Top 10 Twitter Posts — Week 17: Robots, Sea Beasts and Engineering Internships

Spring has sprung, and so has a bunch of chitchat in the Twittersphere about the final showdown of the FIRST robotics season. One-half of our marketing landed in St. Louis, Missouri, earlier this week to document the final championship in the thick of the action. We're taking photos, tweeting up a storm and sharing updates on Facebook. But in this every-Friday post, we focus on just the Twitter angle. Here's a sample of the best, brightest and most memorable tweets to blip through out Tweetdeck since Monday. Stay on top of the action by following us at @BWCnews. Happy tweeting!

Credit: Tech Central

1. How 3D Printers Changed the Rules of Manufacturing on the Bishop-Wisecarver Daily: They evolved from "stereolithography" machines in the 1980s to the modern gadget we now call a 3D printer — it's got everyone in the technology world talking. But the three-dimensional modeling devices hold tons of significance for the manufacturing sector as well. Here's an article that explains how.

2. BWC Launches Summer Internships on bwc.com: You haven't heard? Well it's time to send in your applications for our summer engineering and manufacturing internships! We announced them just recently and we've already started receiving a bunch of applications. Send in yours stat!

3. Mystery Sea Beast of Cincinnati Found on Discovery News: OK, so it's just a fossil. Well, not "just" a fossil, but one of a previously undiscovered prehistoric sea beast found in the middle of the United States. An amateur paleontologist actually discovered the 7-foot-long specimen that got the science world all fired up this week. Click through to read more about the just-discovered fossil!

Credit: Good Education

4. The Next Generation of Scientists via Good Education: We're obviously nuts about infographics [ read more about that here ] so we lit up when we saw this super informative visual of who the next generation of scientists will be. Check it!

5. A "Zero-Waste" home in San Francisco on PD&D: Find out how one California household cut waste so drastically as to become a national news story. Kudos!

6. Meat Up — The Best of Jerky Week on Fast Company: Did you know it's Jerky Week? Well, it was, at least according to the good folks at one of our favorite business magazines, Fast Company. They had a staffer spend a week profiling the movers and shakers in the big bad world of dried meat. The result: This humorous little slideshow. Chew on that!

7. 12 Examples of Manufacturing/Engineering Twitters Done Right via Design World: Nope, this isn't a humble brag, it's a straight-up boast — we made it on the list of best B2B Twitter accounts in our industry! Thanks to our friends at Design World for the press and the kind words. Click through to read all the highly complimentary words they wrote ... nice way to end the week! Go team!

Credit: Fast Company

8. Would You Let This Robot Valet Fetch Your Car? on Fast Company: We've got robots on our mind again ... we always do, but especially this week with all the action over at the FIRST championships. So we've kept an eye out for interesting robot news. Here's a cool wrap-up of the week in robotics news put together by our go-to entrepreneurial news source, FastCo.

9. How to Correctly Apply Lead Screws in Design World: Even though lots of applications need the rigidity, thrust capacity and extreme accuracy of ball screws, lead screws are pretty adaptable to so many other applications, according to this white paper just published in Design World. Very informative read — give it a whirl!

10. 3-D Printed Jaw Lets 83-Year-Old Eat, Chew and Talk on MSNBC: An octogenarian woman can eat, chew and talk again thanks to an artificial jaw created by one of those super-advanced three-dimensional printers we can't stop jabbering about. Crazy! Now we're making advances in medical science with ... a printer?! Seems almost a misnomer at this point considering all it's apparently able to accomplish!

Champing at the Bot: 2012 FIRST Championship

You scream, I scream, we all scream ... robot! If you've ever attended a FIRST event before, you know exactly what that means — you're walking through the pit and behind you is a team on the move, on its way to the playing field with their robot, and one student leading the pack yells "robot" to clear the way.

The aisles are hustling with people who are on tight schedules but when anyone hears that five letter word, it's a parting of the sea. These students make for a strong community and there's a lot of respect for each other in this highly anticipated game.

