As technology continues to evolve the manufacturing industry is sure to follow. Computers and robotics have undoubtedly changed the industry and in some ways made it more accurate and efficient. The Association for Manufacturing Technology and The American Machine Tool Distributors Association reported that in July of this year, manufacturing technology consumption amounted to more than $500 million dollars. The amount shows a 93% increase from July of 2010, when machine tool...
The Association for Manufacturing Excellence has been a driving force behind the Rebirth of Manufacturing Jobs initiative. The project hopes to stimulate the manufacturing job market by reaching out to policy makers locally and nationally. The goal of the program is to get executives and government officials motivated to join and develop efforts to increase awareness of the green movement and manufacturing’s goal in it. It also aims to unite nearby businesses...
Proper lubrication and maintenance go hand in hand in keeping bearings operating reliably. This is why lubrication is a key influence in increasing the equipment life span by 3-8 times. In fact, incorrect lubrication accounts for 30 percent of bearing failure in rotating equipment. The right training skills are required for your employees to safely and efficiently perform their jobs. An introduction to bearings course is great for first timers and our...
In February, the Association for Manufacturing Technology released a survey that found that manufacturing technology consumption was up 138.1 percent since February of 2010. Companies looking to up their output are investing in technology to expedite and streamline the production process. “The dramatic year-over-year growth further underscores the manufacturing renaissance that is taking place,” said Douglas K. Woods, President of AMT. To get a detailed report, you can check out the full...
Most gamblers spend their lifetime guessing, but an industrial manager doesn’t have that luxury. Control system failure in an industrial plant is never really an option, but if and when it does happen it’s important to be prepared. For process and manufacturing facilities, control system failure — even for a second — will cause tremendous damage. But with the right training skills any crisis can be handled smoothly. When it comes to...
What does SCORM compliant mean?
SCORM stands for Sharable Courseware Object Reference Model (SCORM), which is a set of specifications that, when applied to course content, produces small, reusable e-Learning objects. A result of the Department of Defense’s Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) initiative, SCORM-compliant courseware elements are easily merged with other compliant elements to produce a highly modular repository of training materials.
Every once in a while, we are challenged to do something different or great. But because everyone deals with challenges differently, some people embrace them and others run away. Today, manufacturing organizations face many challenges including having to effectively train their employees to perform complex tasks. If an equipment operator is asked to perform a task he has never done before, he might break a critical tool which will cause the project...
Printing companies frequently calibrate their printing equipment to ensure that the items they print such as brochures, catalogs, and other materials all have the same quality. Any deviation from the preset standard point will lead to a low quality product or machine failure. In an industrial plant, equipment calibration is also a critical part of the manufacturing process because if the measurements are off then your company will have wasted its time...
We don’t always react the right way or the way we’re expected to in life. But in a plant setting reacting without thinking can be a dangerous thing. For instance, when a machine begins to perform erratically, the operator might become frustrated and reach in to remove the obstructing material. But, this reaction may cause the operator to physically injury himself. By not adequately training your maintenance employees and technicians you’re only...
Many people fear change, but sometimes the cost of maintaining the status quo is too high. Often, we would rather do nothing than upset the balance. It’s even become a default solution. But in a manufacturing plant, doing nothing can be detrimental to both the equipment and the facility as a whole. Yet in many plants, you can often see the cost of doing nothing many times throughout the day. For instance,...
Choosing the right control valve is as important as training your manufacturing employees to properly operate them. With appropriate manufacturing training, you can reduce valve failure and keep your employees and the work environment safe. After completing ITC Learning’s manufacturing training class, your employees will realize that control valves is more than just the turning on and shutting off of fluids. They will gain the skills and knowledge to: • Understand how...
The first safety class you attended was probably in kindergarten where you learned it’s not safe to talk to strangers, play with fire, and cross the street alone. As we got older, safety classes evolved from what not to do to CPR and first aid classes. So employees have the right to expect their company to offer manufacturing safety training courses, especially if the organization requires them to use and work around...
Remember those tests in high school where the answer was either A, B, C, A and B or all of the above? Even though you studied for the test you just couldn’t figure out the right answer because they were all so close. But when you finally got your test back you were surprised to find out that the answer wasn’t A or B like you thought, but all of the above....
The other day at Starbucks, I overheard a man ranting to his friend about having to attend a training class at his new company. He didn’t understand why this was being required of him since he has over six years experience in the field. As I waited in line for my coffee, his friend reminded him that he shouldn’t be so sure that he already knows everything and he could actually learn...
