It is no surprise that manufacturing, particularly in North America, has undergone a transformation over the last several years, much of which is being consolidated this year and will lay the foundation for growth in 2026. The growth ahead is expected to be slow to moderate, with mixed sector performance, and with semiconductors, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, clean energy, aerospace, defense, automation, and robotics leading the way.

This growth is being driven by the rapid rate of technological advancement that is taking place but is being offset by numerous challenges confronting the industry, including inflationary concerns, supply chain issues, and a dearth of skilled talent that is being exacerbated by the exodus of retirees, which is leaving a skills gap that the sector cannot seem to bridge with technology alone.

There is also the elephant in the room: tariffs. Shifting geopolitical relations have destabilized long-held trade relationships, and inflation paired with the rising costs of inputs like electricity and resources such as steel, aluminum, and softwood lumber (which are subject to tariffs), as well as rising shipping costs, has the market scrambling to bolster domestic supply chains and trade partners.

Tech-enabled change
While tariffs and changing trade relationships have left the market in a state of uncertainty, there is one thing manufacturers can count on: technological innovation and integration are key to future strength. This is particularly true in a market where customers have become increasingly discerning and place greater demand on quality, speed, and efficiency, as well as supply chain accountability and real-time transparency.

Smart factories are becoming the standard, wherein technological integration, data analytics, and the IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) are being leveraged to optimize processes and output—as well as sustainability—in the face of persistent supply chain challenges such as workforce constraints.

2025 saw a greater number of integrated technologies, such as digital twins and generative AI, which will continue into 2026. As greater integration takes place, the value of these investments will be realized on a larger scale as capital investments and mergers and acquisition activity are expected to be robust. Further, in 2026, expect to see increased investment in cybersecurity to protect the investments being made in technology and the data-driven insights it enables, particularly industrial control systems, operating technology and other intellectual property, proprietary information, and sensitive data that can be sabotaged by cyberthreats and theft.

Opportunities and challenges
The rapid rate of innovation and technological advancement has been both a boon and a bane for manufacturers, as it helps to achieve operational efficiencies but also introduces new challenges, chiefly the need for skilled talent and the high capital costs incurred with this kind of investment. Investment in technology is at the heart of capital spending as manufacturers look to integrate and optimize technology and to attract and develop talent that has the skills and qualifications required for its function. There has always been a concern that robots will replace the need for humans, but the truth is that one cannot function entirely without the other.

For instance, collaborative robots, or “cobots” as described by engineering company WiredWorkers, represent one of the more recent iterations of industrial technology in which humans and robots work together, with cobots taking on repetitive or dangerous tasks and human resources being freed to undertake more strategic functions, including those necessary to operate and maintain the cobot.

The fact that manufacturing continues to add jobs demonstrates that there is ongoing demand for talent to complement the investments taking place in technology and infrastructure, and the number of new patents being issued proves that there is strength at the market’s core. Likewise, reskilling and upskilling need to take place to ensure that workers who are being displaced in lagging segments have the opportunity to put their experience to work in a different capacity to address the shortage that continues to threaten optimal productivity.

According to The Manufacturing Institute and Deloitte, the U.S. manufacturing sector alone will need to fill nearly 3.8 million jobs by 2033, and 1.9 million of those jobs could go unfilled if workforce challenges are not addressed.

Talent development requires collaboration between industry, government, and education and takes time to institute the necessary changes, which makes it hard to reactively address changing workforce needs. Sometimes, by the time new programs are instituted and begin to graduate students, the technology has already moved on. Employers are wise to invest equally in training and reskilling programs alongside their technological investment to ensure that they are meeting their own needs for talent internally, rather than waiting for the education system to produce a pipeline of relevantly skilled talent, particularly where there is an acute need for skilled workers and where shortages persist.

Thinking locally in a global economy
While there is no denying the global interconnectedness of the market, current conditions are forcing manufacturers to strengthen not only their supply chains and competitive advantages but also their regional and local ecosystems to mitigate the impacts of matters beyond their control, such as geopolitical uncertainty, supply chain disruptions, and rising costs.

While supply chain resilience has been a focus since the pandemic—which shined a light on the vulnerability of global supply chains—the imposition of tariffs has increasingly forced manufacturers to identify new sourcing agreements and trade partners, with preference for domestic materials and resources where possible. Once again, technology has a role to play, as it is paramount in building agile supply chains, forecasting demand and anticipating challenges, and planning production to adapt quickly to market changes.

Once the impacts of the tariffs are absorbed and prices level out, there will be a better idea of the conditions manufacturers are subject to, at which point there will likely be a wave of greater product diversification and growth. The next challenge will be securing pricing that competes with international players.

What happens in manufacturing also has resounding impacts on other aspects of the economy, such as industrial real estate, which is expected to rebound in 2026 as trade policies level out and monetary conditions ease. Vacancy rates are expected to peak, with larger spaces showing the greatest demand while smaller spaces are expected to be more competitively priced, trends that are expected to stabilize by the end of 2026.

There is strong private sector demand, making the sector attractive to investors who have the capital to support new development opportunities that will come with a new cycle of demand when the current wave of development rounds out. New orders are expected to stabilize in 2026, which will have a resounding impact on the sector as a whole.

Proximity to markets and shipping routes is key to selecting a locale, and behind these decisions are often incentives such as tax breaks, subsidies, training support, and infrastructure investments that encourage the growth and competitiveness of the sector and help manufacturers achieve high-quality goods at lower costs that improve their competitiveness in local and global markets alike.

According to Safeguard Global, “When evaluating manufacturing environments and making location decisions, businesses should consider the five dimensions: policies and regulations, tax policy, costs, workforce quality, and infrastructure and innovation.”

Cautious optimism
After a couple of difficult years, 2026 promises a return to optimism as manufacturers position themselves strategically to optimize the function and output of their operations as much as possible in the wake of inflationary pressures and geopolitical uncertainty.

Like two sides of a coin, the inverse of challenge can be opportunity, and out of the flames the phoenix will fly. There is cautious optimism that the changes being implemented and the investments being made will pay off, especially where government support and incentives exist.

Strategic investment is going to continue to be a key component of manufacturing success, and many considerations must be made in order to optimize efficiency and maximize output and profitability in a highly competitive market. When the dust settles, the market should return to strength, though it still has a way to go to reach peak performance in the face of the countless challenges it is up against.

The post Manufacturing’s Path to Renewal<p class="company">Technology and Talent Drive 2026 Recovery</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

At Eddyfi Technologies, keeping workers and users safe in some of the most critical and dangerous industrial systems known today is everyday work. Making advanced technology fast and easy to use while continuously pushing beyond existing capabilities is part of the company’s DNA.

Serving aviation, maritime, oil & gas, nuclear, and other fast-paced, high-pressure industries, the Eddyfi team is improving safety and saving lives across many fields with its outstanding nondestructive testing equipment (NDT), robotics, and inspection scanning. And now, starting from the base of existing assets obtained through acquisition, Eddyfi Technologies is the proud supplier of Cypher^®, a game-changing ultrasonic testing device.

Never seen before
Cypher was launched in June 2025 and offers ease and accuracy never seen before. With this exciting new instrument in its portfolio, the company appears to be on the verge of changing the world of NDT forever—once again.

Headquartered in Quebec City, Quebec, Eddyfi Technologies is a global leader with over 1,200 staff and offices in 19 countries, spanning North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and beyond. Its most recent acquisition, a company specializing in geotechnical sensing devices with facilities in Colombia, Switzerland, and Italy, saw the Eddyfi team grow by 100 employees just as Cypher launched, making for a busy but very happy transition.

Working tirelessly to bring Cypher to market on time, the team recently returned from the American Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT) Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida, following an intensive three-year development process that demanded all hands on deck to ensure successful delivery of the groundbreaking device.

Naturally, the team could not be prouder of the achievement and what it means for global inspection staff and civil safety. Cypher was born of customer reports of staff shortages, leading to a need for advanced data collection, speed, efficiency, and durability in a field of work that is growing ever more demanding.

