Connecting People. Driving Businesses Forward.

May 19, 2021

The norm in manufacturing has changed dramatically. While remote collaboration was concentrated to a small number of teams and sectors in the design and make space, it quickly developed into…

Apr 26, 2021

Pacific manufacturing is cutting edge, often pioneering technology before it dominates the manufacturing industry. The current wave of the industrial revolution – Industry 4.0, proves why the adoption of technology…

Mar 19, 2021

Nalgene Outdoor, maker of reusable water bottles, today announced a significant increase to its commitment to manufacturing with recycled materials. By the end of 2021, Nalgene will strive to convert…

Mar 15, 2021

Robotics and automation isn’t new in the world of manufacturing, but the world of collaborative robots, or Cobots, are quickly gaining traction as the future of the industry. Robots are…

Feb 03, 2021

After a year of endless disasters, distractions and sub-zero oil prices, it’s time to look back at the people and companies that defined the energy sector in 2020. You will…

Aug 15, 2020

A shortage of one of the most mundane items in daily life -- the humble aluminum can -- means beer fans are likely to find that some of their favorite…

Jul 15, 2020

While the possibility of Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) building a new factory in Texas is gaining traction, the automaker is also focused on its current U.S. facility in Fremont, California. Electrek.co, a website that follows the…

Jun 15, 2020

Virag Saksena’s whisky, which he makes at 10th Street Distillery in San Jose, is sitting in barrels ready to bottle, but his hands have been tied for months due to…

Apr 15, 2020

You don't need us to tell you that Los Angeles' skies are cleaner and clearer right now as the COVID-19 pandemic has the majority of us staying in our homes…

Mar 15, 2020

California leads the nation in the design, manufacturing and adoption of electric vehicles, with Southern California playing an important role, according to the report released this week by the Los…

Feb 14, 2020

Today’s supply chain is global. Prior to 2020, supply chain leaders laughed when they said, “When local supply chains sneeze the global process catches a cold.” The severe contagious disease outbreak known…

Jan 15, 2020

Manufacturers in California account for 10.67% of the total output in the state, employing 7.72% of the workforce. Total output from manufacturing was $316.76 billion in 2018. In addition, there…

Oct 01, 2019

There’s a good reason that WESTEC, a trade show and conference produced by SME and AMT—The Association for Manufacturing Technology, takes place in Southern California every other year. California, the…

Sep 12, 2019

WESTEC, produced by SME and AMT, is an industry-leading west coast manufacturing trade show. As a biennial event, in 2017, WESTEC attracted over 10,000 guests and 428 exhibitors. This year WESTEC…

Sep 12, 2019

“Location, location, location.” “Timing is everything.” We most often use these maxims in relation to the real estate business, but they also apply to the manufacturing industry in general and…

Sep 06, 2019

This is a guest blog written for WESTEC by WISER Systems  Losing things is a universal problem. What’s worse, lost assets usually mean lost money for manufacturers of every kind.…

Aug 01, 2019

North Kingstown, RI – July 30, 2019 – Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division announced it has selected the Greater Toronto Area for the site of its new Canadian headquarters in Oakville,…

Jul 24, 2019

The West Coast is known for many things, including Hollywood movies, juicy oranges, sandy beaches, snow-capped mountains, redwood forests, a rugged coastline, crashing surf and thousands of wineries. West Coast…

Jul 02, 2019

With all the changes in technology over the past 20 years, many buzz words and phrases have arisen. “Smart manufacturing” is one of them, and it’s got a definite “wow”…

Jun 24, 2019

What comes to mind when you think of California? Is it Hollywood or Silicon Valley? Disneyland, perhaps? Conventional narratives about California have long focused on the areas closest to its…

May 23, 2019

To see the first 3D-printed car may be something you never thought you would do in your lifetime. Looking back, who would have thought when the first mass-produced Ford Model…

Apr 11, 2019

By now we’ve all heard about the impending skills gap in manufacturing — and how the combination of baby boomer retirements, economic expansion and new technology will likely cause some 2…

Oct 04, 2018

Compared to other places, like Texas – known for its oil and gas production – California’s economy is performing better on most measures, showing that it is entirely possible to…

Sep 05, 2018

Advanced metal additive manufacturing systems manufacturer Renishaw (West Dundee, IL) opened a new Additive Manufacturing Demonstration Center in Newbury Park, CA. Working in collaboration with Ibex Engineering (Newbury Park, CA), the Demonstration Center is…

Jun 08, 2018

Closed-loop manufacturing is a strategy for increasing revenue and reducing costs that relies on data from all parts of an organization. The data is used to inform development teams of…

Oct 09, 2017

LOS ANGELES—In the “factory of the future,” manufacturers will adopt over-the-air software upgrades used by Carbon and Tesla as the modus operandi, Carbon CEO Joe DeSimone said yesterday at the…

Oct 09, 2017

Con los objetivos de promover la economía y de atraer proveedoras de procesos especiales a Baja California, promotores del Gobierno del Estado participaron en el evento Westec 2017, el cual…

Oct 08, 2017

Westec 2017: The Fagor 8065 CNC is designed for high-performance applications and equipped with features for high-speed machining while maintaining accuracy and surface finish. The Fagor 8065 CNC is designed…

Oct 05, 2017

Westec 2017: CGTech will demonstrate the newest version of its CNC machine simulation, verification and optimization software, Vericut 8.1. CGTech will demonstrate the newest version of its CNC machine simulation,…

Oct 05, 2017

Reiterating again that software is the heart and ‘soul’ of artificial intelligence (AI), the equally largest part of AI is robotics. The two go together like orange and chocolate. Energid…

Oct 05, 2017

WESTEC 2017 — the premier West Coast manufacturing event — opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday, Sept. 12, at the Los Angeles Convention Center. WESTEC showcases the latest in…

Oct 05, 2017

Westec offered a useful mix of emerging technology and practical applications. This slide show reflects this mix in its eclectic coverage of what exhibitors had to offer. I can honestly…

Sep 08, 2017

An exclusive blog for WESTEC 2017 from Shop Floor Automations (Booth 1935) The manufacturing industry is expensive. The fruits of our labor are not only costly, but so are the…

May 05, 2017

Dear Tim Cook, On behalf of SME, thank you. Thank you for standing up for manufacturing. Thank you for investing your financial strength in the manufacturing industry that truly drives…

May 04, 2017

In a column for The Huffington Post (5/4, Holt, Contributor) Proto Labs President and CEO Vicki Holt writes that “for businesses looking to operate more efficiently and competitively, digital manufacturing…

Apr 20, 2017

Engineers and technologists are using technology to their advantage for projects in a number of fields such as Additive Manufacturing, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Automation and Robotics. Read full…

Apr 20, 2017

Machinists today can create some of the most complex, efficient, and precise parts ever made. However, with precision comes complexity. This is especially true in the choice of cutting tools…

Jan 16, 2017

There are many opportunities that lie ahead for the manufacturing industry. These include disruptive processes such as additive manufacturing and the internet of things as well as newly created materials…

Jan 04, 2017

America’s Job Center of California (AJCC), located at College of the Canyons, sees thousands of Santa Clarita residents come through its doors every year. Like hundreds across the county and…

Aug 13, 2016

(CHICAGO, Sept. 13, 2016) – AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology and SME have announced a major new partnership for a series of regional co-branded trade shows focused on the manufacturing technology…