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    Our roster of bloggers provide insight and advice on issues facing the maintenance and reliability industry today. These experts explore a range of topics, including workforce development, compressed air systems, electrical systems, supply chain management, and much more
    The Lighter Side of Manufacturing

    Transforming industrial waste heat into energy and clean drinking water

    Alexis Gajewski
    July 26, 2024
    Norwegian industry produces 20 TWh of waste heat each year. Most of this heat is released into the air or the ocean, but there might be a new way to utilize this resource.
    The Lighter Side of Manufacturing

    3D printer + laser = next step in additive manufacturing innovation

    Alexis Gajewski
    July 12, 2024
    Unlike other processes, FMAP offers users the potential to print sensors embedded within a structure.
    The Lighter Side of Manufacturing

    Robots are better than humans at everything, including solving Rubik's Cubes

    July 5, 2024
    Our robotic brethren are now able to solve these puzzles in an astonishing, blink-and-you’ll-miss it amount of time.
    The Lighter Side of Manufacturing

    DIY robot can mimic and replicate your actions in just 40 hours

    Alexis Gajewski
    June 28, 2024
    Researchers have engineered a robot that, once shown a desired movement, will mimic and learn how to perform the action itself. It’s equal parts ingenious and creepy.
    The Lighter Side of Manufacturing

    AI built a better motor (but I still don’t trust it)

    Alexis Gajewski
    June 21, 2024
    Materials Nexus recently used its AI platform to create a new rare earth-free permanent magnet called MagNex.
    The Lighter Side of Manufacturing

    Uncork the answer to better, greener footwear

    June 14, 2024
    ReCORK, a company that creates carbon-negative composite materials using natural recycled corks, is setting out to change the footwear industry.
    The Lighter Side of Manufacturing

    Easy-to-use robotic appendage gets 3 thumbs up (literally)

    Alexis Gajewski
    June 7, 2024
    Researchers have engineered the Third Thumb, which is poised to change the way we think about prosthetic devices.
    The Lighter Side of Manufacturing

    Live out your Star Trek fantasy with the wearable Humane Ai Pin

    May 31, 2024
    A wearable from Humane Inc. allows you to do everything you already do on your phone, except it's in the form of a pin that clips onto your clothing.
    The Lighter Side of Manufacturing

    Graffiti-fighting drone is making maintenance workers’ jobs easier and safer 

    Alexis Gajewski
    May 17, 2024
    Mike Gauger, a WSDOT maintenance superintendent, came up with the idea after working with the Tacoma Narrows Bridge team, which used drones for bridge inspections.
    The Lighter Side of Manufacturing

    Boston Dynamics creates Muppet-like fur costume for its Spot robot and teaches it to dance

    Alexis Gajewski
    May 3, 2024
    What do you get when you combine the playful humanity of Jim Henson with the practical ingenuity of Boston Dynamics?
    The Lighter Side of Manufacturing

    3D printers are helping surgeons create custom cranial implants

    April 26, 2024
    Now I know that if I suffer a severe injury, especially to my skull, all I really need is a 3D printer.
    The Lighter Side of Manufacturing

    Manufacturing in space, the final frontier 

    Alexis Gajewski
    April 19, 2024
    Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) is redefining the future of robotics with its research on in-space servicing, assembly and manufacturing (ISAM).
    The Lighter Side of Manufacturing

    Can gamification make manufacturing more fun?

    April 11, 2024
    A recent study claims that completion rates for monotonous assembly tasks increased when framed as playing a game.
    The Lighter Side of Manufacturing

    Industry infographics

    Alexis Gajewski
    April 8, 2024
    Get the manufacturing data and industrial insights you need to make the right decisions for your plant.
    The Lighter Side of Manufacturing

    3 ways 3D printing is becoming better, faster, and stronger

    Alexis Gajewski
    April 5, 2024
    The field of additive manufacturing is continuously evolving.
    The Lighter Side of Manufacturing

    Watch engineers turn fantasy builds into reality, one video at a time

    Alexis Gajewski
    March 31, 2024
    See how industry professionals are using their talents in their free time to design and build a more whimsical world.
    The Lighter Side of Manufacturing

    Mercedes-Benz hires humanoid robots to help workers on the plant floor 

    Alexis Gajewski
    March 22, 2024
    Possible uses for the robot include bringing parts to production line workers, inspecting components, and delivering totes of kitted parts later in the manufacturing process. ...
    The Lighter Side of Manufacturing

    Chameleon-inspired 3D printing technique uses one ink to print different colors, including red, gold, and green

    Alexis Gajewski
    Feb. 23, 2024
    The natural world is the greatest source of inspiration for engineers, designers, and creators alike.
    The Lighter Side of Manufacturing

    Inventors of Transformers toys help design Japanese lunar robot

    Alexis Gajewski
    Jan. 26, 2024
    The SORA-Q was jointly developed by Takara TOMY, a toy company; the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency; Sony Group; and Doshisha University.
    The Lighter Side of Manufacturing

    Turn your manufacturing defects into profit: How Sweethearts rebranded its blurry conversation hearts  

    Alexis Gajewski
    Jan. 12, 2024
    For a limited time, the company is offering Situationship Boxes, which feature blurry, misprinted candies that are as hard to read as a real situationship.
    The Lighter Side of Manufacturing

    3D printer uses lasers and cameras to print intricate designs with a wider variety of materials

    Alexis Gajewski
    Dec. 15, 2023
    Researchers from MIT, the MIT spinout Inkbit, and ETH Zurich have been diligently working on a new 3D inkjet printer that will change what types of projects can be printed and...
    The Lighter Side of Manufacturing

    Shape-shifting fibers expand and contract based on body temperature 

    Alexis Gajewski
    Dec. 1, 2023
    Based on liquid crystal elastomers, the FibeRobo fiber can be embedded or structured into textiles.
    The Lighter Side of Manufacturing

    Roll up: Pangolin-inspired robot is designed to travel within the human body

    Alexis Gajewski
    Nov. 10, 2023
    Recently, researchers have turned to the pangolin with its unique overlapping scales as a model for the latest technical innovation.
    The Lighter Side of Manufacturing

    DexR robot stacks packages onto FedEx trailers with Tetris-like precision

    Alexis Gajewski
    Oct. 20, 2023
    While loading packages may seem like a simple task, the reality is that deciding how to stack boxes of various sizes, shapes, weights, and packaging materials can be extremely...
    The Lighter Side of Manufacturing

    Itsy, bitsy, teenie, weenie MilliMobile robot runs on light and radio waves

    Alexis Gajewski
    Sept. 29, 2023
    What if you could deploy a micro robot no bigger than a coin to investigate issues at your facility and wirelessly transmit data from attached sensors to help you make more informed...
    The Lighter Side of Manufacturing

    Automated restaurants are precise, popular, and profitable. Just ask sweetgreen.

    Alexis Gajewski
    Sept. 22, 2023
    Sweetgreen opened its first robotic restaurant in Naperville, Illinois, earlier this year and called it Infinite Kitchen.
    The Lighter Side of Manufacturing

    Meet the Mold-A-Rama machine, 3D printing’s older, kitschy cousin

    Alexis Gajewski
    Sept. 7, 2023
    What happens when you combine a vending machine with plastic injection molding and add in a pinch of mid-century flair?