American Cutting Edge Blog

The Manufacturer's Outlook Survey was just released by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) for the fourth quarter of 2023. Once again and without surprise, one of the main concerns of the manufacturing industry as we work our way into the first quarter of 2024 is potentially demanding economic conditions.

Even with a decrease in manufacturers' confidence, over 66% of those surveyed see solid demand for their company's products. Workforce challenges continue to be a concern, with 71% of manufacturers having trouble attracting and maintaining qualified candidates.

2024 industrial manufacturing focal points include but are not limited to:

• Talent attraction and retention
• Digital technologies
• Supply chain strategies
• Sustainability and movement to the lowest carbon emissions possible

Three of these

Technology has advanced significantly in industrial knife manufacturing and it's not simply limited to the manufacturing floor. At American Cutting Edge, our consistent goal for over 50-years has been to make cutting effortless through the application of technology to add value to and improve the customer experience.

It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently. “ Warren Buffett

In the past several years we've made a number of technological improvements in our business. Some have been behind the scenes like a new accounting system and improved connectivity that allows our sales and administrative work-force to serve customers from their homes during these unprecedented times. Other changes, like our new website, are much more visible. No matter what the purpose, all are designed with one end goal “ to make

At American Cutting Edge, our goal is to make cutting effortless for our customers. We've been working toward an effortless experience since 1965.

The American Cutting Edge website is more than just a place for our valued customers to order replacement blades, knives, and wear parts. AmericanCuttingEdge.com is a true customer portal providing unprecedented ACE experience access.

Here are the top 5 reasons to buy ACE brand knives online

1. Buy on your time

   Our time is more limited than ever in today's busy world. As it is often said, Time is money. Online shoppers don't have to

Incineration

Bio-based plastics that cannot be disposed of via normal recycling processes can still be used for energy. Waste incineration plants can capture carbon dioxide from incinerated bio-based plastics to create new bio-based products.

The Role of Industrial Machine Knives and the Plastics Loop

Regardless of which Plastics Loop is required, industrial dies,

Merchandise returns can have a significant impact on a business and its product offering.

From transportation and warehouse costs to warehouse restocking and customer service labor, there's no question that the costs associated with returns can add up. The result of increased costs can lead to higher prices for customers. It's estimated that managing the cost of a return can be from 17 to 30% of the prime cost, which is why many companies issue restocking fees for items that are sent back.

One of the things we speak of often is the importance of measuring blades before you purchase. Many wood chipper

Shear slitting is used in applications that require precision cuts. It is more expensive and difficult to set up than other slitting methods and is commonly used to convert heavy films, foils, paper, layered materials, and composites.

Industrial shear slitting requires two blades, a top blade known as the male knife which is either a dish slitter blade or a top flat slitter blade, and the bottom slitter knife, known as the female knife or anvil.

The male knife is adjusted at the cant angle so that the two blades come into contact at the nip point, like a pair of hand scissors, which separates the material.

We're ushering in a new decade and with that comes insightful thoughts about what's to come in the next 10-years. Like many industries, packaging is forecast to change significantly within the coming years. Some the anticipated shifts are the typical, predictable trends “ pricing pressure and squeezing more margin from the end product. But, others are less foreseeable like the impact of technology and e-commerce on buyer behavior. We're dedicating this blog to unwinding some of the trends industry watchdogs have spotted on the horizon to help you understand how your packaging operation may need to adjust resources to maximize productivity and profitability and how a skilled industrial knife expert like American Cutting Edge (ACE) can help.

1. Shifts in Packaging Industry Growth and Focus

It's estimated that the global packaging industry is worth more than $850 billion USD. And, while North America's portion of anticipated growth

The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) released its Manufacturer's Outlook Survey for the fourth quarter of 2022. It comes as no surprise that one of the main concerns of the manufacturing industry as we work our way into the first quarter of 2023 is potentially demanding economic conditions. With unease regarding inflation, leftover supply chain disruptions from the pandemic, and the workforce shortage, manufacturers' confidence has declined.

Despite a decrease in manufacturers' confidence, there are bright spots in the 2023 outlook. Over 63% of those surveyed see a solid demand for their company's products.

Additionally, manufacturers plan to invest in:

• Capital spending on new equipment and technological investments
• Training for their existing workforce
• Hiring new employees
• R&D
• New buildings and improvements for existing structures

As business leaders move into 2023, three trends stand out as factors that could impact industrial business as we navigate through an uncertain economy.

In annual predictions, there is almost always a mention of the importance of employees and talent retention. In today's workforce, the need to actively manage a strategy for the development and retention of people is more critical than ever. With the tight labor market continuing, recruiting, and retaining the right people continues to be a challenge.

At American Cutting Edge (ACE), our people are the core of our business. And we hire our employees based on our core values. Curiosity and sharing knowledge is important to our organization. We encourage learning and promote an environment that encourages fairness, teamwork, and mutual respect among all colleagues. This mutual respect and fairness then naturally extends to how we treat our customers, shares Director of Human Resources Yolanda Evers.

Recent data from Google Search Trends indicates that demand for warehouse and factory jobs is still climbing. If the number of employees who leave their jobs continues to decrease and demand for manufacturing jobs continues to rise, employers should be able to make a move to reduce overhead costs with more balanced compensation packages. This will help employers gain leverage in employment offer negotiations and help reduce overhead via fairer wages.

Taking into consideration that manufacturing is constantly evolving, it's going to be critical for employers to continue to train new and existing personnel in new and expanded skills to keep up with industry demand. According to Evers, training and planning for our current workforce to expand their understanding of technology is an investment we're more than willing to make. We're constantly looking for ways to develop and attract talent. Finding programs that help us keep ahead of the technology curve as much as possible helps us develop and attract future leaders who will help take ACE to the next level.

The advancement of workforce skills helps employers reduce the skills gap while retaining valuable employees. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives will become increasingly important to get more people involved in the manufacturing sector. To help drive the DEI movement, the U.S. government has released The National Strategy for Advanced Manufacturing to Expand and diversify the advanced manufacturing talent pool.

Technology is the Key to the Future

Whether we're talking about Industry 5.0, advanced ERP systems, or technological progress in general, it's clear that there is no escaping the need for more advanced technology in manufacturing. McKinsey research predicts that by 2030, just seven short years from now, the share of physical and manual labor in the economy will have fallen by 27 percent. In its place will be skills that demand more technological and cognitive abilities.

The pelletizing industry is so vast that addressing each possible pelletizer material is nearly impossible. However, most pelletizers fall into a handful of broad categories. Each of these groups has unique pelletizer blade concerns and requirements.

Two Common Types of Pelletizing

Pelletizing falls into one of two types: underwater and strand.

Underwater Pelletizers

Underwater pelletizers require blades that can stand-up to the harsh environments created during the pelletizing process. If the material to be cut is corrosive or acidic, a blade material that is tough, corrosion resistant, and possibly even coated with a wear resistant material may provide the greatest value.

Underwater pelletizing is often used to process recycled materials, which can be particularly

The balance of maintenance cost versus downtime is the most common question we receive from our industrial cutting customers. Maintenance-induced downtime is costly in so many ways. Obviously, when a machine is down for maintenance it is not running production; however, production loss is not the only factor. There is also the cost associated with replacement parts, labor, and maintenance materials.

Evaluating each factor that contributes to maintenance-induced downtime costs allows your business to make optimal decisions. For underwater pelletizing applications that demand maximum up-time, Titanium Carbide (TiC) blades may be an ideal choice. Blades manufactured of Nikro 128 or Nikro 143 provide substantially higher wear and corrosion resistance over standard tool steel and even tungsten carbide blades. As a