Manufacturers that design and build preassembled stairs and staircases definitely have their own market niche.

Building a piano is partly assembly and mostly art. Ever so meticulously, the hundreds or thousands of parts that go into each piano are either made by hand or produced on state-of-the-art CNC machines to a tight tolerance.

Software is both an essential and accessible tool for manufacturers, with many types to choose from.

Chain drives are essential to automotive manufacturing. These drives are typically used to transport automotive frames down kilometer-long production lines.

Today's medical devices often feature a number of complex, high-value-added parts. Device manufacturers carefully design these parts before having them molded, machined or assembled.

Diversification not only offers benefits when investing. It also provides a way for manufacturers to better serve their current customers and attract new ones.

Clichés have a place in manufacturing, so long as they truly fit the application. For example, the expression "It's not rocket science" is perfectly appropriate to describe the use of a small manual press for a punching operation in the assembly of a consumer product.

Last year's California wildfire season was a record-setting one for the state. By the end of 2020, more than 9,600 fires had burned nearly 4.4 million acres, or more than 4 percent of the state's roughly 100 million acres of land.

Some challenges that manufacturers face are simple, while others are multi-faceted. An example of the latter is continually providing customers with products that are stronger and more durable, yet lighter and smaller to minimize shipping costs.

Makers of insulated glass use a variety of custom machines in their production facilities. Gas filling, glass handling and glass storage machines are three of the most common types.