Regional Differences Cloud Future of Energy Transition
Fossil fuels are finite. They will run out one day. This inescapable scientific conclusion nevertheless doesn’t prompt the same reactions and priorities across the population, either here in the United States or around the world. While some people and regions see transitioning to alternative energy as imperative, others acknowledge the need for alternatives without making their development or implementation a priority.
Recent decades have seen enormous growth in awareness of the need for cleaner energy. A focus on carbon output and the rapid expansion of the electric vehicle (EV) industry are just two examples of the strides alternative energy proponents have made. Climate-focused activists once believed a rapid shift to alternative energy sources was inevitable. However, recent history shows that the path to that goal remains fraught with challenges, many of which depend upon where you live.
In this article, we’ll examine the future of the worldwide energy transition and how regional differences are affecting the timeline. We’ll also discuss how all these factors point to a future in which workers with electrical skills will remain in high demand, regardless of the source of that electricity.
According to a BloombergNEF article by Albert Cheung, “[t]he emergence of a lower-carbon global economy, at the core of which is the energy transition, encountered many challenges last year…[but] energy transition will continue to progress, in spite of ongoing challenges.” Cheung notes that those challenges are the result of regions with “[d]ifferent priorities…leading to fragmentation.”
For example, “[i]n the US, the race for clean energy leadership has been subjugated to the race for AI dominance, a competition in which the US still leads. This is super-charging demand for both clean and fossil energy to power an explosion of data centers.”
Meanwhile, in China, “energy security and clean energy leadership continue to coincide as both strategic priorities and economic growth drivers…The country’s success in EVs means domestic oil demand has already hit a peak, helping to limit its exposure to fuel imports. The might of its renewable energy sector, meanwhile, suggests a peak in coal (and therefore emissions) may be at hand.”
In between the two, Europe “retains its role as a global climate leader…In a more uncertain world, clean energy and electrification continue to offer the EU and UK a path to greater energy security and reduced exposure to international oil and gas markets. The greater challenge facing Europe is how to increase its economic competitiveness in a world dominated by Chinese-made products and American information technology.”
Cheung notes that “[e]ach of these major economies faces different strategic considerations, and climate mitigation is no longer the shared priority it once was.” However, he is confident that “[c]lean energy will keep making progress” for a variety of reasons.
For example, Cheung predicts that renewable energy installations (both solar and wind) will continue to grow, because “the economics of renewable power are just too good to ignore.” Plus, “the acceleration in power demand from AI data centers and electric vehicles will undoubtedly support further deployment of wind, solar and storage, even in the face of changing tariff regimes.”
Likewise, Cheung points out that “[f]alling battery prices, and better electric vehicles, continue to drive electrification in transport. EV sales are now over a quarter of global car sales – an unthinkable milestone just a few years ago…China is the runaway leader, with EV share of over 50% today, and Europe’s share is above 25%, while other markets sit below the global average.”
Why is China leading the way in EV adoption? Cheung believes it’s because China is “the only major market where upfront purchase prices of EVs have fallen below the price of an internal combustion engine vehicle.” In the U.S., there’s still an EV premium and, at least for the time being, “US federal policy makers seem to have made peace with ceding the global EV market to China.”
Cheung concludes, “[w]e are in a fragmented, multi-speed transition. Progress will continue, but different regions are placing different levels of priority on clean energy development, and different technologies are scaling at different speeds.” What is clear, though, is that—whether the source is fossil fuels or an alternative like solar or wind—the world will continue to need workers with electrical skills more than ever.
Unfortunately, the ongoing industrial skills gap issue means that workers with advanced electrical skills remain in high demand with supply lagging behind. This creates a challenge for industries across the country and around the world. How do companies and schools train the next generation of professionals with the electrical skills they need to succeed in the modern workplace?
A thorough review of training systems is a great place to start. Do employees and students have access to hands-on training with actual components they’ll encounter on the job? If not, partnering with established companies to provide industrial-quality training systems that will stand the test of time will help ensure a competent workforce. Be sure to check out DAC Worldwide’s variety of hands-on electrical training systems that feature the real-world components workers will encounter in the field!
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Pharmaceutical Giant Announces Plans for New Manufacturing Plant
Could you stand to lose a few pounds? Sorry! Yes, that’s a personal question, but it’s one that an overwhelming majority of people would probably answer in the affirmative. As processed foods overwhelm grocery store shelves and free time dwindles, forcing many to choose between exercise and mindless entertainment, the battle of the bulge has become a fight that many Americans wage daily.
Lately, though, scientific advancements have seemingly given many people an answer to prayer: an easy, almost magical weight loss tool in the form of a monthly shot. Have you noticed the number of celebrities sporting thinner bodies? These new weight loss drugs, prohibitively costly for many, are easily available to the well-to-do.
This new wave of weight loss drugs certainly appears to be the next big thing in the ongoing fight against obesity. Over time, more drugs are likely to become available, and the current medicines will hopefully become affordable to all. Perhaps they’ll even invent a version that doesn’t require shots.
Or have they already? Recent reports indicate that pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly has a weight loss pill in trials that may soon be manufactured at a new $6 billion manufacturing plant in Alabama. In a recent Manufacturing Dive article, author Nathan Owens reports that “Eli Lilly announced plans to invest more than $6 billion to build a manufacturing plant in Huntsville, Alabama, focused on weight loss medications and other pharmaceutical ingredients.”
