THE FOCUSED MIND » Manufacturing http://blog.inferentialfocus.com Tue, 02 Jun 2015 16:15:05 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.35 Profits, Not Patriotism http://blog.inferentialfocus.com/index.php/2012/07/profits-not-patriotism/ http://blog.inferentialfocus.com/index.php/2012/07/profits-not-patriotism/#comments Tue, 03 Jul 2012 21:03:28 +0000 http://blog.inferentialfocus.com/?p=102 Google’s new wireless Nexus Q media player was designed and manufactured in America.  In recent interviews, Google’s engineers repeatedly stressed the fact that it was a significant advantage to have design close to manufacturing, especially as they closely integrate their software and hardware.  Google engineer Matt Hershenson claimed, “For us it’s really great that we  Continue Reading »]]> Google’s new wireless Nexus Q media player was designed and manufactured in America.  In recent interviews, Google’s engineers repeatedly stressed the fact that it was a significant advantage to have design close to manufacturing, especially as they closely integrate their software and hardware.  Google engineer Matt Hershenson claimed, “For us it’s really great that we can be at our desk in the morning, have meetings with hardware and software people, and then a subset of that team can be in the factory in the afternoon.  The time it takes from being in the assembly process to being in the living room of a product tester we can measure in hours and not days.”

 

For the past year we have written about the move of manufacturing back to the United States.  For technology companies, one of the roadblocks to such a move has been finding enough component suppliers nearby.  However, if enough technology companies such as Google begin experimenting with U.S. manufacturing, the component suppliers will soon follow, creating the potential for a virtuous circle.

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]]> http://blog.inferentialfocus.com/index.php/2012/07/profits-not-patriotism/feed/ 0 3-D DARPA http://blog.inferentialfocus.com/index.php/2012/05/may-7-2010/ http://blog.inferentialfocus.com/index.php/2012/05/may-7-2010/#comments Mon, 07 May 2012 19:52:38 +0000 http://blog.inferentialfocus.com/?p=41   Continue Reading »]]> Three additive manufacturing companies (3-D printing) are establishing an applied research laboratory with Penn State University. They will establish a manufacturing demonstration center for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop and promote direct-digital manufacturing technology. (Aviation Week & Space Technology, 5/7/12)

 

Now that capabilities in 3-D printing are moving from polymer materials to advanced metals for the defense and aerospace industries, we should expect to see products emerging for many industrial applications.

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