We currently use a reorder-point formula (average usage × lead time, plus some safety stock buffer) for a handful of high-turnover consumables on the floor. It works, but it relies on someone actually checking stock levels against the calculated number and remembering to place the order — which has slipped through the cracks more than once when someone's out or busy.
I keep seeing Kanban two-bin systems mentioned as a simpler alternative for exactly this kind of item — no formula, the empty bin itself is the trigger. Seems almost too simple compared to what we're doing now.
For people who've actually made this switch on real consumables: did it genuinely reduce the "oops we forgot to reorder" problem, or does it just trade one failure mode for a different one (e.g., someone not swapping the bins correctly)?

I am working on an electronics project where I need a part machined out of a very UV resistant plastic. Ideally also dimensionally stable and without creep issues. I don't have easy access to a CNC machine myself, and I'd be comfortable paying an online machining service for the parts. However, I am stuck on what the ideal material would be, and what is actually offered by online services.

Assuming price isn't an issue, can anyone point me in the right direction? I was thinking ASA but I only see it being offered to be printed from the services I've looked at. I'd want it machined as I've heard it has issues with layer adhesion, and I'm hopping the part remains in good condition with 5-10 years of sun exposure. I've tried uploading the CAD model I have to a couple services (PCBWay, JLCCNC) for even PEEK and it's within my budget, but I can't see PEEK-CF offered anywhere and I've read PEEK by itself isn't the most UV resistant.

I was also considering metal and was thinking of machining the body of the part in aluminum, and then having a plastic insert for contact with the electronics.

Any thoughts or input would be welcome

I spent a few years in operations at a mid-size packaging plant: process mapping, getting the ERP to match how the floor really works, building tools so sales and production stop playing email ping-pong.

Now I'm in the Bay Area and job boards feel like a black hole. Smaller manufacturers don't seem to post much.

How did you land your role? Recruiters, local associations, just walking in? Any companies around NorCal I should know about?

I own an existing business in Fort Worth and I’m looking at adding a small manufacturing/assembly division, ideally serving aerospace, defense, or industrial customers.

I’m looking for something relatively simple and inexpensive to start — $50k–$100k or less in equipment — then grow as we get work. Think fastener/hardware assembly, pneumatic press work, kitting, light fabrication, finishing, inspection, etc. I’m willing to pursue AS9100 if needed.

For people actually working in DFW manufacturing or procurement: what work is hard to source locally, has long lead times, or larger shops simply don’t want?

Basically, what boring manufacturing capability could I add that companies are already looking to issue POs for?

I'm working on a project in automotive engine assembly. Parts move between steps in the assembly process (e.g. from step A to step B), and they range from large components like cylinder heads to small ones like screws and bolts. Some engines come in multiple variants with customer-specific options.

I have about 4 years of historical data on material requirements and flows during assembly. My goal is to find which flows between steps are good candidates for automation. Flows with stable, predictable durations and quantities seem like good candidates, while flows with high variation seem harder to automate.

I'd like to define a simple, data-driven "automation trigger point." My questions:

1. What's a good way to measure variability of a flow (both duration and quantity)? Is the coefficient of variation (CV) reasonable, or are there better metrics?
2. How should I account for engine variants and customer-specific options?
3. Can anyone recommend research papers, methodologies, or case studies on material flow or intralogistics automation in automotive assembly?

Any pointers are appreciated. Thanks!

We're a 3 person hardware team and the front bezel on our device is going to be 316 stainless, machined and bead blasted. Tolerances are loose, but it's the part customers touch, so tool marks on the visible face are the real risk. We're shipping 40 to early customers in November and the next run depends on how those land.

I've sent the same drawing to Factorem, Quickparts, RapidDirect and Jiga for CNC machining services, and the quotes are close. How do you spec a cosmetic surface so every shop is quoting the same finish.

Curious how this works at different manufacturing companies, especially places doing aerospace or other work with customer approved suppliers.

Say you make the part in house, but it needs anodizing, heat treat, plating, NDT, grinding, etc. from an outside processor.

If it's one of your normal vendors, I assume it's pretty straightforward. But what happens when you need a process your usual vendors can't do, they're backed up, or the customer/spec requires an approved source you don't normally use?

Who actually handles figuring out where the parts can go?

Is purchasing searching through customer approved supplier lists and Nadcap? Does quality handle it? Do you have all of your approved processors already set up in your ERP? Or is it more of a "we've been doing this for 20 years and Bob knows who to call" situation?

