PROMISE AND POTENTIAL: FILLING THE GAPS IN CELL AND GENE THERAPY CCRM TAKING THE PRESSURE OUT OF INJECTION MOLDING iMFLUX SETTING AUTOMATION BENCHMARKS Lorik Tool & Automation, Inc. MANUFACTURINGINFOCUS.COM D EC 2 02 1 - JA N 2 02 2TELECOMMUNICATION BUILDING AUTOMATION ELECTRONIC SECURITY ACCESS SECURITY SURVEILLANCE STRUCTURED CABLING EDITOR’S CORNER TELECOMMUNICATION BUILDING AUTOMATION ELECTRONIC SECURITY ACCESS SECURITY SURVEILLANCE STRUCTURED CABLING 3 Those of us born sometime in the latter half of the 20th century have wit- nessed a digital revolu- tion. Computer processing power seemed to obey Moore’s Law fairly reliably for fifty years or so, with the number of transistors on a chip doubling every two years as manufacturing methods improved. This brought about such rapid change in our world that we who’ve lived through it have come to expect this level of advancement. What’s next? Hurry up! However, with transistor sizes now down to the ten nanometer range, we’re running into the physical limits of mass and energy at quantum levels. If we can’t keep cramming more transistors on silicon chips, what can we do to maintain this growth in the computer industry? Research into quantum computing is fas- cinating and very exciting, but still quite a ways off from what we can expect in consumer electronics, and manufacturers are looking for more immediate solutions to finding a way up from this silicon plateau. Some researchers have their eyes on a different material – one almost as common as silicon on this planet: carbon. In his latest piece, William Young delves into what could be next in com- puting: Carbon-Based Electronics – Giving Silicon a Run for Its Conductivity. Tim Hocken Editor EDITOR Tim Hocken DEPUTY EDITOR Jaime McKee COPY EDITORS Thora Smith | Allister Havercroft CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Claire Suttles | David Caldwell Nate Hendley | Pauline Müller Robert Hoshowsky | William Young Allison Dempsey | Karen Hawthorne CONTENT TEAM MANAGER Tom England SENIOR CONTENT MANAGER Brad Mike TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT MANAGER James Corbett BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Erin Wells CONTENT MANAGERS Aaron Ferguson | Coleman Merry | Louis Susara Jamal Francis-Anderson | Obed San Jose | Peter Gillis SALES & MARKETING MANAGER Luke Simms SALES TEAM Pamela Taylor | Kayla Brown | Morgan Culpepper PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Chantal De Brouwer OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR Julia MacQueen GRAPHIC DESIGN MANAGER Severina Gachparova GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Laura Pratt | Ashley Dowling Ebic Tristary | Yoana Ilcheva REGIONAL DIRECTOR Adam Cameron OPERATIONS MANAGER Jonathan Fisher CONTROLLER Jen Hamilton PUBLISHER Jeff Hocken Suite 300, 7071 Bayers Rd. | Halifax, NS | B3L 2C2 | Canada P: 1-647-479-2163 | E: “Research into quantum computing is fascinating and very exciting, but still quite a ways off from what we can expect in consumer electronics…”INSIDE DEC - JAN FOCUS ON: NGEN ELECTRONICS & COMPONENTS FABRICATION & MACHINING 4 For decades now, silicon has been a trusted material in electronics manufacturing due in large part to its use in the creation of semiconductors. Silicon is used among myriad types of electronics today of varying complexity and size, from computers to handheld devices, thanks to its ability to act as both a conductor of electricity and as an insulator (i.e. the role of a semiconduc- tor in a piece of machinery). ENGINEERING & DESIGN 5 MANUFACTURING IN FOCUS SCITECH 2022 - AIAA SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FORUM AND EXPOSITION 3 – 7 January, San Diego, CA and online Spanning over 70 technical discipline areas, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)’s conferences provide scientists, engi- neers, and technologists the opportunity to present and disseminate their work in structured technical paper and poster sessions, learn about new technologies and advances from other presenters, further their professional development, and expand their professional networks. This technology-driven exposition welcomes more than 4,000 participants from almost 1,000 institutions in nearly 45 countries. For more information MEDICAL DEVICE SAFETY MONITORING REPORTING AND SURVEILLANCE 19 – 20 January, San Diego, CA This conference will deliver case studies and lessons learned on how medical