“There are increasingly fewer people doing safety checks, yet we demand the highest of them. So developing Cypher was important for us,” says Veronique Chayer, Director of Branding and Communication.

The new product reflects the company’s sterling reputation for paradigm-shifting technology. Despite market flux and geopolitical challenges, Eddyfi’s goals remain unchanged. “We leverage innovation and technology to help keep the world going, safeguarding infrastructure,” Chayer says, describing the company’s mission in a fast-changing world.

Setting the bar
Considering the status quo—aging infrastructure and fewer people in place to complete safety inspections to required standards—Cypher had to set the bar for precision, speed, durability, and ease of use. By blending the best specifications of each of its legacy products and improving on each of those in turn, the development team came up with an instrument that is significantly enhancing the quality and speed of field safety inspections in numerous countries.

Cypher’s specifications are as impressive as they are practical. By enabling standardized workflows to maintain their usual inspection process, the system offers a fast setup creator with a clear set of steps for each job. This process is also significantly faster, allowing inspectors to complete more inspections per day.

To function, Cypher comes complete with a range of probes and scanners, plus integrated scanner control for scanning automation. “You can now control the scanner directly from the instrument, so it means that instead of setting up your instrument and then setting up your scanner, you do it only once for both,” explains Dominic Giguère, Product Manager of Ultrasonics, who points out that this technology has halved setup time on the new model.

There is also an advanced paintbrush probe that gives inspectors tremendous freedom and capabilities for fast yet thorough inspection on a tight schedule. Some functions include automatic data stitching, freehand scanning, and much more. “We make sure that the user skill required to use that instrument is as low as possible. We make it as easy as possible to use,” Giguère says.

Moreover, Cypher allows inspectors to scan multiple aspects of infrastructure at the same time. Some of the most favourable comments received from users so far involve the seamless integration of these technologies, rendering high-speed performance while remaining unaffected by multiple data collection functions.

And Cypher is by no means the company’s only great innovation. In 2010, the company introduced a portable, battery-powered inspection instrument. The first of its kind, it significantly improved working conditions at a time when inspection instruments were attached to cumbersome power generators. Looking back, it’s clear that improving workflow, accuracy, and efficiency underscore most of what this company has brought to market in its long history as an innovator.

Advanced inspection for ordinary folk
According to the Eddyfi team, the new technology also democratizes advanced inspection. That is because Cypher provides advanced procedure specifications which enable level one and two inspectors to do most of the job while needing fewer level three-qualified inspectors, who typically write procedures, without compromising quality or safety. This means fewer grounded aircraft due to failing mechanics and safer work environments for those in industries handling volatile liquids and gases, for instance.

The product is further supported by Eddyfi Academy, in an incredible initiative providing introductory product training for all the company’s offerings. Beyond providing basic training to inspectors in effective use of its instruments, the online platform also creates an opportunity for all learners to reach the same level of training before joining live classes—perhaps its most persuasive feature. “The academy actually makes people feel more empowered when attending live courses,” Chayer says.

Eddyfi Academy also provides 45-minute to hour-long video classes on a range of topics within the field of nondestructive testing. In this way, the resource, conceived of during the pandemic, gives everyone quick access to improved knowledge on the go—from novices to advanced technicians. It also provides new users with the confidence they need to get to know their new instrumentation better.

Taking responsibility
Chayer is clear on what the company sees as its duty. “We have a huge responsibility on our shoulders to ensure that we provide something of immense precision. People count on it.” She also highlights the need to pivot with market demand and respond to real needs with next-generation capabilities and top-notch customization that customers are typically unable to obtain from other suppliers.

Considering the volume of aging infrastructure, especially that of nuclear power plants in extension programmes in and around Canada, Cypher could not have come at a better time. During these exciting times of novelty and possibility, Eddyfi Technologies continues pushing the boundaries of what has been achieved in nondestructive testing, inspection, scanning, and robotics.

The upshot of this is that one of the company’s greatest draws is the opportunity to work with a team unafraid to enter uncharted territory, an attitude that begets tremendous growth and innovation. Enthusiastic and passionate about what the new release offers users, Chayer confirms this with a smile. “Eddyfi remains on a fantastic growth path. We are sticking to the immense value that we bring to our customers and to the industries we serve,” she says.

Heading boldly into the future, Eddyfi will continue doing what it does best—moving ever faster and finding the industry’s brightest minds to continue its proud legacy of being first to market with some of the world’s brightest innovations in NDT.

The post Nothing Secret About This Cypher®<p class="company">Eddyfi Technologies</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

“Previously, we provided a relatively niche product into our market segment. Joining RAFI has dramatically increased our product offering to our customers,” says Dean Hotvet, Director of Sales and Marketing.

CEO and President Tihomir Tesic agrees. “As a small Midwest company, you’re sort of limited to what you can get out to the market.”

The company was last profiled by Manufacturing in Focus in November 2023. At the time, the merger with the RAFI Group (a world leader in electromechanical components, electronic assemblies and systems, and engineering services) had just occurred, and RAFI North America has since rebranded, retooled, and recalibrated its focus.

The team continues to work out of a 55,000-square-foot Milwaukee plant, providing services including full production, sheet-fed printing, designing and engineering, optical adhesive lamination, environmental testing, laser cutting, and more. Products made at this site include specialty circuitry and capacitive touch sensors (devices which enable fingertip manipulation of capacitive touch screens in computer tablets, smart phones, et cetera). RAFI North America also makes membrane switches, which are Human Machine Interfaces (HMI) that are used to open or close circuits when pressure is applied. Membrane switches are made by applying layers of printed film and other kinds of material.

While retaining all its existing competencies, new services and products have been added to RAFI North America’s portfolio. “We have been making internal changes to accommodate new products,” Hotvet explains. “We have brought on the assembly of some high-value products [including] ultrasound control panels. There may be 10 to 15 different parts in the bill of materials for a membrane switch; an ultrasound control panel has 400 parts in the bill of materials. It’s a dramatic change in how products flow through the plant, and we’ve had to retool some aspects of the plant for that.”

Custom work remains RAFI North America’s forte, although the company does maintain a components segment that offers off-the-shelf products, he adds.

As Xymox, the company produced solutions for the appliance, food equipment, medical equipment, gas pump, power distribution, hand-held devices, and wearables markets. RAFI North America still works in these sectors but is looking to expand into construction and agricultural equipment and off-road vehicles, among other sectors. The merger has allowed RAFI North America to tap into the knowledge and resources of its huge parent company, pushing the firm to a new level and broadening its supply base. “Within the RAFI Group, RAFI North America is now considered the center of excellence for printed electronics and related products,” says Hotvet.

In terms of suppliers, “we have a larger ability to pull from within, as we’re now part of the RAFI Group. Our vertical integration is increasing, which simplifies our supply chain,” says Tesic.

Back in Germany, the RAFI Group stands well-positioned to gain from its decision to bring Xymox Technologies into the fold. Thanks to recent trade deals and tariffs, the RAFI Group is eager to expand its manufacturing footprint in the U.S. By making products in America, the RAFI Group can be closer to its U.S. customer base while avoiding tariffs and other barriers that are making international trade an increasingly costly affair, Tesic explains.

Certainly, RAFI North America is more than up to the challenge of producing high-value products. The company is ISO 9001:2015 certified and ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) registered. (ITAR is a body of U.S. imposed rules regarding the sale and purchase of defense-related weaponry and similar products.) If all goes to plan, RAFI North America should attain ITAR certification in the near future, says Tesic.

The company has a well-documented quality assurance process for products that fall under the legacy or “Xymox side of the business,” he continues. And solutions of greater complexity such as ultrasound control panels are put through an even more comprehensive QA process that entails automation, a variety of tests, camera systems that scrutinize parts for flaws, and other forms of electronic scrutiny.

RAFI North America has around 90 employees at present, compared with 88 at the time of our previous profile. “We look for employees who have the right balance of hard and soft skills,” notes Human Resources Manager Krista Pitman. “We seek candidates who have the technical competence, relevant education, and level of experience we are looking for, paired with someone who has excellent teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills.”

