Advanced Manufacturing Now

Sharing design files is a critical part of manufacturing operations, but typical file-sharing operations can create challenges for the people involved. In this episode, Alan Rooks, Editor in Chief of Manufacturing Engineering magazine talks with Jim Zwica, Director of Manufacturing Solutions for Vertex, about the purpose of sharing files in manufacturing; the primary challenges and problems it causes; and new alternatives to file sharing that may be a better option for many companies.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a major challenge for the manufacturing industry and its professional associations. In this episode, Alan Rooks, editor in chief of Manufacturing Engineering magazine and Brett Brune, editor in chief of Smart Manufacturing magazine, talk with Bob Willig, who joined SME as CEO on January 1 as executive director and CEO. Among other topics, Willig comments on why he joined SME; what the industry should expect out of SME post-pandemic; the outlook for manufacturing; areas of opportunity for SME; aspects of smart manufacturing that interest him; and how manufacturers in general and SME in particular can target the workforce skills gap.

Jeff Huerta, Senior VP for Sales at Vecna Robotics, speaks on how successful companies are advancing their operations with fully autonomous material handling equipment, and how some facilities are achieving very quick ROI. He also describes the differences between an AMR and an AGV, and addresses the topic of safety. Lastly, he prescribes ways to get started with this equipment, including what upfront costs companies should be prepared for.

Today's machine tools create an enormous amount of data. One way of using this information is to implement automated feedback processes that improve machining operations. In this episode, Alan Rooks, Editor in Chief of Manufacturing Engineering magazine, talks with Scott Mahrle, director of business development for Q-DAS and Hexagon Integrated Solutions, and Frank Krazer, system engineer for Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence, about what automated machine tool feedback is and how it impacts the manufacturing process; how automated machine tool feedback can increase the efficiency of both people and equipment; how it can produce costs savings; and how manufacturers can build workers' confidence in this process.

John Keogh, LIFT's engineering director, shares all the things the institute and its additive manufacturing partners are doing to develop methods and techniques to better understand the materials and their dimensions – in real time - as they undergo the additive process.

There is not a lot that all manufacturers of every type and size have in common, but all struggle with same challenge—the skills gap and a changing workforce. John Hindman, Director, Learning and Performance Improvement at Tooling U-SME, sits down with Chris Mahar, Associate Editor, to talk about how manufacturers can benefit from today's multigenerational workforce. Hear John talk about best practices for training millennials and Gen Z workers to become high performers, and other workforce tips and tricks.

In this podcast, Bruce Morey, Senior Technical Editor for Manufacturing Engineering Magazine discusses collaborative robots, or cobots, with Steve Apel. He is a Regional Automation Manager for Acieta. In this role, he helps solve customer challenges through the adoption of new robotic automation technologies.

Italy has long been a key provider of manufacturing technology to the U.S. market. In this podcast, Alan Rooks, Editor in Chief of Manufacturing Engineering magazine, talks with Bart Pascoli, Project Coordinator for Machines Italia–and Marco Saladini, Trade Commissioner-Chicago for the Italian Trade Agency about Machines Italia and its role in the North American manufacturing industry; the results of a recent Machines Italia awareness survey of 500 purchasers of Italian machinery in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada; key highlights from the digital version of Machines Italia magazine, volume 13, which is focused on Next Generation Manufacturing; and where to find more information about Machines Italia and its offerings to the manufacturing industry.

As the world recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, trades shows are once again on the horizon around the globe. In this podcast, Alan Rooks, Editor in Chief of Manufacturing Engineering magazine, interviews Bart Pascoli, Project Coordinator for Machines Italia, and Marco Saladini, Trade Commissioner-Chicago of the Italian Trade Agency, about the plans being made for EMO Milan 2021, one of the largest machine tool exhibitions in the world, which is scheduled for Oct. 4-9, 2021; what is coming up 2021 in terms of North American digital and physical trade events that Machines Italia will be involved in; and other events, including a webinar with the ME Editorial Board focused on the results from a survey on manufacturing trends in the post COVID landscape and testimonials from Italian machinery suppliers.