r/manufacturing • • Mar 04 '26

META Any poster that begins with "I have an idea for an AI tool....."

139 Upvotes

will be immediately banned. And reassigned to deburring castings with a toothbrush.


r/manufacturing • • Jul 31 '26

META New rule: this subreddit is for individuals, not companies/organizations

212 Upvotes

This is a subreddit for individuals, not companies, organizations or their representatives.

  • It's fine to ask for input about something happening at your job or in a project you're working on.

  • It's not okay to be here on behalf of your company. These posts are always spam, market research, trying to sell BS or divert traffic to websites and social media.

  • This also means business reddit accounts are not welcome here.

Exceptions can be made after contacting the mods, for example for news organizations.


r/manufacturing • • 4h ago

Quality ISO 45001 is revising for the first time since 2018 - three significant changes coming

6 Upvotes

ISO 45001 is revising for the first time since 2018. The draft is at DIS stage with publication expected March 2027. Three significant changes: occupational health becomes its own clause (not just hazard prevention), return to work processes are now required, and hazard identification expands to include psychosocial hazards, remote work risks, and digital platform work.

If you’re planning a management system redesign, building this in now saves rework later. Organizations will have a transition period once the final standard publishes.

Are teams already thinking about this?

Source: DNV - ISO 45001:2027 revision in DIS (Draft International Standard) stage. Final publication expected March 2027.


r/manufacturing • • 1h ago

Other Bulk Supply Available – Premium Sawdust & Bamboo Torrefied Briquettes | Low Ash | Up to 4,500 kcal/kg

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• Upvotes

Hello everyone,

We are a manufacturer and bulk supplier of premium biomass briquettes made from sawdust and bamboo, suitable for businesses looking for a reliable solid-fuel alternative to conventional fuels.

Product specifications and supply:

* Raw materials: Sawdust and bamboo

* Calorific value: Up to 4,500 kcal/kg (depending on product grade)

* Ash content: Very low ash content

* Product type: Torrefied biomass briquettes

* Supply: Bulk and regular industrial supply available

* Location: India

* Buyers: Industrial fuel consumers, biomass fuel distributors, importers, and energy companies

We are interested in connecting with genuine bulk buyers, importers, distributors, and companies that consume biomass fuel regularly.

Technical specifications, product samples, pricing, and supply details can be discussed based on the buyer’s requirements and destination.

If your company purchases biomass briquettes or you know a business looking for a reliable supplier, please comment below or send me a direct message.

We are open to long-term B2B supply partnerships in India and international markets.

Thank you.


r/manufacturing • • 6h ago

Other [URGENTLY HIRING] Senior Aluminium Brazing/Powder Coating Engineers

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2 Upvotes

r/manufacturing • • 8h ago

Supplier search Advise on building a control panel manufacturing business

2 Upvotes

Hello there, I have some legacy experience in installing and commissioning control panels for large scale automation plants. I then shifted industries and haven't been deep in control panels and automation for a decade. I would like to start manufacturing control panels. I would love some advise on a few questions:
1. How do I understand what the current customer demand looks like?
2. In the optimistic scenario of 1 being good, how do I find someone with the technical knowledge to help me get off the ground?
tysm!


r/manufacturing • • 9h ago

Supplier search For aftermarket parts buyers, what triggers a sample request?

2 Upvotes

Do you request samples mainly for new suppliers, unclear specifications, higher-risk components, or customer approval requirements?

And when a sample is checked, what do you actually record—dimensions, material, markings, packaging, fitment-related details, or something else?

I'm interested in how teams decide when sample evaluation is worth the additional time and cost, rather than treating it as a mandatory step for every line.


r/manufacturing • • 1d ago

News Ever had a job where your costs go up but the customer needs the price to go down?

11 Upvotes

I'm dealing with a titanium alloy project at work, and honestly, it's a bit of an awkward situation.

We realized we need some extra process control to get the parts right, which means higher costs on our side.

But the customer might need a lower price to move forward. So now I might have to bring my quote down while our actual costs are going up. Great timing lol.

The thing is, it's a new project, and I genuinely want to see it work out. I think it has potential.

I'd rather spend some time figuring out what we can improve on the engineering side than just give up on it because of the price. If we can help get the project off the ground, maybe it'll turn into a good long-term relationship.

But obviously, there's a limit. Cutting corners on quality isn't an option either.

How do you guys deal with situations like this?

