smart grid beginners guide
May 31, 2012 | SmartGridNews.com
"Smart Grid: A Beginner's Guide" is a readable and jargon-free rundown on the basics of smart grid and standards. No lengthy descriptions of synchrophasor technology or meter data management, just the nuts and bolts of what smart grid is and why standards are such a key part of it.
Breathalyzer firm takes cue from NASA technology
May 31, 2012 | Denver Business Journal
NASA technologies for measuring gases in spaceships and on other planets could help a local company create an out-of-this-world breathalyzer for law enforcement. Wheat Ridge-based Lifeloc Technologies Inc. signed a five-year agreement with the U.S. space agency’s Glenn Research Center, in the hope that NASA sensor technology can help make better, cheaper and smaller alcohol breath testing machines. The research agreement is the first arrangement to spring out of the manufacturing innovation partnership between NASA and the Colorado Association for Manufacturing and Technology (CAMT)