Manufacturing Connected

Manufacturing Connected Manufacturing Connected provides high-level actionable insights backed by deep-dive reporting to give manufacturing leaders the relevant information they need.

Industry moves fast — we make sense of what’s next. Manufacturing Connected (MC) is the go-to platform for industry insights from Gardner Business Media, the premier publisher of B2B content for discrete parts manufacturers. Manufacturing Connected gives you the tools and knowledge to navigate a rapidly evolving industry, and to stay connected to what matters most. Sign up for the Manufacturing Connected newsletter to learn how other businesses are not only adapting, but winning in a competitive manufacturing landscape — and how you can, too.

Tool and die making remains one of manufacturing's most stubborn bottlenecks. Atomic Industries is addressing it by buil...
09/10/2026

Tool and die making remains one of manufacturing's most stubborn bottlenecks. Atomic Industries is addressing it by building custom AI models that break skilled tasks down to their fundamentals — compressing mold design work that once took two to three weeks into a single day.

The goal, as CEO Aaron Slodov makes clear, is not to replace experienced workers. It is to make them far more productive and to accelerate learning for those newer to the trade. Central to that approach is embedding Silicon Valley software engineers directly on the shop floor — because, as Slodov argues, good software cannot be built from a distance.

On policy, Slodov identifies inconsistency between administrations as one of manufacturing's most significant obstacles, and calls for sustained incentives that reward domestic innovation and production.

Key priorities for manufacturing leaders:
- Engage directly with AI tools and the people working at this intersection
- Develop enough software literacy to evaluate what is real and what is not
- Make operational challenges visible to policymakers through available channels

The full conversation with Aaron Slodov is worth the time. https://www.mfgconnected.com/articles/atomic-industries-ceo-on-ai-powered-tooling-trade-policy-volatility-and-rebuilding-us-manufacturing-capacity

09/08/2026

Step 1: Design the shirt
Step 2: Screen print the shirt
Step 3: Distribute the shirt at IMTS using a FANUC robot

Composite wing capacity, not demand, is the limiting factor on the A220.Airbus began construction on Aug. 19 on a 6,221-...
09/04/2026

Composite wing capacity, not demand, is the limiting factor on the A220.

Airbus began construction on Aug. 19 on a 6,221-square-meter extension to its Belfast wing facility, part of a wider multi-million-pound investment at the site. The stated purpose is a production ramp-up to 13 aircraft per month by 2028.

The constraint being relieved is autoclave and tooling capacity. The extension will house a third autoclave along with specialized wing tooling and cranage, expanding both footprint and advanced composite capability. Completion is scheduled for the first half of 2028.

Belfast is the exclusive global manufacturer of A220 wings and pioneered the patented resin transfer infusion process the wings are built with. That structure is roughly 10% lighter than a traditional aluminum equivalent, which reduces fuel burn and carbon emissions over the life of the aircraft.

Workforce investment is running alongside the build. Anthony Rouse, head of the Airbus Belfast plant and site, cited 40 new apprentices starting in September 2026, with site infrastructure modernization continuing in parallel.

Read the full news item: https://www.mfgconnected.com/news/airbus-begins-belfast-site-extension-for-composite-a220-wing-ramp-up?utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=auto&utm_medium=social

Metal finishing job shops do not usually struggle with capability. They struggle with variance.Benchmarking data puts th...
09/03/2026

Metal finishing job shops do not usually struggle with capability. They struggle with variance.

Benchmarking data puts the problem in numbers: nearly half of finishing shops see monthly revenue swings of 25% or more, annual turnover averages 50% and can approach 100%, and roughly 70% of revenue is collected late. Two-thirds of revenue typically comes from five customers, while 80% of customers send fewer than five orders a year.

Top performers respond in three ways: reacting faster through full operational visibility, growing revenue without adding headcount, and making decisions from better data.

The examples are specific. A Tennessee plating shop tripled pricing on an under-quoted part. A Minnesota shop introduced minimum lot sizes after finding batches under 100 pieces spiked cost per part. A Canadian shop cut customer response time from hours to under three minutes. An Oregon shop grew from $5 million to $9 million in sales while adding five employees, and D&K Powder in North Mankato, Minnesota, went from $4 million to $16 million in four years.

McKinsey estimates 71,000 manufacturing shops will close by 2035 for lack of succession planning.

Read the full analysis: https://www.mfgconnected.com/articles/for-finishing-shops-success-controlling-unpredictability?utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=auto&utm_medium=social

A hospital, not a device manufacturer, now holds an FDA clearance for a 3D printed implant.The 3D MAC Titanium Cranial P...
09/01/2026

A hospital, not a device manufacturer, now holds an FDA clearance for a 3D printed implant.

The 3D MAC Titanium Cranial Plate System received premarket clearance under submission K253116, the first such clearance granted to a point-of-care institution. It came out of a collaboration among 3D Systems, the Defense Health Agency and the 3D Medical Applications Center at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

The plates reconstruct cranial and facial defects caused by trauma, disease or cancer. Clinicians work from CT scans and 3D reconstructions to pre-plan fixation locations, with fixation bars built into the design rather than bent at the table.

