search
By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We may use the info you submit to contact you and use data from third parties to personalize your experience.
Article
Manufacturing is a key component of economic growth. However, in August 2019, with the global trade war raging, the direction of manufacturing growth in the U.S. was below the neutral 50.0 threshold for the first time in a decade. The index then fell again in September almost two more percentage points, causing the weakest growth since […]
Article
As Hollywood blockbusters tend to be laden with computer-generated imagery (CGI), it’s easy to assume the film industry no longer relies on hardware to wow audiences. Dig a little deeper, however, and you’ll find that hardware design and engineering are at the core of animatronics, a vital component to the process of modern movie-making magic. […]
Article
A few weeks ago, we tuned into Dragon Innovation’s live Q&A with CEO Scott Miller to find out the keys to manufacturing success. One of the early topics that Scott touched on was the pace of change through technology. Scott started working at iRobot in 1998 as a Senior Mechanical Engineer, designing and debugging the […]
Article
Measure twice, cut once is the adage carpenters live by to save on time and materials. Design optimization software enables designers and engineers to measure hundreds of times with multiple designs to visualize the result of these designs without the time, cost, and frankly, hassle of creating the product in real life. Engineering companies that […]
Article
Recent changes to tariffs on imports into the United States have started to hit supply chains worldwide. With the effects trickling down, companies are scrambling to find ways to ensure they limit the potential negative impacts on their bottom line profits. In April, General Electric started feeling the repercussions. CEO John Flannery estimated that the […]
Article
With international manufacturing and global trade playing such an important role in today’s product development world, it’s important to understand how logistics work in every part of the import and export processes. Aside from understanding incoterms and establishing them with your supplier, HS codes and HTS codes are the other big piece of the puzzle. […]
Article
Our roundup host this month is Swetha, a manufacturing engineer on our operations team! This month, we’re taking a look at origami robots, stick-on health sensors, and autonomous flight. Hardware Knowledge These origami-like soft robots are fully untethered and move in response to external stimuli. + A tiny, two-legged PCB robot. The Air Force is […]
Article
In the global manufacturing world, logistics often prove to be the biggest hassle between a buyer and seller. Without a clear understanding of who organizes and covers what aspects of the transaction, it’s easy for responsibility to get muddy and for conflict to arise. That’s why the International Chamber of Commerce created a list of […]
Article
Have you ever wondered how many people it took to bring that shiny new product you purchased from an idea to the actual object in your hands? It likely took the team effort of many more people than you might have imagined. Industrial design, mechanical engineering, manufacturing engineering, graphic design, packaging design, and more all […]
Article
Our roundup host this month is Drew, our Content Marketing Manager here at Fictiv! We’re diving into brain-machine interfaces, prosthetic arms, and robotic actuators. Hardware Knowledge Tesla is working on building a giant new casting machine to produce the Model Y frame in almost a single piece. Sumitomo has developed an “energy harvester” tire that […]
