Space is becoming an increasingly attractive venue and staging area for the work of companies across the business landscape, which necessitates the manufacture and development of space-bound craft, goods, and more. Let’s take a look at how exactly space manufacturing has become a bigger player across myriad industries today.

The rise in interest and spending for space manufacturing throughout the decade, particularly in North America, has been strongly linked to the defence sector. Demand for space manufacturing has been driven by the desire of countries like the United States and Canada to bolster their defence spending and positioning by creating and launching more satellites and networks. These networks aim to increase surveillance, create secure communications, establish positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT), and more, with the goal of keeping countries secure and on the cutting edge of the latest technologies.

Other developments in the field are more closely tied to the needs of consumers. For instance, the market is seeing an increased focus on direct-to-device (D2D) technology, an ever-evolving practice that would allow unmodified cellular devices on Earth to communicate directly with satellites orbiting the planet without the need for an intermediary (i.e., a cell tower). Names like Starlink, AST SpaceMobile, and Lynk Global are seeking partnerships with wireless carriers to make D2D a viable reality.

Further tied to general technological advancement is the prospect of AI data centres based in space, although this idea is still in the conceptual phase. The construction of data centres to support AI-based technology is a top concern today, but there’s only so much ground to be broken and cooling technology to go around. Orbiting data centres would not only allow these facilities to be built off-planet but could also bring new solutions to the great amount of cooling they require.

In a piece for Science Focus, Jonathan O’Callaghan says that, “The desire for better products—and the fortunes that can come with them—is the driving force behind the emerging in-space manufacturing industry.” O’Callaghan also says that one of the draws of in-space manufacturing is the lack of gravity, which can allow for new ways of manufacturing that could be more successful than those on the planet when freed from Earth-bound physics. This could mean big advancements for areas like pharmaceuticals and computer chips, both of which are in higher demand than ever before.

There are many players of varying size in space manufacturing, perhaps none more famous than Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (more colloquially known as SpaceX). Founded by CEO Elon Musk in 2002, SpaceX has grown to become both a market and thought leader when it comes to outer space, especially given Musk’s grandiose plans in the wake of new development and cash flow in the space manufacturing sector. On August 4, Musk announced that the company plans to build automated factories on the Moon to support its ongoing venture in creating its Starmind brand of AI satellites. These factories are speculated to be powered by Optimus, a humanoid robot created by Musk’s other worldwide brand, Tesla, which is slated to become commercially available by the end of next year.

In a piece for Space.com, Mike Wall reports that SpaceX was valued at $1.77 trillion at its June initial public offering (IPO), and that its revenue for the second quarter of 2026 reached $7.8 billion. In light of the June launch of its Starfall capsule, a craft built to return payloads from orbit to Earth, as well as the company’s plans for a Moon-based factory and its efforts to increase payloads and shorten launch times, SpaceX will likely be a huge player in the industry for the remainder of the decade and beyond.

Beyond the largest players are other medium-to-large manufacturers that are also bringing a lot to the table. One such company is Rocket Lab, an American manufacturer of launch vehicles, spacecraft, and satellite components based in Long Beach, California. The company’s rockets of varying size are commonly used in the industry and sit comfortably in the middle of the market, between more expensive and smaller launch craft. As such, it has had the opportunity to create spacecraft for other industry leaders like Varda Space Industries, with its Pioneer line providing power, communication, and more for Varda’s reentry capsules.

Space is certainly a place where anyone can chase an idea or a fortune, and although American companies tend to dominate the news cycle, Canadian outfits are creating just as much noise. Ontario-based MDA Space inaugurated a high-volume satellite manufacturing facility in Montreal in May of this year as it continues to secure its place among the world’s major satellite manufacturers.

A perhaps unexpected part of Canada that is burgeoning in the space manufacturing sector is the Maritimes, on the country’s East Coast. This is thanks to companies like Maritime Launch Services (MLS), which is developing Spaceport Nova Scotia near Canso, backed by a 10-year, $200 million lease agreement with the federal government through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA). Once fully developed, Spaceport Nova Scotia will be home to rocket launches on Canada’s East Coast, bringing more traffic and attention to a region often considered sleepier than the centres of Ontario and Quebec.

In September, MLS finalized the terms of its agreement with German company Isar Aerospace to create a dedicated launch complex at Spaceport Nova Scotia. Isar recently achieved the first successful orbital launch by a commercial company from Western European soil (Norway, specifically), and this agreement will help it build a greater foothold in the West. Perched on the Atlantic coast, the spaceport can support both high-inclination and polar trajectories over the ocean, in turn creating a potential route to space for companies interested in bypassing more globalized launch networks.

Developments like these come on the heels of the federal government’s, under Prime Minister Mark Carney, committing $182.6 million over three years in its 2025 budget to increase Canada’s launch capacity. In a piece for Invest Nova Scotia, Jonathan Coles says that Nova Scotia’s growing role in space is aided by the research capabilities of the Dalhousie Space Systems Lab (DSS) at Dalhousie University in Halifax. DSS, in conjunction with MDA and the Canadian Space Agency, was behind LORIS, the first satellite designed, built, and tested in Atlantic Canada, which was later deployed from the International Space Station.

Coles says that Nova Scotia checks a lot of boxes for space-based companies looking to invest in the province—namely, existing launch infrastructure, ready and willing partners that can supply a pipeline of talent, and a cost-effective environment conducive to innovation. As Coles puts it, “[Nova Scotia] has entered a new era of space innovation.”

We may still be far away from classic sci-fi dreams like the flying car, but manufacturing in and around space is no dream. Many companies are taking their operations to the heavens with plans and products that are certainly exciting, both in their novelty and in how they reflect current realities. To paraphrase the great “Macho Man” Randy Savage, when considering the new frontier where innovation and big business are looking to thrive, space is the place.

The post The New Space Race<p class="company">Manufacturing for the Final Frontier</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

As Asheville experienced downtown revitalization and population growth, the EDC helped position the region for long-term economic competitiveness. Over time, the EDC implemented a five-year collaborative economic development strategy to help guide the region’s efforts to advance economic prosperity.

The EDC is bound by five key strategies to meet its goals. The first is retaining and expanding manufacturing in the area, a classic cornerstone of the area’s economic fortunes. Second is targeted industry recruitment to bring workers and job-makers to the area and help increase wages in strategic growth sectors. Third is entrepreneurial strategy, especially through initiatives like Venture Asheville and programs like the Optimist Ventures Accelerator, both of which look to marry world-class mentorship with capital to benefit start-ups. EDC Executive Director, Clark Duncan, says that the EDC has been engaged in this kind of work for half its lifetime and describes entrepreneurship as economic gardening for the headquarters of tomorrow.

The two final EDC strategies are workforce development and economic research. As a relatively prosperous county, Buncombe wants to expand economic participation through strategic thinking with its grassroots partners to close the gaps that prevent people from seizing economic opportunities for themselves. For its efforts, EDC has been awarded accreditation and notable distinctions like being named Economic Development Organization of the Year by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), in August 2026.

The EDC’s strategies will continue to be put to good use as the coalition has begun its five-year plan, AVL5X5 for 2030, this year. The plan outlines priorities for various industry clusters, workforce needs, goals for infrastructure, and business attraction strategies. It also represents a more disciplined approach to economic development activities for the coalition. AVL5X5 will aim to have an impact on the areas of Western North Carolina served by the EDC and bring more business attention to the area.

