3 MIN. READ
Manufacturers in the United States have seen a mixed bag of conditions over the past several years. First, the Great Recession brought a steep decrease across all sectors. Then COVID restrictions and lockdowns made manufacturing more difficult. Now, constant labor shortage is creating even greater hurdles.
Despite the challenges, manufacturing as a whole has contributed an estimated 24% to the nation’s GDP, supported by vital products and services from innovative companies. This article will review some of the top innovative products for manufacturers featured on IndustryNet this year.
Printing and Labeling
Two innovative items in the printing and labeling subsector include the Dot Peen Marking Technology and Dalemark Industries’ Automatic Flat Product Labeling System.
The Dot Peen Marking Technology is known for its ease of use and versatility. This system allows manufacturers to mark products of any shape, making it ideal for items such as car parts. It can also stamp final products with a serial number or a date or another graphic. Dot Peen has both a bench-mounted system and a hand-held system, and its flexibility allows for materials as hard as steel and as delicate as plastic. The patented iTeach Jog and Teach Function technology makes it easy to learn how to run the system.
Dalemark Industries, Inc., makes an Automatic Flat Product Labeling System that gives manufacturers a new way to label boxes and other flat items. This system automatically feeds a wide range of flat products through its Wide Label Applicator, including paper or clear plastic labels. A simple touch-screen panel controls the flow along the conveyor belt. Dalemark’s technology also includes a product counter, allowing manufacturers to control output precisely.
Packaging & Adhesive Solutions
Two companies top the charts for their innovations in the packaging sector: Neway Packaging and SpecBond.
Neway Packaging is a leading distributor of packaging supplies and equipment. Its recent expansion allows the company to meet the growing needs of existing and new customers. Neway’s professional team includes designers who create customized packaging solutions, and the company now has seven full-service stocking distribution centers. Their innovative Make-N-Ship™ box making machine allows customers to make any size box they need, from basic boxes to complex structural packaging.
SpecBond makes a new film-release liner for pressure application tape. Unlike paper-lined tape products, film-release liners do not tear when removing them from the adhesive. Film liners are particularly useful in the electronics industry. Paper liners often create small fibers on the adhesive, but film liners peel away cleanly, leaving nothing behind.
Materials & Tools
Three innovative manufacturers — Stockwell Elastomerics, Strainsert, and Inconel Alloys — are making the lives of parts manufacturers much easier.
At Stockwell Elastomerics, an inventive line of ultra-thin platinum-cured solid silicone is making the news. Advanced and emerging technologies need materials that perform like silicone. These products must also be thin and seal easily. With a solid housing design, this item gives a lifetime of opening and closing without concerns of seal failure.
In the world of force-sensor manufacturers, Strainsert’s tension-link design system is ideal for measuring force. Manufacturers rely on Strainsert’s devices to test the strength of their final product, whether it's a crane or a parachute. They also implement it in analyzing the equipment used to transport items around a given facility.
Manufacturers who need heat resistance, corrosion resistance, and strength turn to Iconcel Alloys. The metallurgists at Ulbrich Stainless Steels & Special Metals, Inc., are the experts for such alloys. Made for parts manufacturers in the aerospace and automotive industries, Iconcel 625 and Iconcel 718 work well in the harshest conditions.
Innovation in Lighting
Art Sign Works and Miller Lighting products assist with the visibility and safety of manufacturing facilities.
Art Sign Works, Inc. makes durable, multidimensional signs for indoor and outdoor use. Their depth-layered indoor metal signs are perfect for visually impaired guests and employees, as they can display any text in Braille. Their durable outdoor signs resist vandalism and fading, giving high-quality exterior advertising to the manufacturer.
Miller Lighting Products offers a line of LED and energy-efficient lighting for manufacturers. Since a well-lit workspace is a safe workspace, Miller is committed to making cutting-edge LED lighting for a variety of applications. Many of the items have adjustable wattage and can also change colors to improve safety.
Supply-Chain Management
Two major companies climb to the top of the supply-chain management list – Optessa and FreightPOP.
Optessa helps manufacturers to update their supply chains. Many small- to medium-sized manufacturers limp along with off-the-shelf or self-created supply-chain systems. These systems simply do not meet their needs today. Optessa’s Advanced Planning and Scheduling Solutions use licensed formulas. These rules can then make mathematically correct supply-chain predictions when fed with changing conditions.
FreightPOP works with the transportation side of the supply chain. Many manufacturers find the “last mile” of product delivery difficult. This hardship happens whether the product is inbound raw materials or outbound finished items. FreightPOP’s software provides real-time and historical shipping data to help manufacturers make more reliable and profitable decisions regarding their transportation needs.
To find out more about any of these pivotal manufacturers or other innovative companies making products for manufacturers, contact IndustryNet. Listing 400,000 U.S. manufacturers and suppliers of more than 11,000 products and services, IndustryNet can connect you with the right suppliers for your business. Search, source and quote for free on America's premier industrial marketplace.
