Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast

Not only is it Manufacturing Month, but October also is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. To mark the occasion, Smart Industry Managing Editor Scott Achelpohl recruited Joe Anderson of Ohio-based TechSolve to talk about how robust cyber defenses can start with up-to-date password practices and policies. Anderson is a big “get” for Smart Industry—an IT and info security pro with over 25 years...

CMMS. Digital Twins. IIOT. IOT. When it comes to the landscape of technology in manufacturing, it can be hard to know how to start your own transformation – or where. The industry is transforming daily as software for automation, collaboration, effiency, and safety become a bigger part of the modern shop floor, yet amidst all that tech it can hard to see where to apply it to get the most benefit....

Joe Kuhn , CMRP, former plant manager, engineer, and global reliability consultant, is now president of Lean Driven Reliability LLC. He is the author of the book “ Zero to Hero: How to Jumpstart Your Reliability Journey Given Today’s Business Challenges ” and the creator of the Joe Kuhn YouTube Channel , which offers content on starting your reliability journey and achieving financial independence...

In advance of MFG Day on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, a panel of manufacturing publication editors and a representative of The Manufacturing Institute discussed how the industry is doing in its attempt to win over a new generation of young people. Attracting skilled and unskilled workers to factories remains difficult, despite a growing number of people saying technical fields provide young people with a...

In this podcast, you’ll hear gain key insights from Newcastle Systems’ CEO John O’Kelly on why warehouses struggle to retain workers, and some of the secrets to attracting and retaining workers. And no, it’s not all about the money. About the Article   Key Insights into Retaining Warehouse Workers Companies must create a culture where employees feel valued. Written by John O'Kelly Read by Adrienne...

Between presidential election politics, declining orders in manufacturing and rate cuts, the economy has been unpredictable and difficult for most manufacturers in 2024. But, smaller companies have unique challenges and opportunities. Our panel of seasoned manufacturing CEOs from smaller companies discussed the importance of tracking the economy, difficulties they've had in hiring critical people...

Manufacturers have been collecting and analyzing data for decades – using that data to inform design work and draft simulation programs, and to analyze performances and direct resources. And all this experience has many manufacturers asking what precisely is the role for artificial intelligence?

Pico MES CEO Ryan Kuhlenbeck and MORryde Process Improvement Engineer Greg Whitt joined Smart Industry's Scott Achelpohl for a discussion on how small and midsize factories can transition from manual to digital manufacturing, starting right down on the factory floor.

Vikki Young is the global research and development group leader for  Sherwin-Williams high performance floor coatings. Vikki received her bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Minnesota before working at Tennant Company for more than 20 years. Vikki recently spoke with Thomas Wilk , editor in chief of Plant Services , to answer a really interesting question: what goes in...

In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Laura Davis, editor-in-chief of New Equipment Digest dives deep into the world of robotics, exploring six inventions that are reshaping industries and pushing the boundaries of what's possible. From a baseball-playing drone developed by MIT to a flame-throwing robot dog, and from a beach-cleaning quadruped to a record-breaking Rubik's Cub...

In this “Talking EHS” podcast, Katie McLaughlin, manager-HSE RAVS with ISN, shares her insights on the implications of OSHA’s new worker-walkaround rule, as well as the impact the new rule will have on safety managers.

IMTS 2024, the International Manufacturing Technology Show, is back, and companies are talking about a little bit of everything. Typically, two days into a show, a clear theme emerges, but this year, not so much. Discussing this are: Sharon Spielman, technical editor of Machine Design Tom Wilk, editor-in-chief of Plant Services Robert Brooks, editor-in-chief of American Machinist Robert Schoenberg...

In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Industry 4.0 influencer Jeff Winter and Smart Industry's Scott Achelpohl take on an issue that has topped technology conversations all year: artificial intelligence. AI: Is there any other topic, inside or outside of manufacturing, that is quite as hyped? A lot of technological people are confused about what their companies should be doin...

