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You Know Robots But What About Cobots? by David Shiller

William Attardi on June 24, 2026

Collaborative robots, or cobots, are moving from factory novelty to practical production tools, and the lighting industry is well positioned to benefit from that shift. For lighting manufacturers, the biggest implication is not replacement of people, but a rebalancing of labor: cobots can take on repetitive, precise, or ergonomically difficult tasks while skilled workers focus on assembly, testing, engineering support, quality control, and process improvements. Lighting manufacturing has several operations that match cobot strengths: bin picking, screwdriving, machine tending, packaging, label application, inspection support, and repetitive subassembly work. Cobots are designed to work safely alongside people in shared spaces, which makes them attractive for plants that cannot justify a full fenced robot cell or that need to keep production layouts flexible. Their easier programming and faster deployment also matter for lighting companies that run many product variants and short production cycles. More information is available hereand here. You Know Robots But What About Cobots? | LightNOW

Manufacturing PMI® at 52.7% – March 2026 ISM® Manufacturing PMI® Report

William Attardi on April 3, 2026

US manufacturing activity expanded for a third consecutive month in March, with the Institute for Supply Management’s manufacturing PMI measuring 52.7, up slightly from 52.4 in February. New orders dropped from 55.8 to 53.5, while production rose 1.6 points to 55.1. Supplier deliveries increased 3.8 points to 58.9, and employment contracted 0.1 points to 48.7. Institute for Supply Management

Remembering the Solemn Purpose of Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States observed on the last Monday in May to honor and mourn U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the armed forces. The holiday traces its roots to the years immediately following the American Civil War (1861–1865), which caused massive casualties—roughly 620,000 soldiers dead, about 2% of the U.S. population at the time. Communities across the North and South began spontaneously decorating the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers, wreaths, and flags, a practice that gave rise to the original name: Decoration Day. On May 5, 1868, Major General John A. Logan, commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR)—a powerful Union veterans’ organization—issued General Order No. 11. This proclaimed May 30, 1868, as a nationwide “Decoration Day” to honor those who died in the Civil War. After World War I, the holiday expanded to honor all American service members who died in any war, not just the Civil War.  In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act to create more three-day weekends for federal employees. This moved Memorial Day to the last Monday in May, effective in 1971, when it was also officially named “Memorial Day.” As one 1868 quote put it: “That Nation which respects and honors its dead, shall ever be respected and honored itself.”