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Vice President Joseph R. Biden told a National Association of Manufacturers’ crowd this week that what the United States needed was more, not fewer, immigrants. Specifically, he called for a “constant, unrelenting stream” of new immigrants — “not dribbling [but] significant flows,” to bolster the national economy, The Hill reported.

Stocks were moving slightly lower in early trading Monday following the release of a closely watched report that showed an unexpected slowdown in U.S. manufacturing last month. The market is coming off record highs last week. […] The Institute for Supply Management said that its manufacturing index fell to 53.2 in May, short of what economists had expected. The index was expected to come in at 55.5, up from April's reading of 54.9, according to FactSet. The index indicates that U.S. manufacturing is still expanding, but at a slower pace. …

Have you always wanted to try your hand at 3D-printing a building? Are you jealous of the Chinese architect who 3D-printed 10 houses in 24 hours? Well, you might be interested in buying the world's first commercial house 3D-printer for £9,800 (€12,000, $16,000). Slovenian firm BetAbram have designed a 3D printer capable of printing a house, and they plan to release it in August under the name BetAbram P3. This 3D printer can print buildings measuring 12 sq m, and so far, the company has only produced miniature houses and sculptures with the printer. BetAbram is also planning to release...

I recently had occasion to read through the S.E.C. 10Q filing for the newly formed Colt Defense, which is a limited liability corporation comprised of New Colt Holding, Colt Manufacturing, Colt Defense Technical Services, Colt Canada, Colt Finance, & Colt International among others. The merged company has brought the manufacture of Colt long guns and Colt hand guns together into a single enterprise, however the company reported a loss in the most recent quarter and the sale of long guns was reported down more than 50% from a year ago (~24million in Q1 2014 vs ~52million Q1 2013). Some of...

Professional 3D printer for metals and for sand casting medium sized parts. Designed primarily as a metal 3D printer, ExOne’s M-Flex system is the company’s most comprehensive solution for finished product additive manufacturing. The M-Flex can print in stainless steel, bronze and tungsten and can also produce parts in silica and ceramic sand as well as glass. Unlike many other metal 3D Printers, the M-Flex can rapidly print durable end-use parts. It can print component layers in as little as 30 seconds, which represents a ten-fold increase in speed over previous ExOne systems, making the M-Flex one of the fastest...

Innovation in 3D printing is an ongoing process. There are always new ideas popping up, and new revelations taking place. However, one aspect of FDM 3D printers that hasnÂ’t really changed all that much in the past couple of years, is that of the extruder mechanics. A German engineer, by the name of Cem Schnitzler, hopes to change this though. His innovative design of a 3D printerÂ’s extruder could eventually allow for more variety in 3D printed objects. The idea is based off the concept of a microscope, and the way in which the microscopeÂ’s objective lenses may be rotated...

ALBANY — A year after the state enacted a tough new gun control law, Remington Arms said Friday it is moving two production lines from upstate to Alabama. Remington, which dates to 1816, said it will no longer produce its Bushmaster rifle and R1 pistol lines at its Ilion plant, which employs more than 1,000 workers. It’s unclear how many jobs will be lost in the move. But state Sen. James Seward (R—Milford) said passage of Gov. Cuomo’s SAFE Act last year didn’t help. “The fact that the lines being moved out are for products now more strictly regulated in...

When It Comes to Solar, Buy American By Brandon Workman |May 3, 2014 CAPS Rating 4/5 Stars $72.15 $0.95 (1.33%)   Last week, the Cleantech Group and Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti P.C. co-released their 2013 Clean Energy Patent Growth Index, which tracks clean energy patents issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The index is meant to depict a trajectory of innovative activity in the clean energy sector. Among its highlights:  Solar, with 965 patents, was the No. 1 technology, overtaking fuel cells. And each year, the technology commands a greater share of patent activity: Image credit: Clean Energy Patent...

After more than twenty years of trying, there’s no way to avoid the following conclusion: The gun manufacturers of America cannot be swayed by reason. This past week alone, we saw just how true this statement has become. On Tuesday morning, a gunman opened fire at a FedEx facility in Kennesaw, Georgia wounding six people before being shot and killed himself. Kennesaw is famous for being the Georgia town where every household is mandated to own at least one gun. Although the law is not officially enforced, it is estimated that roughly 50% of town residents do, in fact, own...

Additive manufacturing startup MarkForged aims to make it happen and is already marketing systems. Additive manufacturing (AM) is one of the hottest areas in parts fabrication. Interest is high, research dollars are being spent and company stocks are attracting investor attention. Why? First, because AM has moved beyond its initial role as a prototyping tool to a process that can build finished parts. AM technologies — stereolithography, fused deposition modeling (FDM), laser sintering (LS), material extrusion, direct metal deposition and more (see "The rise of rapid manufacturing," under “Editor's Picks,” at top right) — were able from their beginnings to...