According to Owens, “[t]he site will manufacture orforglipron, Lilly’s first oral, small molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist, which the company expects to submit to regulatory agencies by the end of this year.” The plant would represent “the third of four planned U.S. manufacturing sites the pharmaceutical giant has unveiled this year, set to bring 450 factory jobs to the Huntsville area.”
Those jobs would include “engineers, scientists, operations personnel and lab technicians.” Lilly officials have indicated that the Huntsville site was chosen, in part, “due to its proximity to the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, a campus that supports workforce training and research.”
Skilled workers will be in high demand, since Lilly plans to “leverage ‘state-of-the-art’ technologies at the plant, including machine learning, artificial intelligence, advanced data analytics and digital automation, to ‘streamline’ operations and ensure a safe supply of medicines.”
Unfortunately, these workers may be difficult to find, given the ongoing skilled labor shortage that has plagued manufacturers for decades now. Lilly will need to work closely with local industry and educational institutions to ensure a steady stream of talent for its advanced manufacturing facility.
When it comes to training the next generation of advanced manufacturing workers, educators and industry partners alike would do well to partner with experts in technical training, such as DAC Worldwide.
For example, pharmaceutical manufacturers like Lilly could benefit from DAC Worldwide’s Smart Process Plant Training System (603-SP), a fully-functional, industrial-quality fluid process system that provides hands-on training in the measurement and control of five of the most common process variables: level, pressure, temperature, flow, and pH.
The system groups these process control elements into one complete piping system, which allows it to teach multiple configurations of flow loops, controls, and communications. The system incorporates both new and legacy technologies so that users are prepared for anything they might encounter on the job. These technologies work together to form a 3-level communication architecture:
- Device Level: Smart sensors monitor Level, Flow, Temperature, Pressure, and pH. They are connected via either IO-Link and Ethernet communication or HART communication.
- Control Level: A DCS and various PLCs and PIDs allow for operation and control of the system’s components.
- Enterprise Level: The DCS software provides Supervisory Control with data analytics for monitoring smart production, smart maintenance, etc.
The Smart Process Plant uses a Distributed Control System (DCS) that features Supervisory Control software. This software is Rockwell Automation’s PlantPAx, and it acts as the backbone of the system. It gathers and organizes data and creates dashboards that represent the real-time status of the processes being carried out by the system.
The Smart Process Plant Training System features a wide variety of common, industrial-quality components and instruments to provide learners with a realistic training experience that will build skills that translate easily to the workplace. The Smart Process Plant also includes multiple experiments, which simulate both continuous and batch process control loops that are widely used in many process industries. These experiments include:
- Basic and Advanced Bioreactor Applications
- Clean-In-Place (CIP) Skid Application
- Boiler Drum Level Application
- Wastewater Treatment Application
With these experiments, learners will explore a wide variety of fundamental process control topics, including: temperature, level, flow, pressure, and pH ratio control; agitation; sequence control; continuous control; 3-element control; feed forward/cascade control; and pump lead/lag demand. The Smart Process Plant Training System is only one of DAC Worldwide’s many process control and instrumentation training systems. Visit DAC Worldwide online to learn more about its many other training systems, as well as advanced chemical engineering training systems from its partner, Pignat SAS!
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Do You Know the Three Layers of Effective Safety Training?
It’s no secret that the U.S. manufacturing industry faces an ongoing “skills gap” issue that is leaving hundreds of thousands of jobs open because there are simply not enough skilled workers to fill them. As experts have sought to understand the factors causing the skills gap, they’ve learned that a persistent negative impression of manufacturing lingers amongst today’s youth.
Although many, if not most, modern manufacturing facilities are clean, comfortable marvels filled with advanced automation technologies, many younger people still think of “factory work” as uncomfortable, dirty, and potentially dangerous. Changing their minds has been at the forefront of efforts to combat the ongoing skills gap.
For sure, there are still factories out there that can be hot and uncomfortable. Some industries simply can’t maintain a clean appearance given the very nature of what they produce. And the potential for danger exists in any facility using large machinery powered by electricity, hydraulics, and pneumatics.
Safety concerns are certainly valid, and they can be relevant to a discussion of any potential industry job. To ease the minds of potential workers—not to mention current workers—today’s manufacturers can take positive steps to ensure that their workplaces are as safe as possible. Doing so not only improves recruiting and morale, but it insulates workers and the manufacturers themselves from the negative effects of workplace injuries.
In a recent EHS Today article, author Rick Tobin outlines “three layers of safety training—task performance, hazard awareness, and engineering solutions,” which he believes are “essential for comprehensive risk reduction.”
Tobin notes that “[r]eactive safety measures focus on treating injuries after they occur…[they] treat symptoms but fail to eliminate systemic hazards, leading to recurring issues.” Instead, he argues that “upstream strategies aim to eliminate hazards at their source…[by] focus[ing] on redesigning systems and processes to prevent accidents before they occur.”
According to Tobin, “[t]he first layer of safety training is the foundation—teaching workers how to perform the job itself with skill and consistency…When you train employees to perform a task correctly—whether it’s operating a forklift, wiring a panel, or handling a chemical—you remove confusion, improvisation, and guesswork.”
That’s why it’s crucial that manufacturers hire workers with the hands-on skills they need to succeed in the workplace. On-site training is also important to ensure that workers understand what is expected of them. Simply put, proper education and training pours a solid foundation that can be built upon to increase workplace safety.
That’s where layer two comes in: “[o]nce workers know how to perform their jobs, the next step is to teach them why it must be done safely—what hazards exist, and what standards govern their prevention. This second layer is about awareness and compliance: understanding the invisible forces that turn ordinary work into extraordinary risk.”