Certainly, there is a lot to be found in the area if one looks closer. “We have generational strength in our workforce, tied to the automotive and aerospace industries,” Duncan says of Asheville-Buncombe County’s ongoing workforce strengths in precision machining. The region is within a 45- to 90-minute drive of major auto industry figures like BMW, Nissan, and Volkswagen and has also seen a 65 percent growth in aircraft parts manufacturing in the last decade thanks to multinational employers like GE Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney. The mountains of Western North Carolina, despite being challenging terrain for some, offer between 10- and 100-acre land parcels for potential businesses looking to tap into the talent of the region.

Along with its growing reputation as a destination for the arts, travel, and outdoor adventure, Asheville has enjoyed a string of economic success stories throughout its decades. From locally headquartered manufacturers like AVL Technologies and Poppy Handcrafted Popcorn to multinational investment in power generation, medical device, automotive, and aerospace innovation, the region is focused on what comes next.

In recent years, the economic trajectory of the region has been fueled by the investments of jet-engine maker, Pratt & Whitney. In what remains the largest project announcement in the state of North Carolina west of Charlotte, the company pledged to build a turbine airfoil manufacturing facility in the prestigious Biltmore Park West Development, constructing a 1.2-million-square-foot facility on a 100-acre site in just under two years.

This commitment helped Asheville and Buncombe County open a 900-acre commercial, industrial, and research park, while Pratt & Whitney has gone on to exceed its investment, job-count promise, and prevailing wage rate. To date, the company has invested more than $1 billion in the state-of-the-art facility and employs over 1,000 residents of the region. Duncan attributes this success to both the availability of talent in the necessary fields (STEM, engineering, production) and an innovative partnership of six regional community colleges and the successful training programs of Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College.

An exciting stop on the community’s road ahead is the announcement of the Futures Factory in Summer of 2026. The 70,000-square-foot facility will serve as a regional hub for industry innovation and an advanced manufacturing workforce training center. Dr. John Gossett, President of the Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, has been a leader in the efforts to make this vision a reality. According to Gossett, 25 percent of the space will offer customized training for new and expanding industry, with the remaining area used for leading manufacturers to access research and development and the expertise of the statewide post-secondary institutions to solve complex problems and remain competitive in the face of changing technological and global pressures.

As a signature proposal of the AVL 5×5 Plan, the Futures Factory represents an investment of around $45 million, with construction given a 2030 deadline to coincide with the timeline of the economic strategy. The Futures Factory will be a powerful tool for industry retention and recruitment and will help the area’s manufacturing workplaces modernize and adopt globally competitive practices like AI, robotics, cybersecurity, and more.

The Futures Factory will provide an opportunity for manufacturers to come to the area to create their product with a lot of help to call on, Gossett says. “Manufacturing is a part of who we are, a foundation of our past and a cornerstone of our future.”

This is a time of demographic shifts and challenges both nationally and globally, a state that was further exacerbated by the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, even during the most difficult times, the area has been able to rally thanks to the efforts of the EDC and partners in the public and private sectors with a shared ambition to grow economic prosperity for the mountainous region.

2026 marks the two-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene, a tropical cyclone that struck the area in September 2024. In the ensuing time, seven industry expansions have been announced in Asheville and Buncombe County, from worldwide employers like GE Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney, to locally headquartered manufacturers like Southeastern Container and East Fork. In total, these announcements represent an aggregate of over $400 million in new capital investment and over 800 net new jobs in advanced manufacturing, demonstrating strong confidence in the region.

In addition, the Asheville Regional Airport, the third-busiest airport in the state of North Carolina, is in the process of doubling its size and growing direct flight service. With construction expected to conclude by end of 2027, this ongoing expansion will double the square footage of the terminal and double the number of gates, facilitating even more travel for business and residents.

To be sure, industry growth and investment in the Asheville-Buncombe County area shows no signs of slowing down. As the county continues to navigate economic and demographic shifts, the EDC’s work remains essential to sustaining the region’s momentum and ensuring that its prosperity extends community-wide. From attracting major advanced manufacturing investments and strengthening workforce development to supporting local entrepreneurs and helping established businesses evolve, the EDC’s approach reflects a recognition that lasting economic growth depends on more than individual projects or investment announcements; it requires a coordinated effort to connect businesses with the talent, infrastructure, research, and resources they need to compete and grow in a rapidly changing global economy.

EDC Board Chair, Carol Nguyen Steen, notes that economic development was top of mind for the region, its elected leadership, industry leaders, and education partners in the drafting of the most recent iteration of the AVL 5×5 Strategy. As Vice President for the legacy community development and real estate firm, Biltmore Farms LLC, Steen underscores how regional assets, talent, and investment come together to drive economic opportunity and make a better tomorrow for the area.

As a local, she believes that the culture of trust and unity within Asheville and Buncombe County is unlike any other, adding that the EDC collaborates with multiple organizations across the county to both overcome economic challenges as well as seize opportunities unique to the region. “The value of people working together is so understood in this community,” she says.

Initiatives like AVL5X5 and the Futures Factory will help lay the groundwork for that next phase of development, positioning the region to embrace emerging technologies while building on its longstanding manufacturing strengths. Just as importantly, the partnerships that have helped Asheville-Buncombe County weather economic uncertainty and recover from significant challenges demonstrate the value of a community working toward shared goals. With new investment taking shape, established industries continuing to expand, and opportunities emerging for the next generation of businesses and workers, the region is building on its history while preparing for what lies ahead.

The post Strategizing for the Future<p class="company">Economic Development Coalition for Asheville-Buncombe County, North Carolina</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

Many of the more recent technological advances in the packaging industry tend to fall under the heading of smart packaging, an umbrella term that indicates packaging materials and methods outfitted with modern technology such as tracking and identification. Long-established technologies like QR (quick response) codes, RFID (radio frequency identification) tags, and moisture-controlling silica gel packets are still being used widely for these purposes, while newer innovations like spoilage indicators for food packaging are beginning to see greater adoption. These smart packaging staples work in concert, adding even more tools that can provide more detailed and up-to-date information for clients and receivers.

As much as hardware solutions like these are creating new and exciting opportunities for packaging as they are further established, AI (artificial intelligence) is a software innovation with incredible reach that is making as much of an impact for packages as it is in practically every other sector worldwide. Often, AI works in tandem with these established hardware devices and seeks to make them more diverse and more effective. This AI incursion into the market is also visible on the consumer end, as a customer’s packaging experience can now have a greater degree of customization to more accurately match demographic data within the consumer base. Manufacturers are also seeing the benefits of AI technology in the form of more detailed predictive analytics that can determine the best ways to use packaging materials.

The packaging industry at large cannot help but notice the latest developments in AI technology. A blog post for website Packaging Labelling says that packaging systems powered by AI “have positioned the packaging industry in a totally different dimension through their advanced capabilities.” For example, AI-powered robotics are now allowing packaging manufacturers to move through typical processes more quickly without sacrificing factory-style precision. The systems behind these robotics are also now built with predictive maintenance in mind, so that automation can foresee and eliminate problems before they start, minimizing downtime caused by maintenance. Packaging Labelling says that machine learning—meaning AI models able to grow their knowledge database over time, similar to how human brains learn—is allowing businesses to handle greater demand in a way that doesn’t cause problems down the line.

