Customer Spotlight Blog: Honeywell Aerospace

Honeywell Aerospace

We at Shop Floor Automations always aim to show appreciation for our customers. We offer discounts and free merch when customers fill out certain surveys, but we feel it’s not enough. Once a month, we want to take the time to highlight certain customers and what they are doing to change the modern manufacturing industry, as well as the day to day life of American consumers.

A collage of a Honeywell airplane, a jet engine, and a shot of earth from a JetWave satellite.This Customer Spotlight Blog will be focused on Honeywell Aerospace.

Their mission, via their website: “Honeywell Aerospace innovates and integrates thousands of products and services to advance and easily deliver safe, efficient, productive and comfortable experiences worldwide.” They work on a wide variety of products, such as business jets, airplanes, aviation defense tools, space travel, and more.

News on the map: “Honeywell introduced global, high-speed inflight Wi-Fi to airlines and business jets with its latest JetWave satellite communications system.” Source

Did you know? They hit their 80th anniversary of operation recently in 2016. Honeywell Aerospace has also kindly done a video testimonial for us about using our solutions, which you can watch here.

Want to be featured in our Customer Spotlight Blog? Contact Marketing@ShopFloorAutomations.com

Need software or hardware solutions for your manufacturing shop floor? Call (877) 611-5825 or chat with us on one of our various social media channels. 

Legacy SFA Blogs – Edition 7

Legacy SFA Blogs – Edition 7

We are always appreciative any time we get press coverage, here at Shop Floor Automations. This is especially a great edition for Spanish speaking readers, where we feature our Modern Machine Shop Mexico coverage. 

shop floor automations Manufacturing Tomorrow published our piece talking about organizations who are enriching the Made in America movement, which you can read here. Manufacturing Talk Radio also published the same piece here, which includes coverage on Workshops for Warriors, Open Source Maker Labs, and Edge Factor.

We thank Aerospace Manufacturing & Design for talking about our Wi-Fi USB Connect product here. MFR Tech also published our piece talking about how spreadsheets kill productivity at a manufacturing operation and why graphical job scheduling is the best alternative to this old technology.

Finally, Modern Machine Shop Mexico has published a few of our pieces. They also have a cool homepage for us with Spanish-speaking resources.

Want more info on how to help your shop floor be more productive? Fill out a sales contact form, request a software demo request, or call us at (877) 611-5825 

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Legacy SFA Blogs – Edition 6

Legacy SFA Blogs – Edition 6

Since we understand the significance of backing up important documents, Shop Floor Automations also takes it’s own archival process very seriously. This edition has a big focus on our machine automation software and hardware. 

shop floor automationsMFG Talk Radio published our article about graphical job scheduling, which was wonderful to see.  Production Machining had us in their extensive Buyer’s Guide for their January 2017 issue – we were on pages 92, 94, and 97, in the areas of Software (under CAD/CAM & related software), ERP & Other Shop Management Software, as well as Support Equipment & Data Collection Devices for Gaging.

We were also in Modern Machine Shop’s January 2017 issue for our piece on Touch HMI. For press on the same product, MoldMaking Technology put us in their January 2017 issue on page 46, talking about how Touch HMI “can be leveraged for machine monitoring in the future without the added cost of hardware.”

CNC West was kind enough to publish us in back to back issues. In the December 2016/January 2017 issue, on page 66, they shared an update from us about DataXchange, quoting “new features include the MTConnect Data Viewer, making the software more compatible with MTConnect.” Then in the February/March 2017 issue, on page 54, they dedicated an entire page to our article about graphical job scheduling versus spreadsheets.

To wrap it up, Industrial Machinery Digest wrote about our unofficial mascot, Shop Floor Man, in this piece. If you are curious to see what our comic strip character has been up to, check out our humor Instagram account.

If you would like information on how to improve productivity on your manufacturing shop floor, please get in touch with us today! You can reach us at (877) 611-5825 or fill out this contact form. 

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International Women’s Day

Women in Manufacturing: Rosie the Riveter & Beyond

For International Women’s Day, we recognize women in manufacturing and similar jobs. When we think of them, we tend to think of Rosie the Riveter. 

international womens dayRose Will Monroe is said to be the inspiration behind the character. Fun fact: the month of May is extremely significant to Rosie.

Many remember the iconic “We Can Do It!” poster. Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company released it May 1942.

Norman Rockwell made a painting inspired by the ad in May 1943. Rose herself passed away in May 1997.

World War II was historic for women in the workplace. Women who held administrative jobs or were stay-at-home mothers filled jobs left vacant by male soldiers.

A great book to read about this era is “A Mouthful of Rivets: Women at Work in World War II.”

When the war ended, a good amount of women remained in manufacturing. Today, now more than ever, the industry calls for more female talent.

A 2015 report by Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute states women make up 47 percent of the overall workforce. Sadly, only 27 percent of that number represents women in manufacturing.