Tobin points out that “[h]azard recognition training transforms workers from task performers into observers and thinkers. They learn to spot the frayed wire before it arcs, the unstable stack before it falls, the fatigue in a coworker before it leads to a mistake. When safety training includes this second layer, employees begin to internalize a new habit of thinking: What could go wrong here, and what’s my role in preventing it?”
If employers can successfully implement this second layer, they’ll notice that “[t]hat mental shift is transformative. It turns safety from a set of rules into a shared mindset.” It also helps with compliance. “OSHA, PPE selection, lockout/tagout—these are some of the legal and procedural anchors of safe behavior. But compliance works best when people understand its logic. Instead of obeying out of fear of penalties, workers comply out of respect for the system that keeps them alive.”
Finally, the last layer is “training workers to think like engineers.” “If the first layer is about doing, and the second is about seeing, the third layer is about solving. This is where workers learn to think critically and design hazards out of existence.”
This might sound beyond the capabilities of many organizations, but Tobin argues that “it’s the single most powerful form of prevention. It moves safety from reaction to innovation.” And who better to suggest effective solutions than the people intimately involved in the very tasks at issue?
Tobin points out that the sequence of these layers of safety training is equally important: “First, teach the task. You can’t be safe doing something you don’t yet know how to do. Second, teach the hazards. Once the job is understood, risks become visible and relevant. Third, teach the solutions. Once workers see risks, empower them to redesign the work.”
According to Tobin, “when all three layers align—knowledge, awareness and innovation—the payoff compounds.” What are those compounding benefits? To name just a few, Tobin points out that employers can expect:
- Reduced Injuries and Illness
- Lower Workers’ Compensation Premiums
- Higher Productivity
- Operational Efficiency
For those wondering how to go about this approach from a practical perspective, Tobin points out that “[m]odern technology now makes it possible to integrate all three layers seamlessly. Online and mobile safety training platforms turn what used to be fragmented, time-consuming initiatives into connected systems of learning and measurement.”
It can also help to partner with established companies to provide industrial-quality training systems that will stand the test of time. For example, DAC Worldwide offers two safety training systems specifically designed to give employees the hands-on experience they need to master lock-out/tag-out skills:
- DAC Worldwide Lock-Out/Tag-Out Training System
- DAC Worldwide Electrical Lock-Out/Tag-Out Training System
Be sure to check out these training systems and contact a DAC Worldwide representative to learn how you can improve your training today!
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Can Philly Shipyard Revitalize American Shipbuilding?
What comes to mind when you think of Philadelphia? For sports fans, images of the Philadelphia Eagles, the 76ers, the Phillies, the Flyers, or the Union might spring to mind. Food enthusiasts, on the other hand, will certainly envision a delicious Philly cheesesteak.
Perhaps the most important aspects of the city of brotherly love, however, relate to its significance as the birthplace of America. For example, history buffs will think of the Liberty Bell and other sites with great historical significance, such as Independence Hall, Congress Hall, Old City Hall, and the Betsy Ross House.
Another part of Philadelphia’s history that predates the Declaration of Independence is a site that was critical in the birth of the United States Navy: Philly Shipyard. Although owned today by Hanwha Ocean, a South Korean company, Philly Shipyard could hold the key to revitalizing the faltering American shipbuilding industry.
In an article published in The Wall Street Journal, author Timothy W. Martin points out that Philly Shipyard is “central to Trump’s bold plans to revitalize American shipbuilding and narrow a yawning maritime gap with China.” However, he admits that “Trump’s dream of resuscitating American shipbuilding relies heavily on South Korean help.”
Martin notes that “America currently makes less than 1% of the world’s ships. China is by far the world’s largest producer, with more than 230 times the shipping capacity and far more merchant ships than the U.S.” The current administration hopes that Philly Shipyard’s new owner will help reverse that trend.
Hanwha’s $100 million acquisition of Philly Shipyard “is central to South Korea’s $150 billion pledge to help Trump revive American shipbuilding—one of the most ambitious industrial turnaround projects in the U.S. in decades. Hanwha plans to pump $5 billion into the site, hoping to rebuild a shipbuilding workforce and supply ecosystem that has largely shriveled away.”
If anyone can help return American shipbuilding to its former glory days, it’s South Korea, who Martin notes is “China’s most formidable rival in shipbuilding.” The task ahead, however, is daunting: “Now, Philly Shipyard churns out a single commercial vessel a year—roughly what Hanwha produces in a week in Korea.”
Hanwha’s plans for Philly Shipyard are aggressive. “Hanwha wants to increase Philly Shipyard’s annual production up to 20 ships a year, expand the workforce by thousands and add new heavy cranes, robotics and training sites.” Current areas of focus include “assisting American firms to expand capacity, train workers and make their production more efficient.”
Significant obstacles persist, however. The ongoing manufacturing skills gap in America has resulted in hundreds of thousands of open manufacturing positions due to the fact that the supply of highly skilled workers is simply insufficient to meet the growing demand for such workers.
The shipbuilding industry is not immune from the skills gap issue. Like every other major industry in America, Philly Shipyard will struggle to find enough skilled workers to fill the thousands of positions revitalized ports will require.
As individuals and organizations seek to establish a pipeline of new maritime talent, it will be necessary to seek out training partners that understand the foundational skills maritime workers will need to be successful.
For example, DAC Worldwide has worked extensively in the past with the U.S. Navy to provide training tools in a wide variety of disciplines, from basic electrical to advanced pumps, compressors, and valves. Be sure to check out DAC Worldwide’s variety of hands-on training systems and tools, like cutaways, dissectibles, and models, that feature the real-world components workers will encounter in the field!
