In the energy industry, we talk about natural gas storage a lot. It’s a term that frequently comes up in articles, we include it every week in our APPI Energy Advisor, and power markets rise and fall based on the weekly report submitted by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).... Continue Reading
How have you seen Industry 4.0 impacting manufacturing companies? The phenomenon of Industry 4.0 is steadily transforming the world of manufacturing. Like the adoption of mechanization and mass production in the 19th century, manufacturing companies are now using computers, automation, and... Continue Reading
Control system's hardware, design and programming can simplify maintenance. There are many sides to maintenance in a manufacturing plant. Some involve mechanical components, and others define the procedures and processes needed to service them. The list of mechanical... Continue Reading
Managers have many excuses for not performing preventive maintenance. Those who can find the time can benefit their facilities. This June marks my 40th year as a maintenance professional. During that May-June time frame, I also graduated from engineering school and got married. I figured out the... Continue Reading
The commercial refrigeration industry – a $9.4 billion a year business in the United States – is well-aligned for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and all the advantages it brings. Smart, connected technology is starting to appear now in self-monitoring refrigeration systems... Continue Reading
About a hundred years ago, the United States reached “peak horse.” In 1920 some 25 million horses roamed the plains, boulevards, cul-de-sacs, rodeos, stockyards, ports, farms, and dingy alleys of America—toting freight, plowing fields, fighting wars, carrying passengers on buggy... Continue Reading
Although it’s most obviously observed in the sports world, the value of teamwork is also vital in the business world. Most of our jobs involve interacting with others that are not even in the same line of profession. The need for effective teamwork is critical for any business. When everyone... Continue Reading
Every day in the U.S. approximately 2,000 employees suffer an eye injury that is serious enough to rush to an ophthalmologist. While most of these eye injuries involve small flying particles that abrade the eye, some are severe and result in total blindness. However, eye injuries can be easily... Continue Reading
Factories, the chief innovation of the Industrial Revolution, are cathedrals of productivity, built to shelter specialized processes and enforce the division of labor. Adam Smith, who illuminated their function on the first page of The Wealth of Nations, offered the celebrated example of a pin... Continue Reading
As the pace of digital accelerates, industrial companies that hope to remain competitive will need to undertake a deeper grasp of customer interactions at all touchpoints—from pre-sales to delivery and service. The approach that industrial manufacturers take to market digital products and... Continue Reading
In the most recent NAM Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey, respondents cited accelerating raw material costs as the number two business concern (after workforce recruitment and retention), with prices expected to rise over the next 12 months at the fastest pace in seven years. New data out last... Continue Reading
Aerospace suppliers are starting to explore Blockchain technology to keep tabs on their supply chain, potentially tracking parts such as that at the center of a Southwest Airlines accident last month. While Blockchain is best known as the digital transactions technology that underpins... Continue Reading
