HOLDING STEADY: CANERECTOR KEEPS BUSINESS ALL IN THE FAMILY ADVANCING AUTOMATION MAKING ITS MARK MANUFACTURINGINFOCUS.COM OC TO BE R 2 02 2115 Nor nch Dr, North York, ON, M3N 1W8 115 Nor nch Dr, North York, ON M3N 1W8 EQUIPMENT CONTROLS PARTS & AFTERMARKET SERVICE Contact Us to Find Out More About HVAC Technologies for Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions ••• 115 Nor nch Dr, North York, ON, M3N 1W8 115 Nor nch Dr, North York, ON M3N 1W8 EQUIPMENT CONTROLS PARTS & AFTERMARKET SERVICE Contact Us to Find Out More About HVAC Technologies for Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions •••EDITOR’S CORNER 115 Nor nch Dr, North York, ON, M3N 1W8 115 Nor nch Dr, North York, ON M3N 1W8 EQUIPMENT CONTROLS PARTS & AFTERMARKET SERVICE Contact Us to Find Out More About HVAC Technologies for Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions ••• 115 Nor nch Dr, North York, ON, M3N 1W8 115 Nor nch Dr, North York, ON M3N 1W8 EQUIPMENT CONTROLS PARTS & AFTERMARKET SERVICE Contact Us to Find Out More About HVAC Technologies for Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions ••• 3 I remember taking apart my first gasoline engine—a lawnmower in shop class— and I was both fascinated and perplexed. I had also worked with electric motors at that point, and the jump in complexity to go from coils carrying current around a magnet to the internal combustion process was staggering. Why go to all this trouble to explode a liquid inside the device you were trying to use?! The answer became clear: energy. The amount of energy stored in the chemical bonds of the fuel was a lot higher than what we could pack in a battery of the same weight at that time. So, despite the complexity, dirtiness, environmental impacts, health impacts, and risks to safety, internal combustion was the way to go if you wanted to get the job done, whether that was mowing the lawn or driving to the next town. However, over the past few decades, battery technology has really started to catch up, and may be just a few steps away from outperforming fuels on the energy front as well as the environmental and sustainability aspects. Pauline Müller looks into new advances in her latest piece, Better Battery Manufacturing – From Mobile Tech, To Vehicles, To Grid Surplus Storage. 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 Allison Dempsey | Claire Suttles | Pauline Müller William Young | Robert Hoshowsky DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS James Corbett CONTENT MANAGERS Nicholas Hamlyn | Taylor Dunne | Wendy Hood-Morris Louis Susara | Coleman Merry | Lily Mitchell SALES & MARKETING MANAGER Luke Simms SALES TEAM Pamela Taylor | Morgan Culpepper OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR Julia MacQueen GRAPHIC DESIGN MANAGER Severina Gachparova GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Laura Pratt | Ashley Dowling Ebic Tristary | Yoana Ilcheva CONTROLLER Jen Hamilton PUBLISHER Jeff Hocken “Despite the complexity, dirtiness, environmental impacts, health impacts, and risks to safety, internal combustion was the way to go if you wanted to get the job done.”INSIDE OCTOBER ENGINEERING & DESIGN FABRICATION & MACHINING 4 What do iron, sodium, thin air, and a very special form of sulphur have in common these days? Believe it or not, all three hold the key to the future of power storage. 5 MANUFACTURING IN FOCUS MATERIALS SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY (MS&T) 11 – 12 October, Pittsburgh, PA The Materials Science & Technology (MS&T) technical meeting and exhibition series is a long-standing, recognized forum for fostering techni- cal innovation at the intersection of materials science, engineering, and application. At MS&T, you can learn from those who are on the cutting edge of their disciplines, share your work with the leading minds in your field, and build the valuable cross-disciplinary collaborations unique to this conference series. For more information CAMX – THE COMPOSITES & ADVANCED MATERIALS EXPO 17 – 20 October, Anaheim, CA CAMX is growing and continues to solidify its position as North America’s largest composites and advanced materials expo. With more than 400 exhibitors, a rich program of educational sessions on a breadth of topics, and numerous opportunities for networking, this expo is not one to be missed. For more information FOOD INGREDIENTS NORTH AMERICA & SUPPLYSIDE WEST 31 October – 4 November, Las Vegas, NV Food Ingredients North America, paired with SupplySide West, is the largest ingredient event in the U.S. focused on food, beverage, and supple- ment innovation. It brings together more than 16,000 professionals from the health and nutrition industry. Learn about new trends from over 1,000 exhibitors and well-curated educational content and conference programming. For more information ADVANCED MANUFACTURING MINNEAPOLIS (MD&M, ATX, DESIGN & MANUFACTURING, MINNPACK, AND PLASTEC) 2 – 3 November, Minneapolis, MN Themed, ‘Bringing the Product Design-to-Development Lifecycle Full Circle,’ this is the Midwest’s largest annual design and manufacturing event. Explore the latest technologies, equipment, and solutions at this five-in-one event bringing together MD&M, ATX, Design & Manufacturing, MinnPack, and Plastec all under one roof. Enjoy five trade shows under one roof spanning medtech, packaging, automation, design, and plastics, with hundreds of leading suppliers. Gain access to 30+ hours of free content on the expo floor with MedTech Central, Engineering Theater, Tech Theater, three Keynotes, and Product Showcases. Finally, enjoy complimentary networking opportunities including a welcome reception and daily booth bar crawls. For more information BIOMEDEVICE SILICON VALLEY 29 – 30 November, Santa Clara, CA BIOMEDevice Silicon Valley returns this November, bringing together the brightest minds in the industry to demonstrate and discuss emerging trends, innovation, and disruptive tech changing the future of the medical device industry. Experience live demos and uncover the latest technologies, solutions, and medtech products on the show floor, and enhance your onsite experience with direct access to experts and their exclusive presentations. 