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December 29, 2006

Light Friday: Rubber Sidewalks, Seasonal Spike in Sewage Spices, Suds and Science...

... Invisible Transistors, Mistletoe Not a Cure for Cancer (because we just weren't sure until now), Don't Call in Sick — Fake your Kidnapping, and MORE.

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December 28, 2006

7 Major Hiring Trends for 2007

About 40 percent of some 2,600 hiring managers recently said they plan to increase their number of full-time employees in 2007, according to results in CareerBuilder.com's "2007 Job Forecast" in December. Another 40 percent expect no change in their head counts, and 8 percent are expecting job eliminations. So keep an eye out for the following hiring trends in the new year.

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December 21, 2006

Good Tidings and the Gift of Quiet

This will be our last pre-holiday post, until we return mid-next week. From the IMT blog, we wish our dear readers a Merry Christmas or Happy Hannukah or Late-Winter-Solstice-in-the-Northern-Hemisphere Celebration (i.e., cheer for whichever holiday you intend to celebrate during your day(s) away from work). Happy Holidays!**

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December 20, 2006

5 Tax Tips to Save the New Year

Holidays are usually fun. Usually. They may not be as fun if you're an entrepreneur or small-business owner who has yet to finalize year-end tax strategies. Hopefully, we can help to make your tax burden less, er, burdensome. Just make sure to get your accounts set before New Year's Eve.

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December 19, 2006

UAW's Full Plate and Drastic Action

The U.S. labor movement already has gone through major changes in recent years, not the least of which is a dramatic decline in union membership. Now, as buyouts, plant closings and unmet agreements continue, so too do talk of union mergers and other drastic actions, particularly for the United Auto Workers.

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December 15, 2006

Light Friday: 'Snow'-tipped Space Mountains, Santa Science, Can the Plane Take Off?

We have a brainteaser for engineers and physics-minded readers. Also, some of the principles involved in Santa's epic annual journey: advanced knowledge of electromagnetic waves, the space/time continuum, nanotechnology, genetic engineering, and computer science.

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December 14, 2006

Rise, R&D, Rise: Tax Credit Resurrected

Last week we touched on the significance of whether the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate would extend a research and development tax credit during the final days of the lame duck session. Well, the extension was approved. Here's what it means for U.S. competitiveness.

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December 13, 2006

Corrugated Holds Stiff Under Pressure

In a sort of postscript to yesterday's IMT e-newsletter on the packaging industry and the holiday season, today corrugated gets some face time. Here we unload some stats of the flattening paperboard box market, as well as some designs and technologies that may help drive corrugated improvement.

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December 12, 2006

Unwrapping the Packaging Industry

Today's package designers are designing packaging for a new consumer — an on-the-go consumer. Here we parse growing trends that range from portable to flexible to biodegradable packaging, as well as industry machinery expenditures. Also, we look at why manufacturers and consumers are at odds over how holiday gifts are packaged.

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Features for the 'Moment of Truth'

As current competition at the retail shelf level is fierce, some of today's leading manufacturers have built a new demand-driven imperative around the "moment of truth" concept — the crucial point in time when a consumer makes a purchasing decision. Innovation in packaging is critical in this concept, as we examine herewith.

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Your Holidays are Numbered

Do you know how many fake Christmas trees in the U.S. are manufactured and imported from China, or the number of packages UPS expects to deliver worldwide every second on its peak day during the holidays? Warm up to some fun facts about this hectic time of the year.

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Obvious or Ingenious?

U.S. Supreme Court justices late last month heard arguments on the issue of what exactly constitutes "obviousness" when it comes to patent rules. If the high court decides to rewrite the legal standard to make it more restrictive, the effects could reshape intellectual property law and reduce the number of marginal patents throughout any number of industries.

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The Morphing Job of Engineering Brainy Gadgetry

While engineers create gadgets and psychologists study the human mind, the combination of the two creates the field of engineering psychology, sometimes called "human factors" or "cognitive engineering." Though it traditionally promoted easy-to-use tech designed with the strengths and limitations of human users as priorities, the oft-overlooked field is now expanding beyond ergonomic improvements.

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Burning Question

What is your business or career resolution for the New Year?

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Setting up Shop Online: Small Biz Survival

Three out of four holiday shoppers say they plan to shop for holiday gifts online, according to a recent Yahoo! Small Business survey, and 75 percent say they are likely to purchase gifts online from small businesses. Yet nearly half of all small businesses have not established a solid Web presence. What are you waiting for?!?!

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H-1B Visas

There's an ongoing debate in the engineering community about the value and effects of the H-1B visa program, with opinions running the gamut from enthusiastic support to strident condemnation, writes John Donovan, editor-in-chief of Portable Design. Here Donovan picks apart the payoff.

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Re-engineering New Orleans

As Nov. 30 marked the end of a mercifully mild hurricane season more than a year after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck the U.S. Gulf Coast, here we refocus on the region's reconstruction. Despite a number of hurdles and criticisms, there has been progress.

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10 Tips: Find Capacity When None Exists

As shippers everywhere face capacity challenges that are likely to stay for a while, they need to plan ahead, writes Deborah Catalano Ruriani at Inbound Logistics. Here she offers 10 tips on finding capacity, prescribed by two guys who should know.

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Project Green Light: Coping with New Zoning Issues

As more firms become wise to the ways of building "green," industry is seeing unique challenges surrounding new zoning procedures. When it comes to giving "green" construction projects the green light, zoning boards are being forced to rethink the approval process to support a new generation of architecture.

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Recommended Reading

In "Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things," acclaimed author Donald Norman draws on a wealth of examples and the latest scientific insights to articulate the profound influence of the feelings that objects evoke. This book should appeal not only to designers and manufacturers but also to managers, psychologists and, really, readers who love to think about their stuff.

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December 11, 2006

Case Packing: Traditional or the New Hotness?

Nothing wrong with tradition: painting your face for a football match; handwritten letters; paper newspapers; watching "A Charlie Brown Christmas" 37 times through the holiday season. Then again, the new hotness definitely has its benefits, too. When it comes to case packing, going robotic or traditional automation is an application-by-application decision.

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December 8, 2006

Light Friday: NASA's Permanent Moon Base, Avoiding Lawsuits at Office Parties, How Engineers Make Milkshakes...

...Congress' Real Labor Issue, Boeing's Patented Anti-Terrorist System, and "the Strongest Evidence to Date that Water Still Flows on the Surface of Mars."

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December 6, 2006

R&D Tax Credit Not Dead Yet

If the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate do not extend the research and development tax credit, among some other popular deductions, during the final days of the lame duck session, businesses could be big losers. If it is passed, however, businesses could look forward to a shiny new year.

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December 5, 2006

Electronics Make a Run For the Border

Mexico's electronics industry suffered a detrimental setback following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11 due to the economic downturn in the U.S. Yet the country's electronics industry has rebounded nicely. In fact, electronics buyers involved in outsourcing decisions may find they are driving to Mexico rather than flying to China for EMS providers.

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December 4, 2006

Benchmarking for Continuous, Ongoing, Unending Improvement

Whatever you call it, improvement must not be a one-time project. Lasting improvement requires continuous improvement. In manufacturing and supply chain initiatives, benchmarking can lead to significant increases in long-term efficiency goals.

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December 1, 2006

Light Friday: Guacamole Lawsuit, Sandwich Patent, Bouncing Inventor...

...RFID at the Pub, Souped-up Golf Carts, Freaky Fish, Electric Car Supply vs. Demand, and MORE!

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November 30, 2006

Compliance Complexities Bait Competitive Benefits

The complexities of compliance can be enormous. However, so can the strategic, competitive benefits gleaned by investing in regulatory requirements such as RoHS, as IndustryWeek points out this week.

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November 29, 2006

Seasonal Hiring Brings Holiday Spending Cash, Headaches

Presents and travel expenses are some of the extra costs that come with the holidays. Opportunities remain for people looking for extra holiday cash, as employers across industries are in need of skilled workers to fill seasonal positions. Of course, seasonal hiring is one of the biggest challenges a manager can face.

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November 28, 2006

Oil for Ethanol: Swapping One Fuel Addiction for Another?

With all the continued talk of the too-familiar catchphrase "America is addicted to oil," we can't help but wonder if ethanol might be the new fuel addiction lurking around the corner, based on a flurry of manufacturing activity in this space. But not everyone thinks ethanol is the best juice to get hooked on.

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November 27, 2006

So You Want to Be a Government Contractor...

The government is the most powerful customer on earth. It enacts the laws that govern the process and drafts the implementing regulations. And a certain percentage of government contracts must go to small businesses. Wanna get in on that? It can be a long and complicated process, so it's good to know how to start.

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November 22, 2006

Turkey, Gluttony, Retail and Remainders

Well, things are pretty quiet around here. Colleagues have taken off for Turkey Day travel, and those of us still working are trying to stay productive. So IMT is here to provide helpful tips and info. for retailers and consumers before the big holiday shopping weekend, as well as some other fun stuff. Enjoy, and we'll see you Monday.

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November 21, 2006

Priority Shipping Overseas: Offshoring Highly Skilled Jobs

While the overseas flight of skilled jobs to less-costly labor markets is alarming many workers in many professions because of its scope and speed, others are unfazed, arguing that offshoring helps the economy. Explore the two sides of the ongoing offshoring debate.

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I Spy Something Debatable: Corporate Snooping

The Hewlett-Packard spying scandal has been drawing attention to the growing corporate practice of snooping on employees. With increasing regularity, companies are relying on surveillance to monitor their employees — from cubicle to office to boardroom. How far is too far?

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Labor Shortage: Fact or Fiction?

The battle cry on one side of the debate of a purported oncoming labor shortage has consistently revolved around retaining jobs in the U.S. Conversely, others say the notion of a labor shortage is ridiculous, for the exact same reasons the aforementioned group use to argue their case. A forthcoming labor shortage: fact or fiction?

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Burning Question

What controversial issue are you most concerned about?

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The Great R&D Dispute

Many industry and government leaders fear that the U.S. will lose its technological preeminence because of current research and development funding practices. As such, one of the long-debated issues among manufacturers and engineers is how R&D should be funded. The dispute continues.

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Exploring the Impact of Sarbanes-Oxley

Proponents of Sarbanes-Oxley contend that it has cleaned up corporate America, ushering in a new age of responsibility and accountability. On the other hand, critics claim that despite Congress' noble intentions, the sweeping legislation has been nothing but intrusive, expensive and heavy-handed. The truth, writes Andrew Edison at Oil & Gas Financial Journal, probably lies somewhere in the middle.

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Drill or No Drill?

In recent years, there has been furious debate between politicians, industry and environmentalists about the prospect of opening part of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska for oil drilling and development. Few issues get people in a tizzy as much as the environment or oil. When both issues collide, watch out.

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Creating a Better Oil Pipeline

Since a leaking pipe shut down operations at Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, in August — cutting U.S. domestic production capacity by nearly 8 percent — the subject of pipeline inspection has become one of great concernment. While the incident does point to serious lapses on the oil giant's part, writes Shirley S. Savage at IEEE Spectrum, it also gives us a chance to analyze how smarter pipeline technology might catch catastrophes before they happen.

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Recommended Reading

Both Lean and Six Sigma are lauded for driving out waste and reducing variation in many business practices. So which is the right approach for effective continuous improvement? Why not both? "Using Lean for Faster Six SIGMA Results" details a no-nonsense strategy for maintaining the best of both initiatives without diluting either.

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November 17, 2006

Light Friday: Non-polluting Paper Battery doesn't Explode, Engineering RoboCop, High-Tech War on Pigeons...

...Paint-On Polymer Kills Influenza, Scientists Build Artificial Gut, High-Tech T-shirt to Fake a Shred, Nanotech Sword from 17th Century and MORE!

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November 16, 2006

Electrical Transmission System Old and Wrinkly, Falling Down

According to the Department of Energy, 70 percent of U.S. transmission lines are 25 years or older, 70 percent of power transformers are 25 years or older, and 60 percent of circuit breakers are more than 30 years old. And they are showing their age.

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November 14, 2006

Bush Busy with the Big Three

After multiple delays, the heads of the Big Three automakers will meet with the White House today to discuss the factors that they believe give global competitors an unfair advantage — namely health care, currency manipulation and energy. The meeting comes a week after Democrats — some of them backers of the auto industry — gained control of the U.S. House and Senate.

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November 13, 2006

The Popularity and Pains of Agile

Today's fast-paced business environment requires an organization's development process to be flexible and adaptable to changing needs. So increasingly more companies are using "Agile" methodologies in their projects to reduce risk and deliver value to the business early. In so doing, values are overlooked often and mistakes are made.

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November 10, 2006

Light Friday: Outsourcing Drive-Through, 'Cocoon' in Norway, Business Bib...

...Robots Don't Know it's Not Bacon, Light-Transmitting Concrete, Rising Sun Space Photos and MORE!

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November 9, 2006

Metal Needs to Rock to Rule

Driving top- and bottom-line growth is a tough nut to crack for almost anyone. The metalworking industry, for one, which looks to generate revenue of less than $1 billion by 2013, is, well, let's just say it's hanging in there for now. But tools and processes are available to help such small companies and manufactuers, so embrace 'em to become more competitive.

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November 8, 2006

Fed Up with Gas Prices? DIY Car: 100 MPG

For our tinkerers: With a bit of DIY ingenuity, not to mention what has to be lots of fun, you can build a microcar that gets 100 miles to the gallon. But steer clear of expressways.

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November 7, 2006

Auto Industry Outlook: Sinking and Soaring

The 2004-2006 timeframe likely will be remembered as a pivotal period in the automobile industry, as a host of calamitous trends arose to threaten the industry. While "The Big Three" suffer from common ills in the U.S., automakers elsewhere have established themselves as true, high-quality manufacturers with a growing global customer base.

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Features for Your Pleasure...and Yours and Yours

In addition to fuel efficiency, increasingly more consumers want vehicles that are, well, cool. As if sensing a ho-hum lull, automakers are making sure the fleet of next-generation cars has a higher degree of personalization packed with niftiness: multi-media storage devices, video cameras and bleeding-edge sound systems.

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A Collision-Free Future

Between seemingly endless traffic jams and widely swinging weather patterns, not to mention plain old bad driving, you don't have to look far for reasons why car crashes are a leading cause of accidental death. You also don't have to look far for examples of automakers focusing on a new generation of systems aimed at eliminating ALL accidents.

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Burning Question

What future automobile feature would you like to see most?

(IMT is still waiting for the flying car.)

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Protecting Intellectual Property

You can assume that it's just a matter of time before your invention gets knocked off, says Portable Design Editor-in-Chief John Donovan. Here Donovan explores not only how to protect your products, but how, with caution and care, intellectual property can be both the value add and the future for the electronics industry.

