EASING SUPPLY CHAIN STRESS Netchem, Inc. ALL HANDS ON DECK: COMMITTED TO CUSTOMERS, COMMUNITY AND COLLABORATION Brannon Steel EMBRACING CHANGE: VIDIR SOLUTIONS BRINGS MORE WOMEN, RURAL WORKERS TO MANUFACTURING Vidir Solutions, Inc. MANUFACTURINGINFOCUS.COM M A RC H 2 02 2IT FIND IT FIND SEPT. 12-17, 2022 • MCCORMICK PLACE, CHICAGO HYBRID MACHINING Technology demonstrated by Mazak MegaStir DIGITAL MANUFACTURING. IMPLEMENTED. AMT027074 IMTS Find It Print Hybrid Manufacturing Ad Manufacturing in Focus Trim: 8.27 in. x 11.69 in. Bleed: .120 in. IT FIND IT FIND SEPT. 12-17, 2022 • MCCORMICK PLACE, CHICAGO HYBRID MACHINING Technology demonstrated by Mazak MegaStir DIGITAL MANUFACTURING. IMPLEMENTED. AMT027074 IMTS Find It Print Hybrid Manufacturing Ad Manufacturing in Focus Trim: 8.27 in. x 11.69 in. Bleed: .120 in. EDITOR’S CORNER IT FIND IT FIND SEPT. 12-17, 2022 • MCCORMICK PLACE, CHICAGO HYBRID MACHINING Technology demonstrated by Mazak MegaStir DIGITAL MANUFACTURING. IMPLEMENTED. AMT027074 IMTS Find It Print Hybrid Manufacturing Ad Manufacturing in Focus Trim: 8.27 in. x 11.69 in. Bleed: .120 in. IT FIND IT FIND SEPT. 12-17, 2022 • MCCORMICK PLACE, CHICAGO HYBRID MACHINING Technology demonstrated by Mazak MegaStir DIGITAL MANUFACTURING. IMPLEMENTED. AMT027074 IMTS Find It Print Hybrid Manufacturing Ad Manufacturing in Focus Trim: 8.27 in. x 11.69 in. Bleed: .120 in. 3 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 Robert Hoshowsky | William Young | Allison Dempsey Pauline Müller | Karen Hawthorne | David Caldwell Anne Lindert-Wentzell CONTENT TEAM MANAGER Tom England SENIOR CONTENT MANAGER Brad Mike TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT MANAGER James Corbett CONTENT MANAGERS Erika Arenas | Louis Susara Jamal Francis-Anderson | Coleman Merry 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 In honour of International Women’s Day this month, we are looking carefully at the gender gap that exists in the manufactur- ing industry – an industry that is lagging behind on this front, with participation numbers for women still stuck where they were in the 90s. With so many companies in this industry in dire need of new recruits, I am hoping more recruiters can see this gap as an opportunity. But why is this gap not closing as quickly in manufacturing as it is in some other industries? The answer is not simple, and Allison Dempsey takes a deeper look at the numbers in her latest piece, The XX Factor – Bridging the Gender Gap in Manufacturing. It strikes me that many of the barriers Allison identifies in her piece this month are similar to those cited by many young people entering the workforce now. Workers in general, not just women, are going to start demanding more work reform. The days of “keep your head down and get the job done” are coming to an end, I think, and companies that excel at putting the worker’s needs, regardless of gender, higher on the priority list are going to have a distinct advantage in coming years. Tim Hocken Editor “Workers in general, not just women, are going to start demanding more work reform.”INSIDE MARCH ENGINEERING & DESIGN AUTOMATION SERVICES 4 Bridging the Gender Gap in Manufacturing It’s a potentially lucrative career path with ample room to learn and advance, but the manufac- turing industry has consistently failed to attract women to its burgeoning ranks: Although they make up 48 percent of the working population in Canada, women only comprise 28 percent of the manufactur- ing workforce, a statistic that has remained relatively constant for more than 30 years. In an industry that continues to grow and thrive, women have missed out on its numerous benefits such as stable employment with valuable and tech- nologically advanced positions that pay well. 5 MANUFACTURING IN FOCUS AMERICAN COATINGS SHOW & CONFERENCE 2022 5 – 7 April, Indianapolis, IN Hosted by AC Media in collaboration with American Coatings Association and Vincentz Network, this biennial trade show and technical con- ference is dedicated to serving as a global business platform and educational forum for the paint and coatings industry, offering a complete spectrum of current and future trends and technologies. For more information SUPPLYSIDE EAST 12 – 13 April, Secaucus, NJ Fuel your product innovation at SupplySide East, the East Coast’s leading ingredient and solutions trade show. Join more than 175 exhibitors featuring the most innovative ingredients and formulation