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The recently released Industry Market Barometer (IMB) from Thomas-
Net.com highlights several interesting trends, some positive and oth-
ers worrisome. Respondents include 1209 North American engineers and
purchasing agents, business owners and managers, and sales and market-
ing executives from manufacturers, distributors, and service companies.
The majority represent small companies (fewer than 100 employees and
less than $10 million in revenue), mirroring the makeup of the indus-
trial/manufacturing segment. Responses provide a unique opportunity to
peer into the strategies of these smaller companies.
In 2012, manufacturing accounted for roughly $1.9 trillion, or almost
12%, of U.S. GDP. More than half (55%) of the manufacturers surveyed grew
in 2012, and nearly two-thirds (63%) achieved growth in 2013. Even so, a
crack is slowly coming to the surface, say analysts. Research reveals that a
lack of fresh talent threatens the sector’s future vitality. The companies sur-
veyed represent today’s manufacturing
workforce, which is heavily populated
by employees who are 45 and
older. With Generation Y (18-
32 years old) expected to make
up 75% of the workforce by
2025, and older employees ex-
iting in droves, manufacturing’s
“biological clock” is ticking away,
according to report authors.
A closer look at the IMB findings re-
veals a jarring disconnect between the
growth of manufacturers and their lack of urgency when it comes to filling
their talent pipeline. For example, eight out of ten manufacturers report that
younger employees represent a very small fraction of their workforce—and
most don’t see this changing soon. Findings point to a need for a collective
“succession plan.” As a starting point, manufacturers need to address the per-
vasive myths about what a career in American manufacturing really means.
Three out of four IMB respondents (73%) say that negative perceptions about
the profession are deterring new generations from joining. Yet, the sameman-
ufacturers are vocal about the many rewards their industry offers and many
have developed creative partnerships with schools to engage their “best and
brightest,” pointing to educators as their ray of hope for the future. Yet the jury
is out on whether these efforts alone will be enough, say analysts.
Of the survey respondents’ open job postings, 60% are looking for en-
gineers, 59% need skilled trade workers, 55% are hiring sales and market-
ing people, and 53% seek manufacturing/production management
personnel. However, a lack of basic skills in young workers is a drawback
to recruitment. More than 25% of companies say high schools should offer
more technical training to encourage students to pursue manufacturing
careers. Other suggestions include placing a stronger emphasis on STEM
courses, greater partnerships between manufacturers and colleges and
technical schools to inform students about opportunities, and parents en-
couraging their children to consider manufacturing careers. For more
information, visit
ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES • JANUARY 2014 4
spot l ight feedback
market
Manufacturing survey reveals
ticking biological clock
Put materials specification
where it belongs
If we go back a few decades, cars
were composite—mostly steel, some
rubber (tires). There were miscella-
neous other things too, such as glass,
rubber, and wiring insulation. Mankind
has developed a tendency to over-
specify iron and steel. Iron is probably
useful for engine blocks and steel may
be useful for frames, but it needs a
coating better than paint. Powder
coating may be sufficient, though I
think electroless nickel-plated, pow-
der-coated steel would be better, as
steel has little or no corrosion resist-
ance. Having a coating that can stand
up to most in-service abuse is useful,
although that coating must be on top
of a more resistant coating, which will
continue to protect the steel until the
first coating can be replaced after
wearing off.
In terms of the cosmetic exterior (the
body), steel has no business being
there, unless designers want to con-
sider stainless steel. (I thought not.)
Aluminum is useful too, but it is not a
durable substrate for paint.To use
steel or aluminum for an auto body is
to plan for a limited vehicle lifetime.
Composites should work better for oil
pans, valve covers, and the front cover
of the camshaft drive mechanism
because they provide corrosion resist-
ance plus sound deadening. Compos-
ites also have increased thermal
resistance, important to operating an
engine in cold climates. But people
need to get away from incorporating a
release compound into the bulk of
molding compounds used to make
body parts. Release compounds are
intended to separate the mold from
the part: They have no business being
a uniform component of the part.
I’ve seen many job postings where
part of the position involves specifying
materials. These jobs mostly call for
mechanical engineers, and materials
specification is almost always an “in-
significant” job function. A senior me-
chanical engineer might have 1000
hours of materials experience, yet I
have more than 35,000 hours. I am not
going to design cars, but I sure as
heck know more about materials than
a senior mechanical engineer. Get ma-
terials specification where it belongs,
not as a side task for an engineer who
doesn’t understand materials.
G.H., P.Eng.
We welcome all comments
and suggestions. Send letters to
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