Mentors meet with one of our applications engineers to discuss linear and curvilinear motion technologies

Honored to be a part of the 2012 FIRST championship, part of the Bishop-Wisecarver team is onsite this week in St. Louis, Missouri to share in the experience and cover the event. As official Diamond Supplier program sponsors and supporters of three SF Bay Area high schools, we're featured in the lobby with other companies who all share the same passion for supporting STEM initiatives.

We've seen the excitement and know it's a program worth more than just our dollars, but our time and attention. Throughout the day, students stopped by the table to pose with Mo the Linear Guide Wheel and chat with one of our applications engineers.

Students pose with Mo, the Linear Guide Wheel — the Bishop-Wisecarver mascot

When we weren't chatting with students at our supplier showcase table yesterday afternoon, we cruised the bustling arena. Among our many stops, we visited [ team #2949 ]'s pit booth to meet with students who chose DualVee guide wheels to put a turret in motion on their robot.

Team "Pwnage" is unique in that the bunch is made up of students who come from different high schools located all over a suburb near Chicago. Together, they represent the windy city with a cool and go-with-the-flow attitude.

Team #2949 pose for a picture (right) while their robot hits the practice field in high gear (left)

As the team tended to robot maintenance after a successful practice round, high school senior Nick (right) stepped aside to answer a few questions for our blog. Here's what had to say:

Tell us about how you are using DualVee linear guide wheels. We're using the vee bearing wheels on our turret. There's four of them overall, and there's a metal plate on the inside that holds the disk in there. Then we have a belt and pulley that moves the turret around. The bearings keep in smooth and in place — it's really helpful.

Tell us about your experience with FIRST? FIRST is really awesome — it teaches you so many different things about science, technology, engineering and math. I've gotten a lot out of it. Now I'm a senior, and I am going into mechanical engineering at the University of Missouri. It's really cool to learn about all the different things — we learn how to make parts and use computer aided design. To work on a team is really awesome.

Any advice for the other FIRST teams and future participants? Look at as many teams as you can. Look at different things and how people do them differently because knowing how other teams do things will give you different ideas and improve what you're already doing. Definitely plan things out. Don't just jump into something, really think about the game and the design.

Team #2949 used DualVee linear guide wheels to get their turret in motion

If you're at the big event, stop by and visit us in the hall. We're handing out WD40 applicator pens, t-shirts, chocolates and heaps of knowledge on linear and curvilinear motion technologies. For those of you following the championship from home, follow our updates on Twitter.com (@BWCnews).

Application Featurette: Vascular Grafting in Motion with Linear Actuators

CHALLENGE Vascular grafting is a surgical procedure in which a transplanted or prosthetic artery is placed to treat and prevent blood clots. It saves countless lives every day, and it relies on the best linear motion technology available. One of our customers had the challenge of how to build a linear motion setup that could wind vascular grafting material within very exact specifications — precision was key because the material has to last and function after surgery.

APPLICATION The linear actuator guides a tape dispenser around a rotating mandrel to form a precisely measured tube. That tube then gets moved to an oven to bake on the mandrel and harden before it's removed.

SOLUTION Our [ DLS driven linear system ], [ GV3 linear guides ] and [ MCS aluminum profiles ] met the demanding needs of this difficult application. Smooth motion with high precision capabilities are vital for properly stretching and winding the grafting material. The DLS unit, about 1.5 meters long, fit well because of its high-precision ground slides and smooth double-row angular contact bearings. The GV3 parts add motion adjustment to each mandrel to make sure they're uniform. The MCS made up the frame, to make the whole system easier to assemble.

COMPLETE SYSTEMS It's fascinating to see how our customers mix together our product lines to form a custom system — goes to show that the linear and curvilinear motion technologies we offer are building blocks for whatever the design engineer has in mind. Tools that put your creative imagination in motion! An added bonus, in this case, is that the application actually advances medical technology and makes lives better for people all around the world.

SHARE Got another application you'd like to share with us? We're all ears! Email your linear and/or curvinlinear motion application story to jenniferw@bwc.com and it might just get featured here on our blog!

