The Head Office and several business offices of the Sumitomo Heavy Industries Group are introducing working from home.
New Initiatives: Message from Shibaura Machine
ELK GROVE VILLAGE, IL, January 4, 2022
Upon reflection, as the COVID pandemic has continued throughout 2021, I am very proud to report our company’s management and employees have transitioned from successfully reacting to the resulting challenges, to proactively anticipating new demands on our business and quickly adapting to the changing landscape. Our accomplishments include;
Our business throughout 2021 has seen renewed growth in sales and profitability; along with a strong new hire rate of approximately 11% as we have actively combed the volatile job market in search of talented new employees.
We have refined our already successful “work-from-home” program and implemented hybrid features to maximize flexibility, productivity, and responsiveness.
We have safely and effectively continued all company functions, maintaining the health and welfare of our employees, with very few COVID exposure incidents and no significant disruptions to company operations or facilities.
Shibaura Machine continued its successful refocus in support of critical infrastructure industries which have remained relatively strong, such as medical, household products, and many others.
In response to carbon neutral demand including the EV shift, our Injection Molding division continued expansion of the all-electric product line, now offering up to 2,750 tons of clamping force, with further increases expected in 2022. Further, Shibaura Machine has developed our latest all-electric toggle clamping die casting machines, DC-E-Series, featuring the DC1100R-E and DC1300R-E; machines which provide optimal solutions to help industries ensure uncompromised quality in the production of castings with maximum return on investment.
Our Machine Tool Division continues to offer our customers choices of CNC Controls by the recent offering of the latest FANUC and TOSNUC CNC controllers on select models of horizontal boring mills. With this change, we now offer the FANUC CNC control on all machine tool platforms including vertical turning machines and bridge style machines. Shibaura Machine will also be announcing a new product model of the bridge style machine as we enter 2022.
2021 has seen strong commitment within our corporation to developing our Industry 4.0 service offering to ignite productivity in manufacturing via connected machines, people, data, and value chains. We continue to transform our machinery and technologies to allow our customers to realize their Return of Investment (ROI) at a substantially faster pace.
Our digital transformation initiative, marking a radical rethinking of how we use technology, people, and processes to fundamentally change business performance, has generated much excitement within Shibaura Machine in 2021. We expect to begin seeing the fruit of our hard labor beginning in 2022.
We continued to honor our spare parts commitments to customers by; 1) maintaining our essential parts inventory in excess of $15M and, 2) successfully implementing warehouse safeguards and procedures to ensure no interruptions to “next day” parts delivery commitments.
We have continued our nationwide service support commitments, navigating the shifting state and local compliance requirements, while keeping our service teams safe and healthy.
Finally, as we look back on 2021, once again I cannot say enough about our field service and technical support personnel who have continued to travel and maintain a high level of essential customer service during these very trying circumstances. Also, through constant and careful monitoring of our facilities, both our warehouse and assembly operations have continued uninterrupted.
Looking forward, I am proud to observe our productivity and business opportunities continue to expand. I can clearly see how our flexible work-from-home policies, combined with the exciting new possibilities stemming from our digital transformation mindset, all driven by our tireless commitment to customer satisfaction, is creating new enthusiasm and motivation among our employees.
In 2022 we will be creating a new Digital Services Division whose mission will be to promote, support, and continue to drive development of our new Industry 4.0 digital products. These exciting new IIoT products and services will be game-changers in manufacturing, connecting machines, people, data, and value chains, and generating the vital data needed to help our customers realize their Return of Investment (ROI) at a substantially faster pace.
2022 will also see company restructuring, designed to mirror that which is occurring within our corporate parent, to ensure maximum efficiency in utilizing our resources. In addition to the aforementioned Digital Services Division, we will combine all molding machine operations into a single Molding Machine company which will merge similar functions and capabilities, thereby expanding internal synergy and enhancing communication and cooperation.
Shibaura Machine remains committed to sustainability; supporting the development and commercialization of environmentally friendly plastics, biodegradable materials, and stronger, light-weight materials.
As a corporation we continue to implement other organization reforms and enhanced investment to ensure added value and greater productivity in our manufacturing plants resulting in higher quality and reduced lead times.
Finally, we are positioned to support our customers, and North American manufacturing in general, to meet their manufacturing goals in 2022. This will include the continued hiring of additional service and technical staff in 2022 to further strengthen our customer support resources.
I am proud to be president of this company and to lead such a fine group of talented and dedicated employees. And at this time I wish all of you a healthy and prosperous new year.
Sincerely,
Hiroshi Azuma
President & Corporate Managing Executive Officer
Shibaura Machine Company, America
Wisconsin Manufacturing & Technology Show 2023
The Wisconsin Manufacturing & Technology Show (WIMTS) is the State’s largest manufacturing event, with nearly 5,000 in attendance at the last show. This year it’s back with more of everything.
