The long-anticipated International Manufacturing Technology Show, IMTS, has unfortunately been cancelled due to Covid-19. The announcement came last week. The cancellation, while predictable, was still a huge disappointment for us. We will not be able to engage in person with current and future customers, which we always look forward to. The show always brings together the best and brightest in...

Manufacturers operate in a dynamic environment. Order quantities rise and fall, customers’ taste change and older product lines decline as new ones come on stream. What almost no one expected though were the extraordinary economic circumstances and challenging shop floor operations that we have been living through these last few weeks. For many manufacturers this has been the most...

You’ve canceled meetings, you have people working from home, and sickness and absence rates are higher than usual due to Covid-19: tough times indeed, especially for anyone running a manufacturing business. Customers are understanding but finished parts and products must still ship, especially if needed for essential medical equipment. These challenges will stretch any manufacturer, but those with machine monitoring...

Manufacturing has always been the backbone of industry in America, often stepping up when our country needs it most. During World War II many factories converted their lines to produce military equipment, transportation and ammunition. As we are engulfed in a global pandemic, Manufacturers are, yet again, re-tooling and re-positioning to provide essential items. With the growing crisis of...

CNC machines cut away metal and make money, but they can’t do that if they’re not running. How do you know if they’re running? Managing By Walking About is one approach, machine monitoring is a better one. Machine monitoring shows how production equipment is being utilized at any moment in time. That knowledge can help reduce costs, improve profit...

Using visual and auditory cues an experienced Manufacturing Manager can often sense when a factory is running well. Silence means no production. No workers present, no production. It’s an informal, and highly subjective, form of machine monitoring with “data” obtained through “Managing By Walking About” (MBWA.) The practice has much to recommend it, but it’s not sufficient for maximizing output and...