Saving a penny per part or a millisecond of cycle time might not matter to some manufacturers. But machine builder Eclipse Automation knows that even small gains can offer huge competitive advantages for its customers. Greater flexibility and uptime through predictive maintenance are also crucial.

Electronics in today's vehicles are increasingly complex. With more sensors, controls and interfaces all using higher bandwidth, faster data throughput and more reliable networks are required. The weight of the cables and harnesses in the vehicle is also a concern.

Manufacturers looking to take their operations to the next level often look to automation and robotics to make it happen. This is understandable, for such technology can cost-effectively increase throughput, optimize assembly and testing processes, improve product quality and decrease labor costs.

A manufacturer never achieves success completely on its own. Every company, to some extent, needs help from equipment suppliers, machine builders and integrators.

Every process change made by a manufacturer brings with it one or more unique challenges. Consider, for example, the challenges involved when switching from manual or pneumatic presses to servo models for low-force-pressing applications.

In 1951, at the height of the Cold War, the U.S. Army Chemical Corps and Ordnance Corps initiated a program to develop a new rocket that could deliver chemical weapons over a large area. The result was the M55 rocket, which was equipped with a unitary warhead filled with sarin or VX—highly toxic nerve agents. The rocket was rushed into production, and tens of thousands were produced from 1959 to 1965.

America's newest national park recently opened on the South Side of Chicago. The Pullman National Monument celebrates the unique history of a company that mass-produced freight and passenger rail cars at the site from 1881 to 1981.

Among the factors that limit the growth of electric vehicle (EV) adoption are the relatively long times required to recharge batteries. In most cases, it takes hours to fully recharge an EV, whereas it takes only minutes to refill a gas tank.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is quickly becoming a manufacturing and mainstream technological superstar - a rare achievement indeed. Consider some recent Internet stories highlighting AI's applicability to everyday life.