This is an original article written by Shekhar Chandrashekhar of California Manufacturing Technology Consulting, part of the MEP National Network.

Today, most manufacturers are engaged in activities that could be considered part of “Industry 4.0.” (70% according to the World Economic Forum’s [WEF] white paper, “Fourth Industrial Revolution: Beacons of Technology and Innovation in Manufacturing”).

Mary is an IMEC Technical Specialist who helps manufacturers improve their business and leadership strategies. She has been with the organization for 14 years and has over 22 years of experience in the chemical and food ingredient industries. Since her time with IMEC, Mary has helped Illinois manufacturers grow and maintain over 300 jobs and generate an aggregate impact of over $27M. 

Termico’s core competency is the engineering, manufacture, and testing of self-regulating, PTC heaters. At Termico they strive to offer best-in-class application engineering support to assist customer product development efforts. With 80+ years of PTC industry knowledge on staff, they understand what it takes to produce safe, stable, and reliable heaters.

This is an original article by Aaron Fox, President of Oregon MEP.

If industrial manufacturing had a buzzword of the decade, it might be “Industry 4.0.” The concept is inescapable, yet it can be hard to define, especially for small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs). After all, SMMs’ capabilities, needs, and budgets look very different from the large companies who often drive the latest innovations and trends. However, Industry 4.0 is so pervasive that many smaller manufacturers know more about the technologies than they might think. Below, we define Industry 4.0, then explore ways that SMMs can and do implement it already.

Imagine the strides your company will make as keep pace with manufacturing technology.

Exciting things are in store for Illinois’ small and mid-sized manufacturers (SMMs) in the coming year! If you haven’t heard already, IMEC recently announced the revolutionary Illinois Manufacturing Innovation Voucher program for SMMs to invest in R&D and technology adoption.

SMMs are vital to the economic well-being of Illinois, and to continue a thriving manufacturing industry in the state, the Illinois Manufacturing Innovation Voucher will lead to a total of $2.5 million in investments to assist with approximately 50 projects in the next year.

IMEC announces five organizations as recipients of the IMEC Recognition Program’s 2019 Awards for Excellence. The high-performing organizations were evaluated against the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence by the IMEC Board of Examiners as part of the annual application process. Application scores and award determinations are made by the IMEC Panel of Judges.