ASSEMBLY Audible

Brian Kramer, Underwriting Officer for Manufacturing and Wholesale at The Hartford Financial Services Group stops in to the show to discuss how important and cost effective it is to be proactive about worker safety. We discuss the benefits of getting a Risk Assessment and what some of the typical findings are. You will also learn how easy it is to get the process started and how other companies ha...

With Smart Factory technology growing throughout the world, Sudhanshu Gaur, Ph. D., vice president at Hitachi America and chief architect for smart manufacturing at automotive supplier Hitachi Astemo talks about how to implement the technology, how to use the data collected from it and how companies of all sizes can benefit from the digital transformation.

Host Chris Smith has an informative conversation with Mohit Gupta author of "Lean On! The Evolution of Operations Excellence With Digital Transformation in Manufacturing and Beyond" ahead of Mr. Gupta's webinar on September 9, 2021. The discussion goes into misconceptions about lean tools, the seven trends of lean, how the digital revolution is providing more real time data and how to best utilize...

With digital manufacturing on demand, you can now get prototypes and production parts in as fast as a day. Engineers can upload parts and get quotes within seconds, talk to experienced engineers within minutes, and get machined, fabricated, molded, and printed parts to their door within days. See how manufacturing on demand can make your custom manufacturing process faster and better. To learn mor...

Leah Curry is president of Toyota Manufacturing Indiana where she is responsible for stamping, body weld, paint, plastics, assembly, conveyance and plant engineering. In this episode, Leah covers auto assembly hot topics like electrified vehicles, factory floor advancements, retooling, upskilling, carbon reduction, and attracting and retaining talent. Leah also shares her path to manufacturing and...

Dan Barsness is vice president of global product management and e-commerce at Protolabs. He joins us to share how the digital manufacturing service provider brings rapid manufacturing to life across automated 3D printing, CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication and injection molding for clients around the world. He also shares advice for other manufacturers looking to speed up product assembly.

Marie-Christine Caron is senior operations manager with GE aviation and Eric Dube is senior engineering section manager. They join us to discuss the state of aerospace assembly a year after the industry was hit hard by the pandemic. From advancements in automation, to additive manufacturing, to lean manufacturing, to decarburization, they offer promising examples and lessons learned from their exp...

Eric Cowan is vice president of Industry 4.0 solution delivery and automation at Stanley Black & Decker. He joins us to discuss the hard and soft skills necessary for a successful digital transformation in manufacturing. Key topics covered include ensuring adoption of new solutions, upskilling, future predictions, and how mid- and small-sized manufacturers can embrace Industry 4.0 advancements...

Data analytics is one of the hottest buzzwords in manufacturing today and, as a data scientist with GE Digital, Sarah Lukens specializes in it. In this episode, Sarah talks about combing through as many as millions of data points, then transforming them into actionable insights for manufacturing. She explains industrial AI, technical language processing, and moving form predictive to prescriptive...

Susanne Lauda is director of global advanced manufacturing technology at AGCO. She discusses Manufacturing 4.0 examples, challenges, and best practices related to agricultural machinery and precision agriculture technology. A member of the Women in Manufacturing Education Foundation Board of Directors, Susanne also shares her experience and outlook on the future of women in the field.

Edward Hightower is managing director of Motoring Ventures and author of the book Motoring Africa: Sustainable Automotive Industrialization. He joins us to discuss the topic of sustainable industrialization and how he's putting his years of experience in automotive product design and engineering at big-name brands to work to help drive more automotive manufacturing in Africa.

Max Reynolds, co-founder and CEO of Symbio Robotics, discusses how software-based technology can help manufacturers retrofit existing automation in final assembly. He explains the power of artificial intelligence, forced feedback, computer vision and machine learning to “push the final frontier of automation” and modernize robot programming processes.

Rick Oppedisano, president and CEO of Delta Bravo AI, joins us to discuss working with manufacturers to transform the data they collect on the factory floor into predictive models that optimize operations. He covers the role artificial intelligence can play in preventative maintenance, predictive quality, reducing scrap, demand and inventory movement forecasting, as well as increasing general thro...

Shameka Lewis, associate manager of global environment, health and safety with toymaker Mattel, covers employee health and safety in the face of COVID-19 and overall, in addition to the topic of women in manufacturing. She shares pandemic-fueled approaches to EHS she expects to stick, cultivating a culture of safety, and being a woman in a male-dominated industry, among other things.

Alexandre Georgetti, director of manufacturing strategy for Eaton's Vehicle Group, shares key ingredients for purposefully implementing Industry 4.0 across the factory floors of various countries and cultures. He also offers examples of how augmented reality, centralized platforms, robotics, digital simulation, and additive manufacturing are optimizing product assembly.

Juan Aparicio, vice president of product at READY Robotics, talks about making robotics more accessible to the manufacturing workforce, how the new Forge/OS 5 platform simplifies programming, effectively deploying automation in factories, and future projections for robotics in assembly.

Tami Hedgren is manufacturing lead of large tractors and combines with John Deere. She shares optimism around the rise of women in agricultural manufacturing; breaking down barriers for those who follow in her footsteps; and the role of 5G, edge computing, and video analytics in fueling the next manufacturing revolution.

Jeff Johnson, U.S. mechatronics product manager with Beckhoff Automation, shares how mag-lev conveyors work through the lens of the new XPlanar system. He covers how the innovative technology brings flexibility to product assembly, along with applications and limitations.

The House Democratic Manufacturing Working Group was launched in March 2021 to examine key issues for strengthening the American manufacturing sector. Congresswoman Haley Stevens, co-chair of the group, discusses focus areas along with intended impact on engineers and managers in assembly.

Lisa Skidmore is senior director of advanced quality engineering with GE Appliances. In this episode, we discuss the advancement of women in manufacturing, how the company is investing in its assembly lines and workforce, and noteworthy innovations for the near future of manufacturing.