ASSEMBLY Audible

With Smart Factory technology growing throughout the world, Sudhanshu Gaur, Ph.D., vice president at Hitachi America and chief architect for smart manufacturing at automotive supplier Hitachi Astemo talks about how to implement the technology, how to use the data collected from it and how companies of all sizes can benefit from the digital transformation.

Host Chris Smith has an informative conversation with Mohit Gupta author of "Lean On! The Evolution of Operations Excellence With Digital Transformation in Manufacturing and Beyond" ahead of Mr. Gupta's webinar on September 9, 2021. The discussion goes into misconceptions about lean tools, the seven trends of lean, how the digital revolution is providing more real time data and how to best utilize it.

With digital manufacturing on demand, you can now get prototypes and production parts in as fast as a day. Engineers can upload parts and get quotes within seconds, talk to experienced engineers within minutes, and get machined, fabricated, molded, and printed parts to their door within days. See how manufacturing on demand can make your custom manufacturing process faster and better. To learn more about Xometry, visit their 3D printing services or CNC machining services pages.

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Leah Curry is president of Toyota Manufacturing Indiana where she is responsible for stamping, body weld, paint, plastics, assembly, conveyance and plant engineering. In this episode, Leah covers auto assembly hot topics like electrified vehicles, factory floor advancements, retooling, upskilling, carbon reduction, and attracting and retaining talent. Leah also shares her path to manufacturing and keys to advancing over the years.

Dan Barsness is vice president of global product management and e-commerce at Protolabs. He joins us to share how the digital manufacturing service provider brings rapid manufacturing to life across automated 3D printing, CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication and injection molding for clients around the world. He also shares advice for other manufacturers looking to speed up product assembly.

Marie-Christine Caron is senior operations manager with GE aviation and Eric Dube is senior engineering section manager. They join us to discuss the state of aerospace assembly a year after the industry was hit hard by the pandemic. From advancements in automation, to additive manufacturing, to lean manufacturing, to decarburization, they offer promising examples and lessons learned from their experiences with advanced manufacturing.

Eric Cowan is vice president of Industry 4.0 solution delivery and automation at Stanley Black & Decker. He joins us to discuss the hard and soft skills necessary for a successful digital transformation in manufacturing. Key topics covered include ensuring adoption of new solutions, upskilling, future predictions, and how mid- and small-sized manufacturers can embrace Industry 4.0 advancements.

Data analytics is one of the hottest buzzwords in manufacturing today and, as a data scientist with GE Digital, Sarah Lukens specializes in it. In this episode, Sarah talks about combing through as many as millions of data points, then transforming them into actionable insights for manufacturing. She explains industrial AI, technical language processing, and moving form predictive to prescriptive analytics.

Susanne Lauda is director of global advanced manufacturing technology at AGCO. She discusses Manufacturing 4.0 examples, challenges, and best practices related to agricultural machinery and precision agriculture technology. A member of the Women in Manufacturing Education Foundation Board of Directors, Susanne also shares her experience and outlook on the future of women in the field.

Edward Hightower is managing director of Motoring Ventures and author of the book Motoring Africa: Sustainable Automotive Industrialization. He joins us to discuss the topic of sustainable industrialization and how he's putting his years of experience in automotive product design and engineering at big-name brands to work to help drive more automotive manufacturing in Africa.