It has been my pleasure to work with the folks at the Vanamatic Company since the late 1980’s as a  steel supplier technical representative, as a PMPA staffer, and as a friend.

A passion for improvement is what drives the folks Vanamatic.
A passion for improvement is what drives the folks Vanamatic.

I can say that over a big chunk of those 60 years, there were a few things that remained constant- fair dealings, honest communications, and an unrelenting focus on continuous improvement.
I was not at all surprised  when I got a call from Jeff saying that they were going to have something to announce and could I help them with it.
Of course there is something new at Vanamatic.
They are always working on ideas for improvement.
I was surprised when they told me it was a brand new website for the company’s 60th anniversary.
60 years was quite a surprise.
It has not been an easy time for manufacturing these last 60 years.
Frankly the last 8 years were pretty tough.
The Rise of China at the beginning of the new century wiped out a lot of the companies that were not very serious about their business.
Congratulations to Vanamatic for 60 years of leadership through continuous improvement. Improvement of people, process, and culture.
Oh, and improvement to the their online presence through their new website.
 

Credentials issued by NIMS in 2014 show that more students are preparing for success and high-demand careers.
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In 2014, NIMS issued 18,947 industry-recognized credentials, representing a 36% increase from 2013.
36% increase!
“It is clear that the precision manufacturing sector is strong and growing, and more students and workers are preparing for success in the wide variety of jobs our industry offers,” said Jim Wall, Executive Director, NIMS. “NIMS would like to congratulate more than 8,000 individuals who earned at least one industry-recognized credential last year and have the ‘mark of excellence’ that will make them highly sought-after talent.”
PMPA is a founding member of NIMS, and is pleased to see this success at credentialing talent to enter our high tech industry. Credentialing real people for in demand careers, developing standards and credentials, this is how we develop an advanced manufacturing workforce to sustain manufacturing in North America. As NIMS continues to upgrade and adapt the standards to our evolving technology, we have confidence that our credentialed new hires will be up to speed and able to safely add value on the first day of the job. NIMS standards are the basis for the Right Skills Now Program.
The National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS) was formed in 1995 by the metalworking trade associations to develop and maintain a globally competitive American workforce. NIMS sets skills standards for the industry, certifies individual skills against the standards, and accredits training programs that meet NIMS quality requirements.
For more information on NIMS, visit NIMSREADY
For the full release on 2014 credentials earned, visit RELEASE
For information on Careers in Advanced Manufacturing check out our career blog at YOURCAREERFACTS
 

There are a number of reasons that one could be bearish about the December ISM PMI report. But that doesn’t mean that we should be.
grizzly-bear duffle blog
“The December PMI® registered 55.5 percent, a decrease of 3.2 percentage points from November’s reading of 58.7 percent. The New Orders Index registered 57.3 percent, a decrease of 8.7 percentage points from the reading of 66 percent in November. The Production Index registered 58.8 percent, 5.6 percentage points below the November reading of 64.4 percent. The Employment Index registered 56.8 percent, an increase of 1.9 percentage points above the November reading of 54.9 percent. Inventories of raw materials registered 45.5 percent, a decrease of 6 percentage points from the November reading of 51.5 percent. The Prices Index registered 38.5 percent, down 6 percentage points from the November reading of 44.5 percent, indicating lower raw materials prices in December relative to November.”
 

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Actually, look how far above we are above the expansion / contraction line…

“The December PMI declined 3.2 percentage points from November,” roared the bear.
“The New Orders index dropped by 8.7 percentage points from November’s reading,” growled his sidekick.
“The Production Index fell 5.6 percentage points from November,” sang the Bear Chorus.
What are we to make of these Bearish indicators? Not much, really. Here’s why.

  • Its seasonal really. It is the end of the year. Companies are going to have to pay taxes on unsold inventory.
  • Yes it is below expectations. But does that tell us more about the PMI, or about the quality of the “expectations?”
  • 11 of 18 manufacturing industries reported growth in December. 

