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Make some 21st-century flower power — with powered flowers, with this LED jean jacket. The post BedazzLED Jean Jacket appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.
The 3D-printed KeyboaStick joystick by FunOrNothing instantly makes a boring keyboard fun, and a fun keyboard awesome. The post DLC Joystick for Your Keyboard appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.
Fun sponsor activities to check out at Maker Faire Bay Area. The post Very Important Partners Behind Maker Faire Bay Area appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.
Friday at Maker Faire Bay Area was full of joy, mayhem, and delightful inventions that entertained visitors. The post Joy And Mayhem at Maker Faire Bay Area appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.
When does a droid need a party button? When it's an Imperial Mouse Droid that got a makeover from Sabine Wren. The post Star Wars Mouse Droid is a Rebel Rave Machine appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.
Maker Faire is at its best when you’re not just looking—you’re making. This weekend on Mare Island, you can solder a wearable EMF explorer, turn an old T-shirt into a braided keychain, build your own sock puppet, code a competition-ready robot, assemble a mobility device that will make a real difference, or even bring an AI-powered The post Get Hands On: Maker Faire Bay Area Is For Making appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.
Do we need another 3D printing model repository? Snapmaker thinks so. The post Snapmaker Launches 3D Printing Repository With a Purpose appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.
The FilaDC i10 filament dehumidifying cabinet from Inslogic/Sunlu takes a gentler approach to drying spools to solve stringy 3D prints. The post FilaDC i10 Cabinet Dries Filament in the Background appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.
RoboCup’s humanoids have played their first 11-a-side match. This October, some of the same problems — balance, vision, autonomy and plenty of debugging — come to Maker Faire Rome. This summer, twenty-two humanoid robots walked onto a football pitch in Incheon, South Korea. Eleven against eleven. No remote controls. On 5 July 2026, B-Human from The post Robot Football Is Getting Serious At Maker Faire Rome appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.
Makers have always been at the forefront of new technology, both as inventors and as innovators. From their beginnings in the early 20th century to their ubiquity in the current era, LED lights have captured the imagination of makers and creatives. While some makers are fascinated by their energy saving capacities, others are captivated by The post Welcome To The Light…In The Maker Faire Dark Room appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.
How much do you know about the wool industry and British wool? We bring you 10 amazing facts so you can find out more about this unique fibre. The UK has more than 72 breeds of sheep* and produces around
[Updated 2026] The ultimate guide to brands making clothing and accessories from British Wool – all manufactured in the UK For years British wool has been undervalued, with farmers at times paid less for their fleeces than it cost to
London Fashion Week wrapped up last Monday, and I was absolutely delighted that one of my previous clients, Christine Elizabeth, showed for the first time there. Her beautiful collection was entirely made in the UK, with wool spun at Z.
In September 2026 I had the great honour of being invited to the 120 year anniversary of William Gee – the iconic haberdashery business in Hackney, London. William Gee has been selling zips, threads and trimmings to the clothing industry
This week I took a day trip to Leicester to visit manufacturers. What I discovered was far from the doom and gloom that the press would have you believe about the city. Instead I met some of the loveliest people
Why do manufacturers still use spreadsheets after ERP implementation? Learn why ERP workarounds persists. The post The ERP Paradox: Why Manufacturers Still Use Spreadsheets After ERP Implementation appeared first on Manufacturing International.
Introduction to Top SMB ERP trends in manufacturing 2026 One of the Top SMB ERP trends in manufacturing leaders can’t ignore in 2026 is the move away from monolithic, one-size-fits-all suites toward modular, cloud-first ecosystems that actually fit how SMBs work. Traditional ERP promised end-to-end control; in practice, many small and mid-sized manufacturers (SMBs) have The post ERP Nightmares: Why SMBs Are Ditching One-Size-Fits-All Systems for 2026 appeared first on Manufacturing International.
Why a Well-Organized MRO Tool Cart is a Game-Changer The post How to Build the MRO Tool Cart for Your Manufacturing Facility appeared first on Manufacturing International.
Why do manufacturers still use spreadsheets after ERP implementation? Learn why ERP workarounds persist The post The ERP Paradox: Why Manufacturers Still Use Spreadsheets After ERP Implementation appeared first on Manufacturing International.
Manufacturing International Expert Hubs create a connected buyer journey to learn, try and buy trusted The post Manufacturing Expert Hubs: A Better Way to Learn, Try and Buy appeared first on Manufacturing International.
Manufacturers, even in traditionally non-digital sectors, are finding that social media can be an invaluable tool for building brand awareness, engaging with customers, and generating leads. However, choosing the right platform is essential for maximizing ROI. Here’s a guide to selecting the best social media platforms and content types that can deliver The post Social Media Marketing for Manufacturers: Reviewing Platforms for Best ROI appeared first on Manufacturing International.