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Texas Becoming Nexus of AI Data Centers
Has artificial intelligence (AI) affected your day-to-day life yet? If it has, then you already know how prevalent this technology has become in a short time. If it hasn’t, well, you may just not realize it yet, as AI seems to have infiltrated nearly every aspect of technology.
AI apps, like ChatGPT and Grok, have become go-to resources for a wide variety of users, from students looking for help with homework to workers seeking assistance with basic job functions. Apps like these, though, are just the tip of the iceberg. AI “engines” are being used to power things behind the scenes in many different types of technology.
The rise of AI has resulted in a race for dominance. Every big tech company is in the race, but it’s unclear where the finish line is, what awaits the winner, or what it will take to get there. These uncertainties aren’t dampening the spirits—or investments—of these companies in AI, though.
In many cases, the race currently takes the form of a rush to build as many large AI data centers as possible. Locations throughout the United States have been targeted for new AI data centers, leading to pushback in many communities over the resources, including water and electricity, that these facilities require.
It’s true that AI data centers require an enormous amount of electricity and water to run their rooms full of supercomputers. In areas where electrical grids are already overtaxed, residents have valid concerns about the effect AI data centers will have on their already-strained resources. At least one project, however, may be taking a new approach to allay some of those concerns.
In an article in The Wall Street Journal, author Bradley Olson reports that a small portion of a sprawling ranch in West Texas will soon be home to a giant new AI data center being planned by AI startup Poolside in conjunction with cloud-infrastructure provider CoreWeave.
What’s different about this AI data center is that the partners chose the location because the complex will be “capable of generating its own power.” “[L]ocated in the heart of the fracking boom,” the site will “take advantage of natural gas produced in the Permian Basin, the epicenter of U.S. drilling activity.”
According to Olson, “Poolside and CoreWeave…are betting that the proximity to natural-gas resources could reduce costs and improve the long-term viability of the data center, as many planned facilities across the U.S. have been built without power generation capabilities.”
The companies plan “to use an on-site gas plant built years ago by Occidental Petroleum and other infrastructure including pipelines will make it possible for the data center to generate its own power.” This could be a game changer, since Olson notes that it’s “far from certain whether many data centers will have sufficient power and water to operate without becoming a significant strain on local resources.”
One thing Olson does not touch upon, but which is another scarce resource that AI data centers will put a strain upon is the supply of skilled workers to build and operate these facilities. In the case of the planned facility in West Texas, workers will be needed that have a wide variety of skills in both the oil and gas sector and electricity and power generation.
How do companies and schools in these areas train the next generation of professionals with the electrical and oil and gas skills they need to succeed in the age of massive AI data centers? Fortunately, there are already companies they can partner with to develop the training programs that will provide workers with the hands-on skills they need to succeed.
For example, DAC Worldwide provides a variety of hands-on training systems for both electrical and oil and gas training:
Be sure to check out DAC Worldwide’s training systems that feature the real-world components workers will encounter in the field!
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Survey Finds Small Businesses Lack Adequate Safety Training
When you think about businesses in the United States, the first companies that might come to mind are likely “big business” giants, like automobile manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, or other behemoths that employ thousands upon thousands of workers.
The reality, however, is that small businesses—those with 500 or fewer employees—far outnumber large businesses. In fact, small businesses in many ways power the U.S. economy and provide the jobs that keep food on the table for millions of Americans.
While small businesses may outnumber big businesses, they rarely compete on a level playing field. In fact, most small business owners would tell you that their resources pale in comparison to their larger counterparts.
Unfortunately, scarce resource allocation may lead some small businesses to avoid investing in necessary areas. A recent survey has revealed that one of those areas in which small businesses may be lacking can have a significant impact: safety training.
According to a recent Safety+Health Magazine article, “[n]early 60% of small-business employees have witnessed a workplace injury in the past year, and almost half of those injuries were considered preventable.” Why so many?
That’s what Pie Insurance, “a commercial insurance provider for small businesses,” wanted to learn when it “commissioned a survey of more than 1,000 full- or part-time workers at businesses with 500 or fewer employees.”
The results of that survey were quite concerning, especially regarding important safety training:
- “Only 29% of workers said they regularly receive safety training, even though 63% of employers say they provide structured training.”
- “28% said they’ve never received formal safety training.”
In a press release, Pie Insurance senior vice president of claims Carla Woodard said, “What I find most meaningful about this data is that it shows the gap between what employers think they’re providing and what employees actually experience, and that’s where the real opportunity lies.”
So, what can small businesses do to provide adequate safety training for employees? Fortunately, they don’t need to recreate the wheel. Instead, partnering with established companies to provide industrial-quality training systems that will stand the test of time can help ensure the continued safety of the workforce.
For example, DAC Worldwide offers two safety training systems specifically designed to give employees the hands-on experience they need to master lock-out/tag-out skills:
- DAC Worldwide Lock-Out/Tag-Out Training System
- DAC Worldwide Electrical Lock-Out/Tag-Out Training System
Be sure to check out these training systems and contact a DAC Worldwide representative to learn how you can improve your training today!
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Staying Alive: How a Wisconsin Company Bridges the Skills Gap
If there’s a sign that accurately sums up the state of running a manufacturing business over the course of the last couple of decades, it’s got to be “Now Hiring!” Industry, as a whole, and manufacturing, in particular, have long suffered from a challenge known as the “skills gap.”
