Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast

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. 

Chris van den Belt and Berend Booms from Ultimo, an IFS company, delve into the exciting evolution of agentic AI in enterprise asset management. They discuss how AI is transforming from a supporting role to a key autonomous worker, enhancing safety, maintenance, and engagement across various skill levels. Real-world use cases illustrate AI's impact on incident reporting and preventive strategies. The conversation emphasizes the importance of trust between humans and AI, ensuring smooth integration and improved efficiency in managing assets.

Fastenal's Ryan Tucker and Sara Weaver share how the company has transformed and grown their workplace safety program over the past 12 years and what they’re focusing on next. A preview of Safety Leadership Conference 2025, held Oct. 20-22 in Phoenix: www.safetyleadershipconference.com

There's more than a little bit of Tesla talk in Ford's announcement on Aug. 11, that it would invest $2 billion to retrofit its Louisville Assembly Plant to make a small electric pickup in 2027. It's a bold, ambitious plan that's equal parts going after Chinese competition, heating up leftover Tesla ideas and taking advantage of the scale of a massive global automaker.  Pieces of the plan touch on multiple aspects of the manufacturing industry that we care about at Endeavor B2B's Manufacturing Group -- safety/ergonomics, manufacturing procedures, casting technologies and what the vehicle factory of the future might look like. IndustryWeek Editor-in-Chief Robert Schoenberger, who spent four years earlier in his career writing about the Ford plant for The Courier-Journal in Louisville, discusses Ford's plans, where it's fudging the numbers a bit and how it hopes to create a new manufacturing paradigm in Kentucky, with a little help from Ford executives and engineers who spoke at the investment announcement.

When a forged part is labeled “capable of ASTM A388,” what does that really mean? And more importantly, what does it not mean? In this episode, we break down the difference between a part that could theoretically pass ultrasonic testing and one that’s actually been tested. We’ll look at why that difference matters in industries where safety and reliability are critical, explore common internal defects in forgings, and explain why proper surface preparation is key to accurate ultrasonic inspection. If you’d like to dive deeper into the details, you can read the full article here: https://www.newequipment.com/55279288