Advanced Manufacturing Now

Italian manufacturers have a lot to offer, both in their home country and in North America. At IMTS 2018, Alan Rooks, Editor in Chief of Manufacturing Engineering magazine talks with Marco Saladini, Trade Commissioner, and Bart Pascoli, Project Manager North America for Machines Italia and the Italian Trade Agency in Chicago. Saladini and Pascoli explain the role of the Italian Trade Agency and its role in the manufacturing industry; trends in the in the Italian manufacturing industry; how the Italian manufacturing industry is approaching Industry 4.0 and the digitalization of manufacturing; and how the Italian Trade Agency provides information, support, and advice to Italian and foreign companies. They also explore the types of services that the Italian Trade Agency provides to Italian and foreign businesses that enable them to to connect with each other.

When you think of Bluetooth you might think about your phone, your car or that sleek pair of headphones and speaker you have. In this episode, Chris Mahar, Associate Editor of Manufacturing Engineering magazine, talks with Chuck Sabin, Senior Director, Business Strategy and Planning at Bluetooth SIG. Sabin explains how Bluetooth is used in the manufacturing and industrial sector; what Bluetooth mesh means for manufacturers; and what they found in their 2018 Bluetooth Market Update report. You'll learn that Bluetooth isn't just for consumers and how the technology is empowering manufacturing today and in the future.

Would you be surprised to learn that manufacturing workers are particularly vulnerable to personal financial problems? You'll learn about that and more in this podcast, in which Alan Rooks, Editor in Chief of Manufacturing Engineering magazine, talks with Mike Domingos, Vice President, National Corporate Strategy and Distribution for Prudential Financial. Domingos explains why Prudential is concentrating on the manufacturing industry; key trends impacting manufacturers; and the correlation between these trends with the work Prudential is doing with its manufacturing clients. Domingos asserts that while there are some distressing statistics on personal finances for many Americans, particularly around the issues of budgeting and emergency savings, companies can help their employees navigate these rough financial waters through proper design and investing in a Financial Wellness program.

Kevin Kerrigan, senior VP in the automotive office at the Michigan Economic Development Corp., discusses how MEDC is helping Industry 4.0 gain traction in Michigan. He gets into how Michigan supports Automation Alley, which works to demystify new technology for smaller manufacturers, as well as LIFT and IACMI. The crux of the smart factory is being able to make, better, faster decisions, he notes as he describes the value the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) brings to Michigan factories. Adoption is "ultimately a matter of who wins," he adds. "And I think Michigan is in a very good place right now to do that."

SME CEO and Executive Director Sandi Bouckley on day one of IMTS. Among the topics: the future of manufacturing is increasingly digital; workforce development and training as a cultural imperative; and attracting and training the next generation in manufacturing.

Dean Phillips, founder and owner of Longevity Industries, an International Director for SME, and a Production Enhancement Engineer at LINK Systems, dives into how artificial intelligence (AI) and computer programs like Watson will help manufacturers achieve five-year goals. Watson, he notes, is helping manufacturers avoid the "garbage in, garbage out" phenomena that happens when people ask the wrong questions. He also describes standout opportunities for AI program applications. "We're trying to close the loop" with Big Data—without involving people all the time, he says. Less than 40 percent of U.S. manufactures in the U.S. have closed the loop, he said. And he weighs in on the workforce skills gap, the IIoT, system integration and predictive maintenance.

Inside today's machine shops, having 5-axis capability is no longer a luxury; it's a must-have. To price parts competitively, and to make a good profit, shops need to have the efficiencies 5-axis provides. Many shops are planning to make this move, so Advanced Manufacturing Now engaged Errol Burrell and Wade Anderson, product specialists at Okuma America, to discuss exactly how to make the transition from 3-axis to 5-axis machining in a painless way. In a highly entertaining exchange—it even includes a dance metaphor—they look at how 5-axis machining has evolved from a machine tool user's perspective and describe the pulse of the marketplace today. They go into detail on what kind of ROI shops can expect. And they review some of the reasons shops are moving up to 5-axis.

Eyeing what he says will soon become the world's largest workforce, "Motoring Africa" author Edward Hightower details how manufacturers can more profitably serve the growing African market by producing in six countries: South Africa, Morocco, Kenya, Ghana, Ethiopia, and Nigeria.

Manufacturers are living more on the edge these days—as in "edge computing" and "intelligence at the edge." In this podcast, Alan Rooks, Editor in Chief of Manufacturing Engineering magazine, talks with Diego Tamburini, Principal Industry Lead – Manufacturing Industry Experiences for the Cloud + Enterprise Division of Microsoft, about the definitions of edge computing and intelligence at the edge, why manufacturers need intelligence at the edge, the technologies involved, and the connection between these concepts and "smart manufacturing."

Manufacturers around the world are struggling to combat $50 billion of unplanned downtime per year. And so 5ME wants to give them the data "at their fingertips" needed for continuous improvement programs. The software 5ME is promoting for this is called Freedom. 5ME Executive Vice President Jeff Price gives a scenario of how a company can use Freedom, which he said is appropriate for anyone—"from the shop floor to the top floor." And he explains how companies can use the software with new or legacy equipment. Some customers are increasing their OEE by 20%. And along with that, some are taking days of finished goods out—saving millions of dollars.

There are many aspects of smart manufacturing that are evolving quickly, and simulation is one of them. In this podcast, Alan Rooks, Editor in Chief of Manufacturing Engineering magazine, talks with Christopher Parker, NCSIMUL Applications Engineer for SPRING Technologies, about the role of machine simulation and the role it plays in manufacturing, the industries where simulation is vital, and what the future of simulation looks like.

On the rare occasion that Manufacturing Engineering Editor Emeritus Jim Sawyer thinks about the intersection of insurance and manufacturing, it is usually in terms of fire, theft, personal injury and the like. However, in this conversation with Mike Domingos, VP of national corporate strategy and distribution at Prudential Financial, he learns of other challenges impacting people's financial wellness and how that impacts the manufacturing industry. Domingos explains what tools and programs are available to help people and organizations with these challenges. He also reveals what developments are in the pipeline to support financial wellness for both individuals and manufacturers.

Additive manufacturing has made tremendous strides in recent years and has advantages over traditional manufacturing processes in many applications. However, AM still faces significant barriers. In this podcast, Alan Rooks, Editor in Chief of Manufacturing Engineering magazine, talks with Matt Wise, CEO of Fisher Unitech about AM's current and future role in manufacturing, including innovative new applications.

Smart manufacturing, Industry 4.0, and the Industrial Internet of Things are all fast-evolving concepts that are changing how manufacturing processes are designed and implemented. In this podcast, Alan Rooks, Editor in Chief of Manufacturing Engineering magazine, talks with Ben Mund, Senior Market Analyst for CNC Software Inc., the developer of Mastercam CAD/CAM Software, about how companies are addressing these changes, including how parts are designed, programmed and manufactured. The discussion includes changes to toolpath development, evolution in manufacturing methods, and how manufacturers are dealing with growing "skills gap" in the manufacturing workforce.

Pete Rogers, a vice president of Acieta, discusses an impending "welding labor crisis" of a shortage of skilled welders. He talks about automated welding systems can take the load of repetitive welding tasks.

Duann Scott of Autodesk discusses developments in software for additive manufacturing. He talks about simulation and design for 3D printing with Bill Koenig, a senior editor of Manufacturing Engineering. This podcast was recorded at the RAPID + TCT in Fort Worth, TX, in April.

Sean Touhey, a junior in the manufacturing engineering program at Western Washington University, describes the innovation that led to his 5-person team winning the "design for digital manufacturing" competition for university students at RAPID + TCT. His team focused on eliminating leftover residue (sticky stuff on the dashboard), visual obstruction and airflow obstruction for cell phone mounts. Listen to find out what's next for Vent Buddy and the design team.

At the RAPID + TCT conference in Texas, Brian McLean, director of rapid prototype at Laika Entertainment, explains what led to his being awarded a Scientific and Engineering Oscar Plaque in 2016 for pioneering the use of 3D printers in stop-motion animated characters. He goes into the ways AM can be a competitive advantage, including precision, color accuracy, volume and repeatability. And he compares what he does with puppets to what manufacturers are doing in the medical field.

Dr. Mike Grieves, executive director of the Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Innovative Design at Florida Institute of Technology, explains ITEAM (Independent Technical Evaluation of Additive Manufacturing), which was recently introduced at RAPID + TCT. ITEAM is, he said, "a user-driven consortium to help advance AM faster than what is happening right now." The focus is on creating an information ecosystem that lets users answer "two core questions they always have to answer when they are looking at new technologies:" Can I build it with AM? (Is it technically possible?) And should I build it with AM. (Is it economically feasible?). GM, Infosys and SME are already involved.

At RAPID + TCT, Bruno Boutantin of Extrude Hone and Laurent Cataldo of Binc Industries speak about their firms' new joint offering: Finish 3D, for AM. It is, Cataldo said, "a full solution for the global market, for medium- and high-volume production series." It combines Binc's MMP (micro machining process) technology—a physical, mechanical and catalyst process "usually used to very low roughness levels"—with Extrude Hone technology for additive parts when they require finishing processes like AFM (abrasive flow machine) and CoolPulse. Finish 3D can be used in any market, he said: In addition to aerospace, "we do medical implants, and we can be used for tooling, for plastic injection mold, whatever, as soon as the volume can absorb the cost of the preparation and the fixture." Boutantin said the new offering lets customers for the first time "take any incoming roughness and … bring it below the micron." Getting to the sub-micron level is important in aerospace, for example, when manufacturers need to improve airflow in jet engine turbines, he added.

At the RAPID + TCT show in Texas, Chris Schuppe, GM of AddWorks at GE Additive, explains a new offering called AddWorks. He gets into how it came about, what it is, why it is needed, and what types of services GE is offering with it. Listeners who are already in AM can still benefit from AddWorks, said Schuppe, who details what automotive and medical customers have accomplished with AddWorks. "We've had challenges where we couldn't figure out the next steps in our (AM) journey," he said. "We lived that over the last 7-10 years. Now we are taking that as an external consulting service."

Roger Hart, research and development engineering manager of Siemens, talks to Senior Editor Bill Koenig about additive manufacturing at the RAPID + TCT Show in Fort Worth, TX. They discuss how Siemens is changing its strategy to use 3D printing. The company is moving to transition from rapid prototyping to "true manufacturing," according to the executive. Hart also talks about Industry 4.0 and other advanced manufacturing issues.

Bhuvi Nirudhoddi, an Ohio State University PhD candidate studying materials science and engineering, won the student poster challenge at SME's AeroDef manufacturing conference in California in March. She gives Advanced Manufacturing Now the 411 on her work—"Joining of aerospace alloys using high-speed impact welding"—and explains how she came up with the concept, as well as where she thinks it can make the biggest impact?

Chris Cagle of the South Bay Workforce Investment Board in Hawthorne, Calif., explains what his organization does, how the apprenticeship program works, and why such programs are so important. He enumerates employee and student benefits. And he speaks about his organization's work with SME to develop and register the first aerospace engineering apprenticeship occupation in the U.S.

Smart Manufacturing magazine Editor in Chief Brett Brune interviews Daniel Martinez, a member of the aerospace vertical market team at Siemens Industry USA, at the AeroDef show in California. Martinez talks about how Siemens adapted its CNC strategy to recent changes in the machining of aerospace/defense parts, as well as to additive manufacturing in aerospace. He also addresses the recent partnership between Siemens and Comau, and Italian robotics company.

Smart Manufacturing magazine Editor in Chief Brett Brune speaks with Suhner's Lee Coleman about high-volume machining and how the growth of composites in the market has impacted the Suhner tool strategy. (The company has worked in single-layer materials, such as SMC, CRFP, fiberglass and plastic, for years, but it has had to redesign & develop components/spindles to work in the STACK/complex materials market.) Among the challenges: Abrasive dust, a corrosive environment and, in aerospace, very dissimilar stacks. The Swiss company developed the STACKmaster in part to provide commercial aviation with small, lightweight and powerful units to drill these new complex stack materials. Coleman showed the new product at AeroDef in Long Beach, Calif., in March.

