Industry News

LNS Group, Cincinnati, appointed Aaron Grell as the national product manager for the company's air filtration product line.

Seco Tools LLC, Troy, Mich., continues to partner with Ferris State University, Big Rapids, Mich., to offer local engineering students an opportunity to participate in a multiyear internship program at Seco Tools.

System Insights, Berkeley, Calif., which specializes in manufacturing analytics, is changing its corporate name to Vimana.

Master Fluid Solutions, Perrysburg, Ohio, a marketer of metalworking fluid products, has appointed Kyle R. Stoffer as CFO.

Newton, Kan.-based Bunting Magnetics Co., which specializes in magnet and magnetic equipment design, manufacturing and distribution, has appointed Bill Wagner to the executive leadership team as the CFO.

Richmond, Ind.-based Osborn has picked Paul Dent to be its new director of sales for the Load Runners division.

The Valley Morning Star (Harlingen, TX) reports on how tool and die technology at Texas State Technical College has given student and former college dropout Andy Juarez "a new lease on life." Juarez plans to get his associate degree this Fall. "After speaking to supervisors at Arlington-based United States defense contractor and industrial corporation, Raytheon, he has a position waiting for him immediately after he graduates." The whole story is at the link.

Riverside Tool Corp., Elkhart, Ind., a Techniks Industries company, has acquired Cape Coral, Fla.-based General Saw Corp.

Japan’s manufacturing activity has fallen to an eight-month low in July, according to IHS Markit survey results. The Nikkei Flash Japan Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) for July is calculated to be a seasonally adjusted 52.2, following a 52.4 level in June. The Flash Manufacturing Output Index was pegged at at 51.4, down from 52.2 in June and the weakest growth in 10 months.

"The clunky, AR device never really clicked with 'cool cache' in the public domain, but in the professional or industrial workplace Google Glass is turning out to be incredibly useful. Stripped of the Insta-photo, email-checking trimmings, the device is now being used to cleverly enhance workflows and make it easier for people to do their jobs."

Heule Tool Corp., Cincinnati, in July announced the promotion of William “Bill” Hargrove to National Sales Manager.  In his new role Hargrove will further the growth and development of the Heule sales force to support national accounts growth throughout North America.

The Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH company in July selected David Doyle as President and Managing Director of the Schaumburg, Ill.-based Heidenhain Corp.  Doyle assumes full responsibility for the Heidenhain customer-focused operations for the U.S., Canada and Mexico. This change continues the succession plan for Heidenhain CEO Rick Korte. 

Hanging on to talented older workers steeped in institutional knowledge has become a critical issue for many manufacturing businesses. The worker shortage is driving employers to take creative approaches to retirement. About 78 million baby boomers are nearing or at retirement, and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) estimates that factories will need 3.5 million new factory workers in the next 10 years just to keep production lines and distribution routes going.

A bipartisan and bicameral group of lawmakers is proposing a bill that would incentivize and boost American manufacturing, in addition to research and development, as the Trump administration looks to keep a promise from the presidential campaign. Reps. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., and Ron Kind, D-Wis., with Sens. Chris Coons, D-Del., and Pat Roberts, R-Kan., have introduced the Invent and Manufacture in America Act, a bill that would give a tax credit to companies that not only conduct research and development, but also manufacture products resulting from that R&D as well.

Amidst the ongoing discussion of how to interest young people in manufacturing careers comes news of one young person who certainly is. The Westfield (N.Y.) Republican profiles Andy Reinwald, the 24-year-old owner of Ripley Machine & Tool.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports: "Years before President Donald Trump began promising to bring back good manufacturing jobs by getting tough with U.S. trade partners, such jobs had already been on the rise, largely thanks to foreign companies now cast as villains in Trump’s narrative. A Reuters analysis of federal jobs data shows that out of 656,000 new manufacturing jobs created between 2010 and 2014, two-thirds can be attributed to foreign direct investment."

The sector has shrunk, but "it still draws more than a third of foreign direct investment in the country, and foreign companies still employ nearly 1 in 5 people in manufacturing jobs," the feature points out.

Canada's CBC News reports on Allan Robichaud, who decided to go back to school at age 69—making him twice as old as his instructor—after nearly a decade of retirement. Now 70, he just completed a year-long course in welding and metal fabrication at New Brunswick Community College—the best year of his retirement, he said.

Omaha World-Herald: The grants, worth up to $175,000 each, are provided through a program proposed by Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts and started in 2015 to help meet Nebraska’s need for skilled workers. The initiative aims to reach middle school students and get them thinking about careers in manufacturing and technology. The companies will work with their local schools in developing the local programs.

The Interesting Engineering web site has collected what it calls the “10 Most Satisfying CNC Milling Machine Videos on the Internet.” Mazak, Datron, Ingersoll and Te-Co are among the companies represented. Cool visuals made possible by cool machines.