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Obama Talks American Manufacturing and Exports at Boeing

During Friday’s visit to the Boeing plant in Everett, WA, President Barack Obama praised the Boeing 787 Dreamliner as a prime example of what American manufacturing can accomplish. The Dreamliner’s advanced technology and its success in the market symbolize what the United States has to offer in manufacturing, the president said. “American workers have never been more productive. And companies …

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Software Engineers – Let’s Get Them in the Game!

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Does anyone remember the day when software engineers were off in the corner working on their projects, isolated from other engineering groups? It doesn’t seem that long ago that the silos of engineering software vs hardware (mechanical and electrical) were as separate and isolated as Red Sox and Yankees fans!  Let’s face it, the time is now to invite software …

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Innovation Behind GE’s Re-Shoring Drive

Immelt and President Obama visit GE plant (White House photo)

Each week brings a new report or press release announcing a new government or commercial commitment to bring manufacturing back to the US. With unemployment still at historical highs, and commodity and energy prices breaking new records each year, it’s no wonder that global manufacturers are taking another look at their products and the infrastructure required to design, develop, and …

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Going the Distance: Is the Super Battery a Reality for Next-Generation Autos?

bmw-activehybrid-5-engine

“Battery power has greater potential to positively alter the future of American competitiveness – and American freedom – than any other technology in the 21st century.” That’s what David Benjamin of Design News recently wrote in his article: “Superbattery: The Next Great Triumph of Engineering.” The promises of the super battery (also known as the lithium-ion battery) for use in …

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On Valentine’s Day: A Brief History of the Mechanical Heart

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Love, the unmapped genome of human emotion. It’s right up there with dark matter and whatever it is that makes peanut butter so delicious. We may never be able to reverse-engineer a concept so intangible. But today, we can do a pretty good job of reconstructing the mechanics of the human heart. The first mechanical heart is also one of …

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Nokia Follows Apple, Relocates Manufacturing to Asia

Apple-Factory

Finland-based Nokia Corp. announced today that it will discontinue assembly of its cellphones in Europe by end of 2012 and move production to Asia in order to better compete with the likes of Apple and Motorola. Nokia officials said the move made sense given that “labor costs, land costs and other associated costs are so much lower in Asia.” The …

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How Top Companies Make Sustainability Profitable

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A recent global study from MIT Sloan Management Review and The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) shows that sustainability is gaining traction. Thirty-one percent of respondents to the study said sustainability is contributing to their profits, and 70 percent have placed sustainability permanently on their management agendas. Also read “5 Ways 2011 Changed the Way You Engineer” So why has sustainability …

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Social Product Development – What’s the True ROI?

Web 2.0 is everywhere, and social business software is quickly moving into the enterprise, but is there real value? What’s the ROI for a manufacturing company whose product development team is pumping out new product innovations every day? Social Product Development is what happens when you combine Web 2.0 and product development – but how do you justify an investment …

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MIT Recruiters Seek Out FIRST Robotics Students

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Ever wondered what it takes to get into MIT? I recently caught up with Dr. McGreggor Crowley, admissions director at MIT, to find out. Turns out hands-on robotics experience is a great start: Why is MIT interested in FIRST Robotics? At the competitions we’re surrounded by the world’s best and brightest in robotics, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and systems design. …

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Cool Characters: Engineers Take On Global Warming

Courtesy of NASA

A narrow hose made of composite fibers rises 18 miles over the Arctic. Supported by V-shaped balloons, it sprays 34 gallons per minute of sulfur dioxide into the earth’s stratosphere. Slowly, the aerosol reflects the sun’s rays back into space. The temperature cools. The Arctic ice stops melting. Sea levels stabilize, no longer threatening to rise and wipe out coastal …

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