techniques to drive your brand forward. Gain insight and network with the leading health and nutrition industry professionals from across the globe. For more information PLASTEC WEST, WESTPACK, ATX WEST, D&M WEST, MD&M WEST 12 – 14 April, Anaheim, CA Sharing the expo floor at the Anaheim Convention Center are Plastec West, the largest annual plastics event in North America; WestPack, bringing together the entire packaging community from design engineers to distribution leaders; ATX West – the epicenter of automation, robotics, and smart manufacturing; D&M West, the most expansive annual design and manufacturing event in the U.S.; and MD&M West, bringing together medtech engineers, business leaders, disruptive companies, and innovative thinkers to create powerful solutions and life-changing medical devices. From packaging to plastics to robotics, this five-in-one design and manufacturing event connects you across multiple verticals and industries. For more information visit: AVIATION WEEK’S A&D MANUFACTURING CONFERENCE 17 – 18 May, Greensboro, NC Aviation Week’s A&D Manufacturing Conference, formerly SpeedNews’ Aerospace Manufacturing Conference, will bring together leading man- ufacturers and suppliers in the aerospace industry for a two-day senior level conference. Designed for leaders and decision-makers in the aero- space manufacturing industry, from OEMs to suppliers, the agenda will cover manufacturing operations, capabilities and processes, innovation within manufacturing, modern machining technologies, and industry automation. For more information INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CYBER MANUFACTURING 23 – 24 May, Vancouver, BC The International Conference on Cyber Manufacturing brings together leading academic scientists, researchers and research scholars to exchange and share their experiences and results on all aspects of Cyber Manufacturing. It also provides a premier interdisciplinary platform for researchers, practitioners and educators to present and discuss the most recent innovations, trends, and concerns as well as practical challenges encountered and solutions adopted in the fields of Cyber Manufacturing. 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 CANADA TO BOOST IMMIGRATION TO FILL GAPS Praising immigrants for their frontline roles throughout the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada recently announced a plan to fill the country’s labour shortages in manufacturing, health care and other sectors through faster processing of immigration applications. The move – which would fill much-needed jobs and grow the economy – was announced as part of Canada’s 2022- 2024 Immigration Levels Plan by the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. “Now, more than ever, immigrants are a key part of our country’s continued success,” stated Minister Fraser in an official release, adding, “Throughout the pandemic, they have been on the front lines, working in key sectors like health care, transporta- tion, and manufacturing. Without them, Canada would not have been able to overcome challenges in critical industries and sectors of the economy over the past two years.” Last year, Canada welcomed over 405,000 new permanent residents, the highest number in a single year. The 2022–2024 Immigration Levels Plan is targeting 431,645 permanent resi- dents in 2022, another 447,055 in 2023, and 451,000 in 2024 to help with rebuilding the post-pandemic economy. To support the increases in immigration, the government announced plans to modernize Canada’s immigration system “to fuel economic recovery and improve client experience, which will help address key challenges faced by our clients, such as reducing inventories and creating the predictable processing times that our clients expect and deserve.” Adding that new Canadians helped shape the nation over the years, Minister Fraser stated, “We are focused on economic recovery, and immigration is the key to getting there. Setting bold new immigration targets, as outlined in the 2022-2024 Levels Plan, will further help bring the immeasurable contribution of immi- grants to our communities and across all sectors of the economy.” 