Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast

The Future of Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM)

For a very long time, computer-aided manufacturing – CAM – was contingent with CAD, computer-aided design. The parts and the programmer defined the manufacturing process. Now the world of programming is venturing into a new landscape in which artificial intelligence and digital twins are defining the production process for engineered parts.
Olivier Thenoz, Product Manager for CAM with Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence, explains the current state of CAM for programmers and operators, and the future opportunities for manufacturers.

Preparing for Trump Tariffs: What Not to Do (Production Pulse)

With last week’s election of Donald J. Trump to a second term in the White House, the big question for the manufacturing community is what to expect in trade policy. On the campaign trail, Trump made higher tariffs, especially in Chinese imports, a centerpiece of his agenda.
Supply chain and legal experts say companies should prepare for a different trade environment, but don’t try to be clever or overreact. Back in 2018, some companies tried to avoid the first round of Trump tariffs by trying to hide the country of origin of their goods.
It didn’t go well for them.
So, be skeptical about vendor claims that they can insulate you from trade changes.
But, at the same time, don’t expect things to change too quickly or spend wildly to build up inventory in expectations of higher prices. That strategy often leads to higher costs and rarely saves much in the long run.
Sharing these insights and others, as part of IndustryWeek’s regular Production Pulse livestream were:
Jeremy Tancredi, partner in West Monroe's supply chain practice
Dan Swartz, international tax services principal, Crowe
Gregory Husisian, partner at Foley & Lardner LLP
Jill Jusko, IndustryWeek’s executive editor

7 Steps for an Efficient Plant Turnaround

Plant turnarounds are tricky, overwhelming, and daunting. But they don’t have to be. Here are seven actionable steps you can take to ensure a plant turnaround for a chemical plant or refinery goes as smoothly as possible which include working with your vendor and setting clear requirements.
About the Article
How to Make Your Plant Turnaround Smooth and EffectiveThese 7 tips will help make your chemical plant or refinery turnaround much easier to execute.Written by Mike AughenbaughRead by Laura DavisRead the article

How to Operate Smarter and Leaner, Thanks to Little’s Law

Anna Townshend is managing editor of Plant Services and has been a journalist and editor for almost 20 years. In addition to writing and editing thousands of articles in her career, she has been an active speaker on industry panels and presentations. In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Anna reads a piece that is part of our new Maintenance Mindset feature, where each week one of the Plant Services editors highlights important and interesting nuggets in the news about manufacturing and asset management.
About the Article
Maintenance Mindset: Little’s Law and lean manufacturing — A formula for operational excellenceThis week, the PS team remembers the life and work of the theorem’s namesake John D.C. Little and its influence on lean manufacturing.Written and read by Anna TownshendRead the article

The Art of the Possible and the Art of the Practical in Digital Transformation [(R)Evolutionizing Manufacturing]

Smart Industry's Scott Achelpohl and Industry 4.0 thought leader Jeff Winter delve into a two-part chat on imagination in digital transformation ... how to dream about what's possible but also be mindful of what's practical. An intriguing discussion about mindset in manufacturing technology.

How to Challenge Problem Employees with Reliability Excellence [Ask a Plant Manager]

Joe Kuhn, CMRP, is a former plant manager, engineer, and global reliability consultant, and he is now president of Lean Driven Reliability. He is the author of the book “Zero to Hero: How to Jumpstart Your Reliability Journey Given Today’s Business Challenges” and the creator of the Joe Kuhn YouTube Channel, which offers content on starting your reliability journey and achieving financial independence. In our monthly podcast miniseries, Ask a Plant Manager, Joe considers a commonplace scenario facing the industry and offers his advice, as well as actions that you can take to get on track tomorrow. This episode offers insight into how managers deal with employees’ bad attitudes.

Making the Candy, Manufacturing for Halloween [Production Pulse]

Even if you're listening to this after Halloween, please enjoy this special treat of a group discussion around all things candy. Where does our candy come from? What are people eating these days? Why do kids like gummy candy instead of recognizing that chocolate is the only thing worth eating? 
Most importantly, what's coming up from food manufacturers in the future? What great product will add inches to our waistlines in 2025?
The ask and answer some of these questions are:
Linda Becker, editor-in-chief of Automatic Merchandizer and Vending Market Watch, titles that send her to vending machine and convenience store trade shows every year, candy-centric events at which companies share what's coming up in the world of sugar
Andy Hanacek, senior editor of Food Processing, a title that covers food manufacturers
Robert Schoenberger, editor-in-chief of IndustryWeek who does consider peanut M&Ms to be a salad

The Evolving Role of Technology in Workplace Safety [Talking EHS]

Ryan Magee, newly appointed CEO of Cority, shares his thoughts on the impact that technology, particularly AI, is having on workplace safety, and what the future looks like for EHS professionals hoping to leverage new technology.

How Major Tech Players Are Transforming Manufacturing Software Solutions

Greg Martin is founder at Equip LLC Automation Consulting, a software and electrical service provider in South Bend, Indiana, that works specifically with automated systems. Greg was in Chicago recently to explore the IMTS 2024 trade show, and met up with Thomas Wilk, chief editor of Plant Services, to trade their observations and reflect on the past 10 years of systems integration.

Translating AI for Small and Medium-Size Manufacturers: Live from IFS Unleashed

Editors Scott Achelpohl, Tom Wilk, and Dennis Scimeca sit down with Andrew Burton, the enterprise cloud software vendor's global industry director of manufacturing, about the IFS conference in Orlando, why the company wants to trailblaze with artificial intelligence and how, as its CEO said at the show, IFS wants to be the "undisputed leader in industrial software."