Leveraging artificial obsolescence to operationalize the domestic supply chain.

In my previous article, we explored the 1941 Victory Plan as a masterclass in industrial foresight, where the US moved from isolation to becoming the “Great Arsenal of Democracy.” As President Franklin Delano Roosevelt noted in 1940¹ the goal was not just to design weapons, but to produce them in sufficient volume to save future generations the “agony and suffering of war.” Today, as we face a new era of near-peer competition, the Victory Plan has been reborn, with a new focus shaped by the modern battlefield. While the 1940s emphasis was on steel and aircraft, our current challenge lies in the rapid, high-volume production of electronics and sensors like those that power modern unmanned systems.

An investigation of surface energy effects on adhesive bond strength.

Reliable bonding depends on three critical variables working in synergy (Figure 1). If any of these pillars is weak or inconsistent, overall bond performance is compromised.

Without the right context, AI gives answers that sound right but can quietly derail manufacturing decisions.

It’s 9:15 AM on a Tuesday, and Maria – your rising star process engineer – is about to make a $50,000 mistake.

She asked AI a simple question: “What’s the recommended cure temperature for FR-4 laminate?” The answer came back instantly, confidently: “Cure at 180°C for 90 minutes.” She’s two clicks away from updating the work instruction that will go to the production floor for today’s run of 24 panels.