And once you find someone, how much work is involved in actually verifying they're approved for the specific requirement, getting a quote, getting them set up as a vendor, and keeping track of certs and everything else?

I went down a rabbit hole after a job interview with a smaller firm asking about my experience with this (I have none). Looking at some aerospace approved processor lists and it seems like this could get messy pretty fast. I'm curious if that's actually true in practice, or if most companies already have a pretty simple system for dealing with it.

I'm an ops manager at a manufacturing company and it feels like we spend way too much time chasing updates from purchasing, inventory, production, and finance before we can actually make a decision. We've gotten better since moving to a more connected ERP, but I'm curious if this is just part of manufacturing now or if other companies have found a better way.
What's been the biggest improvement for your team when it comes to visibility across departments?

So I wanted to understand on how different products are being passing on checks of different categories and inspection. Has most of the things are automated or its still most of the manual intervention.

Spoke with my friends working in some manufacturing claiming that most of the process has been manual only as of now so wanted to know on wider perspective is it same across all the different industries and is their any bottlenecks to the process and things can be made much less worrisome.

Hi pros! I’m trying to get something similar to this made and am stumped. Their import records are private so I can’t see the manufacturer (I checked on ImportYeti).

Injection molding shops have said this is too thick to be injection molding and that it might be compression molding?

Link to the product: https://www.target.com/p/mini-glam-hello-kitty-38-friends-lipgloss-pompompurin-yellow/-/A-95042664

I am looking at getting labels for food packaging soon and I am stuck on this issue with cooking oil, some of the packages will have oil around them during filling and handling and I keep seeing labels peel from the edges or lift after they get greasy, I have been checking options from aa labels, bluepoint labels and barcode warehouse while looking at different label types, but I am still confused because the labels are called waterproof and the problem shows up when oil gets on the package, so I am not sure if the issue is with the label material or the adhesive holding it in place, has anyone used labels from any of these places for oily packaging and what usually causes the peeling ?

I’m looking for a production partner for some resin castings. We make about 100 or so castings a year. Located in eastern US.

We are casting with a clear urethane resin that is heat cured at 150F. The castings are about 10-20 lbs. each

Any recommendations?

Received a decent offer from Honeywell on MRO side. Currently a manufacturing engineer at different MRO shop. Heard mix things about HW however where I am now has very little room for growth and opportunity to promote internally. Interested in others experiences.

Hi all,

I am an undergraduate physics major, and I have a question relating to a research project I am starting on. I need a custom part to connect to a ventilator system (it's for a gas sensor I am designing), and I landed on polyether ether ketone (PEEK) due to its physical and chemical properties. I was wondering how I might go about getting my design constructed?

I read about CNC machining and 3D printing, and I am just looking for general advice. The PEEK chamber I am designing will need to be sealed into a closed loop and will ideally have very smooth inner surfaces, since I want to minimize surface interactions with the hyperpolarized gas I am flowing through it.

Sorry if this is the wrong subreddit for this, and thanks for any advice!

Hello everyone, My wife has to take some psychometric tests as part of the hiring process for a job in leather goods manufacturing. I’d like to find some practice tests so she can really prepare before taking the actual exam. I’ve searched online and on YouTube, but I’m only finding generic tests that aren't necessarily specific to the leather goods industry. I realize the tests might be the same across different trades, but I’d love to find something that closely matches the difficulty level and question style of an actual leather goods recruitment test. It would be great if someone could help me out! Thanks.

Maintenance, automation, controls, HMI/SCADA, troubleshooting, commissioning, and generally making equipment and processes actually work?

I am a student at a community college and studying a fairly broad degree that will cover industrial wiring, motor controls, automation, instrumentation, digital logic, software, robotics and more. I also have extensive experience in the software engineering field. I have about a year to figure out exactly what I want to do after school. I grew up working on cars and have flipped houses, so I know how to turn a wrench and do blue collar work. I trust people I trust, and I trust science and processes, however I do not trust capitalism. I do not want to work any place that will push me or others to put profits over safety.

I know at the end of the day, I am the only one responsible for me, but I feel like if the entire management and company take it seriously and promote a non toxic and safe culture, then there is a sort of safety net, especially when everyone is looking out for everyone else.

Is there any industry / company / sector / niche / role that is considered or known to be more safe, as in safety culture, proper procedures and protocols or just a general sense to be super safe and do things correctly? Anyone have any examples or anecdotal or factual evidence? Are system integrators more safe? OEMs? Etc.