She explains, “Our culture is that of a small company with the support of a much larger company. We care about our employees, and they care about one another and our customers. This is demonstrated through daily actions that are rooted in finding the best solutions… We’re a very family-centric company,” she shares.

For all the firm’s technical prowess, RAFI North America’s success largely stems from its unique culture, Tesic adds. “At the end of the day, we can come up with the wildest ideas of how to make the product, but growth and success… is ultimately based on the morale and culture in the company.”

Indeed, RAFI North America’s values include Integrity (“Act the same when no one is watching”); Results (“Always strive for continuous improvement through achieving goals”); Service (“Treat our customers with an attitude of service”); and Employees (“A healthy business that has healthy employees teaches healthy lessons for business, personal growth, sound minds, and healthy bodies”). And the team believes that it’s also vital to maintain open communication, motivate staff, and make the workplace fun.

The company’s combination of a progressive, supportive culture and robust technical skills has not gone unnoticed. A product called SAFETY TOUCH®, produced through a RAFI Group/RAFI North America collaboration, earned industry kudos last year, being named one of OEM Off-Highway Magazine’s Top New Products of 2024 in the operator cab category. SAFETY TOUCH® also received a German Innovation Award in the Excellence in Business to Business Electronic Technologies category.

“Obviously, we’re very proud of the honor of achieving [these awards]. SAFETY TOUCH® was developed by our German colleagues,” states Hotvet.

SAFETY TOUCH® acts as a super-capacitive touch screen, offering displays and data and enabling operator input. Intended for use in construction, forestry, and agricultural machines, SAFETY TOUCH® allows operators to control machine functions via a touchscreen that normally would require separate buttons or switches. By reducing the number of switches needed in a control console, SAFETY TOUCH® makes it simpler to run machinery and helps the operator focus, reducing the odds of an accident occurring. The product has garnered an enviable Performance Level D rating (an ISO machinery-related safety level concerning risk reduction).

RAFI North America is also working on “an encoder with a programmable haptic response,” says Hotvet. The product is called Smart Haptic and utilizes haptic technology, the science of simulating tactile sensations through hardware or software. Ever set your cell phone to “vibrate” mode (causing it to shake when a call comes in) or felt and heard an alert emitted by your wearable FitBit (letting you know when a certain exercise-related benchmark has been reached)? If yes, then you’ve experienced haptic technology in action.

RAFI North America is also looking at a product it calls “a steering joystick. That is, literally, where you use a joystick to operate a vehicle. We’re also doing a lot of work with strain gauges,” says Hotvet, referring to sensors that are used to measure strain.

The company is also keeping a close eye on “megatrends” such as Electric Vehicles (EVs) and cybersecurity, he adds.

Over the next five years, RAFI North America wants to “aggressively grow the U.S. market,” become a leading supplier in the agriculture machine sector, enhance its medical offerings, and “add more value to the products we’ve already made,” says Tesic. The team is also examining the possible benefits of adding Artificial Intelligence (AI) to HMI systems, as well as opportunities posed by autonomous vehicles and equipment.

“Wherever the market goes, we feel like we can be a step ahead and offer solutions to the customer base,” says Tesic. “We really focus on how to solve people’s problems… I think where RAFI really shines is offering a solution that helps the customer at the end consolidate their suppliers, components, or process. It’s all about efficiency at the end.”

The post These HMI Specialists Rebrand, Retool, and Recalibrate<p class="company">RAFI North America</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

For manufacturers, this means preparing for transformation that will touch every aspect of production, from design and automation to workforce training and logistics.

Headsets and smart glasses are two forms of tech that have had a turbulent history. Early virtual and augmented reality products were bulky, expensive, and often underwhelming. But two converging forces are about to change that: a rapidly growing extended reality (XR) market and a new generation of devices that blend improved optics, spatial computing software, and powerful miniaturized hardware.

Apple’s Vision Pro and upcoming products from Meta, Google, and others signal the arrival of spatial computing where digital layers like navigation cues, productivity tools, and real-time data overlays become seamlessly integrated into our field of view. Market analysts predict that the XR market will expand significantly over the rest of the decade, including for industrial use-cases.

Component-level advances such as micro-OLED displays, more efficient processors, and higher battery density are making smart eyewear practical for longer-term use. In manufacturing environments, this technology is already proving valuable for tasks like remote maintenance, assembly training, and real-time visualization of production data.

For example, a technician wearing AR glasses could see step-by-step repair instructions overlaid on the machine in front of them while an off-site engineer supervises through a shared video feed. These use-cases reduce downtime, minimize travel costs and enhance worker safety, all outcomes that directly affect the bottom line.

In the next five years, expect a bifurcated market: premium spatial computers for professionals and creators, and lightweight, internet-connected smart glasses for more widespread use. Industrial and enterprise sectors will win first, leveraging XR to train employees, streamline operations, and visualize complex systems in real time. Consumer adoption will follow gradually as devices become more affordable and applications broaden beyond niche experiences.

For manufacturing firms, adopting XR today is not just about novelty; it’s about embedding digital-physical workflows, creating new training paradigms, and gaining access to real-time context in service and assembly tasks.

If 2023 was the year the world discovered generative AI, the next five years will be about turning that discovery into everyday business reality. Models that generate text, images, and code have moved from curiosity to core productivity tools in record time. Across sectors, organizations are embedding AI assistants into workflows for drafting reports, generating code snippets, and summarizing complex datasets in seconds. For manufacturing, that means spreadsheets, maintenance logs, and service workflows being automated and optimized.

What’s next is a shift from single purpose chatbots to autonomous, multi-step agents. These systems won’t just respond to prompts; they’ll plan and execute tasks, integrate with enterprise data, and collaborate across platforms. In manufacturing, that means AI systems capable of analyzing production data, predicting supply chain disruptions, and autonomously adjusting schedules or procurement plans.

Data supports that momentum: one McKinsey survey finds that 16 percent of C-suite respondents expect employees to start using generative AI for more than 30 percent of their daily tasks within less than a year. Meanwhile, a recent Smart Industry report states that depending on region, adoption has surged from 59 percent to 86 percent of manufacturers prioritizing AI. In terms of impact, adoption in industrial processing plants has shown operators reporting a 10 to 15 percent increase in production and a 4 to 5 percent EBITA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, and Amortization) uplift when applying AI into operations.

For manufacturers, the key is recognizing that AI is moving from generating ideas to executing actions. Digital systems that optimize supply chains, drive predictive maintenance, and automate service workflows will shift the competitive landscape. Early adopters should prioritize pilot programs and workflow integration, alongside pressing needs around safety and human-in-the-loop oversight.

Within five years, expect to see hybrid classical–quantum workflows delivering early advantages in specialized applications, particularly in materials science, chemistry, and optimization problems. For manufacturers, that could mean simulating new alloys or polymers at the molecular level, drastically shortening R&D cycles and unlocking bespoke materials that were previously too costly or time-consuming to trial.

The technology won’t replace traditional computing anytime soon, but it will complement it in areas where classical systems struggle. Parallel progress in quantum-safe cryptography is equally important, as governments and corporations prepare for a world where today’s encryption could be broken. Enterprises are already investing in readiness planning, ensuring that proprietary manufacturing data, supply-chain information, and IoT systems will remain secure in a post-quantum world. The next half-decade is about proof of concept turning into early practicality; businesses that experiment now will have a clear competitive edge when scalable quantum computing becomes available.

Brain–computer interface (BCI) research has also accelerated rapidly, moving from animal testing to human trials in just a few years. Companies such as Neuralink and Synchron, alongside major academic research centres, are developing both semi-invasive and non-invasive systems that enable direct communication between brain and machines. While consumer-grade “mind-control” headsets for gaming or remote work remain a long-term goal, therapeutic applications are moving much faster.