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In Automobiles, it's What's Inside — and Outside

In the highly competitive automotive market, effective use of materials is important to engineers in developing parts and components, as manufacturers strive to achieve increased performance and fuel efficiency standards. That means they need superior materials. Join us for a ride through some interesting goings-on in automotive's "material world."

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Engineering Jobs Specialize, Require More Communication, Collaboration

A shift toward engineering specialization has prompted the need for increased communication and has led to more "collaborative" jobs. Why? Here Control Engineering senior editor Jeanine Katzel looks at the reasons "why" before discussing energy security and the growing concern over energy's role in supporting global growth.

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Alternative Fuels Drive Forward

Gas prices have settled a bit in the past few months, but with the cost of a gallon still hovering in the $2 range, many consumers are looking for ways to save bucks at the pump. In fact, although the quest for petroleum won't die out, most consumers seem eager to embrace mainstream alternatives, while the global auto industry works feverishly to meet that demand.

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ETO Automation Transforms the Business Process

As engineer-to-order product designers face challenges to provide "mass customization" of their products faster, cheaper and better than their competitors, manufacturing marketing firm TR Cutler, Inc. President and CEO Thomas Cutler argues that ETO automation can help to provide quicker turnaround, lower engineering costs and consistent adherence to product rules and standards.

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Recommended Reading

Released this year, "The Toyota Product Development System: Integrating People, Process, and Technology" compares and contrasts Toyota's world-class product development process with that of a U.S. competitor, using extensive examples from both to demonstrate value stream mapping as an extraordinarily powerful tool for continuous improvement.

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November 3, 2006

Light Friday: Laser-Equipped 747s, Annoy your Coworkers, Scariest Tech of 2006...

...Top Gun to Upgrade Hubble, Pink Flamingos Go the Way of the Dodo, Killer Robots and MORE!

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November 2, 2006

U.S. Manufacturing October Report: the Good and the Bad

Manufacturing in the U.S. grew last month at the slowest pace since June 2003 as factories struggled against the headwinds of declining auto production and a deteriorating housing market.

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November 1, 2006

Hide the Carbon!

The idea of carbon capture and sequestration, a promising avenue for reducing existing emissions, has been around for years. The process consists of capturing industrial CO2 emissions and burying them deep below the ground. Now several large-scale carbon dioxide sequestration tests are about to begin in the U.S.

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October 31, 2006

Just in Time for Halloween: Biz, Tech, Science, Design and Web

Halloween is no longer just about costumes and candy. It's now the second-biggest decorating holiday of the year — right behind Christmas. Let's check in on the ghoulish holiday's business impact, related consumer spending, some kids learning to sew and manufacture DIY costumes, a bit of Halloween-applied technology, and some newly found bones.

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October 30, 2006

Bringing Home the U.S. Bacon

At IMT, we've discussed the impact that outsourcing and offshoring activity has on the U.S. economy. Well, truth be told, there are some pretty strong indicators that operations are expanding in the U.S. Wouldn't that be a refreshing change of pace?

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October 27, 2006

Light Friday: Thanks for Ruining Halloween, Fluke Scrabble Champ, Real-World Invisibility Cloak...

...iPod Birthday, Kid and the Claw (Pt. 2), Shape-Shifting Rovers and More!

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October 26, 2006

At the Heart of a Design-Centric Strategy

Competing on price alone is rarely a viable option for today's businesses. Now companies are creating products and services that thrill customers with graceful form and exacting performance. That in turn gives companies the ability to set themselves apart in increasingly tough markets — and set the pace rather than simply respond to the competition.

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CAD/CAM Fulfills the Need For Speed

A robust CAD/CAM engine is capable not only of developing cutting-edge products for the future, but in some cases, re-creating a beloved product from the past. Recent indications show CAD/CAM functionality gaining incredible traction in the automotive sector, helping develop various products capable of ushering in a new era of safety and performance.

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U.S. Design Next in Line to Go East?

The U.S. tech industry began offshoring assembly and testing in the 1970s, followed by chip fabrication and much system design work in the 1980s and '90s. Next went software development, which was outsourced to offshore service providers, followed by business process outsourcing (BPO). Now experts believe another offshoring wave looms: engineering design.

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Burning Question

Does offshoring put U.S. design engineers' jobs at risk?

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King of the Sky: Boeing Dreamliner vs. Airbus A350 XWB

Aircraft manufacturers Boeing and Airbus have both seen a seesaw of hardship and success in the recent past. The balance of success, however, has recently tipped in favor of Boeing, due in no small part to its 787 Dreamliner craft. Meanwhile, Airbus is struggling to produce its response, the A350 XWB. Here we look at the advanced designs of both potential wonders of the sky.

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The Modular Construction Unit

"Today's reality is that general contractors are more involved in managing the instruments of communication than managing actual construction issues," writes IMT reader Michael Turner, who currently performs construction management and R&D for Grau Contracting/Gateway Panel. Here he offers a response to construction management deficiency.

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Top 10 Creative Global Constructs

What raises a building or infrastructure from mere architecture to a marvel of innovation? Upon gathering a list of the year's most innovative construction projects, BusinessWeek recently selected the following "10 most amazing individual projects"…which are tough to dispute.

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Hospital Composition Saves Lives

In hospitals and elsewhere in the medical field, design changes can cut infection rates, lower physician errors and elevate staff performance. Basically, innovative large-scale and small-scale design can make all the difference in delivering care, improving health and saving lives.

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Sustainable Styles

Low-flow toilets, recycling your Mazda, rebuilding New Orleans, Foo Go and Brad Pitt: What do all these have in common? Sustainable design. The need to integrate sustainability into design practices is becoming increasingly more apparent — from objects as small as appliances to applications as large as towns — due to design's ability to overcome difficult obstacles with measured creativity.

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Recommended Reading

"Humble Masterpieces: Everyday Marvels of Design" is an insightful collection of design marvels from everyday life — from compact discs to chopsticks to Post-it notes — celebrated by a curator of MoMA's Dept. of Architecture and Design. In this colorful visual feast, short and informative text descriptions accompany stunning photographs of 100 fantastic objects, detailing the little-known history of some of our favorite things.

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October 24, 2006

The Gathering Ship Storm

The world shipbuilding industry is currently enjoying a strong upturn, according to Research and Markets. European production has increased as the nation fends off the new kids on the shipbuilding block — the Chinese. And while U.S. shipbuilding remains plagued by cost overruns and schedule delays, there are signs of progress.

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October 23, 2006

China Trade Disputes Loom Large

Only five years ago, the United States exported more than double the amount of China. During the first half of 2006, Chinese exports of manufactured goods reached $404 billion compared to $367 billion in exports by the U.S. — just in time for U.S. trade officials to announce their concern that China is pursuing policies aimed at giving its own firms an unfair advantage over foreign competitors.

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October 20, 2006

Light Friday: Athletic Superhero Suit, Monkey Troubles, Bacteria vs. Grammar...

... New Super-Heavy Element, Fire and Brubeck, Andy Griffith for Sheriff and More!

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October 19, 2006

RFID Still Making Positive Strides

Due to an ever vigilant eye cast toward the bottom line, manufacturers of all shapes and sizes probably aren't all that enamored with investing in too much IT these days; unless, of course, the investment creates new efficiencies. RFID is one such technology that has been perpetually touted as the next "killer app" for manufacturers due to the robust visibility and security it offers. New research and success stories indicate that many of these RFID claims are true.

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October 18, 2006

Post-Retirement Entrepreneurship Tips

While most of the entrepreneurs getting attention these days may be fresh out of business school, a significant and growing number of budding entrepreneurs are 50+ years old. That in mind, it's good to sometimes revisit basic "rules" before taking the plunge. Considering your own startup? See if any of these tips resonate with you.

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October 17, 2006

The Commonplace Layoff

Isn't it strange how commonplace layoffs have become? Whether through mergers and acquisitions or out-of-left-field "consolidation" measures, it appears that the common worker has become all too familiar with the unpleasant side of "streamlining operations." Let's take a look at recent layoff activity to determine if the end justifies the harsh means.

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October 16, 2006

Does Lean Mean Move to India?

While some manufacturing leaders seem to understand lean and have adopted lean strategies rather successfully in the U.S., others are taking a more pragmatic approach by setting up shop directly where the market demand is. In the case of Tier 1 electronics manufacturers, it means setting up brand new facilities in India.

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October 13, 2006

Light Friday: Kite Wind Generator, Ball Games Trump Medical Help, Wheels-less Motorbike...

...the Bastard Child of the Nobel Prizes, LEGO Ice Cube Trays, Karate-Chopping Your Way to Wall Street and MORE!

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October 12, 2006

Latest Industry Unemployment Reading

The latest unemployment reading from the Dept. of Labor reports that first-time claims for jobless benefits slightly rose last week from a two-month low to a level that remains consistent with a resilient labor market. Employers in the U.S. have become reluctant to fire or hire workers in recent months until the extent of the economic slowdown is clearer.

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October 11, 2006

Streamlining Compliance to Drive Profitability

The past decade has seen a huge increase in compliance, regulations and mandates, much of which is aimed at the manufacturing community. While manufacturers focus simultaneously on running their businesses and on trying to meet Sarbanes-Oxley requirements, for example, are important revenue drivers such as "product innovation" getting the attention they deserve?

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October 10, 2006

Design Collaboration and the Mad Dash to Product Launch

In modern business practice, speed to market is often overlooked in favor of innovation. And in introducing new products, efficient collaboration across the extended lifecycle is key, particularly in the design stage. Here's why.

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A New Spin on an Old Building Staple: Concrete

Recent news headlines of bridges and tunnels collapsing have done little to support the positive performance of concrete. But a few neglectful engineers and limited resources shouldn't sour the reputation of the proven binding material, which is why we bring to the spotlight concrete's ability to offer cutting-edge innovation and cost-cutting measures.

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Transporting Space Tourists at 4x the Speed of Sound

"Ladies and gentlemen, we hope you enjoyed your suborbital flight. While we expect a smooth landing in New Mexico, we now ask that you please make sure your seatbelts are fastened and your tray tables stowed as we begin our descent back into the Earth's atmosphere...at 7Gs. Thank you."

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In the Race for Success, Quality Trumps Productivity

Despite today's ever-increasing need for speed in industry and on the plant floor, productivity may be a necessary but insufficient value metric, Manufacturing & Technology News writes. In the race for success, although there is merit to measuring productivity, quality is more important.

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Burning Question

Speed or quality: Can you have both?

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For Optimal Results, Procrastinate Now...Don't Put it Off.

The argument that procrastination can pay off is being voiced increasingly, despite its negative stigma. To succeed, some say, it may be to your advantage to put off some of your tasks for later. Consider these suggestions for when and how you should do it.

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Quick Change Toolpost: Don't Buy — Build!

If lacking an adjustable-height toolholder on a lathe, you end up wasting time placing thin metal shims under the tool until it is at the right height, as tool height can be critical. With a QCTP, though, each tool can have its own dedicated holder with an adjustable height setting. Here DIY pulse jet builder Bruce Simpson explains how to make your own QCTP.

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Study: Biblical-style Flood Caused Britain to Become an Island in 24 Hrs.

Current textbooks teach that Britain — once a peninsula of continental Europe — split from the great land mass after a long process of erosion and rising sea levels over millions of years. Geological scientists now say that the hills that once joined Britain to France were swept away by a biblical-style flood that turned the peninsula into an island in 24 hours.

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Fast-Tracking the Technology Procurement Process

In pretty much any aspect of American society today, speed is the name of the game. No wonder that desire has now infiltrated the technology selection and procurement process. Managing Automation looks at the expedited process of technology selection and provides some pointers to short-cutting the RFP cycle.

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Hard Disk Drives Stand Up to Move Forward

Due in no small part to consumers' demand for smaller, more reliable disk drives with larger capacities, the disk drive industry is shifting — in a perpendicular direction. With perpendicular recording, disk drives have a much higher capacity than the traditional longitudinal magnetic recording. And the technology appears to be coming of age.

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The Teardown Artist

In the spirit of economic competition, companies want to know exactly what their competitors are doing. This way, they can improve their own designs and lower their costs. For these purposes, they may hire an engineer to take things apart. Here Mechanical Engineering looks at how an engineer keeps his company a step ahead by taking a deep look into the competitor's products.

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Recommended Reading

"Fast Innovation: Achieving Superior Differentiation, Speed to Market, and Increased Profitability" is an authoritative source of step-by-step information and significant changes in strategy and tactics. This book provides a set of practical tools that allows an organization to create what the title promises — fast innovation.

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October 6, 2006

Light Friday: Nobels and Yanks (and Mets), Jet Engine-Powered Laptops, Political Name Calling...

...Farewell to an Engineering Prodigy, a Satirical Look at Mankind's Greatest Inventions, a Four-Legged Chicken, a Tiny Six-Shooter and MORE!

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October 5, 2006

Whirlpool: You're Fired! No, You're Hired!

Whirlpool's expansion into emerging markets poses not only exciting growth opportunity but also new challenges and supply and demand chain complexities. So the company has tapped into a "trading partner network" to consolidate the exchange of order, shipment and inventory data across continents. Perhaps a major underwear maker could benefit from such a "trading grid."

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October 4, 2006

An Alternatives Gridlock and Hydrogen Hike

As energy costs escalate and oil resources decline, Congress recently left town without adopting any significant legislation on energy. However, the Department of Energy last month moved forward in funding a number of projects that will aid in alternative hydrogen production and greater hydrogen utilization.

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October 3, 2006

Why Inventory Management Deserves Your Attention

Traditional inventory management practices are being made obsolete by increasing global supply chains and contract manufacturing, more dynamic product lifecycles, and multi-channel distribution, according to a new Aberdeen Research report. That's why this oft-neglected area of business deserves your attention.

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October 2, 2006

Employee Empowerment: Eliminate 'Us Versus Them'

Buzzwords, buzzwords, buzzwords! Oh, they make us working professionals grit our teeth and give us migraines. Yet the true power behind a buzzword's meaning can have great impact on the way things are done. Take, for example, the phrase "employee empowerment."

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September 29, 2006

Light Friday: Frequent Flyer Miles for Space, Dragon-Skin Armor, Busted Hubble Camera...

...Theft-Thwarting Car Stolen, USS Macon Found, Bacteria Resurrected, Five Reasons to Hate Workaholics and More!

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September 28, 2006

Capacitors Kick It Up A Notch

Made in different shapes, sizes and materials — and the reason why so many cool things work the way they do — capacitors may be the unsung heroes in the electronic components world. Let's shed some light on this quirky, little device and why it packs such a technological wallop.