The Department of Energy is looking to regulate two types of household lamps. The Energy Department's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy announced Monday in the Federal Register it is considering new energy conservation standards for general service fluorescent lamps (GSFLs) and incandescent reflector lamps (IRLs). The Energy Department estimates the rules will save the public billions in energy bills over the next three decades and have substantial environmental benefits. But the agency also expects the rules will cost manufacturers more than $90 million, which could lead some to close up shop and cut jobs. It is weighing the...

In Washington, they think that “Made in the U.S.A.” is as outdated as carbon paper, and it was bad policies from both parties that hurt American manufacturing. Only yesterday manufacturing was a key contributor to our nation’s wealth and strength, and it was the economic foundation of many hardworking families. The evaporation of U.S. manufacturing, consequently, was devastating to working Americans. To explain the challenges that American manufacturers face, let me tell you about Bemidji Woolen Mills, a family-run business I got to know in 2012 when I was running for president. Campaigning across the frigid Midwest, I’d wear a...

The US Is Now A 'Rising Star' Of Global Manufacturing James B. Kelleher, Reuters Apr. 25, 2014, 5:05 AM (Reuters) - Call it the comeback kid. A new ranking of the competitiveness of the world's top 25 exporting countries says the United States is once again a "rising star" of global manufacturing thanks to falling domestic natural gas prices, rising worker productivity and a lack of upward wage pressure. The report, released on Friday by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG,) found that while China remains the world's No. 1 country in terms of manufacturing competitiveness, its position is "under pressure"...

The 3D printer has been revolutionizing everything from art to medicine to accessories, and its latest foray has been into the field of architecture. Peter Ebner, architect and UCLA professor, tasked his architecture students with a homework assignment for the ages: develop a 3D-printed apartment that’s easy to transport and manage. The class rose to the challenge and then some, constructing mini mobile homes that measure 50 square feet and are equipped with thermal insulation, electricity, water, heating, and sewage systems (which are also 3D printed). The living area comes with a collapsible counter, a foldaway toilet, a pullout bed,...

HIGH POINT, NC - Stanley Furniture Company, Inc. today reported it will cease domestic furniture production in the factory that supports its Young America brand. “We have a healthy Stanley business that is making money. It is supported by a wonderful heritage, strong product in the field and future pipeline, and we are looking forward to the prospects of focusing our team solely on the growth and profitability of this brand in the short-term” “We have decided to cease manufacturing operations in Robbinsville,” said Glenn Prillaman, President and Chief Executive Officer. “After a thorough review of both our own operations...

MADISON, Wis. — Of all the national casualties expected from the Obama administration’s “War on Coal,” manufacturers in Wisconsin’s 6th Congressional District could be hit the hardest. That’s the finding of a new analysis, published by the conservative Heritage Foundation, that tracks the long-term economic impact of the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed limits on carbon dioxide emissions — strict standards that, industry officials assert, would all but kill construction of new coal-fired power plants and force existing facilities into early retirement. Energy expert Nicolas Loris analyzed the effects of a 20-year phase-out of coal. His study projects significant job loss...

What do you do when a union vote doesn’t go your way? Well, if you are the United Auto Workers union, you ask for a “re-do”. The UAW has asked the National Labor Relations Board to reconsider their failed attempt to unionize Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga, because… Well because they think it was unfair that anti-union voices were allowed to make their case on TV, highway billboards, and newspaper columns. In other words: the UAW feels they were unfairly outgunned by free-speech. According to the Wall Street Journal: The UAW has filed an election objection with the labor board alleging...

If you think life changed after the Internet emerged, wait until you see what’s coming next. Tech people say three-dimensional printing will create the next wave of joys and frustrations, job creation and job loss. In five to 10 years, 3-D printers will be all around us, they predict. The printers will make food, including customized wedding cakes. They will make shoes, clothes, aircraft parts, dresses, steaks, replacement bones and eventually even replacement kidneys. If you find that bit about the kidney hard to believe, Google a company called Organovo. The printers might make outsourcing jobs to China, India and...

Plenty of excuses out there for this evening's collosal miss in Chinese exports (-18.1% YoY vs an expectation of a 7.5% rise) mainly based on timing issues over the Lunar New Year (but didn't the 45 economists who forecast this data know the dates before they forecast?) This is a 6-sigma miss and plunges China's trade balance to its biggest miss on record and 2nd largest deficit on record. Combining Jan and Feb data (i.e. smoothing over the holiday), exports are still down 1.6% YoY - not good for the much-heralded global recovery. Exports to the rest of the BRICs...

Boeing Co said on Friday that "hairline cracks" had been discovered in the wings of about 40 787 Dreamliners that are in production, marking another setback for the company's newest jet. The cracks have not been found on planes that are in use by airlines and therefore posed no safety risk, Boeing said, adding the problem also will not alter Boeing's plans to deliver 110 787s this year. Wing-maker Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd notified Boeing in February of the problem, which arose after the Japanese company altered its manufacturing process. He added that the manufacturing change was probably aimed at...