Initial applications focus on healthcare: helping paralyzed patients control cursors, prosthetic limbs, or communication devices purely by thought. These are not futuristic fantasies; they’re in clinical trial today. Over the next five years, BCIs are expected to expand in therapeutic settings, offering new possibilities for stroke rehabilitation and assistive communication.

For manufacturers in the medical technology and materials sectors, this presents a significant opportunity. Producing miniaturized biocompatible sensors, implant materials, and precision instruments for BCI systems demands advanced manufacturing expertise, an area where industrial firms can lead innovation. While mass-market consumer BCIs may lie beyond the five-year horizon, the initial value lies in medical and assistive devices where regulatory pathways exist, and the societal value is clear.

Few technologies will affect the manufacturing ecosystem as deeply as energy storage. Solid-state batteries, long considered the “holy grail” of electrification, are edging closer to commercialization. They promise higher energy density, improved safety, and much faster charging, attributes that could transform not just electric vehicles but also industrial robotics, drones, and portable electronics.

Major players such as Toyota, Samsung SDI, and BYD have publicised development plans targeting commercial production in the late 2020s. For instance, Interact Analysis projects that mass production of solid-state batteries will begin around 2026.

For manufacturers, this transition represents both opportunity and disruption. Supply chains, material requirements, and production methods will all evolve as solid-state cells start to replace today’s lithium-ion standards. Factories will need to adapt to new safety protocols, cleaner environments, and precise assembly methods that accommodate the unique properties of solid electrolytes. Early adopters that master this production shift could capture significant market share as electrification scales across industries.

Of course, the concept of flying cars has long been dismissed as futuristic fiction, but electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOLs) are rapidly changing that narrative. Companies such as Joby Aviation, Archer, and Lilium have successfully tested aircraft capable of carrying passengers over short urban routes. While we won’t see private flying sedans parked in driveways anytime soon, urban air mobility is poised to debut as an airport shuttle or premium city-to-city service within the next five years.

Battery improvements and distributed electric propulsion have made short-range eVTOLs viable, while governments and city planners are developing frameworks for air traffic management, charging infrastructure, and noise regulation. For manufacturers, this represents an entirely new vertical, combining aerospace precision with automotive-scale production techniques. By 2030, limited commercial eVTOL operations could be a reality in select cities, marking the dawn of a new transportation era built on lightweight materials, advanced batteries, and automated control systems, all products of manufacturing innovation.

These technologies all share a defining trait: they’re no longer theoretical. Each is now in an active phase of commercialization, and manufacturers stand at the centre of this transformation.

We are on the edge of a decade where science fiction steadily becomes engineering fact. The intersection of physical production and digital intelligence will redefine not just what we manufacture but how we manufacture. From smart glasses guiding technicians to AI systems predicting failures before they happen, and from quantum computers designing next-generation materials to solid-state batteries powering electric fleets, the next five years will belong to the innovators who see what’s just around the corner and start building for it today.

The post Just Around the Corner<p class="company">Technology Predictions Shaping Manufacturing’s Next Five Years</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

Design Systems Canada, as a small company with a strong following, is trusted for excellence in smart factory design, upgrading facilities to meet 4.0 and 5.0 fabrication standards, and providing advanced planning, program management, and full-service engineering. DSC also utilizes a terrestrial 3D-laser scanning suite and drone-based photogrammetry to survey and document site dimensions, supporting smart factory conversions.

Additionally, DSC uses top-tier simulation software and commissioning tools for virtual commissioning. As a result, some of its largest clients come from the automotive industry, including well-known global brands. DSC’s clients also come from healthcare, pharmaceuticals, package handling, and other sectors. And although these big industrial companies are diverse, they share an understanding that managing their own layouts, system analyses, and improvements too often wastes more time and resources than it’s worth.

Improving outcomes
DSC is based in Windsor, Ontario, and its team of 20 professionals specializing in removing pain points for clients in service of improving their bottom lines. Aaron Anson, Managing Partner and General Manager, is clear about the company’s value proposition.

“You don’t know what you don’t know—and when clients want to improve processes, they are so close to their established systems it can be difficult for them to see the bigger picture,” Anson says.

But, well-seasoned in a variety of systems, from conveyors to design, all firmly rooted in establishing the ideal product timing schedule for each facility, the DSC team is able to improve output, pre-empt potential issues, and identify existing faults and weaknesses before they escalate. Importantly, DSC also identifies near-imperceptible system flaws that can cost companies dearly down the line.

Care for its image, too, has contributed to the company’s longevity. DSC recently completed a group rebranding project across its facilities in the United States, Mexico, and Canada with a spruce new look embodying energy and modernity. The company also expanded its footprint, adding a facility in Querétaro, Mexico, to its existing footprint in Saltillo.

The future of automotive assembly
As its clients have always included automotive assembly plants, the company originally built its reputation helping car manufacturers by managing new product programs while assisting to implement process improvements. When market demand shifted toward electric vehicles, DSC naturally pivoted to the support of EV manufacturing.

As global political and economic realities evolved, and governments adjusted their mandates accordingly, the company kept pace, although it took a few years to understand what the ideal iteration of this new technology would be for the Canadian market. Now, a little further down the line, with the real-life conditions of a vast landscape, extreme weather, and absence of recharging infrastructure outside large metropoles, EVs are losing favour with Canadians. “There are so many unknowns still in EVs, especially in Canada,” Anson says, and adoption trends indicate a higher popularity rate for hybrid vehicles.

With local market trends including hybrid vehicles as well as pure electric vehicles, the move provides manufacturers with less of an incline in the learning curve to achieving the best possible outcomes in these technologies, essentially buying manufacturers extra time to reflect on and refine their innovations. This is also necessary for developing the kinds of vehicles that are practical specifically for a Canadian context. “Our clients are going to continue to make the combustion engine,” Anson says, pointing out that, economically, this provides security on a national scale.

Yet, it is by no means game over for the EV market. DSC continues to contribute to the country’s electrically powered future by assisting battery fabricators in establishing their state-of-the-art facilities on local soil. A significant amount of this assistance goes to Korean feeder plants working in collaboration with the battery fabricators. These include NextStar Energy, a collaboration between LG Energy Solution and Stellantis, with NextStar Energy’s recently launched $5 billion facility in Windsor, Ontario. The arrival of this company in Windsor led to other firms setting themselves up in the area, creating even more opportunities for DSC.

Flourishing, the Canadian way
The DSC team has been assisting these companies with facility layouts, efficiency improvements, safety reviews, and general guidance on typical Canadian fabrication flow and regulations. “That’s where we get excited; these are the things that we have the opportunity to improve and streamline,” Anson says, noting that foreign outfits often need a lot of support to adapt to the Canadian way of operating.

The company also helps legacy firms evolve by harnessing the latest technology and assisting with regulatory upgrades, putting them painlessly at the cutting edge of their sector through the addition of automation, modern equipment, and facility design. As with new builds, this includes harnessing predictive maintenance and the internet of things (IoT) to optimize uptime and output. While these upgrades can be lengthy projects, breaking them up into clear phases has proven an ideal strategy for introducing manageable change in organizations where fabrication processes have become outdated.

DSC’s methods are as modern as its layouts, with professionally rendered designs using AutoCAD and the use of digital twins—virtual copies of facility layouts that reflect processes in real time. These are used for data analysis, in machine learning, and to improve system flow. “The data might tell us that you need to have a second machine installed so that you can handle more volume efficiency,” Anson explains.

Unsurprisingly, COVID-19 popularized the use of predictive maintenance. As spare parts like filters—which would typically arrive in a few days—suddenly took several months to appear, pre-empting mechanical services became imperative to ensure fabrication uptime. It also brought change.

Continuously diversifying into new areas like food & beverage, the DSC team soon found that its hard-won automotive engineering expertise in lighting, air supply, and every other aspect of manufacturing facility setup had an unexpected upside: it was transferable and would work in any industry. Today, Design Systems Canada collaborates with a host of new industrial outfits, like a lumber yard in northern Ontario that needed some process flow assistance. DSC also foresees exciting new possibilities in aerospace and forestry.

