Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast

What is an FMEA? When should you use it? Why is it an important step in helping maintenance teams move from a break-fix maintenance state to one that is more proactive? In this episode of Great Queston: A Manufacturing Podcast, Plant Services editor in chief Thomas Wilk spoke with a specialist in the reliability field, Brian Hronchek, to start answering these questions and more about failure modes and effects analyses. Brian draws from his former experience as reliability engineer for U.S. Steel, maintenance manager for Exxon Mobil, and a 16-year veteran of the Marine Corps, in addition to his current work as a principal trainer and consultant at Eruditio.

Marcel van Helten of Red Lion Controls and Craig Resnick of ARC Advisory Group help Smart Industry address common challenges business owners face when their teams access data platforms and the easiest way to navigate the overwhelming amount of information that the platforms provide.

There are still a few more primaries to be held, but Joe Biden and Donald Trump have locked up Democratic and Republican nominations for November's election. So, what does that mean for the manufacturing world?  International trade, regulations, immigration, national security and taxation will all be part of the big national debate this year, and all of those topics touch on manufacturing in one way or another. Discussing those topics during the March 21, 2024, recording of Production Pulse, IndustryWeek's bi-weekly livestream program, were: Laura Putre, senior editor at IndustryWeek Bob Vavra, senior content director at Machine Design Karen Langhauser, chief content director at Pharma Manufacturing Andy Hanacek, senior editor of plant operations of Food Processing  Due to some technical difficulties, IndustryWeek Editor-in-Chief Robert Schoenberger, who produced this episode, occasionally pops up on screen and disappears. Sorry about that.

Hear from MH&L’s editors about the impact that AI, robots, automation and other technologies are having on warehousing and the supply chain, in this review of the MODEX 2024 trade show.

“Manufacturing technology” means machinery, and investments in machinery are a leading indicator of future manufacturing conditions. An economist spells out what is shaping the manufacturing economy right now.

Inderpreet Shoker is the directory of research as ARC Advisory Group. As a member of the asset performance management team, Inderpreet leads research initiatives related to APM, asset integrity management, plant asset management, and asset reliability. She has authored and co-authored several Worldwide Market Research reports, as well as researching augmented reality and other extended reality technologies. Inderpreet met up with Anna Townsend, managing editor of Plant Services, at the 2024 ARC Industry Forum in Orlando, Florida, to talk about the changing landscape of asset management and what you can do to get and stay ahead of these disruptions.

Eight publications from Endeavor Business Media's Manufacturing Group contribute to Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, and once a month, the leaders of those brands get together to discuss what's been going on in their markets and what to expect in the near future. Discussing the February and March were: IndustryWeek Editor-in-Chief Robert Schoenberger EHS Today and Material Handling & Logistics Editor-in-Chief Dave Blanchard New Equipment Digest Editor-in-Chief Laura Davis Plant Services Editor-in-Chief Tom Wilk Smart Industry Managing Editor Scott Achelpohl American Machinist and Foundry Management & Technology Editor-in-Chief Robert Brooks

Lights, camera, manufacturing! This weekend marks the 96th annual Academy Awards, where actors, directors, producers, and technical staff gather together to honor the achievements of the film industry. Despite the many varied categories, we would like to suggest a new award: Best depiction of manufacturing, maintenance, reliability, and engineering on screen. In this special Oscars-inspired episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Thomas Wilk, editor in chief of Plant Services; Laura Davis, editor in chief of New Equipment Digest; Anna Townshend, managing editor of Plant Services; and Alexis Gajewski, senior content strategist of Plant Services, sit down to share their favorite maintenance, reliability, and manufacturing movies.

With International Women's Day tomorrow (March 8, 2024), IndustryWeek's Anna Smith discussed data showing that women in manufacturing are very happy with their career choices, but many feel that young women and girls aren't hearing enough about the opportunities available to them. Joining Anna were: Adrianna Swift, an engineer at instruments manufacturer Endress+Hauser Elizabeth Parra, a process engineer at Subaru's plant in Indiana Parra will be speaking this summer at the IndustryWeek Operations Leadership Summit, an event that will feature plant tours of the Subaru facility in LaFayette, Indiana, and Endress+Hauser's Indianapolis campus. 

From garments that capture carbon emissions to self-healing fabrics, 3D-printed clothing, temperature-responsive fibers, and even textiles inspired by spider silk, we'll be uncovering the cutting-edge developments poised to revolutionize how we think about clothing and materials. In this episode, we take a closer look at these fascinating inventions, their potential impact on sustainability, performance, and design, and what the future holds for the textile industry. All the innovations discussed in this episode are available in article form at the links below: Carbon Emission Clothing May Be Coming to a Walmart Near You Self-Healing Clothes May Become a Reality Thanks to Fungi LED Dress Opens Door to the Future of 3D Printing Shape-Shifting Fibers Expand and Contract Based on Body Temperature The Future of Textiles Lies in Spider Silk