Category: Manufacturing

For the past three years, the annual observance of Manufacturing Day has been a time for manufacturers from across the United States to come together as a group in a concerted effort to take charge of the nation’s perception of the industry and to demonstrate the different ways domestic manufacturing benefits local, national and global economies.

This year, these voices will be heard on Friday, October 3.

There is currently a significant labor shortage in the U.S. manufacturing sector and, while there is a strong economic drive to reshore manufacturing operations, domestic companies face a real hurdle when it comes to maintaining a sustainable workforce. Not only does Manufacturing Day provide companies with an opportunity to shape the industry’s image, it also gives them a chance to reach out to the younger generation, with many companies inviting local students to tour their facilities and learn more about the industry.

One example of a local company that had this figured out well over a decade ago is Lampin Corporation, a precision machining company in Uxbridge, MA. This year, Lampin will be recognizing Manufacturing Day in a manner consistent with it’s intended purpose of spreading the message about, and generating interest in, the manufacturing industry. They will be hosting at least 40 students from local high schools who, during their tour of the factory and after hearing from several of Lampin’s employee-owners, will gain valuable insight about the manufacturing industry that would be difficult (if not impossible) to accomplish in a traditional classroom.

The benefits of working in such a creative industry are many, and the annual observance of Manufacturing Day serves as a reminder that the sector is in the unique position of being able to turn ethereal concepts into finished products ready for market, and driving the economy forward in the process.

A new type of worker is being introduced in factories across the United States: small collaborative robots. These machines can increase a factory’s production output while simultaneously lowering production costs. Less costly than more bulky and complex machines, collaborative robots are most often being employed by small factories and are fundamentally changing the way these companies operate.

Robots are certainly not new to the manufacturing industry, but, due to safety concerns, most have had to be kept separate from human employees. The term “collaborative” robot is used because these machines are now able to work safely directly alongside their human counterparts.

An example of an early player succeeding in this emerging market is Lampin Corporation, a precision machining and critical component manufacturing company located in Uxbridge, MA. Among other components, Lampin machines precision parts for the HV-100 (The “Harvey”) built by Harvest Automation, a material handling company headquartered in North Billerica, MA.  Lampin manufactures the gearboxes that enable The Harvey’s arms to move, a critically important component for a robot that is designed to lift and move flower pots.

Lampin’s President Bill DiBenedetto said “In addition to our right angle gear drives, our company produces shafts, pulleys, gears, bushings, housings and other components used in robotic manufacturing; and our employee-owners are excited to participate in this new and growing market.”

While some may be concerned about robots reducing the number of available jobs, in cases like that of Lampin Corporation, these robots are clearly creating a job market.

A recent study by Northeastern University Law School yielded an unexpected tidbit of information; many vocational and technical high schools in Massachusetts have a significant waiting list for admissions. What was once a path chosen primarily by those unable or unwilling to go to college, gaining admission to a vocational/technical school has now become a highly competitive contest among thousands of local young people. Unfortunately, most of these schools do not have the capacity to admit all who apply, and many otherwise qualified students are being left behind.

What does this mean for the future of manufacturing-related industries here in Massachusetts? Is it a sign of a rebounding industrial sector or simply an indicator of a bad economy where the less well-off are left with few options for a post-secondary education? Or, is it a basic redefinition of a vocational/technical education that appeals more to a broader spectrum of students?

When asked why he thought vocational and technical schools have such long waiting lists, Peter Enrich, a law professor at Northeastern who oversaw this survey said, “The reasons are complex. A lot of them come back to money. The funding of vocational schools is largely the responsibility of the state. They use a formula that has a couple of big problems with it. [The] first problem is, in our view, it underestimates the cost of vocational education, and so the schools are short of money to start with. The second problem is, to determine how much money a school gets, they look at its enrollment in the previous year. So, if you had a waiting list last year, you’re going to get funded based on how many students you had in the school. [It] pays no attention to your waiting lists, so you’re going to have exactly the same problem year after year after year — there’s no allowance for growth in the funding formula.”

While the overall size of the manufacturing sector here in the Commonwealth declined significantly over the past several decades, the industry is currently undergoing a resurgence and, while numbers may never again reach those of the heyday of the past, there is certainly no shortage of successful manufacturing companies now doing business in Massachusetts. Most that made it through (or opened their business after) the “dark times” maintain their competitive edge by staying agile enough to quickly adapt to changing market demands.  Others survived simply by doing what they have always done – providing their stable client base with a list of standard products that are unlikely to be replaced by a better alternative anytime soon. In either case, many companies have successfully leveraged growth opportunity here in Massachusetts, and a qualified pool of local labor is a critical component in the success or failure of that effort.

Solutions may be more complicated than just opening more vocational schools. With the loss of so many skilled positions in the past, societal stigmas have caused apathy among baby boomers and the following generations. However, most Massachusetts’ manufacturing jobs today are high-paying, highly technical positions and, with 100,000 of these opportunities estimated to become available in the state over the next ten years, training the next generation of students will become even more critical to compete in the global economy.

It is imperative that state politicians team up with vocational school administrators and local industry leaders to find a solution to the growing skilled worker shortage before it’s too late.

By Bill DiBenedetto, President, Lampin Corporation

In October the Pittsfield Economic Revitalization Corporation released a study on advanced manufacturing in the Berkshire region of the Commonwealth. Although Lampin is located in nearby Blackstone Valley, the birthplace of the industrial revolution, the environment of the Berkshires is similar to our own conditions in southeastern Massachusetts.

In an article by iBerkshires reporter Andy McKeever, the reporter writes that while the quantity of manufacturing employees have declined in the last 10 years, manufacturing companies and their employee wages remained “fairly consistent.” He concludes, “That paints a picture of manufacturing getting smaller and smarter with mass production being replaced by precision.”

As a small precision manufacturer, we believe in our business model to deliver quality manufacturing solutions to our clients. We’ve watched our customers weather the financial storms, some with success, some no longer in business. Throughout the good times and bad, we’ve been proud to remain a constant source for precision manufacturing.

The recommendations from the PERC Study reads like a history of Lampin. We invest in training our employees, partner with local schools to develop the next generation of precision machinists and unique to Lampin, converted to employee-ownership in the early 2000s to increase employee satisfaction and reward.

At Lampin, we see a strong manufacturing sector as critical to growth in Massachusetts after the tough economic times of the past few years. Our neighbors in the Berkshires are tapping in the brain trust and experiences of their educational, business and government leaders to chart a course. We agree that factors such as energy costs and infrastructure are best addressed from a 10,000-foot view. However, we believe if manufacturing is going to have resurgence in the Massachusetts, we, and our fellow manufacturing firms, need to continue to take action individually.

Implant Sciences Corporation contracted Coghlin Companies to manufacture a handheld explosive detector. The Quantum Sniffer QS-H150 was used at Queen Elizabeth II birthday party in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia this June. Coghlin Companies was chosen because of their ability to scale production and test highly sensitive products. The product needed had tight specifications that Coghlin was able to meet.

Implant sciences is known for their explosive trace detection (ETD) and drugs trace detection solutions. Coghlin Companies is best known for contract manufacturing and  medical device manufacturing.

View the press release here.