Shibaura Machine America is proud to announce that we will be participating in the Wisconsin Manufacturing & Technology Show in West Allis, WI October 3rd thru 5th with our dealer Manske Machinery Sales & Service of Greenfield, WI in Booth #513. We will be displaying a TUE 150(S) is designed to handle various applications with unmatched efficiency.
In addition to the TUE 150(S), Shibaura Machine is breaking new ground with its Virtual Reality (VR) showroom.
October 3, 2023: 9am – 4pm
October 4, 2023: 9am – 4pm
October 5, 2023: 9am – 3pm
Wisconsin State Fair Park - West Allis, WI
Online Registration Form
The Best Early Black Friday HomePod Deals
We're getting closer to Black Friday on November 24, and in this article we're taking a closer look at all of the best early Black Friday HomePod and HomePod mini discounts you can get right now.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running
Of course, there is a chance that we could see better deals on these iPads arrive as Black Friday gets closer. This is a risk anyone has to take while shopping during the holidays, so with that in mind, many of the deals shared below are currently their best prices ever seen. More information on these sales can be found in our Black Friday Roundup.
Best HomePod Deals
HomePod mini for $78.99 at OWC, down from $99.00
HomePod (2nd Gen) for $279.99 at B&H, down from $299.00
Best Black Friday Deals
OWC has an ultra-rare discount on Apple's HomePod mini, priced at $78.99, down from $99.00. OWC says that these are brand new HomePod mini speakers, but they are not shipped in their original retail packaging and instead come bulk packaged with a 90 day OWC fulfilled limited warranty.
Note: These are in new condition but come in bulk packaging.
$20 OFFHomePod mini for $78.99
HomePod mini discounts this steep are so rare, the last time we tracked anything remotely in the ballpark of $20 off was Black Friday 2022. OWC has every color on sale at this record low price, so if you've been waiting for a sale now is the time.
If you want the upgraded second generation HomePod model, B&H Photo still has the best deal around. You can get both colors at $279.99, down from $299.00. Although this isn't a particularly big markdown on the 2023 speaker, it remains the best deal we've tracked to date.
$19 OFFHomePod (2nd Gen) for $279.99
The new HomePod is a high-end speaker focusing more on sound quality, while the HomePod mini is aimed at people who just need an accessible and user-friendly smart speaker. If you want a more in-depth breakdown of all the differences between the two products, be sure to visit our buyer's guide.
We've begun tracking all of the season's best deals in our dedicated Black Friday Roundup, so be sure to bookmark the page and visit it throughout the season as you do your online shopping. Our roundup mainly focuses on Apple products and related tech accessories.
Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2
Apple today introduced a new firmware update for the AirPods Pro 2, including both the Lightning model and the new USB-C model. The new firmware is version 6B32, up from the 6A305 firmware introduced in October.
Apple does not provide details on what features might be included in the refreshed firmware, so it is unclear what's new in the update, but prior software releases have been refining functionality introduced in iOS 17.
iOS 17 added several new features for the AirPods Pro 2, such as Adaptive Audio. Adaptive Audio, which combines ANC and Transparency, is meant to deliver an ideal audio experience that blocks out loud or distracting noises.
Adaptive Audio includes Conversation Awareness and Personalized Volume. Conversation Awareness detects when someone speaks to you, lowering the volume of what's playing and cutting down on background noise so you can hear. Personalized Volume takes into account your listening preferences and the noise in the environment to adjust sound levels.
Other new features include an option to mute and unmute the microphone by pressing on the AirPods Pro stem, faster automatic switching between devices, and support for activating Siri without including the "Hey" wake word.
Apple does not offer instructions on how to upgrade AirPods software, but firmware is generally installed over-the-air while the AirPods are connected to an iOS device. Putting the AirPods in the case, connecting the AirPods to a power source, and then pairing the AirPods to an iOS device or Mac should force the update.
You can check your AirPods or AirPods Pro firmware by following these steps:
Connect your AirPods Pro to your iOS device.
Open the Settings app.
Tap General.
Tap About.
Tap AirPods.
Look at the number next to "Firmware Version."
If we learn more about what's new in the firmware release, we'll update this article.
iOS 17.2 to Expand Sensitive Content Warnings on iPhone
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Starting with iOS 17.2, which is currently in beta and is expected to be released in December, Apple's opt-in Sensitive Content Warning feature will work with Contact Posters in both the Contacts and Phone apps, as well as stickers in the Messages app.
When turned on, the Sensitive Content Warning feature uses on-device machine learning to analyze photos and videos, and blurs photos or videos with any detected nudity before users view them. Apple says it does not receive any indication that nudity was detected, and does not gain access to the photos or videos as a result.
Sensitive Content Warnings are also available for messages in the Messages app, AirDrop transfers, and FaceTime video messages. The feature launched earlier this year across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. Apple has offered a similar Communication Safety feature for children across the same devices since 2021.