Motion Monday: The Final FIRST Showdown!

THE FINAL SHOWDOWN Wow, it's T-minus two days until the national FIRST showdown in St. Louis, Missouri. Time sure flew fast! During this season, we've kept you up-to-date on our involvement with this national robotics program as a Diamond Supplier, and we've shared some great stories about the students we sponsor at a few high school teams... now for the biggest FIRST event of the year: The championship!

[ Read more of our FIRST coverage here ]

Our marketing team will be there from Wednesday through Saturday this week to document the action — you can follow us on Twitter for real time news this week. We were honored to step up as official program sponsors and additionally supporting three Bay Area high school robotics teams: California High in San Ramon, Middle College High in San Pablo and Heritage High in Brentwood.

Students across the country have spent months perfecting their robots for this week. Only a select number of teams actually made it to the national event, where the competition's bound to be fierce — but all kinds of fun. It's been such a pleasure to learn their stories and share online with you!

Credit: FIRST USA

SUPPORTING STEM The event, which inventor Dean Kamen founded in the early 1990s, is hailed as the ultimate sport for the mind. It's a way to challenge kids to solve problems, invent an actual working robot, develop gracious professionalism, learn how to become leaders, independent thinkers and team players. That's why we've been behind the movement for many years. It's why we donate some of our products, our time and our attention to the players involved.

This week's activities include the FIRST Robotics Competition Championships, the FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship and the FIRST Lego League World Festival in addition to the Junior FIRST Lego League World Festival Expo.

THE CHALLENGE Since it's #MotionMonday, we're turning this preview of what's to come into a fun game. You read for this? Just [ click here ] to download the word search. The first five to win get a free BWC mug! Just email Jenn at jenniferw@bwc.com. All the best!

Adapt or Die — Do Your Skills Pay the Bills?

The job market has been tough for many during the last few years, even longer for some, but in times like these you have to look inward and really challenge what it is you want to do with you career — Where do I want to be? How will I get there? What skills will I need?

Published today in The Seattle Times, staff reporter Sanjay Bhatt reports that manufacturing is propelling the state's job growth. She writes, "The state's manufacturing sector added 14,600 jobs — most of that growth in the Seattle area — over the 12 months ending in March, leading all other sectors, according to data released Wednesday by the Employment Security Department. "

This growth comes from companies like Boeing, big name aerospace corporations who have contributed more than half of the new job opportunities. But this also includes other manufacturers, she points out, who are offering jobs in fabricated metal, machines, food products, electronics and even industrial equipment.

Sharon Swanepoel of the Loganville-Grayson Patch asks, "Is manufacturing making a come back?" She writes that although a local electronics store closed, many residents are keeping positive because the rise in job opportunities through the manufacturing sector look promising. The story includes perspective from a vice president in the steel industry who is actively looking to hire welders and steel fabricators.

But, not everyone is cheerleading for more manufacturing in America. In a guest post by Natalie McCullough on Forbes.com, she explains that although Americans have a romantic connection to manufacturing, the "service sector" is really what is boosting the economy.

"The data reflects an ongoing trend: the evolution of American business into a true service economy. As we look to renew our domestic workforce, bold and successful examples of U.S. companies embracing the service economy may help balance the debate and even encourage one of our 2012 Presidential candidates to change their campaign slogan to, 'It’s the Services, Stupid!'"

Is that really where we should be focusing our efforts? The service industry? She points out that Apple is a "logical example of this concept." The launch of iTunes in 2003 was a big step for the company, pioneering a digital service that many of us couldn't imagine living without now. She advises that this strategy, moving towards a focus on services, is where big companies like IBM are headed. She believes this is what will drive the demand for manufactured goods, the products that need the services we offer.

She leaves the reader with these final thoughts, "As unemployment rates continue to remain near all-time highs, a message of renewal for American jobs could not come at a better time. But if we allow our emotional connection to the manufacturing sector to overshadow the tremendous opportunities our service-based economy offers, we do ourselves a disservice. A stronger, more educated workforce that can deliver advanced services contributes to a healthier economy and in the end is good for the country and the world."