Perhaps as much as these types of technology are bringing new solutions to modern packaging, sustainability is the other pillar influencing both manufacturers and clients alike. More than ever before, both customers and government initiatives are calling on packaging manufacturers to consider more environmentally friendly alternatives to typical materials and approaches. An article from German packaging and processing trade fair Interpack says that materials like paper and cardboard are beginning to come back into favour for creating packages. This is because fibrous materials like these can be modified to a greater degree than others, especially against the elements and other outside interference, and are far more recyclable than contemporary alternatives.

There has been a shift within the industry toward more Earth-friendly, naturally occurring materials, creating both a resurgence of and demand for what are called mono-materials: single-source resources used to create packaging, such as those mentioned by Interpack (i.e. paper, wood, glass). These mono-materials are becoming preferable, in an environmental sense, to composite packaging materials like aluminum or those mixed together from various plastic sources. While these composites have been very useful for decades, they do not recycle nearly as easily as mono-materials do, although multi-materials still offer superior protection for now. Their lack of reusability is problematic when it comes to both what consumers are looking for today and increasingly strict environmental policies being adopted around the world in the name of protecting Earth’s natural resources and the human way of life.

Generally speaking, single-use plastic packaging is being passed over, culturally at least, in favour of solutions that involve materials from natural sources. A blog post for Flint Group Packaging Solutions says that plastic waste contributes significantly to pollution. This is why the industry is not only reconsidering the materials it works with but pivoting toward alternative packaging solutions like barrier coatings. Barrier coatings are thin layers of consumables made to resist external factors that a package can encounter, from moisture and grease to oxygen and vapour.

“[Barrier coatings] help to improve the durability and functionality of packaging materials,” says Flint Group, allowing natural-based packaging solutions to stand up to the elements while remaining recyclable, biodegradable, and easy to compost.

Another specific practice aimed at sustainability that is getting more notice in packaging circles is lightweighting: the use of small amounts of material to create lighter packaging that performs at the same level as heavy-duty products serving the same function. A blog post for packaging manufacturer Fords says that minimizing the weight and volume of packaging “can significantly reduce carbon emissions… where lighter packaging translates into lower fuel consumption and more efficient transportation.” Lighter versions of packaging products made from metal, glass, and plastic are helping to cut down on energy and water usage in the industry, as well as carbon dioxide emissions, without sacrificing the ability to recycle them or the durability of such products.

There is no shortage of growing conversations to keep up with, and one way to take the temperature of the industry’s biggest concerns and updates comes with the annual Pack Expo, taking place this October in Chicago, Illinois. Thousands of attendees, along with hundreds of exhibitors, will be immersing themselves in the latest topics of concern to the industry. This year’s talking points include the use of AI to navigate international tariffs and supply chain issues, as well as high-pressure processing, a type of preservation process available to manufacturers, and various topics further discussing the evolving policies and practices of an already-burgeoning market segment. These subjects are grouped into broader categories that aim to drill down into areas like robotics, food and beverage, and industry-wide concerns, and the conversations will continue to power the momentum of packaging innovation as the year winds down.

Packaging is just one of the countless sectors worldwide looking to embrace change and stay at the forefront of developments that can make manufacturing easier and more efficient. Continued movement toward embracing both cutting-edge technology and environmentally friendly manufacturing will likely serve the millions around the world who rely on packaged goods from retailers of every size, from global giants like Amazon to more localized operations. This will not only benefit manufacturers, but perhaps more importantly, it will help ensure that customers continue to receive their packaged goods in a timelier and safer manner than ever before.

The post Smarter Options for Packaging<p class="company">How Technology and Sustainability are Reshaping Shipping</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

A digital twin is a virtual replica or representation of a physically existing product, system, or process. Its main function is to synchronize directly with the physical object through the use of real-time data (powered through IoT-enabled devices) and provide a more up-to-date status on it than a mere simulation. A digital twin can be defined under three sub-types: digital twin prototype (DTP), the various designs and processes that make up the physical product; digital twin instance (DTI), a digital replica for each instance of the finally-realized product; and digital twin aggregate (DTA), the collection of DTIs that can be used to further investigate information about the physical product.

Digital twin technology has roots that go all the way back to NASA’s Apollo program in the 1960s, when unprecedented incidents like that involving Apollo 13 necessitated up-to-date information on its various systems. The term “digital twin” was originated by NASA in 2010, although the concept slowly gained recognition and usage in the decades following the 1960s. The idea as it is understood today came to life in 2002, thanks to Dr. Michael Grieves at the University of Michigan who brought what would become the modern concept into public understanding.

Today, an idea decades in the making is fast becoming a new industry hot button. In a piece for IBM, Nick Gallagher says that digital twins are now seeing widespread industry adoption: “Roughly 75 percent of businesses employ [digital twins] in some capacity.” Furthermore, 92 percent of companies that use digital twins report returns above 10 percent, and over half report at least a 20 percent investment return, says Gallagher.

In the last two decades, the manufacturing industry began to extend the digital twin concept to fit the entirety of its processes. Today, digital twins can be used for the benefit of processes like inventory management, lean manufacturing, crash avoidance, preventative maintenance, and more.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the ways digital twin technology can excel in manufacturing companies, starting with predictive maintenance. Most digital twin systems offer as close to a real-time representation of a product as possible, which can go far in determining if any piece of a product is under-performing or in need of replacement. A blog post for Visual Components says that digital twins are a further extension of virtual commissioning, a process that allows manufacturers to catch issues before they become problems. “With a digital twin, virtual commissioning becomes an ongoing process rather than a one-time test,” the post says, because of its ability to allow for real-time monitoring, further enhancing the ability to anticipate and fix issues before they happen.

The benefits of digital twins for manufacturing do not stop there. According to a blog post for dataPARC, using a digital twin to take a proactive approach to product maintenance can not only reduce costs by avoiding repairs but also extend the usage of a piece of equipment, fine-tuning it for optimal performance. “Manufacturers can simulate different scenarios to identify the most efficient operational parameters,” says the post, which can lead to savings on energy and physical usage, and improvement in product quality.

Innovations like the digital twin can be used in tandem with workers to help them also become more effective. A digital twin can be used for training purposes, allowing newer employees to explore a product or aspect of a manufacturer’s business, even testing worst-case scenarios to better understand how to react to them. digitalParc also says that a manufacturer that spends money on a digital twin for its workplace can potentially even use the inclusion to market itself to prospective workers and to the general public, showing that it is firmly on the leading edge of current technology and willing to stand out in a crowded market.

There also seems to be a bright future when it comes to future iteration on digital twins. The Visual Components piece says that future trends will likely further incorporate AI systems in more robust ways, which will enhance its innate abilities to predict, fix, and monitor. AI models have the potential to increase optimization and productivity, thereby reducing waste and effectively meeting demand. Eventually, manufacturers may see the opportunity for digital twins of an entire factory layout, as well as further opportunities for more environmentally sustainable options available within the system.

