You’ve heard of outsourcing—in fact, it’s been all too dominant in our news and conversations over the last few years. As lower manufacturing costs continued to emerge around the globe, more and more American corporations moved their production outfits to follow the cost savings—for some companies, this meant moving parts manufacturing overseas, and for others, [...]
There’s been a lot of chatter recently about the prospect of bringing the Apple Corporation’s manufacturing of signature electronic devices like iPads and Macbooks onto home turf—as far as I can tell, it started when one well-intentioned but misinformed blogger proclaimed that brining the manufacturing profit margin home, from China where Apple’s devices are currently [...]
The incandescent light bulb: a revolutionary invention that some have recently called outdated and inefficient. Congress even went so far in 2007 as to pass legislation that would have banned the production and sales of the incandescent bulb in America, starting in the coming year. With a last minute amendment, the ban was reversed. Congress [...]
When you buy a prepared food product, you put your trust in the product and the company that manufactures it. A legitimate question to ask is: how do I know this food product is safe and what are the manufacturing procedures that ensure its safety? Food safety standards in manufacturing facilities have emerged gradually and [...]
If you’re old enough to be reading a blog about manufacturing, you’re probably also old enough to remember one of the most well-known Mr. Rogers segments of all time—the tour of the crayon factory where we, America’s curious schoolchildren, got to watch the Crayola people make a batch of yellow crayons. It was pretty cool. [...]
The classic ballpoint pen: It’s something you probably use on a daily basis, but do you ever wonder how it’s made? If so, you’re in the right place, because this article describes the manufacturing process behind America’s favorite writing implement. Of course, there is some variation among manufacturers, but the basic process is consistent among [...]
Black Friday this year was marked by violent incidents as consumers scrambled to get televisions at low prices across the country. But it was also marked by the spread of an industry-changing rumor: that Apple was planning to launch the iTV sometime in the near future. An Apple product in the television market could mean [...]
For toy manufacturers, the holiday season means two things: high sales, and an increased scrutiny of toy safety. Public interest groups and federal organizations alike will be working vigilantly to watch for high levels of toxic chemicals, small parts that could pose a choking hazard and other potential hazards—like higher than typical volume that might [...]