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The countdown has begun for the 2019 Colorado Manufacturing Awards on April 4. Check out this fantastic teaser video featuring last year's winners Montanya Distillers and then reserve a table and join Manufacturer's Edge and CompanyWeek as we recognize and celebrate outstanding achievements in manufacturing! |
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 Print Reading and GD&T: A Q&A with Angel De Sevilla
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Be sure to register for our upcoming print reading and GD&T courses
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Angel De Sevilla, workforce development consultant/trainer
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Q: Are there specific triggers or situations that would serve as a good indication that a company should send their team to these workshops?
A: Because of our current low unemployment, many companies in these industries have turned to other industries such as retail and food service in order to meet their labor needs. Many of these new employees have little to no experience in the aerospace industry, so it is beneficial for these companies to offer training in print reading in order to help the new employees perform their duties.
Some of the things to look out for:
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Increasing number of new hires with limited experience in the manufacturing industry.
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Having employees regularly seek more experienced employees with questions about prints or work instructions.
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Increased number of quality issues related to missed callouts or incorrectly read prints.
For GD&T, most of my clients are design engineers, quality engineers, tooling engineers, inspectors, or senior operators who need a more in depth understanding of geometric tolerance callouts. Things to look out for:
- Components that do not assemble correctly all the time, even if the individual components pass inspection.
- Customer rejection of components using geometric tolerancing, even after your own inspectors have passed the part.
- Excessive wait time in the inspection department because only a limited number of inspectors are familiar and comfortable inspecting components with geometric tolerances. (...)
Read the full Q&A here.
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MFG! New Manufacturing Facility
Coming to Colorado Springs
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by Jennifer M. Taylor, Marketing & Strategic Partnerships
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Do you know any small light manufacturers that are looking for space? A new endeavor in Colorado Springs may have a solution! Milestones for Growth, or MFG!, is creating small leasable units (1,000 - 1,500 SF) for successful companies that just need a little more space.
Milestones for Growth (MFG!) is a community development project centered around light manufacturing. They provide leased units for established light manufacturers that are at a "milestone" in their business growth. They are at a point where they have a proven track record, but may not be quite ready for their own facility. The building will include shared collaborative space, and the owners are working to develop additional amenities for our tenants. Phase one of construction will be complete in May. Pre-leasing is available to qualified companies.
Located centrally, off I-25 and Garden of the Gods Road, they are working with several community agencies and institutions to grow programs around manufacturing, education and economic development.
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(Vol 13): The Reqs They Are A-Changin
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Jennifer Kurtz, Cyber Program Director, Manufacturer's Edge |
Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times [reqs] they are a-changin'.
Bob Dylan may not have had a lyrical voice, but he had critical vision (that led to his Golden Globe, Academy, and 10 Grammy Awards, as well as a Nobel Prize). Unlike the entertainment industry, the award season for government contracts is year-round. How can your company better position itself for success as product or service provider in the federal government supply chain?
Navigating the competitive shoals of government contracting has always been tricky-and unqualified agreement to the cyber security provisions contained in the DoD Federal Acquisition Regulations System DFARS is becoming an optimistic gamble that contract fulfillment will go smoothly and no audit will follow. In the words of Clint Eastwood cum Dirty Harry: "You've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?'"(...)
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The CAMA Conversation
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by Dave Jeffrey, Chair of the Colorado Advanced Manufacturing Association
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Dave Jeffrey is the Chair of the Colorado Advanced Manufacturing Association, the trade association and policy voice for Colorado manufacturers. The positions expressed below represent the policy positions of CAMA. As the U.S. Department of Commerce Manufacturing Extension Partnership for Colorado, Manufacturer's Edge takes no formal position on any legislation before the Colorado legislature. However, we are happy to partner with CAMA to educate manufacturers on policy issues of interest to manufacturers, and encourage all manufacturers to be involved in our political processes.
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| Dave Jeffrey, CEO & Owner, JPM Prototype & Mfg, Inc. |
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With the current legislation period in session, we, as the statewide manufacturing association, want to ensure that manufacturers throughout the state understand the impact that some of these bills could have on businesses.
One that is of great concern is the Medical & Family Leave Act. In short, this bill is an "insurance" program that will be run by the state, and it will require all employees and employers to contribute to this program regardless of the size of the company. In addition, there is no cost cap in the bill, meaning that the cost of the program can increase year over year at the discretion of the program administrators. This bill will make it such that an employee will be allowed to take up to 12 weeks off for various family and medical reasons. We certainly feel that it is important to help the workforce throughout the state take care of the needs of their family. However, we also feel that this insurance program is far too reaching with no consideration for the potential cost to small businesses over time.
As Chair of the Colorado Advanced Manufacturing Association (CAMA), the policy voice for Colorado's small manufacturers, I urge you to get involved. SB 188 appears to be on the fast track for approval. Please take the time to understand this legislation and the far reaching effect it could have on you, your business, and your family. Then contact your State Senator and Representative to share your opinion. I also urge you to get out and vote for the people that will make the greatest impact for our industry.
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Upcoming Events
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Visit our
website for a complete calendar of
manufacturing events taking place around Colorado
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Colorado Manufacturing Awards
April 4 @ 5:30-8pm
Cable Center
Hosted by Manufacturer's Edge and CompanyWeek, the CMA program is the only one of its kind in the United States. The CMAs bring together business leaders in a celebration of the modern manufacturing economy - a multi-industry, consumer and technology-driven sector reshaping America's rich industrial legacy.
Find out more
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Print Reading Basic Interpretation
April 5 @ 9am-4pm
An intro for technicians, operators, administrative personnel and anyone interested in improving their print reading skills.
Find out more
Introduction to GD&T
April 19 @ 9am-4pm
This one day seminar will cover the GD&T callouts along with their most commonly used applications.
Find out more
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46th Annual World
Trade Day
May 14 @ 8am-6pm
This year's conference will address current challenges and opportunities of global trade through a series of keynote speakers, short talks by trade experts, an expo featuring the region's top global businesses, and peer-to-peer learning followed by a networking reception. This year's speakers include Jake Jabs, Lou Longo, and Stephanie Gripne.
Find out more
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