Ups and downs in the commodity market are expected, as this highly volatile market is strongly impacted by a number of factors, including world events and shifting economies. And manufacturing costs are necessarily affected as a result. The following are…
Whether you like it or not, geopolitical relationships affect business. No matter what side of the aisle you’re on, relationships among international governments will have an effect on where and how you do business…especially when you’re a company that relies…
The current macroeconomic outlook is affecting our personal outlook, and manufacturing is no exception. The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Small Business Optimism Index fell for the sixth straight month in June. In the 48 years the NFIB has…
Mass-produced cable assemblies can work well for simple applications. But if your application is more complex, you have to reconfigure a standard assembly to make it fit. This process is often time consuming, costly, and has the potential to be…
As many can attest, it’s been a long 2 years since the COVID-19 pandemic changed the world. In an industry where our work crosses continents, the travel restrictions and supply chain difficulties that came with the pandemic necessarily sparked vast…
The US-China trade war, ongoing unrest and issues in Hong Kong, general mistrust of China, and attempts at decoupling are topics that grab headlines daily. And they are rightfully a cause of concern for manufacturers with Chinese suppliers. As these…
There are myriad advantages to working with a custom wire harness manufacturer. The right manufacturing partner will design and manufacture harnesses for very specific applications, giving you optimum quality at competitive prices with unparalleled service. But how do you know…
New product introduction (NPI) is the process of bringing an original product idea to market. Experienced engineers are very familiar with this. But for those of you who are new to electronics manufacturing or who work in other departments within…
When it comes to outsourced manufacturing, you may think that working directly with a factory is the best route. While going factory-direct seems attractive with the prospect of saving time and money, that is often not the case. It might…
Used for everything from electronics to power transmission to construction, copper is an integral component in the manufacturing world. So when the price of copper fluctuates, it affects nearly every segment of our economy. Over the past year, the price…