Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast

In this sponsored episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Plant Services chief editor Thomas Wilk sat down with Ryan Smith, a Solutions Engineer with TPC, a Certus company, whose areas of training specialty include industrial maintenance topics for electrical, mechanical, and HVAC systems. Today's great question is: How do you calculate the ROI of training?

In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Thomas Wilk and Maya Schwartz are joined by Ron Marshall, Frank Moskowitz, and Joe Ghislain to reflect on 25 years of the Compressed Air Challenge. The conversation explores the program’s origins, its evolution in training methods, and its impact on system performance and energy efficiency. The group also discusses shifting industry priorities, the role of end users and vendors in training, and how new technologies are shaping the future of compressed air systems. Together, they provide insights into both the history and the next chapter of this influential industry initiative.

Dennis Padgett, Senior Director of Risk Control at Coca-Cola Consolidated with 25 years of experience, shares insights on innovative safety campaigns at the company. He discusses the success of the 'First 100 Days of Safety' and plans for three more initiatives in 2025. Padgett highlights the importance of fleet safety and ergonomics, leveraging technology like telematics and AI to enhance engagement. His vision for the future of workplace safety is inspiring, promising continuous improvement and creativity in campaigning for a safer work environment.

The podcast dives into 25 years of transformative events in manufacturing. It highlights the impact of 9/11, the 2008 economic crisis, and COVID-19 on the industry. Discover how globalization and recent supply chain challenges have reshaped manufacturing dynamics. The discussion also covers the rise of Industry 4.0, marked by advancements like 3D printing and EtherCAT technology. Strikes and union movements are examined against the backdrop of evolving workforce perceptions, creating a rich tapestry of how the sector adapts and thrives.

In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, New Equipment Digest's Editor-in-Chief, Laura Davis, explores the differences between wireless bridges and access points, and why most facilities will need both to keep operations running smoothly. Listeners will learn how each technology works, when to deploy them, and the real-world benefits they deliver across industries from logistics to oil & gas. This episode is based on an article originally written by Henry Martel, a field applications engineer at Antaira Technologies.

Join Joe Kuhn, a former plant manager and reliability consultant, as he uncovers the hidden pitfalls in preventive maintenance. He shares strategies to enhance 'wrench time,' emphasizing communication's role in successful maintenance teams. With insights from his expertise and anecdotes from his career, Joe explains how organizations often misjudge task durations and the importance of prioritizing reliability. Get ready to boost efficiency and reduce downtime with his actionable advice!

In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Robert Brooks speaks with Denny Williams of Co-Line Manufacturing and Doug Wood of Hexagon Production Software about the intersection of workforce development and technology in manufacturing. The conversation explores how Co-Line fosters a strong culture to attract and retain talent, the role of apprenticeships in bridging the skills gap, and the ways automation and robotics are being integrated to complement—not replace—workers. They also discuss how software, connected workflows, and emerging AI applications are shaping the future of efficiency and competitiveness in the industry.

Dave Blanchard, chief editor of Material Handling & Logistics and author of Supply Chain Management Best Practices, looks at how AI and other technologies are helping companies get smarter and more competitive with their supply chains. Learn what types of AI solutions retail giant Walmart is using to determine exactly what products its customers will want, and when they'll want them. You'll also find out why supply chain professionals need to get smarter at articulating the ROI of supply chain solutions.

We love our human-shaped robots in pop culture. From Lieutenant Commander Data to C3P0 to Baymax. But, are they any good at making things? At the Automate show this year, humanoid robots peppered the show floor, lifting boxes, walking around, picking up tools... slowly. Very, very slowly. For all of the promise of lifelike robots that can replace human workers on the assembly line, one-for-one, they aren't meeting that promise yet. Last year, Tesla caught flak for using human pilots to remote-control Optimus robots during a launch event.  Ujjwal Kumar, group president of Teradyne Robotics, says automated humanoids are cool, but they're not terribly practical. Why force a robot to stand on two legs when wheels could get them across a shop floor faster and with greater stability? Why create a standalone, human-like machine that needs batters when you could install an arm with a power source? In this formerly live conversation, we discuss why humans are so much better at some tasks and why a humanoid robot isn't a great solution. 

In this episode we'll discuss next-generation manufacturing use cases, implications around increased OT digitization, and the networking capabilities required to future-proof operations. This episode is sponsored by Cisco.