Clearing a regulated device from inside a hospital required infrastructure a clinical team does not normally carry. 3D Systems supported the quality management system build-out, process controls, device design optimization, additive workflows and regulatory strategy.

Walter Reed is now pursuing a design-hub model in which other military facilities design within the 3D MAC quality system and send files back for manufacturing.

Read the full report: https://www.mfgconnected.com/news/3d-systems-enables-first-fda-clearance-for-implant-from-a-point-of-care-institution?utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=auto&utm_medium=social

ATC Manufacturing has broken ground on a 57,635-square-foot expansion of its Post Falls, Idaho, facility, with completio...
08/31/2026

ATC Manufacturing has broken ground on a 57,635-square-foot expansion of its Post Falls, Idaho, facility, with completion targeted for late summer 2027. The build follows the company's Air Force Research Laboratory contract for large-scale, high-rate thermoplastic composite aircraft structures.

The added capacity is aimed at converting legacy metallic and thermoset parts across U.S. defense systems to lighter, more durable composite structures, serving both defense and commercial customers. Multiple projects are already lined up to fill the space.

Baker Construction is general contractor and Bernardo Wills Architects handled design, with permitting support from the City of Post Falls.

Staffing follows the same schedule. ATC plans dozens of new positions spanning mechanical engineering, project engineering and entry- to mid-level trades, and is a designated DOD SkillBridge employer for transitioning service members.

Read the full report: https://www.mfgconnected.com/news/atc-manufacturing-breaks-ground-on-2027-idaho-facility-expansion?utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=auto&utm_medium=social

Your gross margin slips 80 basis points. Is that your plant, or your whole sector?The U.S. Manufacturing Equity Markets ...
08/28/2026

Your gross margin slips 80 basis points. Is that your plant, or your whole sector?

The U.S. Manufacturing Equity Markets dashboard on Manufacturing Connected can help you answer that.

It tracks 57 publicly traded manufacturers across nine sectors, pulling fundamentals from SEC EDGAR XBRL filings and framing them against federal macro data.

So when you see a dip, you can tell whether that's your plant or your entire sector. Same for revenue growth, net income and where your segment ranks against the other eight on the dashboard. Refreshed daily, with the reporting period labeled on every figure.

Explore the dashboard: https://www.mfgconnected.com/intelligence/us-manufacturing-equity-markets?utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=auto&utm_medium=social

Critical cleanliness requirements and PFAS restrictions are pulling in opposite directions.Aerospace, automotive, electr...
08/27/2026

Critical cleanliness requirements and PFAS restrictions are pulling in opposite directions.

Aerospace, automotive, electronics, medical device and precision engineering parts have to reach cleanliness levels that legacy solvents met easily. Regulatory pressure is now removing those solvents, along with high global warming potential alternatives, from the available set.

EnviroTech Europe has introduced a PFAS-free v***r degreasing line to close that gap, led by ProSolv 5408e and ProSolv AS-1. Both work in closed-loop systems where solvent is boiled, condensed on cooler parts and continuously distilled and recovered, with no mechanical agitation required.

The performance case rests on solvent chemistry: low surface tension for pe*******on into detailed geometry, low polarity matched to nonpolar oils, and a kauri-butanol solvency rating. ProSolv 5408e carries a Kb value of 98, global warming potential under 1, zero ozone depletion potential, a boiling point near 46 degrees Celsius, nonvolatile residue below 10 ppm and no flash point.

ProSolv AS-1 offers moderate solvency for light to medium soils at a 54-degree boiling point, positioned to replace HFE, HFC and HCFC solvents, and is compatible with stainless steel, aluminum, copper, brass and common engineering alloys.

Read the full article: https://www.mfgconnected.com/articles/high-performance-v***r-degreasing-solvents-reduce-environmental-impact?utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=auto&utm_medium=social

Defense revenue is becoming a hedge for companies still waiting on commercial certification.Joby Aviation has signed a d...
08/27/2026

Defense revenue is becoming a hedge for companies still waiting on commercial certification.

Joby Aviation has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Resonant Sciences of Dayton, Ohio for approximately $500 million. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2027, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory review.

The structure is the notable part. Resonant would become Joby's dedicated defense business under its own name and leadership, absorbing Joby's existing defense work, including dual-use turbine-electric and hydrogen-electric aircraft and its autonomy stack. Joby's commercial organization stays focused on certifying and manufacturing the electric air taxi.

Resonant brings roughly 250 employees, revenue above $100 million over the last 12 months, growth near 40 percent year over year and high-teens adjusted EBITDA margins. Bookings in the first half of 2026 ran more than three times the prior-year period, and backlog more than doubled. Its electronics, apertures and radomes are qualified across more than 20 commercial and defense airframes, and it sells directly to the U.S. government and prime contractors, including classified programs.

For suppliers, the signal is where qualified RF and low-observable capacity is consolidating.

Read the full report: https://www.mfgconnected.com/news/joby-aviation-scales-defense-business-through-resonant-sciences-acquisition

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