| Charting Your Course on the Technology Road Map (Part 2) |
| Laurie Harbour continues to share her “strategies for success” with this follow-up to her February article in which she discussed ways that metal formers can initiate development of a technology roadmap. Here she presents best practices for vendor selection, technology implementation and identifying measures of success, and key things to consider. |
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Ingalls’ vision for the future of manufacturing, specifically short-run stamping: “Automation through process and tooling.” |
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| S&P Global Mobility: February 2024 U.S. Auto Sales Bounce Mildly |
| With
volume for the month projected at 1.22 million units, February 2024
U.S. auto sales are estimated to translate to an estimated sales pace of
15.5 million units (seasonally adjusted annual rate, or SAAR). So notes
S&P Global Mobility, which projects calendar-year 2024
light-vehicle sales volume of 15.9 million units, a 3% increase from
2023. |
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| AMSOIL Industrial Remote Oil Monitoring |
| AMSOIL
Industrial remotely monitors your lubrication system to protect your
equipment. Our remote oil-condition monitoring system and professional
oil analysis track changes and trends in impedance, temperature and
viscosity in real time to provide complete lubrication insights for your
maintenance program and reduce the possibility of equipment damage. |
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| An Interview with PMA’s 2024 Board Chairman Gregg Boucher, Group COO, Ulbrich Stainless Steels & Special Metals |
Preparing for his term as Precision Metalforming Association (PMA) board chair, Boucher tells MetalForming magazine:
“PMA must continue to evolve with its community, responding not only to the changes within its member companies, and their specific needs, but also to the needs of member-company management and executive teams. Many companies are seeing younger leaders rising through the ranks, and their needs for information and support often differ from the needs of their predecessors. During my term as board chairman—and I hope well beyond—PMA will focus on identifying those needs, and on responding to them. This will allow PMA to remain the premiere trade association within the metal forming industry.” |
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| Free Webinar: Maximize Efficiency and Productivity of Aluminum Hot Stamping |
A
team of engineers at Schuler have developed the Fast Light Alloys
Stamping Technology (FAST) technology for aluminum hot forming that
rivals the current industry process of solution heat treatment. FAST
lines do not require a furnace and are equipped with multi-station dies
for heating, forming and cooling applications.
This webinar will address the key benefits metal formers can expect from
FAST technology that drastically contrast against the limitations of
SHT. |
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| Put Your Company at a Competitive Advantage |
| Position your company as an industry leader when you utilize PMA resources—ITR Econ Trends reports, trade publications, One Voice and FABTECH trade shows. A PMA membership will provide your company and all of its employees with a range of valuable industry resources that are designed to help you become more connected, more informed, more efficient, more competitive and ultimately more profitable. |
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| Crafting a Strategic Path for ESG Excellence: A Four-step Framework |
This
article from the accountants and advisors at Marcum LLP provides a
step-by-step approach for tackling environmental, social and governance
(ESG) initiatives:
- Establishing a diverse ESG leadership team
- Benchmarking and understanding stakeholder perspectives
- Creating an all-encompassing ESG strategy
- Prioritizing reporting integrity and verifiability.
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| Manufacturing Orders in 2023 Outperformed Expectations |
| Just as the larger U.S. economy fared better than many predicted at the beginning of 2023, orders of manufacturing technology, measured by the U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders Report published by AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology, outperformed even the best expectations. |
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| Metal Formers Remain Optimistic Regarding Business Conditions |
| Optimism
by metal forming companies regarding business activity continues to
rise, according to the February 2024 PMA Business Conditions Report.
Notable: The number of manufacturers expecting business activity to
increase has risen for three consecutive months. |
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| Perform Business Self-Assessments Regularly |
This
quick-to-the-point blog post from BE Financial LLC offers a seven-step
self-analysis that business managers should perform on a regular rhythm,
to maintain the health of their companies. Among the steps:
- Evaluate leadership and culture. Is morale low? Is the team motivated and collaborative? Are tough issues confronted?
- Analyze sales and marketing. How diversified is revenue? Can you retain key accounts? How targeted are marketing efforts?
- Review operations and supply chain. Are you efficient? What
improvements could boost productivity? Are costs effectively managed?
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Pressroom Automation
Stamping Presses
Management
Event