thumbnail group

Connect With Us:

Manufacturing Engineering Media eNewsletters

Lean in Aerospace Metal Finishing: From Industry Step-Child to Lean Poster Child

Author: Douglas Greene, President, Hixson Metal Finishing

Date: 3/1/2013

Metal Finishing has historically been known as a messy, poorly organized and managed profession with little accountability and aggravation in spades for all stakeholders.  But small California supplier Hixson Metal Finishing is working to obliterate that reputation and make it as sterling as their long-time home of Newport Beach is beautiful.  Full Article

The Toyota Way: Helping Others Help Themselves



Author: Jeffrey K. Liker & James K. Franz, Co-Authors

Date: 11/1/2012

As we have struggled over the years to make sense of what we learned from Toyota, and to teach it to others in many business sectors, we have developed a broader and deeper view of this thing called “lean.”  Full Article

Focus on the Workforce: Lean Course Teaches Value of Manufacturing



Author: Mark Doman, Pawley Professor in Lean Studies, Oakland University

Date: 11/1/2012

When I start my undergraduate Lean Studies course at Oakland University, I ask the students to raise their hands if they have ever been in a plant. Usually, very few hands reach for the sky. When I ask if they are interested in manufacturing, most say, “Not really.” Yet I teach in a suburb of Detroit, the Motor City.  Full Article

Dunnage: Often Ignored, Always Important



Author: Nicky Borcea President Sohner Plastics Ann Arbor, MI

Date: 10/1/2012

Dunnage used to ship and process automotive parts on the shop floor is a key component in the overall manufacturing process, yet it is often overlooked when companies are working to make lines lean and green. Today, it is important that manufacturers know that most dunnage used to transport parts from start to finish can be reused for the lifetime of production. Full Article

LEAN Manufacturing Through Compact Machining Cell Advancements



Author: Steve Bond, National Sales Manager, RoboDrill, RoboCut and EDM Products, Methods Machine Tools, Inc.

Date: 9/28/2012

Manufacturers, regardless of the products they produce, realize that to be successful in a global market, reducing costs and waste throughout their organization is critical.  Amid recession, employers were faced with downsizing in an effort to maintain the bottom line and many turned to LEAN practices to help them survive. Full Article

Kaikaku: Manufacturing Re-Imagined



Author: Alistair Munro, Business Development Manager, Munro & Associates/Lean Design Canada

Date: 5/1/2012

As new global environments squeeze down on local manufacturers, it is important to take every opportunity to improve process and reduce cost to be competitive. But how does the modern manufacturer know if they are truly employing best practices? So many once-great American manufacturing firms are becoming vestiges of a quickly fading past glory. Full Article

View All Headlines







Manufacturing Engineering Media - Society of Manufacturing Engineers
U.S. Office  |  One SME Drive, Dearborn, MI 48128  |  Customer Care: 800.733.4763  |  313.425.3000
Canadian Office  |  7100 Woodbine Avenue, Suite 312, Markham, ON, L3R 5J2  888.322.7333
Tooling U  |   3615 Superior Avenue East, Building 44, 6th Floor, Cleveland, OH 44114  |  866.706.8665