Articles by Austin Weber

The widespread availability of modular profile systems has made it easy for engineers to get in touch with their creative side. They enable assemblers to bolt together framing components to tailor workstations and machines to specific processes or floor space requirements.

New technology solves age-old wire crimping problems.

What do lumberjacks, landscapers and homeowners have in common? They all rely on chain saws, trimmers and leaf blowers produced by STIHL Group.

The bald eagle is a majestic symbol of power and freedom. It’s also the logo of one of America’s oldest aerospace manufacturers: Pratt & Whitney.

If it rolls, floats or flies, light weight is always good. Just ask anyone who’s ever been in a Pinewood Derby competition.

Engineers at Harvard University have developed a robot that assembles itself into a complex shape in four minutes and then crawls away without any human intervention. It was inspired by origami and a classic children’s toy.

"The Music Man” takes place in a Midwestern hamlet called River City. The town that it’s based on is Mason City, IA, and the river that flows through it is the Winnebago. If you follow that river a few miles west, you’ll end up in Forest City, which is home to another American classic: Winnebago motor homes.

Soft and cuddly aren't words used to describe the plastic or metal things typically produced by today's 3D printers. But, a new type of device developed by Carnegie Mellon University and Disney Research Pittsburgh can turn wool into teddy bears and other fuzzy fabric objects. The device looks something like a cross between a 3D printer and a sewing machine and produces 3D objects made of a form of loose felt.

When a special effects company in Hollywood needed to produce a suit for the latest “RoboCop” movie, they turned to additive manufacturing. A 3D printer played a leading behind-the-scenes role in the production of the iconic RoboCop suit, including the helmet, visor, chest armor and boots.

Manufacturers are pursuing a wide variety of “green” initiatives, such as energy-efficient lighting, landfill gas, recycling, solar panels and wind turbines. In fact, more than one-half of our 2014 State of the Profession respondents claim their plant has implemented green-related programs during the past 12 months. That’s a 3 percentage point increase over 2013 and 8 percentage points higher than 2012.