Digital twin technology is fast becoming more accessible to smaller-to-medium-sized manufacturers and can indeed offer a lot of advantages to them, but as with most new technology, it’s an investment that should be entered into with as much information as possible. Digital twin implementation can cost anywhere from $10,000 to as much as several million dollars, depending on the size of the investment; typically, a standard investment will cost closer to the former figure. Many companies using the technology today (i.e. Siemens, Airbus, Tesla) report or suggest attractive ROIs after implementing the systems at various sizes and styles of onboarding.

The key for any company (but especially smaller-sized ones) considering adding a digital twin to its roster is to have a plan for it. In a piece for Acuvate, Gina Shaw suggests a few best practices for companies looking to invest in digital twin technology. These points boil down to clarity of purpose within the organization, as in what a digital twin will be used for and why, as well as choosing a scalable model that can grow with the firm’s goals. The volume of data to build an effective digital twin will be considerable, so utilizing machine learning and using relevant data sources is a must. “Clear goals will guide every aspect of your implementation,” says Shaw.

There is trepidation in some circles about the ability of new machines, especially those driven or enhanced by AI and machine learning, to supersede humans in the workplace. However, in the aforementioned examples, digital twins are only as useful as the human operators interfacing with them, meaning that human expertise is still the X-factor when it comes to making the technology ultimately useful. Unlike other kinds of new technology that might aim to improve on human effort in manufacturing, a digital twin is one that works hand-in-hand with human consideration.

More than ever, manufacturers are having to do a lot more work to stay ahead of the curve in the current business landscape. Digital twin technology is a part of an ongoing rise in bleeding-edge technological advancements and should not be taken lightly, both in its benefits and potential costs or challenges for a company. However, with thoughtful implementation and a willingness to learn, manufacturers could find themselves with an incredibly effective tool in the toolkit to optimize operations and make tomorrow’s products that much better.

The post Levelling Up<p class="company">The Digital Twin Revolution on the Shop Floor</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

That is where Estone Technology has built its position.

Estone Technology is a rugged computing ODM/OEM engineering and manufacturing partner that helps customers turn product ideas, technical requirements, and early-stage concepts into reliable, production-ready solutions. From rugged tablets and laptops to industrial panel PCs, HMIs, embedded computing systems, medical-grade platforms, and rugged control systems for robotics and autonomous applications, Estone supports customers who need computing platforms built for demanding environments.

The company’s role is not simply to provide hardware. It helps customers bridge the gap between a product vision and a deployable solution that can survive real operating conditions, integrate with larger systems, meet project-specific requirements, and remain supported throughout its lifecycle.

As Sales Engineer Jo Yee Ong explains, “Many customers come to us with a product idea, a PRD, a set of technical requirements, or a market need. Our role is to help turn that vision into a rugged computing solution that can be engineered, manufactured, certified where required, and supported in the real world.”

From computer business to rugged computing partner
Estone’s foundation began with a small computer business known as Stone Computer. In its early years, the company competed in the broader consumer computer market, where differentiation was difficult and long-term value was often limited. Over time, the team saw a stronger opportunity in specialized computing applications, where reliability, customization, engineering support, and long-term product availability mattered more than standard product availability.

That shift became the foundation for what would later become Estone Technology. After adopting the Estone name in 2008 and establishing operations in both California and Ohio, the company moved deeper into rugged computing, embedded systems, and ODM/OEM development for industrial, medical, and mission-critical applications.

Today, Estone works with customers that need computing platforms tailored to specific technical, environmental, regulatory, and operational requirements. Some customers begin with an existing rugged tablet, panel PC, HMI, embedded system, or control platform from Estone’s product portfolio and customize it for their application. Others begin with only an idea, concept drawing, product requirement document, or market opportunity, and Estone helps guide that concept toward a manufacturable product.

This flexibility has become one of the company’s defining strengths.

Moving from concept to deployment
Developing a rugged computing product is rarely as simple as selecting components and placing them inside a durable enclosure. Customers often need to consider display performance, touch functionality, processor selection, thermal design, battery life, connectivity, wireless communication, operating system support, mechanical structure, certification requirements, software integration, firmware behavior, lifecycle management, and supply-chain continuity.

For companies that do not have all of these resources internally, the path from product idea to finished product can be difficult, expensive, and time-consuming.

Estone helps reduce that complexity by supporting customers throughout the product development process. The company can help refine early requirements, identify practical design options, customize baseline platforms, support full custom development, and provide manufacturing and lifecycle support after deployment.

For many projects, Estone can also support certification planning and project-based compliance preparation. Depending on the final product, target market, and application, certification requirements may influence decisions related to enclosure design, material selection, wireless modules, power systems, electromagnetic compatibility, medical-grade requirements, environmental testing, and documentation. By considering these needs earlier in the development process, Estone helps customers reduce redesign risk and move more efficiently toward market readiness.

“Our job is to help customers make the right decisions early,” says Ong. “Small choices in hardware design, component selection, software integration, certification planning, or mechanical structure can affect cost, reliability, serviceability, and product availability years later.”

For Estone, a successful product is not measured only by whether it meets a specification sheet; it also has to perform reliably in the environment where the customer will actually use it. In medical environments, that may mean supporting specialized imaging, cleanability, antimicrobial materials, medical-grade certifications, long-term availability, and integration with clinical workflows. In industrial automation, it may involve panel PCs or HMIs that can operate in harsh conditions, support specific I/O requirements, and integrate with factory systems. In robotics and autonomous systems, the need may involve rugged control platforms, sunlight-readable displays, reliable wireless communication, open architecture support, and project-based compliance considerations.

“When our customers can deploy their systems with confidence, that is when we know the engineering work has created real value,” says Ong. “A successful product is not only about meeting the specification on paper. It also has to perform reliably in the customer’s actual operating environment.”

Flexible platforms, white label solutions, and custom development
Many of Estone’s rugged computing products are designed to serve as flexible baseline platforms. These platforms give customers a practical starting point while still allowing room for customization.

For some projects, adapting an existing rugged tablet, laptop, panel PC, HMI, embedded system, or control platform can help shorten development timelines and reduce risk. This approach can be especially valuable when a customer needs to move quickly but still requires changes to hardware, I/O, enclosure design, firmware, software, branding, operating system, certification path, or integration behavior.

For other projects, customers may need a fully customized product developed from the ground up. In those cases, Estone can help take a customer’s concept, PRD, or market requirement and turn it into a complete computing platform designed for manufacturing and deployment.

In addition to offering rugged computing reference platforms, Estone supports customers that need white label, private label, or fully customized ODM/OEM solutions. For customers building their own product lines, this means Estone can provide rugged computing platforms that are customized to match the customer’s brand, application, market position, and technical requirements.

This support may include custom branding, enclosure modifications, hardware configuration, I/O adjustments, software image customization, packaging support, documentation coordination, and lifecycle planning. For some customers, a white label or private label approach can help accelerate time to market by starting with a proven rugged computing platform and adapting it into a product that can be sold under the customer’s own brand.

For others, Estone can support a deeper ODM development path, helping transform a concept, PRD, or specialized product requirement into a purpose-built computing solution. This flexibility allows customers to choose the development model that best fits their business strategy, timeline, budget, target market, and supply-chain needs.

More than hardware
As connected devices become more advanced, many customers need support that goes beyond the physical device itself. For HMI, panel PC, embedded platform, and connected system projects, hardware is only one part of the final solution. The user interface, operating system, update method, device management tools, connectivity, software environment, certification considerations, and field maintenance strategy all influence whether the final product can be deployed and scaled successfully.

