For decades, the design and manufacturing engineering disciplines have worked within business models that relied on global supply chains. Everything from children’s toys to jet airliners depend on outsourced manufacturing and design assets that are distributed among subsidiary corporations and a large network of Tier 1 and Tier 2 vendors.

Four months into the second Trump Administration however, and the supply chains feeding American manufacturers are in crisis. Re-shoring has been an ongoing trend for years, but will tariffs accelerate the trend? Can American design and engineering firms backfill the supply chain with domestic sources? If so, how quickly?

Paul Heney, Vice President and Editorial Director for WTWH Media and Mary Gannon, Editor-in-Chief of Fluid Power World, are industry watchers at the leading edge of manufacturing transformation in America, and they joined engineering.com’s Jim Anderton in conversation. 

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The post Will tariffs destroy the industrial supply chain? appeared first on Engineering.com.

This episode is brought to you by Parker.

Sustainability is no longer marketing hype, it’s a fundamental part of the way machines are engineered in the 21^st century.  The electric vehicle revolution is in full swing in the automotive industry, but internal combustion engines power a lot more than on-the-road vehicles.  Equipment in the mining, construction and agriculture sectors is big, powerful and emits both pollutants and CO₂ from internal combustion engines. 

It’s a segment that is ready for electrification, and Electrification Product Manager for Parker Hannifin, Jonah Leason, explains how in conversation with engineering.com’s Jim Anderton. 

Learn more about Parker’s offroad industry solutions.

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The post Electrification delivers sustainability to off-highway applications  appeared first on Engineering.com.

Computer-aided manufacturing has been around in one form or another since the 1960s, but the ability to program CNC equipment was only the beginning. Today, manufacturers are expected to aggregate, integrate and act on vast amounts of data generated on the shop floor, as well as from multiple departments within the organization, and on down the supply chain. Low-cost general-purpose robotics is widely regarded as Step in the evolution of the digital factory, but there will be risks and challenges along the way. And in the new era of US tariffs, the stakes have never been higher. 

Mastercam president Russ Bukowski discusses these issues in  conversation with engineering.com’s Jim Anderton. 

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The post How digital is digital manufacturing in 2025?  appeared first on Engineering.com.

Engineering.com senior editor Michael Ouellette covers global manufacturing, including the hottest topic today, artificial intelligence. But is it all it’s cracked up to be? Ouellete is skeptical, and pulls no punches in conversation with host of the Industry Insights & Trends podcast edition, Jim Anderton.

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The post The truth about AI in manufacturing appeared first on Engineering.com.

Today’s advanced design software often includes the capability to do advanced computational tasks that ere traditionally done by physical testing. The original engineering methodology was always iterative.  Design, test, break and redesign has been the hallmark of engineering for millennia, but a new generation of advanced tools suggest a future where the physical fit and test functions are replaced by software. Will real-world testing disappear in the future? And with artificial intelligence, will the role of the engineer change into something more akin to graphic design, or even art?

Engineering.com executive editor Jim Anderton discusses the future of computer-aided engineering with senior editor Michael Alba.

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The post Will simulation replace engineers?  appeared first on Engineering.com.

It’s been said that additive manufacturing is the newest 25-year-old technology in industry. The science-fiction quality of complex part making from powder or liquid precursors does seem like magic, but it has evolved from a laboratory curiosity to a serious manufacturing technology.

The aerospace industry has fully embraced 3D printing, and many components are now designed for it, and can’t be made in any other way. Widespread adoption in high-volume part making however, is still limited by factors such as capital cost and machine throughput, although advances are underway which should expand additive throughout manufacturing.

Engineering.com executive editor Jim Anderton explores the complexities with senior editor Ian Wright.

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The post What’s the state-of-the-art in additive manufacturing? appeared first on Engineering.com.

At RAPID/TCT Los Angeles, additive machine builders, material suppliers, and service vendors gathered to demonstrate the breadth and depth of 3D printing technology. Materials and methods are growing exponentially, and many of them have direct application to the aerospace industry. 

New materials, including composites, are ready for new roles in fuselage, wing and empennage applications, while durable new alloys decrease weight from the fan to the hot section of gas turbines. But even commodity resins are now in focus, as low cost, disposable drone swarms appear to be the next major step forward in combat aviation. 

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Below is the extended version of the video, featuring additional and longer interviews for a more in-depth exploration of the topic:

The post Additive applications in aerospace explode appeared first on Engineering.com.

At this year’s industrial additive manufacturing event in Los Angeles, automotive applications were strongly represented by equipment manufacturers, material suppliers and software vendors.

There is a definite emphasis on mass customization, with many experts predicting that additive manufacturing will be the key to profitable production of shorter runs of more specialized products, often based on a common automotive platform. 

Specialty autos that were formally contracted out for completion, such as Roush and Shelby Mustangs, may move in-house as additive manufacturing technology and capability for short runs, without added costs. 

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Below is the extended version of the video, featuring additional and longer interviews for a more in-depth exploration of the topic:

The post How additive manufacturing is impacting the automotive industry appeared first on Engineering.com.

The critical role of schematics in industrial circuit design highlights their importance in setting up, understanding, and maintaining electrically powered systems. Schematics not only serve as foundational documents but also play a crucial role in ensuring safety, reducing downtime, and enhancing productivity in on the factory floor. 

The post Integrated electrical design software for successful plant electrical design appeared first on Engineering.com.

From the dawn of mass production, lower unit costs have depended on standardization to simplify the production process and reduce the complexity of both inputs and the supply chains that deliver them. With the fracturing of global supply chains because of the pandemic, and now the war in Ukraine, there is a renewed emphasis on regional production with shorter, more robust supply lines.  

This has renewed interest in long-neglected aspects of American manufacturing, such as primary steel production. It presents an enormous opportunity for value-adding manufacturers to carve out a profitable niche in a sector where only huge players previously held large-scale economies.  

Additive manufacturing is an affordable option for small and medium-sized companies. It critically concentrates value at the production design phase, giving creative companies an advantage, large or small.  

Jim Anderton speaks with industry experts about how additive manufacturing can rebuild American manufacturing.

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Watch part 2 of this series on Additive Manufacturing: Can Additive Restore Global Manufacturing and Broken Supply Chains?

The post Additive Manufacturing: Leveling the Playing Field Between Large and Small Business appeared first on Engineering.com.