📌 Top Highlights
Devastating explosion rocks industry
Wyoming cowboying up with nuclear fuel
MIT makes heavy metal discovery
🔍 Deep Dive: Explosion at Plant Provides Somber Reminder of Manufacturing’s Dangers
All those missing from the manufacturing plant explosion last Friday are presumed dead, as Tennessee authorities scoured the grounds and announced they’d found no survivors.
The blast occurred at Accurate Energetic Systems, located in a rural area about 50 miles west of Nashville, right before 8:00 am. Accurate Energetic Systems manufactures explosives and energetic devices for a variety of industries, including the military, mining, and aerospace, and it counts both the Department of Defense and Homeland Security as clients.
The cause of the explosion is not yet clear, with those in charge warning that the investigation will be long and thorough. Even without a known cause, the explosion is a tragic reminder of the dangers of certain types of manufacturing, especially when chemicals are involved.
🖨 Technology Trailblazers
Metal Craft Spinning & Stamping, a precision metal spinning company, has expanded its custom metal solutions with more advanced engineering techniques and automated manufacturing capabilities.
A recently designed denesting table improves sheet metal cutting and production line speed. This table was created by NAVCO, the National Air Vibrator Company, but using its full name might cause some confusion.
Researchers from MIT have developed a simple model to predict chemical patterns inside metals, giving engineers more insight into metallic properties and strengthening the health of the aerospace, nuclear reactor, and semiconductor industries.
🤖 Welders of Robots Needed
Cobots, or collaborative robots, are becoming easier to use and more accessible, increasing the need for multiskilled workers who can weld, program, operate, and maintain these robots. In related but unfortunate news, robot maids, like Rosey on The Jetsons, have yet to take off.
🏢 Movers and Shakers
Wyoming is putting several of its eggs in the nuclear fuel basket. The state’s top energy advocate is recommending a $100 million grant in support of a nuclear fuel manufacturing plant based in Gillette.
The CBIA Foundation is celebrating Manufacturing Month with a bus tour aimed at raising awareness of the importance of manufacturing, educational institutions, and workplace training facilities across Connecticut.
In a textile twist, WestPoint Home has kicked off its new $5 million towel production line to enhance its supply chain. Located in the Kingdom of Bahrain, WestPoint is the Middle East’s only single-site manufacturer of towels and bed linens.
💡 Manufacturing Marvels
The first commercially manufactured drug was antipyrine, a pain and fever reducer that paved the way for the likes of Tylenol and Advil. Its production on a large-scale level was made possible by the rotary tablet press; this press was invented by Henry Bowers, an employee of Wyeth, in 1872.