Category Archives: Manufacturing Innovation

No such thing as a “Lean Job Shop”

As I visit companies in Ohio, Indiana and Michigan, I consistently hear that lean manufacturing does not work in job shops. The belief is that lean manufacturing only works in low mix/high volume environments, e.g. Toyota, but not in the high mix/low volume environments typified by most job shops. In other words, there is no such thing as a lean

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Why should I care about Lean Manufacturing? It doesn’t apply to my business.

It’s hard to believe in this day and age how many businesses still choose not to take advantage of the benefits of adopting a Lean culture. As a business owner or officer, you are free, of course, to make a decision not to implement Lean – after all it’s your company.  Maybe you’re already making more money than you can

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Additive Manufacturing Brings Hype and Great Potential

Of the technological innovations transforming manufacturing, additive manufacturing may be the most discussed. Publications from technical industry magazines to Harvard Business Review have discussed its potential, and called out its hype. The Great Lakes TAAC is hearing more about additive manufacturing from our firms, and it’s a technology whose impact more small manufacturers should consider. Additive manufacturing (AM) has been

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A New Public-Private Partnership to Benefit Manufacturing: American Lightweight Materials Manufacturing Innovation Institute

Here at the Great Lakes Trade Adjustment Assistance Center (GLTAAC) we believe in the power of public-private partnerships to get things done. A new public-private partnership will be launching soon in Detroit to the benefit of the tri-state region we serve – Michigan, Ohio and Indiana.  The American Lightweight Materials Manufacturing Innovation Institute is a mouthful to try to say –

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