Advanced Manufacturing Now

SME Media Editor Rachael Thomas and Associate Editor Cary Gitter sit down for an industry update, discussing recent news on the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, a visit to Michigan Central and Newlab in Detroit, and the administration's proposed defense budget for 2027. This is an audio-only recording of our latest episode of Advanced Manufacturing Live. Follow SME Media on LinkedIn, Facebook...

We sit down with SME's chief Manufacturing Officer, Dr. Brett Conner, to discuss the National Security Strategy and National Defense Strategy, and what they mean for manufacturers in the United States. 

We speak with Alexandra Levit, workforce futurist and founder of Inspiration at Work, and Stephanie Loeck, vice president of strategic development at GPS Education Partners, about their book Make School Work and the growing impact of work-based learning.

The manufacturing industry is transitioning into a new era of additive implementation, from massive automotive-scale builds to ultra-precise micro 3D printing. We dive into the evolving landscape of this technology in our preview of the April 2026 edition of Manufacturing Engineering and Technology, just ahead of RAPID + TCT 2026. 

2026 is not about transformation - it's about survival through smarter allocation.  Manufacturing leaders are entering the year with fewer people, tighter margins, and far less patience for initiatives that don't deliver measurable ROI. Based on CADDi's 2026 Industry Report, this session breaks down  where manufacturers are still investing, what they're deliberately avoiding, and how the best team...

SME Media Editor-in-Chief Steve Plumb and Associate Editor Cary Gitter are joined by SME's Dave Morton, group director, events; Suzy Marzano, senior manager, industry development and technical activities; and Stacey Eeman, director, industry strategy, for a special preview of RAPID + TCT—North America's largest additive manufacturing event—and the AeroDef Manufacturing showcase, coming up in Bosto...

We sit down with Matthew Bush, CEO of Hirebotics, to discuss the rapid rise of cobots in modern manufacturing and how they are transforming operations across industries.

Manufacturing organizations face a wide range of interconnected risks—from supply chain disruptions and inventory shortages to customer concentration and pricing volatility. Yet many still rely on traditional "what if" scenarios that fail to capture how these risks interact and compound, limiting their ability to anticipate performance shortfalls. Join  Glen Justis, CEO of Acclaim Strategies, LLC...

We speak with Brittany Rodriguez about her career as a Technical Professional in Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, how her mother supported her move into a manufacturing career, and being recognized as an SME 30 Under 30 Honoree in 2025.  Nominations are open now for SME 30 Under 30 2026 until April 17, 2026.

Industrial operations rely on precise lubrication to ensure optimal performance and longevity. Yet, for decades, lubricant condition monitoring has relied on scheduled sampling, delayed lab results and discovering issues only after costly damage has occurred. Real-time condition monitoring fundamentally changes this reactive approach, transforming lubrication management from guesswork into intelli...

SME Media Senior Editor Michael McConnell and Associate Editor Cary Gitter sit down with Ethan Baehrend—a 2024 SME 30 Under 30 honoree and the founder and CEO of Creative 3D Technologies—to discuss the latest in additive manufacturing and the future of the technology. This is an audio recording of our latest episode of Advanced Manufacturing Live. Follow SME Media on LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube...

Worried about scratches, scuffs, and blemishes during your sheet metal fabrication process? Whether you need to replace brush panels on turret punch, shearing, laser, and bending machines or require a safe work surface for assembly and material transfer, we've got you covered. When it comes to designing brush for different materials and processes, we take into account the weight and finish to ensu...

Manufacturers are facing a silent crisis: decades of institutional knowledge are walking out the door as experienced engineers retire, turnover rises, and supplier ecosystems shift. At the same time, teams are drowning in unstructured files — drawings, quotes, QC reports, and tribal process notes — making it harder than ever to reuse past work, avoid repeat mistakes, and train new talent. AI has t...

SME Media Senior Editor Michael McConnell, Editor Rachel Thomas and Associate Editor Cary Gitter sit down for an industry update, discussing economic expansion in the manufacturing sector, a visit to Autotool Tech Day in Ohio and the latest news on tariffs. This is an audio recording of our latest episode of Advanced Manufacturing Live. Follow SME Media on LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube to catch o...

We sit down with Dave Evans, CEO of Misumi America and founder of Fictiv, to unpack findings from the 11th Annual State of Manufacturing and Supply Chain Report.

Welcome How Winning Manufacturers Put Historical Data At The Center Of Their Business Transformation American manufacturing has been on a negative trajectory for the last half century. In the last 20 years alone, 30% of Americas small and midsized manufacturers have been absorbed by larger competitors or gone out of business. Trade policy alone isn't enough to save the American Manufacturer. To do...

Curious about adding a 3D printer to your operation? In this episode, we shares insights from manufacturers who have already taken the leap. 

We breakdown the March issue of Manufacturing Engineering and Technology, featuring articles on advances in wire EDM technology, AI integration, cybersecurity and workforce development, as well as our Aerospace and Defense Industry Report. 

Additive Manufacturing (AM) has evolved from a promising emerging technology into a mature production method that is transforming industries worldwide. While it has successfully enabled groundbreaking applications in sectors such as aerospace, defense, medical, and consumer goods, it has also revealed limitations where initial expectations could not be met. In this webinar, Matthias Schmidt-Lehr,...

On the latest episode of Advanced Manufacturing Live , Jennifer Coyne, director of programs at The Barnes Global Advisors and an advisor on SME's AM Technical Community Leadership Committee, joins Senior Editor Michael McConnell and Editor Rachael Thomas for a conversation on workforce development and advocacy within the additive manufacturing industry as well as holistic approaches to technology...

Join us in exploring the findings from a new Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) report by Sphera and The Aluminum Association. Learn how aluminum is shaping a more sustainable future by reducing emissions and improving efficiency in battery electric vehicle (BEV) designs.  Why Attend?   Explore Key Findings : Understand how lightweighting with aluminum contributes to lower life cycle emissions in BEVs. ...

Key Machining Strategies Covered: Trochoidal Milling:  Efficient material removal with reduced tool wear High Efficiency Milling (HEM):  Uses low radial depth of cut for improved tool life and productivity Specialized Operations: Helical interpolation Ramping Full slot milling Industry Segment focus: Critical aerospace components, Oil & Gas (dogbone coupon milling), automotive, medical and more Su...

In this episode of Advanced Manufacturing Now, we speak with Nush Ahmed and Karlie Hahn, CEO & COO of Sisterhood of Trades respectively, about their burgeoning manufacturing careers and the rewards of building a community of their peers.  

Justin Baucum, who's leading Isembard's U.S. expansion, joins Steve Plumb to discuss the company's unique business model of establishing contract manufacturing franchises on the latest episode of Advanced Manufacturing Live. 

What is a time series database and why should you consider using one? In this podcast, we will examine challenges that traditional relational databases struggle to address efficiently and how to implement high-performance time-series data systems with minimal operational overhead. We'll explore how modern open source technologies like InfluxDB, Apache Arrow, DataFusion, and turn high-volume, high-...