Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast

Greg Martin, founder of Equip LLC Automation Consulting, dives into the transformative role major tech companies are playing in manufacturing. He shares insights from the IMTS 2024 trade show, highlighting advancements in robotic compatibility and the flexibility of Robotics as a Service. Greg discusses how AI and better work order management are revolutionizing maintenance processes. He addresses the skills gap in manufacturing and the importance of mentoring future talent, reflecting on the evolving collaboration between industry and educational institutions.

Andrew Burton, Global Industry Director of Manufacturing at IFS, dives into the transformative impact of AI on small and medium-sized manufacturers. He discusses IFS's ambition to lead in industrial software and how AI is set to revolutionize workflows. Insights on sustainability and predictive maintenance shine in the conversation, along with practical applications that help shop floor workers enhance communication. Burton also addresses the integration of automation to maximize efficiency and tackle challenges faced by traditional maintenance teams in the evolving landscape.

Nevermind machine learning … Andrew Halonen, founder of Amatrium and the AmatriumGPT tool, argues that LLMs offer multiple paths for manufacturers to expand their capabilities and extend their market reach.

Almost everyone's seen some version of this: You've got a great system in place that's producing measurable improvements, but your company gets a new division head or president or CEO, and some new shiny object becomes the focus.  Ever wanted to ask an implementation person how they handle that? At the IndustryWeek Operations Leadership Summit this summer, an audience member put the question that bluntly to Marty Hallman, director of bearing operations at The Timken Co. Like most of us, Hallman's been through that sort of turmoil, and he explained how Timken keeps going with lean management principles, even when leadership changes. Joining Hallman was Sam McPherson, president of the Lean Leadership Academy. In addition to talking leadership change, they discussed how to develop leaders internally, how to implement production-improving strategies and how to get the most of the training time they spend with up-and-coming leaders. 

In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Laura Davis, editor-in-chief of New Equipment Digest, sits down with Mark Harris, CEO of HeroWear, to explore the cutting-edge world of exosuits. These innovative wearable devices are changing workplace safety and productivity, particularly in industries where manual material handling is a daily challenge. Harris shares insights into the development of HeroWear's exosuits, designed to reduce the physical strain on workers' bodies while improving comfort and usability. From addressing age-old back injury problems to boosting productivity and reducing employee turnover, exosuits are proving to be a valuable piece of PPE in the manufacturing and logistics sectors.

Trevor Joelson is an energy and decarbonization service account executive at Trane. Over the past ten years, Trevor has held various roles in corporate energy and sustainability management and has become an expert in the energy markets and how the supply-side of energy connects to the built environment. In his current role, Trevor works with manufacturers to help them establish strategies and programs to meet decarbonization objectives. Trevor recently spoke with Plant Services managing editor Anna Townshend about utilizing electrification as a growing part of your plant’s emissions reduction strategy.

Not only is it Manufacturing Month, but October also is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. To mark the occasion, Smart Industry Managing Editor Scott Achelpohl recruited Joe Anderson of Ohio-based TechSolve to talk about how robust cyber defenses can start with up-to-date password practices and policies. Anderson is a big “get” for Smart Industry—an IT and info security pro with over 25 years of industry experience, possessing several cybersecurity certifications. His company, among other IT services, helps small manufacturers (TechSolve is part of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership in Ohio) tackle cybersecurity compliance challenges and risk management. For manufacturers and the shop floor, cybersecurity and secure OT and IT requires constant vigilance. One of the most common-sense strategies for this is password security—and for lots of companies, mandatory policies relating to passwords often become necessary. Look at examples like Clorox recently: A breach, any breach, can cost millions in “ransom” to cyberattackers and in production downtime. And passwords are often easily hacked.

CMMS. Digital Twins. IIOT. IOT. When it comes to the landscape of technology in manufacturing, it can be hard to know how to start your own transformation – or where. The industry is transforming daily as software for automation, collaboration, effiency, and safety become a bigger part of the modern shop floor, yet amidst all that tech it can hard to see where to apply it to get the most benefit. Josh Cranfill, GM of Quickbase’s Manufacturing Business, knows how hard this can be. Every day, he talks to manufacturers looking to start their own transformation with technology against the pressures of staying competitive, on time and on budget, and keeping employees productive and safe. In this podcast, Josh will offer his practical advice on where to start by picking small, achievable and measurable projects to demonstrate success and gain the buy-in needed to drive bigger, more impactful change. Any technology should help you achieve your business objectives, not get in the way, aligning with your company’s goals and supporting and enhances business strategies, leading to better performance and a competitive edge.

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 offers insight into how to create reliability buy-in at all levels of the plant.

In advance of MFG Day on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, a panel of manufacturing publication editors and a representative of The Manufacturing Institute discussed how the industry is doing in its attempt to win over a new generation of young people. Attracting skilled and unskilled workers to factories remains difficult, despite a growing number of people saying technical fields provide young people with a great alternative to college. Discussing these issues were: Jen White, director of student engagement at The Manufacturing Institute, who spoke about the history of MFG Day and what businesses are doing this year Traci Purdum, editor-in-chief of Chemical Processing, who discussed on ongoing series of stories her staff is writing about preparing the workforce for the future in the process industries Andrea Corona, senior editor at Pharma Manufacturing, who discussed how high-tech producers are facing challenges Geert De Lombaerde, editor-at-large for IndustryWeek parent company Endeavor Business Media, who discussed the Perceptions of the Trades research study that shows parents and young people more interested in skilled trades, but not as much in manufacturing skilled trades Rehana Begg, editor-in-chief of Machine Design, who discussed how equipment producers are rethinking controls and machine interfaces to make their easier to use and more familiar to younger workers (touchscreens replacing dials, for example) Moderator Robert Schoenberger, editor-in-chief of IndustryWeek