The IHS Markit Purchasing Managers' Index fell to 48.5 in March, down from 50.7 the previous month and the lowest in more than a decade. The Institute for Supply Management's manufacturing index came in at 49.1 in March, down from 50.1 a month earlier.
The nascent field 4D-printing, which involves 3D-printing objects that change shape over time, still faces many hurdles to commercialization, but the technology has immense potential in aerospace and medical applications. John Kosowatz explores 4D-printing research in Australia as well as at MIT and Rutgers University.
Xerox on Tuesday abandoned its hostile takeover bid for HP Inc. "While it is disappointing to take this step, we are prioritizing the health, safety and well-being of our employees, customers, partners and other stakeholders, and our broader response to the pandemic, over and above all other considerations," Xerox said.
Over 70 US manufacturers, including Pindel Global Precision and Smith & Richardson, are prepared to provide components for the ventilators being made for coronavirus patients by General Motors and Ventec Life Systems. Pindel CEO Bill Berrien says the pandemic could prompt more US companies to get parts from American manufacturers.
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Trucking and logistics businesses are waiting longer for manufactured items and struggling to staff warehouses, distribution centers and truckers. Newer companies such as Leaf Logistics and Transfix are trying to help by monitoring shipments so carriers and shippers know where they are.
General Motors is working to meet its goal of cutting absolute emissions by nearly a third over the next 10 years by pursuing energy efficiency, using and promoting renewables and addressing battery intermittency, says Chief Sustainability Officer Dane Parker.
The majority of manufacturers who participated in the Genesis initiative by the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center successfully increased sales and lowered costs, while their workers wound up earning more money and having less turnover. The program involved workforce and skills development, leadership training and diversity initiatives.