Would you accept a smaller margin on the first order, try to work out some design or process changes, or just stick to your price?


r/manufacturing • • 16h ago

Other Manufacturing mindset

0 Upvotes

Not meant to offend, just an honest observation/comment,

After having worked in various industries such as Tech, E-Commerce, Logistics, and now Manufacturing/Industry now since a few years, I personally get the sense that people involved in manufacturing - especially engineers/designers/technicians - tend to have very set views and thoughts, more so than I have come across in any other industry. Maybe it's just my impression and maybe this is because they are forced to think of repeatability/reliability. But I find this leads to a close minded attitude when it comes to innovative ideas, even those that are simple and that may be an improvement over the old. Many a times it seems that even simple ideas/thoughts barely outside the box are beyond imagination because the imagination itself seems forcefully limited to the box.

Does anyone else feel the same? Have you experienced otherwise?


r/manufacturing • • 1d ago

Other Best resources for someone getting into the manufacturing business

2 Upvotes

Hey everyone, long story short, my background is in the video game development profession and my boss is wanting to do a merchandising startup for a niche market that we notice there are no merch clients currently involved and he wants me to head it up. Supply chain logistics from manufacturing to fulfilment always fascinated me and given the way the world is moving knowing physical goods feels like it would be a good endeavor to pursue. Luckily I have a family friend who has been doing manufacturing for 20 years of all different kinds of products willing to hook me up with factory connections and be a mentor in this business. I want to know as much as I can about the manufacturing side of things while he is mentoring me through reading and supplementary material. Any really good books that dives into stuff such as different fabrics for plushies, sourcing materials, negotiating with factories, etc. Anything helps!


r/manufacturing • • 1d ago

Supplier search Looking for Stainless Steel Stamping / Deep Drawing Manufacturer in India + Power Coating

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3 Upvotes

r/manufacturing • • 1d ago

Supplier search Looking for Contract Manufacturer in India for Water Filter / Non-Woven Filter Cartridge

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2 Upvotes

r/manufacturing • • 1d ago

How to manufacture my product? Looking for affordable petite clothing manufacturers/wholesalers!

2 Upvotes

Hi everyone! Does anyone know any reliable, affordable clothing manufacturers or wholesalers that can produce petite-sized jeans, joggers, hoodies and T-shirts?

I've been quoted £8,500 for 400 pieces (100 of each item), which is quite expensive for a small business just starting out.

Ideally, I'm looking for somewhere that can work with my own petite measurements, offer custom embroidery/sewing and has a quick turnaround time.

I'm UK-based but open to overseas manufacturers too!

Would really appreciate any recommendations, especially from people who have personally worked with them. Thank you!


r/manufacturing • • 2d ago

Supplier search Has anyone worked with AKFA LTD / AKFA Premium Manufacturing in the UK? Are they legitimate?

3 Upvotes

Hi everyone!

I'm starting my own clothing brand and I'm currently considering working with a manufacturer called AKFA LTD (AKFA Premium Manufacturing).

Their website is https://akfa.co.uk and they have a UK office in Borehamwood, London, with manufacturing apparently based in Pakistan.

I've checked Companies House and they're registered as an active UK company. I've also spoken to one of their directors, who has been friendly and accommodating throughout the process.

However, I'm struggling to find any independent customer reviews or experiences online, which makes me slightly nervous as this would be my first large manufacturing order.

A few things about my experience so far:

- They've offered competitive prices after negotiating.

- They require a 50% deposit upfront and the remaining 50% before shipping.

- They've agreed to let me visit their UK office in person.

- They say their invoice acts as the agreement rather than requiring a separate signed contract.

- Their website mentions owning an overseas factory, although they've also discussed the risks of dealing with overseas factories.

I'm looking at spending approximately £3,800, so it's a significant investment for me.

Has anyone actually worked with AKFA LTD or heard anything about them? I'd particularly appreciate hearing from anyone who has placed a clothing manufacturing order with them.

Also, for anyone experienced with overseas clothing manufacturing, does this arrangement sound fairly standard? Would you be comfortable proceeding with a supplier who has a registered UK company and office but no easily identifiable independent reviews?

I'm not accusing them of anything, and they've been pleasant to deal with. I just want to do my due diligence before making such a big financial commitment.

Any advice or genuine experiences would be massively appreciated. Thank you!


r/manufacturing • • 3d ago

Other The gap between textbook manufacturing and actual shop floor reality

48 Upvotes

Hey everyone, supply chain student here.

We spend a ton of time in class studying lean systems, automated scheduling, and perfect workflow charts, but every time I talk to someone who actually works in a plant, it sounds like real floors run mostly on edge cases, rush orders, and random workarounds.

I'm working on a project about operational friction, and I'd love to hear some real field perspectives instead of just reading case studies. what’s a process or daily task in your shop that’s still surprisingly manual or clunkylike stuff still tracked on whiteboards, clipboards, or messy Excel sheets? Or places where time constantly gets wasted outside of obvious machine breakdowns? Also curious how much critical stuff in your shop relies purely on "tribal knowledge" from one veteran worker who knows how to fix things when stuff goes sideways.

