Oregon Chapter of Women in Manufacturing Shares Safety & Ergonomics Best Practices

WiM members enjoying the view before dodging rare Portland thunderstorm

The Oregon chapter of Women in Manufacturing hosted a panel discussion on Safety & Ergonomics, led by Sherwin WIlliam’s Purdy management team. In addition to participants sharing best practices, the event’s highlights included refreshments and networking on a Portland rooftop garden, enhanced by city and river views. Attendees especially enjoyed the magnificent thunderstorm which entertained everyone during their meal.

Upcoming events will include a financial presentation hosted by DeLap LLP, a local CPA firm and a tour and talk on 3D printing hosted by RapidMade, a Portland-based additive manufacturing company.

Contact Renee Eaton at reaton@rapidmade.com for more information about the Oregon WiM chapter.

Participants share safety and ergonomic best practices

RapidMade Sales Reps Provide Local Services, Now with More Midwest!

If you’re reading this, you probably already know that RapidMade’s website has many informative resources on our custom manufacturing, engineering, and interactive marketing services. But did you also know that RapidMade has local sales representatives who assist our customers across the country? Our sales reps are ready to help your business start taking advantage of our rapid manufacturing solutions with dedicated local relationships.

Now, we’re pleased to announce that we’re expanding our local services to the Midwest with the addition of our newest sales representative, Daniel Diekmann. Daniel will be available for customers in Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Tennessee and Kentucky. If you live in the Midwest and would like to talk to Daniel about working with RapidMade, give him a call at 503-751-2131 or email him at daniel@matterformgroup.com. You can see information for all of our sales representatives by clicking here.

Whether you are looking for 3D printing, thermoforming, machining or other services, RapidMade can help your business get the most from its products by providing faster manufacturing solutions at less cost. To get started with your project, get a custom quote in 24 hours or less with our easy-to-use quote tool.

Oregon Business Magazine's Manufacturing Issue Highlights Gender Gap

RapidMade CEO Renee Eaton

Kudos to Oregon Business Magazine for its feature, Women’s Work, which details the chronic gender gap that continues in manufacturing. The article is based on interviews with female professionals in trade organizations, manufacturing firms, and higher education.

Together they show how improving gender representation requires a concerted approach from across the industry to reshape an institutionalized culture of gender-based segregation and redefine archaic norms of what work women can and cannot do.

Strategies proposed include:

• Advising businesses that diversity will ease the labor shortage and improve the bottom line.

• Promoting manufacturing careers to female students and professionals.

• Providing supportive networks, like Women in Manufacturing and Oregon Tradeswomen, to help women secure employment and businesses find and retain female employees.

• Breaking down the “bro culture” prevalent in manufacturing.

RapidMade CEO Renee Eaton, a Women in Manufacturing chair of its Oregon chapter was among the women featured in the article. RapidMade is a Portland-based additive manufacturing (3D printing) and engineering services firm.

RapidMade Attends Operations & Technology Management Symposium

Renee Eaton returned to the University of Portland's campus last week to attend its Operations & Technology Management Symposium.  Renee, a former management instructor at UP, always welcomes a chance to reconnect with faculty, students and fellow operations executives.

This year's event included Key Note Speaker Mike Malin, VP of IT Product & Merchandising Solutions at Nike, who explained his philosophy on managing technology given the acceleration of innovation. Other presenters included Vikas Sharma, an Intel Technology & Process Development Manager who talked about the trends and challenges surrounding Artificial Intelligence and Keith Burton, an Intel Director of IT Marketing Solutions, who described how his firm is using research, marketing and customer services to manage operations globally.

The annual symposium is always a great way to celebrate Manufacturing Month.

Hometown Pittsburgh's High-Tech Make Over...

Growing up in Pittsburgh, if you weren't directly connected to the Steel industry, you complained about the rotten egg smell and pollution.  But when the industrial giants went silent in the 70s and 80s, the complaints shifted dramatically to the economic tragedy that was unfolding - the flight of life-long residents and well-paying jobs.   Rhetoric from the recent election aside, Pittsburgh's manufacturing base is both alive and well...

“The Pittsburgh Regional Alliance (PRA) recently reported that in 2016 the manufacturing sector accounted for the most investment dollars ($6.1 billion), the most deals (50 companies expanding or relocating), and the most new and retained jobs (3,667).”

