5/6/2021 - 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. And while manufacturers recognize Industry 4.0 will have a significant impact in the coming years, many are struggling to identify appropriate opportunities for implementation or access the required technologies. Read the full MiMfg Magazine article by George Singos, Business Leader Advisor, from the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center.
4/26/2021 - U.S. Sen. Gary Peters foresaw the pain points the country’s manufacturers would encounter during the COVID-19 pandemic and he’s actively pushing legislation he thinks could make the industry more resilient. In Peters’ role with the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, the Michigan Democrat and his fellow committee members launched an investigation into high drug prices. This deep dive, which was released in a 2019 report, revealed an overreliance on an offshore supply chain for key medical equipment. Read the full article from mibiz.com.
4/12/2021 - The Michigan Economic Development Corp. is making a new push to place Michigan manufacturers ahead of the curve on Industry 4.0 technology. The MEDC has formed partnerships with Troy-based Industry 4.0 knowledge center Automation Alley and the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center (The Center) in addition to devoting $3 million to fund two Industry 4.0-focused proposals that were submitted to state officials at the end of 2020. Read the full article from mibiz.com.
2/10/2021 - Listen to the Made in Northern Michigan podcast on soundcloud to hear Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center experts Richard Wolin, Regional V.P. & Director of Operations and Rob Summers, Senior Business Advisor, discuss the state of Michigan manufacturing regarding talent shortages, Industry 4.0, automation and available assesssments.
12/11/2020 - This week, the Michigan Economic Development Council prioritized exposing the state’s manufacturing sector to Industry 4.0. The goal: Get 6,200 small and midsize Michigan companies, representing half of the state’s manufacturers, to invest in “digital ready” upgrades by 2025. Read the full article from bridgemi.com.
12/8/2020 - Working to extend Michigan’s national leadership in advanced manufacturing, the Michigan Strategic Fund has approved a statewide effort to ensure 50 percent of Michigan manufacturers – or 6,200 businesses – are prepared to adopt Industry 4.0 technologies at some level by 2025, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation announced today. Read the full article from michiganbusiness.org.
11/11/2020 - One of the most frequently misunderstood and debated requirements of the ISO 9001:2015 requirements for Internal Audits (9.2.2) is the idea that auditors are ‘independent’ of the work being audited. It’s frequently taken that for internal auditors to be independent of the work they audit, they must be employed in a different function/department to the one being audited. Previous versions of ISO 9001 were somewhat clearer on the point. Andy Nichols, CQP MCQI, Program Manager at Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center, US, explains how internal auditors can achieve the independence requirements of ISO 9001. Read the full article from www.quality.org.
8/17/2020 - Over the last several months, manufacturers across the U.S. have come together during this pandemic to serve our nation by retooling their production lines to make medical supplies that our doctors, nurses, and other essential workers need to respond to the ongoing health crisis. They are also planning for the rapid production of COVID-19 tests and vaccines. Read the full article from theoaklandpress.com.
7/29/2020 - Most forecasts for manufacturing were still generally optimistic at the end of 2019. The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) was reporting robust projections from small- to medium-sized companies with sales growth of 2.6 percent. Statistics from the federal government’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership, however, pointed to a slowdown in the rate of growth for manufacturing output and capacity, signaling the possibility of a looming recession.By March, all of those predictions were useless because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The stock market took a plunge as many states instituted stay-at-home orders and some sectors of the economy effectively shut down. One key difference in this economic slowdown was that manufacturing remained relatively strong; traditionally this sector would lead the way with layoffs and closures. There are two notable areas where the manufacturing industry demonstrated leadership during this pandemic. Read the full article from record-eagle.com.
6/30/2020 - Congresswoman Haley Stevens (MI-11) announced that the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center (The Center) will receive a $2,118,000 federal grant to help small and medium-sized manufacturers in Michigan respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the full article from the stevens.house.gov.