Manufacturing and Automation - Articles, Stories & Interviews

Why Automation, Not Wafer Size, Determines Semiconductor Fab Cycle Time

New 200 mm capacity is often built from scratch or heavily refurbished, making it easier to apply the same automation patterns used in 300 mm fabs. The result is convergence; wafer diameter still affects output per lot, but it no longer indicates the level of automation.

How Real-Time Manufacturing Operations Drive Competitive Advantage in Volatile Markets

Manufacturing executives confronting today’s operational challenges recognize a fundamental truth: traditional execution systems designed for stable markets have become organizational liabilities.

AI in Manufacturing: Why Now Matters

In an environment driven by Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement, AI empowers shops to act faster and smarter, without adding more headcount.

Using AI to Solve the "Execution Gap" in Manufacturing

Max AI doesn't just bridge the execution gap - it sets a new standard for modern manufacturing. By acting in real time - watching, thinking, and doing - it removes the friction and firefighting that once consumed operators, supervisors, and planners.

The Library of Machine Malfunctions and Changing the Factory-Worker Relationship

The goal from day one was clear: build the definitive source of industrial reliability knowledge, and open it up to empower teams everywhere to shift from reactive troubleshooting to proactive control.

How Machine Vision is Enhancing Automation Safety and Efficiency

Technologies to extract high-level meaning from images are increasingly common. Within the research community, such technologies are often considered different from machine vision. However, all are different ways of achieving machine vision and in many cases overlap.

10 Common Supply Chain Issues & How to Solve Them

Let's take a look at some of the major global supply chain issues of the past four years, then drill into the most common effects on businesses. You’ll be surprised at the number of strategies you can implement to mitigate the risks.

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Manufacturing and Automation - Featured Stories

How to Employ AI in Manufacturing Sales

AI agents can help ensure every interaction across every channel contributes to a single, intelligent sales motion, including always-on gathering insights like on which SKUs are trending to develop and implement real-time optimizations.

When Clean is the Key to Precision

Micro molded parts are often invisible to the naked eye, measured in millimeters or fractions of millimeters, with features that can be smaller than a human hair. In this context, a single dust particle can disrupt form, fit, or function.

"Building for the Surge: How to Prepare Your Factory Storage for Times of Peak Demand"

To truly manage seasonal peaks efficiently and safely, facilities need a storage infrastructure designed to flex with changes in demand, regardless of whether they’re seasonal, planned, or one-time occurrences.

Manufacturing and Automation - News Headlines

PMMI Honors Emerging Industry Leaders with 2025 On the Rise Awards

Ten young professionals honored as the next generation of leaders driving innovation, excellence, and advancement in the packaging and processing industry.

Authorized Distributor Mouser Electronics Offers Over 750,000 Parts from Leading Manufacturer TE Connectivity

Mouser offers the full suite of products from TE Connectivity (TE), with over 750,000 TE parts available to order, including over 75,000 in stock and ready to ship.

MODEX-The Biggest Manufacturing and Supply Chain Event of 2026 is Coming to Atlanta April 13-16

In-person event to feature over 1,000 exhibitors, 200 sessions and keynotes from Home Depot CFO Richard McPhail, Salim Ismail and Dale Earnhardt Jr

Stratasys Announces New Materials, Features, and Software Advancements to Accelerate Additive Manufacturing Productivity

New materials, faster print capabilities, and advanced software help manufacturers reduce production time, improve part quality, and tackle complex applications more efficiently.

Quintus Technologies Unveils Pilot-Scale Warm Isostatic Presses for All-Solid-State Battery Production

New QIB 300 and 600 series accelerate scale-up from research to industrial manufacturing

Manufacturing and Automation - Featured Product

FLIR Si1-LD - Industrial Acoustic Imaging Camera for Compressed Air Leak Detection

FLIR Si1-LD - Industrial Acoustic Imaging Camera for Compressed Air Leak Detection

The FLIR Si1-LD is an easy-to-use acoustic imaging camera for locating and quantifying pressurized leaks in compressed air systems. This lightweight, one-handed camera is designed to help maintenance, manufacturing, and engineering professionals identify air leaks faster than with traditional methods. Built with a carefully constructed array of MEMS microphones for high sensitivity, the Si1-LD produces a precise acoustic image that visually displays ultrasonic information, even in loud, industrial environments. The acoustic image is overlaid in real time on a digital image, allowing you to accurately pinpoint the source of the sound, with onboard analytics which quantify the losses being incurred. The Si1-LD features a plugin that enables you to import acoustic images to FLIR Thermal Studio suite for offline editing, analysis, and advanced report creation. Field analysis and reporting can also be done using the FLIR Acoustic Camera Viewer cloud service. Transferring of images can be managed via memory stick or USB data cable. Through a regular maintenance routine, the FLIR Si1-LD can help facilities reduce their environmental impact and save money on utility bills.

Manufacturing and Automation - Featured Company

NORD DRIVESYSTEMS

NORD DRIVESYSTEMS

With four production facilities in the Midwest, on both coasts, and in the South, NORD is prepared to serve you with some of the shortest lead times in the industry. We house extensive component inventory, allowing us to assemble and ship 25% of all standard product orders same or next day!