Manufacturing Runs The World

How can a defect smaller than a human hair cause an aircraft system to fail? In this episode of Manufacturing Runs The World, Justin Schnor sits down with Tessa Axsom, Product Marketing Manager at Fictiv, mechanical engineer, manufacturing expert, and metallurgy enthusiast. Tessa shares her unique journey through aerospace manufacturing, metallurgy, CNC machining, product development, failure anal...

Everyone thinks AI is coming to replace workers. But according to one of the leaders building industrial AI systems today — that’s not what’s happening at all. In this episode of Manufacturing Runs The World, we sit down with Bryan DeBois, a veteran engineer and technology leader who has spent nearly 25 years helping manufacturers solve complex production challenges using automation, machine learn...

Are robots taking people's jobs? It’s one of the most emotional and controversial questions surrounding robotics, automation, and artificial intelligence today. In this episode of Manufacturing Runs The World, we sit down with Anjali Asar, a robotics software engineer at Miso Robotics, the company behind the well-known Flippy robot used in commercial kitchens. When Anjali first took the job, s...

Manufacturing quality control is one of the most misunderstood parts of CNC machining and precision manufacturing. Many people assume every manufactured part that works gets shipped to the customer — but in reality, thousands of dollars in perfectly functional parts are rejected every month. In this episode of Manufacturing Runs The World, Jacob LaFlamme of SwissTurn/USA explains a surprising trut...

Most people think modern factories are powered by advanced automation, real-time dashboards, and highly optimized digital systems. But what if a major manufacturing operation was still tracking production numbers using… whiteboards and manual data entry? In this episode of Manufacturing Runs The World, manufacturing engineer Kyle Fenstermacher of Universal Laser Systems shares one of the most surp...

It’s one of the hardest truths in entrepreneurship and manufacturing:Sometimes the thing that grows your business is also the thing that teaches you the most painful lesson. In this episode of Manufacturing Runs The World, we sit down with Daniel Hester, Founder, President & CEO of American Precision Engineering (APE) — to unpack what it really looks like to build a high-end fabrication and en...

Buying a manufacturing company with no money, no experience, and no clear plan sounds impossible — but it happens more often than people admit. In this manufacturing leadership podcast episode, Kyle Hurst of Rhino Tool House explains how he bought a $3.1 million manufacturing distribution business at 30 years old and learned how to make it work in real time. In this episode of Manufacturing Runs T...

Most engineering mistakes in manufacturing don’t look serious at first — but they quickly turn into rework, production delays, and lost shop time on the factory floor. In this episode of Manufacturing Runs The World, we break down how one hour of rushed engineering work can realistically turn into 20 hours of manufacturing rework. We sit down with Matthew Gettle, Mechanical Design Engineer at Read...

Most people think manufacturing is dirty, boring, or dying — but modern automation is doing something far more powerful: improving quality, reducing fatigue, preventing defects, and helping build products that people rely on to stay healthy. In this episode of Manufacturing Runs The World, we sit down with Jeff Buck, Co-President of Automation NTH (Automation to the Nth Degree) — a U.S.-based indu...

When a critical machine fails, production doesn’t slow down — it stops. Every minute of downtime can cost thousands, derail schedules, and threaten entire operations. So how do manufacturers keep massive machines running when replacement parts take months… or no longer exist at all? In this episode of Manufacturing Runs the World, we break down how modern manufacturers avoid catastrophic downtime...

Think manufacturing is dirty, dangerous, and outdated? Think again. The reality inside modern factories is very different from the myths most people still believe. In this episode of Manufacturing Runs the World, we sit down with Anthony Reiter, Chief Finance Officer of Reiter Technical Services, alongside Project Engineer Matt, to talk about factory safety, automation, AI in sawmills, and how mod...

Are you ready to see modern manufacturing through a completely new lens? Most people imagine factories as dirty, boring, or dying—but the reality of modern manufacturing engineering and product development is far more dynamic, complex, and human. This episode of Manufacturing Runs the World breaks outdated stereotypes and reveals what manufacturing actually looks like behind the scenes today. In t...

Most engineers know how to draw parts. But very few truly understand how machines actually make them. That gap between CAD design and manufacturing reality is the real reason “simple” engineering designs turn into expensive problems on the shop floor — blown budgets, delayed production, frustrated machinists, and parts that never behave the way they looked on screen. In this powerful episode of Ma...

