We are in the throes of yet another Coronavirus (COVID-19) surge, and though news of a vaccine seems promising, we still have months before it will be accessible to most of the population. That being said, much of our November roundup focuses on how it is affecting manufacturing, machining and supply chains. 

Let’s get started.

The Diversification Crisis in Manufacturing

First, this article focuses on a survey that was created and shared by ISM, which showed that 75 percent of U.S. manufacturing companies suffered from delayed resources/materials as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of this, manufacturers have needed to get creative with their supply chains to encourage product diversification.

Read the SME article to learn exactly how they are doing this. 

US Factory Orders Rise

This article touches on how U.S.-made goods have been affected by COVID-19. In September, the Commerce Department reported that factory orders increased 1.1 percent in September, compared to the 0.6 percent increase in August. That’s due to more demand for primary metals, computers and electronics, motor vehicles and fabricated metal products.

However, how will the new surge in COVID-19 cases affect the industry? Read the Assembly Magazine article to find out. 

US manufacturing activity at highest levels in two years

Though COVID-19 has been rough on the economy, U.S. manufacturing saw significant gains in October. In fact, these gains were at the highest levels in two years. According to the Institute for Supply Management, the manufacturing index increased 3.9 percentage-points. That means it rose from 55.4 percent in September, to 59.3 percent in October.

To learn more about this increase, read the Manufacturing Automation article. 

Contact Custom Tool & Grinding

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