Manufacturing

In a little over two weeks, many of my colleagues at Cisco are joining customers, ecosystem partners and strategic alliance partner   Rockwell Automation for their largest user conference, Automation Fair.  Automation Fair will be held at sunny Anaheim, California from November 19th thru the 20th. E…

I can humbly say that I can now understand, embrace and apply the phrase that my grandfather often spoke, “Son, I’ve lived a little.  Trust your eyes more than your ears.   May the HOPE experienced by your ears be the reality of your eyes.” I, one day HOPE that the reality of equality and opportunit…

Authors: Randal Kenworthy and Doug Wycoff Innovation in manufacturing comes from many sources.   One of the core and traditional sources is the research and development (R&D) function within a manufacturing organization.   However, the requirements and traditional processes within those function…

As the seasons change and it turns to autumn, it’s almost that time of year to make plans to attend  Automation Fair.  As always, this event is a ‘can’t miss’ conference for all of you who are in controls, operations or IT for industrial companies.  This year, Automation Fair will be held in the Wes…

Data analytics has been an integral part of manufacturing management for most of its history. However, analytics has undergone both evolutionary and revolutionary changes over the decades with the advent of information technology and digital data gathering and analysis. Part One of this series takes…

What is the current state of your plant’s floor? You might be using a mix of PCs and plant floor equipment (human-machine interface, or HMI) from a variety of manufacturers, installed over many years. Your PCs might even include software from numerous developers, created on different operating syste…

Earlier this summer, I found myself in Madison, Wisconsin at the headquarters of one of our customers, Sub-Zero.  Sub-Zero is the leading brand of built-in refrigeration and in 2000, acquired the Wolf line of cooking appliances.    Both are the dream brands for anyone undertaking a kitchen remodel o…

The appetite for the latest new products and services is growing exponentially driven by the 24 hour, on demand, social media driven, next day delivery expecting,  ‘selfie’ posing with the new shiny object, hyper informed consumer.  Satisfying the demand for this fast-paced consumer cycle requ…

Authors: Pat Mitchell and Dan Hirsh What if you could keep track of manufacturing processes without having to hunt for work in progress (WIP), retrieve carts or pallets or search for a special tool or fixture? Wandering the warehouse in search of these things is a waste of time and resources, and co…