Wednesday, June 20, 2012

June Data Points

From MSCI’s Forward Magazine, here’s an updated look at some of the nation's economic indicators. Click here for the full chart.

Sensor Frankensteins, Mutants and Zombies


The result of mergers, acquisitions and trigger-happy customers, dies are flowing from shop to shop at a growing pace. The biggest problems are that each one has its own particular sensor setup, plus different controls and die-protection systems are being mixed and unmatched.
It’s a sensor and controls nightmare that’s become more than a bad dream for innovative fabricators and stampers.
For the ‘fix,’ click here for the complete article in this month’s Metalforming Magazine

Manufacturing's Role in Wisconsin's Economy


This applies to our friends and partners in Illinois and Minnesota, too!
Coming off the 16th Annual statewide manufacturing conference, Buckley Brinkman, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership, reports that Wisconsin’s manufacturers are “transforming the state by leading the charge” on preparing our future workforce and driving innovation throughout the economy.
“The industry accounts for 19 percent of our private, non-farm workforce. According to the National Association of Manufacturers, these jobs command an average premium of $21,000 over other jobs in the state. Manufacturing is 18 percent of our GSP and also one of the primary ways of creating value and increasing exports. With the additional support services and products required, manufacturing may account for up to half of the state’s economy.”
This isn’t a “rah rah” piece on manufacturing, either. He covers specific challenges while laying out solutions that each individual company can use to boost their own future (and bottom line).
You can read his complete article here