According to the publication Working America, the number of American manufacturing jobs decreased from 19.5 million in June 1979 to 11.5 million in December 2009. That comes out to more than a 41 percent decrease in U.S. manufacturing jobs over a thirty year period; and the bulk of those jobs were lost after 1995. Despite all of the outsourcing of American manufacturing, the top six industrial supply companies generated nearly 40 billion dollars of revenue during 2011.
Although more and more American manufacturing is being sent overseas, the commercial and consumer products that continue to be manufactured in the United States remain among the best in the world. Of course, when it comes to manufacturing high quality American products, manufacturers depend on the highest quality industrial supplies. Whether we are talking about Destacto latches, vibration control systems, hydraulic pumps and hoses, or tiny clevis pins, the end results are only as good as the tools used to produce them.
Unless you have ever worked in the manufacturing industry it is impossible to comprehend just how sophisticated the manufacturing process is. Oftentimes, there are hundreds of moving parts that must be controlled with minute precision. Considering the pressure under which grease fittings operate, and the high level of care it takes to keep flange bearings and linear bearings in precise, efficient motion, fastening and securement hardware is critically important.
Although they are the simplest of simple machines, fastening hardware just might play the most important role in most manufacturing processes. After all, the slightest error in movement can ruin the entire process; and in extreme instances, it may even cause severe injury. For instance, take something as simple as clevis pins. In the event low quality clevis pins are used, and one breaks, tens of thousands of dollars of production costs could be wasted; not to mention that workers could be severely maimed.
The manufacturing industry is no place to mess around with anything but the best industrial tools and products. The leading industrial supply companies allow the top manufactures to rest assured that they will always be stocked with the strongest, highest quality industrial supplies. Thus, American manufacturers can focus on creating the best products in the world.
References: www.reidsupply.com