Without treading familiar ground too thoroughly, the “skills gap” describes the fact that demand for highly-skilled workers far outweighs the supply of such workers, leading to hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs that go unfilled year after year.
The “skills gap” is a well-known problem that manufacturers have been battling for decades now. While there have been many attempts to solve the problem, an all-encompassing solution still eludes manufacturers. Nonetheless, there have been some efforts that have been more successful than others.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at Sentry Equipment, a Wisconsin manufacturer of process and sampling equipment. Despite the challenges posed by the “skills gap,” the leaders of Sentry Equipment have used a combination of techniques that have helped them successfully fill all their open positions.
In an Industry Week article, author Laura Putre discusses the history of Sentry Equipment, revealing that “[b]eing steady and respected in the market you’re in, but always having another angle in your back pocket, is a secret to business longevity.”
Sentry Equipment began over a century ago as a manufacturer of “boiler sanitizing equipment for the dairy industry.” As “dairy plants joined the electric grid and did away with boilers,” the company pivoted successfully as “the processing technology also had applications for the electric power industry.”
For years, Sentry Equipment has served both “coal-fired power plants” and “oil and gas refineries.” However, the ever-changing energy market has forced the company to continue to diversify. Over the last decade, Sentry Equipment “has acquired a couple of smaller companies in an adjacent market, wastewater treatment sampling and processing, while adding a service component for power plant equipment.”
Throughout these changes, Sentry Equipment has felt “the pain of smaller manufacturers that have trouble filling roles.” Currently, though, “no roles go unfilled, and the turnover rate is under 15%, thanks in part to investment in high-tech equipment like robotic machining centers and [its CEO’s] involvement in state and local organizations.”
These industry-education partnerships have been important in helping Sentry Equipment meet the challenge of the “skills gap.” For example, its CEO is “on the board of the Waukesha County Business Alliance, which runs a Schools2Skills program that has been bringing groups of high school students to tour Sentry’s Wisconsin facility for a dozen years, while also cultivating additional partnerships with high schools and colleges.”
When asked how he’s able to recruit and retain skilled workers, Sentry Equipment’s CEO gives examples of their targeted efforts to establish a talent pipeline. For example, the company “work[s] with GPS Partners, a nonprofit that was started by several Milwaukee manufacturers to build a high school pipeline. It targets students that are, say, juniors in high school, who might do better in a technical path than an academic path…We’ve been part of that for more than a dozen years. At any given time, we have three or four GPS students that are working in our plant.”
For more high-level positions, such as engineers, the company has “an engineering co-op program with Marquette University in Milwaukee. We always have about three or four co-op engineers working in our business.”
Together, these industry-education partnerships continue to help Sentry Equipment fill positions with skilled workers. They may also be helping to improve the overall view of manufacturing held by students and parents. As Sentry Equipment’s CEO notes, “[s]tudents, parents, educators, all can see the great benefit of having some sort of technical trade.”
What can also help bridge the skills gap—both on the industry side and the education side—is partnering with a proven expert to train current and prospective workers with the hands-on skills necessary to succeed on the job.
Fortunately, manufacturers don’t have to reinvent the wheel when it comes to effective training. Partnering with a training solutions provider with a proven track record can help any manufacturer or educational institution train workers with the hands-on skills they’ll need to hit the ground running in the workplace. For example, DAC Worldwide offers a wide variety of training systems that teach basic to advanced skills in a wide variety of areas relevant to manufacturing. From basic electrical and mechanical to advanced process control and instrumentation, DAC Worldwide offers training solutions that work. Visit DAC Worldwide online to learn more about its many training systems!
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SHIPS for America Act Seeks to Revitalize U.S. Shipbuilding Industry
When it comes to navigating our way around (and out of) this world of ours, much of the focus rightly goes to the latest and greatest advanced technologies. Robotaxis, hypersonic trains, self-driving automobiles, manned missions to Mars, celebrities flying to the edge of space, SpaceX rockets…all these exciting, futuristic conveyances inspire modern explorers and ignite the imagination.
But what about the high seas? The world’s oceans and rivers seem to have gotten lost in the midst of technological innovation. Whether it’s the wreckage of the Titanic or the latest installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise, our naval gazing seems to be stuck in the past.
That may soon change, though, if a group of bipartisan legislators get their way. While divided on so many topics, parties from both sides of the aisle are joining forces to craft new legislation driven by the need to revitalize the U.S. shipbuilding industry.
In an article published on The War Zone website, author Geoff Ziezulewicz calls the Shipbuilding and Harbor Infrastructure for Prosperity and Security (SHIPS) for America Act (“the Act”) an “ambitious bill [that] seeks to overhaul and restore America’s military and civilian maritime capacity and capabilities.”
According to Ziezulewicz, America’s shipbuilding industry has “increasingly fallen behind over the decades, and concerns have grown urgent as China’s shipbuilding capacity continues to dwarf America’s in many respects.” For example, “[i]n terms of shipbuilding…China has 46.59 percent of the global market and is the largest builder, with South Korea second at 29.24 percent, and Japan third with 17.25 percent. The United States has a relative insignificant capacity at 0.13 percent.”
These concerns are echoed by one of the bills co-sponsors. In an opinion piece published in the Daily Journal, Senator Todd Young (R—Ind.) explains that “for too long, we have ignored the importance of ships to our economic and national security. Today, the American shipbuilding sector has eroded, our shipyards are few and far between, and the vessels built in the U.S. are often ill-equipped to cross oceans.”