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September 27, 2006

Ending the Format War Before It's Really Begun

Most of us who like movies have kept up with technology and purchase DVDs nowadays. Two new patents -- one for an application and the other solving a technical problem -- not only make it possible for movie studios to save money, but also allow consumers to not have to worry about buying the right DVD for their player. Yet the technological breakthrough is shaping up to create a ruckus for DVD and electronics manufacturers.

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September 26, 2006

Combating the Sky-High Price of Raw Materials

Iron, copper and steel — oh, my! Prices for raw materials continue to skyrocket with no end in sight, challenging manufacturers and engineers to rethink the products they make. Let's look at how industrial professionals are coping with this volatility that they'd rather not face.

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How We Become a Nation of Engineers and Scientists

Are engineers and scientists born? Most children are naturally inquisitive, yet only some seem driven to discover scientific facts and turn that passion into a career in engineering or science. Perhaps turning around the shortage of U.S. engineers isn't as simple as increasing funding for classes and teachers; it may mean rethinking the way schools teach science.

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Imports Threaten Domestic Plastics Producers

Plastics processors can't help but wonder what kind of business is "safe" for domestic manufacturers and which will be the next to flee to China, India or some other lower-cost region of the world. Matthew Naitove, chief editor of Plastics Technology magazine, takes a look at which sectors are most vulnerable.

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Tall Tires in Short Supply

The tight tire market for massive trucks has challenged the mining industry for two years, making companies desperate to dig deeper, quicker and more efficiently. Giant tires are in increasingly short supply as the extraction industry hits overdrive to chase rising commodities prices.

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Manipulating Molecules to Nanoscale: Revolutionizing Materials Science

As of now, several hundred commercially available products contain engineered nanomaterials, and there are many more to come. By manipulating molecules down to a size that's smaller than a human cell, nanotech is viewed as a key technology for the development of lighter, stronger and more bacteria-resistant materials.

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Pencils, Parodoxes and Black Holes

Scientists have published a new study that suggests the material found in pencils may display bizarre behavior thought to occur only around super-heavy atoms and black holes — a discovery that could have important implications for designing new kinds of transistors for future electronics.

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Unsystematic Engineering

Robert W. Lucky, an IEEE Fellow and former VP for Applied Research at Telcordia Technologies, reflects on his experience with engineering and science program/project panels. He opines the long-puzzling conundrum: If systems engineering is so valuable, why is it so seldom practiced?

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To Better Understand Failures, Try Failing

Despite the myriad powerful tools available for predicting and analyzing failures, engineers and manufacturers continue to be blindsided by new process or product failures. Here consultant, ASME member and Six Sigma black belt Scott Burr proposes inventing failures to better understand them and thus prevent them.

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The Music! The Magic! The Engineering! Industrial Technology on Stage

Have you ever visited the theater and wondered, "How did they do that?" If you're up to date on your technology — pneumatics, hydraulics, motors, motion control, or even structural engineering — you may be surprised at how close you are to answering that question. Here IMT reader and theater technical director Scott Henkels discusses some of the ways industrial technology is applied on Broadway.

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Rapid Prototyping Shows Few Signs of Slowing

Rapid prototyping has become so well developed over the past few years that it has spawned "rapid manufacturing" for production of a range of items direct from CAD data. While the traditionally limited material properties have been a major hindrance to mainstream acceptance, the range and properties available are growing at an impressive rate.

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Burning Question

How are the current high prices for materials affecting your ability to do your job?

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Recommended Reading

Understanding materials, their properties and behavior is fundamental to engineering design. Recognized as one of the leading textbooks available, "Materials Selection in Mechanical Design" offers engineering readers a unique and innovative resource, describing the procedures for material selection in mechanical design and even including new case studies.

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September 25, 2006

This Woman's Work: Short Shrift?

Women are being filtered out of high-level science, engineering and math jobs in the U.S, and new research by the National Academies concludes that the reason is basic, ill-founded bias — which is further hurting the country's ability to be competitive.

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September 22, 2006

Light Friday: Ornery Scientist Rehired, Automakers Sued Over Global Warming, Cheating Engineering Students, Biting on Bears...

...Plastic Batteries, NYC Smart Buildings, the Adventures of an Obnoxiously Massive Dell in the City, and More!

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September 21, 2006

An Automaker Rant from an Anonymous Blogger

In response to yesterday's blog post about U.S. automakers falling behind the foreign car market, an anonymous IMT reader sent us a lengthy, seemingly stream-of-consciousness editorial. Here it is published.

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September 20, 2006

U.S. Automakers: Left Behind

I can't help but notice all of the great news coming out of the foreign car market as U.S. automakers other than Ford are slowly but surely falling behind in market share. What's going on?

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September 19, 2006

Trumpeting Bidding Contracts Online

By using online tools and resources to inform vendors about bid solicitations, public purchasers can increase the volume of bids received and encourage cost-cutting competition.

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September 18, 2006

New Directions In Manufacturing

Other than offshoring or outsourcing, what is the de facto means by which manufacturers will take their operations? The following news provides three very different possibilities, each of which concerns distinct and viable possibilities: of trees, titanium and milk.

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September 15, 2006

Light Friday: Military Tanks Turn 90, Alternative Motorcycles, Machines and Mythology...

...iPod Suit, Stealth Switch, Machines Making Mini-Big Bangs, a Bulletproof Server and More!

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September 14, 2006

A Battle Over Online Learning

Over recent weeks, a dispute has been taking place that is part of a contentious area of the law concerning patents awarded not only on invented objects, but on ideas and processes. Blackboard Inc. has been awarded a broad patent establishing its claims to some of the basic features of the software that powers online education — nothing less than the company's ownership of the very idea of e-learning.

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September 13, 2006

Round 'em Up: Manufacturing Technology Highlights

Attendees of this month's International Manufacturing Technology Show were able to see more than 15,000 various manufacturing machine tools, controls, components, software, systems and processes in one location. Here we highlight some notable finds and applied commonalities we uncovered while in attendance.

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Burning Question

When does technology get in the way of productivity?

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Shape-shifting Structures Adapt to Environment

Imagine a high-rise tower that braces itself against sudden strong winds by distributing stresses, or a home that shakes the snow from its roof. A new breed of architects is working to create smart buildings that act as living systems, able to change shape to match the needs of the people inside and the changing weather outside.

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Recommended Reading

"Good to Great" is a comprehensive analysis of how good, mediocre and even bad companies can achieve enduring greatness. Based on an extensive five-year study, this bestseller defines and analyzes the practices that allowed 11 companies to make the rare transition from solid to outstanding performance -- from good to great.

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September 12, 2006

Fun With Plastics!

The innovative ways one can utilize plastic never cease to amaze. From beer kegs to fiber optics, has plastic become man's new best friend?

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September 11, 2006

Make Your Voice Heard!

This blogger and his frequent contributor are out today gathering first-hand knowledge of industrial trends and goings-on for you. Now's your chance to address Industrial Market Trends readers. Submit to us your stories, experiences, knowledge, passions and/or disappointments -- of all things across the industrial landscape.

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September 8, 2006

IMTS from the Floor: Cutting Up and Welding Back

My time at the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) here in Chicago has been pretty well spent. Of the 1,200+ exhibiting companies here, I've had the opportunity to visit with quite a few of them to get the lowdown on recent cutting-edge manufacturing tech and what's forthcoming. Here let's take a look at some of those proffering cool new cutting and welding tools.

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September 7, 2006

IMTS from the Floor: Disasters and Appetites for Power

The companies represented here at IMTS mean business. Not only are they displaying their drills, lathes, mills and saws in small spaces, they are running these diverse machines and tools full tilt. Keeping all of these vendors' machine tools fed requires tons upon tons of material and resources, not to mention power.

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September 6, 2006

IMTS from the Floor: The Latest Industrial Tech in Action

Attendees of the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) are able to see the largest display of manufacturing equipment in one location. Despite the size and scope of the event, industry-specific pavilions make it easy to research the awesome new products and services -- which is good for you and me, as I'll be bringing you highlights from the event throughout the week.

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September 5, 2006

RFID Set to Explode...Again

RFID is set to explode…again. Is this latest round of lofty revenue predictions full of hot air or an accurate glimpse of growth potential?

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September 1, 2006

Light Friday: Pluto Demoted to Dwarf, Home Improvement Irony, Lockheed's Space Shuttle Replacements...

...and in consideration of Labor Day: U.S. Workers' Commute Cut by 48 Seconds a Day, a $10,000 Tip for a $26 Tab, Starbucks Better Understands the Internet, Fired Via E-mail, and More!

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August 31, 2006

Mergers & Acquisitions: Is Bigger Better?

The Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) space is a hot one. But is bigger necessarily better?

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August 30, 2006

Continuous Improvement: a Practice by Any Other Name

Continuous Improvement (CI) is another industry term that we suppose is necessary to some degree, yet we get the sneaking suspicion it's a term that is not used very often due to its use to describe different business process improvement strategies such as Lean and Six Sigma under one umbrella. Whatever you want to call it, it's on the move.

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August 29, 2006

Energy and Education are Key to Factory Floor Growth

John Engler, president of the National Association of Manufacturers, discusses key areas of concern for those stamping out a living on the factory floor, based on findings outlined in NAM's "Labor Day Report." As energy costs erode wages, a focus on education can add to recent gains in production employment.

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Production vs. Maintenance: Think Uptime, Have Uptime

Breakdowns of industrial machinery cost industry billions each year, with most of the cost resulting from lost production time while unscheduled repairs or maintenance are performed. Motivated companies are netting billions industry wide with uptime technology and mindsets, finds The Manufacturer.com's Pam Derringer.

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What Are Those Automakers Doing in There?

Amidst all the gloomy U.S. automotive news of plant closures, employee layoffs and lost market share, if you look closer you'll find some positively creative things taking place at a handful of automakers' plants. Here we offer a look at some of the cool initiatives, processes and practices going on within these steel doors.

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Manufacturers: Wires? We Don't Need No Stinking Wires.

Wireless links today are faster, more economical, more secure and more transparent than ever. And as such applications increasingly enable new and better ways of operating plants, greater deployment and incorporation of wireless technologies is set to be seen throughout manufacturing.

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Invasion of the Robots in (Factory) Space!

While robots increasingly gain prominence not only in the tech landscape but in mainstream application as well, the majority of the world's robots remain bolted down to areas on factory floors. Even in traditionally thrifty industries, worldwide growth predictions for robotics are promising to reduce labor costs and manage product line changes along with fluctuating volumes.

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Burning Question

Are you on track to retire comfortably?

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New Pension Protection Provisions Premiere to Criticism and Praise

Many provisions of the new Pension Protection Act of 2006, signed in August, have received wide acclaim, notably those regarding 401(k)s. But critics say the legislation could accelerate the move away from traditional pension plans and that it does little to help the millions of workers whose companies don't offer retirement plans.

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Battling the Enemy with Big 'ol Balloons

While the military depends more and more on complicated battlefield computer networks, satellite-guided rockets and fighter jets worth hundreds of millions of dollars, projects are now in the works to build a 21st century fighting force from 19th century technology you often see advertising at the beach or floating above football fields: blimps.

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Recommended Reading

Through 12 fictional stories, "Autopsy of an Engine" brings to life the spirits that populated Detroit's Clark Street Cadillac factory until its last smokestack was airlifted out in 1994. Told from the diverse perspective of unionized assembly line workers and engineers, management and janitors, payroll clerks and retirees, this collection was written by a woman who worked for Cadillac for 21 years.

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August 28, 2006

Top-Notch Customer Service Bolsters Innovation

New research and technology indicates that innovation has less to do with inventions and securing patents and more to do with keeping an eye on external metrics such as customer service.

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August 25, 2006

Light Friday: Stupid Security Awards, Trucks with Lasers, Ancient Israel Waterpark...

...Ants Set Animal Kingdom Record, All Touchy-Feely at Work, DOMO Robot Knows Own Strength, and more!

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August 24, 2006

Overseas Competition = Plant Closings

As a preface to next week's IMT issue on plants and factories, here we address the scaling back of manufacturing operations to stem losses. As a result, plants not operating at full capacity are being shut down right and left. When will it end?

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August 23, 2006

Lebanese Factories Burn, Iraqi Industry Sees Spark of Light

The physical destruction throughout the Middle East is obvious: bombs fly, bullets tear, civilians and soldiers fall. In Lebanon, plants and factories burn as morale among the country's workforce has already hit an all-time low. Despite the gloomy picture of industry and worker plight throughout Lebanon, however, wheels of industry are beginning to turn again in Iraq.

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August 22, 2006

An Imperfect CAD Compatibility Compromise

When an engineer has to share product designs with someone else in the group or with the supplier down the street, it can be especially difficult (never mind frustrating) when not all groups have the necessary CAD software. Compatibility between CAD software is a major pain. Here is one way to overcome such a dilemma.

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August 21, 2006

Apple: Room for Factory Improvement, Yes. Sweatshops, No.

A U.K. newspaper reported in June that Apple Computer workers at a Chinese factory worked long hours under difficult conditions for little pay to manufacture iPods. So Apple launched a full-blown investigation into the alleged sweatshop-like conditions. Its report was released late last week.

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August 18, 2006

Light Friday: The Top 10s Edition

Top 10: Signs You're Tech-Obsessed; Least Expected Products to Use Nanotechnology; Uses for Dell Computer Batteries and MORE!

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August 17, 2006

Engineers Think You're a Big Screw-up, Big Dig...and They're Voicing It in Cyberspace.

More than a month after concrete ceiling panels fell on and crushed a car passenger due to an epoxy-and-bolts system, engineers across the Web have been discussing the debacle with Boston's Big Dig/Central Artery Tunnel project and the structure's latest failure. Current conversations are more about how much of "a screw-up" the project is and are speculative as to why parts of the project were assembled the way they were.

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August 16, 2006

Another Day, Another Recall

Dell Computers, no stranger to product recalls, is now recalling some 4 million laptop computers because its batteries -- provided by Sony -- overheat. Of course, it's kinda hard to keep an eye on quality when you've got multiple suppliers from multiple regions to worry about. Dell is but one in a long list of recent faulty-product recalls.

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August 15, 2006

Labor Pains, Union Dues

While July saw U.S. employers announce the fewest number of job cuts in six years, declining manufacturing employment has been a cause for concern. Learn not only what the next few years hold and how industry labor compares with the rest of the country's workforce, but also the current state of U.S. labor unions.

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Shifting Talent Pools in the Business of Work

We're in the thick of change: U.S. talent is increasingly being found and employed elsewhere; more workers of traditional retirement age are making different kinds of late-career plans; and the implied worker/employer "social contract" remains broken. New strategies will emerge to correspond to the shifting processes of work and talent, as well as the psychology of the modern worker.

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Top 10 Workplace Stresses and Irritations

Is there any more-used phrase adopted by the modern worker than "Work has me stressed and irritated?" Perhaps not. But you've probably never actually taken the time to list the top causes of such work-related stress and irritation, either — you have better ways to optimize your time. So we've done it for you.