Smart Manufacturing magazine Editor in Chief Brett Brune asks EMAG USA CEO Peter Loetzner about new drivers in his company's A&D business model. The two discuss the trend toward more cell manufacturing. Loetzner talks about lessons he learned in his automotive career that have application in A&D—and explains why blisk manufacturing and power generation are EMAG'S sweet spots in A&D. He also details how Industry 4.0 is benefitting smaller manufacturers. And he provides insight about supply chain issues EMAG is taking on.

Smart Manufacturing magazine Editor in Chief Brett Brune speaks with Jon Jay of Ingersoll Rand Power Tools on how aerospace manufacturers can use digital data to understand and address quality risks in assembly processes. The pair discusses how the Ingersoll Rand QXN tools help aerospace manufacturers improve the quality of their output, make assembly operations more efficient and reliable—and save money. Jay also provides a before-and-after scenario about an aerospace manufacturer that replaced a traditional pen & paper approach to gathering data with a digital approach.

Amanda Pedersen, News Editor of MD+DI (Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry) and Qmed, discusses the trends and technology in the medical industry, such as artificial intelligence, surgical robots and virtual reality, and the opportunities and challenges associated with them. She also talks about UBM's presence at three co-located events in Boston on April 18-19: the Embedded Systems Conference, BIOMEDevice Boston and Design & Manufacturing New England.

Suzanne Deffree, a brand director at UBM and its Advanced Manufacturing Group, discusses the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence and their impact on engineering and manufacturing jobs. She also talks about UBM's presence at three co-located events in Boston on April 18-19: the Embedded Systems Conference, BIOMEDevice Boston and Design & Manufacturing New England.

Diego Tamburini, principal industry lead for Azure Manufacturing, talks with Patrick Waurzyniak, senior editor of Manufacturing Engineering magazine, about the cloud and why manufacturing companies need to embrace it. In the cloud manufacturers can host their IT environments, run applications from CAD/CAE/PLM/ERP/MES, etc., develop their own applications, and much more. Tamburini and Waurzyniak also discuss IaaS, PaaS, SaaS and how they are different, security concerns, and how Microsoft fits into the world of the cloud.

Hod Lipson, co-author with Melba Kurman of the book "Driverless: Intelligent Cars and the Road Ahead," asserts that AV technology is going to change things for everyone, in all business and sectors. "It's a tsunami heading our way." And, says the Columbia University professor of engineering and data science, "deep learning" software is so good at understanding and perception that it far surpasses humans. "It can see in the dark, in the rain. It can see not with two eyes but with 20 eyes. It is part of the reason robots will be able to handle a larger variety of tasks because they won't need to confine themselves to just one type of component. They'll be able to package different objects with different shapes and sizes without being programmed in advance.

Adam and Pam Genei talk to SME's Chris Mahar at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. They own Mobsteel, a design/build company that manufactures automotive aftermarket products and builds custom cars, and Detroit Steel Wheel Co., the manufacturer of the original Smoothie Wheel. They realized their biggest challenge was making a product domestically.

In the highly competitive arena of the global auto industry there is little time to sit on one's laurels. To that end Jeep has substantially revamped its Cherokee for the 2019 model year. Mike Downey, Cherokee vehicle line executive, joined Manufacturing Engineering Editor Emeritus Jim Sawyer at the North American International Auto Show to explain how lightweighting served as an important tool in making sure that the Cherokee remains competitive.

The Brose Group is growing in the US. In fact, the operations of Brose North America, the US arm of the global auto supplier, are growing at a rapid pace. Brose North America President Michael Brosseau sat down with Manufacturing Engineering Editor Emeritus at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit to talk about the company's growth and the urgent need it has for workers to help keep the expansion on track.

Licensed aftermarket auto parts can be a source of profits for their non-OEM manufacturers and a source of brand building for automakers as well as a path to additional profits. John Clor of Ford Performance explains to Manufacturing Engineering Editor Emeritus Jim Sawyer how the process works, where the opportunity lies for small manufacturers who want to get into the game, and why precision manufacturing is crucial.

