MBS, a Rite of Summer, Shows How Auto Industry Is Changing  The Center for Automotive Research’s Management Briefing Seminars (MBS) is an annual rite of summer for the auto industry. Representatives of automakers and suppliers head to northern Michigan near the resort town of Traverse City for lectures and presentations about the industry. This year’s edition, held last week, was more of a mobility conference, Senior Editor Bill Koenig writes in a commentary. Mobility is a catchall phrase for changes such as self-driving cars, ride-sharing services and “electrification” of vehicles (pure electric vehicles and hybrids). “Mobility is what everybody is talking about, what everybody is investing in,” said Michelle Krebs, executive analyst with Autotrader. READ MORE

Choosing the Right Flux Capacitor, er . . . Twist Drill How many times have you just grabbed the closest drill without really knowing if it’s the right tool for the job? In this inaugural episode of Haas U, you’ll learn the basics of selecting the proper twist drill, including the pros and cons of high-speed steel, cobalt, and carbide, as well as advice on coatings, drill-point and flute geometry, and more. And be sure to keep an eye out for the flux capacitors. VIEW VIDEO

Analysts Say Auto Sales Slowing, Tariffs Spur Uncertainty, Recession Is on the Way Speaking of MBS, a panel of forecasters had some sobering projections. Sales of cars and light trucks are slowing and possible vehicle tariffs are creating uncertainty for the industry. What’s more, the industry is looking at a recession sooner than later. “What does the next recession look like?” Rebecca Lindland, executive analyst for Kelley Blue Book, said during the panel presentation. READ MORE

Gun Barrel Drilling and Reaming on One Machine The DeHoff G560-DR2 performs both gundrilling and reaming operations on gun barrels. After first gundrilling the barrels, a quick tooling changeover enables a pull-reaming operation using the same machine. The twin-spindle machine has a barrel capacity range from 17 to 50 caliber and a slide travel of 60 inches. It features a box way design that provides superior vibration damping and extended tool life. DeHoff gundrilling machines are designed and manufactured in the USA. LEARN MORE

General Motors Boosts Use of Cobots; Toyota Shows Off Fuel Cell Truck General Motors Co. (Detroit) is boosting its use of collaborative robots, a manufacturing executive said at MBS. Collaborative robots, or cobots, can be deployed in close proximity to production workers. Conventional robots are separated from production employees. Also at MBS, Toyota Motor Corp. displayed the second generation of a heavy-duty hydrogen fuel cell truck. READ MORE

Find Solutions at IMTS 2018 Come to IMTS and experience the latest manufacturing technology from more than 2,400 exhibitors grouped around 10 technologies spread throughout McCormick Place. Practical Learning Sessions  •   Uncopyable: Creating an Unfair Advantage over the Competition (September 12 & 14)  •   The Unending Search for Qualified Labor (September 12)  •   Top Shops Conference (September 13) Engage & Discover  •   Lunch and Learn (September 12 & 14)  •   Top Shops Networking Reception (September 13) Register at IMTS.com/Jobshops REGISTER NOW

Manufacturing Cools in July But Still Operating at a Strong Rate, ISM Says Manufacturing slowed in July as new orders and production cooled from red-hot levels, the Institute for Supply Management said. The Tempe, AZ-based group’s manufacturing index, known as the PMI, was 58.1% last month, down from 60.2% the month before. The institute said the results still represented widespread and strong growth, but not as robust as June.  READ MORE

The Future of Robotic Welding Robotic welding systems have evolved over the years and now have the ability to take on more jobs than ever before. With added pressures of labor shortages and global competition, robotic welding technologies are giving manufacturers the ability to maintain consistent throughput and quality without increasing costs. Learn about these exciting capabilities for robotic welding from an industry expert. REGISTER NOW

Manufacturing Adds 37,000 Jobs in July, Outperforms Rest of the Economy Manufacturing added 37,000 jobs in July, with transportation performing the heavy lifting for the sector. Transportation alone boosted payrolls by 13,100. Manufacturing outperformed the rest of the economy. Total non-farm employment increased by 157,000 jobs in July, less than forecast by economists. Senior Editor Bill Koenig goes through the numbers.  READ MORE

Improving the Life of the Line Industry 4.0 is really the ecosystem that is a smart factory. It takes all of the systems in a factory, ties them together to help not only those who manage the process, but also to help the employees on the factory floor become more informed on the health of the system. Eckhart, a leader in advanced industrial solutions, is committed to improving the lives of factory-floor workers through safety, reliability and efficiency in manufacturing for industries from medical device to automotive. DOWNLOAD NOW

Stepping Up in Class to More Productive Horizontal Machining Horizontal machining centers (HMCs) readily handle just about anything that automotive, general engineering, power generation, or energy industry applications can throw at them. “HMCs are a good solution for job shops or larger manufacturing operations,” said Cornelius Kiesel, president of Zimmermann Inc. (Novi, MI). Senior Editor James Lorincz describes how HMCs are evolving.  READ MORE

How Metal Additive Manufacturing Delivers New Efficiencies in Lightweight Parts Learn from additive manufacturing aerospace and automotive examples to reduce part weight while increasing part functionality and optimizing material usage. Learn how the integrated combination of Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) software, advanced metal additive manufacturing, and thoroughly developed metal materials and print parameters is leading to a revolution in the way metal parts are designed and produced. Watch the webinar to:  •   Design for metal additive to enable lightweighting  •   Produce lighter/stiffer parts and enable the addition of heavier assets  •   Improve part performance, reduce in-flight fuel use and material waste  •   Reduce part production times by 50% or more REGISTER NOW

Manufacturability Starts with Communication, and DFMA Can Help Controlling cost and complexity starts in design, writes Contributing Editor Bruce Morey. Capturing and applying experience in a disciplined manner is vital, for both design engineers and their manufacturing counterparts. Morey describes an anecdote from his own career about his abrupt introduction to Design for Manufacturing. Now, there's Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA). READ MORE