Advanced Manufacturing Now

Can you imagine laser tube and sheet cutters that you can wheel around and plug into a wall outlet? 3D Fab Light makes such machines. In this podcast, Alan Rooks, Editor in Chief of Manufacturing Engineering magazine, talks with Joel Rosenberg, CEO of 3D Fab Light Inc., about where the startup idea for FabLight Tube & Sheet came from, how the company is able to manufacture in the high-cost San Francisco Bay Area, how its sheet and tube cutting machines operate on 110V 20A wall outlet power, and their capabilities in terms of thicknesses, cutting beds, and tube sizes.

Kevin Smith, senior commercial application engineer at Markforged, explains how the Markforged Metal X 3D printing process works, for starters. He also gets into how FFF metal printing differs from DMLS and other processes. And he goes over materials that can be printed on the Metal X, as well as the applications that are best suited for metal 3D printing.

Lubrication has always been a key issue on manufacturing plant, but new technology has advanced the science of lubrication in remarkable ways. In this podcast, Alan Rooks, Editor in Chief of Manufacturing Engineering magazine, talks with Jerry Robinson, division manager for Castrol LubeCon about lubrication issues and trends that manufacturers are dealing with; common lubrication challenges they face; and new services and products that Castrol LubeCon is focusing on.

Everyone knows that companies like Amazon have turned the business of purchasing consumer products upside down. But how is online purchasing changing the business-to-business purchasing world? Alan Rooks, Editor in Chief of Manufacturing Engineering magazine, sat down with Kevin Weadick, President of Zoro.com, to find out. In this podcast, they discuss how B2B purchasing has traditionally been handled and how online purchasing is changing that equation; how online consumer shopping is setting expectations for B2B online purchasing; how manufacturers can navigate a "mixed market" of purchasing some of their products offline, and some online; and the services that Zoro has rolled out as well as the services it will be introducing in the future.

Time is money and reliability is what a company's reputation is built on. Chris Mahar, Associate Editor of Manufacturing Engineering, speaks with Mike Marr, Applications Technician at Hoffmann Group USA, about their Parabolic Performance Cutting (PPC) series and Garant Master Tap line. Discussing how manufacturers can reduce costs, provide process reliability and reduce machining times in both machining threads and 5-axis copy milling.

When it comes to being successful, manufacturers today have more tools than ever to succeed. Chris Mahar, Associate Editor of Manufacturing Engineering, talks with Jeff Lage, President, Advanced Manufacturing Technologies at Ellison Technologies, about how Industry 4.0 is helping manufacturers improve operations through data collection and insights. Providing tips on how businesses can get the most capacity out of their machines, remove waste and enable their machines do more.

Manufacturing is changing and so is factory automation and robotics. Chris Mahar, Associate Editor of Manufacturing Engineering, sits down with Amber Fulmer, Eastern Sales Manager for North America at OnRobot US, about collaborative robots and the future of automation in manufacturing. Highlighting the importance and variety in end-of-arm tooling that is available for collaborative robots and how it impacts the work that gets done.

When it comes to assembly, especially of today's sensitive electronics, batteries and more, precision is key. Chris Mahar, Associate Editor of Manufacturing Engineering, speaks with Greg Cooke, Applications Engineer for Promess, about servo technology and its benefits in assembly operations. Providing details about how servo technology can save money, applications where it makes the most sense and recent advancements in the space.

Manufacturing is thriving and advancing – creating new challenges for manufacturers looking to fill openings and attract tomorrow's skilled workers. Chris Mahar, Associate Editor of Manufacturing Engineering, speaks with Tony Christopher, Regional Sales Manager for Carr Lane Manufacturing, about labor challenges affecting manufacturing and how to attract and retain tomorrow's workforce.

Ever since the first industrial robot went online in 1961, manufacturers have been asking what, where, how and why should they turn to automation and robotics. Chris Mahar, Associate Editor of Manufacturing Engineering, speaks with Chris Voss, National Service Manager for Acieta, about the questions and answers facing manufacturers looking at robotics. Sharing how manufacturers can improve profitability, revenue, safety and quality through implementation of robotic automation systems.