"Out with the old, in with the new" is a catchy idiom. But, it can also be costly advice, especially for a manufacturer. Replacing its numerous older machines can cost anywhere from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars.

Sir Humphry Davy did more than just invent electric welding in 1800 when he created electric arcs between two carbon electrodes using batteries. He set a precedent for welding innovation that continues to this day.

Maybe the greatest benefit of a new technology is its lack of historical baggage, thereby enabling industry professionals to approach it with an open mind and a clean slate. Edge computing currently enjoys this status in manufacturing.

Wire and spring makers do some quite-interesting work. Ace Wire Spring & Form Inc., for example, regularly turns thick wire into specialty hooks using a complex, multistep production process.

Diversification is just as important for company managers as it is for individual investors. Both parties know it helps ensure growth without being dragged down by any one declining market sector.

Implantable orthopedic devices and the wireless sensors that monitor them are highly specialized products that regularly come into contact with body tissues and fluids.

Many products installed in a home are taken for granted as things that should always work properly. A good example is the electrical outlet.

High-quality carbide cutting tools are essential for CNC machines such as lathes and routers. Possehl France SAS knows this quite well, and has specialized in precisely stamping metal parts used in these tools for more than 45 years.

Remote radio-control car racing has experienced tremendous growth over the past two decades. There are even national (Remotely Operated Auto Racers) and world governing bodies (International Federation of Model Auto Racing), the latter having been established in 1979.

Production-ready, 3D-printed automotive parts have been slowly entering the market the past few years. Now, they’re as important as the thousands of metal and plastic parts produced using traditional casting, injection molding, stamping and machining processes.