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Burning Question

What is the most stressful or irritating part of your job?

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Work System Adapting for Flexible Production Patterns

A growing number of companies are taking steps to reduce their employees' workloads — or at least are considering more flexible patterns of working. Telecommuting is gaining in popularity due to a competition for talent heating up, yet an issue larger in scope is at hand: studies are showing that older workers are forcing employers to become more flexible.

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Culture, Value-Based Hiring Reaps Rewards for Small Biz

Employees add another layer of complexity to any business, and hiring the best for a company requires careful consideration. Those hiring new staff may want to consider a new study from Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations, which says small businesses profit by hiring employees who not only possess the best individual skills, but who fit into the company culture.

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Gunmetal Metallic, Shifting Hues and GM's Other Color Palette Provisions

While designers are seeing a "return to color" in vehicle paints, don't expect an explosion of green, yellow and purple cars on the roads, as the trend is more about richer, more complex appearances by "infusing" neutral shades with more color and high-tech finishes. Vehicle color trends may be more important than ever to GM and other automakers.

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Pigpen Mobility

We've all heard the adages of a cluttered-versus-clean workspace. Whether you are a Piler, Filer or Tosser, what, if anything, does it say about your personality? And how does it affect your ability to get the job done -- in effect, your professional capacity for upward mobility?

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Recommended Reading

"The New American Workplace" presents the latest information on trends and conditions in the U.S. workplace with detail. This new book considers nearly every workplace issue: health and safety, job and life satisfaction, education and training, technology, public policy, global economics and the nature of organizations.

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August 14, 2006

Wanted: Skilled Manufacturing Workers

Think the manufacturing job market doesn't look so hot? Think again.

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August 11, 2006

Light Friday: Wearable Robot for Mtn. Expedition, NASA Loses Moon Tapes, the $2 Million Comma...

...Fireproof Ceramic Via Plastic, Cool Pic of Nacreous Clouds, Number of Crazy Drivers and Safer Cars Up, and One Freaky Tractor!

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August 10, 2006

Divvying Up 'Green' Funds

Green sources of energy is a topic that's become hot-button fodder for geologists, politicians, pundits, liberals, conservatives, businesses and, of course, the manufacturing community. Recent federal funding initiatives, or lack there of, could potentially ignite the green debate even further.

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August 9, 2006

Carmakers Explore New Terrain

Three different carmakers are embarking on three very different and ambitious projects, all in the name of "something new." Who stands to benefit the most?

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August 8, 2006

Mitigating the Chafe of Raw Materials Costs

Raw materials costs are irritating manufacturers. Copper prices have doubled in the past year. Last month crude oil futures continued past $75 per barrel. Nickel prices are on the rise. And resin may or may not have peaked. So companies are changing their procurement strategy and materials mentality.

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August 7, 2006

A Secure Supply Chain Equals More Than Just Security

It seems as though there has been little action on making supply chains more secure. Well, since many manufacturing executives think money is the motivator for pretty much everything, my guess is that a new Stanford University study, which essentially says a secure supply chain yields dividends, will raise some eyebrows.

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August 4, 2006

Light Friday: Barney Savages King's Teddy, Fisher Tykes, Beware the Broccoli, Harvesting Footfall Vibes...

…GM Two-Mode Hybrids, Odessa's 125 Years' of RR Tracks, What a Jet Engine Can Do and More!

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August 3, 2006

When Good Brands Go Bad

Do brands matter? That's the billion-dollar question facing some manufacturers that are desperately struggling to make ends meet.

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August 2, 2006

Crippled Queens Businesses

Queens, New York's recent 10-day blackout, which affected as many as 100,000 residents, "officially" ended just last week. Yet while the power outage is but a warm beer-and-candles-filled memory for residents, about 750 small businesses are struggling just to stay alive in the wake.

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August 1, 2006

Questioning First Aid Practices

First aid recommendations once thought effective have recently been found insufficient and, in some cases, more harmful. The science behind first aid guidelines has been reevaluated, and, as a result, changes are coming in training practices and real-world applications.

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When You Have a Hot Staff, Look Out!

Between the summer's sweltering heat and humidity, the country is boiling. And the heat seems to be going nowhere fast. As such, heat-induced occupational illnesses, injuries and reduced productivity are likely to occur more than usual, particularly with excessive exposure to a hot work environment.

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Sizing Up Facility Fatalities: Small Workplaces Seem Safer AND Riskier

Let us explain. A recent study of more than 17,000 workplace deaths found that small, single-site businesses were among the least dangerous places to work. The research simultaneously found that small worksites operated by companies with 20-999 employees that oversee multiple sites have up to 5x the fatality rates of those of equal size operated by small or large companies.

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Thwarting Ergo Injuries: More than Just Goofy-Looking Keyboards

With increasing incidence in work-related injuries, ergonomics is touted as critical in workforce safety. The way you implement ergonomics and safety programs can be just as important as the chairs, keyboards and computer screens these programs advocate. Consider a systematic, data-driven approach to ergonomics.

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Burning Question

What are you doing to beat the heat?

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Sleep Deprivation and Workplace Riskzzzzz

Workplace fatigue has been recognized as a major cause of accidents, which can cause injuries and even loss of life. In the modern world, this is unacceptable in terms of workplace disruption, loss of productivity, cost and, most important, personal loss.

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Bad Bolt Troubles for Boston's Big Dig

When excavation began in 1991, it was heralded as a jewel of engineering and vision. Now, after years of cost overruns, delays and myriad construction-related problems, the most expensive highway project in U.S. history plunged into the deepest crisis in its history when a 12-ton section of ceiling panels broke loose last month, crushing a car and killing a passenger. The culprit: Bolts.

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On the Downhill

IMT reader Nick Sevastian, a mechanical engineer by education who specialized in Special Purpose Machinery and has 27 years' of experience, tries to pinpoint the reasons for "the American industrial decline" — especially in comparison with Japan.

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July 28, 2006

Light Friday: Self-Healing Spacesuits, Honda Has Head In the Clouds...

...Interior Photos of Genesis I (Currently in Orbit), REALLY Compact Hydrogen Cars and Dilbert Creator's Slacker Suggestions.

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July 26, 2006

Is War-Torn Lebanon Able to Recover?

Lebanese exports in 2005 reached more than $1.5 billion for the first time due to the free-trade agreements with the European Union. The weeks-long conflict between Hezbollah guerillas and Israeli troops, however, is taking one hell of a toll on Lebanon's industrial community, to the point of no return.

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July 25, 2006

Jack Welch Who?

Is enough enough? Do the old rules of the Jack Welch era not work anymore? Does American business need a new playbook? Does today's volatile, brutally competitive business climate demand a new set of rules and a whole new mindset? (Will this entire article be a series of questions?)

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July 24, 2006

Advanced Logistics Wins Speed-to-Market Race

While the term "speed-to-market" mostly applies to how fast a company can create and launch a new product or service, it is also fair to say that logistics plays an all-too important and oft-forgotten role in winning the speed-to-market race.

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July 21, 2006

Light Friday: AI Turns 50, Top 5 (+1) Coolest Cell Phones, Shapeshifting Aircraft 'Switchblade'...

...Genghis Khan: Renaissance Guy, Runaway Kangaroo in Ireland, Keith Richards Pardoned, and Light Friday Recommended Reading.

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July 20, 2006

Is Supply Chain Visibility A Misnomer?

A recent flutter of activity in the pharma sector leaves cause for concern as to just how "leading-edge" some of the supply chains of today's top business performers really are. And seeing as some of the major blunders all take place in Puerto Rico, how can firms expect to continue to do business in this wonderful global economy we keep hearing about?

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July 19, 2006

20th Century's Top Engineering Developments

Despite the much-deserved scrutiny that failed engineering undertakings receive, the past has seen extraordinary things result from those who practice the profession. Here we revisit some of the most celebrated engineering developments of the 20th century.

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Engineers Look to Nature for Inspiring New Tricks

Like scientists, engineers increasingly are taking advantage of a pre-existing blueprint that can be a great key to unlocking inspiration for their profession's endeavors. This roadmap surrounds us all: nature.

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Redefining Engineering for the Year 2020

Engineering, through its role in the creation and implementation of technology, has been critical to the improvement and vitality of our national economic well-being, health and quality of life. It's been called "the foundation of American ingenuity." But it needs to change, according to the National Academy of Engineering.

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Burning Question

Is the U.S. at risk of an engineering shortage?

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10 Machine Design Tips for OEM Engineers

For OEM engineers and programmers to avoid the long hours and aggravation that can come from such situations as standard deviation, lack of specifications or inefficient approaches, they may want to consider implementing one of these tips per month.

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Scavenging Materials to Build Your Own CNC Machine

Turning a concept into something real and practical is what engineers do. CNC machines are tools for the same. Because so many engineers enjoy prototyping, tinkering and toying, here we offer tips for gathering "scrounged, recycled and adapted" parts to build your own CNC machine at a fraction of the cost of buying one.

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Just Another Case of a Sinkhole Wiping Out a Lake

Florida's Scott Lake recently has been at the mercy of a giant sinkhole that may be 300 ft. deep. When the sinkhole collapsed last month, it took only 10 days to swallow up the lake's water. Now engineers are trying to figure out how to plug and refill the lake.

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Recommended Reading

John Lienhard, University of Houston Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering and host of a daily NPR radio essay on invention and creativity, has gathered together his reflections on the nature of technology, culture, human inventiveness and the history of engineering in this book.

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July 17, 2006

Wal-mart 'Sustainable Value' Powwow Flexes 'Green' Muscle

Leading business execs, a majority of which are from the manufacturing sector, chitchatted about climate change at a recent forum. It's one thing for someone like Al Gore to run around and talk about the dangers of global warming, but it's an entirely different beast when the world's largest retailer continues to flirt with the notion of making green practices a mandate. Wal-mart muscle could go a long way.

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July 14, 2006

Light Friday: Microsoft Goes Greek Mythology, Formula 1 Whiskey, Engineering an Olympic Swimsuit...

...Biodegradable Fashion, Einstein as Super Lover, Self-Cooling Soda Bottles, Toyota's Bizarre Recall and More!

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July 13, 2006

Innovation Claims Begin to Take Shape

Earlier we kicked around the idea of whether a popular business process term like "demand driven" carried any real clout after being trumpeted from sea to shining sea as the de facto way for manufacturers to run businesses. Today we look at product innovation, to see how well this oft-lauded moniker is holding up.

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July 12, 2006

Does Demand Driven Matter?

We at the IMT blog have broached the subject of admirable (and often effective) concepts or processes hindered by misunderstandings and labels of trendy buzzwords -- such as "demand-driven" manufacturer. While some of our past musings have poked fun at this lofty term, it seems AMR Research folks and others have a bit to say about why this once-popular buzzword still matters.

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July 11, 2006

Amateur Innovation: Basement Biotech

As the tools of biotechnology become accessible and affordable to a wider public for the first time, hobbyists are recapturing the amateur innovation little seen since the days of the computer hobbyists-turned-entrepreneurs of the early 1970s. Biotechnology presents a new medium for DIY engineering and amateur tinkering.

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It's Not Who You Know. It's Who Knows You.

ThomasNet subscribers speak out. In the April and May 2006 issues of The Link, a total of 921 subscribers responded to our surveys enquiring about their online industrial buying habits. Their responses make very interesting reading, in terms of what industrial buyers look for when they are searching for suppliers online.

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BPO Procurement: Are You On Board?

It seems there's no end in sight for companies that adopt procurement business processing outsourcing (BPO) and for the vendors that service them. The worldwide procurement BPO market reached $627 million in '05 and is expected to expand at a five-year compound annual growth rate of 22.3 percent through at least 2010. Topping the adoption list...the manufacturing community.

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July 10, 2006

Defending IP Rights to Secure Choice Retail Space

The task of asserting and defending intellectual property (IP) rights has grown more urgent with the emergence of an Internet-fueled global information economy. As manufacturers that make and sell mass-market retail products constantly fight to either keep their hard-won shelf space or secure a retail market for new products, more of them are turning to IP law to fend off competitors.

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July 7, 2006

Light Friday: Inside Fireworks, 5-Second Rule, The Flying Motorcycle...

...Turn a Disposable Camera Into a Reusable One (Just in time for vacation...), Microsoft's Version of the iPod, a Couch Potato's Dream, Nano Stuff and more.

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July 6, 2006

Merger Exploration: Proposed Alliance Could Save GM...or Not

With the recent announcement that foreign competitors Renault SA and Nissan Motor Co. are considering purchasing a significant stake in General Motors Corp., the hunter has become the hunted. If the proposed partnership goes forward, it would reshape the global auto industry and may give struggling GM the aid it needs to revive.

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July 5, 2006

National Productivity, Multitasking Efficiency, Individual Engagement

Herewith is our productivity scorecard: From what government officials and the scientific community say has been driving long-term productivity growth and how technology enables us to multitask better but increases stress, to how individual employee engagement levels drive or derail productivity.

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Factory Automation's New Ecosystem

Advancements in automation continue to steadily transform our manufacturing, process and assembly plants. Guest contributor Stephanie Neil, Managing Automation's senior editor, says: Leave your master's degree in engineering or business management aside; when it comes to understanding factory automation, it comes down to a term we all learned in fourth grade: ecosystem.

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'Lean Technology' No Longer an Oxymoron

While purists may say the most high tech that "lean" practitioners should get is paper, pencils and spreadsheets, organizations applying technology to lean manufacturing are achieving significant improvements in speed, efficiency and profitability. Now technology is less likely to go head to head with lean, as it is increasingly used to improve lean-operation performance.

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Burning Question

How much of a role should technology play in "lean" operations?

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For Efficiency's Sake, Collaborate!

Two areas of business, when synergized, can have a significant impact on your overall business efficiency: collaboration between product and services divisions can optimize the whole company; and, in the supply chain, "engineering + manufacturing + supplier" can be the formula for collaborative success.

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Machine Medicine: Improve Your Maintenance Program in 10 Steps

An improved maintenance program for your electric motors and drives can have a great effect in achieving uptime and reliability, as well as reduced costs. Follow this step-by-step route to improve motor and drive reliability, and thus improve machine efficiency.

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Encasing the Works of Our Freedom

As we just celebrated Independence Day, let's not forget the three formative documents that have guaranteed Americans' rights and freedoms for more than two centuries. The Charters of Freedom -- the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights -- recently received state-of-the-art encasements to keep the historic documents safe.

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Gotham Going Green: NYC's Eco-Friendly Public Transit

New York's MTA subways, buses and railroads move 2.4 billion New Yorkers a year — about one in every three users of mass transit in the U.S. and two-thirds of the nation's rail riders. The municipal authority, while running one of the largest and most complex systems of its kind in the world, now is making its operations more environmentally friendly.

