For this story I visited GM's Marion Metal Center to discuss cost-saving initiatives, including re-engineering parts to save material and money. The feature focuses on compact nesting of the front body hinge pillar reinforcement, blank reduction and a grade change to save material from going down the scrap chute and create more efficient production.

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Every year, Modern Metals surveyed its readers to get their thoughts on current business conditions. The results were published in the January edition. For the 2013 survey, I collaborated with the art department to create a layout that presented the data in a more graphic fashion, compared with previous years. Our goal was to make it both more interesting visually as well as easier to digest the information. Read the 2013 full text. And, for comparison, take a look at the 2012 survey.

Equipment manufacturer Caterpillar developed an innovative modular, highly customizable paint system that allows parts to move forward and backward  to maximize efficiency and minimize floor space. Read the full text.

This report on the electronics market discusses advances in semiconductor technology that are driving the development of smaller, faster, more reliable electronics. Read the full text.

For many companies in the metals industry, choosing the right way to update outdated technology can be difficult. As one source I spoke with noted, "The uses of many of the new technologies are not as apparent in the b2b market as they are in the b2c market."

For this feature, I talked to equipment manufacturers, consultants and service centers about the pitfalls and benefits they encountered when sourcing and adopting new technology strategies for their companies. Read the full text.

This case-study focuses on coil processing equipment that is capable of cutting, winding and leveling thin, delicate strips. Featured in the article is a company that's using the equipment to manufacture precision foils and super foils for end-use applications such as catalytic converters and solar panels. Read the full text.

The Harbor Drive Pedestrian Bridge in San Diego needed to have a striking appearance in addition to a 100-plus-year life span. The designers and engineers chose stainless steel for the main structural elements because it provided strength as well as a high-quality aesthetic finish that could stand up to an aggressive marine environment. Read the full text.

This assignment required me to interview the members of Modern Metals' editorial advisory board about current business conditions and how their companies were facing and managing challenges. The board members discussed the recovery from the recession, how quick access to a vast amount of information affects the supply chain and the challenges of attracting and retaining qualified workers. Read the full text.

An outlook for the aerospace market, this article discusses the expansion of  global air travel and how it will affect demand for metal products. Although composite materials certainly are part of the equation, both next-generation and traditional metals are needed to build aircraft. For example, the current-generation 777 is 85 percent metal and relatively traditional, says a source quoted in the story. Read the full text.