Advanced Manufacturing Now

In this episode of Advanced Manufacturing Now, host Steve Plumb, Editor-in-Chief of SME Media, joins colleagues Amy Bryson, Cary Gitter, and Cameron Kerkau to spotlight the inspiring young innovators shaping the future of manufacturing.

From engineers designing 3D printers for military field use to metallurgists reinventing 1950s alloys and researchers working on NASA's missions, this year's 30 Under 30 honorees represent the brightest and most diverse talent in the industry.

In this episode of Advanced Manufacturing Now, host Cary Gitter is joined by Dennis Easter, Senior Solutions Engineer at Algorithm Inc., and Doug Johnson, VP of Solution Architecture at Acumatica, to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming ERP systems in the manufacturing industry.

Retaining Top Talent & Cultivating a Culture of Gratitude in Manufacturing

Visit https://advancedmanufacturing.org/webinars for more webinars and an interactive experience with visuals.

Speaker: Lisa Ryan, CSP

The manufacturing industry faces challenges in attracting and retaining talent. In this interactive workshop, Lisa Ryan will explore how leaders can create a workplace culture rooted in appreciation, purpose, and engagement.

Learning Outcomes:

• Explore the five key drivers of employee engagement in manufacturing

• Learn practical ways to foster a positive, productive culture

• Understand how gratitude impacts retention and leadership effectiveness

• Walk away with tools to create an environment where employees feel valued and connected

Trailblazers in Smart Manufacturing: Women Leading Innovation

Join a panel of influential women who are shaping the future of smart manufacturing. Learn from their personal journeys, challenges, and leadership insights.

Visit https://advancedmanufacturing.org/webinars for more webinars and an interactive experience with visuals.

Panelists Include:

• Jane Arnold, Chief Customer Officer, APERIO

• Carley Mollica, Ph.D., MRC Program Manager, Lockheed Martin

• Supriya Puragundla, Senior Solutions Architect, Amazon Web Services (AWS)

• Suzy Teele, Chief Strategy Officer, ARM Institute

• Facilitated by: Jennifer Coyne, Director of Programs, The Barnes Global Advisors

Learning Outcomes:

• Gain insights into the latest smart manufacturing innovations

• Understand the unique challenges and leadership lessons from women in the field

• Discover strategies to advance your career and impact

Dr. Cassandra Higham from Castrol joins Associate Editor Cary Gitter on Advanced Manufacturing Now to discuss how intelligent lubrication is transforming maintenance from reactive to predictive. Dr. Haim also shares how Castrol's latest innovation—Smart Coolant—is setting new benchmarks in coolant management, helping manufacturers reduce waste, control costs, and extend equipment life.

Manufacturing is at a pivotal crossroad. Rapid advances in automation, AI, and industrial IoT are transforming the shop floor, creating an urgent need for a new generation of skilled workers. But how do we build a workforce ready to keep up with this technological wave?

In this episode, we go Inside SME's Manufacturing Imperative Workforce Pipeline Challenge (MI-WPC), a national initiative dedicated to answering that question. We sit down with Dr. Deb Volzer, SME's Vice President of Workforce Development, to discuss how this program is reshaping the collaboration between community colleges, employers, and local organizations to solve America's skilled labor crisis.

What you'll learn:

• Why the Workforce Challenge Exists: America's competitiveness hinges on closing the widening skills gap caused by unprecedented technological change.

• The Power of Community College Hubs: How 25 colleges across 17 states are using innovative strategy sessions—like the "sticky storm" design thinking exercise—to align community resources and create hyper-local talent pipelines.

• Piloting New Approaches: Hear about the initiative's success using AI-powered chat tools for targeted social media marketing, reaching hundreds of thousands of prospective students and uncovering thousands of potential learners in just a few weeks.

• Critical Takeaways: Dr. Volzer shares three vital lessons from the first year, including the looming faculty shortage crisis and the essential role of continuous industry dialogue to keep curriculum current.

This conversation is a blueprint for how communities can future-proof their workforce and ensure manufacturing remains strong in America.

Together, they dive deep into one of the most urgent issues facing U.S. manufacturing today, the growing talent gap.

The Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) industry is demanding Aerospace parts at Automotive rates. Learn from aerospace and automotive industry leaders who will share the unique manufacturing, quality and inspection requirements for aerospace composites and current challenges to high-rate manufacturing. Insights from manufacturing experts with a command of high volume production will also be discussed. Don't miss this opportunity to gain knowledge from aerospace composite manufacturing experts from the Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering (SAMPE) and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) who will elaborate on the current state and propose solutions to high-rate manufacturing of AAM composites.

Visit https://advancedmanufacturing.org/webinars for a more interactive experience with visuals.

SPEAKERS:

Nick Gianaris, PhD, PE Principal Technical Consultant, Nexight Group

Doug Decker, FSME President of the Composites Consultants

Ben Dietsch VP, Arsenal, Cornerstone Research Group, Inc.

Sana Elyas Industrial Collaborations-Composites Innovation & Sustainable Manufacturing Technologies, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Confused about the difference between a certificate of completion, a certification, and an industry-recognized credential? You're not aloneOn this episode of the "Manufacturing the Workforce of Tomorrow" podcast, host Toni Neary welcomes Montez King, Executive Director of NIMS (National Institute for Metalworking Skills), to break down what these terms really mean, why industry-recognized credentials matter, and how certifications evolve to stay relevant. From understanding standards to renewal requirements and the importance of independent validation, this conversation will help you navigate professional development with clarity and confidence.

Jay Jessen, director of Lawrence Tech's Marburger STEM Center and 2025 STEM Director of the Year, joins Advanced Manufacturing Now to discuss hands-on STEM education, breaking down access barriers,and preparing students for the future of work.