According to Young, “[t]he result is Chinese dominance of the world’s sea lanes. China now possesses the world’s largest commercial fleet — 5,500 vessels strong, with over a thousand more built annually. And the United States? Our fleet currently numbers 80 with, at most, five ships added a year.”
Anyone familiar with the skills gap issue that plagues manufacturing and other industries across the country will immediately spot a major obstacle to reviving the ailing U.S. shipbuilding industry: finding enough skilled workers to fill the thousands of open positions revitalized ports will require.
Young notes that the Act “would help train a pipeline of new workers, encourage domestic and foreign investment in maritime infrastructure, and provide the permitting reform and deregulation that is essential for timely construction of new shipyards.”
Expanding upon the workforce development aspect of the Act in greater detail, a Holland & Knight article notes that “the Act establishes Centers of Excellence for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education. These centers would train and educate workers launching careers in the maritime industry and play a vital role in preparing the next generation of maritime professionals. The Act also creates and tasks the Maritime Career and Technical Education Advisory Committee with identifying new training opportunities for maritime workers to equip the workforce with the skills most needed by the maritime industry.”
As individuals and organizations seek to establish a pipeline of new maritime talent, it will be necessary to seek out training partners that understand the foundational skills maritime workers will need to be successful. For example, DAC Worldwide has worked extensively in the past with the U.S. Navy to provide training tools in a wide variety of disciplines, from basic electrical to advanced pumps, compressors, and valves. Be sure to check out DAC Worldwide’s variety of hands-on training systems and tools, like cutaways, dissectibles, and models, that feature the real-world components workers will encounter in the field!
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LOTO Training Essential for Worker Safety
For a 25-year-old manufacturing worker in Bellefontaine, Ohio, June 22, 2023, probably started like any other day. However, that ordinary day would end with the worker in the hospital with, according to an OSHA News Release, “severe crushing injuries” that included “contusions and fractures.”
The rubber hose manufacturer in question, HBD/Thermoid Inc., has “a long history of federal workplace safety issues.” In this instance, OSHA inspectors “learned the worker suffered injuries due to the company’s failure to follow lockout/tagout procedures. Powered belts were still energized and unguarded, pulling the worker into the machine causing the injuries.”
OSHA Area Director Todd Jensen noted that “[t]his employee suffered preventable injuries because their employer continues to ignore its responsibility to protect their workers. We cited the company for safety violations on the very same machine in March 2023, and they still failed to protect their employees. It’s time for HBD/Thermoid Inc. to make the safety of their employees a priority.”
The violation resulted in “$389,534 in proposed penalties,” but the serious injuries to the worker can’t be adequately quantified. That’s why following proper lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedures is a critical part of industrial safety.
Despite the importance of LOTO procedures, LOTO violations “consistently ranks among OSHA’s top 10 most frequently cited standards each year,” according to a recent EHS Today article by Herbert Post. This is both frustrating and puzzling, since Post notes that “[m]ost facilities cited for LOTO violations would claim to have the right equipment, procedures and safety protocols in place.”
So, what’s going on? According to Post, the answer is as simple as the weakest part of the chain: the humans involved in this set of basic safety procedures. Before we look at those human elements, though, let’s quickly review why LOTO is so essential to workplace safety.
As anyone who has ever worked in manufacturing knows, LOTO “is designed to prevent the unexpected startup or release of stored energy in machinery.” Post details “OSHA’s standard for The Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout) (29 CFR 1910.147),” which “outlines the specific actions employers must take: isolate all potential energy sources, apply the correct locks and tags, and verify that the machinery truly can’t be re-energized before any maintenance or servicing begins.”
LOTO plays such a key role, because “uncontrolled energy can pose fatal risks.” When dealing with powerful industrial machines daily, workers need to understand that their failure to follow proper LOTO procedures can literally mean the difference between life and death.
Unfortunately, “even well-designed LOTO procedures can fail because of several human factors.” A couple of these factors—productivity demands and complacency—are easy to understand. As Post points out, “[w]hen production quotas and deadlines pressure workers, lockout/tagout procedures can be viewed as inconvenient, time-consuming steps that hinder operations.”
Furthermore, “[w]orkers who have serviced the same equipment for months, or even years, may feel like they know every inch of the process, making them more inclined to overlook or dismiss crucial safety steps.” This complacency can have deadly consequences.
The third human factor discussed by Post is inadequate training. For example, “OSHA frequently cites inadequate training as a leading cause of LOTO violations, including failing to establish or communicate an energy control procedure and neglecting to conduct periodic evaluations.”
According to Post, “gaps in training create a disconnect between policy and practice. When employees either do not understand or undervalue the significance of LOTO, they are more likely to take shortcuts and ignore established procedures. Without thorough instruction and regular reinforcement of safe practices, workers may view LOTO as a cumbersome compliance checkbox rather than a life-saving protocol.”
Post recommends LOTO training that includes “ongoing instruction, frequent refreshers, and practical, hands-on drills.” Does your company have effective LOTO training tools in place to ensure your employees understand, not only the proper procedures, but why they’re so important?
For companies looking to improve their safety training, partnering with established companies to provide industrial-quality training systems that will stand the test of time will help ensure the continued safety of the workforce.
For example, DAC Worldwide offers two safety training systems specifically designed to give employees the hands-on experience they need to master lock-out/tag-out skills:
- DAC Worldwide Lock-Out/Tag-Out Training System
- DAC Worldwide Electrical Lock-Out/Tag-Out Training System
Be sure to check out these training systems and contact a DAC Worldwide representative to learn how you can improve your training today!