Manufacturing automation is changing the future of work—and industrial robots are not doing what most people fear. Instead of “robots taking jobs,” the real story inside modern manufacturing often looks very different: robots can help protect jobs, stabilize factories, and make work safer. When people hear factory automation, they imagine machines replacing humans and empty production floors. But...

Can strong manufacturing leadership really fix a toxic work culture? In this full episode of Manufacturing Runs The World, I sit down with Jim Chew, CEO and President of JenFab Cleaning Solutions, to explore a real manufacturing turnaround—where a factory rebuilt its culture by leading without fear, yelling, or point systems. What if the future of manufacturing isn’t about machines…but about how w...

What if the American Dream never actually left — it just moved to the factory floor? In this episode of Manufacturing Runs The World, we're meeting with Cris of Manitowoc Tool & Manufacturing , a 300,000+ sq ft operation in Wisconsin, and I’m hit with a story that completely reframes how modern manufacturing really works. Cris Muchowski started here straight out of high school. No degree. No n...

If your coffee maker can be “smart,” imagine what an entire factory can do. In this episode of Manufacturing Runs The World, host Justin Schnor sits down with Travis Cox, Chief Technology Evangelist at Inductive Automation, to reveal how the systems behind modern manufacturing actually think, move, and learn. Travis helped build Ignition, the platform used by thousands of factories—and yes, even t...

In this episode of Manufacturing Runs The World , Shawn Adams from AutoParkIt explains how welders, fabricators, and engineers are reinventing one of the oldest urban headaches: parking. Instead of pouring more concrete, AutoParkIt doubles capacity in the same footprint, cuts operating costs by 40%, and reduces vehicle emissions by up to 83%. From Detroit’s historic Free Press building to Californ...

I thought I knew manufacturing—until this episode. Join me as I sit down with Ville Lehtonen, CTO of Real Time Robotics, and discover a hidden niche in automation that’s saving companies billions—if they’re bold enough to use it. We break down the world of robot path planning, the cultural gap between U.S. and Chinese factories, and the one thing that now decides who wins in manufacturing: the spe...

A stamping machine goes haywire because someone hit play on a Netflix movie. Welcome to the hidden chaos of factory networks. In this episode, Justin sits down with John Rinaldi , founder of Real Time Automation , to expose the hilarious (and horrifying) tech issues that haunt modern manufacturing—from ghost nodes and dying Ethernet cables to the real reason Industry 4.0 often fails. If you're...

What if your "failed" college semester led you to a multi-million dollar empire and a partnership with one of the world's most influential figures? This episode of Manufacturing Runs The World reveals the jaw-dropping journey of Mitch Free. Discover how he pioneered the first online manufacturing marketplace, mfg.com, and the personal call that led to Jeff Bezos buying into his visio...

In this episode of Manufacturing Runs The World, we dive into the garage-gym innovation that’s shaking up the fitness industry. When Tyler Danen couldn’t find the right dumbbells during a workout, he didn’t just get frustrated—he got inspired. That spark turned into FITBENCH , a fully loaded, all-in-one fitness station now used in commercial gyms and home gyms across the U.S. But this isn’t just a...

What if industrial sales wasn’t about pushing product—but solving real pain? In this episode of Manufacturing Runs the World , Justin sits down with Shane, co-founder of 3BG Supply, who shares how his team wins business not through pressure—but by solving problems that most suppliers ignore. From helping a stranded sailor in Thailand keep sailing to saving a manufacturer $2.5M with a better chain...

When cows were overheating in the California sun, Jaylin Krell’s father and grandfather set out to solve a problem no one else was paying attention to. That’s how MacroAir created the first-ever HVLS fan — a category that changed the way we cool large spaces forever. In this episode, Jaylin shares how they turned that breakthrough into a global business, why they’ve resisted the pressure to “scale...

What kind of person builds robots to fail ? Meet Dan Allford , the founder of Arc Specialties , who’s been automating the world’s most dangerous jobs—from offshore rigs to nuclear reactors—since 1982. In this episode of Manufacturing Runs The World , we explore: How failing on purpose leads to safer automation Why Arc Specialties tests 10 ideas to find 2 that sell The surprising role of welding in...