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Recommended Reading

Larry Bossidy, former CEO and chairman of Honeywell International Inc., and acclaimed business adviser Ram Charan's "Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done" focuses on the quality most essential to every business -- the ability to get things done, whether you're running an entire company or in your first management job.

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July 3, 2006

If You Have Today Off, You're of the Lucky Minority

There aren't too many people in our offices today. Are there many employees at your place of work today? Actually, let us preface that question with another question: Are you at work today? If so, are you being productive?

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June 30, 2006

Light Friday: Eco-Friendly Racecar, Bionic Fish, Parking Ticket Rebellion...

...more World Cup Science, a Questionable New Telecom Bill, Emotionally Aware Computer, an Asteroid that's Too Close for Comfort, and more!

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June 29, 2006

Wireless Networks: Huge Inroads, Big Rewards

More manufacturers are becoming wise to the ways of wireless, citing convenience, low cost, real-time visibility, process controls and asset utilization as the key benefits. In response, the market for industrial wireless devices is set to exceed 150 million units and more than $1 billion annually over the next few years.

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June 28, 2006

Manufacturers of All Sizes Moving RFID Beyond Pilot Stage

We're constantly hearing about RFID partnerships, technologies and strategies, but new research indicates that manufacturers are looking to move beyond the pilot stage by integrating RFID throughout execution and material handling systems.

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June 27, 2006

Manufacturing, Biz Confidence in Technology Booming

We've made it about midway through 2006, and after the trauma incurred to various parts of industry last year, manufacturers and enterprises are showing more confidence -- particularly in technology: consumption of manufacturing technology is up, while RFID is expected to become an integral part of operations.

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June 26, 2006

The Business Intelligence Lowdown

Worldwide Business Intelligence (BI) software revenue could hit $2.5 billion this year, according to Gartner. But is now the time for manufacturers to buy into the BI hype? Recent news and success stories from leading manufacturers say there's no time like the present.

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June 23, 2006

Light Friday: Industrial Hygiene/Packaging Science Considered Unusual, Top 10 Best Places for IT Pros to Work, an $11 Million 'Oops!'...

..."Top-Down" Cosmology, 2nd Woman Ever to Pilot/Command Space Shuttle Assigned, Beagle Belle a Lifesaver, Goofy-Looking Car Goes 3K+ Miles on $5 of Gas, and More!!

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June 22, 2006

It's Like Pac-Man...for Industrial Folk

Here's a ThomasNet.com-sponsored productivity enhancer for industrial-type people nostalgic for Pac-Man...

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June 21, 2006

Warehousing & Logistics: Supply Chain Bedfellows

Warehousing, which remains strong, is finally being understood as a key enabler of the supply chain. Meanwhile, logistics has become an increasingly important component of supply chain operations. Here we look at the state of warehousing in the U.S., then focus on what the top-performing supply chains are doing to better manage their logistics.

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Leveraging Technology to Strengthen the Supply Chain

Warehousing and the global supply chain are becoming increasingly complex. To meet new business demands, many companies are placing more emphasis on software and automation to transform their business models and gain a competitive advantage. Here are some ways technology is playing a key role in that advantage.

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Protecting Your Goods: 10 Tips for Choosing Cargo Seals

Between recent port controversies, the threat of terrorists and that of regular criminals looking to swindle your goods, cargo security seals have grown significantly more important -- and more sophisticated. Here are 10 things to consider for choosing cargo seals wisely.

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3PL: Matters of Size

Today's long-distance supply chain reaches across nations, thus heightening both complexity and competition. In this global environment, more companies are turning to the specialized services and expertise of third-party logistics providers. When assessing a 3PL provider, does size matter?

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U.S. Revisits Restrictions on High-Tech Exports to China

Changes to Washington's so-called China Export Control Policy aim to facilitate export of sensitive high-tech equipment to prevent such products from being used for military purposes. The new policy will also spare the need for U.S. exporters in critical tech sectors to apply for licenses for sales to companies in China.

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Break the Habit. Take a Vacation. It's What Bosses Now Want.

Despite the need for personal respite from work, workers traditionally abandon at least a few vacation days each year. The fact that so many workers lack vacation time or lack the ability to take it is cause for serious concern. Now this "all work and no play" mindset may be eroding as bosses use time off to lure and retain talent.

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Burning Question

Are U.S. ports secure enough?

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Recommended Reading

Concentrating on daily-use inventory concepts, "Essentials of Inventory Management" presents practical, ready-to-use information in key areas that range from physical control and layout to problem identification and resolution.

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June 20, 2006

Small Businesses Foresee Slow Growth

The term "big surprises come in small packages" couldn't be more apt to describe the future outlook for small-business owners.

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June 19, 2006

Ailing Auto Industry Only Getting Worse

While not exactly surprising, more news and research has surfaced that indicates the auto industry is not showing signs of financial improvement. Even though the outlook as recently as March indicated that bankruptcy for some automakers wasn't a likely scenario, it looks like new research is indicating the opposite.

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June 16, 2006

Light Friday: Engineer Wins $1.2 million, Search-and-Rescue Bots, Massive Flag Made of Cars...

... iPod Royalty (or, iPod on the Thrown), How 'Blade Runner' is Connected to Vintage Apple Macintosh and the Super Bowl, and much more!

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June 15, 2006

Alternative Energy: The Commendable and the Downright Embarrassing

At IMT, we've exposed the good, the bad and the downright ugly sides of alternative forms of energy and fuel. Well, get ready to fire up your solar panels, 'cause we've got some more -- both fine and foul.

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June 14, 2006

Lessons Learned from Early Offshoring Efforts

Outsourcing strategies are too often oversimplified. They are far from simple, however. In a follow-up to yesterday's post, here we look at lessons related to outsourcing and offshoring (The two terms are different!), lessons that are both basic and frequently misunderstood.

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June 13, 2006

The 'Truth' About Offshoring

If you're anything like us here at IMT, you hate it when people overreact. Now a new study says we have good reason to despise all of the panicky analysts and industry pundits who have painted a bleak picture as it relates to the vitality of IT jobs in the U.S. in recent years.

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June 12, 2006

Procurement, Project Managers: Cooperation, Not Confrontation

We've all heard the nightmare stories told of clashes between procurement officers and project managers. Yet with procurement's prominent position in worldwide competition today, as well as continued challenges, both communities must work together to best complete the project and meet the needs of the customer.

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June 9, 2006

Light Friday: Genes Determine Entrepreneurs, Do Not Anger Your Tech Staff (Pt. 2118), Holy Military Batwings!...

...New Hammerhead Species Discovered/Localized in S.C., iPod Trumps Beer in College, Ronald McDonald Returns to Fla. Home, and Much More.

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7 Rules to Win in a Global Market

And now for a shameless plug: On Monday and Tuesday — June 12 and 13 — Thomas Publishing's Managing Automation is hosting the Progressive Manufacturing Summit for industry in Las Vegas. But if you are as busy as we are here at the IMT blog and thus cannot get to Vegas in time, you can still tap in to the live online broadcast.

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June 8, 2006

Recipe for World-Class World Cup Stadium

Tomorrow marks the official start of the 2006 World Cup, and Munich, Germany's Allianz Arena will play host to the opening ceremonies and match. The stadium, finished in April 2005, is arguably one of the finest in Europe. So what did it take to build such a structure?

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June 7, 2006

Flirting With Disaster Recovery

Businesses of all sizes face similar issues in disaster planning. If your company doesn't have a sound plan in place to keep in touch with employees and recover data during a time of crisis, you could be courting massive trouble. Are you prepared?

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June 6, 2006

Moving Things Along In 2006

Goods don't get to their destinations via osmosis, thus the importance of one of the world's largest industries: transportation. Here we look at the overall state of each mode used for transporting goods: trucks, trains, boats and planes.

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7 Tips on How to Be a Savvy Shipper

While employing carriers to move loads, shippers often fail to realize the importance of their role in the process. With these tips, shippers can help make the delivery process smoother while improving the shipper-carrier relationship.

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Cut Your Transport & Shipping Costs

Although organizations cannot control fuel prices, they can cut, or at least control, transportation and shipping costs by ensuring they have developed the most effective carrier sourcing processes and locked into the most favorable rates possible. Learn how to improve your spending on carrier services.

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New Initiative Aims to Clear Up Congestion

America reportedly loses $200 billion a year due to freight bottlenecks and delayed deliveries, while about 2.3 billion gallons of fuel is wasted annually by traffic jams. Now a new national initiative aims to ease transportation congestion — on highways, at seaports and in the air.

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Burning Question

What topics would you like to see IMT cover in future issues?

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Make Sending Freight 'Last Minute' Work for You

As JIT plants proliferate, premium expedited freight will continue to play a role in the manufacturing process. Yet while manufacturers generally view these last-minute shipments as costly and unavoidable nuisances, companies can use the services strategically to work for them.

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Mountain on the Move: The Heart Mountain Migration

"Moving mountains" traditionally has meant doing something considered impossible. But nature has accomplished some considered-impossible things — including having literally moved a mountain 62 miles in a half-hour.

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ETA Identifies Necessary Skills for Future Workforce

It is widely argued that the U.S. is falling behind in innovation, a problem exacerbated when the so-called baby boomers retire. Addressing the need for a skilled-enough technical workforce, the Dept. of Labor has announced a framework identifying skills that workers must possess to meet future needs.

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Recommended Reading

"Nothing Like It in the World" gives the account of an unprecedented feat of engineering, vision and courage. It is the story of those who built the transcontinental railroad — risk-taking investors; enlightened politicians; engineers and surveyors who sometimes lost their lives; and the diverse laborers who did the grueling work on the tracks.

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June 5, 2006

The Cross Examination of ERP

Honestly, there are many IT applications out there addressing nearly any business process pain point imaginable. So when a few different ERP-related news items suddenly appear, it's time to revisit this expensive software suite -- which manages accounting, inventories and HR -- to find out why all the fuss.

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June 2, 2006

Light Friday: Techies Fight Club, Space Golf Shot Delayed, Mona Lisa Speaks, World Cup Technology...

…and a veritable cornucopia of lists -- Worst Tech Products of All Time; Ways to Beat a Robot; Strangest Office Gadgets; and Worst Stupid Engineering Mistakes -- for you this week!

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June 1, 2006

Seeing, Sharing, Collaborating, Innovating

It's been a while since we last discussed the critical role and challenging process of the amorphous-worded innovation. Here let's look at how visual communication creates better supply chain integration, allowing quicker achievement of innovation.

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May 31, 2006

Aligning IT Systems to Go Global

Let's face it, there's a lot of noise out there about adapting to the global economy. But some very convincing news and research has surfaced that indicates a rising number of manufacturers will look to align their corporate IT and manufacturing systems in order to properly "go global," as they say.

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May 30, 2006

Researchers Look to Lotus Leaves for Water-Repellent Polymer

Research taking place at General Electric could allow everything from new, easy-to-clean building materials to cheap diagnostic devices with plastic microfluidic channels; from dusty DVDs to a ketchup bottle whose contents flow freely; perhaps even self-cleaning cars.

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May 26, 2006

Light Friday: iPod Shoes, Disco Astronauts, Military's Invisibility Tech...

...Maria von Trapp & Stem Cells, Gas Costs an Arm and a Leg -- and Your First Born, the Most Dangerous Words to Search, and Much More!

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Overheard on IMT: 'Who Needs to Clean Up Their Act?'

For this edition of Overheard on IMT, we'll exclusively focus on your running commentary to this week's IMT newsletter's Burning Question: "Who needs to clean up their act the most?"

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May 25, 2006

Drowning By Numbers: Engineering in China, India, U.S.

Ninety-nine percent of statistics are inaccurate, right? Some numbers that have been receiving a lot of attention of late, we've come to realize, belong in that proverbial majority; U.S. engineers are reported as holding their own compared with counterparts in China and India.

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May 24, 2006

Is Business Process Management a Bummer?

Recent developments in the business process management space indicate that a vast majority of manufacturers need to get on the ball when it comes to breaking down silos and cleaning up IT infrastructures. Yet while the business benefits derived from BPM are impressive, the cost and complexity involved can be ugly.

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May 23, 2006

The Outlook for Renewable Energy

To date, market adoption of most renewable technologies has been limited. But due to factors negatively impacting the economy, businesses and the environment, that seems to be changing. Let's look at the state of renewable energy, then focus on those that are gaining the most momentum: wind and solar.

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Dirtiest Fossil Fuel the Future's 'Cleanest'?

Coal, the dirtiest of fossil fuels, has been vilified for years. Yet researchers have been making progress in limiting the pollutants it emits. Now coal is seeing a resurgence in attention, mostly due to the technologies attempting to make coal cleaner.

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The "Top 10" Mother Nature Scorecards

The Top 10: Most Polluted U.S. Cities — Eco-Friendly Companies — Green Energy Programs in the U.S. — States for Hybrid Registrations — Greenest Vehicles

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Green Building Exits the Margins, Enters Mainstream

After decades of environmentalists, energy experts, concerned designers and hippies urging the public to "reduce, reuse, recycle," the green building movement is successfully penetrating the mainstream building industry.

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Alternative-Fuel Vehicles on the Road: A 'Real-World' Guide

In theory and in the lab, many petroleum substitutes make sense for personal vehicles. On the road, though, things are of a different matter. With gas prices at $3 a gallon, there is broad public and bipartisan political agreement that the case exists for revisiting the viability of our investment in alternative fuels. Settle in for a long ride.

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Alternative-Fuel Vehicles on the Road: A 'Real-World' Guide, Pt. II

Our look at alternative-fuel vehicles on the road continues. Although many petroleum substitutes make sense for personal vehicles in theory and in the lab, things are different for drivers on the road. Here we focus on real-world cases for Biodeisel, Hydrogen and Electricity.

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Battle Lines Drawn Over a Greener Grass Cutter

A fierce battle is being waged between environmentalists and a powerful lobby over a staple of suburbia — the lawnmower, or specifically, the lawnmower engine's emissions.

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Burning Question

Who needs to clean up their act the most?

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I Would Like to Publicly Say: 'My Bad.'

Apologies create opportunities both for individual leaders and for companies to heal rifts and minimize damage, whether the offense hurt an individual during an office meeting or a massive group of customers. Done right, a public apology can enhance relationships and reputations.

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Recommended Reading

"The Sustainable Company: How to Create Lasting Value through Social and Environmental Performance" helps managers assess the business value of sustainability. Both its step-by-step approach and its toolkit for managers make this book the solutions manual for the 21st century manager.

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May 22, 2006

Worries Over Outsourcing Security Heighten

Despite the benefits of time and money savings that outsourcing supposedly provides, the outsourcing debate continues on. Of late, perhaps the most worrisome factor regarding outsourcing is security risk, which is creating a great deal of fear and doubt among many firms when signing such contracts.