“These projects are rarely just about the device itself,” says Ong. “For many HMI and panel PC customers, the hardware, user interface, update method, and management platform all have to work together. When those pieces are planned together from the beginning, the final product is easier to deploy, maintain, and scale.”

Estone can help customers shape the user experience, support administrative management tools, enable over-the-air update capabilities, and develop companion mobile applications when required. This is especially important for customers deploying connected devices at scale, where remote support and software update capabilities can reduce the need to retrieve products from the field.

By combining rugged computing hardware with practical software ecosystem support, certification planning, and lifecycle support, Estone helps customers move from product concept to deployable solution with greater efficiency and confidence.

Global support and manufacturing flexibility
In many of Estone’s target industries, standard consumer devices cannot meet the requirements for long-term availability, customization, ruggedness, or lifecycle support unless purchased in very large volumes. Instead, customers need a platform that can remain stable, consistent, and supported for years.

This is especially important in healthcare, industrial automation, robotics, autonomous systems, and mission-critical applications, where frequent component changes, supply-chain instability, or limited technical support can create serious operational risk.

To meet those needs, Estone has built its business around four key strengths: cost efficiency, engineering responsiveness, end-to-end solution capability, and long-term partnership.

The company’s global footprint allows it to support sourcing, production, logistics, certification-related coordination, and customer collaboration across multiple regions. With office and support presence across the United States, Europe, Japan, and China, along with manufacturing flexibility in the United States, Vietnam, and China depending on customer requirements, Estone can help customers align production strategy with cost targets, compliance needs, supply-chain resilience, and regional market expectations.

“We support customers from the earliest design discussions through deployment and lifecycle management,” says Ong. “That continuity is important because the product does not end when it leaves the factory. Customers need confidence that their platform can be supported, maintained, and improved over time.”

Supporting growth markets
As customer needs continue to evolve, Estone has expanded its regional support capabilities to better serve key growth markets.

In 2025, the company launched its Japanese subsidiary to support increasing demand from medical and healthcare customers. In these markets, localized collaboration, engineering communication, technical support, and long-term reliability are especially important.

Estone also expanded its U.S. warehouse operations as part of its growing focus on the drone, robotics, and autonomous systems markets. Customers in these sectors are placing greater emphasis on trusted supply chains, localized support, shorter deployment timelines, and project-based compliance considerations, including NDAA- and TAA-related requirements.

Because Estone supports customers across industrial, medical, robotics, autonomous systems, and commercial technology markets, the company also participates in leading industry events around the world. In 2026, Estone exhibited at Japan IT Week, XPONENTIAL, and the National Restaurant Association Show, strengthening relationships across medical, embedded computing, robotics, autonomous systems, and connected commercial technology markets.

These investments reflect where Estone sees strong opportunity in the years ahead. As robotics, autonomous systems, medical technology, industrial edge computing, and connected device applications become more intelligent and more demanding, the need for customizable rugged computing platforms is expected to continue growing.

Turning product vision into real-world solutions
For companies developing specialized computing products, the challenge is not only creating a device that works. It is creating a product that can be engineered, certified where required, manufactured, deployed, maintained, and supported over time.

That is where Estone’s role becomes valuable.

Whether a customer needs to customize an existing rugged platform, develop a white label product under its own brand, or build a purpose-built device from the ground up, Estone helps reduce development risk, shorten the path from concept to deployment, and support the product throughout its lifecycle.

Ultimately, Estone’s goal remains consistent: to serve as a long-term rugged computing ODM/OEM partner that helps customers turn ideas, requirements, and product visions into reliable real-world solutions.

The post Turning Ideas Into Real-World Rugged Computing Solutions<p class="company">Estone Technology</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

Beetschen’s background is in engineering, specifically in 3D computer vision, and he has previously worked on mixed reality headsets like Microsoft’s Hololens, a mixed reality device from one of the industry’s biggest players. In his experience, many such headsets and tools often have the same problem in that they try to do everything but end up excelling at nothing in particular. While impressive, they do not provide the help for customers that RealWear can.

RealWear’s suite of devices consists of smart glasses that are designed for particular environments and uses. These are further complemented by associated software and services, which include proprietary applications, custom training, and more. Beetschen explains that the company’s devices, such as the RealWear Arc 3 and the Navigator Z1, are “the first devices in human history that see the world as we do,” able to see through the customer’s eyes and provide help on the level of a personal assistant.

The company focuses on making its devices helpful and easy to use, as its long-term vision is to have a higher throughput between humans and machines than can be achieved via typing on keys or using screens. Devices like its smart glasses can help bridge the gap in user-system interfacing industry-wide. The goal is to have the best hands-free personal assistant technology possible for every person on the planet, something only possible through the technology with which RealWear works. “If the larger companies aren’t doing it, then we will,” says Beetschen.

According to him, so many previous generations of humanity’s ancestors were generally living worse lives than we are, and the company takes a certain amount of inspiration in how hard generations before us have worked to make our lives simpler. He believes it is therefore the responsibility of RealWear to make the future brighter and greater, while leveraging machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) for good, making it accessible in an intuitive and effortless way.

Being active in a more nascent field of the technology sector, the path to success has not always been neatly laid out and has often required trial and error. Previously, the company had tried providing step-by-step instructions for frontline workers using the device when performing maintenance and inspection tasks. The process of doing so was very rigid, whereas reality is often more fluid and messy, and what worked in theory to get clients up to speed did not always end up working in practice, Beetschen says. With newer technology, supported by AI, RealWear can see what a person is doing in real time and act as a helpful colleague that helps a customer better understand a task while letting them do everything in their own order and style.

When it comes to technology, RealWear is putting a great deal of effort into upgrading and refining its operating systems as many figures within the industry are talking about how human language could be the next key interface with AI devices. Using buttons with a machine, says Beetschen, is very inefficient and time-consuming, so more and more people are using voice as an interface, an approach that the company has been already using for years. As the first truly voice-first operating system, the AI technology within a RealWear device can understand what a consumer wants, map to their settings, and act on their behalf, making it much more natural and faster to use.

The competition often makes their business by working in the consumer space, which Beetschen says is a tempting idea; however, RealWear is ultimately among the few successful players for smart glasses in the enterprise space, making its devices for businesses. The company focuses on the whole experience of its technology as opposed to just individual parts like hardware. This experience starts with the packaging, feel, and visuals of the product as well as with the software experience, operating system, and cloud management solutions.

“We’re the easiest to use and deploy,” says Beetschen, and RealWear is the only company of its kind able to create large-scale, reliable deployments.

As a result, its workforce solutions can be found across many different sectors. One of the company’s notable vertical markets is in warehousing and logistics for companies like Coca-Cola, Beetschen says. In these scenarios, frontline workers use RealWear to connect with an order from a client to obtain precise information quickly and to access other crucial data like visuals and map directions. This has helped employers like Coca-Cola increase their speed by about six to eight percent, a considerable difference.

Elsewhere, Ford has equipped around 1,000 of its American dealerships with RealWear devices and has now built a center where mechanics can use the technology to diagnose problems in its fleet of electric cars and fix them more easily.