A tight team
Running a smooth operation with a small team means that DSC’s people are close-knit, making teamwork a pleasure—and customers benefit in many ways. Camaraderie makes for solid work relationships and reliability, care, and a general sense of kindness to colleagues permeate the company’s service delivery. In DSC’s own ranks, the result is long tenures, with at least two employees having been with the company for three decades. This means that generational knowledge is being passed from the older generation to the newer, ensuring continuity and a legacy of excellence.

And, with the vast volumes of manufacturing returning to North American shores, whether tearing down old, existing facilities or building new ones, whether consolidating or expanding, Design Systems Canada is close at hand to support fabricators. This includes setting up manufacturers properly from the start to avoid unnecessary expenses while optimizing earning potential. It is much like having an experienced coach on the team, says Anson.

“We want to help you grow your business. We’re not looking to invest in your business or trying to take your money; we just want you to be the best version of you.”

The post Modernizing North American Fabrication<p class="company">Design Systems Canada Ltd.</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

The business specialized in solutions that speak to a bygone era in cinematic history, when movies were shot on celluloid film. The company made film and chemical processing equipment, drybox air systems—also called dry cabinets, storage systems to protect film and film gear from humidity and contaminants—and silver recovery cells, which are commonly used in darkrooms to recover silver elements from chemicals used to process film.

“From ’76 on, any major motion picture you’d see in the movie theatre had gone through something he had made,” states Daniel with pride. During the 1990s, moviemakers started to transition from celluloid film to digital technology and demand for celluloid film-related equipment dropped sharply.

In 2000, Valenzuela suffered a heart attack and his son-in-law stepped into the breach. At the time, Daniel was working as a Los Angeles County deputy sheriff; he was an experienced lawman but knew little about metal manufacturing. Nonetheless, the LA County Sheriff’s Department gave him a six-month leave of absence to manage the business as Valenzuela recuperated.

Few of Daniel’s policing skills were applicable to his new role, other than the ability to suss out “if employees were trying to get something over on me,” he jokes. He did, however, have a naturally inquisitive nature, a good work ethic, and an outsider’s perspective. He peppered the shop floor staff with questions and worked hard to make changes in a business that was struggling at the time.

“At the end of the six months, my wife and I decided that I would stay there and continue with the company and help make it great again. They did their best sales they ever had that year,” he recalls.

In 2004, Valenzuela closed his business and sold his equipment to Daniel and his wife Petra. The company name was tweaked from Metal Engineering, and the business was moved from an 8,000-square-foot space to the 15,500-square-foot facility it currently occupies. Petra passed away earlier this year, so the firm is now solely run by Daniel and his son Bryce, Project Manager.

At present, the company is eagerly anticipating the arrival of a special laser welding system to augment its service lineup. The order was placed after the company researched the laser welding system and found much to its liking.

“The gist of it is it welds faster than MIG welding, which right now is the fastest form of welding,” explains Bryce. “It uses more precise and direct heat than TIG welding, and it delivers full penetration in a single pass… a job that would normally take you an hour, you can do in 15 minutes without any metal fatigue.”

The system is “very easy” to learn, he continues. He expects that the leading-edge solution will arrive by December of this year.

As with most services at Metal Engineering & MFG., laser welding will be handled in-house. The company’s motto, ‘Where Craftsmanship and Technology Meet,’ reflects its devotion to technological solutions and old-fashioned skill. The company has its own machining and welding equipment and uses CAD software for planning, and, if it needs to subcontract anything out, it relies on a handful of trusted partners.

As a custom metal fabricator, Metal Engineering & MFG. often works as part of a larger team of contractors for the commercial, residential, and specialty markets. Once a project is completed, the company offers maintenance, although such services are not often needed.

“Nine times out of ten, our products don’t require any maintenance,” Bryce says. “The only time that ever happens is, say, for a water feature—if the chemicals are imbalanced and the chlorine levels are way too high, sometimes that causes stainless steel to rust. In that case, we come out and perform the maintenance and tell them what’s wrong with their water. But that’s very rare.”

Even if most modern films are made using digital technology, the company still does some work for the silver screen. The last big film the company worked on was Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, a Quentin Tarantino thriller shot on Kodak 35mm film. Tarantino’s use of old-fashioned film stock necessitated the use of old-fashioned accessories. “We made all the film reels for all the movie theatres in the nation to run the film and the traveling boxes for those films,” Bryce explains.

While Metal Engineering & MFG. does not do much movie work these days, it has developed a new niche doing metalwork for theme parks and casinos. “We get hired by contractors,” says Bryce, “and through them, we do a lot of work for theme parks. You can’t walk through one of their parks without running past products that we make.”

About a decade ago, the company did secondary metalwork at a huge theme park area. The team also contributed to a striking 39-foot-high fountain featuring three stylized sculptures of women embedded in a column rising from a base. 22,000 lbs. of stainless steel support the fountain and its sculptures, built for the lobby of the Palazzo, a high-end casino and hotel that is part of the larger Venetian Resort in Las Vegas.

“Water comes from the top, from a chalice all the way to the bottom, which is the floor below. Everything underneath is stainless steel,” Daniel says. “We do a lot of water features as part of the team that puts them together; we do the metalwork.”

Personnel levels at Metal Engineering & MFG. vary depending on the nature of projects at hand. On a big assignment, the company might use as many as 30 employees, while for most work, the firm relies on a core of roughly 12 staff members. When hiring, the company likes applicants who are “go-getters,” says Bryce. “We try to hire people who mesh well with everyone, too.”

Indeed, the company aims to cultivate a family-like atmosphere, lending out shop trucks, for example, for employees facing car problems. Employees can use the shop trucks to save on repair bills. For their part, employees are expected to be honest and focused on quality. “I tell every employee, whether they’re new or old, ‘If there’s a mistake made, don’t try to hide it. Just come up and say, ‘Hey, I messed up’ and let’s try to figure out how to fix it,’” he tells us.

In terms of quality, “I never want to hear the words, ‘It’s good enough.’ Any company can do good enough. They’re not hiring us to do good enough; they’re hiring us to do better,” adds Daniel. “We’ve got to try to make this the best that we can. If something doesn’t work right, we’ll step back and see what happened: ‘What caused this?’ Then we’ll correct it.”

In a similar fashion, Metal Engineering & MFG. takes a strict line on safety, with regular safety meetings and ample and readily available PPE.

Promotion of Metal Engineering & MFG. is largely a matter of word-of-mouth endorsements. The company does attend trade shows but primarily relies on customer referrals or general contractors hiring it back for new projects. Being that the company is still relatively small, “I would say the biggest challenge is that the industry is kind of changing—more and more companies are favoring big business, big corporations. What we’re doing to solve that problem is really focusing on our quality and our customer service,” says Bryce.

The team is also pondering the possibilities of opening an operation in Florida, perhaps in tandem with some customer operations. “We’re in talks to see if that’s a viable option,” Bryce says. And of course, the company can’t wait to start using its laser welding solution once it arrives.

Looking ahead, “We want to continue to be more of a leader in technology,” Bryce asserts. “That’s the biggest thing with metal manufacturing—integrating technology into what you’re doing and not being afraid of it, whether that’s integrating an AI model into our quoting services, laser welding, or any other new technology that’s coming up. There are a lot of new things emerging right now.”

The post From the Silver Screen to Casinos and Beyond<p class="company">Metal Engineering & MFG.</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

With more than 92 years of experience in the foundry industry, the company has the technology and creativity to compete in today’s market, as well as the history and expertise to deliver flawless production outcomes to its clients. Serving loyal customers in the military, medical, robotics, power generation, and many other private and commercial sectors, Boose has continually nurtured those relationships by delivering only the highest-quality castings paired with unrivaled customer service.

The company is also particularly proud of the implementation of its automatic green sand molding line. “Since 1933, we have utilized manual machines in our green sand molding process,” says Justin Sweigart, Director of Business Development.

Progressively over the years, it became more and more difficult to locate and hire skilled labor with a strong manual work ethic, Sweigart adds, and with retirements of long-term employees on the rise, an investment in a more automated solution was made in 2021 with the purchase of an automatic Hunter molding machine.