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May 19, 2006

Light Friday: Coffee Intravenously, Star Trek Auction, Cell Phone as Weapon...

...Mountain Music, Learning French the Italian Way, Toilets Replace AA Sponsors, and Bubonic Plague in U.S. -- AGAIN!

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May 18, 2006

Will 'Gen Y' Save the Auto Industry?

The auto industry has catered to baby boomers for 40 years and is largely run by boomers who may not be in touch with the younger generation. Now some enthusiastic predictions don't seem terribly accurate or well thought out, including the notion that the Gen Y market could turn around the auto industry.

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May 17, 2006

Total Recall: The Most Feared Words In Manufacturing

Deaths, injuries and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $700 billion annually. In order to do a product recall properly, it's important to have a robust system of checks and balances in place.

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May 16, 2006

Hydrogen Fuel Can Pay Smart People a Pretty Penny

Scientists, inventors and entrepreneurs — lend us your ears! You will be able to vie for a grand prize of $10 million, as well as smaller prizes reaching millions of dollars, under House-passed legislation to encourage research into hydrogen as an alternative fuel.

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May 15, 2006

Coatings Industry Divided On Product Innovation

How do you define and foster innovation? Is it spending billions on R&D efforts? Or is it slighlty altering tried-and-true formulas? Here are two major coatings players whose views of product innovation are completely different.

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May 12, 2006

Light Friday: Insobot, Hybrid Bear, Red Wine & Ear Hair...

...Human Zoo, New Monkey, Drunk Monkey, Near-Obsolete Light Bulbs and a Crazy Parking Garage.

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May 11, 2006

Do You Love Robots?

New orders for North American robotics companies fell 30 percent in the first quarter of 2006. Yet robot sales to non-automotive industries increased in the first quarter. Some 160,000 robots are now installed in American factories, placing the U.S. second only to Japan in robot use. Whatever your take is, robots aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

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May 10, 2006

Defense Biz Far From Tanking

The U.S. defense industry is making gains, slowly but steadily. Hot tickets include information technology, communication and high-tech equipment designed to assist soldiers in the field. And military contractors, though recently under the gun, are expected to prosper. Find out what else is expected in the defense industry's future.

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Military Powers Up Conscientiously

Like the rest of us, the military can't survive without fuel. Yet every gallon of it is both a logistics and a financial burden for soldiers. So to chart an effective and viable path for its energy future, the Pentagon and the military have alternative energy and fuels in their sights.

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Unmanned Vehicles Earning Their Stripes: Ground, Air, Sea

Autonomous vehicles are already redefining warfare. Now new programs and forthcoming projects are being fine-tuned and joining the ranks as part of the military's goal to keep troops out of harm's way...by removing human soldiers from the battlefield.

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DoD Closer to Systems Modernization

For years, the Defense Department has been under the gun for its lack of modernized business systems. But recently the DoD announced the progress it has made in its business transformation efforts. Despite the significant strides forward, the department has a ways to go on its objectives.

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Space-Based Detection of Ground Targets Evolves

When launched in 2010, a five-plus-ton demonstrator radar antenna the length of a football field will serve as the forerunner for the future of U.S. intelligence, surveillance and recon assets in space. It has a few hurdles before detecting ground targets from the cosmos, though.

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Shake, Rattle, Roll: Advances In Earthquake-Proof Buildings

Last month marked the centennial of one of the most widely known disasters in the world: the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. Now, as people worry about a repeat rupture, researchers are trying to design buildings that will essentially be earthquake-proof.

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Ebb, Flow of Antarctic Subglacial Plumbing System

Though more than 150 Antarctic subglacial lakes have been discovered, it is thought thousands may exist, as much of the bed of Antarctica remains un-surveyed. Now it appears that rivers the size of the Thames, flowing beneath the ice of Antarctica, function as a drainage system.

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Burning Question

What defense development is not getting its due attention from the Pentagon and/or the public?

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Recommended Reading

Veteran Atlantic Monthly correspondent Robert D. Kaplan traveled alongside America's elite fighting forces to far-flung regions of the world. With vivid reportage, he describes not only conventional military missions and patrols in volatile areas, but also humanitarian activities.

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May 9, 2006

NASA Joins New Competition, Calls to Private Industry: $2.5 million Prize

NASA is calling on private industry to build next-generation spacecraft that can land on the moon. A new competition intended to spur new ideas and low-cost technologies to support moon exploration initiatives is willing to pay big bucks: $2.5 million in prizes, including NASA's $2 million purse.

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May 8, 2006

Manufacturers Embrace RFID Flexibility, Despite Technical Snafus

Yes, yes, RFID still has a number of technical kinks to work out before it can be accepted and respected as a true IT player. In fact, there's probably been too much bellyaching about the fact. So it's refreshing to find some manufacturers with kind words about the promising yet still imperfect technology.

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May 5, 2006

Light Friday: Explosive Print News, Caffeinated Pursuasion, Virus-Fueled Batteries, Retirement Calculator...

...the Croc & its Chainsaw, the "Sticky Bun" Bandit (PSA), South Korean Protest Abuzz, Evolution of Laughter, and more!!!

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May 4, 2006

CAD Data Sharing Can Be a 'Pesky' Thing

Sharing CAD data with others can sometimes be a real hassle for many engineers. There's interoperability and interactivity issues and security concerns, to name a few factors that can get in the way. Let's look at results of a new CAD sharing survey, as well as Adobe's Acrobat 3D.

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May 3, 2006

Biometrics Security Gaining Acceptance

The government obviously loves its biometrics, but a new study has found that the nearly fail-proof validation that biometrics offers, coupled with its outright convenience, is scoring some big points with consumers.

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May 2, 2006

Alarm! Warning! Serious! Mac OS Vulnerabilities! Etcetera!

Every few months, the computer-using community and the media — electronic and print — get in a huff and publicize the latest cases of Apple's OS vulnerabilities. It's that time again.

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May 1, 2006

PLM: a Buzzword with Bite?

Industry buzzwords are a dime a dozen. Yet while Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) carries its own buzz -- and is hardly new -- it seems like some development woes are making a fast turnaround with PLM as the enabler, perhaps even Ford's.

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April 28, 2006

Light Friday: 007's Bulldozer, Rice Krispies Rocket Science, Mac Engineering Flashback...

...PSA: Murderous Lightning, NYC Most Clogged, Mecca and Space, and more!

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April 27, 2006

Upping the Estrogen in Engineering Talent Pool

As the number of forthcoming, next-generation engineers purportedly decreases dramatically, one large demographic group and resource for closing the talent gap remains untapped: women.

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April 26, 2006

Depressed About Gas Prices? Consider the Moped. (Everyone Else Seems To Be.)

Perhaps due to skyrocketing gas prices, which are only expected to rise this summer, something weird is happening. Young-blooded cities in the U.S. are seeing a vehicular oddity once pseudo-popular in the late '70s become more widspread. The U.S. seems to be experiencing "moped madness."

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April 25, 2006

Better Buying Business So Far in 2006

Recent business data indicate that the economy accelerated in 2006's first quarter, to the point that buyers in March reported stronger business conditions, larger orders and expanding purchasing needs. As economic activity expands, so too do buyers' smiles.

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Integrate, Collaborate, Dominate: E-Procurement

In recent years, technology has played a more significant role in purchasing. Yet it remains common for procurement departments to have poorly implemented systems, limited technology or no technology whatsoever. An adequate, fully integrated e-procurement approach is needed.

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Making Global Sourcing Work in 5 Phases

Analysts agree that strategic global sourcing offers the greatest opportunity for cutting procurement costs. While the value proposition for global sourcing has never been stronger, many businesses still simply don't know how and where to start.

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Supply Chains Increasing Tech Spending...Subtly

As supply chains become more global, complex and demand driven, their underlying technologies likewise must evolve. And although businesses remain somewhat cautious, IT spending is showing subtle signs of improvement. Let's look at supply chains' current numbers and drivers in tech investments.

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Spring and Summer's Not-So-Sunny Gas Prices

Forecasts for the future note a gradual return to stability for industrial gas, which continues to recover from last year's Gulf Coast hurricanes. Meanwhile, this year's spring and summer seasons are not looking as flowery for the consumer gas market.

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Congratulations, Robot Mother! It's a Healthy Robot Baby!

It's a boy! No, it's a girl! No, wait, it's a … robot? So is the new "mother." A full-size robotic mannequin is seeing increased use for childbirth training, as it simulates the pertinent vital signs of a woman in labor and delivery — without risk of harming an actual woman in childbirth. Even its robotic offspring is lifelike.

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Enthusing Employees without Pom-Poms

Management wants motivated and enthused workers. But how do companies maintain an excited workforce? Most companies have it all wrong, according to Harvard Business School. Companies don't have to motivate their employees: "They have to stop demotivating them."

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Burning Question

What is your stance on procurement outsourcing?

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Recommended Reading

Written for buyers, managers and executives, The Sourcing Solution offers a clear overview of the many new tools of sourcing success. This guide not only serves those directly involved in purchasing, but also relates specific tools to broader procurement and general business issues.

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Recommended Reading Supplement

While industrial buyers are turning to the Internet nearly twice as often as the offline information sources they've long relied on, many industrial suppliers have yet to catch up by making sure potential customers can find their sites and providing the kind of information buyers are seeking, according to a recent, comprehensive ThomasNet/Google study.

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April 24, 2006

Struggling With Supply Chain Security

Since the recent Dubai Ports dispute, supply chain security has been under tight scrutiny. What should we be doing to get a solid security plan in place? And should we first be mindful not to disrupt the global economy? Eh, let's see what AMR Resarch says.

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April 21, 2006

Light Friday: Egg-Laying Cow, Killer Hiccups, Bring Back Bandoliers...

...In-Car Navigation System of 1909, World's Longest Bra Chain, and surprise!: Men and Women Really Are Emotionally Different!

Plus some other cool stuff...

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April 20, 2006

Collaboration: Key to Successful Innovation?

In an effort to close the communications gap between decisions and actions, more and more companies are emphasizing the importance of communication and collaboration across their business.

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April 19, 2006

RFID Growing Pains

Although RFID technology has been utilized for years, many still are having a tough time of it. Despite widespread promise, many technical issues remain unsolved. Now comes word that Gen 2 tags are ready, which begs the question: Why go through the trouble of implementing Gen 1?

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April 18, 2006

Of Hurricanes' Aftermath, N'Orleans' Levees, Engineers' Efforts

The 2006 hurricane season offically begins in about a month and a half. And the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, after many hindrances, hopes to repair and strengthen the New Orleans-area levee and floodwall system damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita...by June 1. How close is the Corps to reaching its self-set goal?

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April 17, 2006

The Lingering Effects of Auto Industry Restructure

Where is the motivation to work hard and dream up innovative car designs? It appears that there isn't any ... a direct reflection of an industry in turmoil and the reason why top talent is migrating to other industries.

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April 14, 2006

Light Friday: Mostly-Movies Edition...

In this Mostly-Movies edition of "Light Friday," there are news items on Pirates, Ewok Construction, Techie Theaters with Weird Smells and MORE.

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Overheard on IMT: 4/10/06-4/14/06

In this week's roundup of blog-reader comments, you had a bit to say about trash and waste...when you weren't laughing and joke-cracking, that is.

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April 13, 2006

Proposed Nuclear-Waste Site Remains Progress-Impaired

Progress toward opening the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump remains hindered by questions regarding the quality of scientific and engineering work. And the Energy Department's reorganization of the project has yet to put the problems to rest — and may even create new issues.

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April 12, 2006

Heating Up Controversy With Power Plant Emissions

One of the main culprits responsible for heating up the greenhouse effect is power-plant emissions. So one (of the many) question(s) asked is: Are we doing a lousy job at curbing power plant emissions?

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April 11, 2006

7+ Sins of Muda

When you prevent unnecessary waste in manufacturing, you tackle inefficiency, and therefore, costs. Here we look at resources that organizations' everyday work activities often spend fruitlessly — collectively called "the Seven Wastes" — plus an eighth additional value killer.

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Efficient E-Waste Effacement Assessment

As assembly lines kick out cheaper products at a blistering pace, a pile of used electronics is growing quickly. And because the U.S. currently has no way to deal with such hazardous tech trash, more and more states are passing e-waste laws.

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Humanity's Existence: A Truly Trashy History

And you shall know us by our trash. Humans have a long history of being careless with our trash. See our timeline vividly illustrating the evolution of waste across civilizations — from the world's first municipal dump to the New Testament to Earth Day and on.

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New Interest In Purchasing 'Old' Products

Most businesses want to engage in practices that make proper business sense and protect the environment. You may not be aware that buying products with recycled content offers numerous benefits for your company, community and environment.

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Burning Question

Does your workplace lack laughter, and does it matter?

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Wasted Energy Is Lost Opportunity

With the manufacturing sector consuming one-third of all energy used in the U.S. each year, a modest improvement in energy efficiency can have a big impact on national demand. And renewable energy continues to show consumption-reduction promise.

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Biker Boots, Leather Gloves, Chrome Helmet…Airbag Jacket?

Motorcyclists long have been the most vulnerable road users because they do not have an effective barrier between themselves and other objects in an accident. Whereas an airbag on the motorcycle itself really wouldn't work, an airbag-equipped jacket just might.

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All Work, No Play Makes Job a Dull Bore

Milton Berle once said, "Laughter is an instant vacation." Know that "making work a vacation" can help reduce stress, strengthen morale, build camaraderie, stimulate creative thinking, prevent burnout, generate loyalty and increase productivity. But be careful with office humor when looking for laughs.

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Recommended Reading

American industrial facilities generate and dispose of approximately 7.6 billion tons of industrial solid waste each year. This book recaptures a hidden part of our social history, freshly explicating that what we throw away defines us as much as what we keep.

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April 10, 2006

Does Pay-for-Performance Equal Employee Retention?

When performance management and compensation are linked and strategically aligned, then Pay-for-Performance programs can improve revenue and profit per employee while enhancing retention of a company's MVPs, says a new study.

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April 7, 2006

Light Friday: Of Donkeys, Wives & Politicians, Jerry Garcia's Missing Toilet, a Bob Ross Video Game...

...Not-Yet-Built Navy Ship Survives 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, the eXtra-Super-Damn-Tiny microphone, some Drug PSAs, the 7 Most Endangered Wonders of the World...and, as usual, so much more!

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April 6, 2006

Troubled Automaker Aware of Fuel Cell Nib

General Motors' head of research and planning says the automaker absolutely must push its fuel-cell vehicles to full development in as early as 18 months. Competition looms, you see. Surely a difficult task for the already-troubled automaker...