Would love to hear any daily annoyances or war stories from the floor. Thanks in advance!


r/manufacturing • • 2d ago

News How is Autospareparts manufacturing for now, where does the future grow to? Unlike 20th century what changed

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0 Upvotes

I inherited spareparts manufacturing firm for aftermarket

VW stopped increment for all its workers , there exports are all time low

Chinese cars are flooded to the market with cheaper prices and more features

They have made more cars than demand

I saw there autoparts manufacturers are not being paid from past 8 months

Where is the world heading towards and how do I keep track of it

Please show some lights of expertise and experience.


r/manufacturing • • 2d ago

News Most manufacturers have tried AI. Nearly 90% of projects don't survive the first year.

0 Upvotes

Everyone in manufacturing likes to talk about the AI and automation boom, but after reading an article with a roundup of what plant managers actually think, the data tells a much more realistic story and it is the same story I keep seeing in manufacturing AI rollouts:

  1. Pilots are everywhere; results are not A majority of U.S. manufacturers have experimented with AI or automation in some form. Wide scale adoption and a solid ROI are still the exception.
  2. Knowledge transfer is the real use case as experienced people retire, AI can pull sensor data, SOPs, maintenance history and institutional knowledge into something a less experienced employee can use: shorter downtime, faster troubleshooting, more consistency. AI should support people, not remove them, less time mining data, more time driving improvements.
  3. Precision beats AI everywhere: start where people lose time or complexity creates mistakes. Don't jump from "AI is exciting" to "AI everywhere." Tie the case to downtime, throughput, yield, scrap, maintenance cost, labor, quality or energy.
  4. Projects die on fit, not models: nearly 90% of AI projects don't survive year one, usually because nobody figured out how to fit AI into how the plant actually works.

---

Article Here

If you run a plant or a line: are you success with AI Rollouts? Or are we still years away from something that has a real impact?


r/manufacturing • • 2d ago

Quality 3M Branding

0 Upvotes

Why does 3M put their branding on everything they make. I know a lot of their business is B2B (Business to Business) I don’t get why the need to add their branding if a manufacturer uses one of their products. There has to be a thousand companies that manufacture the same things as 3M. from adhesive for sticky notes, to insulation for gloves / beanies. Surely 3M doesn’t need branding as they mainly rely on the business from other businesses. The only thing I can think of is if a customer sees 3M in quality products, the customer will think 3M is good and will buy more 3M cerated products. Even if 3M only have a small part in production of the final product .

I only kinda realised I’m might be on track for the answer in the last sentence. Let me know your thoughts!!


r/manufacturing • • 2d ago

How to manufacture my product? Custom injection molded housing with complex ribbing and tight tolerances — thoughts on the DFM?

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1 Upvotes

r/manufacturing • • 3d ago

Other Solidworks or Lean Six Sigma

16 Upvotes

Looking at becoming a manufacturing engineer after a couple years of being a Systems Engineer. Solidworks and an IASSC Lean Six Sigma Greenbelt seem like the two certs that would get me the best foot in the door. Which would be better (or have I missed something)?


r/manufacturing • • 3d ago

Other I'm confusing about OTD analysis

3 Upvotes

I was trying to learn what OTD analysis is and hit a bit of an obstacle. There is a thing called OTD full lifecycle analysis and in there there are node analysis and order line analysis. Why should there be a node analysis when I can see current node in order line analysis, if I really want to check the node, Why can't I just filter it? I'm just so so confused.


r/manufacturing • • 3d ago

Supplier search Title: Looking to Buy Blueprints for Gold Mining Equipment

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1 Upvotes

Hi everyone, I’m looking to buy engineering blueprints and fabrication drawings for gold mining and mineral processing equipment. I’m particularly interested in:

- Hammer mills

- Wet pan

- Gold concentrators

- Ball mills

- shaking table

I’m looking for detailed designs with dimensions, material specifications, and assembly drawings that can be used to manufacture the equipment.

If you’re an engineer, designer, or manufacturer who sells these plans, please comment or DM me with examples of your work and pricing.

Thanks!


r/manufacturing • • 3d ago

Other Continuous Improvement Lead being pushed toward production planning.

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0 Upvotes

r/manufacturing • • 3d ago

Machine help Need help with starting my manufacturing business

0 Upvotes

I wanted to manufacture plastic related products I know there will be demand for my products because they source these products from faraway places yet the demand is not fulfilled. I want to setup injection moiukding and mould and I have no clue where to start because none of the people in my circle do not have manufacturing setup, could someone point me in right direction


r/manufacturing • • 3d ago

How to manufacture my product? Is a 1.25D U-bend feasible with stainless steel tubing?

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0 Upvotes