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AI Driving Investments by Energy Giant
What comes to mind when you think about utility companies? For many people around the country, images of coal-fired power plants and tall wooden poles strung with long wires might be top of mind. What likely doesn’t come to mind is advanced technology, like artificial intelligence (AI).
However, it’s technologies like AI that are top of mind for many leaders in the energy and public utility sectors. Why? The data centers being built to expand the powers and capabilities of AI use tremendous amounts of power that threaten to undermine the security and stability of already-overburdened electrical grids in many areas.
Those tasked with ensuring the future of our energy supply must adjust their focus and priorities to align with the changes being wrought by new technologies like AI. For example, in an article in The Dallas Morning News, author Lana Ferguson notes that energy giant Schneider Electric recently announced “plans to invest more than $700 million in its U.S. operations through 2027.”
This huge investment will “support the country’s focus on bolstering the nation’s energy infrastructure to power AI growth, boost domestic manufacturing, and strengthen energy security.” Specifically, “[t]he money will go toward manufacturing expansions and creating more than 1,000 new jobs, with roles such as next-generation manufacturing professionals, engineers, developers and technical analysts.”
Schneider Electric expects its investment to “bolster ‘smart factory transformation’ across several states that include Texas, Massachusetts, Tennessee and Missouri.” Officials are hopeful that other key players will follow suit with their own investments.
According to Aamir Paul, president of North America Operations for Schneider Electric, “[w]e stand at an inflection point for the technology and industrial sectors in the U.S., driven by incredible AI growth and unprecedented energy demand. To lead the transformation ahead, we must be agile and act now to advance ambitious digitalization and efficiency goals to make an impact for generations to come.”
National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) President and CEO Jay Timmons lauded these plans: “Schneider Electric’s significant investment is a clear sign that manufacturing in America is moving forward — driving economic growth, innovation and job creation across the country. By expanding their operations with a focus on energy security, automation and AI, Schneider Electric is not only strengthening America’s competitiveness but also creating new opportunities and powering our nation’s future.”
As energy giants like Schneider Electric invest and expand, there’s one challenge they’re sure to encounter immediately: a shortage of highly skilled workers with advanced electrical and automation skills. How do companies and schools train the next generation of professionals with the electrical skills they need to succeed in the modern workplace?Top of Form
Bottom of Form A thorough review of training systems is a great place to start. Do employees and students have access to hands-on training with actual components they’ll encounter on the job? If not, partnering with established companies to provide industrial-quality training systems that will stand the test of time will help ensure a competent workforce. Be sure to check out DAC Worldwide’s variety of hands-on electrical training systems that feature the real-world components workers will encounter in the field!
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Will Geothermal Save Oil and Gas Jobs?
If someone asked you what the opposite of a fossil fuel is, what would you say? Some might say solar power, while others would point to wind. Either answer could be correct, since any form of renewable energy could be considered the opposite of our finite supply of fossil fuels like oil and gas.
Wouldn’t it be ironic then if a form of renewable energy ended up being the savior of a large chunk of oil and gas jobs? That seemingly impossible scenario is playing out right now in areas of Texas and New Mexico thanks to a resurgence of interest in geothermal energy.
In a recent article on The Hill website by Saul Elbein, the author notes that, despite the last several years representing “the height of the largest oil and gas boom in American history,” “the expansion in production has come with a sharp and protracted decline in both the number of rigs and rig workers…due to the pace of drilling and the declining need for workers amid the rise of high-tech forms of extraction.”
That’s right. Many of today’s oil and gas workers have literally drilled themselves out of a job. However, some are now learning they could be using “some of the same skills and technology used to extract fossil fuels for the production of renewable energy.”
The Permian Basin in western Texas and eastern New Mexico has recently been “the heart of the oil and gas boom.” A growing number of companies are now looking at the same area as a source of renewable energy. As Elbein points out, “beneath its bones lies another resource central to the new movement in the region’s energy industry: heat that…companies…hope to tap for clean power.”
Although “geothermal energy has long been a niche one in the renewables sector because of its reliance on a very particular set of underground conditions: accessible, superheated pools of underground water, like those found beneath pockets of California, the Pacific’s Ring of Fire and the nation of Iceland,” a growing number of companies are now “seeking to develop methods that could be used to generate geothermal power virtually anywhere in the country.”
Developing support for geothermal in the heart of oil and gas country might seem like a challenge, but investors have found proponents who see geothermal as additional security for the increasingly burdened power grid. As population, artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, and cryptocurrency mining facilities grow in number and size, geothermal sites represent the potential for “secure power sources not subject to extreme weather or alleged market manipulation by oil and gas companies.”
Perhaps more importantly for the oil and gas workforce, proponents “see geothermal as a long-term life raft for oil and gas workers increasingly idled as layoffs beset the industry.” Geothermal companies are using “oil and gas-based technologies to create the precise underground conditions needed to tap the heat beneath the region’s surface — either for electricity, industrial power or heating and cooling.”
Fortunately for oil and gas workers, geothermal has the opposite problem as traditional oil and gas, which has too many staff and rigs compared to available work. Geothermal companies have more available jobs than they have staff to support them. For oil and gas workers, the future appears to be one in which they may need a hybrid of traditional oil and gas skills mixed with geothermal expertise.
For Texas, New Mexico, and any other states navigating the transition from fossil fuels to alternative energy sources, Amatrol, along with its sister companies, DAC Worldwide and Bayport Technical, offer a wide variety of training tools and systems to teach workers the skills they need to succeed.
