Institute for Supply Management’s December 2011 PMI increased 1.2 percent over November, coming in at 53.9. This is the 31st consecutive month of expansion in the manufacturing sector. The facts support our continued belief that manufacturing continues to lead the recovery and is the place to be if you are looking for a career.
PPE and Machine Guards are there for a reason folks.
Here are links to authoritative information about careers in manufacturing provided by Ryan Pohl at Change the Perception Blog.
The Chinese yuan or ‘remninbi’ hit a record high against the US dollar on Monday amidst the strong volatility visible in the country through December. There is no doubt in my mind that there are going to be dire things happening in Euorozone currencies this year; this news of the Yuan is something that all U.S. Manufacturers should think about as it’s direct impact on us will be greater than all that Eurozone drama, in my opinion.
Selection of materials for precision machined parts should be held to a higher standard than just “cheapest price per pound.” Human safety critical components (airbags, anti lock brakes, climbing equipment) require different thinking than parts for less critical applications where failure is merely inconvenient, not life threatening. The professional value that purchasing adds is by following a process that assures an optimum outcome for the entire value chain, not just one part of it.
PMPA members don’t have to worry about this list from Santa.
The DOT has just finalized a rule restricting mobile phone use by drivers of commercial motor vehicles. The new rule goes into effect Jan 3, 2012.
The rule restricts CMV drivers from reaching for or holding mobile telephones while operating their vehicles, or pushing more than one button to operate the device.
It has been my observation that abundance (of stuff) can be a competitive disadvantage.
Extraneous tools, packing materials, supplies, gages, rags, dunnage, and other tangibles get in the way of the work and can distract the worker.
Can I do it with less?
How do you calibrate the business of your business? How do you know that you are getting the same share of sales into a market as your peers? How do you know that you are paying the wages that the talent you have deployed are worth? How do you know that what you are seeing for material prices are in fact the trend in the market and not an anomaly?
Despite our apparent flooding of the work with oil and lubes, cold drawing of steel bars is basically an unlubricated process. Lubes used are simply means to prevent the work piece from welding under pressure to the die.