Recently added articles from FDM:

Opportunities in a new value chain

May 01, 2008; Forth, Karl D ... More goods are being produced in the United States now than in any time in the past. Manufacturers will have better opportunities for growth domestically and internationally if they can encourage innovation, maintain a global viewpoint and look at new options in their workforce and ...

NOTEBOOK

May 01, 2008; Anonymous ... Challengers Award entries set record Ninety-three companies have entered a record 126 entries to compete for the Challengers Distinguished Achievement Award, making the 2008 competition the largest ever for entries. "Throughout manufacturing history, innovation is the key ...

New trends in population growth

May 01, 2008; Kennedy, Kim ... The downturn in the housing market may be having unintended effects on the movement of the population. And that change could, in a vicious cycle, end up slowing the recovery in the housing market. Migration to the hottest growing areas of the country has slowed, even though the U.S. population ...

A time of great opportunity

May 01, 2008; Aves, John ... Have we reached the bottom of the economic cycle for the residential cabinet, building and furnishings industry? Our readers are already making appropriate adjustments to expense budgets and cash flow. But, perhaps this is also a time of great opportunity. Reducing expenses and overhead ...

When phantom rules rule

May 01, 2008; Lewis, Jim ... Phantom rules are as dangerous to the decision-making process as the waste of overproduction is to achieving success in a lean initiative. They're dangerous because they're both around us all the time, but we don't recognize them. Like any of the Seven Deadly Wastes, if it can't be identified, ...

Cutting boards and moisture checks

May 01, 2008; Wengert, Gene ... Q: We are selling cutting boards out of edge-glued hard maple. We buy the panels and then cut them to size, shape them and so on. We complaints that some of the boards are developing cracks in pieces. What is going on? What adhesive should we be using? Would RF gluing help? A: assume ...

A lightweight softwood: White pine

May 01, 2008; Wengert, Gene ... When the European explorers "discovered America," one of the most important resources was eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) timber. Today, white pine is not a dominant tree in most of our forests, but it has been making a good recovery, and now we are beginning to see some very ...

Toolmaker expands during challenging times

May 01, 2008; Jennison, Ken ... Carolina Specialty Tools expanded to other woodworking customers when the economy took a downturn. Now it's grabbing market share and increasing its bottom line. In 2006, Tim Weaver, president of Carolina Specialty Tools, made what many would consider a risky move: he expanded the ...

A new angle on saw efficiency

May 01, 2008; Forth, Karl D ... New angular saw helps cabinet manufacturer boost output and increase efficiency. Cardell Cabinetry is changing its focus from builders to designers, with the goal of building a kitchen at a time. "This company changes fast to meet demand, and it's very responsive," says Tom ...

Ikea's Swedwood gears up in Virginia

May 01, 2008; Forth, Karl D ... Swedish furniture giant's first U.S. factory starts production. Swedwood is ready to assemble a big business in Virginia. The Ikea manufacturing subsidiary's new plant has started production and plans an official opening soon. This is Swedwood's first furniture production factory in the ...

Composite panel industry reacts to CARB ruling

May 01, 2008; Anonymous ... The toughest production standard in the world for formaldehyde emissions will begin to go into effect in January 2009. The California Air Resources Board has completed the toughest standard in the world for formaldehyde products from composite wood products. The Composite Panel ...

Conducting a wide sanding belt evaluation

May 01, 2008; Walsh, Dennis ... A step-by-step way to improve sander performance There are several reasons why you may need a widebelt evaluation. Perhaps production or quality issues have caused you to want to assess your operations with an eye toward improving quality and throughput. Perhaps you are considering ...

Adhesive solutions

May 01, 2008; Anonymous ... Adhesive system A 3M adhesive system consists of a Scotch-Weld PUR adhesive applicator and moisture-curing polyurethane adhesives. The adhesive, available in four formulations, is dispensed through a hand-held applicator at 180 F and can remain in the applicator at temperature for up to ...

Achieving green certification

May 01, 2008; Anonymous ... Manufacturer of upholstered seating chooses independent certification for its products. SitOnIt Seating, a Cypress, Calif.-based producer of mid-market task, executive and side seating, recently extended its commitment to environmental responsibility by earning Greenguard certification ...

Prepare for the upswing

May 01, 2008; Koeninger, George ... ASK GEORGE Get out of your bunker and get educated on all the latest technology. Q: In your last column, you explained how to manage in difficult times. But what about the next step? What should manufacturers be doing now to prepare for when the economy and the market recover? ...

LITERATURE

May 01, 2008; Anonymous ... Online parts Airlanco's replacement parts catalog is available online at www.airlanco.com. It features fabric filters, cartridge filters, diaphragm valves and other frequently ordered replacement parts and difficult-to-find ...