“Prior to taking receipt of the new machine, Boose had a devastating fire, which forced us to re-evaluate the layout of the manufacturing facility,” Sweigart explains. Consequently, the decision was made to decommission a larger, more inefficient machine and reutilize the space for the new Hunter and existing manual machines. “Boose Aluminum still has the capabilities to manufacture products off of original manual molding equipment, but now has the ability to produce low- to medium-volume orders more efficiently at competitive costs on our automated molding line.”

The company is also proud of its in-house heat treating services. Under stress, untreated aluminum components may break, deform, or distort. Compared to materials like steel, aluminum is a relatively soft and pliable metal. Nonetheless, it’s a highly sought-after material in dozens of industries due to its light weight and resistance to corrosion. While there are many different types of heat treatments, they all entail heating and straining metal parts to encourage greater strength and appropriate shape.

For generations, Boose has gained the expertise of heat treating aluminum. Without the heat treatment process, the properties and dimensions of the aluminum castings would take 55 years to naturally stabilize. These days, a wide variety of heat treatment techniques and procedures are distinguished and defined by the T system of classification. Every technique has advantages and disadvantages for the final output.

One of the most used heat treatments for aluminum is T6. The first step of this process “Solution heat treatment,” heats the castings to a little below aluminum’s melting point (1,221°F/660.3°C) for a period of 8 to 12 hours, and melts any alloy constituents in the casting. Strength and support are provided by the homogenizing and redistribution throughout the casting.

Next, the castings are rapidly quenched and chilled, with the microstructure that develops during the solid solution phase being solidified by the quenching. The quick cooling also makes the casting considerably stronger.

The castings are then artificially aged in an aluminum heat treat oven following quenching. During this phase, they are baked at a temperature close to 310°F/154°C, far below aluminum’s melting point. The alloying ingredients can create chemical bonds within the casting during this aging process, reinforcing and strengthening the item. Baking the product speeds up the natural process of aluminum age hardening.

Between the solution and aging process, straightening and quality control procedures may also be carried out to guarantee that the casting’s shape and form will satisfy all requirements.

Another common heat treat process that is performed at Boose Aluminum is a T51, or solely an “Artificial Aging” cycle. During this single step process, the castings are heated in an oven between 300 and 400 degrees for an extended period of time. This process is an excellent option for dimensional stability in castings that are highly complex in design, or when close tolerances are required.

Boose also performs radiography testing, sometimes known as X-ray testing, a nondestructive testing technique that looks into parts’ internal structures using X-rays. Without causing damage or changing the object, the process allows the team to identify internal irregularities such as shrinkage, voids, inclusions, or porosity. The company employs radiographic testing as a quality assurance checkpoint during the sampling process of new products, or when required by the customer to conform to quality specifications during production runs.

What can radiography assist with? Internal defect detection can identify internal casting flaws that reduce strength, while decreased failure risk identifies discontinuities early on to help avoid problems like cracking, leakage, and in-field part failures. Finally, radiography helps boost cost-effective quality control to avoid machining defective castings or scrapping finished parts. In short, radiography ensures only good castings advance through production.

Boose Aluminum supports industrial companies that require high-integrity aluminum castings, providing services typically used by defense contractors, heavy machinery manufacturers, medical industries, pump, valve, and fluid handling manufacturers, and utilities and infrastructure contractors—customers that often operate in high-pressure environments where failure is not an option. Radiographic inspection guarantees that the company’s parts fulfill their standards and needs.

Another value added quality assurance service Boose Aluminum offers is liquid penetrant inspection (LPI). When required, the in-house LPI process inspects the castings for surface flaws including porosity, laps, and fractures before it leaves the foundry. Undetected, these defects could lead to machining defects, leak paths, or casting failures.

Boose Aluminum also offers casting dimensional inspection and layout services to give engineers, quality managers, and production teams the assurance that castings are checked against the highest standards, whether it’s a First Article Inspection (FAI) or a production requirement. Before parts are put into production, these services, which are supported by skilled specialists, make sure they fulfill important requirements.

Although Boose Aluminum Foundry has faced its share of transitions and challenges, resolutions include the implementation and enforcement of SOPs, a new ERP system, and automated processes, says Sweigart. “We’re currently in the process of implementing a new no-bake sand reclamation system, along with additional sand storage capacity,” he adds. “This will provide additional sand capacity to support future growth in our no-bake molding operations.”

While there are numerous qualities that help set Boose apart within the industry, Sweigart emphasizes the importance of the company’s ability to provide clients with everything they need all under one roof.

“Boose Aluminum is very diverse in the capabilities we offer,” he says. “With production weights ranging from less than one pound to 800 pounds, volumes from one to thousands of parts, and quality ranges from commercial grade to military standards requiring X-ray and liquid dye penetrant inspections, Boose Aluminum is a one-stop shop for all your casting supply needs.”

The post Providing Diverse Capabilities in a One-Stop Shop<p class="company">Boose Aluminum Foundry</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

“If you have a heavy duty welding gun, if you control the heat and don’t get affected by it, now you can control the parameters, the weld quality, and the speeds,” explains Sales Manager Steve Moerke, a third generation Moerke and part owner of the family business. “Now you have no downtime and no problems. You remove all of that and it’s unbelievable,” he says.

Able to be integrated with all robotic manufacturers’ equipment and capable of handling jobs of a variety of materials and sizes, D/F Machine Specialties^® is one of the best kept secrets in the welding world—and we’re about to blow its cover.

Family business
So much more than the welding guns and consumables it manufactures, D/F Machine Specialties^® is innovative to the core, and this has been the case since it was founded in the late 1960s to improve output and performance by addressing some of the sector’s greatest pain points.

Founder Del Moerke Sr. was a member of the Airco (Air Reduction Sales Co. of New York) development team responsible for developing a new welding process known as MIG (metal inert gas) welding, a process that proved faster than conventional TIG (tungsten inert gas) welding, and achieved temperatures required to effectively weld aluminum. As part of his role, Del Sr. travelled the country installing equipment and educating new users on the innovative approach. In the process, he had the opportunity to encounter a variety of welding guns, most of which would experience regular failures requiring service and resulting in costly downtime. It inspired him to craft something better.

While on the road, he came up with a design for a MIG pistol welding gun that was fully water-cooled. Patented in 1968, the D/F pistol gun became something of an overnight success. Unlike the competition, which could only last for 15 minutes of steady welding before requiring costly maintenance shutdowns, the gun just kept on running and did so for three shifts a day, seven days a week. The performance was unheard of.

This was the genesis of D/F Machine Specialties^®. Operated by Del Sr. and his wife Fern, from whom the company’s initials and brand were derived, and their children Del Jr., Wayne, Beverly, and Karen, the company operated out of the basement of the family home until 1970, at which point D/F incorporated and moved to its first official location in Lombard, Illinois.

Family was pivotal to the company’s success and in 1978, as the company and the family outgrew the Lombard facility, the decision was made to relocate to its current 14,000-square-foot facility in North Mankato, Minnesota. Here, the company’s capacity grew and so did demand.

A new era
The introduction of robotic welding in the mid-1980s was a new opportunity for the brand to shine. True to form, Del Sr. identified a shortcoming in robotic welders (they required a two-hour shutdown for maintenance due to torch failure, a labor-intensive process that requires running utility lines into the gun for gas and water; the welding wire also had to be stripped down for a new gun to be re-harnessed and re-positioned) and responded with a viable, long-term solution.

Enter the new water-cooled robotic welding gun which consisted of a patented and trademarked docking spool and posit ring that conveniently snaps into the wrist of the robot for instant positioning to resume the weld. Instead of two hours, the entire process takes 45 seconds, and the innovation even translated over to automated machines.

Where hard automation is concerned, particularly instances with high deposition and large wire diameters that require preheating and high amperages, D/F’s heavy duty water-cooled weld automation torch is the gold standard and many of these original guns are still in production today, found on automatic and robotic cells worldwide.

