BLOOMINGTON, IN—To be successful in today's hyper-competitive global marketplace, manufacturers are constantly finding innovative ways to use technology to increase productivity.

Ergonomic upgrades are becoming a vital part of many workplaces, and assembly workstations can be especially challenging. According to data from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, ergonomic issues cost U.S. companies upwards of $54 billion annually, and they account for one-third of workplace absences.

FAIRFIELD, NJ—Jacket Media Co. will be incorporating a new series, Manufacturing Tomorrow, into its nationally recognized podcast, Manufacturing Talk Radio, which has aired since November 2013. Manufacturing Tomorrow is a podcast series by the Ohio Manufacturing Institute at Ohio State University.

SEOUL--Engineers at Hyundai Motor Group have developed exoskeleton technology to address ergonomic issues and concerns on its assembly lines.

Exoskeletons will become increasingly popular with manufacturers over the next decade, according to a recent report by ABI Research.

Auto-Kabel, the global automotive supplier, manufactures cable and lead sets for power supply applications. The friction welding machines deployed in the process must always have an adequate supply of material without excessive safety stocks.

Companies measure success in several ways. One of the most important measurements is their number of repeat customers. For wire harness shops, the best way to gain repeat customers is to provide them an ongoing supply of harnesses that are high quality, economical and specifically designed to meet each application challenge.

The statistics relating to musculoskeletal conditions are frightening. In 2012, one of every two adults in the U.S. were diagnosed with some form of musculoskeletal disorder leading to 290.8 million work days lost due to back or neck pain.

Ensuring high quality is relatively easy when all you have to do is assemble one small product at a very high volume. Such an item will likely be produced on a high-speed automated assembly system. Assuming there are no issues with the incoming parts, the system will consistently produce perfect assemblies all day long.

MCPc is an information technology and logistics services company that helps businesses select, deploy, manage and recycle computers and other electronic devices.