“Simply put, it can get lonely for a woman on the factory floor,” says Penny Brown of the Association for Manufacturing Technology.

“At a time when manufacturing is seeing a desperate need for skilled workers, it seems that it’s a very good time to address ways to tap this vast talent pool.”

“Women need to…feel like there is a place for them in it,” Penny continues. “Diversity is proven to improve a company’s competitiveness and innovation.”

SFA highly recommends the Women Can Build photo exhibit, via the California Institute of Technology.

We also recommend organizations are SWE (Society of Women Engineers), WiM (Women in Manufacturing), Girls Who Code, and SkillScout.

No matter how you think of women in manufacturing, whether in vintage or modern tones, it is great to see that the conversation never closed up shop.

Contact us for manufacturing productivity solutions that are as diverse as your employees! Call us at (877) 611-5825 or contact us on social media. 

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Jeremy Bout Edge Factor Interview

Jeremy Bout Edge FactorShop Floor Automations interviews Jeremy Bout of Edge Factor: 

Everyone these days has NetFlix, YouTube or Hulu. These platforms provide entertainment, educational programs, “how to” videos, reality programming, and documentaries.

Because of the influence of these platforms, the idea came about to make one for the manufacturing industry. Let’s talk about Edge Factor.

The introduction video to Edge Factor is a great window into what they do. It starts with the point of view of the parent, the educator and the employer.

Manufacturing jobs prove to be the perfect middle ground for the frustrated parent who paid for a child’s education who does not have a job in that career field. It also funnels skilled workers to the employer, while the educator can get the resources they need to teach in this realm.

Edge Factor Edge Factor founder Jeremy Bout was a typical high school graduate with no decisions about his future. When he first experimented with manufacturing via a five-axis machine, he said the experience changed his life.

The first part Jeremy ever built with a machine set him on a path that would change his life and the lives of others. For Disney, it was all started by a mouse – for Jeremy, it all started with an end mill.

“A standard, four flute end mill which looks so simple really became a catalyst for just recognizing that everything is made in using that one tool,” Jeremy says.

“The diversity of things that an end mill can create is shocking and astounding, so for me, the end mill was a gateway to a much, much bigger journey in life.”

Read more after the page break below! 

Read more

Legacy SFA Blogs – Edition 5

shop floor automations

Legacy SFA Blogs – Edition 5

At SFA, we not only work every day to help improve your business, but also to preserve our business history. Our industrial automation solutions are explored by various publications.  

In MFG News, we have appeared a few times recently. In this month’s issue (February 2017), we have a press release on Bigfoot CMMS  (page 18 of the West Edition) and in the Southwest Edition, we have an ad about our machine monitoring solutions.

A piece from Robotics Tomorrow back in October 2016 talked about our Wi-Fi USB Connect product. “Floppy drive emulators and CNC machines with a USB port can now have wireless abilities! You will also have different transfer modes to customize your storage solutions.”

The Fabricator also published facts about the Wi-Fi USB Connect back in November of 2016. “Users will see the files at their machines on the USB as soon as they are added to the shared folder. They will not need to walk to the programmer or find them to get needed answers.”

Speaking of the aforementioned MFG News, we were also in their December 2016 issue (all Editions) talking about our character Shop Floor Man and social media in the manufacturing industry, which you can read about here. Modern Machine Shop also gave a nice mention to Shop Floor Man in this blog here.

Want to know ways to increase your shop floor’s OEE and productivity without investing in new machines? Call (877) 611-5825 or use the chat function on our site to see how we can help! You may also fill out this Contact Form.

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Greg Mercurio interview with Manufacturing Tomorrow

Manufacturing Tomorrow Greg Mercurio

Greg Mercurio talks Industry 4.0, OEE & More

Greg here at Shop Floor Automations had an opportunity to speak to Manufacturing Tomorrow about how the manufacturing landscape is changing these days, Industry 4.0, as well as the concepts of machine monitoring and OEE. Here are some quotable bits from the Greg Mercurio interview in question:

“In a nutshell, we provide software and hardware solutions to manufacturing shop floors to help decrease downtime and improve OEE,” Greg said. “We help those working on shop floors gain extra time, productivity and profits.”

On Industry 4.0: “For years, the shop floor as been an island of its own and with the latest climate from the US government and other countries, more companies are seeking integration and connection to the corporate world.”

On how manufacturing will change in the new USA political landscape: “I think we’re going to be very busy in 2017 and hope that’s a trend that will build as time goes on.”

Greg Mercurio is President of Shop Floor Automations. He is a long-time resident of San Diego County and a family man. Shop Floor Automations will soon be celebrating two decades in business. 

Manufacturing Tomorrow has the whole interview on their site. You can also call us at (877) 611-5825, and we encourage you to share this article on social media! 

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Where is USA Manufacturing going?

