Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast

Manufacturers have known for more than 20 years that they needed more engineers and science/engineering/math-oriented students to work in their shops. So, many are now starting younger, as early as middle school to expose young people to future manufacturing careers. Hear from: Megan Barrett, Director of Operations at Engineering Tomorrow Michael Gretczko, Deloitte’s Chief Business Architect David Hook, R&D Engineer at CoorsTek Inc. and IndustryWeek's Anna Smith

No one will ever accuse Dave Rizzardo, associate director of the Maryland World Class Consortia of being shy or dispassionate about lean manufacturing and operational excellence. But, on a panel discussion at IndustryWeek's recent Operations Leadership Summit, the audience got an earful from the operations expert on treating people right, listening to your employees and how it's the leader's job to make sure everyone else can do their work.  Joining Dave for this particularly lively panel discussion was his friend (well, they were friends at the start of the conversation) Carl Livesay, general manager of Maryland-based Mercury Plastics. Also speaking was Sarah Tilkens, CEO of the KPI Lab and senior manager for operational excellence at GE Healthcare. The moderator is Robert Schoenberger, editor-in-chief at IndustryWeek. 

Bust your misconceptions of fiber optic cables by learning about their construction, types, terminations, costs, and advantages when used for the industrial IoT. About the Article A Guide to Fiber Cable Types and Cost for the Industrial IoT Bust your misconceptions of fiber optic cables by learning about their construction, types, terminations, costs, and advantages when used for the industrial IoT. Written by Henry Martel Read by Laura Davis Read the article

It’s a story so familiar that it is also a children’s proverb: “for want of a nail, the kingdom was lost.” In this new podcast episode we cover how to identify and eliminate pinch points on the manufacturing floor. Our guests this week, Jerry Nation and Hunter Price of Ingenics Corporation, talk about their experience helping plants in the automotive sector get past production bottlenecks that were dramatically slowing down production, and stressing out downstream operations teams. 

Guests Sean O’Meara and Jason Ryska discuss AI applications in manufacturing, from IT support to leveraging AI for business processes. Topics include AI on the factory floor, technology initiatives at Ford Motor Company, and the evolution of team structures in AI development for manufacturing.

The podcast explores the trend of companies reshoring manufacturing from Asia to the United States in industries like pharmaceuticals, trucking, and plastics. Topics include job flows, new facilities in the US, challenges in Mexico for the plastics industry, and the impact of anti-China sentiment on reshoring decisions.

In this “Talking EHS” podcast episode, you’ll learn about the new tools and strategies companies are using to foster psychologically safer workplaces. About the Article The Psychology of Safety New tools and strategies emerge to foster psychologically safer workplaces. Written and read by Adrienne Selko Read the article

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 why fake numbers fake real progress.

Captain Unreliability is a satire of the state of the manufacturing industry in ’Merica today and is written by an industry professional known for using humor to get the point across. In his columns, The Captain covers a range of topics, including the art of avoiding work, creating a culture of unreliability, and why a reliability program is like a toilet. In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Alexis Gajewski, senior content strategist for Plant Services, shares The Captain’s thoughts on fads and why all complex problems can be solved by embracing The Next Big Thing as the solution. About the Article Why chasing fads is the key to corporate success Captain Unreliability thinks that you can tackle all complex problems by embracing The Next Big Thing as the solution. Written by Captain Unreliability Read by Alexis Gajewski Read the article

Exploring slow demand and revenue growth in manufacturing businesses in 2024. Insights on equipment financing, concerns of manufacturing leaders, and impact of economic challenges on strategic planning.