So please, before you order flowers and a sympathy card- consider this. The December reading above 50 indicates Manufacturing expansion for the  19th consecutive month, and by being above 43, an expansion of the US economy- for the 67th consecutive month.
P.S. Not to worry “The Employment Index registered 56.8 percent, an increase of 1.9 percentage points above the November reading of 54.9 percent. Inventories of raw materials registered 45.5 percent, a decrease of 6 percentage points from the November reading of 51.5 percent. The Prices Index registered 38.5 percent, down 6 percentage points from the November reading of 44.5 percent, indicating lower raw materials prices in December relative to November.” Stronger employment lower inventories, and lower material prices are all positives for Manufacturing.”
The decline in the  December 2014 PMI index is normal expectancy and nothing to worry about as I see it. Just look at the graph and all the other positive indicators.

Wave bye-bye, bear.
Wave bye-bye, bear.

 
Bear photo courtesy The Duffel Blog
Graph courtesy The Calculated Risk Blog
Waving bear link
 

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The Louvre Museum has 8.5 million visitors per year. This blog was viewed about 130,000 times in 2014. If it were an exhibit at the Louvre Museum, it would take about 6 days for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

2600 years later, we have samples to analyze...
2600 years later, we have samples to analyze…

According to Discovery News  this week, “Gleaming cast metal called orichalucum, which was said by Ancient Greeks to be found in Atlantis, has been recovered from a ship that sunk 2,600 years ago off the coast of Sicily…the 39 ingots found on the sandy sea floor represent a unique finding.”
“Today most scholars agree orichalucum is a brass-like alloy, which was made in antiquity by cementation. This process was achieved with the reaction of zinc ore, charcoal and copper metal in a crucible.
Analyzed with X-ray fluorescence by Dario Panetta, of TQ – Tecnologies for Quality, the 39 ingots turned to be an alloy made with 75-80 percent copper, 15-20 percent zinc and small percentages of nickel, lead and iron.”
Ancient Origins  reports “The name orichalucum derives from the Greek word oreikhalkos, meaning literally “mountain copper” or “copper mountain”. According to Plato’s 5th century BC Critias dialogue, orichalucum was considered second only to gold in value, and was found and mined in many parts of the legendary Atlantis in ancient times.
Maybe the greenhouse gasses emitted by Atlantis’ cementation industries producing orichalucum caused the seas to rise, covering Atlantis…
 

Employers! These requirements are now in effect!
A new wallet card issued by OSHA will help your supervisors understand the changes to  Injury and Illness Reporting Requirements that go into effect in January 2015.
Get the card here as a  printable pdf

New wallet card available from OSHA.
New wallet card available from OSHA.

What are the new requirements?

 “Under the final rule, employers must report the following events:
    1. Each fatality resulting from a work-related incident, within 8
hours of the death. This requirement applies to all fatalities
occurring within 30 days of a work-related incident. See Sec. 
1904.39(a)(1) and (b)(6). This is the same as the current regulation
and the proposed rule.
    2. Each in-patient hospitalization resulting from a work-related
incident, within 24 hours of the hospitalization. This requirement
applies to all in-patient hospitalizations occurring within 24 hours of
a work-related incident. See Sec.  1904.39(a)(2) and (b)(6). Under the
proposed rule, employers would have been required to report all in-
patient hospitalizations within 8 hours, for hospitalizations occurring
within 30 days of a work-related incident. Under the current
regulation, employers are required to report, within 8 hours, in-
patient hospitalizations of three or more employees, for
hospitalizations occurring within 30 days of a work-related incident.
    3. Each amputation resulting from a work-related incident, within
24 hours of the amputation. This requirement applies to all amputations
occurring within 24 hours of a work-related incident. See Sec. 
1904.39(a)(2) and (b)(6). Under the proposed rule, employers would have
been required to report all amputations within 24 hours, for
amputations occurring within 30 days of a work-related incident. Under
the current regulation, employers are not required to report
amputations.
    4. Each loss of an eye resulting from a work-related incident,
within 24 hours of the loss of an eye. This requirement applies to all
losses of an eye occurring within 24 hours of a work-related incident.
See Sec.  1904.39(a)(2) and (b)(6). The proposed rule would not have
required employers to report losses of an eye, and the current
regulation also does not require them to do so.”- Federal Register

These requirements go into effect January 1, 2015
Get the wallet card and review the upcoming changes with your team now.