While results like these are encouraging, the use of AI is still being perfected. Beetschen says that one current limitation is that a user still needs to provide much of the input to explain the context of what is desired from a prompt, a process that must be repeated every time; however, augmented reality devices like RealWear’s products innately gather the context of what the user is doing.

As the AI powering RealWear is a newer computing platform, there will always be challenges for early adopters. Many of the technology platforms and enterprise software systems of RealWear’s clients are still incompatible, which is why the company provides a whole solution that simply works without the need for legacy setups, just one way in which RealWear has its eyes set on the future and always keeps its customer base in mind.

Beetschen says that it is now time to liberate end users from technology that relies on buttons and screens, but the industry, broadly, is still waiting for a tipping point to help that along and clear up lingering confusion. This tipping point may very well come as a result of a landmark deal that the company is in the middle of making as of press time, which Beetschen says will be the biggest augmented reality deal in human history.

This deal will likely create industry buzz somewhere in the range of summer 2026 to the fourth quarter of the year. “We are living in an exciting time with AI,” Beetschen says, and it is also a good time for RealWear to interface with and leverage AI to help humans do even better. Whether it is outfitting a workforce with hands-free technology or being at the vanguard of an ongoing digital revolution, this team will not be satisfied until its technology can be used to help as many people as possible.

The post Bringing Hands-Free Technology to the World<p class="company">RealWear</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

2025 was a great year, says Lean Program Manager Josh Johnston, because MMTC was able to make an impact on myriad companies across the industry. Recently, MMTC, along with its leadership team, has been spending more time embedded in the manufacturing sector so that it can focus on building lasting capabilities for its clients rather than simply providing one-time training.

In fact, he notes that as part of MMTC’s overall strategy, the organization is enhancing its consultative and advisory services alongside its training programs to deliver deeper, more meaningful support to the manufacturers it serves. “Education still remains an important part of what we do,” he says, as its foundation of continuous improvement is built on understanding both the tools and goals of any initiative.

Another focus of MMTC’s has always been to evolve to match its clients’ needs. Specifically, MMTC helps companies diagnose the challenges they face such that they can prioritize projects and initiatives that lead to changes and sustainable results.

While this priority shift has been in the works for years, 2025 was the big push forward into its implementation. To support this approach, MMTC is expanding opportunities for deeper client consultation. Dedicated MMTC Business Solutions Managers work directly with manufacturers to better understand their challenges and connect them with the right expertise and resources to achieve their goals. This approach allows MMTC to serve as a more strategic partner in helping clients strengthen and grow their businesses.

MMTC will not be abandoning its training aspects wholesale, and in line with its commitment to evolving to meet client needs, it is always assessing its offering catalogue to identify both the most in-demand courses as well as those that are no longer serving the industry. Since the team works specifically with small- to mid-sized manufacturers, many of the problems faced by these outfits are those that manufacturing organizations of all sizes are also seeing today.

Johnston says that what differentiates MMTC’s clientele is that many shop leaders tend to take on a number of roles: from general management and operations to hiring, logistics, and more. Often, these leaders don’t have the capacity to step back and think about the long-term future of the business, which is where MMTC often comes in to offer assistance.

MMTC’s business success planning—one of its primary offerings—will help these overworked and busy clients, Johnston believes. This is a process wherein an MMTC industry expert interviews the leadership team of a manufacturing organization to create a comprehensive analysis of where the company is now and compares it to where they want to be. This assessment then evolves into a practical three- to five-year road map that aligns with improvement projects, technology adoption, workforce development, and training. This way, leadership received clarity and relief for future planning while also figuring out how to keep the lights on tomorrow.

Johnston says that manufacturers today are facing greater complexity and uncertainty than ever before, and ongoing challenges, while nothing new, are varied. These include continuing volatility in raw material pricing due to fluctuating tariff policies; the industry facing an aging workforce as well as a limited talent pipeline entering the skilled trades to fill the spots; and all the hype around emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI). As one of the biggest global industry buzzwords today, AI is seeing a lot of excitement, yet companies often struggle with implementation and developing strategies to capture return on investment data.

Many manufacturers are hesitant to adopt the technology because they have been burned in the past by technology startups that have sold them unrealistic solutions or poorly-scoped pilot projects, or even pressured staff to adopt misunderstood tools to gain an intended early market advantage. Johnston notes that while there can be gains in efficiency and productivity, it must be implemented thoughtfully and strategically—otherwise, throwing technology onto a bad process only makes the bad process faster, not better.

With this in mind, another major focus for MMTC is to become the trusted advisor for Michigan’s manufacturers in adopting and implementing various AI technologies. As such, MMTC will be expanding its offerings to help manufacturers move out of skepticism and into practical, value-driven applications.

The team spent much of last year creating ways for manufacturers to leverage this new technology, especially since companies that are late to the table risk getting left behind. One such method has been launching a series of courses on AI in manufacturing. In the first few months of 2026, MMTC has launched six new AI-centered courses including AI for Quality Control and Inspection (using AI-enabled visions and camera systems); AI for Manufacturing Leaders (how to introduce these technologies into your organization in a strategic, responsible manner and roll out solutions from the top down); AI for Supply Chain Optimization (leveraging deep research capabilities for in-depth supplier analysis and more); AI101 & AI102 Workshops (focused on generative AI basics and advanced ChatGPT use cases); and Lean Problem Solving With Generative AI (how large language models can be used to expedite effective problem solving).

The new push into artificial intelligence systems for manufacturing is also allowing MMTC to expand physically. A new AI lab in its home of Plymouth will serve as a space for manufacturers to experience new AI technology and simulate an on-premises solution without putting a business at risk. MMTC has also been hosting workshops across Michigan to give industry people a chance to gain hands-on experience with new technology and tools.

This has been a very exciting venture, according to Johnston. “The ‘a-ha!’ moment is one of my favorite parts of the job,” he says. By demystifying these technologies and making artificial intelligence feel less intimidating for new users, MMTC provides a launching point for clients to take back their companies. Its long-term focus will be on helping manufacturers cut through the AI hype, make informed decisions, and realize a measurable return on their outcomes instead of just chasing technology for the sake of it.

Amid today’s market challenges, the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center is energized by its renewed direction. Last year, MMTC launched the inaugural Manufacturing Insights Survey to capture manufacturer feedback on trends, strengths, challenges, and opportunities. From these responses, MMTC produced the Manufacturing Insights Report, which highlights the concerns and priorities of small and midsize manufacturers across the state while offering actionable solutions and outlining how MMTC can help them. The full report is available at www.the-center.org.

Ultimately, Johnston says, MMTC’s “goal is to not be the best-kept secret in Michigan,” but rather to be a trusted and established aid for Michigan’s manufacturers to call on for anything they need.

The post A Best-Kept Secret No Longer<p class="company">Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

The decade started on a hot note for Elcon with the official announcement of its purchase by global manufacturing network The Partner Companies (TPC). Although the purchase was made in 2011, the sale was not made public until 2020. Since then, Elcon has become even more involved with TPC and its more recent acquisitions, all of which have brought more capabilities that can be offered to customers. These acquisitions have included L&T Precision; Photofabrication Engineering Inc.; Pinnacle Precision; United Plastics Group; and Precision Eforming, last year.

All the capabilities from these businesses added to the TPC suite, “integrating well with what Elcon does for its clients and positioning it as a one-stop shop among metal manufacturers,” says Elcon Data Analyst Nikki Do.

