Monthly Archives : September 2017

six sigma

Can a Manufacturing Company Benefit from Having a Black Belt Sigma on Staff?

Modern CNC companies manufacturing in USA have taken up Six Sigma training for their staff, in an effort to boost productivity. The rigorous process employees undergo before receiving a Six Sigma certificate is essential in creating an all rounded company that not only has customer loyalty but generates numerous profits.

CNC manufacturing is a steadfast cornerstone of the manufacturing industry. Having taken root in the aerospace industry, automotive, bike, electrical, drone, health, music and environmental monitoring, CNC manufacturing is part of our day to day lives. Like any other company, a CNC automation company in the US seeks to increase profits and reduce costs. For this reason, the implementation of the Six Sigma is imperative in any US manufacturing company.

How Will a Black Belt Sigma Benefit your Manufacturing Company?

The Six Sigma training has six levels, hence the name. In second place from the top, is the Six Sigma Black Belt. This means that a trainee under the black belt program has already completed four stages. Here are some of the advantages of having the Black Belt certified employee in your CNC manufacturing company.

1.      Improved Communication Skills.

A Black belt trainee is aware of the client’s importance to the CNC manufacturing industry. This means that the client’s satisfaction should be the company’s aim. Good client feedback creates goodwill for the company, an intangible asset that lures more clients in.

More importantly, a Black Belt trainee is skilled in communicating changes that need to be effected. Instead of merely pointing out what needs to be done, the Six Sigma training advocates for coaching for precision.

2.      New Business Practices.

A Black Belt trainee has deep process knowledge, which makes him/her most suitable for coming up with better strategies to improve CNC manufacturing strategies. With advanced college degrees and years of experience in the industry, a Black Belt will demonstrate his critical thinking skills in managing resources within the industry to increase productivity without an increase in costs.

Team Leadership.

With years of experience and previous training, a black belt can lead a team towards a specific goal through constant motivation and effective listening skills. A Black Belts role in CNC manufacturing is indisputable, given the different contracts of manufacturing that are taken up.

More importantly, Six Sigma Black candidates are fun loving and passionate about what they do, which makes them effective team leaders. Remember that a team in a CNC automation is diverse and a neutral leader that recognizes every employees’ skills and capacity is crucial.

In the initial stages of developing a computer program, a Black Belt will keep a sharp eye to ensure that the program is accurate to minimize errors during manufacture.

Conclusion

With the right leadership, a Black belt will help the team achieve the intended goal within a planned time. Accurate programming ensures that all the stages of manufacturing are error-free since a computer gives what it receives. Apart from that, the team is put on high alert to watch out for any malfunctions and identify products that unsuitable for the market.

CNC machining companies should also remember that a Black belt candidate is a link between the company and the client. Any US manufacturing company should take up the Six Sigma training for their employees and reap numerous benefits.

manufacturing jobs

What geographical areas in the US have the biggest increase in manufacturing?

In the US, the auto industry is currently experiencing a resurgence with the introduction of CNC manufacturing and under the backing of rising consumer confidence, low-interest rates, and the need to replace older cars.
As CNC automation leads the way in spurring industrialization in the U.S., several regions are seen as major players in manufacturing, in this huge economy.

Michigan

During the recession, this area lost most of its manufacturing jobs, but it has since been able to recover 40% of these. It is currently leading in the generation of new manufacturing jobs. America has 70 metropolitan areas for manufacturing employment growth with Detroit-Dearborn-Livonia metropolitan area taking the top spot.
So far, this territory has created more than 89,300 jobs, and this has reversed the overall decline in employment, which is partly attributed to the advent of CNC machining. Detroit is in second place after Silicon Valley in the concentration of engineers, and there are many skilled workers here. The implication is that manufacturing in the USA is well endowed with a knowledgeable workforce. Warren-Troy-Farmington and Grand Rapids-Wyoming are other areas within Detroit playing a significant role in the growth of the manufacturing sector.

Toledo, Ohio

Among the mid-sized cities in the U.S. Toledo is leading in industrial employment and is located 60 miles from Detroit.

Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro, Tennessee

The Southeastern region is another US manufacturing hotspot, as a result of several establishments by major investors from Japan and Germany among others. Within Central Tennessee, small domestic parts companies continue to thrive thanks to the presence of Bridgestone and Nissan manufacturing plants. This is where you find Nissan’s U.S. headquarters since its relocation from Southern California.

Louisville, Kentucky

The region is supporting major domestic auto makers such as Ford which employs more than 14,000 workers, making it one of the largest MSAs. The area leads the park as one with the highest number of employees in “advanced industries,” which are technically oriented parts of the factory economy and tend to pay workers better.

Savannah, Georgia, Colombia, South Carolina., and Charleston, South Carolina

In second position among mid-sized industrial hubs is Savannah, Ga., which acts as a major center for German car companies. On the other hand, expansion of aerospace suppliers and Boeing in Charleston, S.C., places the area among leaders in manufacturing in the United States. The revolution of industrialization in each of these locations did not happen until recently when the growth of workforces is being experienced.

Cape Coral-Ft Meyers, Florida, Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, and Sebastian-Vero-Beach, Florida

Are also viewed as southern stars and out-performers in the mid-size industrial regions category.

Oklahoma City and Houston

These areas are home to the country’s oil exploration and drilling companies. What makes them top the list of MSAs is that petrochemical and refining industries in these regions have realized an enormous boon. Falling oil prices have caused organizations engaging in exploration activities to rein in their budgets, but that has not stopped Houston from ranking third, among those with the largest concentration of manufacturing jobs.

More companies are shifting to smaller cities within America, and though manufacturing jobs may not be the central force of the economy, their impact is being felt by both small and huge economies.

mechanical engineering

What are the Highest Ranked Mechanical Engineering Schools in the U.S.?

Though it’s a broad field of engineering, mechanical engineers are generally tasked with the design, construction and testing of everything from thermal sensors to engines to heavy-duty equipment and machinery. But before mechanical engineers can enter the workforce and contribute to the revitalization of U.S. manufacturing, it’s first essential for them to acquire the professional skills and knowledge required by employers. By earning a degree from one of the nation’s prestigious mechanical engineering schools or U.S. manufacturing schools, students will have the necessary know-how on essential skills like CNC manufacturing, CNC automation and CNC machining to propel them to success in the workforce. With that said, here’s a look at the highest ranking mechanical engineering schools in the U.S.

Top 5 Highest Ranking Engineering Schools in the U.S.

  1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT): Engineering education is somewhat synonymous with MIT. And when it comes to mechanical engineering, the school is the top ranked, according to a report from College Factual, which lists it No. 1 out of 270 colleges with such programs. In fact, at MIT, nearly 15 percent of all undergrads are working toward a mechanical engineering (ME) degree. But first you have to get in – and getting into MIT is highly competitive. According to U.S. News, only about 8 percent of all applicants are admitted.
  2. Georgia Institute of Technology: College Factual slots the Georgia Institute of Technology, or GIT, as No. 2 on its list of schools with the best ME programs in the country. Like MIT, about 15 percent of all undergraduate students enroll at GIT to pursue an ME degree.
  3. Stevens Institute of Technology: Located in the Hoboken, New Jersey, area, the school doesn’t just pride itself on having one of the safest campuses in the country, but with producing some of the best ME graduates in more of an intimate setting than the top two school on this list. For instance, in 2016, only about 150 students graduated with a degree in the program.
  4. California Institute of Technology: One of the neat things about those who graduate with an ME degree from the California Institute of Technology is that they typically see a 12.6 percent average earnings increase compared to other ME graduates. Oh, and you can’t beat the Pasadena, California, location of the school, making for great year-round weather. Another great thing about the California Institute of Technology is its extremely favorable 3:1 student-faculty ratio.
  5. Stanford: Stanford University rounds out our top 5 mechanical engineering schools list, as it offers both undergraduate and advanced degrees in the field of study. Stanford, an Ivy League school, also happens to be among the most prestigious colleges in the nation, coming in at No. 7 out of a possible 1,383 universities, per College Factual. It’s also the best university in the state of California.

Though we’ve detailed the top 5 mechanical engineering schools above, there are several more worth mentioning. Just think of these as our honorable mentions, a list that includes Kettering University (Flint, Michigan), the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, Michigan), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy, New York) and Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania).