Advanced Manufacturing Now

Today's machine tools and ancillary equipment are capable of gathering vast amounts of data. The question is how to analyze this data in order to develop ways to improve key processes. In this episode, Alan Rooks, Editor in Chief of Manufacturing Engineering magazine, talks with Andy Henderson, Vice of Engineering & Data Science for Praemo Inc. about how data analysis impacts manufacturing, the data requirements to do effective analysis, and key methods of analyzing data for actionable results.

Joe Szymanski, VP of sales and marketing at LK Metrology goes into detail about his firm's approach to Westec, including new products and services the company is offering and market segments in which it specializes. What sets LK apart from its competition? Find out here.

EMAG USA CEO Peter Loetzner reviews all that EMAG displayed at Westec in Long Beach—and describes the common challenges manufacturers face that EMAG offerings can solve. He also outlines the footprint of EMAG in North America.

At the Westec show in Long Beach, Calif., Cedric Hasenfratz, national sales manager at Zoller USA, explains what common challenges in manufacturing Zoller is determined to solve. He also goes over the company's approach to implementing tool-management solutions.

The Skills Gap in manufacturing is well documented. The question is what we are going to do about it. In this podcast, Alan Rooks, Editor in Chief of Manufacturing Engineering magazine, talks with Dean Steadman, CNC Education Program Manager for FANUC America, about how manufacturing is different than it was 20 years ago; the key challenges that need to be met to keep manufacturing strong; why it is important for the next generation to study STEM related courses; the benefits to a career in manufacturing; and how FANUC helps students and current workers become proficient with robotics and CNC automation.

At the WESTEC show in Long Beach, Calif., Nicholas Kaczmarski, national sales manager at Beamer Laser Marking System, talks with Brett Brune, Editor in Chief of Smart Manufacturing magazine about branding updates and an increase in solutions offered to the marketplace. He discusses the challenges manufacturers are facing, and how Beamer can provide solutions to remove the obstacles in the way. And he explains what the company does that differentiates it from competitors.

With metal-based additive manufacturing creating a lot of excitement and buzz, learning how to plan for and use it to best advantages is important. Andrew Carter, Senior Manufacturing Engineer for Stratasys Direct, the 3D printing manufacturing services company talks with Bruce Morey, Senior Technical Editor for Manufacturing Engineering magazine about the context and current best practices of metal-based additive manufacturing.

In today's metalcutting operations, optimization software plays a vital and growing role. In this episode, Alan Rooks, Editor in Chief of Manufacturing Engineering magazine, talks with Gene Granata, VERICUT Product Manager for CGTech, about the importance of optimization in metal cutting, how CGTech's VERICUT optimization software can be integrated with major CAM systems, how Force optimization is an improvement over other optimization strategies, and the types of toolpaths that VERICUT Force optimizes.

How is support-free breaking the rules of Designing for Additive Manufacturing? Dr. Zach Murphree, Vice President of Technical Partnerships at Velo3d, talks with Chris Mahar, associate editor of Manufacturing Engineering, about how Velo3d is enabling customers to print without the consideration of support structures, the types of applications it enables, and how it can actually improve the quality of printed parts.

Hidden energy loss can exist even within the most efficiently ran facilities. In this podcast, Han Tran, Application Engineer at Fluke Corporation sat down with Associate Editor Chris Mahar to discuss how to translate your energy management to money in your pocket.

With more than three decades' experience in manufacturing, 2019 SME President Mark Michalski has seen significant changes and remarkable technology advancements in his career. But it's what's coming in the next few years that most excites and impresses him. In this conversation with Chris Mahar, Associate Editor of Manufacturing Engineering magazine, Michalski looks back on his career, talks about what inspires people about manufacturing, and lends his perspective as SME president to what the next few years might hold for manufacturing: technology breakthroughs, process improvements, and how we'll address the workforce gap.

