Article submitted on behalf of ASYST Technologies. Many manufacturers view automation as a solution to production challenges that emerge after a product reaches the factory floor. While automation can address labor, quality, and throughput concerns, the greatest value is realized when automation is considered much earlier, during product development. At ASYST … [Read more...] about Beyond Launch: Building Automation Systems That Evolve with Your Product
Business Planning
A Westec Story: Leading Through the Unexpected
By Lindsey Munson, managing editor, Plastics Business “The biggest lesson I learned during this season is that I can’t do it all and must allow others to do their job – autonomous accountability,” said Tammy Barras, president of Westec Plastics. Since 1969, Westec Plastics, located in Livermore, California, has built a powerhouse in high-precision plastics injection … [Read more...] about A Westec Story: Leading Through the Unexpected
Breaking AI Out of the Box: How to Create an AI-Augmented Workforce
By Derek Moeller, president, CognitionWorks Talk with the team at Fabrik Plastics, based in McHenry, Illinois, about its generative AI initiative, and one topic keeps coming up: speed. “We can sit in a meeting now, and a question comes up, and we have the ability to ask that question using AI and get the results right in that meeting without reports, without opening … [Read more...] about Breaking AI Out of the Box: How to Create an AI-Augmented Workforce
Get Out of the Rate Race… A Smarter Way for Manufacturers to Manage Healthcare Costs
By Troy Nix, executive director, MAPP Health benefits remain one of the largest – and most unpredictable – line items in a manufacturing company’s budget. Recent reporting underscores just how acute the challenge has become. According to The New York Post, US employers are facing projected healthcare cost increases of 7% to 10% over the next 12 months, the steepest rise in … [Read more...] about Get Out of the Rate Race… A Smarter Way for Manufacturers to Manage Healthcare Costs
Building a Practical AI Strategy: Lessons from BRI
By Adam Noble, vice president, Blue Ridge Industries IntroductionBlue Ridge Industries (BRI) is a custom contract manufacturer specializing in injection molding, high-volume automation and engineering design – creating quality solutions since 1985. The company was founded by technical owners who excel at creating quality solutions and this technical, data-driven culture only … [Read more...] about Building a Practical AI Strategy: Lessons from BRI