“The welding gun is our best salesman,” notes Moerke, which is why he empowers potential customers to trial the equipment to ensure that it meets the needs of their application. “We are so confident that the D/F Water-Cooled to the Tip welding guns are the best welding guns in the world, that we will gladly run demos and trials with customers and prove why they should be using the D/F welding guns. The good news is when they find us, we have never lost a demo.”

New leadership, same commitment
At a time when the industry has experienced a great deal of consolidation, D/F Machine Specialties remains independent and family owned. In 2008, after years of trying, Del Jr. and Steve, his son, assumed ownership of the company and continue to forge ahead with a unified vision for the future, dedicated to supporting and advancing the heavy duty welding sector as well as the family legacy. Laura Moerke (aka Laura Christopherson) is the company’s Account Administrator and handles all invoicing, bill paying, accounting and legal matters, inside sales, human resources, insurance, customer service, ordering of raw materials and supplies, marketing, and IT.

“We attend tradeshows together as a family,” explains Steve Moerke. “Laura, Del, and I staff the booth and we actually bring family with us to watch the kids in the hotels while we work. My mother and Laura’s have both worked the D/F booth at Fabtech over the years,” he shares. “It takes a family to run a family business!”

This kind of support enables the team to “under-promise and over-deliver” in a sector where the competition rates their welding guns at 60 percent duty cycles. D/F Machine Specialties^® knows that its equipment can be pushed to the maximum and continues to strive for perfection.

“We excel in the 100 percent duty cycle jobs; heavy duty, high heat, pulse welding, water-cooled, high amperage, and will still remain cold to the touch, even if it is pushed all day long, three shifts a day, seven days a week, with only one contact tip per shift,” says Moerke.

D/F is the only manufacturer in the U.S. that has both 1000-amp MIG and TIG torches that can run ¼” aluminum wire for MIG welding and ⅜” diameter tungsten for the TIG process. While the company gets plenty of calls for the 1000-amp iterations, playfully referred to as the “Big Mig” and the “Big Tig,” the reality is that very few people welding ever get above 650 amps.

“We have to explain to customers you do not need a 1000-amp welding gun; you just need a welding gun that stays cold below 650 amps. Luckily for us, the competition fails above 400 amps, and this is where we shine,” says Moerke. “We have been able to do 95 percent of all jobs with our standard series of trademarked water-cooled to the tip welding guns.”

A lifelong member of the AWS (American Welding Society) and GAWDA (Gases and Welding Distributors Association), D/F Machine Specialties^® takes great pride in the fact that its equipment isn’t disposable as so many others are in the market. Instead of high-temperature plastic components, D/F welding guns are built differently.

“We not only build the guns more robustly—use copper instead of plastic, braze them together—but we also receive the gas, water, and power differently. This all enables D/F to control the heat and remain cold while welding,” explains Moerke, and this allows for better control of the weld quality, speed, and performance without the added cost.

In fact, the equipment typically costs less than the competition and often pays for itself in a matter of six months to a year, mitigating torch failures and reducing consumable usage, downtime, and rework in the process.

A legacy in action
When speaking about the company’s history and evolution, the contribution of the extended family cannot be overstated. For Moerke, from the outset “family members were personally invested in the business’s success, resulting in a dedicated workforce and a willingness to make sacrifices or go the extra mile for the business and for the customer.”

With no outside sales force, the company has grown strictly on word of mouth and reputation, which is founded on a superior product and unmatched customer service built on trust and loyalty. This, however, can be a double-edged sword, making D/F Machine Specialties^® a victim of its own success.

“If you were a welding distributor, would you want to sell the welding guns that have to be replaced every two months and use a tip every 40 minutes, or would you want to sell the welding guns that last for years and years, only use one tip every one to two days (on the hardest jobs in the world), and reduces cost, downtime, and rework seven to one on average? We are our own worst enemy because our guns are too good and our consumables last too long,” jokes Moerke.

Like the welding guns, torches, and consumables it manufactures, the standard of service delivery at D/F Machine Specialties^® is also second to none. Everything is manufactured in-house with intention behind it, and decades of expertise makes the company a true partner on the most difficult jobs where extreme conditions, long duty cycles, high heat and amperage, and other contingencies are present.

“This is where we excel. Give us a chance to run a demo on your worst job and make it go away,” says Moerke of D/F’s ability to improve weld quality, reduce downtime, and save money over the long term. “Customers can’t believe the D/F difference. If we can fit the D/F gun into the job, there really is no comparison,” something Moerke and his team are happy to prove time and time again.

The post Where Welding Innovation Runs in the Family<p class="company">D/F Machine Specialties®</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

Fully certified to ISO 9001standards, the company relies on robust processes, from organizational structure to quality reporting and customer engagement, to drive consistent, mutually successful outcomes.

Overlanders Manufacturing has been active in Western Canada since the late 1970s, but over the last 18 to 24 months, much of the company’s capabilities have seen considerable in-house upgrades. For example, the team has rolled out new advanced laser automation capabilities, including the AI-powered and Industry 4.0-ready Prima Power Laser Genius+ laser cutter with additional parts-stacking robot—the company’s biggest capital purchase in several years.

Recently, Overlanders upgraded its Abbotsford facilities and now has the capacity to house pieces as large as the new Prima cutter, which takes up a large part of the building. The company has also expanded and created more dedicated space for assembly lines, including a dedicated assembly line that moves beyond simply bending, cutting, and painting metal. New robotics incorporated into the bending process further the company’s goal of weaving automation throughout its processes and allow a single operator to run several machines at once with greater accuracy.

When it comes to automation and technology, these are catch-all terms that Plant Manager Adam Stephenson believes should not be thrown around casually. Instead, Overlanders Manufacturing has always kept its finger on the pulse of the technology making waves in its field and how it can be employed to enhance the company’s capabilities. “It’s not just about replacing a machine but about increasing capability,” he says. This process is highly methodical by nature, but Stephenson explains that the Overlanders team subscribes to the mentality of seeing a business as a journey. While some companies are very goal-oriented, Overlanders Manufacturing will never be at a final ‘perfect’ state and is always looking to improve itself, which keeps everyone involved hungry and searching for better ways to serve clients.

The company also stays abreast of the latest best practices in safety and incorporates them into its processes. Even though Overlanders Manufacturing has been around for nearly a half century, Stephenson says that leadership is always interrogating itself and exploring how to best provide top customer service while balancing safety and efficiency, often while syncing its systems with those of its customers and considering client satisfaction through that lens. Since the company’s work can be found in a variety of industries including energy, medical, construction, transportation, and more, safe and reliable practices are paramount to its continued success.

Overlanders Manufacturing has proudly been part of the Exchange Income Corporation (EIC) family for quite some time, having been acquired in 2006, and EIC has been a fundamental part of why it has stayed ahead in the industry. The business is also an active collaborator with its fellow EIC-owned companies, including BC-based machine shop Hansen Industries, learning and sharing from one another’s processes. Hansen has become a close partner, as both companies share overlapping capabilities and benefit from one another’s capacity. There is much work that can be done within this partnership, says Stephenson, to optimize output and deliver greater capabilities and flexibility to customers.

He explains that such collaborations can take a number of forms, such as working with the Manufacturing Safety Alliance (MSA) on safety presentations and training. Industry learning is a big part of a typical year, with an example being factory tours Overlanders recently attended in October as part of a presentation for the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce’s annual manufacturing industry tour through the area. Events like these are part of the company’s strong local presence, as is its participation in the MSA’s Make It Safe conference, also in October.

Certainly, this has been a busy year for Overlanders Manufacturing judging by the volume of customer demand, and this has led to a strong bottom line as the year draws to a close, despite ongoing market turmoil. As well as the ability to effectively support clients in both Canada and the United States, the company has also been able to extract information on customer needs to regarding shipping internationally, which has had its own difficulties this year. With many challenges in the current market, the team aims to be flexible, always looking for new opportunities. “We are able to adapt our process to what people need, even during challenging times,” says Stephenson.