device manufacturers have overcome industry challenges. Connect with small and large medical device manufacturers and explore the latest challenges and solutions associated with Adverse Event Reporting, EU MDR Compliance, IVDR Compliance Management, Clinical, Premarket and Post Market Safety, EUDAMED, and Departmental Coordination and Communication for Optimal Surveillance and Reporting. For more information RAMS 2022 – THE 68TH ANNUAL RELIABILITY & MAINTAINABILITY SYMPOSIUM 24 – 27 January, Tucson, AZ RAMS® is the premier event in the reliability, availability, and maintainability engineering disciplines. Combining tutorials, presentations, CEUs, certifications, and networking into one week-long program, RAMS® delivers cutting edge information to all technical industries. Enjoy published papers, informative tutorials, networking opportunities and product demonstrations. For more information AEROENGINES AMERICAS 26 – 28 January, Miami, FL Aero-Engines Americas is the largest event exclusively dedicated to the trends and issues in the region’s engine community. Bringing together over 500 senior representatives from airlines, MROs, OEMs, lessors and suppliers, AeroEngines Americas is the premier forum to network and discuss the recovery of the industry post-pandemic. Co-located with Engine Leasing, Trading & Finance Americas on 26 January. For more information CONVERTERS EXPO SOUTH 23 February, Charlotte, NC Converters Expo South is a one day expo that unites converters of paper, film, plastics and nonwovens with industry buyers, specialists and sup- pliers. With hundreds of attendees expected and an expanded show floor, Converters Expo South is the place to find manufacturing partners, check out testing and prototyping equipment, meet with producers of disposables, and learn the latest in flexo printing and packaging. For more information INDUSTRY EVENTS 6 Are you planning an event relating to North America’s growing Manufacturing Industry? To get your event listed in Manufacturing in Focus, please contact us at least six to eight weeks before the event takes place at or call 1-647-479-2163INDUSTRY NEWS ONTARIO POISED TO PRODUCE 400,000 EVS, HYBRIDS In an effort to boost the province’s manufacturing sector, Ontario Premier Doug Ford recently announced accelerating production of hybrid and electric vehicles (EVs) over the next 10 years. Calling the automotive sector a “cornerstone” of good-paying jobs during a news conference in Guelph, Ontario, the Premier underscored the importance of the automotive industry shifting toward building cars to meet the needs of the future. “As a government, we must ensure our manufacturing sector keeps pace,” he stated, adding that the move would also benefit Ontario’s mining sector, which produces minerals used in EV batteries. However, some other political parties and environmental groups criticized the announcement, saying the province doesn’t go far enough. Taking over from the previous Liberal government, the Conservatives scrapped an electric vehicle incentive program which provided up to $14,000 in rebates. The current leader of the Ontario Liberal Party, Steven Del Duca, has vowed to reinstate a version of the previous rebate program, giving buyers up to $8,000 off EVs priced up to $60,000. Others, including Ontario Green Party leader Mike Schreiner, said Ford is “out of touch,” and his government’s “aversion to electric vehicles has contributed significant economic damage for Ontario and set the province backwards as the world embraces the green economy.” WHEN THE (RE)CYCLED RUBBER HITS THE ROAD One of the world’s best-known brands of bicycle tires recently announced its intention to help the environment by making tires out of recycled rubber. Through its used tire recycling pilot program, Germany-based Schwalbe is looking into the best and most sustainable methods of recycling old, used bike tires. At present, discarded tires are burned or buried in landfills. Working with the support of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), the new program would take worn-out tires away from a “closed- loop economic system by recovering the raw materials.” Beloved by mountain bikers, touring cyclists and commuters, Schwalbe’s tires are known to be extremely strong compared to others, highly resistant to punctures, and last for thousands of miles. According to the company – which has manufactur- ing facilities in Indonesia and Vietnam – it produces an esti- mated 18 million tires annually. Known for its environmental initiatives, Schwalbe’s bicycle tubes, made with recycled butyl rubber, are themselves 100 percent recyclable because of a unique de-vulcanization process. 