I purchase raw materials for a large polyester foam operation (cleaning sponges). We are currently using production minutes as a measure of output but I am wondering if it would make more sense to instead measure the board feet of output. In other words, my bill of materials times production minutes or board feet of output. Thank you, sorry if worded strange.

TL;DR: The EIA's latest Electricity Monthly Update (October 23) reports that average U.S. industrial electricity revenue per kWh, a proxy for retail electricity prices, increased 7.3% YoY in August 2026, compared to 4.3% for commercial and 3.4% for residential customers. Industrial customers saw the largest percentage increase among these sectors.

Much like rising diesel prices have squeezed margins across trucking and logistics, rising electricity costs create similar pressure for manufacturers, chemical plants, food processors, and cold storage facilities where power can be one of the largest operating expenses.

Suppliers tend to adjust pricing as market conditions change, and operators who aren't reviewing contract terms, comparing suppliers, or monitoring transmission and pass-through charges may very well be overpaying for power without realizing it.

Curious to hear if these reports actually translate to realities felt by operators/owners/tenants. Are rising electricity costs starting to affect your margins, or is electricity still treated as fixed overhead at your facility?

Source: EIA — Electricity Monthly Update, October 23, 2026

Hey everyone, I’m currently applying to a few colleges for engineering, with UIUC being my top choice. I know mechanical engineering is generally considered one of the best majors for working in manufacturing. However, given how competitive UIUC admissions can be, I want to make sure I have realistic backup major choices on my application. UIUC also doesn’t offer a manufacturing engineering degree.
For those interested in working in the manufacturing field, I have a few questions:

What engineering majors outside of mechanical engineering are good options for a career in manufacturing?
Do hiring managers view degrees like industrial or materials engineering differently from mechanical engineering?

Id love to hear your thoughts and experiences!

Hello everyone,
My family has been running an aluminium pressure die casting business for over 20 years. My father has spent decades building hands-on expertise in manufacturing aluminium components, including automotive parts such as brake components and other engineered products using hot-chamber/cold-chamber and related die-casting processes as applicable to the product.
Now, I want to understand the business more deeply, learn from his experience, and explore how we can take it to the next level.
My background is in AI automation, AI agents, website building, and business process improvement. However, manufacturing is a new industry for me personally, and I want to approach it with an open mind, learn the fundamentals, and understand what actually works on the factory floor before making changes.
I'm particularly interested in exploring opportunities across:
Automotive: Engine blocks, transmission cases, cylinder heads, brake components, and heat shields.

Aerospace: Precision components and potential opportunities subject to the required certifications and technical standards.

Electronics & Telecommunications: Aluminium housings, enclosures, and heat-dissipation components.

Industrial Equipment & Machinery: Housings, structural components, and custom-engineered castings.

I'd love to connect with people who own or work in aluminium die casting, foundries, automotive component manufacturing, or other related industries.
I'm especially interested in learning from people who have experience with:
Finding new B2B customers, OEMs, and long-term manufacturing contracts.

Improving production efficiency, quality control, tooling, and cost management.

Expanding into new industries and identifying products with genuine market demand.

Building a stronger digital presence and using technology to improve traditional manufacturing operations.

Understanding the certifications, quality standards, and supplier requirements needed to work with larger manufacturers.

I'm not here to sell anything or pretend to be an industry expert. I'm at the beginning of this journey, learning from my father and trying to understand where we can create real value.
If you're running a similar business, work in manufacturing, or have helped a traditional family business grow, I'd genuinely appreciate connecting and hearing about your experience.
For those who have been in this industry for years: if you were starting again today, what would you focus on first to grow an established die-casting business?
Looking forward to learning from the community.

Company: Kontrol Freek

This company creates attachable grips for joysticks on video game controllers. The overall connectivity is the same for all their products, but they have maybe 30 different variations of surface, materials and textures.

I’m curious what you think their manufacturing process is like. I assume injection molding. If so, would they have a different mold for each of the 30 different types?

I wanted to sign up for it and put my email in. Since then I am bombarded with calls from their sales. Does anyone know their pricing structure? Is it worth signing up for them?

I was wondering if anyone had clear, high resolution videos or photos of zipper teeth being manufactured and placed on the fabric band. I searched for a while on youtube, but everything is either horribly blurry and you can't see anything, or AI spam with fake videos. I'm not actually looking to manufacture zippers, I am just curious and want to learn, since this is such a high precision manufacturing line that we take for granted every day. If you're a manufacturer, consider taking some videos and posting here as an advertisement for the quality of your factory. Thanks.

I am in a place where I think I need to hire sales team to grow? I need to know have you hired sales team for your manufacturing company?

Hi all! I’m a designer with a small brand. I’m looking for a quality manufacturer that can make waterproof bags from heavy-denier TPU-coated fabric.

I already have a full tech pack and production-ready patterns. My first run would be 50–100 units, so I need a factory that’s comfortable with a smaller MOQ.

What I’m looking for:

• Experience with TPU-coated fabrics
• Welded (RF/HF) or taped seams for true waterproofing
• Open to small-batch production, with room to grow

If you’re a manufacturer, or you’ve worked with one you’d recommend, please comment or DM me. Any leads are appreciated!

Having a problem with our DoAll saw. When starting a cut, the blade will turn on and the saw will begin to lower, then it will cut out and display the "no running--check blade" error message. I'm assuming it's a dirty sensor somewhere any advice on locating that sensor would be appreciated

ISO 45001 is revising for the first time since 2018. The draft is at DIS stage with publication expected March 2027. Three significant changes: occupational health becomes its own clause (not just hazard prevention), return to work processes are now required, and hazard identification expands to include psychosocial hazards, remote work risks, and digital platform work.

If you’re planning a management system redesign, building this in now saves rework later. Organizations will have a transition period once the final standard publishes.

Are teams already thinking about this?

Source: DNV - ISO 45001:2027 revision in DIS (Draft International Standard) stage. Final publication expected March 2027.

Do you request samples mainly for new suppliers, unclear specifications, higher-risk components, or customer approval requirements?

And when a sample is checked, what do you actually record—dimensions, material, markings, packaging, fitment-related details, or something else?

I'm interested in how teams decide when sample evaluation is worth the additional time and cost, rather than treating it as a mandatory step for every line.

Hello there, I have some legacy experience in installing and commissioning control panels for large scale automation plants. I then shifted industries and haven't been deep in control panels and automation for a decade. I would like to start manufacturing control panels. I would love some advise on a few questions:
1. How do I understand what the current customer demand looks like?
2. In the optimistic scenario of 1 being good, how do I find someone with the technical knowledge to help me get off the ground?
tysm!

I'm dealing with a titanium alloy project at work, and honestly, it's a bit of an awkward situation.

We realized we need some extra process control to get the parts right, which means higher costs on our side.

But the customer might need a lower price to move forward. So now I might have to bring my quote down while our actual costs are going up. Great timing lol.

The thing is, it's a new project, and I genuinely want to see it work out. I think it has potential.

I'd rather spend some time figuring out what we can improve on the engineering side than just give up on it because of the price. If we can help get the project off the ground, maybe it'll turn into a good long-term relationship.

But obviously, there's a limit. Cutting corners on quality isn't an option either.

How do you guys deal with situations like this?

Would you accept a smaller margin on the first order, try to work out some design or process changes, or just stick to your price?