Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast

Armstrong World Industries set a goal, nearly a decade ago, to be an outlier, the kind of company that maintains 5% profit growth for five or more years. Those efforts have paid off with the ceiling-tile and architectural components making landing No. 2 in IndustryWeek’s annual IW U.S. 50 Best Manufacturers list. Vic Grizzle, CEO of Armstrong, sat down with IndustryWeek’s Robert Schoenberger to discuss the management philosophy behind that performance. Some key elements: Investing in the business: Armstrong dedicates more of its cashflow to operational improvements than many of its peers, part of an annual push to increase productivity by about 3% every year Championing stability: Customers and employees know what to expect from a company that has stable management and rarely changes big-picture strategies Adaptability: While it champions stability, Armstrong also looks for adjacent opportunities, experiments with new technologies and constantly updates its processes

In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Thomas Wilk, chief editor of Plant Services, is joined by Blair Fraser, the VP of technology at UE Systems to discuss how ultrasound tools are evolving. Many maintenance technicians use machine condition monitoring technologies for two related goals: detect a problem, and diagnose the root cause. However, Fraser argues that these technologies are evolving quickly to help teams achieve the next-step goal of deciding on the best corrective course of action that fits overall plant goals.

David Brown, the Vice President and CTO of Transportation Solutions at TE Connectivity, dives into the revolutionary impact of AI on transportation. He discusses how AI accelerates product design and enhances factory operations. The conversation highlights the importance of agility in manufacturing and the need for ongoing engineer training to fully integrate AI. Brown also explores generative AI’s role in design and the significance of organizational support in realizing AI’s potential, paving the way for innovation in the industry.

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 our monthly podcast miniseries, Ask a Plant Manager, Joe considers a commonplace scenario facing the industry and offers his advice, as well as actions that you can take to get on track tomorrow. This episode explains some of the problems that can go wrong when you are starting your reliability journey, and what folks should be on the lookout for along the way. Key takeaways Prioritize reliability by choosing where to excel—get a C on less critical tasks to focus on what truly drives plant performance. Reliability success demands active operations ownership—learn failures, engage on the floor, and earn credibility. Promote small wins visibly—selling reliability outcomes prevents loss of sponsorship and ensures long-term buy-in. Without structured problem-solving, best practices fall short—embed it into your process to triple reliability results.

In this episode, American Machinist editor in chief Robert Brooks analyzes the current state of the additive manufacturing (AM) sector, after several years of organizational turmoil among the top suppliers of AM systems. Brooks argues that this turmoil had virtually nothing to do with AM processes or technology developments, arguing that investors have been impatient with the rate of worldwide AM adoption. 

Chris Williams, the Executive Director of the Voluntary Protection Programs Participants’ Association (VPPPA), shares his expertise on workplace safety. He previews the Safety+ Symposium, emphasizing its role in modern safety practices. Listeners learn about the rigorous path to achieving VPP certification and the continuous improvement necessary to maintain it. The discussion highlights immersive learning experiences at the symposium, including sessions on AI in safety and hands-on visits to companies, making it a must-attend event for safety professionals.

In this sponsored episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Thomas Wilk, chief editor of Plant Services, is joined by Maureen Gribble, North American sales enablement leader for UE Systems, and John Gould, director for global business development for condition monitoring at Flir. Ultrasound and infrared thermography tools are increasingly used together by maintenance teams that want to get a fuller picture of asset health. In this podcast episode, sponsored by UE Systems, Tom talks with Maureen and John about the ways these tools are being used in the field, including hybrid tools like acoustic imagers, as well as what the future hold for the partnership between Flir and UE Systems.

Fluid sealing is critical to the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of industrial equipment across industries like oil and gas, petrochemical, power generation, and manufacturing. In this podcast, we’ll explore how fluid sealing practices have evolved to meet modern demands for environmental compliance, equipment longevity, and cost-effectiveness. We’ll discuss the latest material advancements, emission-reduction technologies, and digital monitoring tools that are reshaping the landscape. Listeners will gain insights into how companies are balancing traditional reliability practices with the push for sustainable solutions, such as low-emission mechanical seals, advanced gaskets, and innovative air seal designs. We'll also touch on common challenges end users face today — from supply chain constraints to skills gaps — and how industry leaders are adapting their approaches. Whether you're an engineer, maintenance manager, or reliability professional, this episode offers a practical look at the future of fluid sealing.

Cam Mackey, president & CEO of the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA), explains why every heat-related death in the workplace is preventable, and offers some tips on how to best protect workers from heat stress.    https://www.osha.gov/emergency-preparedness/guides/heat-stress

The Eastern half of the United States is experiencing record high temperatures. It's summer and all, so some heat is to be expected, but that doesn't make it any easier for the workers in factories or the people trying to maintain the national power grid. Discussing worker safety and power availability in the hot summer are: Dave Blanchard, editor-in-chief of EHS Today Robert Schoenberger, editor-in-chief of IndustryWeek Jeff Postelwait, managing editor of T&D World We discussed how to spot signs of heat stress and how the nation's obsession with ChatGPT may lead to blackouts.