Looking ahead to a new year, he says that the company will be spending a lot of its time determining how to increase both its capacity and efficiency. This is Overlanders Manufacturing’s biggest goal and will prove the strength of its lead times. There are also big plans to optimize the company’s existing systems and expand equipment in the areas where it has been most successful in order to align with that growth. Customers are eagerly continuing to order, so the company wants to make sure that it has the right equipment to deliver, as well as the right people in its workforce to achieve these goals.

The team has grown quite a bit—including Adam Stephenson’s joining—in the past year, and he believes this growth will continue based on the company’s overall strength across 2025. “The biggest driver of success is continuing to be a leader in what we do,” he says, and quality is one of the reasons people choose Overlanders Manufacturing time and time again.

Having been around for so long, Overlanders Manufacturing has robust processes and core tools in place that give customers the assurance and peace of mind they need. The team has also since spent its tenure establishing itself in its local community of Abbotsford and the greater Vancouver area. This can be seen in its social media presence as the business openly celebrates both the cultural diversity of the area it calls home as well as the many people who make up its proud and capable workforce.

There is no doubt that 2026 is shaping up to be an exciting time for Overlanders Manufacturing. Continuing to promote the strengths of its approach to customer relationships and industry partnerships, this team has been able to keep busy and work hard through challenging situations. At the same time, it stands out in the minds and memories of customers, peers, and the people who make it work every day.

The post A Leader in Metal Fabrication<p class="company">Overlanders Manufacturing</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

“Sunnen has been in business for 100 years, and I think the reason for that is our consistent quality,” states Business Development Manager, Dan Conner. “A lot of it is also the technical support we provide with our products; I think that really makes a difference as far as buying from us. We are always trying to improve our products to ensure the quality is there,” he continues. “Our products will last. We have a lot of customers that have been using their particular machines for 30 to 40 years, and they’re still using those machines today.”

Based in St. Louis, Missouri, the company (pronounced “Son-in”) makes honing, lapping, deep hole drilling, skiving, and roller burnishing machines. Honing is an ultra-precision bore machining process prized by quality-minded manufacturers and job shoppers when making high-end components. Used to finish and polish bores, tighten tolerances, and remove stock, honing is central to Sunnen’s mission. “We have always just tried to focus on the honing market. I think a lot of other companies try to diversify and go into other products,” Conner notes.

By emphasizing honing above all, Sunnen has been able to perfect its craft and “meet tolerances on specifications that were once very unrealistic as far as machining went,” he adds.

The company offers a full lineup of horizontal, vertical, single-stroke, and tube-honing machines, plus machine automation solutions. Training, tooling, repairs, abrasives, gages, oils, and coolant are also available. Sunnen’s main sectors served include automotive, medical, firearms and defense, aerospace, energy, general machining/job shops, and diesel engines.

Sunnen maintains an advanced technology center which houses current and legacy machines as well as other equipment, while technicians in the center perform in-house testing and application work for customers who send in parts. Staff can also offer demonstrations and provide in-house training for clients or take calls from concerned customers to walk them through various issues.

“Maybe you’re trying a different material, and you need a recommendation for different abrasives—you can call in,” says Conner. “We have someone on that line every day, five days a week, and they can help you with your application.”

Alternately, Sunnen technicians can travel to a customer’s worksite to assist with machine installations, provide training, or sort out application woes. Such thorough client support is vital, as “honing is a little more specific, a bit more of a unique process,” compared with other types of machining, he adds.

While manufacturing operations are centered in St. Louis and Mexico, the company is able to tap into a global talent pool for technical and engineering support on complex projects, he adds.

Having an international subsidiary network was not likely on Joe Sunnen’s mind back in 1924 when he founded the company that bears his name. In his early 20s at the time, Joe had invented and patented a valve lifter tool but lacked the funds to set up a brick-and-mortar site to make and sell the product. So, he drove around the St. Louis area and sold the product directly at job shops and garages. Clients were impressed, and eventually, a permanent location was established. Joe developed other products, including a manual cylinder hone in 1928, as growth continued apace. The company started exporting products to Canada in the 1930s, then into Scandinavia. Sunnen switched to wartime production during World War II and later returned to making civilian goods in peacetime.

The company has continued to broaden its horizons, establishing branches in China and the UK in 1994, then Switzerland, Poland, and Italy shortly thereafter. Other new branches included Brazil in 2013 and India in 2014. As Sunnen expanded its reach, it also explored new, honing-adjacent markets, and began selling machines for deep hole drilling and skiving/roller burnishing in 2016. Growth in recent years has been driven in large part by the company’s commitment to “get into more difficult applications… including tight tolerances down to a millionth of an inch.”

Today, the company has branches in 15 countries throughout Asia, North and South America, and Europe, with 316 employees in the United States and 670 in total around the world.

When it comes to new hires, Sunnen looks for “a committed, dedicated employee, first and foremost—an employee who is willing to learn, willing to grow. Sunnen, like a lot of other companies, provides in-house training because it’s hard to find people with a machining background who have the specific technical background needed,” Conner explains. “We try to bring in the right employees with the right attitude and the right work ethic and then teach them the machining part of what we need.”

After almost a century as a family-run business, Sunnen was sold to private equity firm, P4G Capital Management, on December 1, 2023. Conner says that the company remains committed to quality and innovation, and to this end, there has been a big push to increase throughput and productivity. Sunnen is also striving to achieve AS9100 certification. Achieving the aerospace standard is a grueling process involving performance benchmarks, audits, and a constant focus on quality. The company currently does a brisk business with aircraft OEM suppliers, and this segment will likely expand further upon certification.

As for its own supply chain, Sunnen aims to use companies located near its home base in Missouri. Tariffs have caused some headaches with pricing and sourcing, leading the team to investigate alternative vendors in some cases, Conner explains.

Over the decades, the company has received industry kudos for its work, earning multiple Army-Navy Production Awards during World War II in recognition of the quality and quantity of its output. When it was revived by President Kennedy in the early 1960s to salute exporters, this honor was rebranded as the E Award, as in E for excellence. Sunnen received an E Award in 1964, and then an E Star Award 22 years later, a category that honors E Award winners who increase their exports. On May 17, 2024, Sunnen garnered a second E Star Award at a Washington D.C. ceremony hosted by the United States Department of Commerce. It was among only 13 companies to receive this honor at the event.

While delighted by these awards, Sunnen staff members remain grounded and alert to day-to-day concerns about workplace safety. A safety manager ensures that machines and processes in the manufacturing facilities are hazard-free and that shop employees wear appropriate personal protection equipment including steel-toed boots, safety glasses, and hearing protection when required. The human resources department works alongside the safety manager, assisting with documentation and liaising with employees who want to report safety issues. “There are a lot of checks and balances to make sure everything is not only compliant, but that people who are advocating for safety around here are heard and that any changes get made,” says Conner.

In terms of promotion, the company has a social media presence and participates in several trade shows each year, demonstrating its machinery and machining processes. That said, “Sunnen has been around for 100 years,” and “doesn’t need a lot of brand recognition help,” notes Conner. The company does face its share of challenges, such as the struggle to recruit new talent and retain existing staff. Across the manufacturing sector, many veteran employees are approaching retirement age, and insufficient numbers of young people are stepping up to replace them. The human resources department is “working on the culture here to attract younger people and attract people who want to stay in manufacturing for the long haul.” Among other things, Sunnen is aiming to improve communication between departments to ensure that no employee feels left out.

While it might be a centenarian, Sunnen remains a forward-thinking company. The team is investigating the opportunities presented by artificial intelligence (AI), for example, which might be helpful in simplifying business practices or augmenting engineering services. That said, “We don’t want to just throw in AI for no reason. It has to be something that our customers really want, something that makes their life easier or makes the machining process easier for them.”

As for the future, Conner says, “I think we’re at the place where we’re assessing opportunities. That will guide us over the next five years.”

The post This Honing Equipment Giant Hits the Century Mark and Beyond<p class="company">Sunnen Products Company </p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.