Currently, TPC sports 11 specialty manufacturers including Elcon in its holdings, with a physical presence across the United States and sites around the world in locations like China, Mexico, and Wales. It has also received new funding from investors to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars from businesses like Huntington Bank, and work is still ongoing to continue raising even more capital.

Elcon itself recently completed a semi-merger with another operation in its Bay Area home. Only 10 minutes down the road, the new manufacturing site grants the team more edging capacity and other capabilities. This includes an increased capacity in its factory metal edging line and in refractory metals like tungsten and titanium, elements that are in demand by many of the sectors with which Elcon works closely and that require high-temperature operations.

In the couple of years since we last spoke, Elcon has added diffusion bonding to its services and more people to its team in terms of mulling and processing engineers. “Our value is our engineering team,” Do says. The company’s clients, which include medium-sized and start-up companies, often come to it with a tough engineering challenge in terms of manufacturing, such as creating a product from an obscure, advanced material. In these cases, its engineers have the knowledge to deliver while also being able to inform customers what can and cannot work, making the process efficient and informed.

As things are now, Elcon continues to see great demand from the aerospace and defense sectors for both of its major product lines. With its ceramic metallization and brazing services, the company can provide the sophisticated ceramics that go into missiles, fighter jets, or hyper-sonic applications. Among its specialty products are control grids for waxing wave tubes used for radar application in defense contexts; vacuum coaxial switches for radar systems which are often used with missile guidance; and radio frequency shielding used in planes and jets.

The company is also active in the medical industry—many of its parts are used in electrosurgical instruments in sports medicine as well as electron guns for medical imaging equipment and oncology treatment devices.

These two specific fields, however, are not the only areas where Elcon excels. Do tells us that some customers are in the photonics industry, for which Elcon makes parts for analytical instruments. Headway is also being made into the nuclear energy space with the company’s hermetically-sealed brazing process, used to braze ceramic and metal components together.

Finally, more growth is happening around the burgeoning field of data centers, all of which require considerable cooling for their servers. Elcon manufactures heat sinks and heat exchanger plates that can run coolant through these servers. The company also offers a considerable portfolio of services in the semiconductor industry, an area that promises to keep growing with the burgeoning reliance on—and worldwide interest in—artificial intelligence systems and the aforementioned data centers.

Undeniably, a great deal of growth is happening for Elcon around the aerospace and defense industries specifically, with many more proposals and project requests coming in following an increase in defense spending in the United States, according to Do. However, she indicates that the company is seeing some supply chain issues as certain types of materials and plating metals are currently experiencing shortages; prices have gone up on these materials, putting pressure on both Elcon and its end users. A lot of customers are also demanding faster timelines on projects, which could be influenced by the race to take advantage of funding alongside other market-based constraints.

Thankfully, TPC has been a big help in facing these challenges. “With a bigger footprint in the supply chain, we have leverage with both suppliers and each other,” Do says. This means that if a client has a prototype developed for their project or specifications but is in need of faster output and delivery, some of the work can be given to Elcon’s many sister companies to meet these kinds of goals. Having multiple sites throughout the U.S. has helped Elcon address these issues and given it further weight when negotiating with suppliers, meaning that despite any short-term difficulties, the company still sits in an advantageous position within its active markets.

Going forward into 2026, Elcon will be focusing on integrating both its overall capabilities and the TPC technology stack to provide greater efficiencies for its team, says Do. Having started as a group of companies working on different internal systems, becoming united within the TPC group will likely translate into greater efficiencies that will benefit both employees and customers. The integration also affords Elcon the opportunity to collaborate on engineering solutions within this network of companies. There is still much ongoing work when it comes to trying out new materials and processes, especially involving finding the right fit for a client’s project.

“Our company is well-funded and positioned strategically,” Do says, and is making investments toward solving its customers’ needs across various sectors. Elcon Precision continues to be recognized for its efforts within TPC and even locally, as its titanium surgical mesh product was named one of the top 16 ‘Coolest Things Made In California’ by the California Manufacturers & Technology Association. It also recently passed the ‘six million units manufactured’ mark of tungsten surgical components for one of its medical device company clients and celebrated the production of one million metallized ceramic components for a long-time end user in the aerospace field.

Clearly, this company isn’t slowing down. On its own merits, and with the help of its new parent company, Elcon Precision is poised to keep both its momentum and its growth strong throughout the rest of the decade.

The post A Valuable Merger Allows Engineering to Shine<p class="company">Elcon Precision</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

For LIVIO Building Systems, the answer lies in rethinking how these facilities are delivered. Through its LIVIO AI Data Center Factory (LAIF) platform, the company has positioned itself at the vanguard of rapid AI infrastructure deployment, enabling developers to transform land and power into operational AI compute capacity in a fraction of the time traditionally required.

At its core, LAIF is a pre-engineered, multi-trade panelized building system designed specifically for AI data centers. The approach combines LIVIO’s modular wall and roof panels with integrated electrical and plumbing infrastructure, allowing structures to be assembled on site with remarkable speed. The system is designed to support scalable modules ranging from 20 megawatts to more than a gigawatt of capacity, accommodating the massive computing loads required by modern AI systems.

In practical terms, the LAIF approach condenses what would typically be a multi-year development cycle into mere months. Using standardized components shipped directly to the project site and assembled in a LEGO® brick-like manner, the building shell can be delivered in roughly 45 days, with hardware and rack installation following shortly thereafter. A complete AI data center can be converted from “land to compute” in as little as 99 days.

Engineering the next generation of AI infrastructure
The concept builds on LIVIO’s established panelized construction system, which has been evolving rapidly in recent years. In fact, since the company was last featured in Construction in Focus in 2024, two new generations of its building system have been introduced.

Generation 2.0 enhanced LIVIO’s original panelized platform by integrating structural sheathing into wall assemblies and incorporating plumbing and electrical infrastructure directly into the panels themselves. Founder and CEO Navneet Aron says the upgrade dramatically increased the completeness of the company’s off-site manufactured components.

Shortly afterward, Generation 3.0 launched as a fully closed-wall system designed to arrive on site essentially ready for finishing. With the interior surfaces prepared for painting and exterior surfaces ready to accept dry cladding systems, customers can move almost immediately from installation into the finishing phase.

These improvements laid the groundwork for LAIF, which adapts the same manufacturing philosophy specifically for high-performance AI data center environments.

“AI infrastructure is one of the fastest-growing construction segments in the world,” Aron explains. “The challenge is that traditional construction timelines simply cannot keep up with the demand for compute capacity.”

Solving the bottleneck
The surge in generative AI and large-scale machine learning has triggered unprecedented investment in digital infrastructure. Hyperscale technology companies and specialized developers are pouring hundreds of billions of dollars into new facilities, yet the pace of construction remains a major constraint. For many developers, the building itself—not the chips or cooling systems—has become the biggest bottleneck.

This is precisely where LAIF can make an impact. By fabricating building components off-site and assembling them quickly on location, LIVIO’s system dramatically reduces the labor requirements and construction time typically associated with large-scale data centers.

In one recent project in Ohio, LIVIO and its partners demonstrated the potential of this approach, delivering a fully operational AI data center facility within weeks of the project’s initiation. The speed and efficiency of that deployment led the developer to commit to using LIVIO systems across its broader project portfolio.