As the old saying goes, "a picture is worth a thousand words." But the pictures created by Fluke cameras are worth so much more – saving time, money and helping employees work better. Justin Sheard, Principal Engineer for New Product Solutions and Sat Sandhu, Thermography Support Manager at Fluke Corporation sit down with Associate Editor Chris Mahar to explain. From acoustic cameras to thermal imaging, these cameras mean business.

When it comes to the flow of making something – from concept to design to ordering to production – manufacturing hasn't changed as much over the last 50 years as many may believe. Gregg Bigleman, PhD, vice president of North American Sales at Sandvik Applied Manufacturing Technologies, sits down with Chris Mahar, associate editor of Manufacturing Engineering, to talk how new technologies can improve this process. Today's software and services are enabling a connected manufacturing environment that streamlines the manufacturing process into a single linear path, where information flows accurately and smoothly between the different stages and steps.

Relationships are the lifeblood of any organization and positively managing relationships is critical to successful sales. Adam Honig, founder and CEO of Spiro talks with Chris Mahar, associate editor of Manufacturing Engineering, about proactive relationship management and how AI is changing how manufacturing companies sell. Combining CRM, sales enablement and phone systems together are revolutionizing how manufacturers interact with their customers and improving relationship management.

Metal additive manufacturing is changing the way manufacturing happens—expanding design and performance capabilities beyond what has traditionally been available. In this podcast, Chris Mahar, Associate Editor of Manufacturing Engineering magazine, talks with Ron Fisher, Vice President of Business Development at Sigma Labs about metal additive manufacturing and how their in-process nondestructive quality inspection system is enabling manufacturers to maximize their metal-based additive manufacturing operations and quality control.

There have been important changes at manufacturing companies, and that has led to changes in how they approach tooling and workholding. In this podcast, Alan Rooks, Editor in Chief of Manufacturing Engineering magazine, talks with Paul Lewis, Regional Manager for BIG Kaiser Precision Tooling about changes in tooling and what managers need to consider even before they make the purchase, how managers can find the balance the time it takes to do their jobs, process work and fill commitments, and what the future looks like for these manufacturers.

Today, you can get almost anything you want near instantaneously – and now this immediate feedback is available for manufacturing. Greg Paulsen, director of applications engineering at Xometry, talks with Chris Mahar, associate editor of Manufacturing Engineering, about the company's instant quoting process and manufacturing on-demand capabilities. Paulsen explains how manufacturers can benefit from manufacturing as a service, the growth of Xometry and their new Xometry Supplies business to help manufacturers source the raw materials needed to power their operations.

Manufacturers lose millions of dollars each year due to employee turnover. Jeannine Kunz, vice president at Tooling U-SME, talks with Chris Mahar, associate editor of Manufacturing Engineering, about Tooling U-SME's recent "The True Cost of Turnover" report and the impact that employee turnover has on manufacturing productivity. In addition to talking about the impacts turnover has on manufacturing operations, Kunz shares ways manufacturers can retain employees and boost productivity.

Many people think that robots are putting people out of work. The real story is quite different. In this podcast, Alan Rooks, Editor in Chief of Manufacturing Engineering magazine, talks with John Lucier, FANUC Automation Manager for Methods Machine Tools, about the myths and reality of robotic automation, how automation can be used in high-mix low-volume manufacturing applications, how small shops integrate automation into their production floor, and much more.

Presetters have obvious benefits, yet many shops still set their tools on the machine. Why should they change the way they've always done things? In this episode, Alan Rooks, Editor in Chief of Manufacturing Engineering magazine, talks with Rob Salley, application engineer for Haimer USA, about this key topic, the new technology behind Haimer's Microset Presetters, and other toolholding technology, including how shrink-fit collets appear to be increasing is popularity and why shops should consider balancing their tool assemblies.

Metalworking fluids are a key part of the manufacturing process, but many shops don't understand the critical importance of choosing the right fluid for their processes. In this podcast, Alan Rooks, editor in chief of Manufacturing Engineering magazine, speaks with Drew Borders, business development manager for Blaser Swisslube, about why metalworking fluids should NOT be thought of as a commodity and an "unavoidable cost" to a company, how metalworking fluids can be a strategic tool for manufacturers, and the role of new vegetable oil or ester-based metalworking fluids.

In today's fast-paced business climate, manufacturers need all the help they can get in many different aspects of their operations—including marketing. In this podcast, Alan Rooks, editor in chief of Manufacturing Engineering magazine, talks with Damien Cabral, partner in TribalVision, about the marketing challenges facing manufacturing companies in today's business climate, why a company would want to use outsourced marketing instead of their own staffers, and some real-world examples of how this process works.

Financial stresses on your manufacturing employees can hinder their productivity. In this podcast, Geoff Giordano, contributing editor for Manufacturing Engineering magazine, speaks with Mike Domingos and Marc Howell of Prudential Financial about their latest research into the ripple effect on businesses when employees encounter financial issues. They reveal some ways to tailor your benefits packages to help head off financial emergencies for workers – and preserve your organization's overall financial health.

Measurement and inspection processes are becoming faster, more accurate, and more productive. In this podcast, Alan Rooks, editor in chief of Manufacturing Engineering magazine, talks with Frank Powell, product manager, grinder products for Marposs Inc. about where measurement and inspection systems fit during the production process, why the reputation measurement systems have for being very complicated is not true anymore, and how Marposs is positioning itself for the transition to Industry 4.0.

CAD/CAM software is one of the key elements in a sound machining strategy, and developers of this software take different approaches to creating, implementing and improving their products. In this podcast, Alan Rooks, Editor in Chief of Manufacturing Engineering magazine, talks with Don Davies, vice president, DP Technology Corp., the developer of Esprit CAM/CAD software about how post-processing in CAM is key to success in machining, DP Technology's approach to post processing, and how the Esprit solution differs from similar products in the market.

Historically, a company who had a need for parts required their own expensive manufacturing operations or navigate complex and time-consuming negotiations with potential suppliers. Ben Redwood, Director of Supply Chain at 3D Hubs and the author of the 3D Printing Handbook, talks with Chris Mahar, Associate Editor of Manufacturing Engineering, about how the company is connecting customers and manufacturing job shops together. 3D Hubs is helping manufacturers increase their bottom line by using 21st century thinking to help customers meet their 3D printing, CNC machining and injection molding needs. Ben is the writer of The 3D Printing Handbook, a top selling book on 3D printing for professionals. 3D Hubs is offering a free download of the first chapters of the book. To get your copy and to learn more about 3D Hubs, go to https://www.3dhubs.com/podcast/advancedmanufacturing.

At the AeroDef conference in Long Beach, Calif., Ascent Aerospace's Sean Henson describes some of the new technologies and innovations in composite mold tooling. He also gives an overview of Ascent and explains the advantages Ascent's HyVarC tooling has over traditional composite tooling materials. Lastly, Henson shares how he sees AM impacting the tooling industry in general.

At the AeroDef conference in Long Beach, Calif., Lincoln Electric's Mark Douglass talks about acquiring Baker Industries, experimenting in additive manufacturing—and planning to specialize in large-format metal AM: parts that are larger than a microwave. AM is a significant "growth leg" in the 124-year-old firm's just-hatched 2025 plan, he noted. Among the concrete examples in AM his firm can point to already: Oakridge National Labs now has three of Lincoln's robotic AM systems for producing large metal parts. Lincoln is set to this year open a 3D printing facility in Cleveland.

At the AeroDef conference in Long Beach, Calif., Daniel Martinez of Siemens Digital Industries patiently describes how OEMs and supply chain members that haven't yet taken up digitization move into it now. For the uninitiated, he also describes his firm's totally integrated automation (TIA) portal and how it helps companies in their production strategies. And, for those in the aerospace and defense sectors who still don't quite get the Digital Twin, he details its importance.

