Shifts to Green Manufacturing
Technology adoption requires offering value to a user, and as consumers shift buying trends toward environmentally friendly products, the manufacturing ecosystem is following suit. In the case of green manufacturing, the values can be broken down into several categories: reduced energy consumption, renewable sources, sustainable materials, waste reduction, and extended part longevity. The key is taking a deeper dive into the validation of these categories for a specific technology. Some of the technologies labeled as “green” do not fit in the circular economy or in the larger life-cycle analysis. Until these technologies are more mature, don’t forget to hype-check. Is it really conservation? Is it really green?
Historical IMTS Effects on September USMTO Results
Manufacturing technology orders always appear to surge in September of even-numbered years. You may have guessed that this has something to do with the occurrence of IMTS. In fact, over the last 11 shows, between 1998 and 2018, the average September “show year” order totals reported by USMTO equaled just over $490 million – 40% higher than the average $348 million reported across all other months throughout the year.
To erase any doubt that our observation is caused by chance, our analytics team accounted for the variability in the biannual September surge observations. Doing this ensures there aren’t any large September outliers that would inaccurately overweight the computed average. It turns out, the order totals placed in September of a show year do not happen by chance and can be attributed to the order activity at IMTS.
The Onshoring Project Is Here To Help
In the wake of ongoing global supply chain disruptions, AMT and a consortium of North American innovators, practitioners, and supply chain experts from across the manufacturing industry launched The Onshoring Project. During IMTS 2022, The Onshoring Project will host the inaugural Smarter Sourcing Symposium.
Consortium members and supply chain leaders will share strategies for sounder and more financially beneficial North American part production. OEMs, tier suppliers, and contract manufacturers alike will benefit from first-hand demonstrations and panel discussions on new tools and proven techniques for leaner, more agile, more profitable domestic sourcing. Specific tools and topics covered include Manufacturing Critical-Path Time (MCT), Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), and Supply Chain Interoperability Specification (SCIS).
MTUniversity: Outsource Your Sales Training to AMT
What do hiring, onboarding, emerging technologies, new product launches, and new markets all have in common? Training. AMT’s education and training products and services available on MTUniversity allow sales leaders to maximize productivity by implementing courses for sales and technical training to fit any experience level.
MT Shop Basics provides 50 e-learning classes that teach new hires on the fundamental technologies used throughout our industry. MT Sales Fundamentals is available as an in-person, 1 1/2-day-long workshop and is also available in an e-learning version. Your people will learn the fundamentals of selling in addition to the proven 6 Step Process for selling in the manufacturing industry. The Certified Manufacturing Technology Sales Engineer (CMTSE) program is our industry’s only national certification program for sales professionals. Visit MTUniversity.org for more information about supporting your team training.
IMTS Is Truly International
The first word in IMTS is “international,” and historically, with registered visitors from more than 100 countries, it is an event for the worldwide manufacturing technology community.
The designated international area is in the North Building, Level 2. Here you’ll find AMT’s Global Services office (N228), AMT’s international staff, and the International Lounge (N226) for informal meetings and breaks to refresh and rehydrate. Nearby is the U.N. of manufacturing technology: the International Association area. Visitors can research adding a new foreign product to their lineups or speak to foreign association delegates from 20 countries.
On Wednesday, we will hold an AMT members-only International Breakfast, where AMT’s global team will share business intelligence from their foreign regions. This year we will also debut LATAM Night, a networking event focused on the international Spanish-speaking community.
New Program Supports AM Adoption
Over the past 18 months, the Biden administration announced several efforts to strengthen domestic supply chains. Additive Manufacturing (AM) Forward is a new public-private program that aims to build more resilient supply chains by increasing 3D printing technology adoption by small and medium-sized manufacturers. Several large companies, including GE, Raytheon, Siemens Energy, Lockheed Martin, and Honeywell, have already signed up. They made public commitments to their smaller, domestic suppliers to purchase AM-manufactured parts, train employees, provide technical assistance, and create standards and certifications for AM technologies and products.
Any OEM can participate in AM Forward by publicly supporting the adoption of additive manufacturing with detailed commitments. The AM Forward framework could be used to increase the adoption of other advanced manufacturing technologies with the successful negotiation of the COMPETES/USICA innovation bills. For more information, visit amforward.org.