No matter what side of the fence you are on, or whether we become a country of manufacturing or of services, we will all need to focus on improving our skills and abilities.

Bud Wisecarver, founder of Bishop-Wisecarver, has also said that a society will only go so far without its toolmakers. Think about that word — toolmaker. What's in your tool belt? Are you equipped to tackle today? How about tomorrow? Ask yourself, "Do I have the right tools to make things happen?"

In an article posted by Katherine Sharpe on Wired.com, she lists the top ten maker schools you need to take note of — "the schools, proto-universities and DIY collectives" that will help you bone up on the latest and greatest for staying alive in your career.

The number one item listed in her article stands out to us — "Tech Shop" located in a variety of cities including San Francisco. You'll pick up the skills you need in CNC technology, laser cutting, electronics, mircoprogramming, 3D scanning, design software, welding, wood shop, fabrication, textiles and even machining. For just $65 you can take a two hour course on plasma cutter fundamentals.

The resources are out there, and in this day and age, you adapt or die. Will you survive?

— Elizabeth Griffin, Connect on LinkedIn

Motion Monday: That's a Cool Linear Guide Monitor Stand

Let us set the scene ... our creative team is sitting around a big table, discussing a little of this and a lot of that about trade show booths when the time comes for us to decide on a monitor stand. We review some basic options but nothing fits our fancy for fun. 

The specs we had to work with? Shiny metal, moving parts, adjustable heights, storage for electronics... wait! Why don't we just build the best linear guide monitor stand anyone has seen? That aha moment had us all excited about doing something different — a new way to prop up a monitor at a trade show!

After a few conversations with the marketing team and some brainstorming with our company president Pamela Kan, we let our idea loose with a team of engineers. What did they create? We are now the proud marketing team of a low-profile linear slide monitor stand. We showed it off at the Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening trade show in southern California earlier this year, and we had a great time talking about it with show goers. People even contributed some fun ideas for future linear guide stands!

[ LoPro is our line of linear actuators based on DualVee Motion Technnology ] ...and they're smooth, quiet and come in all kinds of custom lengths and options. The specs for this application were simple, though — we just needed a few feet of the chain-driven variety. According to one of our project engineers, Brian Burke, a LoPro unit of this kind was well-suited for this application because it's a product that's easy to customize.

"LoPro is ideal for integration into custom motion solutions such as this monitor stand," Burke explained. "This LoPro is a modified chain-driven version with no output shaft on the drive end and an internal counterweight on the chain to balance the weight of the monitor and all support equipment. We also designed a customized chain coupler with extended length to accommodate the spring-loaded pin stop for locking the vertical position of the carriage." Total awesomeness! Simple but sophisticated.

LoPro provides a great foundation for so many applications, he said, and makes for a very sturdy, very durable monitor stand. "LoPro is a versatile platform to base your application specific customizations," Burke said. 

OK, now it's time to see what you're made of! We made a word search puzzle based on the words included in this article. Give it another quick read to prep for this week's #MotionMonday challenge. Need an answer key? Email us at jenniferw@bwc.com. Best of luck, friends!

[ Click here to download the word search puzzle ]

Top 10 Twitter Posts — Week 15: Creative Manufacturing, STEM and Why It's Called 'Rocket Science'

It's Friday the 13th — did you check your superstitions at the door and clock in to work today anyway? Apparently, a lot of people call in sick on days like this out of fear for an unlucky work day. We braved it, though, and had a productive, conversation-filled day. Just like the rest of the week. You can jump in on the chitchat at @BWCnews.com. Enjoy your weekend!

Credit: NY Times

1. The Promise of Today's Factory Jobs in the New York Times: There's an uptick in manufacturing work, according to this article, which spotlights a Milwaukee manufacturer that recently added 100 jobs, a bellwether of the economy as a whole. Good news, good read!

