Global supply chain disruptions pose unique, unprecedented problems and opportunities for small manufacturers.

The problems are bigger for small manufacturers than large companies and the worst case is production disruption. At the very least, increasing costs lead to compressed margins or even outright losses; yet opportunities abound. Disruptions make small U.S manufacturers more valuable to big companies that are pivoting to domestic sourcing.

In the spring of 2021, IMEC, Illinois Manufacturers Association (IMA), Technology & Manufacturing Association (TMA), and Valley Industrial Association (VIA) partnered with the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research to survey manufacturers about their adoption of Advanced Manufacturing Technologies and processes, achieving a phenomenal 87% response rate.

This is an original article from Cre8tive Technology and Design.

At IMEC, we’re all about solutions. And with the invasion of COVID-19 early last year, the world had to scramble to find them. Businesses were shutting down at an alarming rate, affecting supply chains and OEMs locally, nationally, globally. Companies had to quickly find alternatives to keep the wheels turning. For IMEC, that remained especially true here in Illinois.

This is an original article from Cre8tive Technology and Design.

Aerospace and Defense manufacturers are well aware of the certifications and audits they have to go through in order to operate. The Department of Defense is now starting to require the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification, or CMMC.

Written by Michael Taylor, Mechanical engineer and project manager at NIST MEP.

We are seeing large surges in COVID cases around the country and we are heading into winter when we tend to remain indoors for longer periods of time. It's important to consider optimizing your workplace ventilation to continue to provide a healthy workplace for your employees. Here is some guidance from OSHA on things you can do to optimize air flow and air turnover in your facility.