| Headcount vs. Forecast—Does Hiring Behavior Match the Data? |
| “If your decision to hire is exclusively based on revenue, you may be adding costs or overhead when business conditions are not improving.” So warns Laurie Harbour in this month’s Love Letter, adding that “if you need to increase or decrease headcount, leaders need to understand if you are increasing unit volume or machine-hour volume. A best practice is to build a monthly projection based on expected sales volumes and convert it into machine hours. This is a better indicator of the amount of work you will be performing and allow you to build a staffing plan that is aligned with forecasted work and not forecasted sales or revenue.” |
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| On-Time Delivery |
As the country’s first less-than-truckload (LTL) carrier with nearly 100 years of experience, Yellow understands your logistics needs for the metal forming and fabricating industry. We know how important the on-time delivery of the products, parts and equipment you need is to your business.
Yellow provides regional, national and international shipping throughout
North America. As a member of PMA, you receive members-only discounted
rates on less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping. |
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| Robots in the Pressroom Featured During MetalForming LIVE on the Shop Floor |
Join us on April 25 for MetalForming LIVE on the Shop Floor, where executives from Clips & Clamps Industries (Plymouth, MI) and Sukup Manufacturing Co. (Sheffield, IA) will discuss their use of pressroom robotics. We’ll share videos from their pressrooms featuring robotic technology in action. Learn how: - Clips & Clamps Industries employs a three-robot cell to perform
a series of value-added processes including wire forming, cold heading,
coining, piercing, stamping, resistance welding and inspection.
- A press-tending robot at Sukup Manufacturing Co. tends a two-press
production-stamping operation, automating what had been three manual
operations.
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| Navigating Your Energy Procurement Options to Minimize Risk |
| Whether you’re familiar with energy procurement and are looking for a new energy contract, or are new to the concept entirely, the bottom line is that the right energy procurement strategy should align with your specific energy and budgetary goals. |
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| Tips for Conducting an Annual Lockout/Tagout Audit |
Companies
required to follow lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedures, as outlined by
OSHA standard 1910.147, also are required to perform an annual
inspection of their established procedures and authorized employees, to
confirm that the LOTO procedures remain adequate and accurate. And, the
audit should confirm that authorized employees understand the LOTO
procedures and use them every time they service a machine.
Rockwell Automation recently published an article providing some best
practices related to these LOTO audits, including when to conduct the
audits and who should perform them; how to certify the audits and the
items that should be reviewed to verify the accuracy of your LOTO
procedures; how to audit the LOTO knowledge of your employees; and the
importance of regularly evaluating policy compliance. |
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| The Time Is Now: U.S. Dept. of Commerce Accepting Applications for CHIPS Act Incentives |
For
companies that wish to receive manufacturing incentives in connection
with the CHIPS and Science Act, the newly created CHIPS Program Office
(CPO) at the U.S. Department of Commerce will begin accepting
applications this spring.
In order to benefit from this funding opportunity, according to this
blogpost from the attorneys at Calfee, Halter & Griswold, LLP, the
CPO has created a five-part application process, which includes
submitting the applicant organization's interest in the program and
demonstrating how the applicant's project will strengthen American
manufacturing production and contribute to the long-term national goals
of the semiconductor industry. The process also outlines the
transparency and due diligence requirements that all recipients will
need to comply with to remain eligible for federal grants, loans and
loan guarantees. In addition, the CPO has released an Environmental
Questionnaire for applicants to use in their preparation. |
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| Looking for a Complete Custom Hydraulic Press Solution? |
| MULTIPRESS offers custom hydraulic bench press, c-frame press, 4-post press and specialty press solutions uniquely designed for each customer’s specific application requirements. Whether it’s integrating automation, material handling systems, or simply adding a few options from our extensive list of accessories, MULTIPRESS can provide a machine uniquely suited for any business’ needs. From assembly to forming, punching, stamping, blanking, coining or deep draw applications, MULTIPRESS can create a machine to fit your manufacturing requirements. |
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| Winning the Workers: What It Takes for Manufacturers to Compete in Today's Tight Labor Market |
In 2021, a record-breaking 47 million people quit their jobs, beginning what economists term The Great Resignation. This lingering, difficult labor market has developed alongside the long-term trends of outsourcing of manufacturing jobs and underfunding trades and vocational education. While manufacturing jobs have begun to return, interest from the labor force continues to lag. It’s up to manufacturers to create a desirable workplace and win back workers.
This MetalForming magazine article outlines four actions that
manufacturers can take, including investing in automation, and
strengthening company culture and reputation. |
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| Six Innovative Manufacturing-Marketing Strategies |
“Understanding marketing strategies is vital if you’re a manufacturer looking to stay ahead of the competition and grow your sales. As technology advances and your customer base evolves, remaining relevant in today’s competitive global markets requires creative problem-solving and up-to-date marketing approaches.”
So goes this blog post providing practical advice on how to market to engineers and other technical professionals—key audiences to which manufacturers must market. Up for discussion: - Focus on trust-building through educational content.
- Utilize modern social media channels for outreach.
- Provide proof of concept to overcome skepticism.
- Invest in video marketing to explain complex concepts and provide after-sales support.
- Effectively use online advertising to reach targeted audiences.
- Maintain top-of-mind awareness with email marketing and newsletters.
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| White Paper: The Top 5 Ways an MES Solution Saves Plant-Floor Hours, Millions of Dollars |
A
manufacturing execution system (MES) can deliver the insights that
metal formers need in order to help predict where and why a production
process or a machine is about to fail. This white paper explains,
educating readers on how to use an MES to:
- Troubleshoot product-quality problems
- Eliminate time wasted tracking the status of jobs in production
- Remove roadblocks that create longer cycle times and lead times
- Avoid unnecessary shutdowns of production lines
- Solve supplier quality and compliance problems.
When it comes to quality, the paper notes, “using the combination of real-time production and process monitoring, and an MES integrated with quality management, CRM and ERP systems makes it easier to catch potential quality problems before they impact customers. Real-time data can be utilized by the MES to produce statistical process control charts and analysis that identify when a machine or process operates out of its control limits.” |
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| FABTECH Announces New Event Dates and Locations for 2024 and 2026 |
| The FABTECH event partners have announced new event dates and locations for FABTECH in 2024 and 2026. FABTECH, North America’s largest metal forming, fabricating, welding and finishing event, will run October 15-17, 2024, in Orlando, FL, at the Orange County Convention Center, and October 21-23, 2026, in Las Vegas, NV, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. |
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Event
Training