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April 5, 2006

March Manufacturing Cooled as Prices Increased

The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) recently released its March report, noting that U.S. factory activity grew at a "surprisingly" cooler pace in March. The production index provided silver lining in the report, however.

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April 4, 2006

RFID Tags to Track Airborne Bags

Airlines around the world mishandled about 1 percent of the 3 billion bags checked last year. That is 30 million bags missing. Many experts have called out for using Radio Frequency Identification tags to track all travel items. But who will pay for the tags?

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April 3, 2006

GM Sells an Arm for Short-Term Fix

General Motors has agreed to sell a majority stake in its financial arm, GMAC, to a group of investors for $14 billion over time to raise cash and let its profitable finance subsidiary shed its junk bond status. Meanwhile, promises are kept to employees and may be bankrupting the company.

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March 31, 2006

Overheard on IMT: 3/27/06-3/31/06

You know how sometimes you're reading news at a media outlet and you think, "Well, this is all great information and all, but really I'd like to know what the hell other people who have my job are thinking and saying," and then you wish you could sort of aggregate some industry opinions from folk who do the same job as you? Well...here 'ya go.

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Light Friday: Beer Health Spa, Disco Cop Charged, Man Sleep-Divorces Wife...

...Best & Worst WiFi Hotels, Wrath of the (Toy) Claw, Mohawk Distraction, Fully Working Inflatable Pub and more.

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March 30, 2006

New Study: Lean Manufacturing Works

A new study from the AberdeenGroup suggests that 75 percent of companies that have adopted a "lean" philosophy are, well, much happier. There's a shocker. Still, the benchmarking report offers some interesting findings regarding the lean strategy.

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March 28, 2006

Affairs of U.S. Pedagogy for Future Workers

The argument stands that the next-generation workforce must be better prepared. See what the government is doing for job training and education. Note the role of apprenticeships in our workforce. And examine a movement that says four years' of education is insufficient for engineers to practice professionally.

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Training a Workforce Raised on MTV & the Web

Savvy new recruits are moving in to sustain the talent pool strained by the so-called "brain drain." Avoid condescendingly shaking your head at the thought of the influx of "undisciplined, know-it-all kids" into the workforce. Instead, consider the creative possibilities coming into the realm of training.

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7 Suggestions for Making the Leap to E-Training

By no means is online training a new concept, as many companies have used it successfully for years. But more and more organizations are exploring computer-based delivery platforms to increase the effectiveness of their training efforts — especially online, Web-based platforms.

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Tips & Schools for Future Engineers

Some 71,000 engineers graduated from U.S. universities in 2002-2003, yet the U.S. still had to import as many as 25,000 additional foreign engineers on special visas to fill jobs...good news for students. Hopeful future engineers should ponder these tips and lists of top engineering schools in the country. And employers should take note.

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Burning Question

Is a 4-year engineering curriculum enough for practice at the professional level?

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The Many Faces of Safety & Health

Whether about the proper use of equipment and industry standards or preventing work-related illnesses and injuries, effective safety training can mean the difference between life and death for those who work around machinery, hazardous materials or boxes that simply need lifting.

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Recommended Reading

"Lessons in Learning, e-Learning, and Training" offers a collection of essays providing trainers a much-needed perspective on what trainers do, why they do it and how they do it. In addition, each essay includes a summary of ideas, tips and techniques, checklists and other aids.

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Africa to Lose Its Horn, Gain an Ocean

Last September, human beings were able to witness the first stages in the birth of an ocean. The earth ruptured. Crevices gaped. The event is said to be unprecedented in scientific history. And Africa began splitting apart.

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Robot Muscles Double as Fuel Cells

Nanotechnologists have made alcohol- and hydrogen-powered artificial muscles that could enable fuel-powered artificial limbs, "smart skins" and morphing structures for air and marine vehicles, among other possibilities.

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March 27, 2006

Auto Industry Shakeout

While it's no secret the automotive industry is "restructuring" right now, and while many believe it to be only the beginning of a transformation, not all may be doom and gloom across the industry.

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March 24, 2006

Light Friday: Maryland Bill to Wussify Youth Baseball, $6.7m Raptor Blunder, Shatner Turns 75...

...NYC Unveils Public Toilets of the Future, Goths Likely to Become Architects/Doctors/Lawyers, and MORE!

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March 23, 2006

Gartner: Consumers to Drive Fundamental Business Shift

Gartner believes a fundamental shift in power -- as it relates to big business, the consumer, supplier and customer -- will generate monumental new challenges for all organizations, regardless of size or industry, over the next 10 years.

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March 22, 2006

Struggling With Corporate Security

With relative ease, a disgruntled employee could inflict quite a bit of damage to a company's infrastructure. As such, more companies are investing in and deploying identity management capabilities to protect themselves.

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March 21, 2006

Engineers Race Heat to Rebuild Iraqi Power Grid

Iraq's electricity output has dipped to its lowest point in three years, while the blistering sun likely will bring another summer of +100 degrees in temperatures and as U.S. engineers wind down their rebuilding of the crippled power grid. Iraq struggles as U.S. engineers leave the power grid unfinished.

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March 20, 2006

Why You Need PLM ...

The Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) market is expected to reach nearly $12 billion this year, up 14 percent since 2004. Meanwhile, spending on related software/services rose 13 percent in 2005, as such processes and applications branch out to new areas. Find out the 'what' and 'why' of PLM.

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March 17, 2006

Light Friday: Nano-Smiley, Alien-Abducted Cows, Strange Lego Creations...

...World's Most Expensive Cars, our Favorite Saint, a Miracle in the Kitchen, and Dance for Evolution's Sake!

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Overheard on IMT: 3/13/06-3/17/06

Indeed, apparently our readers enjoy a bit of role playing.

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March 16, 2006

The Soulless Reign of the Cubicle

Just because a father on his deathbed regrets his past involvement in the creation of a certain torture, should he be redeemed? Reconsider Robert Propst, the "father" of the cubicle. Here's a brief history of the reviled office furniture.

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March 15, 2006

Time-Saving Production Tips

Time savings typically is generated by properly aligning people, process and technology. Based on a handful of new products, technology unsurprisingly is a top-line enabler for companies not only to become more efficient, but globally competitive as well.

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March 14, 2006

Factory Improvement Begins on the Floor

While shop floors have hard assets like milling machines, lathes and other equipment, they also have intellectual assets: employee expertise and experience. Management should consider such knowledge as highly valuable in improving a factory's problem areas.

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Out of Sight, Out of Shop

Two trends are shifting traditional machine shop responsibilities, making such duties further transparent or altogether absent: the growing popularity of online machine shops, and non-machinists performing machining work outside of the traditional shop.

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Top 20 Tooling Tips

Gathered from machine shop and application experts' cutting-tool philosophies and trade tricks, here are 20 productivity tips, application insights and general knowledge on how to get an edge in performance and service life.

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Robots vs. CNC Machine Tools: The Software Edge

CNC machine tools are the multitasking proctors of precision manufacturing, representing mature technology and deployed across industries. However, development and application of new software may enable robots to steal a significant portion of the CNC machine tool market.

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Burning Question

If you were CEO of one of The Big Three auto manufacturers, what would you do to turn things around?

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Machine Shop Disaster Forethought

Even in shops with carefully thought-out prevention procedures in place, catastrophes are an unavoidable part of life in the machine tool world. Here are some plans to have in place so you don't lose out after a shop-impacting tragedy such as a natural disaster.

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Recommended Reading

American industrial facilities generate and dispose of approximately 7.6 billion tons of industrial solid waste each year. This book recaptures a hidden part of our social history, vividly illustrating that what we throw away defines us as much as what we keep.

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'Let's Have More Meetings! Who Wants to Be Productive, Anyhow?'

Hate business meetings? Then you're likely a better employee than those who welcome them, according to a new psychology report. Those who do welcome meetings often are your less-driven employees, scoring low on the "accomplishment striving scale."

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Why Take a Rocket Ship?

A working space elevator could reduce the cost of launching anything into space by roughly 98 percent and would increase the amount of cargo capacity for orbital trips. The theory is solid, the materials exist, and inventors and entrepreneurs continue tinkering.

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March 13, 2006

Increase Capacity, Not Space

Supply chains are more streamlined and customers more demanding. So addressing the challenges of a leaner, meaner supply chain mostly means taking advantage of new technologies that increase warehouse and distribution capacity without increasing space.

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March 10, 2006

Light Friday: Bovine Bride Bobbleheads, Family of Quadrupeds, 'Crazy' Prescription Labels...

...the Best Accidental Discoveries, a Miller makeover, the contents of Oscar goody bags and...OK, we'll say it...and SO MUCH MORE!!!!

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March 9, 2006

The Warehouse of the Future

A rising number of warehouse efficiencies are being gleaned through a spate of new innovative ideas and devices that will most likely eliminate more manual jobs. It's a future glimpse into the warehouse of the future.

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March 8, 2006

Green Fuels Mean Big Obstacles

Although 'green' energy is the fastest-growing energy sector, many obstacles remain...which may explain why some major players of the car industry still are hesitant about 'green' fuels.

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March 7, 2006

Considering Temperature When Putting on Your Coat(ing)

An interesting Fabricating & Metalworking cover story this month proffers the physics and evolution behind tool coatings. Here we focus on just how hot cutting-tool coatings are…literally.

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March 6, 2006

Private Label vs. Branded Goods

As private label products no doubt have progressed, the good news is that consumers aren't ashamed to buy store brands anymore; the bad news is that the big boys of the consumer goods industry are not terribly pleased.

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March 3, 2006

Light Friday: The Simpsons, Stealth Sharks, Air Guitar...

...Extreme Sports, the Key to College Success, Happy Smiling Horses and, oh my, SOOOOO much more.

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Overheard on IMT: 2/27/06-3/03/06

But forget for a few moments what we said. And let's see what you had to say…

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March 2, 2006

RFID, Texas Style

This past week, blogger Tim was on the scene for RFID World 2006. Here he brings some highlights of the conference at which the entire RFID industry meets, networks, discusses industry challenges and educates the marketplace.

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March 1, 2006

The Dope & Distress of the Dubai Ports Deal

A lot of people in the U.S. are raging — and a little bit frightened — over controversy involving Dubai Ports World, a government-owned firm from the United Arab Emirates that has received provisional approval to operate ports in six U.S. cities. Indeed, the deal has raised concerns about foreigners buying American asset.

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February 28, 2006

Database of Our Lives: Gov't System Sweeps for Security

Amid the furor over the NSA's electronic eavesdropping, the U.S. government is developing a little-known, massive computer system that can collect huge amounts of data and search for patterns of terrorist activity. This use of broad data-collection and powerful analysis also raises concerns of government intrusion into citizens' privacy.

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How Vulnerable Are U.S. Power Plants?

An attack or takeover of a power plant has been a long-held fear for this country, a fear particularly focused on nuclear plants. Exactly how secure or how vulnerable are our power plants?

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Eliminating Workplace Boo-Boos

The workplace can be a dangerous place, and employers should ensure their employees are always safe on the job. Here are some safety issues and concerns that both employers and employees should address.

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Prevent Computer Attacks at Home

Your home computer is a powerful machine when connected to the Internet. But it also can disclose many of your secrets if you are not properly prepared and informed. How security-savvy are you? Many users simply aren't.

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Burning Question

Is security worth the sacrifice of privacy?

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Protect Your Customers' Data, Thus Protect Your Biz.

Despite last year's spate of breached personal data records, many businesses continue to inadequately protect such treasure. Here are some basic self-defense rules for businesses maintaining people's personal information.

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Recommended Reading

One of the world's leading information security experts brings common sense back to security — and drives away much of the fear. Bruce Schneir starts with five questions to ask about any security system, whether it's designed to protect data, humans or both.

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Pssst. Your Boss Probably Knows You're Reading This.

No, it isn't paranoia. According to a workplace privacy poll conducted last year, 72 percent of all organizations occasionally or frequently monitor employee Internet use, and 70 percent occasionally or frequently monitor computer use.

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Visual Lies After the Lens

For years, people have said photos do not lie. And for years, people have been wrong. Among the digital age's many temptations, photo manipulation has been particularly troublesome for science…which is now responding.

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February 27, 2006

IT Outsourcing: Great for the Little Guys

On the surface, it never makes sense to U.S. workers why more jobs are migrating overseas and elsewhere. But perhaps if we consider giving this outsourcing idea some time to pan out, some amazing benefits could emerge -- particularly for small businesses.

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February 24, 2006

Light Friday: Belated V-Day Cards, "Dirtbag" Definition, Gladiators Sans Savagery...

...Toilet Seat Abduction, Mutant Chicken w/ Alligator Teeth, Perfect-Pint-Pouring Robot, the More We Work/the Less We Accomplish, and more.

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February 23, 2006

Does Data Synchronization Work?

If you do data synch right, you'll gain significant efficiency; nevermind the fact that you'll look like a rock star to your customers. Data sync is also a necessary primer step before jumping into a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) project. If you don't do data sync before RFID, essentially you're sending bad data around faster.

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February 22, 2006

Risky Business

Just when I thought the manufacturing community was moving in the right direction by focusing on product innovation (or at least talking about it), along comes news of yet another IT category that is sure to keep CIOs distracted while draining their tech budgets. Is it worth your while? You betcha.

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February 21, 2006

Purchasers Pleased with Chosen Career

Despite purchasing professionals' ongoing changes and challenges these days, a recent report suggests that, if given the chance, the majority of buyers are pleased enough with their career that they would not change it.

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February 17, 2006

Overheard on IMT: 2/13/06-2/17/06

...Because we'd rather not put words in your mouth...

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Light Friday: Valentine's Day Infidelity, Robot Uprising...

...the Incredible Hulk has a badge, more robot stuff, Fabio's continued butter disbelief and so much more.

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February 16, 2006

Closing the Trade Promotions Gap

How would you feel after winning the lottery? Pretty darn good, right? Now imagine being forced to flush your winnings straight down the toilet. That's precisely what the trade promotions process is like for many of today's manufacturers. Here's why...

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February 15, 2006

Brands Will Be Shed

It seems as though product innovation in 2006 is going to take a backseat to the latest trend du jour: brand shedding. This year likely will see the shedding of more brands, including some of the world's most beloved products and some of the newer corporate culprits.

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February 14, 2006

The State of U.S. Innovation

President Bush's newly announced "American Competitiveness Initiative," as well as two new industry reports, shows that American innovation and competitiveness, once having had great promise, appear to be languishing. Here we provide telling information on the current state of U.S. virtuosity.

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Mass Customization: A Leading Paradigm In Future Manufacturing

"It seems counterintuitive: successful manufacturers that mass-produce and, at the same time, individually customize their products for consumers," a recent article in The Manufacturer said. "But many manufacturers have found a way to make it work, using innovative management techniques and technology."

