In today’s connected world, manufacturing remains far from untouched as waves of change from IoT (Internet of Things) technologies crash over society and industry. Smart manufacturing refers to the digitization and connectedness of manufacturing, creating a fully integrated network of all aspects of production—including fabrication, supply chain...

Derrick Gaddis knew his equipment was nearing the end of its useful life. Two of his logging skidders — the heavy-duty machines that haul cut timber — needed to be replaced. But most manufacturers at the time had shifted gears to bigger and heavier models, he said, and no longer made the size of skidders required for what is known as selective...

B iopharmaceutical manufacturing uses living cells to produce therapies that treat diseases like cancer, diabetes, and autoimmune disorders. Manufacturing medicine using biology presents different challenges from the traditional chemical manufacturing processes that stamp out identical pressed pills.

Biomanufacturing processes are hard to control...

American factories are about twice as efficient today as they were three decades ago. Cutting-edge “Industry 4.0 technologies” such as artificial intelligence, advanced robotics, data analytics, and the Internet of Things have bolstered productivity. They’ve also automated many low-skill factory jobs and created new, high-skill jobs requiring...

Looking through the glass wall into the 22,000 square foot manufacturing floor at MxD in Chicago, one of 14 federal manufacturing research and development institutes in the United States, the uninitiated may be mystified by the gleaming space with testing stations of machines old and new, digital screens, and other equipment with functions and...