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As we’ve mentioned so many times in past articles, the convergence of additive manufacturing and the ‘miracle material’ graphene could have major ramifications for dozens of industries over the next several years. Because of this, researchers and companies are spending a great deal of time and money figuring out the best methods to 3D print graphene. A group of researchers, led by Seol Seung-kwon at the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute’s Nano Hybrid Technology Research Center (KERI) are at the forefront of this research. As we mentioned last month, KERI, a unit under the Ministry of Finance in South Korea, recently...

Myles Udland December 15, 2014Industrial production had a huge rebound in November. Industrial production rose 1.3% in November according to the latest report from the Federal Reserve. Expectations were for the report to show industrial production rose by 0.7% in November, better than October's 0.1% contraction. October's number was revised up to 0.1% from -0.1%. Capacity utilization also rose sharply, to 80.1% from a revised reading of 79.3%. Capacity utilization was expected to rise, to 79.4% from 78.9%. This rate of capacity utilization is now equal to its long-run average spanning 1972-2013 and hit its highest level since March 2008....

The hubs of advanced manufacturing will be the economic drivers of the future because innovation increasingly depends on production expertise. ... Second, the idea popularized in the 1990s and 2000s that innovation can happen in one place (say, Silicon Valley) while manufacturing happens in another (such as China) is not broadly sustainable. If all the manufacturing is happening in China, these networks are growing there, meaning eventually all the innovation—or at least a lot of it—will be happening there too. ... Without manufacturing, “we lose capabilities in the workforce,” says Harvard’s Shih. “It limits what you are able to do...

You can use 3D printing to make a handful of electronics, such as antennas and batteries, but LEDs and semiconductors have been elusive; you usually need some other manufacturing technique to make them work, which limits what they can do and where they'll fit. A team of Princeton researchers recently solved this problem, however. They've found a way to make quantum dot LEDs (and thus semiconductors) using only a 3D printer. The scientists choose printable electrodes, polymers and semiconductors, which are dissolved in solvents to keep them from damaging underlying layers during the printing process; after that, the team uses...

House to Vote This Week On Scalise Bill to Boost Manufacturing and Create More American Jobs November 17, 2014 “This bill takes critical steps toward cutting red tape, reviving our country’s manufacturing base, and creating tens of thousands of jobs for hard-working Americans.” – House Majority Whip Steve Scalise America is blessed with affordable energy, and this abundance has helped ignite a powerful manufacturing renaissance that is bringing much needed jobs and investment back to the United States. But in order for the U.S. to take full advantage of this opportunity, it is critical that we have the right policies...

On Tuesday, on the eve of China’s 10th Zhuhai Airshow, California-based Coptervision placed an order for 20 Y-12s, a 19-seat turboprop. “This purchase marks the first time for any Chinese-made planes to enter an advanced market, and the U.S. has the highest standards, so this testifies to the achievement of Chinese aircraft manufacturing,” said Li Xianzhe of Avicopter to the South China Morning Post. Avicopter is the general aviation subsidiary of the Y-12’s manufacturer, Aviation Industry Corp. of China. Four of the Coptervision orders are for the Y-12F. This model, the most recent version of the Chinese workhorse, has not...

Nearly 100 workers at Ford's Chicago Assembly Plant got a robocall on Halloween telling them their services were no longer needed and they were terminated. It wasn't a trick or a morbid prank. Dozens of workers missed the call or didn't believe it, so they showed up to work Saturday anyway, according to an autoworker who wished to remain anonymous. They found their ID badges had been disabled and were told by security they had been fired. "As part of our normal business process, we've temporarily adjusted our workforce numbers at Chicago Assembly Plant," Ford Motor Co. said in a...

China manufacturing falls to 5-month low By MarketWatch Published: Nov 1, 2014 9:45 a.m. ET BEIJING--A gauge of China's manufacturing activity fell to a five-month low in October, despite a series of government support measures aimed at aiding growth, suggesting that more help may be needed to boost the world's second largest economy. Analysts said factory data released Saturday kicked off the fourth quarter of the year on a surprisingly weak note and revealed particular problems among smaller and midsize companies.

Large manufacturers are increasingly moving production back to the United States from China, according to a new report by The Boston Consulting Group. After watching the US bleed jobs for years as manufacturers offshored production to China, "now we're watching a switchback," Harold Sirkin, a co-author of the BCG research, told AFP. More than 70 percent cited better access to skilled labor as a reason to move production to the US, more than four times as many who cited it for moving production away from the US. For goods that would be sold in the US, nearly 80 percent gave...

