List of Top 500 US Manufacturers Released

With all of the attention on the Gulf of Mexico and the oil spill catastrophe, it was interesting to see that Industry Week named Exxon Mobil and Chevron as the top two companies from their 2010 report on the 500 largest publicly held US manufacturing companies based on revenue. We’ll have to wait and see if recent events will change the landscape next year. It seems we’ve all become more aware of just how much money these types of companies bring in. They were also the top two companies in 2009. General Electric and ConocoPhillips (also two energy companies) came in 3^rd and 4^th respectively.

Despite a tough year, “many manufacturers improved profits or returned to profitability in 2009”. There was a 30% drop in net income on this list in 2008, so it is nice to see a 6% increase this year. William Strauss, senior economist and economic advisor for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, noted that manufacturers cutting back their expenses (in some cases beyond the necessary amount) contributed to the recovery.

In the metal fabrication industry, overall revenue fell 27% to $73.9 billion, which included a 53% drop for United States Steel Corporation. Even though two oil companies took the top two spots on the list, they also saw a large drop at 35%. Healthcare companies actually saw an increase, and the alternative energy market continued its upward climb. First Solar Inc, for example, experienced a profit growth of 84% in 2009.

View the complete Top 500 List

Reverse Engineering Using Laser Scanning

This month FARO presented a webinar on reverse engineering using laser scanning. This adopted technology has become routine for rapid prototyping and CAD comparison. Because laser scanning captures free form surfaces with using point clouds, the data is extremely reliable. The usage of checking fixtures is becoming a process of the past. The cost of maintaining these fixtures as well as storing both play in favor to convert to laser scanning.

With the FARO Laser Scanner Photon, reverse engineering parts is not limited to only small or medium sized components. With a range of 395ft, the Photon is capable of capturing large scaled objects such as castings, trucks, yachts and even structures. The flexibility and speediness of the Photon allows users to gather the data in hard to reach areas and process the scans within the same day. Manufacturing can benefit greatly by implementing 3D laser scanning into the process.

To read the full “Reverse Engineering Method Using Advanced 3D laser Scanning,” click HERE.

To watch the recorded version of the webinar, click here.