NEWS DESK
of women in the manufacturing industry through recogni- tion, research, and leadership for attracting, advancing, and retaining strong female talent. A recent survey from Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute found that 80% of American manufacturing companies have a moderate to severe shortage of available, qualified work- ers, and less than a third of the manufacturing workforce are women. Closing the skills gap includes closing the gender gap. On April 21, The Manufacturing Institute will recognize
130 recipients of the STEP Ahead Awards at a reception in Washington, DC. The STEP Ahead Awards program will highlight each Honoree’s story, including their leadership and accomplishments in manufacturing.
R
North American Robotics Market Sets New Records in 2015
obot orders and shipments in North America set new re- cords in 2015, according to Robotic Industries Associa- tion (RIA), the industry’s trade group. A total of 31,464 robots valued at $1.8 billion were
ordered from North American companies during 2015, an increase of 14% in units and 11% in dollars over 2014. Robot shipments also set new records, with 28,049 robots valued at $1.6 billion shipped to North American customers in 2015. Shipments grew 10% in units and 9% in dollars over the previous records set in 2014.
The automotive industry was the primary driver of
growth in 2015, with robot orders increasing 19% year over year. Nonautomotive robot orders grew 5% over 2014. The leading nonautomotive industry in 2015 in terms of order growth was Semiconductors and Electronics at 35%. The recent record performance by the robotics market in North America is concurrent with falling unemployment. Last month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the unemployment rate in the United States reached 4.9%, its lowest level since February of 2008.“Today there are more opportunities than ever before in the robotics industry,” said Jeff Burnstein, President of RIA. “The continuing growth in robotics is opening many new job opportunities for people who can program, install, run, and maintain robots. In fact, if you look closer at the jobs discussion, automation is helping to save and create jobs. A lot of companies tell us they wouldn’t be in business without robotics and related automation.”
Event: MFG4 2016 Coming to Connecticut
M
fg4 2016, a tradeshow and conference dedicated to showcasing aerospace, defense and medical device
manufacturing, returns to the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, Connecticut, from May 3 to 5. Mfg4, produced by SME, provides opportunities for companies and attendees to learn business strategies and about products that work well in their own and other industries, as well as to discover how that translates to meet specific company challenges. “These three vitals areas of manufacturing—aerospace, defense and medical device manufacturing—are all chal- lenged by similar issues,” said Paul Faughnan, manufacturing engineering manager, Pratt & Whitney. “From long project lifecycles, stringent government regulations, mission-critical quality control and a subsequent need for cutting-edge technology, these topics—and solutions—will be discussed at length throughout the course of Mfg4.”
In addition to an exhibit floor showcasing a diverse range of companies, products and services, Mfg4 also has a series of keynote presentations, new product announcements and educational sessions planned.
T
Smart Manufacturing Seminar Series is Underway
he SME Smart Manufacturing Seminar Series is now underway. On March 16, SME was to kick off the series with “Addi- tive Manufacturing and 3D Printing: Transition to Production” at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit. In addition to additive manufacturing, upcoming one- and two-day sessions on Smart Manufacturing seminars will cover digital manufacturing, lightweighting, composites and advanced materials. The sessions will take place in metro- politan markets including Detroit, Chicago and Salt Lake City. To further focus on the topic of smart manufacturing,
SME’s media group, Advanced Manufacturing Media, will launch Smart Manufacturing magazine in May. For more information, visit
http://www.sme.org/smartmfg-
series.
NewsDesk is edited by Editor-in-Chief Sarah A. Webster and Senior Editor Bill Koenig. Please email submissions to
editorial@sme.org.
April 2016 |
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