Knowing exactly where to find things is essential, whether it’s a custom-made part, an urgent production order, or the last few modules required to reassemble an engine after maintenance.

How many times do you open and close the gas cap on your car? Once a week? Twice a week? More often? Over the life of a vehicle, you might fasten and unfasten the cap thousands of times.

In May, BMW’s assembly plant in Munich celebrated its 100th anniversary. Spanning nearly 5.4 million square feet and employing some 7,800 people, the factory assembles 1,000 cars and 2,000 engines daily. 

President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) into law on Aug. 16. The law is a major accomplishment for Democrats, who have been struggling for months to pass Biden’s ambitious social and climate policies, as well as his vision to raise taxes on the rich. 

Overheating is one of the biggest challenges facing engineers developing new types of battery technology. Too much thermal activity can reduce performance, cause malfunctions and increase the risk of fires and other serious problems in electric vehicles.

For various reasons, the market for portable medical devices continues to significantly grow. Researchers say the global market hit nearly $47.73 billion in 2021, and project it to increase to about $77 billion by 2028.

Electromagnetic solenoids and actuators are popular in the automotive industry, and for good reason. Besides being much quicker and easier to install than pneumatic or hydraulic models, the components enhance vehicle performance and driver comfort.

Although fabricated metal parts are found in all types of products, not all fabricators are open to making multiple types of metal parts. Lancaster, SC-based Industrial Manufacturing Services (IMS), for example, specializes in producing components for OEMs in the heavy machinery industry.

In my June column, I described the magnitude of the skilled workforce problem and some efforts by industry and associations to overcome the problem. This month, I will talk about what federal and state governments are doing to help, and I’ll offer one simple, no-cost, government action that must be implemented immediately.

On June 6, 51-year-old welder Quoc Le died at a railcar assembly plant in Hamilton, ON, Canada, after a 1-ton bulkhead fell on him. Shockingly, it was the third fatal accident at the factory, which is owned by National Steel Car, in the past 21 months.