At the AeroDef conference in Long Beach, Calif., Lee Coleman, managing director of the U.S. machining division at Suhner, discusses the company's aggressive move into the robot tool area. He also talks about what his firm's new cooperative venture with PushCorp means for the future. And he gets into what impact composites have had on Suhner's business strategy in aerospace manufacturing.

In an interview at the AeroDef conference in Long Beach, Calif., George Barnych of B3 Technical Services details a demo project at the University of New Hampshire. The project addresses the promises of automation and IoT adoption. It explores ways to minimizing financial and technical risks for small and medium-size manufacturers. The underlying system is based on open standards. The project is being industrialized, and it is not yet open to the public.

At the AeroDef conference in Long Beach, Calif., Creaform's Payam Hariri explains who in manufacturing is using 3D scanning, as well as all the ways in which it is being used. It is a cradle-to-the-product-shelf tool tale: It begins with product development and ends with production and QA.

If you cut metal and make chips, machine tools are the lifeblood of your operation. Ryan Hegman, National Sales Manager, Caron Engineering Inc, talks with Chris Mahar, Associate Editor of Manufacturing Magazine, about how software and sensors can improve CNC machine tool life and performance. From better predicting and managing tool life and replacement intervals to maximizing precision through auto-compensation of tool wear, automating CNC machining is about more than robotics. Hegman shares how software and sensor automation can elevate your machining operations to the next level.

Smart Manufacturing magazine Editor in Chief Brett Brune interviews Stéphane Lannuzel, chief digital officer for operations at L'Oréal, in Paris. "The digital transformation of L'Oréal Operations is really led by our consumer needs. Our consumers have changed more in the last three years than in the past 30 years," Lannuzel says.

Manufacturing is growing more automated every day, and the fabrication industry is no exception. In this episode, Alan Rooks, editor in chief of Manufacturing Engineering magazine talks with Mark Scherler, general manager of FANUC America about the latest FANUC robot technologies for welding and cutting; how solutions for the Industrial Internet of Things may change how manufacturing operations are performed; and strategies for shrinking the Skills Gap in the U.S.

Manufacturing analytics allows companies to use data to drive more effective decision making. In this podcast, Alan Rooks, editor in chief of Manufacturing Engineering, talks with Eric Fogg, chief operating officer of MachineMetrics, about the role of the Industrial Internet of Things and Industry 4.0 in manufacturing analytics; key new apps from MachineMetrics (MachineMetrics Health and MachineMetrics Service); the results MachineMetrics is seeing with customers, including machine builders and manufacturers; and where the industry is heading regarding manufacturing analytics.

Do you know the exact amount of downtime for each of your machines? Jim Finnerty, Product Manager, Wintriss Controls Group, sits down with Chris Mahar, Associate Editor of Manufacturing Magazine, to talk about the value of automating data collection on the shop floor. Finnerty discusses the benefits over manual data collection and how businesses can capture data's low hanging fruit – getting the most return for the investment made. Learn how focusing on Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) can improve your shop, benefiting worker and machine productivity while cutting costs and raising profits.

Think you know robots? Learn the facts in this podcast, when Chris Mahar, Associate Editor of Manufacturing Engineering magazine, talks robotics with Pete Rogers, Vice President, Operations for Acieta. Rogers talks about the challenges manufacturers large and small are facing and how robotics can address these macro issues. You'll learn how robots improve opportunities and utilization of workers, help companies solve their workforce challenges and what impact labor shortages are having on manufacturing operations. Rogers also highlights best practices for deploying robots within your current workforce and how to know if they are right for you.

Growing up attending SME chapter meetings with his dad, 2018 SME President Thomas Kurfess, PhD, FSME, PE, talks with Chris Mahar, Associate Editor of Manufacturing Engineering magazine, about his 35 years as an SME member and his year as SME President. Looking to the future, Kurfess shares his thoughts on how manufacturing can better engage and attract the next generation of professionals and what is next for the industry in 2019 and beyond.