For example, both DAC Worldwide and Bayport Technical manufacture oil and gas training tools and systems that teach hands-on technical skills with real industrial equipment they’ll encounter on the job. Here are a couple of samples of the types of training aids these companies produce:
- DAC Worldwide’s Extended Wellhead Assembly Cutaway (295-795E) depicts the complete assembly of components used in creating a wellhead, which are used in oil & gas production operations. The full-size, fully detailed example of a high-pressure wellhead assembly gives learners a first-hand view into a component that is found in oilfield applications worldwide.
- Bayport Technical’s Cooling Tower Working Demonstrator (142-CT2) is a scaled, acrylic replica of a forced draft cooling tower used in oil refineries and petrochemical plants. This working demonstrator allows a full view of how water is filtered through the tower to cool it off and then return it the factory. This tabletop system includes a water basin and distribution system, heater assembly, pump, fan, splash bars, air intake louvers, draft eliminators, and temperature gauges.
When it comes to teaching the geothermal skills workers will need, Amatrol’s geothermal training system combines in-depth curriculum with real industrial equipment:
- Amatrol’s 950-GEO2D Geothermal Troubleshooting Learning System with Desuperheater uses an exposed component layout so that learners can see each component’s role in a geothermal system. Learners can easily observe, monitor, and test each component mounted and labeled on a vertical panel. Sight glasses installed in the 950-GEO2D allow the learner to see the refrigerant’s changing state as it passes through the system. Amatrol also includes pressure and temperature gauges at key points to show the system’s performance at a glance. Additionally, the system includes a custom designed, temperature-controlled ground simulator so the system can run continuously.
Reach out to an expert training consultant with Amatrol today to get started on the path to training the next generation of workers!
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Biomanufacturing Plays Larger Role in Chemical Production
Have you noticed how technology continues to change nearly every aspect of our lives? Or are you so used to it by now that new technological developments don’t even register anymore?
One area where you might take notice of new technology is at work. When you must adapt to new processes related to new technologies, it’s hard to ignore. Manufacturers everywhere adopt new technologies for a variety of reasons.
Often, new technologies bridge the gap left by having too few skilled workers to fill open positions. At other times, manufacturers seek a boost in productivity and efficiency that automating processes can provide.
Increasingly, though, research and development of new manufacturing technologies comes as a result of the pursuit of sustainability. The importance of fossil fuels and related products in manufacturing cannot be overstated. However, these products and their negative impact on the environment have led many manufacturers to search for alternatives that are sustainable and less harmful.
In a Chemistry World article, author Sarah Houlton discusses the companies exploring the use of biotech processes to manufacture chemicals. She gives several examples of manufacturers who “use bio-based raw materials, captured CO2 and recycled plastics as raw materials for new chemicals.”
For example, Houlton points out that German manufacturer Covestro makes “aniline from biomass via a fermentation process.” Doing so could “offer a more sustainable alternative to traditional petrochemical processing, and be more amenable to biobased raw materials.”
Not all biomanufacturing is new, though. Houlton notes that “BASF…has been working on industrial biotechnology for more than three decades, first for the animal feed enzyme phytase, and then shifting vitamin B2 production from a chemical to a biotech process more than 20 years ago.”
Biotech processes in chemical manufacturing are particularly attractive because “[t]aking a biotechnology approach also allows a much wider range of starting materials to be tapped into.” For example, Houlton notes that many “products are made by fungal or microbial fermentation processes, with renewable raw materials like sugars and vegetable oil that are rarely suitable for traditional chemical processes.”
Indeed, biomanufacturing represents “a promising alternative to petrochemical-based manufacturing,” because “using fermentation to produce chemicals is reducing the reliance on non-renewable fossil fuels.”
In addition, “[f]ermentation also presents a safe, lower energy consumption alternative. Unlike many chemical manufacturing processes that require high heat or pressure, fermentation typically operates at lower temperatures and pressures. Biomanufacturing also allows for the manufacture of complex biomolecules such as proteins, which are not readily made by chemical synthesis processes.”
While these new technologies present exciting alternatives for the future, those involved in hiring workers for the chemical manufacturing industry probably wonder where the workers for these advanced facilities will come from.
As always, the need for workers with advanced process control and instrumentation skills remains great. Proactive manufacturers will look to establish a pipeline of fresh talent from local schools while also seeking to upskill current workers.
Fortunately, manufacturers don’t have to reinvent the wheel when it comes to effective process control and instrumentation training. Partnering with a training solutions provider with a proven track record can help any manufacturer or educational institution train workers with the hands-on skills they’ll need to hit the ground running in the workplace.
For example, DAC Worldwide offers a wide variety of training systems that teach basic to advanced process control and instrumentation skills. Its newest flagship process control and instrumentation trainer, the Smart Process Plant Training System (603-SP), is a fully-functional, industrial-quality fluid process system that provides hands-on training in the measurement and control of five of the most common process variables: level, pressure, temperature, flow, and pH.
The system groups these process control elements into one complete piping system, which allows it to teach multiple configurations of flow loops, controls, and communications. The system incorporates both new and legacy technologies so that users are prepared for anything they might encounter on the job.
The Smart Process Plant Training System features a wide variety of common, industrial-quality components and instruments to provide learners with a realistic training experience that will build skills that translate easily to the workplace. The Smart Process Plant also includes multiple experiments, which simulate both continuous and batch process control loops that are widely used in many process industries. The Smart Process Plant Training System is only one of DAC Worldwide’s many process control and instrumentation training systems. Visit DAC Worldwide online to learn more about its many other training systems, as well as advanced chemical engineering training systems from its partner, Pignat SAS!
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