Artificial Intelligence (AI) often feels like a buzzword disconnected from the realities of daily manufacturing operations. While industry conversations promise “autonomous factories” and “digital transformation,” the practical application of AI in small to mid-sized job shops and discrete manufacturers can seem unclear.
IndustryWeek’s article “We Needed Automation to Reshore Our Supply Chain” describes how TAC Industries, a Springfield, Ohio-based manufacturer that produces cargo nets for the U.S. Air Force, used automation as the key lever to bring critical hardware sourcing back from Asia to the United States.
The more optimized a supply chain became, the more competitive it would be. However, the past several years have challenged that assumption.
For Rhode Island manufacturers—many of whom rely on imported materials, components, or equipment—refunds could translate into thousands (or more) in returned funds, potentially including interest.
The 2025 report combines multiple sources, including industry trend analysis, the Voice of Manufacturing Survey (VOMS), and insights from manufacturers, policymakers, and community leaders.
This integrated solution helps manufacturers achieve measurable and sustainable improvements in productivity, quality, and workforce effectiveness by addressing both the technical and human sides of operations.
Chris Cinieri, Polaris MEP Project Manager, helped Nterprisers develop their new Marketplace to help meet manufacturers’s needs.
When scientists need even more details about the composition of a plastic, they can use lab techniques that involve dissolving the plastic in a solvent, sometimes while heating. After dissolving a sample, the scientist might examine it using a technique called size exclusion chromatography, which takes advantage of the fact that smaller molecules move more slowly than bigger ones through a column or tube packed with porous beads.
Rhode Island’s manufacturing sector remains a major contributor to the state’s economy. And many of those companies are under tremendous stress, according to a survey conducted in June by R.I. Commerce Corp., the Rhode Island Manufacturers Association and Polaris MEP.
Case Study: Lean Training from Polaris MEP leads Rhode Island dairy to a “huge win” with significant savings of time and expense.