Joe Kuhn , CMRP, former plant manager, engineer, and global reliability consultant, is now president of Lean Driven Reliability LLC. He is the author of the book “ Zero to Hero: How to Jumpstart Your Reliability Journey Given Today’s Business Challenges ” and the creator of the Joe Kuhn YouTube Channel , which offers content on starting your reliability journey and achieving financial independence...

The International Manufacturing Technology Show starts up Monday, Sept. 9, bringing every type of machine and technology that might be useful in a plant to Chicago's McCormick Place.  The massive show always draws media coverage, especially from publications such as IndustryWeek and our partners within Endeavor Business Media. Discussing what we're looking forward to seeing at this year's show are...

It's no secret there is a labor shortage problem in manufacturing, with many more jobs available today than people to fill those jobs, and a growing chasm between people entering the industry versus those leaving. Lurking in that labor challenge is maybe the biggest threat - a "great retirement" where the biggest threat is older, more experienced workers retiring and taking with them a career's wo...

For a long time, compressed air systems were a massive time drain on stretched maintenance personnel, with plants reluctantly willing to make a tradeoff of continuous manual intervention in exchange for constant air delivery. However, things are different these days. In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Ron Marshall of Compressed Air Challenge reviews some of the key changes...

At the IndustryWeek Operations Leadership Summit in June in Indianapolis, IT and OT experts discussed how to connect people with technology to make digital transformation work. In this frank panel discussion, manufacturing experts talked about why so many projects fail, how to justify spending more money on new tech after the old project failed and how to get the needed buy in to continually impro...

There is a chronic problem limiting U.S. manufacturing productivity – and the growth potential for individual manufacturers. One study claims manufacturers may require as many as 3.8 million new employees by 2033. A new approach has been developed for manufacturers seeking to locate and hire, and retain, qualified workers for manufacturing jobs. Chad Schron, senior director of Tooling U-SME descri...

In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Laura Davis, editor-in-chief of New Equipment Digest talks with Shalab “Shalli” Kumar, founder and chairman of EZAutomation on his success in the automation industry, his numerous patents, and his affordable, high-quality automation products that are all manufactured in the U.S.

Industry 4.0 enthusiast and thought leader Jeff Winter teamed up with Smart Industry's Scott Achelpohl for “the sequel” to their debut of SI's monthly manufacturing technology series, (R)Evolutionizing Manufacturing . While the premiere dealt with the ABCs of digital transformation, this episode covers an absolutely foundational concept that every company trying to transform must understand: It’s...

Connecting frontline workers with back-end manufacturing technology can give them the context and information to do their jobs better. But, how does it work, and what are the immediate goals? IW discusses the technology with Jerry Grunewald of INVISTA and Eric Whitley of L2L . Topics discussed included: Which technologies really make sense for companies? How connected worker systems are like Twitt...

In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Laura Davis, editor-in-chief of New Equipment Digest discusses five reasons automation can work for any company—even the small ones. About the Article 5 Reasons Why Small or Mid-Size Shops Can't Say No to Automation Mentioning automating, robots, or cobots to a small or mid-size job shop owner will likely be met with skepticism and a chor...

Shawn Galloway is the CEO of ProAct Safety , a global consultancy firm that works with hundreds of clients across all major industries. He is also a professional speaker and author of several bestselling books on strategy, culture, leadership and employee engagement. Over the course of his career, Shawn has contributed to over 700 podcasts, 200 articles, and 100 videos. Shawn recently spoke with A...

In the first episode of their (R)Evolutionizing Manufacturing video series, Smart Industry's Scott Achelpohl and Industry 4.0 guru and evangelist Jeff Winter discuss the basics of how companies can start down the data-driven production path. In addition to talking digital transformation basics, Scott and Jeff took on audience questions gathered from Jeff's very active LinkedIn page to address conc...