2. Creative Manufacturing Network on creativemanufacturing.net: Here's a novel site we stumbled upon on Twitter this week. It's a network that aims to promote creativity in manufacturing, "to rekindle a sense of pride in American manufacturing" with digital technology like animations, videos, modeling, cloud computer, motion graphics and simulation. Cool concept — and a nicely designed website, we might add!

3. The STEM Blog at blog.stemconnector.org: We've followed @STEMconnector on Twitter for a while now, but it wasn't until just recently that we stopped by their blog. It's a good place to catch up on who's up to what in the world of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Check it out!

4. Which Logo Would You Choose for the 'Made in America' Movement? on themadeinamericamovement.com: The polls close at midnight, but until then you can cast your vote on what graphic best works for the "Made in America" movement. Neat that they're letting everyone weigh in!

5. Robots Use Self-Sculpting Sand to Duplicate Objects on ThomasNet.com: It sounds crazy, but some MIT researchers have found out how to use what they call "self-sculpting sand" to duplicate objects, or turn them into something else. Like a hammer into a wrench. It's a whole new way to recycle things. Click the link to read more about how it works.

Credit: KQED

6. There's a Reason it's Called 'Rocket Science' on KQED: Another failed North Korean rocket launch inspired this article on why the science and technology of missile and rocket launches are so hard to get right.

7. Browsing the Internet Makes You More Productive in the Wall Street Journal: Well, well, well ... so this explains how one can post a flurry of comments, links and what-have-you on a litany of social media channels and still get some work done.

8. Super Tall Guy's Amusing Costume on LaughingSquid.com: Nothing particularly relevant to manufacturing, but we got a chuckle out of this 7-foo-tall dude's short-guy-on-stilts get-up.

9. Some Changes to Our Website on www.bwc.com: We try to keep our site up to date as much as possible. Sometimes, it's the little things that make all the difference. Can you spot some recent additions to the home page? Lookin' good, isn't it?

10. Fun Reading for Friday the 13 via Industrial Extension Service: Did you know that an estimated billions of dollars are lost every year because people fear Friday the 13th? Crazy, right? There's more interesting tidbits if you click through there. We, for certain, didn't feel unlucky today!

Motion Monday — A (Cyclist's) Cinderella Story

Bonnie's the one in the middle in the righthand photo.

BRAVING THE RAIN Bonnie Flansburg is no stranger to a tough ride. The Bishop-Wisecarver accounts receivable clerk has been an avid road bicyclist for nearly two decades. But our ears perked up when we heard that she rode against especially strong headwinds in a relentless downpour one recent weekend for an event she does every year, the all-ladies Cinderella ride. We had to give her a proper public shout-out for her tenacity!

Bonnie, who's been with BWC for five years this coming April 23, has competed in the 60-plus-mile race for the past 16 years — minus one when her daughter had a baby shower. But the 2012 race, put on by Bay Area bike group the Valley Spokesmen, proved the toughest yet because of the harsh elements, she said.

"There was cold wind and rain just pelting down the entire time," she said. "But if you look at who's in the ride, you'll notice there are a lot of women from all walks of life, a lot of them older than me who had finished. It's just having the fortitude to know you're going to make it to the finish line — that's what it's all about."

TOUGHER DAYS BEHIND HER Challenging as it was, the Cinderella ride wasn't Bonnie's hardest day on a bike, she said. That would've been 10 years ago, on day two of a ride from Dublin, Calif., to Yosemite, about 200 miles over three days. 

"It took so much to keep going," she said. "But I worked through it and it got a little easier."

Her longest ride? The Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. Dubbed RAGBRAI for short, it's a week long ride across 468 miles of Midwest roads. And Bonnie finished it last year.

IN IT FOR THE LONG HAUL Bonnie said she doesn't plan to quit anytime soon. She got into riding after seeing her friends cruise a course that took them over some steep California hills several years ago. At the time it seemed she'd never be able to keep up with them. But today, Bonnie and her group, the Delta Pedalers, ride those same hills — no longer insurmountable. 

"Biking is my meditation, my therapy," she told us. "I definitely don't plan to stop anytime soon."