7NEW GUILL 90-DEGREE ADAPTER THOUSANDS OF ALABAMA MANUFACTURING JOBS CREATED Manufacturing tools for numerous industries for over half a century, Guill Tool & Engineering Co. Inc. has earned a repu- tation as a supplier of components to the global aerospace industry. Continuing on its innovative path, the West Warwick, Rhode Island-based business recently announced the produc- tion of a 90-degree adapter. Made from 304 stainless steel, the adapter measures 1.498” X 1.825” X 3.188” (38.049mm x 46.355mm x 80.975mm). Turned on a Yama Seiki turning center, the adapter’s finishing machining was done on a Bridgeport manual milling machine. Manufacturing high-quality, precision-machined components, Guill serves the defense and commercial industries, including providing fittings, flanges and valves for aircraft, nuclear sub- marines and weapons. Under the administration of American President Joe Biden, 375,000 manufacturing jobs were created in 2021. Recently, Congresswoman Terri Sewell – who represents Alabama’s 7th District – stated that 5,500 manufacturing roles were added in her southeastern state. Referring to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Rep. Sewell – who helped local manufacturers restore jobs and create new ones by passing the American Rescue Plan and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act – is continuing her work by passing the America COMPETES Act. This will continue to strengthen supply chains and ensure critical products are made in the United States. “This week’s jobs report shows that our economic plan, in part- nership with President Biden, is working and we are getting Alabamians back to work,” state Rep. Sewell on her official website. “Together, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the America COMPETES Act will build off the momentum of the American Rescue Plan, creating millions more good-paying jobs by rebuilding America’s infrastructure and investing in U.S. manufacturing.” To date, the Biden Administration has seen the creation of 6.6 million jobs nationwide, with almost every state adding man- ufacturing jobs less than a year after President Biden came into office on January 20, 2021. INDUSTRY NEWS 8INDUSTRY NEWS ARCELORMITTAL DOFASCO GOING GREENER BLACKLINE SAFETY SET TO DOUBLE MANUFACTURING CAPACITY One of the world’s best-known steel producers, Hamilton, Ontario-based ArcelorMittal Dofasco will receive up to $500 million in loans and grant support from the Government of Ontario so it can replace polluting coal-fired ovens and blast furnaces with cleaner low-emission technology. The company’s Hamilton operations will be one of the first of the global giant’s locations to switch to the greener electric arc furnace (EAF) technologies instead of coal as part of a $1.8 billion transformation. The shift comes at a time when other major manufacturers, such as the automotive industry, are tran- sitioning to less-polluting sources of energy. It is believed the switch to a cleaner source of power will lower harmful carbon dioxide emissions by approximately three million tonnes annually. Active in industries including agriculture, construction, mining, petrochemical and many others, Blackline Safety Corp. recently announced a $2 million production upgrade. The significant investment will enable the company to double production of its hardware, fast-tracking the assembly and delivery of safety wearable products from weeks to just hours. Part of the investment is bringing additional Surface Mount Technology (SMT) to the company’s in-house production line. By directly mounting electrical components onto printed circuit boards, the technology is not only faster, but much more cost-effective, with the company already realizing payback on the equipment in only 10 months. “With SMT, we build on our already robust manufacturing technology and facility alongside additional flexibility to quickly respond to increased demand — all while main- taining product excellence,” stated Blackline Safety Chief Operating Officer Kevin Meyers in a release. “Having SMT to place components on a printed circuit board line allows us not only to produce units more quickly and with greater pre- cision, it’s also a layer of much tighter control of our manu- facturing process.” By building products with SMT in-house, Blackline has seen hardware sales volume grow by 350 percent. “In addition, our quality levels have been exceptional, programming and job setups are easy, and our team has been able to rapidly develop and deploy new products,” added Meyers. “Because of the vital safety aspect of our products, they simply can’t fail — exceptional manufacturing quality and in-field reliabil- ity are non-negotiable.” 9Next >