“Maybe it’s not too late to learn how to love and forget how to hate.”
– Ozzy Osbourne, 1948-2025
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1. No Crystal Ball? No Problem.
AMT will host MTForecast 2025 on Oct. 15-17 in Schaumburg, Illinois, for an early look at 2026 for manufacturing. Industry leaders will get real market insights from economists, strategists, and operators who know what they’re talking about. From energy outlooks and sales data to marketing and scenario planning, it’s all on the table. If you’re tired of guessing and ready to prep your business like a grown-up, this is where you start.
2. From Sushi to Shop Floor
Cartken’s six-wheeled delivery bots – known for hauling burritos across campuses – are now clocking in at factories. After successfully moving production samples at ZF Lifetec, the Cartken team leaned into industrial logistics. Same AI, new job. The Courier robot added a big sibling (the 660-pound Hauler), a nimble cousin (the Runner), and forklift dreams on the roadmap. As it turns out, what’s good at dodging college kids is pretty great at dodging forklifts, too.
3. NASA’s Supersonic Jet Tiptoes Toward Takeoff
NASA’s X-59, a “quiet” supersonic jet built with a nose like a pool cue and no windshield, just rolled through low-speed taxi tests. Designed to fly faster than sound without the usual window-rattling boom, the jet uses cameras (not laminate glass) for pilot vision. Built by Lockheed Martin at the legendary Skunk Works, X-59 is nearly ready for flight. If future tests go well, this could be the first step toward legal supersonic travel over land – without residential complaints.
4. Finally, Some Rules
Aerospace is finally getting serious about standardizing 3D printing and automated inspections. SAE’s new G-38 committee is writing the playbook for drone-based aircraft inspections, and ASTM is rolling out a certification program to cut through the chaos of additive manufacturing requirements. The goal? Less confusion, faster approvals, and fewer headaches for suppliers trying to juggle 87 different “standard” standards. Better late than never.
5. Using Math To Fix It Before It Breaks
Reactive maintenance waits for failure. Preventive maintenance guesses when failures might happen. AI-driven maintenance? It tells you when and what to fix through two strategies: Predictive models use sensor data to flag problems before they happen; prescriptive systems go a step further, recommending the best course of action based on cost, timing, and resources. They cut downtime and turn maintenance from a sunk cost into a smart play. It’s not magic; it’s just smarter math.
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