The LAIF platform also incorporates design features tailored to AI workloads, including compatibility with high-density racks, advanced cooling systems, and integrated infrastructure for power distribution and monitoring.

A platform built for global scale
While AI infrastructure has become the company’s most prominent offering, LIVIO’s building systems continue to serve a diverse range of applications, from residential and commercial developments to specialized structures with enhanced security features. Still, the explosive growth of AI computing is shaping the company’s global strategy. In recent months, LIVIO has seen strong demand not only across the United States but also from developers in the Middle East and other emerging markets eager to build new infrastructure quickly. Saudi Arabia has been one of the first regions where the company has engaged with major development groups, while opportunities are also emerging in parts of Africa and Asia.

As word spreads about the efficiency of its systems, Aron says developers are increasingly drawn to the company’s combination of precision, speed, and cost control.

“A developer anywhere in the world wants the same thing,” he says. “They want to build accurately, quickly, and predictably. Our system makes that possible.”

Reimagining how the world builds
Beyond speed, the company’s technology addresses several structural challenges facing the construction sector. Labor shortages continue to affect markets worldwide, while traditional building methods often struggle with delays, cost overruns, and inconsistent quality. LIVIO’s panelized system reduces on-site labor requirements by as much as 80 to 90 percent while delivering construction accuracy within one-eighth of an inch, Aron says.

“Our mission has been to reduce reliance on a highly skilled labor force on the job site,” he explains. “If we can simplify the process and make it more predictable, we can fundamentally improve how buildings are delivered.”

To help achieve that goal, LIVIO systems are designed to be intuitive to assemble, with clearly labeled components and step-by-step installation guidance.

The road ahead
As the global AI infrastructure boom accelerates, LIVIO expects its LAIF platform to become an increasingly central part of its business. The company is already preparing future generations of its building system, which will introduce additional pre-installed elements such as roofing assemblies, interior doors, and expanded finishing options.

The ultimate goal is to push the boundaries of how quickly complete structures—particularly complex facilities like AI data centers—can be delivered.

“We will continue to deliver to our current customers and expand our markets here nationally and globally,” Aron says. “AI infrastructure is only going to grow, and we believe our technology will play a major role in enabling that growth.”

The post Leveraging Technology for Global Success<p class="company">LIVIO Building Systems</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

The injection molding process involves the use of various materials that can produce parts of reliable quality. These materials can include metal, glass, thermoplastics, and more, while the molds themselves are usually made of steel or aluminum. Injection molding is currently the most common method of part manufacturing and can be used to create a wide variety of machine parts—everything from beverage containers and caps to children’s toys to automotive parts. It is an age-old process still in wide use today, but it is hardly the same as it was hundreds of years ago.

New advancements in industrial technology are allowing the process to be reconsidered. For example, 3D printing is proving to be a way to revolutionize injection molding. Printed molds are typically produced in two configurations: mold inserts in aluminum frames, which are the most common configuration and produce more accurate parts; and standalone molds, in which the mold is fully printed. A piece for The Welding Institute says that 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, is ideal for fast prototyping, with turnaround times of one to two per week, and allows for frequent design changes. “This process is also able to produce relatively small plastic parts and components, while also being ideal for complex or intricate designs.”

Mold elements like steel and aluminum are resistant to wear and tear during the molding process but can require a large initial investment. Because of this, molding projects with a lower planned run often need to shift focus away from wear resistance, making certain 3D printing technologies an attractive solution. When high-accuracy part printing processes such as material jetting and stereolithography are paired with temperature-resistant printing materials, printed molds become a good option for manufacturing low-run injection molding dies.

According to The Welding Institute, while 3D printing is currently seeing more widespread adoption, injection molding remains the preferred process for manufacturing plastic parts due to the cost efficiency and quality associated with mass production. However, 3D printing can be preferable for prototyping projects because injection molding tooling design is often expensive and time consuming.

This distinction can be seen in areas such as the medical field, where 3D printing is used for the production of custom items like prosthetics. “Rather than seeing 3D printing as a potential replacement for injection molding, the two technologies should be seen as complementary processes that can be used together depending upon requirements,” according to The Welding Institute, which says that 3D printing is currently best suited for low-production runs of 100 parts or fewer due to the time and cost involved in larger runs.

Moving beyond additive manufacturing—and like many other sectors undergoing similar changes in processes and materials—injection molding is also addressing a shift toward greater sustainability. Companies such as sustainable plastics manufacturer BIO-FED are now openly using compounds made from biodegradable biopolymers and renewable raw materials. Renewable materials can replace traditional injection molding materials like metal, glass, and ceramics with alternatives such as coconut shells and rice hulls. Research into these practices is ongoing, and new materials are being discovered and tested on a regular basis.

In a piece on sustainable plastics manufacturing for Fictiv, David Willson says that the plastics manufacturing industry is shifting toward more sustainable practices, driven by a global desire for environmentally friendly solutions. “Sustainable plastics, designed to minimize ecological harm through renewable sourcing, recyclability, or biodegradability, are driving this change,” Willson writes. Materials such as biodegradable and recycled plastics, including polylactic acid, polyhydroxyalkanoates, post-consumer resins, and thermoplastics, are increasingly being adopted. Bio-based polymers sourced from plants like corn or sugarcane are also appealing, as they offer a lower carbon footprint. “Unlike virgin plastics, which emit 2 to 3 kg of CO₂ per kg during production, recycled plastics can reduce emissions by up to 60 percent, often to 0.8 to 1.2 kg of CO₂ per kg.”

These sustainable practices require additional care, as materials must be carefully sorted to remove contaminants that could affect color or strength. Bio-based plastics often require industrial composting facilities to break them down effectively, making widespread adoption more challenging. In some cases, production can place strain on agricultural resources, such as polylactic acid requiring up to one hectare of land per ton, meaning the transition is not as simple as switching materials without further consideration.

Beyond additive manufacturing and sustainability, other emerging technologies are also influencing injection molding. The industry has become more intelligent and data-driven, combining sensors, algorithms, and electric drives to achieve consistent quality. Artificial intelligence is being used more frequently in injection molding, with direct integration into machines and controllers to help predict and correct process inefficiencies, further automating mechanical operations.

Electric injection molding machines are also gaining traction, offering greater precision and energy efficiency than traditional machines. They provide improved motion control, faster response times, and more repeatable injection processes. However, the initial investment for electric machines remains high, and maintenance has become more specialized. Like 3D printing, electric alternatives are promising but come with their own challenges.

Further technological advancements will continue to drive innovation in the injection molding sector as smart manufacturing technologies increase efficiency through real-time monitoring and improve quality through Internet of Things sensors. Predictive maintenance can help reduce costs by limiting equipment failures and labour expenses, while data analytics can enhance flexibility and supply chain planning.

Injection molding, and plastics manufacturing as a whole, are entering an especially dynamic period of innovation and sustainable development. The topic remains prominent at major industry gatherings such as the annual Medical Design and Manufacturing (MD&M) trade show, which regularly features injection molding among its key subjects. As global demand for machine parts continues to rise year over year, innovation in processes like injection molding is increasingly important, particularly as customers expect more responsible and efficient production from industries that have existed for centuries.

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