Stories

The days of human beings sweeping floors, guarding plants, and doing other mundane or hazardous tasks could someday become a thing of the past. Service robots are increasingly being called on to perform these tasks, according to a new study from industry intelligence organization The Robot Report. According to the...

This week's question concerns satellite radio. When the first U.S. digital satellite radio service was launched in 2001, many people predicted that satellite radio would someday dominate the airwaves, eclipsing all other forms of radio broadcasting. Most of the major automakers...

Although this is the last entry for my Design & Manufacturing Midwest show blog, I want to encourage all of you to keep innovating, and to let me know what new products and technologies you’re working on that may be inspiring to someone at next year’s show. Here are the last couple of products I wanted to let you know...

As my post-show coverage of Design & Manufacturing Midwest winds down, the focus is on quality. A number of products were on display that promise to help engineers make the right design decisions, and then ensure that their products are top-notch. Autodesk showcased its Digital Prototyping solutions, including Moldflow Adviser and...

I met a lot of people at last week’s Design & Manufacturing Midwest show, and I saw a lot of innovative new products. I’ve had the chance to share with you what I saw last week from the show floor, and this week as we do a final wrap-up. What about you? If you were at D&M Midwest – or any of the five...

Given increased time-to-market pressures, design engineers are caught in a never-ending quest to streamline design and production processes. The challenges are formidable: proprietary or incompatible software, poor design tools, incomplete parts documentation, equipment issues - all can slow down prototyping and...

Last week’s Design & Manufacturing Midwest event in Rosemont, IL, was a hotbed for new product introductions to the industrial, medical, automation, assembly, and design areas. Here are more new products you should know about in case you missed the show. Optical Gaging Products introduced the Focus Lite 14”...

Will Robots Ever Replace People in Day-to-Day Life? This week’s question concerns robots. Scientists are saying that humanoid robots like those seen in the new movie "Surrogates" are not that far from reality. In the movie, realistic robots take the place of...

As attendees and exhibitors get back to business following last week’s Design & Manufacturing Midwest event, there are still a lot of things to talk about in my post-show blog this week. After sifting through stacks of new product sheets and press kits, I’ve found that one week was not enough to cover all the...

It was a busy and invigorating week at Design & Manufacturing Midwest, with new product introductions, a surprising keynote address, and presentations highlighting innovative applications. And speaking of applications, the show featured an Innovation Briefs Theater, which showcased presentations from...

After yesterday’s inspirational keynote, I was determined to find more innovative new products on the show floor, and I found them. So, before Design & Manufacturing Midwest wraps up this afternoon, I wanted to let you know about a few of those new products. Horner Advanced Products Group introduced a new...

This morning, I began the second day of Design & Manufacturing Midwest by attending an early keynote session, which was free. I expected to get what I paid for. Instead, I heard an inspiring entrepreneur who is passionate about how businesses, both large and small, can save the planet and be profitable at...

Design & Manufacturing Midwest – and its five co-located shows – kicked off this morning with a number of exhibitors showing brand-new products for the first time. Attendees are crowding the aisles to see the latest in electronics, medical, design, materials, assembly, and automation products and...

This week’s question concerns electric vehicles. For decades, electric vehicles have been touted as the solution to zero emissions motoring. However, costly batteries and the lack of a supporting infrastructure have stunted electric vehicle development. U.S. and offshore automakers continue to step up...

Tomorrow at 10 am Central time, the Design & Manufacturing Midwest expo opens its doors, giving you the opportunity to see the products and services on display by more than 400 exhibitors. I’ll be at the show – and covering the week’s five other co-located shows – reporting live each day. So until...

As promised in my blog yesterday, I have a sneak peek at a couple of new products that will be on display next week at Design & Manufacturing Midwest, as well as a preview of some of the can’t-miss special features in the exhibit hall. Celesco Transducer Products (Booth 646) will be showing its SR1 series...

It’s mid-September, and that means it’s time for Design & Manufacturing Midwest (formerly National Manufacturing Week) and its five co-located shows, which kick off next Tuesday at the Donald Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL. A must-attend event for manufacturers, the show features the latest...

DOE has launched the H-Prize competition, offering a $1 million award to an individual or team that creates the most advanced materials for hydrogen storage in vehicles.

Today, September 11, 2009, marks the eighth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. Various events are being held in cities and towns all over the country to commemorate the event, many honoring the 3,000 people who died in the attacks. The day undoubtedly remains a difficult one for...

This week's question concerns swine flu. According to a recent report prepared by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, the H1N1 flu virus, commonly called swine flu, could infect anywhere from 30 to 50 percent of the U.S. population during the fall and winter months. In a...