This year, technology innovation is propelling the manufacturing industry to unprecedented levels. Emerging technologies, in combination with advancements in automation, distribution, and talent development, are likely to produce major changes in the way many things are made in the years to come.

So what’s hot in manufacturing technology? We addressed this question (and many more) during the supply chain expo Modex, where we interviewed leading manufacturers about key trends shaping the industry in 2014. The following is a recap of some of the responses we heard from industry experts (in addition to our own thoughts on technologies to watch throughout the latter half of the year): Read the rest of this entry »

It’s not easy to understand when facility layout is causing significant problems for an operation.

Everything in a warehouse or distribution facility can be affected by the way the warehouse is planned and laid out. You may be suffering from over-forecasted demand for product and under-forecasted need for square footage. Executives may not fully understand what it takes to receive, store, and ship orders. What are some of the more common problems when it comes to facility layout?

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http://www.cisco-eagle.com/catalog/c-1577-conveyor-guardrail.aspx

See Amanda’s White Paper as well.

As we’ve written about previously, Cisco-Eagle took part in last month’s supply chain expo Modex, held in Atlanta, GA.  When we weren’t demonstrating our automated forklift safety system and talking to customers, we snuck away from our booth to connect with some of the industry’s leading innovators.

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U.S. manufacturing is at a crossroads. After decades of decline, there are signs of a renaissance, with the chance to re-shore more and more manufacturing capacity every year. Some of this is driven by the natural gas energy boom, and the cost of shipping product in vs. making it in America. You also see more companies returning capacity due to the fact that offshoring didn’t always live up to its cost cutting premise. Whatever the reason, American manufacturing now faces the reality of growth, with the challenges and opportunities that brings.

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