BIKE TO WORK While we're on the topic of Bonnie's athletic hobby, national Bike to Work Day comes up on May 10, a Thursday. And as we penned this blog today, we actually got a packet in the mail about it. Coincidence? For more info on the cause, go to their website at www.sfbike.org.

MOTION MONDAY CHALLENGE And now, since it's our weekly #MotionMonday post, here's the challenge: Re-read the article for key words, then try to find them in [ today's crossword puzzle ] If you need an answer key, email us at jenniferw@bwc.com. Good luck and have fun!

Top 10 Twitter Posts — Week 14: Facebook Privacy, Skeletons in the Closet and Reality-Augmenting Eyewear

We love this time of week — when we get to revisit all of our Twitter fun. And a lot of it came from you, our fellow tweeps whose links, quips and feedback kept us engaged and interested through the work week. It's a fun job staying in touch with all of you. Here's what blinked on our radar screen since Monday. We're off for a three-day weekend, so the conversation will die down a little, but come next week, follow the twitter talk @BWCnews!

1. Wake-Up Call About Facebook Privacy on cultofmac.com: When you "check in" to a location on Facebook, that info's publicly available unless you specified otherwise in your privacy settings. This article talks about how this one app called "Girls Around Me" mines your FourSquare and Facebook check-ins to broadcast your location to the app's users. Maybe you knew, maybe you didn't. If anything, here's a wake-up call to think twice before announcing to the world where you're hanging out. If that app falls into the wrong hands ... well, so could you. What do you think?

Wikipedia

2. We're Fools for Being Number One on pamelakan.blogspot.com: BWC President Pamela Kan talks about the United State's dubious distinction of having the highest corporate tax rate in the world. Your thoughts? Check out the comments on her blog and tell us what you think.

3. Yale Offers Free Online Courses on yale.edu: It's a trend a lot of big-name higher ed institutions are following — sharing their courses online for free to anyone willing to sign up. It's neat to see education becoming so democratized in the Internet age, even if it doesn't come with the same diploma at the end. The content is there for all to use!

4. Tips for Building a Successful G+ Brand Page on Vocus.com: We're all still figuring out how to use the (relatively) new social media platform here, so we welcome any new tips about how to make the most of it marketing-wise. Here's a helpful article we found through Vocus.

5. Scissor Spider Sculptures on LaughingSquid.com: No news here, just a cool link to some eccentric arachnid sculptures made from repurposed scissors. Super cool and kinda creepy!

Credit: Andrea Baldeck

6. Skeletons in the Closet Get Their Star Turn via Discover Magazine: A photographer went behind the scenes at a German medical museum and snapped some super fascinating photos of odd medical devices, instruments, specimens, textbooks and illustrations. It's all compiled in a recently published book titled Bones, Books and Bell Jars.


7. Ten Industries Bouncing Back on MSN Money: Government reports of lower unemployment claims suggest the economy's bouncing back. Here's an easy-to-read summary of which industries are driving that recovery and why.

8. Packaging Made of Mushrooms on Packaging World: Biomaterials are becoming more and more common in the packaging world. One new form, we learned this week, is a material made from mushrooms grown using agricultural waste. Low-tech innovation!

9. Former McLain Basketball Standout — Johnny Craven — Recalls Great Games Against Hornets on the Tulsa World Sports Extra: Our Machine Shop Foreman Johnny Craven got quoted in a newspaper earlier in the week. Didn't realize until then he was a basketball superstar back in the day! Go Craven!

10. Google Releases Preview of Augmented Reality Glasses on io9.com: More news to remind us that we're living in the future, you guys. Google launched a prototype of some smart glasses that "augment reality" much in the way a smart phone does with scanner apps. Super sleek!

Linear and Curvilinear Guided Technology Lecture at UC Berkeley

GUEST LECTURE Students at UC Berkeley in Mechanical Engineering got to hear from working engineers this week — ours, to be specific! Senior Project Engineer Ariel Oriel and our Vice President of Engineering, Ali Jabbari, spoke to a class of engineering students about linear and curvilinear motion technologies.

