The Oxford English Dictionary defines survival, “as the state of continuing to live or exist, often despite difficulty or danger.” Many manufacturers in the quarters to come may find themselves in a survival state given a combination of sector dependent inflation/deflation, inventory challenges, employment woes, supply chain disruptions and declining consumer demand. And those lucky ones which do emerge partially or fully unscathed would do well to prepare for the worst even if they emerge among the best. Surviving -- let alone thriving -- in this climate will be easier said than done. And it will require looking beyond the headlines. For example, it would be easy to read a popular business newspaper, magazine, or online journal in June of this year, and believe that we were still living through unbridled economic inflation across what … [Read more...] about Manufacturing: Surviving Inflation, Supply Chain and Stock Market Woes
Industry News
Closing? Setting a Strategy to Sell All Your Inventory at Once
Every year hundreds of small business owners in the USA and Canada are retiring or closing up shop and moving on to the next phase of their life. While many of these businesses are able to sell themselves to a larger company or competitor, or perhaps they have a successor lined up to take the reins. It’s not always clear what happens when there’s no one ready to take over and run your business. This is a much more common problem in the year 2022 than it was 20-30 years ago. The hands on, machinery, manufacturing, “blue collar” type skill set is becoming rarer with each passing year. It’s shocking to see that many of these businesses, while very profitable, end up closing their doors for good when the primary owner retires, but that’s the reality we live in now. So, what do you do with all that machinery and equipment … [Read more...] about Closing? Setting a Strategy to Sell All Your Inventory at Once
How Do Electric Motors Work?
When it comes to heavy machinery, electric motors are everywhere, and support almost every large machine out there. They are crucial in the industrial world, and without them productivity would come to a halt. They are found in fans, blowers, pumps, elevators, gears, various machine tools, household appliances, and electric cars. An electrical motor converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. They are highly efficient, don’t pollute the air, are typically lightweight, and much cheaper than a combustible engine. Electric motors produce torque which is then used to propel an external mechanism. There are two main types of motors, AC Motors and DC Motors. AC Motors The AC electric motor is driven by an alternating … [Read more...] about How Do Electric Motors Work?
Manufacturing Trends & New Technology in 2022
It was over 200 years ago that the world went through the first industrial revolution where work transitioned primarily from manual labor performed by people to the use of machine tools and steam powered engines. Since then, we have gone three more industrial revolutions: The early 20th century steel and electricity, Late 1950’s computerized machinery technology, and finally where we are today, the fourth industrial revolution known as the internet of things (IoT) revolution, or industry 4.0. But where do we go from here? What does the rest of this decade look like in the manufacturing and industrial machinery world? Internet of Things (IoT) The biggest trend right now in the manufacturing world is coming from the internet of things (IoT). Manufacturers are adding more connectivity within their machines than ever … [Read more...] about Manufacturing Trends & New Technology in 2022
Inflation and Politics: The Role of the Federal Reserve
To understand the Q2 2021 inflationary environment — whether it will be sustained or not — it is important to turn to economists. Allan Meltzer, perhaps the most prolific historian when it comes to the Federal Reserve Bank, wrote in the Wall Street Journal: “The Fed’s recent behavior is in sharp contrast to the European Central Bank. The ECB keeps its eye on both objectives, growth and low inflation. It doesn’t shift back and forth from one to the other. The Fed should do the same. In the 1970s, because the Fed shifted from one goal to the other and back again, it achieved neither. Both inflation and unemployment rose on average, then fell together in the 1980s — after the Fed controlled inflation. … After 1985, Fed policy kept inflation and unemployment low. The result was 20 years of growth, and three of the longest peacetime … [Read more...] about Inflation and Politics: The Role of the Federal Reserve