Shop Floor Automations NewsletterThis is an archive of our January 2017 topical newsletter:

What exactly is going on with the welfare of American manufacturing? Are the horror stories of all our jobs going to robots and China unfounded? Here are two good pieces of news, and one factor we should consider, in regards to this industry in the USA:

1) Manufacturing jobs that were already in America continue to grow. With organizations such as Workshops for Warriors training a new workforce, and movements like MFG Day encouraging a younger generation to show interest in our industry, the seeds of growth are being planted. Bloomberg News also declares that manufacturing is the strongest it has been since August 2009, with notable improvements this past December.

2) Manufacturing jobs reported to be moved to America from overseas. There is talk of Apple moving production of iPhones to America, while a Chinese garment company that makes clothing for brands such as Armani, is definitely moving to America. There is also the infamous story of Ford canceling a factory in Mexico and instead, investing Millions into a Michigan facility. With these moves, more manufacturing jobs will be created to keep the Made in America movement growing.

3) Whatever is broken in this industry won’t be fixed overnight, is the hard truth. This article from The Economist is a fascinating read, as they point out that not all of America’s manufacturing problems are caused strictly by globalization. The President of the Alliance for American Manufacturing said it best “America felt left behind as manufacturing jobs disappeared, and no single election cycle can erase that,” said Scott Paul. “As President-Elect Trump prepares to take office, the question becomes how best to restore the American dream for our working people – and that path, for many, lies in the heart of a resurgent manufacturing sector.”

CONTACT US Toll Free: (877) 611-5825

Link to original newsletter HERE

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Legacy SFA Blogs – Edition 4

shop floor automations

Legacy SFA Blogs – Edition 4

Preserving your history is important in the American manufacturing industry. At SFA, we are working every day to preserve our history as we approach two decades in business. 

The premiere of the WiFi USB Connect made the weekly wrap up for MFG Talk Radio the week of October 28th. MoldMaking Technology also talked about the same product in their December 2016 issue (on page 43).

To wrap it up with something cool we saw this past holiday season – machine tool brand Okuma featured us in one of their blogs. They said our popular G-code shirt was one of the top 10 holiday gifts for machinists, and we are very flattered they thought to include us in their post!

We would love to increase your shop floor’s OEE and productivity. Call (877) 611-5825 or use the chat function on our site to see how we can help! 

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Top 5 Shop Floor Product Updates in 2016

shop floor technology

Top 5 Shop Floor Product Updates from 2016

The year quickly coming to a close. We wanted to take the time to share some updates to shop floor software and hardware that you all need to see for 2017.

Whether you implemented them into your manufacturing routine or you are looking for new tech for 2017, here is what you need to know. Obtain the goals of lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, and turning data into actionable items.

1 –  Scytec DataXchange Machine Monitoring & Data Collection – Many shop floor runners are fans of DataXchange for their $45 per month, per machine Cloud pricing. They may also want to check out Version 2016.10.03 updates. New features include an MTConnect Data Viewer, which is a testament to DataXchange’s continuing advocacy of the protocol. Scytec Support staff will also be able to remotely restart DataXchange for users without remote access, as well as many utilization tools being updated or refreshed. You can also integrate DataXchange with Bigfoot CMMS from Smartware Group if you are seeking a plant maintenance management system, which you can read more about here.

2 – The WiFi USB Connect – This new piece of hardware is a wireless USB solution for the manufacturing shop floor. It emulates a USB stick, allowing you to share data from a PC to your machines. No drivers are required, plus Floppy drive emulators and CNC machines with a USB port can now have wireless abilities! The device serves as an easy and economic shop floor upgrade, with more info here from MoldMaking Technology.

3 – Machine Monitoring through Predator MDC – With v11 now available, there are many incredible new updates and quite a few improved features. All the changes will be beneficial to your shop floor. Enjoy accessing MDC machine monitoring on Android phones, a real-time view of data from any browser, many new charts to display information on, and an updated list of Windows Support.

4 – MTConnect & the Cloud –  More CNC machine controls, and more shop floors are embracing MTConnect. The open, royalty free factory floor communication standard is universal and embraced by shop floor factories. Industrial Machinery Digest published a piece about integrating MTConnect, along with machine monitoring, at this link.

5- Predator’s Touch HMI – A big button interface, Predator’s Touch HMI replaces bar code readers, handheld terminals and proprietary shopfloor hardware. It simplifies data collection on machine uptime and enables access to information via tablet, PC or CNC.  Buttons can transfer NC programs or launch the part drawing on the shop floor for the operator. It can also be color-coded for the convenience of individual machinists. More on Touch HMI via a Modern Machine Shop piece you can read here.

Want to become the hero of your shop floor by helping achieve better machine utilization? Call us at (877) 611-5825 or chat with us on social media. Check out any of the products mentioned in our store, or contact us for info on MTConnect & Cloud options.