ASME TechCast

A new governing trifecta has swept into Washington and has set out to bring immediate changes to the way the Federal government does business. What does that mean for engineers in industry and research? Paul Fakes, director of ASME’s Government Relations education and outreach programs, explains what policy changes engineers should keep an eye out for in 2025.

The editors of Mechanical Engineering magazine discuss some of the best articles in its January issue - the first in its new digital format. These include an interactive feature about NASA's Artemis program and a look at startups developing sustainable ways to make steel.

Historian Emily Murphy joined ASME Techcast to discuss the role that engineering played at the height of international trade in Salem, Mass., when standards, weights, measures, gauges, and scales helped fund a new nation.

In this episode, we dive into Wiley's annual survey on the content preferences and trends of engineers and industry professionals. Danish Khan, David Löh, and Chris Darch of Wiley unpack which types of content resonated most with engineers in the past year, the platforms they trust, and key metrics for connecting with the engineering community. To learn more about the survey findings and Wiley Corporate Solutions, visit ⁠www.wiley.com/corporate-solutions⁠.

The staff of Mechanical Engineering magazine discuss their selections for the top stories for the year. This year's top topics are clustered around energy and sustainability themes.

From the ever expanding use of automation to keeping employees safe and comfortable on the production line, manufacturers continue to face hurdles as they seek to optimize operations. Doug Backinger, senior vice president of solutions engineering and innovation at Caster Concepts, joins ASME TechCast to discuss some of the issues facing today's manufacturers, strategies that his teams are using to recruit and retain talent in this critical space, and why it's so important to not neglect the caster.

For commercial buildings, heating and cooling have long been known as the dominant energy draw. But manufacturers devote a lot of resources to HVAC in their factories and other facilities as well. Forooza Samadi, assistant director of the Alabama Industrial Training and Assessment Center in Tuscaloosa describes the scope of the challenge for small and medium-size manufacturers to reduce HVAC costs and improve efficiency.

Gabriella Coloyan Fleming and Abdulrahman Alsharif join ASME Techcast to discuss the technical and professional skills students need to move from higher education into their engineering careers.

Solar electricity generation is on the rise. In fact, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission reported in late 2023 that more new solar generating capacity was installed in the U.S. during the first eight months of 2023 than any other renewable or fossil fuel-based energy source. But imagine if the solar panels generating all this power were able to capture even more energy. That’s where perovskites are coming into play. Researchers have been investigating this nanomaterial for its ability to improve the efficiency of solar cells for years and commercialization could be on the horizon. Here to talk about perovskites and their potential here on Earth and even out in space is John Iannelli, president and founder of Caelux, a company that is working toward commercializing the use of perovskites to make solar energy more powerful and cost-effective.

University of Maryland professor Ryan Sochol shares how he created an entire syllabus around The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. His course leverages the advanced physics and engineering featured in the game to teach machine design and CAD software to university students. Read more on the topic and get links to the referenced video and research paper here on our website.