Vehicle electrification and autonomy are challenges facing automakers today and well into the future. But it's not only the OEMs that need to clear the hurdles that are changing the industry. The vendors who populate the supply chain must do so, too. Larry Bemis, vice president of Customer Success and Quality Assurance of Siemens PLM Software's manufacturing business unit, explains to Manufacturing Engineering Editor Emeritus Jim Sawyer how high these hurdles can be and what software can do to make it over the bar.

At the North American International Auto Show, P3 North America CEO Samit Ghosh and Smart Manufacturing Editor in Chief Brett Brune discuss the common pitfalls manufacturers encounter when they introduce smart and connected tech.

At the auto show in Detroit, Magneti Marelli USA's Bill Grabowski tells Smart Manufacturing mag about his firm's "Smart Corner" product, specifically about how it helps OEMs in terms of cost, weight and complexity.

At the auto show in Detroit, Rose Ryntz of Intl Automotive Components (IAC) Group, covers emerging trends, including electrification, autonomy and ride sharing, changing vehicle interiors. She also predicts how future vehicle interiors will look, feel and sound.

Auto dealer Ryan LaFontaine, chairman of the North American International Auto Show, reveals what AutoMobili-D is all about. He spoke with Brett Brune, editor in chief of Smart Manufacturing magazine.

One of the highly anticipated new vehicle introductions at the 2018 North American International Auto Show in Detroit was that of the 2019 Ram 1500. Not only is this half-ton pickup significantly improved over its predecessor in terms of capabilities and technologies, but it will be built in a factory that previously had been dedicated to assembling sedans. Rob Wichman, vehicle line executive for Ram Truck, and Mike Raymond, chief engineer for the Ram 1500, sat down with Manufacturing Engineering Editor Emeritus Jim Sawyer to outline what it took to arrive at the new pickup and the essentially new factory.

Half a dozen years ago American Makes was launched as the first institute of Manufacturing USA, the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation, a national network for manufacturing innovation focused on coordinating public and private investment in emerging advanced manufacturing technologies. The charge for America Makes: Accelerate the adoption of additive manufacturing technology in the US in order to increase domestic manufacturing competitiveness. The institute's executive director, Rob Gorham, sat down with Manufacturing Engineering Editor Emeritus James D. Sawyer at the recent North American International Auto Show to discuss the progress that's been made.

Samantha Farr, founder of and instructor for Women Who Weld, met with Manufacturing Engineering Editor Emeritus Jim Sawyer at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit to discuss how welding is one of the areas most afflicted by the skills gap and how her program can meet that need while bringing more diversity and equality to manufacturing.

While Dassault Systemes is best known in the manufacturing industry for its CATIA software, the company's interests are in fact much broader. Indeed, they span not just the globe but reach into outer space as well. Steve Madge, Dassault vice president for Industry & Global Affairs in High Tech, Future Transportation & Smart Cities, spoke with Manufacturing Engineering Editor Emeritus Jim Sawyer about how part of his job is to seek out mega trends so his company can boldly go where no other enterprise has gone before.

Diana Mannino, president of HBPO North America talks to Senior Editor Bill Koenig at the North American in Detroit. She discusses the company's product line, including front end modules for vehicles. HBPO also is expanding its production in North America, including two new plants in Mexico scheduled to open this year.

Dennis Berry, president of the Americas region of Chassis Brakes International, talks to Senior Editor Bill Koenig at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Berry discusses how the company is adding production in North America in Mexico. He also talks about how brake systems are evolving to be electric and getting rid of hydraulic systems.

Robert Evans, president of Freudenberg North America, talks to Senior Editor Bill Koenig at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Evans describes Freudenberg's automotive-related businesses, including sealing technologies, vibration control systems and filtration. The executive also talks about general industry trends, including electrification of vehicles.

Dennis Hoeg, North American COO for Nexteer Automotive, talks to Senior Editor Bill Koenig at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Hoeg discusses the company's Digital Trace Manufacturing system, which was introduced at the auto show.

Jeff Zuraski, executive director of research and development for Nexteer Automotive, talks to Senior Editor Bill Koenig at the North American International Auto Show. He discusses technology for autonomous driving vehicles. Nexteer used the auto show to introduce steering technologies for autonomous driving.