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Cultivate Corporate Creativity

All blockbuster products and services first are born of creative ideas. In order to stay ahead of the curve in an increasingly rivaling global market, businesses first must formally cultivate environments of creativity. Here are some suggestions for fostering ingenuity.

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Transform Fresh Ideas Into Groundbreaking Products

No one said turning good ideas into commercially viable products and services is easy. It's hard. It also is absolutely necessary if American companies hope to edge out worldwide competition. Here are some steps to keeping innovation alive.

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Burning Question

What more can be done to improve the state of U.S. innovation?

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Managers? OK. Leaders? Better.

Ask anyone and they'll tell you. There's a difference between managers and leaders: Management is a career, leadership is a calling. But experts say leadership skills can be developed and mastered. Here we provide ways in which to improve such skills and the importance of doing so.

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Recommended Reading

Making Innovation Work provides practical suggestions for promoting systematic, repeatable, and managed innovation within all organization levels. Three senior consultants draw upon a wealth of professional experiences and a review of relevant research to present a variety of proven innovation-fostering strategies.

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Pro Footballers Pay with Pain, OSHA Pays Pain Little Mind.

Is "NFL football player" an unsafe occupation? As we consider this a blog for professionals, we hesitate to use the phrase, "Duh." But where does the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) stand on the topic?

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Rockets In the Sky, With Drivers

Rocket-powered airplanes. Check. Drivers. Uh-huh. Checkered flags. Probably. A five-thousand-foot-high racetrack. Oh yeah. Billed as the 21st century's newest and greatest innovation in sports, The Rocket Racing League is kind of like NASCAR or the Grand Prix — in the clouds. Let's go to the races!

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February 13, 2006

LEGO My Ego

"The Blizzard of 2006" couldn't keep the world's favorite construction toy maker from trumpeting its latest product offerings at this year's American International Toyfair.

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February 10, 2006

Light Friday: Slyders of Love, Super Bowl Fireworks...

...Ken doll gets a makeover, sticky GPS darts and more!

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February 9, 2006

'Made in China' Labels Not Telling the Whole Story

An article in today's New York Times sort of explains why many products labeled "Made in China" aren't actually, you know, made in China.

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February 8, 2006

WTO Condemns E.U. Over GMO Moratorium

In a move hailed by most American biotechnology, food and agriculture groups, the World Trade Organization ruled yesterday that the European Union and six member states had broken trade rules by barring entry to genetically modified crops and foods.

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February 7, 2006

RIP, Aibo: Sony Puts Robot Dog to Sleep

Like so many things Sony has made over the years, Aibo — the world's first mass-marketed robot — is a niche product. And as Sony is pulling the plug on robot production as part of a major restructuring, so goes the toy poodle-sized Aibo...and Sony as an innovator?

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February 3, 2006

Light Friday: Blogging Birds, Inebriated Birds, the Thing About Turnips...

...Defense Dept. vehicle brings 3x "the Hurt" at once, our eBay Find of the Week, a Web site untouched for a decade, and car nudity as a valid legal defense?

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Overheard on IMT: 1/30/06-2/3/06

In your own words...

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February 2, 2006

Engineering Iraq's Reconstruction

Currently, there are well over a thousand engineers in Iraq working on reconstruction, several thousand if you include military and Iraqi engineers. Between enemy fire and frightful geopolitics, it is hard to find any other circumstance wherein engineers are asked to do so much. Despite day after life-threatening day, they've made visible progress.

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February 1, 2006

State of the Union 2006, on Industry

Well, our TV time was again interrupted for another State of the Union Address last night. Here are just a few key points directly impacting manufacturing workers, about which President Bush addressed, as well as some responses from the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM).

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January 31, 2006

Regulations, Meet Nanotech. Nanotech, Meet Regulations.

Since Apple replaced the iPod Mini last year with its fourth digital audio player, "nano" has become a household term. As nanotechnology breaks further into the mainstream, however, experts argue for better nanotech regulations before it becomes BIG business.

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RFID Tag, You're It!

RFID tags are miniscule microchips set to prosper this year and hereafter. Already prevalent among retailers, these tiny tags are catching on in a number of other processes, particularly in manufacturing and supply chain management.

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The Revolution Has Been Delayed. Please Stand By.

Forgot about micro fuel cells, did 'ya? Despite many plaguing issues that have long-delayed the technology, many in the industry still believe in the promise of fuel cells. After all, nobody disputes that the market need is there. Micro fuel cells are coming along…slowly but surely.

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Revved Up About Small Cars

The last thing anyone wants is for '80s fashion to come back into style — unless we're talking about automobiles. Fuel-efficient and thrifty, smaller cars are catching up to SUVs in popularity. And automakers are taking notice.

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Burning Question

Is a large vehicle worth owning over a small car?

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Telltale Signs It's Time to Expand Your Facility

Are you, like many others, finding that your business is growing but your facility isn't keeping up? Here are some tips for knowing when and how to expand your plant when it is too small to keep up with your business.

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Recommended Reading

Jan. 28 marked the 20th anniversary of the day the nation mourned the space shuttle Challenger tragedy. As such, we recommend Dream of Spaceflight, Wyn Wachhort's essay collection considered a must-read for aficionados of physical sciences, American literature, and modern European and American history.

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Step 1 Taken In Bleeding Spacecraft Healing Themselves

Engineers in the UK took inspiration from nature for their recent spacecraft study. People's wounds heal themselves, and perhaps so too will future spacecraft. No, really.

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Even In Space, We're Slobs.

Seriously, your closets are a mess, as is your bedroom, basement, kitchen, car and workspace. It's gross. Possibly the only thing more filled with junk is outer space. Unfortunately, it isn't as easy to clean that.

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January 27, 2006

Light Friday: How Not to Steal a Car, Really Interesting Facts, How Opera Leads to Expensive Suits…

…holiday update, prepositional positioning, playful deer and antelope, and so much more in this week's edition…

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January 26, 2006

The Challenger Explosion: An Engineering Perspective

A journalist's comments or opinions are really of little or no value when it comes to such a topic. Far beyond the casual question of "Hey! What do you think?", we urge our engineering readership to offer an engineering perspective.

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January 25, 2006

Are Custom Choppers Engineered?

The Discovery Channel's American Chopper features gorgeous bikes and a partially cantankerous cast. But are the creators of these bikes mediocre technicians, compulsive craftsmen, TV's automotive clowns, or true engineers?

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Serious Wednesday: Editing Tips from the NSA, & Acrobat 3D Finally

In a multiple-item format modified from our Light Friday series, we offer two interesting excerpts from up-to-the-minute articles, along with several questions for IMT readers.

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January 24, 2006

Automaker Cutting Thousands More Jobs, Pt. II

In adding to yesterday's news regarding Ford's plan to shut down plants and cut thousands of jobs through the coming years, today brings word of thousands more job cuts within another automaker.

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January 23, 2006

Ford's 'Way Forward' & Flint's 'Radical' Plan

Ford Motor Co. unveiled a few details of its much anticipated restructuring plan this morning, and employees nationwide already were expecting the worst even before the announcement was made.

Also, the mayor of Flint, Michigan, has come up with a radical — and possibly illegal — plan: a city-run assembly plant.

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January 20, 2006

Overheard on IMT: 1/16/06-1/20/06

We asked you to express yourself. And that you have.

Continue to do so.

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Light Friday: Bird Stories, Car Stories, eBay Find of the Week…

…and the always-popular (and purportedly updated) You Know You Might Be An Engineer If list.

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January 19, 2006

When Is Military Technology a Good — or a Seriously Questionable — Thing?

One of the engineering-related stars of the 1986 movie, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, was a back-from-the-future material called transparent aluminum. According to this article on Wikipedia, "it is theoretically possible to make aluminum transparent." The Air Force may be catching up with science fiction…

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January 18, 2006

Post-Graduation Goal: Start Own Space Company

Remember that year immediately after you graduated from college? How ambitious were you? As ambitious as these guys? Five recent university graduates have started their own space company.

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January 17, 2006

Top Small-Biz Trends

For companies of modest size, 2006 promises nothing but a banner year of uncertainty. Still, the small-business arena is changing. Discover this treasure-trove of information about what is going on in the small-business world.

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Must-Know Small-Biz Stats & Facts

Did you know that small firms represent 99.7 percent of all employer firms in the U.S.? Here are some other facts and figures about small businesses that may surprise you.

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6 Growth Tips: Get Big Without the Baggage

When was the last time you really took measure of where you are headed and how you can best get there? We offer these practical tips to help small-business owners "get big without the baggage."

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Avoiding 5 Growth Traps, and More

Landing new clients, making more money, outgrowing small offices — these are accomplishments of which most small businesses dream. However, with this growth come new and challenging traps. Here are some growth traps to avoid, and how.

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Burning Question

Are small businesses being neglected by the media?

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Over-Regulated & Over-Taxed? Settle In.

Adapting to new compliance and regulatory issues and taxes surely can stall base efforts. Here we look at how compliance and regulatory issues, as well as the alternative minimum tax (AMT), can impact small businesses.

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Recommended Reading

An owner's manual provides fast, practical and direct advice -- and that's what you get with this book. Joe Kennedy's Small Business Owner's Manual is useful for newly minted entrepreneurs, as well as for seasoned business owners in the midst of a crisis.

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"I'm Not Paid Enough to Fully Engage In My Job. But That's Only Half the Point."

Salary and benefits are only half the reason so many businesses should be concerned about their workers' willingness to fulfill their responsibilities and more. Here's a rundown of where workers stand on willingness and responsibilities.

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Gloomy-Sky Moods of SAD, Winter Blues

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a winter depression that affects +14 million Americans. Its peak season began last week and lasts through the month of February. Here's some info. for those of you experiencing SAD or the milder "winter blues."

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January 16, 2006

Did You Know...About Small Biz?

The small business marketplace changes rapidly. This week's issue of the IMT e-newsletter will offer what can only be described as a ridiculously copious amount of information for and about small businesses. In a preview of tomorrow's issue of IMT, here are a few facts about small businesses.

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January 13, 2006

Overheard on IMT: 1/9/06-1/13/06

Again, between our sometimes-snarky and what-we-hope-to-be-serious relaying of industry information, our articles' topics recently initiated online discussion among our readers. Of course, we always welcome feedback on topics we cover. This week we heard from a number of readers, a selection of comments from which we have rounded up here. Yes, there is an online discussion going on here at the Industrial Market Trends blog. Join it.

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Light Friday: iPod Pants, Wacky Warning Label Contest Winners…

…a guy who can recite the first 4,400 digits of Pi, the video game-to-reality connection, and so much more…

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January 12, 2006

Progressive Manufacturing Summit: Viva Las Vegas!

Guest blogger Alan Alper earlier today provided us with the six key disciplines of "Progressive Manufacturing" in his article Be Progressive — or Be Gone. A summit in June -- in Elvis' latter haunt, Las Vegas -- will provide manufacturers with information about ways in which principles of this idea can help manufacturers better compete in the global market.

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Be Progressive — or Be Gone

Alan Alper, online editor of Managing Automation, provides the six key disciplines of "Progressive Manufacturing." He posits that overhauls are needed to help domestic manufacturers thrive. Basically, the industry must reinvent itself.

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January 11, 2006

Shameless Plug of the Month — Entertainment Engineering

OK, it's early in the month, but I won't do this again for a while. I promise.

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January 10, 2006

The Life & Depth of Robots

Can industrial robots save your company...or the nation? Forbes proposes as such. Meanwhile, Stanford computer scientists recently unveiled a machine vision algorithm that gives robots the ability to approximate distances from single still images (i.e., depth estimation).

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January 9, 2006

As GM Goes, So Goes the Country. Still Valid?

Variations of that saying have been around since I was a kid. If there's still any truth to it, are we in trouble? If not, why? If so, how much?

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January 6, 2006

Light Friday: No-Fly List, Largest Prime Number...

...Those Wacky Canadians (cont.), Your Call on our eBay Find of the Week, a downside to energy conservation, and so much more...

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Overheard on IMT: 1/2/06-1/6/06

One of our favorite things about blogging — besides the opportunity to comment seriously on industry and to sometimes be snarky — is initiating an online discussion among our readers. We always welcome feedback on topics we cover. This week we heard from a number of readers; some shared their thoughtful foresight regarding this year's industry trends, while others simply threw political tact and reservation out the window. Either way, we thought we'd share selections from a few comments.

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January 5, 2006

RFID Update: TI Makes the Jump to Gen 2…

…and "little brother" takes RFID in hand before Big Brother has the chance.

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January 4, 2006

A Look at 2006 from Our Own Version of The Amazing Kreskin (Sort of)

Mark Devlin discusses responsible patriotism, information everywhere and protecting that very same information with security. Devlin, Industrial Market Trends' own contributing blogger, has been a technology- and manufacturing-focused freelance writer since 1999.

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Manufacturers' Success: Via Stress on Experimentation & Stamina

David R. Brousell walks us through what he perceives will be manufacturers' confidence levels, business prospects and tech budgets in 2006. Brousell has been the editor in chief of Managing Automation magazine since 1998 and a technology journalist since 1978.

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Web 2.0: This Time it Seems to be Working

Richard G. Weissman offers his insights into how next year, with Web 2.0, Web-based applications will come closer to being the norm. Weissman is the editor of SCM Wire and has more than 25 years' of experience in all facets of supply chain management and procurement.

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Clean Tech & Alternative Fuels: Apathy Turns to Opportunity

High-priced oil and environmental disasters of 2005, as well as growing arguments for global warming, will perhaps usher in a new year that sees vague concern turn into serious business opportunity among companies that will thus provide cleaner technologies and alternative fuels.

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Burning Question

What will be the most influential business trend of 2006?

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Biotech Considered a Best Bet

A favored alternative to pharmaceuticals due to higher growth and lower generic risk, biotechnology is considered "an industry that can't be judged with a rearview mirror, because it's moving forward so fast," particularly focusing on cancer and other hard-to-treat diseases.

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Recommended Reading

Pulitzer Prize winner Thomas Friedman argues that individuals, rather than governments or corporations, now are the agents of globalization, empowered by myriad technologies, all of which are drawing more people around the world into competition and cooperation on an equal footing. In this sense, the world is becoming flat.

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GPS: For Hikers, Boaters, Tourists and...Tsunami Targets?

Some scientists envision a new tsunami-warning strategy that would use seismic and GPS data in tandem to calculate a wave-causing earthquake's strength soon after its onset, also enabling more accurate computer simulations of the coming wave.

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New Mexico: Spacecraft Landings and Liftoffs

It has been rumored for years that New Mexico is the preferred landing spot for aliens and their spacecraft. Now, with Virgin Galactic, the state plans to build a "spaceport" in its desert to send off Earth's own tourists in spacecrafts.

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