Manufacturers Rebounding from Pandemic Demand Can’t Afford Downtime The Bullwhip Effect, according to the Wall Street journal is a “phenomenon that occurs when companies significantly cut or add inventories. Economists call it a bullwhip because even small increases in demand can cause a big snap in the need for parts and materials further down the supply chain. “The bullwhip has broad implications now as companies rush to fill orders while also restocking warehouse shelves. It touches everyone from retailers to the industrial companies that supply the grease, bolts and coal needed to churn o ..read more

Stellantis Wants to be the First Automaker to Put Alexa in Your Dashboard Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Groupe PSA merged Jan. 16 to become Stellantis, a name rooted in the Latin verb stello, which means to cover or brighten with stars. The name change might have outshined news that a custom voice assistant based on Amazon Alexa could soon be part of the infotainment systems of Stellantis car models including Fiat, which is up first, and perhaps later Jeep, Chrysler and Ram. The assistant could be customized with a different name (in the example video here, it’s called Brandon) and handle ca ..read more

Growth within an organization happens in lots of ways. Acquisitions, technological innovation and achieving ambitious goals are a few we’re highlighting in the first update of 2021 to GrayMatter’s TechHub  industry-news blog. If you see a company doing great work in the manufacturing, water/wastewater, food and beverage, CPG or similar industrial space — don’t hesitate to let us know! PPG on a Buying Spree Source: PPG Pittsburgh-based paint and coatings manufacturer PPG has been acquiring companies at a rapid clip at the end of 2020 and beginning of 2021. On Jan. 11, it announced it wo ..read more

Ford Motor Co. Uses Digital Twin Technology to Enhance Customer Experience Ford Global Chief Engineer Mike Mikula of Ford Motor Co. spoke Dec. 3 about Ford’s Factory of Tomorrow. Ford Motor Company’s “Factory of the Future” incorporates robots, co-bots, extended reality and even exoskeletons designed to assist auto workers with physically demanding tasks. Each of those emerging, industrial technologies is in a different stage of implementation across Ford’s ecosystem. But the one innovation that ties them to the ultimate customer experience is digital twin technology, according to a top comp ..read more

PepsiCo Gives Two-Liter Bottle First Redesign in Decades A comparison of the old bottles (left) and the new design (right). Source: Pepsi It’s been 30 years since PepsiCo modified its two-liter plastic bottle. 30. Years. The global soft drink and snack producer is rolling out a new, slimmer design in late 2020 based on data it gathered about consumers’ hand sizes, along with an appreciation for consumer preferences to reduce the amount of plastic packaging that food and beverage companies use. It’s an example of how innovation, customer preference and corporate responsibility can align under ..read more

PPG, Corning Team to Develop COVID-Killing, Antimicrobial Paint PPG is working to obtain EPA approval for a paint additive developed by Corning Inc. that has shown to be 99.9 percent effective against the virus that causes COVID-19. The additive, Guardiant, emerged from Corning’s work to develop engineered glass-ceramic technology. Corning knows a thing or two about engineered glass. The company makes the glass that goes into the Apple iPhone, including the new iPhone 12, which features Corning’s “ceramic shield technology.” PPG and Corning are seeking to register a paint product using Guardi ..read more

Wabtec Corp. to Open Additive Manufacturing Center near Pittsburgh Source: Pittsburgh International Airport Wabtec — named after the locomotive air brake that George Westinghouse invented — is opening an additive manufacturing center near a slightly newer form of transformation, Pittsburgh International Airport. “This will give Wabtec the chance to deploy the latest additive manufacturing technology, to make aluminum transit components like brake parts and heat sinks for locomotives,” NextPittsburgh reports. The announcement makes Wabtec the first anchor tenant for a development dubbed Neigh ..read more

P&G Helps Lyft Offer Clean Vehicles to Fight COVID-19 Source: Pexel Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble is teaming up with ride-share company Lyft to help drivers disinfect their vehicles between every trip, and thus limit the chances of spreading COVID-19. P&G is providing cleaning products including Spic and Span Disinfecting All Purpose Spray and Glass Cleaner along with Microban 24 Professional. Both product groups are on the CDC’s list of approved cleaning products to kill the coronavirus. Lyft is recommending drivers follow its “Clean Ride Guide,” developed by P&G Profess ..read more

Abbott Laboratories Expands to Six COVID-19 Test Offerings Source: Abbott Labs Abbott Laboratories, maker of the first fast, cheap and reliable COVID-19 test, is moving ahead with two major orders for the testing technology. The United States has ordered 150 million tests and the World Health Organization has reserved an additional 60 million, according to Barron’s. Illinois-based Abbott, a GrayMatter partner, has created a comprehensive overview of its incredible work to fight the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. It includes everything from the speedy, 5-minute tests, to its new NAVICA s ..read more

Could we all be driving EVs in 2035? If someone writes a yes/no question headline, the answer to that question is usually, “No.” Try it out next time you see one. In this case, it’s still probably a “no,” but maybe yes if you plan to be living in California, where Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order Wednesday intended to ban the sale of “new gas-powered passenger” cars by 2035. Newsom signed the order on the hood of a Ford Mustang Mach-E electric vehicle, which Ford says can travel 210 to 300 miles per charge. It’s the first time a U.S. state government has announced this type of regul ..read more