Ariel, who's been with Bishop-Wisecarver for more than 10 years, opened the lecture with a conversation about our company history and a general overview of motion guidance technology. He explained the different types of guidance systems, pointing out their pros and cons, benefits, uses and options. What are the best linear guides? That depends on your specifications, he explained.



Why were we there? Within a month's time, the students have to assemble a classroom project using motion control products. So the lecture was aimed at helping them better understand the technologies available and how to determine what kind is best suited for certain application types.

"Basically, we help you figure out how to move from point A to point B," Ariel said during the lecture on Tuesday, April 3. "There is a whole world of linear guides ... you should first become familiar with what's out there."

During his presentation, students examined and passed around a few show n' tell demos — we brought with us a lead screw driven LoPro linear guide, a belt driven low profile linear slide and a ball screw driven linear actuator version. Ariel also described the traits and application uses of chain-driven, motorized and electrically driven linear guide systems.



Ali's portion of the lecture dove into more granular details, including calculation examples. Several students asked questions pertaining to their upcoming projects.

"It's good for them to hear from people who do this for a living because they get a lot of theory in class," said UC Berkeley Adjunct Professor George Anwar, a former classmate and colleague of Ali's. "This shows them the more practical side."

INTERNSHIPS The lecture turned into an informal recruitment for our about-to-launch internship program — oh yes, a sneak peek at something big! Students who took time to speak with Ali and Ariel after class asked many questions about our internship program, which we plan to launch this summer. For more about the upcoming internships [ click here ]

Motion Monday: A Lesson in Lean

LEAN MEAN MANUFACTURING MACHINE When we hired our new VP of Manufacturing Aldo DeAmicis this spring, part of what drew us to him was his varied expertise, particularly in lean manufacturing. The newest addition to our leadership team recently gave us a presentation about the basics of lean manufacturing. During the talk, he broke the topic down to five key points and a brief summary.

WHAT IS LEAN MANUFACTURING? Basically, it's cutting waste — all types of it. That means maximizing efficiency by strategically allocating resources, making the most of physical space, recycling old material and assigning employees to jobs that match their strengths and skill sets. It's a way of life for more and more manufacturers — and more businesses in general. It's a business philosophy that's increasingly gaining traction in the U.S. and across the globe.

THE FIVE 'S' LIST A lot of industry types break down the lean manufacturing doctrine into a list of five 'S' words, which we'll list here — just one of many methodologies used in the whole lean manufacturing experience (we'll be focusing on each of the tools in future blogs). Aldo referred to this same table during his presentation last week to sum up the foundation of lean.

[ SORT ] Separate what items you need and which ones you don't.

[ SET IN ORDER ] Find a place for all items absolutely necessary to getting the job done.

[ SHINE ] Keep the workplace, materials and tools in tip-top shape — clean and in working condition.

[ STANDARDIZE ] Come up with a set of standards to ensure optimal conditions and productivity.

[ SUSTAIN ] Manage and maintain that performance.

MOTION MONDAY CHALLENGE Now, time for a word search based on the above post. Flex your mental muscles, give this blog another quick read, [ print out the PDF ] and give it a go! Need an answer key? Just ask us to send one your way: jenniferw@bwc.com. All the best and happy #MotionMonday!

Video Highlights from MDMwest by Design World

We are proud to have been featured online by Design World in the 2012 MDMwest coverage.

Created by www.DesignWorldOnline.com: This video highlights product demonstrations as presented by Bishop-Wisecarver at WestPack 2012 (the MDMwest show by UBM Canon). The demos featured in the video below show a medical industry imaging application with a simulated camera package and a model heart as the subject target. This application utilizes 180-degree ring segments of HepcoMotion PRT2 product line mounted to linear guides from the LoPro product line. The video also showcases the DualVee washdown wheel in a high pressure water spray environment. The washdown wheel is an ideal solution for the food packaging and processing industries. Check out more video coverage on Design World.