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Are you reading this on your smartphone? Did you access this information while using your computer keyboard instead? Either way, ultraviolet (UV) and electron beam (EB) curing helped make this experience possible.

Nassau County, New York is where manufacturers like Nordon Composite Technologies make the most of composite materials. The Long Island county is also home to a new training program that will connect 100 unemployed or underemployed workers with opportunities in composite manufacturing. “This exciting new program,” announced Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano, “will train students with hands-on composite manufacturing skills and assist program graduates with finding employment in the field.”

3D printing isn’t just for prototyping. Additive manufacturing supports product design and development, but companies can also realize cost-savings on production runs. Moreover, 3DP is capable of creating parts in in almost any shape or size. Eliminating geometric constraints is powerful, but is it enough to convince industry that 3D printing is the way to go? For manufacturers, there are five areas to address.

New Yorkers are hungry for locally-grown foods, but the ingredients in the average American meal travel about 1,500 miles. Farm-to-table initiatives can help, but the supply chain for food is both nationwide and international. Distribution networks mean jobs, and that’s why states compete for supply chain nodes like intermodal distribution centers. So how well does NYS fare when companies make siting decisions?

Microbes and manufacturing both have an image problem. Bacteria, yeast, and other microbial organisms make people think of dark, dirty, and undesirable places. So do outdated notions about factories. Most manufacturers know better, but how much do they really know about microbes? Thanks to recent advances, microbes could revolutionize industrial processes and change how some products are made.

Advanced technologies aren’t just remaking factories. They’re changing employer expectations, transforming business models, and overhauling educational requirements. Rapid prototyping was just the start. Today, manufacturers are using sophisticated software to debug product designs and develop new revenue streams. This requires more than just technology, however. Manufacturers need employees with the right mix of skills, including the ability to master multiple disciplines.