Firearms Expert / Air Force Veteran convicted of embezzlement / manufacturing and dealing firearms speaks out days before his Oct. 9 sentencing. A Congressional inquiry has been opened into the Air Force Office of Special Investigation’s mishandling of the case. The existence of a separate Air Force Inspector General investigation into the lead investigator’s tactics was withheld from both judge and jury during the trial, a direct violation of the law. The Sig Sauer Academy director was slated to be the star witness for the defense but was prevented from testifying by a slick prosecutorial trick. EXCLUSIVE STORY: http://benswann.com/exclusive-air-force-veteran-and-firearms-expert-convicted-of-manufacturing-weapons-speaks-out/

A top Boeing official criticized Congress on Tuesday for failing to pass a long-term reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank. He also argued that an extension of the Bank’s charter until next summer leaves supporters in a worse position than they were in before. “Mostly far-right political consultants, think tanks and congressmen banded together in a fit of ideological road rage to kill the bank,” Boeing senior vice president Timothy Keating said in prepared remarks at an aerospace conference in Everett, Wash. “The temporary extension recently enacted in many respects leaves us worse off than before,” Keating continued. “The extension is...

Reuters sources inside Nissan are saying the production of batteries inTennessee for the all-electric Leaf, which stimulus-subsidizing U.S. taxpayers backed with a $1.4 billion loan, could be eliminated. According to the report, at minimum there is sharp debate over whether the company will continue to manufacture electric vehicle batteries in-house or contract with an outside supplier. Nissan partner Renault, which has 43.4 percent shareholder ownership in the joint company, is said to be pushing for outsourcing battery production – possibly to LG Chem. None who revealed the information were identified for the Reuters story. “We set out to be...

Boeing on Monday said it would move most of its defense services and support work out of Washington state to other U.S. cities, affecting the jobs of about 2,000 of its 5,200 defense employees in the Puget Sound region. The changes are part of ongoing efforts by Boeing to streamline its defense business, and will not affect its P-8A spy plane or KC-46 aerial refueling tanker programs. Both of those programs are based on commercial jetliners made in the area. The transition could take three years to complete. Boeing would shift as many affected workers as possible to the company's...

Ed Yardeni, Dr. Ed's Blog September 29, 2014 Over the past few years, there has been lots of buzz about the coming manufacturing renaissance in the US. The central concept is that plentiful and cheap natural gas will convince manufacturers to expand or to move production to the US to cut their energy costs. Labor is still cheaper overseas, but it isn’t as expensive as it once was in the US. Besides, the IT revolution has increased factory productivity with more automation, including robots and the “Internet of Things.” The recent strength in the dollar could be a spoiler if...

As Watchdog.org report Bruce Parker vividly reported Sunday from inside the environmentalist carnival that was the People’s Climate March through midtown Manhattan, this pre-game show to Tuesday’s going-green confab in New York City showcased an array of left-loving characters. His greenness himself, former Vice President Al Gore was in attendance. So was Hollywood heartthrob Leonardo DiCaprio. The vegans, the shamans, the commies, big labor, the socialists, and probably more than a few sociopaths all were on hand at what was billed as the largest climate-related protest in history. Along the parade route, from Central Park West to West 34th Street,...

Contrary to what public administration profs tell you, everybody pays the cost of regulation and the unemployed may pay most heavily in lost jobs in exchange for rather murky benefits. The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) released a report, “The Cost of Federal Regulation to the U.S. Economy, Manufacturing and Small Business,” slamming the Obama administration for burdensome regulations imposed by the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) and other federal regulatory agencies In his foreword, NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons said that the average American company pays $9,991 per employee to comply with federal rules and regulations and the average...

There has been a lot of talk about regulations, more specifically about how the number of regulations have grown during the last several years. Sad to say, if you take a longer-term view and look again at the regulatory environment, you’ll find it has been what an investor would call a growth industry, with the number of restrictions in the Code of Federal Regulations growing 28% since 1997 – that’s nearly 2% per year. If page count is an indicator, then hang on to your collective hats — in 1975, the Code of Federal Regulations had 71,224 pages. By 2013,...

Does anyone here have any experience with crowd funding? In order to finish the development of my new product, I need to raise approximately $65,000 to finish, prototype, and produce an initial product run of 100 units. I have already built the entire machine, minus the magnetics necessary to power it. I would like to try crowdfunding since I cannot find any other venues for funding. Does anyone have suggestions or experiences with this strategy? Thanks for any advice received!

There are two 3D printing technologies that are capable of producing products that are almost indistinguishable from those created using traditional manufacturing techniques. These would be Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), and Polymer Jetting technology. The former is widely used by 3D Systems in their industrial level machines, which can cost in the $500,000+ range. The latter is currently used by Stratasys in their patented PolyJet technology, which is utilized in most of their industrial level 3D printers. These printers also cost in the 6-figure-plus range. While these 3D printing technologies are some of the best out there, the price tags...

Dow Chemical Co. will close its Findlay plant, which employs 70, in mid-December, the company reported Monday. The 400,000-square-foot factory at 3441 N. Main St. manufactures plastic films used in construction, automotive, packaging, and medical uses and products. “Decisions of this kind are difficult. Dow has been proud to operate in Findlay and the company appreciates the dedication our Findlay employees have demonstrated during our 55 years as a part of this community,” said Brian Brown, production and site leader for Dow Chemical in Findlay. “Dow is committed to … supporting our employees during this transition.” No further details about...