The Skills Gap in the U.S is real and growing. In this podcast, Alan Rooks, Editor in Chief of Manufacturing Engineering magazine, talks with Jeannine Kunz, vice president of Tooling U-SME and vice president, director of training and development, about why manufacturers should be worried about the skills gap; factors contributing to the skills gap; and what manufacturers can do about it. They also discuss the Industry Pulse: 2018 Manufacturing Workforce Report; reasons why manufacturers should train their employees; what successful companies are doing to invest in their people; and the first step a company can take to start building a workforce training program.

The trend to robotic machine tool tending is picking up speed (as well as parts). In this podcast, Alan Rooks, Editor in Chief of Manufacturing Engineering magazine, talks with Stefan Drakensjo, Vice President, Robots & Applications - Global Business Line Manager – Handling & Machining for ABB. The discussion includes how to define robotic machine tool tending; the benefits robotic automation provides for machine tool material handling applications; the benefits of vision systems; and how workpieces can be handled with robots.

Automation doesn't have to be difficult. With the right strategy, job shops can install and use automation that keeps their companies competitive with larger firms. In this podcast, Alan Rooks, Editor in Chief of Manufacturing Engineering magazine, talks with Amanda Rosenblatt, marketing coordinator for Shop Floor Automation about her company's approach to automating machines; how easy it is for someone new to automation to pick up on this technology and start using it; and how Job Shop Automations' products integrate with automation or software solutions already in in use on the shop floor. The discussion also focuses on how job shops can use strategies for Industry 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things.

Sanjay Thakore, business strategy manager for Autodesk, talks with Candace Roulo, managing editor, about how the cloud brings data, people and machines together, and the challenges often seen in manufacturing environments and how they are solved by the cloud during IMTS 2018 in Chicago.

One of the key aspects of business that is sometimes overlooked is the partnerships that develop between independent companies. In this podcast, Alan Rooks, Editor in Chief of Manufacturing Engineering magazine, talks with Ben Mund, Senior Market Analyst for CNC Software, the developer of Mastercam CAM software about CNC Software's take on the value of business partnerships, how the company partners with developers and hardware and tooling manufacturers as well as other software companies, and the benefits to be found by collaborating with other companies.

Jay Elepano, optical CMM/SFG product manager for Zeiss Metrology LCC, talks with Candace Roulo, managing editor, about lasers, automation, cooperative robots and how to attract and retain a skilled workforce during IMTS 2018 in Chicago.

David Suica, president of Fastems LLC, discusses how automation and Industry 4.0 can be combined to help job shops overcome labor shortages and produce production. He talked to Senior Editor Bill Koenig at the 2018 IMTS event in Chicago.

Steve Baier, national sales manager of Haimer USA, talks about Industry 4.0 issues that job shops should consider. He spoke during at the 2018 edition of IMTS in Chicago.

Training in advanced manufacturing technology is a hot topic as companies grapple with the skills gap. In this episode, Alan Rooks, Editor in Chief of Manufacturing Engineering magazine, interviews Roger Tadajewski, Executive Director and CEO of NC3. Tadajewski explores the need for training in advanced manufacturing technology; how the industry can ensure that new workers are properly trained; how current workers can stay current with new technology; and how training will evolve and change in the coming years. He also explains how and why NC3 has formed a partnership with the SME Education Foundation, Snap-on Inc., and the L.S. Starrett Company to provide custom training in precision measurement for schools in the SME PRIME Schools network.

Wade Anderson, product specialist manager at Okuma America Corp., talks about his company's line of machine tools as well as the issues job shops should consider for automating their operations. He talked to Senior Editor Bill Koenig at the 2018 edition of IMTS.

Mark Johnson, president of Tapmatic, talks to Senior Editor Bill Koenig about the tapping industry and tap holders made by his company. Johnson talks about Tapmatic products that were on display at the 2018 edition of IMTS. The executive also talks about the economy and how it has helped Tapmatic.