All too often when we realize our Supervisors need more skills, we sign them up for a training program and wipe our hands, thinking the job is done. The Supervisors probably do need to learn new skills, but there is so much more that needs to happen for the...
When you think about supply chain automation what often comes to mind are mega-corporations with expensive and complex robotics running people-less factories and warehouses with endless arrays of software and robots moving materials and churning out products. How can...
By Rodd Joos What is your reaction when your customer requests a quote for prototype parts? Traditionally, manufacturers consider making prototypes a cost of doing business. Customers expect you to support prototype quantities, but let’s face it, they are a nuisance....
A production supervisor has perhaps one of the most difficult and thankless jobs in a factory. I learned firsthand one summer as an intern at a GM Factory in Saginaw, Michigan, where I filled in for vacationing supervisors. There I was, a 21-year-old college kid...
Over the past couple of years, BBQ cooking has become a hobby for me. I enjoyed watching BBQ Pitmasters on TV and it led to the purchase of a wood smoker to do low-and-slow barbecue. After a lot of experimenting, I've developed some decent tried-and-true recipes, but...
I’ve always been fascinated with heavy equipment. I suppose it started with my Tonka trucks in the sandbox. To this day, I can watch a backhoe in action with no small degree of amazement. In the hands of an experienced operator, this hunk of metal, cylinders and...