AN INDUSTRY STAPLE Rapid Gear PERFECTING THE SCIENCE OF PAIN MANAGEMENT WEX Pharmaceuticals LIVING A LEGACY Elliott Matsuura Canada Inc. MANUFACTURINGINFOCUS.COM JUN E 2 02 3EDITOR’S CORNER 3 When we talk about the concept of “reshor- ing” in the manufacturing industry, most of us imme- diately think of mechanical and electrical fabrications: cars, toys and trinkets or phones, computers and components come to mind. But since the pandemic, another sector has been getting some attention. Medical device and pharmaceutical manufacturing rely heavily on imports, and even many products labeled as made in Canada or the USA are created from components that come from overseas. Over the past few years, there has been rapid growth in these industries and the demand to increase our independence for the production of medical products is higher than ever. Pauline Müller investigates the current state of the industry and its reshoring efforts in her latest piece, Manufacturing Wellness – Bringing Home the Best. Tim Hocken Editor Suite 300, 7071 Bayers Rd. | Halifax, NS | B3L 2C2 | Canada P: 1-647-479-2163 | E: EDITOR Tim Hocken DEPUTY EDITOR Jaime McKee COPY EDITORS Thora Smith | Allister Havercroft CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Karen Hawthorne | Pauline Müller | William Young Jessica Ferlaino | Allison Dempsey | Nate Hendley Robert Hoshowsky | Claire Suttles DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS James Corbett OPERATIONS MANAGER Severina Gachparova SENIOR CONTENT DEVELOPERS Scott Forbes | Aaron Ferguson CONTENT DEVELOPERS Taylor Dunne | Lily Mitchell Logan Neil | Jamal Francis-Anderson SALES TEAM Pamela Taylor | Morgan Culpepper | Dean Lucas GRAPHIC DESIGN TEAM LEAD Laura Pratt GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Ashley Dowling | Ebic Tristary | Yoana Ilcheva OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR Julia MacQueen IT ADMINISTRATOR Rebecca Sanford CONTROLLER Jen Hamilton PUBLISHER Jeff Hocken “Over the past few years, there has been rapid growth in these industries and the demand to increase our independence for the production of medical products is higher than ever.”INSIDE JUNE FOCUS ON: THE CANADIAN TOOLING & MACHINING ASSOCIATION (CTMA) MEDICAL DEVICES 4 Bringing Home the Best In a time where antibiotic resistance and other looming medical quandaries are driving innovation in an ever- growing industry committed to saving lives, growing the manufacturing of laboratory and hospital equip- ment, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices on North American soil is imperative to national safety. To this end, the United States’ medical equipment industry alone is rearing to expand to nearly $75 billion over the next four years—predicted to be the largest single market of this kind in the world. SERVICES 5 MANUFACTURING IN FOCUS IME EAST 13 – 15 June, New York, NY Uniting engineers, designers, and decision-makers to solve problems and move manufacturing forward, this six-in-one design and manufactur- ing expo is designed to give you a comprehensive view of the product lifecycle from prototype to production. Explore all six trade shows that share the expo floor: MD&M East, EastPack, ATX East, D&M East, Plastec East, and Quality Expo East. For more information HUMAN FACTORS AND USER EXPERIENCE FOR MEDICAL DEVICE DESIGN 20 – 22 June, Chicago, IL With a focus on, “Engineering Optimal Testing, Compliance, and Experience Throughout the Product Lifecycle,” this marcus evans conference will give you a competitive advantage in boosting end-user satisfaction, understanding new testing methodologies, and implementing inno- vative designs for medical devices. Attendees will gain insight into current digital aspects of medical devices through the utilization of AI and digital tool applications. This conference will also examine how to effectively navigate evolving FDA updates for medical device manufacturers and anticipate new ones. For more information FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL EXPO (FIME) 21 – 23 June, Miami Beach, FL The largest trade show for the medical device and equipment industry in the Americas, FIME will be back at the Miami Beach Convention Center, hosting the largest trade event for medical device and equipment manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors in the Americas, with over 12,000 trade professionals from more than 110 countries across the world. Connect and trade with the healthcare community, grow your network, and make new business connections. For more information STARTUPFEST 2023 12 – 14 July, Montreal, QC Startupfest is not only Canada’s original startup event, but widely regarded as one of the world’s must-attend startup conferences. This is the annual gathering at which entrepreneurs, investors, makers, large enterprises, industry veterans, and startup communities chart the course of technology entrepreneurship in a one-of-a-kind festival atmosphere. This year’s conference will see AI infused into the content and unique interactions to make your experience even more exciting, while doubling down on creating genuine, human connections—which is what Startupfest is all about. For more information THE BATTERY SHOW AND ELECTRIC & HYBRID VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY EXPO 12 – 14 September, Novi, MI This event brings together engineers, business leaders, top companies, and innovative thinkers to network and discover groundbreaking products encompassing the entire advanced battery and H/EV value chain. The three-day educational event brings together battery and EV/HEV manufac- turers, industry experts, thought leaders, and academics to discuss and help solve your manufacturing, supply chain, and production challenges. 