Manufacturing had a great year in 2018, and 2019 promises to be as good. However, clouds are on the horizon.

Global demand for robots shows no signs of stopping. A recent report by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) claims that a record 381,000 units were shipped globally in 2017. That’s a 30 percent increase over 2016.

Today, robots are capable of handling much larger and heavier payloads than in the past. Those applications require robust grippers that are up to the task.

More than 5,500 manufacturing professionals saw the latest robots, fastening tools and automation at the sixth annual ASSEMBLY Show, which was held Oct. 23-25 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL.

The past year brought blockbuster headlines for U.S. manufacturing. Taiwanese electronics giant Foxconn unveiled plans to build a $10 billion assembly plant in Wisconsin that would make liquid-crystal display panels and employ as many as 13,000 people.

The Böllhoff Group is continuously growing with its customer's tasks and objectives. The Böllhoff mission is to consistently develop innovative products and services, tailor-made for customer applications.

Fitzpatrick Manufacturing, a CNC machine shop and custom manufacturer founded in 1952, supplies parts to more than a dozen sectors, including aerospace, automotive, medical equipment and oil and gas.

Assembling an acoustic guitar of world-class caliber requires more technology than you might realize. Hand craftsmanship is still the hallmark of Taylor Guitars, which has been in business nearly 45 years.

Ordinarily, parts are presented to a robot for pick up at fixed locations, the escapement of a feeder bowl, for example, or the pockets of a thermoformed tray. To save space and eliminate the cost of trays and feeders, manufacturers would like a robot to pick randomly oriented parts out of a bin, box or tote.