Discover the power of video marketing for manufacturers. Learn which video types and platforms drive engagement, build trust, and boost brand visibility The post Leveraging Video Marketing to Showcase Products and Processes in Manufacturing appeared first on Manufacturing International.
Reducing operational costs is essential for manufacturers aiming to improve profitability and remain competitive in today’s challenging market. By implementing a combination of technology, process optimization, and workforce training, manufacturers can significantly lower their expenses. This guide explores 10 practical strategies that can help manufacturers cut costs, with potential savings ranging from The post Top 10 Strategies for Reducing Operational Costs in Manufacturing: Save Up to 50% on Key Expenses appeared first on Manufacturing International.
Manufacturing team utilizing CRM software on digital devices to streamline customer management, track sales processes, and improve collaboration across departments. The post Deciding if You Need a CRM for Your Manufacturing Business in 2026 appeared first on Manufacturing International.
Workforce development grants, tax credits, and government programs for manufacturers to fund training and build skilled labor for the future The post Workforce Development Grants and Funding Opportunities for Manufacturers in 2026 appeared first on Manufacturing International.
Getting a new product into mass production quickly sounds like an obvious goal. You want to launch your new product, start generating revenue, and meet commitments to customers, retailers, or investors. Your manufacturer also wants to move ahead because mass production is typically where the factory starts making meaningful money. So both sides can push The post Why Buyers and Suppliers Skip NPI Steps Before Mass Production appeared first on QualityInspection.org.
A hardware project can appear to be progressing perfectly well until the first prototype, tooling sample, or production unit arrives and something is wrong. Frustratingly, it’s neither broken, nor badly made. It’s just not what you expected. This is one of the most frustrating situations in product development because everyone involved may genuinely believe they The post Hardware Project Communication: How Small Misunderstandings Become Big Problems appeared first on QualityInspection.org.
Let’s revisit a discussion with reliability expert Andrew Amirnovin about Design for X (DfX) and 12 different objectives product developers can optimize for. A product that works is only the starting point. To succeed in production and in customers’ hands, it also needs to be designed with manufacturing, assembly, quality, reliability, testing, packaging, maintainability, usability, The post DfX (Design for X): 12 Optimizations for New Products appeared first on QualityInspection.org.
You send a manufacturer your CAD files, drawings, specifications, and requirements and expect the next step to be fairly simple: they review everything, tell you what it will cost, and provide a lead time. Instead, they come back with a long list of questions. For buyers eager to get a project moving, that can feel The post Why Your Manufacturer’s Questions Can Save You From Costly Production Problems appeared first on QualityInspection.org.
A supplier may tell you that a product is CE compliant, provide a test report, or point to similar products they have manufactured before. But none of those things automatically proves that the exact product you are placing on the market meets every applicable requirement. For importers and brand owners, product compliance needs to be The post EU/UK Product Compliance in China: Why Supplier Certificates Aren’t Enough appeared first on QualityInspection.org.
With U.S. tariffs continuing to affect many products imported from China, some buyers are looking again at China+1 manufacturing as a way to reduce their exposure. A supplier may suggest carrying out part of the manufacturing in Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, or another country. In some cases, this can be a perfectly legitimate supply-chain strategy. But The post Reducing US Tariff Exposure? Country-of-Origin and China+1 Risks To Understand appeared first on QualityInspection.org.
A manufacturing contract cannot guarantee that every production order will go smoothly. However, it can make it much clearer what the supplier is expected to manufacture, which quality standard applies, where production may take place, when inspections can be performed, and what happens when products do not meet the agreed requirements. Without a suitable written The post China Manufacturing Contracts: Protecting Product Quality, IP, and Tooling appeared first on QualityInspection.org.
Many buyers focus heavily on product specifications, supplier selection, inspections, and incoming quality. But there is another factor that can determine whether a factory can consistently make your product correctly: the equipment used on the production line. A process may look simple on paper, but if the equipment is poorly selected, under-capacity, difficult to maintain, The post How to Choose the Right Production Equipment for Your Product appeared first on QualityInspection.org.
Chinese manufacturers are competing aggressively for orders, and in some cases that means quoting prices that leave very little room for sustainable profit. For buyers, the obvious temptation is to take advantage of the lower price. But an unusually cheap quote can create problems later if the supplier realizes that it cannot make enough money The post When a Chinese Factory Quote Is Too Low: The Hidden Risks for Buyers appeared first on QualityInspection.org.
Large brands are not immune to serious product failures. Mattel, Philips, Samsung, Fitbit, Peloton, and numerous hoverboard manufacturers all had products recalled after safety or reliability issues were brought to light. These companies had far more engineering, testing, and quality resources than most importers, yet critical risks were still missed or not addressed quickly enough. The post 6 Major Product Failures and the Quality Lessons Importers Should Learn appeared first on QualityInspection.org.