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 LITHIUM PRICES SOARING Found in smartphones, laptop computers, pacemakers, and many other electronic devices, lithium is an integral part of rechargeable batteries, especially in electric vehicles (EVs), which require about 22 pounds (10 kg) of the silvery-white metal. With Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen and dozens of other automobile manufacturers worldwide shifting gears from gas-powered cars toward EVs, demand for lithium has been described as “insane” by Tesla’s Elon Musk, and shows no sign of letting up. In the past year alone, the price of lithium carbonate has tripled, recently reaching $71,315 US per ton in China, accord- ing to Asian Metal Inc. China is one of the world’s major pro- ducers and consumers of lithium, and a major manufacturer of EV batteries. For car companies, the soaring cost of lithium means EV lithi- um-ion batteries are more expensive and threatens to cut into profits. Supply chain issues and a power shortage in Sichuan Province—which provides about 20 percent of China’s lithium production—have also slowed lithium supply. The largest battery maker in China, Ganfeng Lithium, has stated new orders for EV batteries will increase in price. AMAZON UNVEILS NEW KINDLE Once the fantasy of book lovers everywhere (imagine having dozens if not hundreds of books in the palm of your hand?), e-readers are everywhere today, and as popular as ever. And while they might look like a computer tablet, these devices use less power and are better for the eyes, with some boasting adjust- able hues. In 1997, the Rocketbook envisioned a digital future, and many others entered the e-reader space over the years, including online giant Amazon with its world-famous Kindle. Continually improving features and introducing new models, Amazon recently unveiled an all-new, 11th generation Kindle. The company’s lightest and most compact e-reader to date, the latest version boasts a sharp 300 ppi high-resolution display, a glare-free six-inch screen, adjustable dark and light modes, and USB-C charging, which means the device can be charged with the same charger used for other devices such as laptops and tablets. Perhaps best of all is the Kindle’s remarkable longer battery life, which stores power for up to six weeks. Available at $40 US less than the company’s popular Paperwhite, the latest Kindle boasts 16GB—twice the storage of earlier versions, and enough to store thousands of titles. The next generation Kindle starts at $99.99 US. 7INDUSTRY NEWS GOODYEAR GOES BACK TO SPACE Founded in 1898, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company is nothing less than legendary. One of the world’s best-known tire companies, Goodyear has made the ride smoother for millions of us on Earth, and even in space. More than a half-century ago, Akron, Ohio-based Goodyear supplied products and expertise to NASA’s Apollo space program, including the legendary Apollo moon landing in 1969. Today, 53 years later, Goodyear follows in the treads of the past, producing airless tires for the Artemis program moon rovers. The company is collaborating with manufacturing giants Lockheed Martin and General Motors (GM) on developing a lunar mobility vehicle which will transport astronauts on the Moon, exploring more of the lunar surface than in the past. “NASA's Artemis program is sending humans back to the Moon where they will explore and conduct scientific experiments using a variety of rovers,” stated a Lockheed Martin / GM Defense media release. “NASA sought industry approaches to develop a Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) that will enable astronauts to explore the lunar surface farther than ever before. The LTV is the first of many types of surface mobility vehicles needed for NASA's Artemis program.” Goodyear’s state-of-the-art tires for the lunar rovers will employ the company’s advanced airless tire technology. Able to function under challenging conditions, the tires will be airless, must last for years, and must be able to withstand extreme temperatures from -250 degrees Fahrenheit at night up to 250 degrees Fahrenheit during the day. “NASA’s Artemis program to live and work on the Moon has a clear need for lunar surface transportation that we intend to meet with vehicles driven by astronauts or operated autono- mously without crew,” stated Kirk Shireman, Vice President of Lunar Exploration Campaigns at Lockheed Martin. “We’re developing this new generation of lunar mobility vehicle to be available to NASA and for commercial companies and even other space agencies to support science and human explora- tion. This approach exemplifies NASA’s desire for industry to take the lead with commercial efforts that enable the agency to be one of many customers.” According to NASA, Artemis missions will use “innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before,” and also see the first woman and person of color land on the Moon. Editorial credit: JHVEPhoto / Shutterstock.com 8INDUSTRY NEWS STARLINK ACTIVE ON 7 CONTINENTS When SpaceX began launching Starlink satel- lites in 2019, it was with the goal of rapid growth and thousands of mass-produced satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Three years and billions of dollars later, Starlink grew one step closer to its aim of connecting the world through the Internet. Recently, Starlink stated its high-speed Internet is now active on all seven continents. In September, the company successfully launched an additional 54 satellites, joining the other 3,076 satellites already in space. Starlink’s founder Elon Musk stated his goal is to have up to 42,000 Starlink satellites in LEO by 2027, all working in tandem and communicating with ground transceivers on Earth. To date, Starlink provides Internet services to over 500,000 subscribers. PARTS SHORTAGE TO IMPACT THIRD QUARTER SALES: FORD Shares in Ford Motor Co. took a hit recently when the automotive giant announced a shortage of parts, and inflation will see the company with 40,000 to 50,000 unfinished vehicles at the end of the third quarter of 2022, more than originally anticipated. Over the past two and a half years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain issues worldwide have resulted in a shortage of parts—raw materials and semiconductors in par- ticular—causing production delays. Citing “lacking certain parts presently in short supply,” Ford stated in a media release that the most affected, incom- plete products will be its high-demand, high-margin trucks and SUVs. Despite the slowdown, Ford has stated it believes the incomplete vehicles will be finished and “sold to dealers during the fourth quarter” of 2022. 9Next >