A musician renowned for smashing guitars was both inspiration and test case for Sandvik Machining Solutions, which set out to make an electric guitar that could stand up to the most vicious whacking. Sandvik brought together experts in materials, machining processes and 3D printing to create the first guitar of its kind.

Costing information created by accountants tends to focus on external financial reporting and bears little relevance for manufacturing managers, writes Larry White of the Resource Consumption Accounting Institute. What's needed instead, White writes, is a Bill of Rights for managerial cost information users that is clear and detailed, contains actionable information and is readily available.

A variety of problems, including faulty parts, raised by employees at Boeing's 787 Dreamliner plant in North Charleston, S.C., were reportedly brushed aside at times due to production delays. As a result, quality has suffered and safety may be compromised.

Boeing pushed back against a New York Times article that alleged the company prioritized production speed over safety at its South Carolina plant, which makes the Boeing 787 Dreamliner passenger jet. "It's unfortunate and disappointing that the New York Times chose to publish this misleading story," said Brad Zaback, vice president and general manager of the 787 program at Boeing.

Modern control systems in the oil and gas industry have become increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks, such as denial-of-service. Other challenges the industry faces include dealing with multiple technologies, poor maintenance of cybersecurity standards and inadequate cybertraining among vendors and contractors.

Different departments in a supply chain may think their operations are running smoothly, but may be marred by a lack of communication. That was the case at PPG Aerospace until the company adopted integrated business planning, a process developed by management consulting firm Oliver Wight that extends the principles of sales and operations planning to the entire supply chain.

Distribution centers tend to follow quality processes that fall into two categories -- inspections and audits. Smart Gladiator's Puga Sankara explores those categories, as well as other types of checks, and how they identify and address points of failure.

A device developed to help surgeons tasked with leaning over their patients for hours at a time caught the notice of a BMW executive. Levitate Technologies' exoskeleton is now becoming standard equipment on BMW and Toyota assembly lines.

Companies in an uncomfortable spotlight contributing to the glut of plastic entering the environment may be able to reduce their plastic output while maintaining or even boosting profits, Alexis Bateman writes. The detergent industry, for example, has shifted to concentrated liquid products that require much less plastic packaging and save on shipping costs as well.

Standard general liability coverage can provide coverage for environmental damage for which a company may be held accountable. However, for past problems, the policy must have been in place at the time the damage was inflicted, David L. Elkind explains.

Quaker Windows and Doors plans to open a $65 million facility in Eldon, Mo., and it has partnered with a school district to help interested students prepare for potential careers. Juniors and seniors who take technical education classes through the Eldon Career Center may apply for paid summer internships with Quaker.

Manufacturers produced $2.385 trillion in value-added output in the fourth quarter, an all-time high, with the sector accounting for 11.4 percent of real GDP. Adjusting for inflation (in chained 2012 dollars), real value-added output in manufacturing also set a new record. Overall, manufacturing contributed 0.32 percentage points to real GDP growth in the quarter. Read more.