Manufacture Smarter Blog

11/19/2021 - BY: JEFF SCHULTZ
Growing up in the era of NASA’s Apollo space program, I was fascinated with space exploration and had my sights set on becoming an astronaut. When the creative side of my brain overtook the analytic side, astronaut as a profession ceased. But my interest in outer space remained. 

11/12/2021 - THE CENTER
GD&T, Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing, is an international language used on business documents and drawings to accurately communicate what is going on in the picture without the use of words.

10/1/2021 - THE CENTER
Today, the first Friday of October, our nation celebrates Manufacturing Day to promote manufacturing careers, fight misconceptions of the industry, and, ultimately, help local communities and future generations thrive. Like last year, Manufacturing Day 2021 looks a little different than previous years. 

4/16/2021 - BY: DAVE NELSON
The labor shortage is not going away. To fill these labor gaps, cross training employees must become a critical initiative in every manufacturing company. In our upcoming webinar on April 21, we will share ideas on how to begin cross training employees along with technologies that can enhance or streamline the process.

4/2/2021 - BY: SCOTT PHILLIPS
As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Those who have attended webinars or read case studies about Industry 4.0 over the past few years will likely agree that the jargon associated with it can easily exceed a thousand words. To clarify some of the mystification surrounding Industry 4.0, let’s dive deeper into the “big picture” of the true purpose behind this technology revolution.

3/31/2021 - BY: GEORGE SINGOS
Manufacturing continues to evolve and advance at a rapid pace. As some are keeping up by incorporating new innovations and practices into facilities, other more reluctant companies are quickly falling behind. It is clear that manufacturers – especially smaller companies – require additional guidance for approaching the Fourth Industrial Revolution. To help Michigan manufacturers successfully prepare for such implementations, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) recently launched its Industry 4.0 Signature Initiative. 

3/26/2021 - BY: KARA KUCINSKI
This March marks one year since the nation recognized the threat of COVID-19 and shut-downs across the world changed both personal and working lives forever. Now one year into the pandemic, the ways of doing business are in many ways unrecognizable to how they once were, as companies of all kinds were forced to transform practices to stay afloat while staying safe. During the course of the year since COVID-19 hit, several themes and new practices emerged as businesses and individuals adapted to different ways of living and working.

3/15/2021 - BY: CHARLIE WESTRA
Each week, our Proud to Manufacture in Michigan team chooses a Featured Manufacturer of the Week from more than 1,000 member companies. Our latest winner is Spring Dynamics, Inc.!

1/8/2021 - THE CENTER
In order to keep their companies afloat and moving toward success throughout 2020, manufacturers had to get creative with their business strategies. Our blog posts from the year tell the story of these challenges, triumphs and techniques, showing how manufacturers in Michigan and around the nation proved their resilience and strength in the face of new levels of difficulty.

11/20/2020 - THE CENTER
The holidays are just around the corner – but they may look a little different this year.  To ensure you and yours stay protected this holiday shopping season, our team at the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center has assembled a list of special, Michigan-made products that you can order online from the safety of your own home.