Top 5 Plant Engineering articles July 13-19, 2020

Articles about predictive maintenance value, manufacturing accidents, reusable masks for COVID-19, tungsten's value to manufacturers and the manufacturing index tips were Plant Engineering’s five most clicked articles from July 13-19, 2020. Miss something? You can catch up here.

By Chris Vavra July 20, 2020

The top 5 most read articles online, from July 13-19, 2020, for Plant Engineering covered predictive maintenance value, manufacturing accidents, reusable masks for COVID-19, tungsten’s value to manufacturers and the manufacturing index. Links to each article below.

1. Predictive maintenance value: Smart sensors, machine learning, new industrial business models

Smart sensors and machine learning algorithms detect anomalies in industrial machines, and as algorithms become better trained, software can accurately predict when machines with industrial automation is at risk of failure. New business models for machine as a service (MaaS) may help overcome slow adoption of predictive maintenance technologies.

2. Manufacturing accidents still too common, say officials

Increase digital technologies and existing tools to decrease too-common occupational accidents, say officials from the WHO and Lloyd’s Register Foundation.

3. Engineers design reusable, silicone rubber face mask

Researchers at MIT and Brigham and Women’s Hospital have designed a silicone rubber face mask that they believe could stop viral particles as effectively as N95 masks.

4. New production sources of tungsten are critical for manufacturers

Tungsten is a rare metal that has everyday value for manufacturers. As production ramps back up after COVID-19, finding new sources of the metal is key for U.S. manufacturers.

5. Manufacturing index rises in June as industry rebounds

The Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) purchasing manufacturers’ index (PMI) registered at 52.6% in June, which is up almost 10% from May’s reading of 43.1%, as the industry rebounds from the COVID-19 pandemic and look to pick up where they left off.

The list was developed using CFE Media’s web analytics for stories viewed on plantengineering.com, July 13-19, 2020, for articles published within the last two months.

Chris Vavra, associate editor, CFE Media, cvavra@cfemedia.com.


Author Bio: Chris Vavra is web content manager for CFE Media and Technology.