Many companies routinely hit capacity constraints and immediately consider adding overtime for existing workers, hiring workers for a new shift, or buying a new line. Relatively few companies have made the more modest investment that is required to optimize the performance of their existing lines.

Airline passengers may not be familiar with the manufacturer SAFRAN Landing Systems (SLS). But, for the past decade, the company’s braking, landing and monitoring systems have enabled millions of passengers to arrive safely at their destinations.

Ships that transport crude oil and other types of cargo around the world are more than 300 yards long and always an impressive sight.

Visitors to assembly plants are often overwhelmed by the size of a facility, or the quickness of a process, or the large number of the same type of machine in one or more areas.

When pilots fly the Boeing Co. Dreamliner 787-9 over Utah, they probably don’t point out to passengers the headquarters of Orbital ATK’s aerospace structures division (ASD) in the town of Clearfield. Nevertheless, it’s safe to assume they’re happy the facility is there.

Regardless of industry or product, all manufacturing organizations must continually strive to improve operational efficiency in order to remain competitive.

The Industrial Internet of Things will enable manufacturers to use real-time data to drive continuous improvement.

Early in 2011, instrumentation manufacturer Dynisco Inc. implemented a four-year continuous improvement program to help the company and its subsidiaries meet ongoing challenges at several regional and international plants.

The latest technologies for robotics and automated assembly will be on display at the Automatica show June 3-6 in Munich, Germany.