For many job shops it is understanding that automation is a journey, not a destination. You don’t have to immediately jump into expensive full automation. Do take stock of what is out there. Decide where your entry point is and go from there.

The movement has certainly gained traction in recent years. Government commitment to sustainability at both the federal and state level has been a primary driver historically, and this still has an impact today. Investors also are increasingly considering sustainability a requirement, and sustainability drives more customer decisions than ever before. It is worth noting that we do not limit our scope of competition to other steel and tube producers. We consider alternative materials to steel as a significant threat to our business, and many of these are also striving for sustainable solutions. We are paying a lot of attention to this.

he technological advancements of the past couple of decades make it easy to overlook just how reliable weather forecasting has become. I can remember my father laughing at the local weatherman’s predictions on the 5 o’clock news because he was often just flat wrong. Over time, however, weather forecasting has become so precise that a severe storm’s arrival can be predicted almost down to the minute, allowing whole communities to better prepare. If my father were alive, I think he’d say it is pretty spiffy just how accurate weather forecasting is nowadays. What is driving this incredible progress? Machine learning.

ouston-based Steffani Metals has been in business for 40 years. At the start, the company received hand renderings for quotes and orders by phone and fax—items that are all electronic today. One thing that hasn’t changed, though, is the personal attention every customer receives.

he on-demand service economy has grown exponentially over the past 10 years. Today, consumers can quickly and easily order rides, groceries, meals and book vacations through platforms like Uber, Airbnb, Doordash and Instacart. Analysts predict these services will continue to expand in the coming years; the healthcare market jumped on board during the COVID-19 pandemic, and other industries aren’t far behind.

ltra-fast fifth-generation cellular networks bring bigger channels, lower latency and the ability to connect more devices at once to accommodate every business and household’s thirst for smart technology. According to JP Morgan Research, 5G adoption reached one-third of global smartphone volumes in the fourth quarter of 2020, helped along by the launch of the 5G iPhone and is expected to reach 1 billion subscribers faster than the approximately two years it took for 4G.

And 5G’s potential growth doesn’t stop at the consumer level. JP Morgan analysts assert that the biggest opportunity for the technology is in enterprise-use cases, such as factory-floor automation and fixed wireless.

killed labor shortages, material quality issues and equipment availability are just some of the problems Dave Bishop sees fabricators wrestling with these days. Wila USA’s business development manager covers the 11 contiguous Western States.

Wila’s customers pose this one question more than any other: How do I find qualified press brake operators? According to the U.S. Labor Department’s labor turnover report, the number of people quitting their jobs hit a record high of 4.5 million in November 2021. Economists have dubbed the mass exodus The Great Resignation. Bishop points to a couple contributing factors.

o manufacturer wants to ship laser-cut, punched or waterjet machined parts with sharp edges, vertical burrs or both. The primary reason for rounding edges or removing burrs is for safety and handling, according to Tim Corley. He is director of sales—metal processing for Mechanicville, New York-headquartered Lissmac Corp.