7INDUSTRY NEWS FILTERS HELP STOP MICROFIBER POLLUTION We all know plastic in our oceans, lakes, rivers and streams is dan- gerous to marine life and human health, but one of the greatest concerns today is microfibers from synthetic or natural sources. A recent study examines yet another way microfibers end up in our waterways: from washing clothes. We may not think of doing a load of laundry as being harmful, but a recent col- laborative study between Georgian Bay Forever (GBF) and the University of Toronto’s Rochman Laboratory uncovered the effectiveness of filters treating wastewater which flows to wastewater treatment plants. Measuring how filters impact microfiber emissions in the water that returns to Georgian Bay from treated wastewa- ter effluent, it was discovered that filters installed in just 10 percent of households can reduce these emissions by at least 10 percent or more when combined with community edu- cation. Although mass adoption is needed, initial laboratory settings of filters on washing machines found 85 percent of fibers were captured before they could go down the drain. “We’re excited because this is the first time a lab-proven filter solution has demonstrated positive results in a real life appli- cation,” said Brooke Harrison, Coordinator of the Divert and Capture project, Georgian Bay Forever, in a media statement. For more information, see SUSPICIOUS MALWARE THREATENING MANUFACTURING As if dealing with supply chain issues, slowdowns, and closures resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic weren’t enough, some manufacturers are now being threatened by a new strain of malware. A critical resource for cyber threat detection, prevention and recovery, the international Bioeconomy Information Sharing and Analysis Center (BIO-ISAC) recently issued an advisory on its website about an advanced persistent threat, or ATP, named Tardigrade. According to BIO-ISAC, a large biomanufacturing facility was affected by a cyberattack this past spring. The danger of the malware lies in its ability to “rewrite” part of a computer code to avoid detection. Over the course of 100 tests, the malware was able to build itself in different ways every time. According to BIO-ISAC, “further presence of this malware was noted at a second facility” in October. Owing to this, the organi- zation decided to expedite the threat advisory, stating, “At this time, biomanufacturing sites and their partners are encour- aged to assume that they are targets and take necessary steps to review their cybersecurity and response postures.” CANADIAN MANUFACTURING SALES DECLINE According to Statistics Canada, Canada’s manufacturing sales dropped three percent to $58.5 billion as the shortage of semi- conductors continues impacting automobile production. As of September, the sales of motor vehicles plummeted 35.6 percent to $1.9 billion, its lowest point since May 2020. Of all industry sectors, automotive has been hit the hardest by the shortage of semiconductors, the result of COVID-19-related pandemic production issues and an unparalleled demand for electronic goods. At present, an estimated 70 percent of the world’s semiconduc- tors are manufactured by just two companies, Samsung in South Korea and TMSC in Taiwan. It is believed the global shortage will continue into next year. 8INDUSTRY NEWS KENYA FOCUSING ON YOUTH IN MANUFACTURING With a median age of just 20.1 years, the east African country of Kenya is targeting young men and women for jobs in its manu- facturing sector. Developed by the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) program along with the German Development Cooperation (GIZ), the new online portal is supported and implemented by TVET stakeholders and the Ministry of Education. One of the key objectives of the portal is to narrow the skills gap for manu- facturers based in Kenya. Like many other countries, Kenya is facing a shortage of skilled workers in disciplines such as welding, and manufacturing has been forced to slow down as a result. The portal – combined with new equipment, student loans and other services – is already seeing positive results, with student enrolment rising dramatically from 55,943 to 249,316. 9Next >