But as we've continued to see, the type and number of jobs that have been created don't resemble those of the steel-era in any way.

“Manufacturing is the most active sector in southwestern Pennsylvania,” explains PRA President David Ruppersberger. “But as technology and automation continue to transform this legacy sector, the reality is that manufacturing facilities will be smaller-footprint, high-efficiency environments where fewer workers, with advanced skills including STEM proficiency, will produce more goods. This is a trend that won’t reverse at any time in the foreseeable future.”

Hearing of Pittsburgh's adoption of additive manufacturing and other advanced technologies is encouraging if the resulting economic turnaround benefits the greater community.

Congratulations to Paper Packaging on Retirement After 53 Years in Business

Paper Packaging, Pittsburgh landmark, closes this week

This week, Paper Packaging closes after 53 years in business.  Why would RapidMade be marking this occasion you may ask?  Its founder, Dan Unico, who worked every day in 2D printing and box making, is the father/grandfather of three of RapidMade's owners.  

Dan, who also turned 90 this month, will continue to work along with his wife Joan, 85,  and two sons Ken and Mark to dismantle, crate and ship equipment to new owners.  In the spring, they anticipate - finally - retiring.  Maybe...  

Dan and Joan taught us that starting a business was - and is - a path to a better life. And we learned that lesson at an early age. As children, we would play in the factory, sometimes doing odd jobs until age and experience allowed us to "graduate" to working on the various print and die-cutting machines.  This was NOT additive manufacturing.  The work could be hard, dirty, and monotonous.

 It is a testament to Dan that his wife, three of his four children, one son-in-law and one of his grandchildren (so far) has chosen manufacturing as a career.  That is a legacy one can be proud of.  Happy Birthday and Happy Retirement!

congratulations!

Has Media Attention on 3D Printing (Additive Manufacturing) Awakened Sleeping Giants?

Now that 3D printing (additive manufacturing) has become the latest media darling, it's no surprise that this attention has awakened various national, state, and local authorities to its promise.  Yes, I follow these developments because I have a vested interest as someone who owns a 3D printing, engineering and manufacturing firm.  But part of my interest comes from growing up in a rust belt town once known as the "center of the universe" for steel manufacturing.  (Very few steel plants remain today).  Up the street (interstate) sits the New Stanton plant, so every time we drive between Baltimore and Pittsburgh, we pass the site. From the late 70s - late 80s, it housed a VW factory (a great coup for the state at the time) and afterward a Sony TV plant moved in and operated from the early 90s until 2008 when it also closed.  

We are too familiar with this scenario which has played out numerous times in every state. Products have life cycles.  Companies merge and consolidate.  Production shifts to locations with better labor and material costs.  So often public officials and civic leaders feel pressured to compete with one another to land the next big thing.  Is that N-B-T additive manufacturing? Maybe...

America Makes, a collaboration of government, business, academic and non-profit representatives promotes 3D printing innovation and resides in the heart of the Rust Belt.  Similar initiatives have since been launched...

An Illinois consortium was selected to lead The Digital Manufacturing & Design Innovation Institute.

The Lightweight & Modern Metals Manufacturing Innovation (LM3I) Institute will be directed by a Michigan-based consortium.

The Next Generation Power Electronics National Manufacturing Innovation Institute is comprised of a North Carolina-based consortium.

A competition is now underway (application deadline this week) to select a consortium for the Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute for Composites Materials and Structures.

And, not to be left behind, various counties, states and regions have joined pursuit.

Notice anything all these collaborations have in common?  Any west of the Mississippi?  I'm not saying there aren't any, but a quick internet search came up with none.  Nor do I begrudge the rust belt - as someone who managed and lived through a plant closing there, I support bringing back manufacturing jobs to the region.  And I live in Maryland, so obviously I'm excited about its promotion of 3D printing.  But as someone whose AM business is headquartered in Portland, Oregon (yes, it's a long commute), I don't want the Northwest to miss out. Because, at least for now, this emerging technology should generate enough opportunities for all.  The Northwest's demographics, location and passion for sustainability, collaboration, and creativity make it an ideal innovation hub.