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 1-647-479-2163FORD TO KEEP AM RADIO IN VEHICLES For manufacturers, technology can be a blessing; for consum- ers, it can sometimes be a curse. Amplitude Modulation—or AM—broadcasting was the first method created for making audio radio televisions. Dating back over a century, AM radio delivers a sense of nostalgia for many, evoking crackling signals during long car rides. AM has been surpassed over the years by FM (Frequency Modulation), satellite radio, Internet radio, music streaming, and other digital offerings, but Ford Motors recently did an about- face on its decision to remove AM radios from its gasoline- and electric-powered vehicles in 2024. According to Ford’s Chief Executive Officer Jim Farley, the move to keep AM broadcast radio came after a discussion with policy leaders about the frequency’s importance as part of the emergency alert system. “Customers can currently listen to AM radio content in a variety of ways in our vehicles—including via streaming—and we will continue to innovate to deliver even better in-vehicle entertainment and emergency notification options in the future,” said Farley in a tweet and on LinkedIn. “Thanks to our product development and manufacturing teams for their quick response to make this change for our customers.” AM radio will now be included with all 2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, while owners of Ford electric vehicles (EVs) without AM broadcast capabilities will be offered a software update. Additionally, the automotive giant will add the option for AM to owners of 2023 Ford F-150 Lightnings and Mustang Mach-E’s, also through software updates. Other vehicle manufacturers, including Volvo, Volkswagen, BMW, Porsche and Audi recently announced they will no longer offer AM radio with their EVs. HARD DRIVES ON THE WAY OUT: INDUSTRY EXPERT It was a good run while it lasted. According to some tech industry experts, spinning mechanical hard drives—the storage centres of computers for decades—will be no more in just a few years. Vice President of Research and Development Shawn Rosemarin at Vancouver, British Columbia-based Pure Storage says by eliminating the spinning disk, power consumption can be reduced by up to 90 percent. And although the declining price of solid-state drives (SSDs) plays a part, he maintains the rising cost of electricity remains the primary reason to make the change. Mechanical hard drive technology is 67 years old, and Rosemarin believes they will no longer be sold after 2028. INDUSTRY NEWS 7CHINA DOMINATING GLOBAL PV MANUFACTURING Despite ongoing global trade tensions, China’s solar exports grew 64 percent to $52 billion USD last year, as demand for pho- tovoltaics (PV) increases. According to the latest analysis from global energy and resource consultancy Wood Mackenzie, trade tensions involv- ing China have taken a back seat as consumers and developers push to purchase and install more made-in-China solar panels. The amount of PVs bought has soared from $15 billion USD in 2018, showing no signs of declining. “Chinese modules kept their cost-competitiveness against other markets in 2022 and were up to 57 percent cheaper than U.S. and EU produced modules,” stated Wood Mackenzie on its website. “This price gap was mainly driven by material cost, where China holds the advantage due to low energy costs, scale advantages and government support, whereas U.S. and EU solar module manufacturing is not competitive without subsidies.” RISE OF THE MACHINES More and more manufacturers worldwide are using robots in their factories, owing to their efficiency and tirelessness. According to the latest data from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), total installations of robots in North America increased 12 percent in 2022, to 41,624 units. The biggest adopter of robots for manufacturing is the auto- motive industry. Companies based in the United States, Canada, and Mexico saw 20,391 industrial robots installed last year, a jump of 30 percent compared to 2021. “North America represents the second largest operational stock of industrial robots in the world after China,” said Marina Bill, President of the IFR in a media statement. “The United States, Canada, and Mexico are key markets in the global growth of robotics automation, and the automotive sector is leading the way.” One factor behind the growth is the cyclical demand from the automotive sector. Demand from U.S. car manufacturers and component makers increased by 48 percent in 2022. In Canada, installation counts “largely depend on investments of the automotive industry that accounts for 40 percent of robot installations,” according to the IFR. And in Mexico, robot installations—also determined by automotive—accounted for an impressive 66 percent of 2022’s installations. Non-automotive sectors in North America such as electrical / electronics also saw an increase of 28 percent, while other industries, including metal and machinery and plastic and chemical products, saw decreases of nine percent, and four percent respectively. INDUSTRY NEWS 8SNACK ATTACK! From chocolate bars to chips, cookies to crackers, few of us can resist the texture, taste, and crunch of our favourite snack foods. Some are sweet, others are salty or savoury, but they all have one thing in common: for a few blissful minutes, they tease our taste buds at home watching TV, at the movies, in the car, or just out and about. Just how big is the global snack food industry? According to Fortune Business Insights, its market size was valued at $557.85 billion USD in 2021, increasing to $584.58 billion USD last year. It is expected to hit $838.60 billion USD by 2029. During COVID lockdowns, as many of us stayed home, the trend for “healthy snacking” helped spur market growth. This year, food industry titans Frito-Lay and Quaker released “the first-ever joint U.S. Summer Snack Index,” which sheds light on consumer preferences and eating habits. According to Denise Lefebvre, Senior Vice President, PepsiCo Foods R&D, “Food is an important centerpiece for the joy that summer- time brings. At Frito-Lay and Quaker, we are deeply invested in understanding what our consumers want so they can have the right flavours, variety, snack styles, and even packaging options all season.” The 2023 Summer Snack Index from Frito-Lay and Quaker marks over four years since the inaugural trend report was issued. Recent research shows snacking plays an important part in the lives of Americans, with 49 percent stating they partake in three or more snacks every day. And as experts predict upcoming growth in summer levels comparable to pre-pandemic levels, 85 percent of Americans believe planning snacks in advance can “greatly reduce the stress” of a long road trip. Next >