Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast

In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Robert Brooks explores three key developments in non-ferrous metallurgy that promise to reshape industrial manufacturing. The discussion highlights breakthrough research from the Pacific Northwest and Ames National Laboratories, including advances in solid-phase alloying of aluminum scrap and the discovery of a new multi-element alloy for high-temperature turbine applications. Robert also examines Arconic’s collaboration with spectroscopy experts to enhance real-time analysis of molten metals. Together, these innovations point to a future where metallurgical progress drives both performance and sustainability across sectors.

Rocky Rowlett, vice president of safety, and Alyssa Kwasny, wellness program director, explain how their energy and construction firm, Faith Technologies Inc., has become an exemplar of world-class safety excellence by developing a culture of care.

The problem sounds so simple: Manufacturers need large numbers of new employees to replace retiring Baby Boomers. Lots of Millennial and Gen Z young people want good jobs
One reason why the sides aren't connecting, workforce watchers say, is that young people are often unaware of the opportunities being offered in factories and job shops nationwide. At least one plant is addressing that. 
International Motors' commercial truck plant in San Antonio, Texas, has been working with greater:SATX, the city's economic development organizations, to encourage high school students to intern and the recently opened manufacturing facility. Several of those recent high school grads have since taken full-time positions at International. 
Hear more about the program from students-turned employees, International's leadership team and from the people who are training and worth with those young people.

Industry 4.0 is still a vague term to many in manufacturing. To some, it’s projects that fit the strict standards of the German consortium that developed the term. For others, it’s synonymous with Industrial Internet of Things connectivity – systems that draw data from machines to optimize processes.
Most agree, however, that it’s a tech thing. Industry 4.0 advocates talk about the need to manage workers differently, but the thrust of the movement is machine learning, data collection, data-based decision modeling and data-driven process improvement.
So, where do people have a say? To Sarah Tilkens, a former GE Healthcare lean guru who now runs the KPI Lab, that’s why we need Industry 5.0.
“The problem (with Industry 4.0) is with the focus so much on productivity and efficiency. People became really, really burned out and disengaged,” Tilkens said. “So, a lot of the systems became very rigid. They weren’t as flexible. They weren’t as creative. And I think that’s what led to… Industry 5.0, which again is all around human led innovation.”
Tilkens shared her thoughts with IndustryWeek editor Jill Jusko, someone who’s spent 25 years writing about continuous improvement and operational excellence.

In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Thomas Wilk, chief editor of Plant Services, sits down for a roundtable discussion with:
Chris Hallum, UE Systems operations manager for North Europe
Chad Coleman, Amazon senior reliability engineer
Pat Caron, Amazon reliability engineering manager
Jeremy Bey, UE Systems strategic accounts leader. 
The discussion explores the evolution from isolated maintenance efforts to a unified, data-driven strategy that emphasizes standardization, training, and cross-regional collaboration. This episode offers practical insights for anyone navigating the complexities of reliability at scale.

Joining Smart Industry’s Scott Achelpohl for this episode is Rajeev Shah, co-founder and CEO of Celona, who helps explain how manufacturers can overcome “legacy” infrastructure challenges—particularly their older OT—to harness the potential of AI-driven operations.

In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Rosemary Coates, executive director of the Reshoring Institute, shares insights on how companies are navigating the changing business environment and reshoring trends in 2025.

In this “in case you missed it” podcast, you'll learn why Travis S. McConnell, a construction attorney with Ready Legal, believes that implementing a comprehensive safety program is essential to preventing injuries and complying with OSHA’s standards. 
You can also read the full article here.

Armstrong World Industries set a goal, nearly a decade ago, to be an outlier, the kind of company that maintains 5% profit growth for five or more years. Those efforts have paid off with the ceiling-tile and architectural components making landing No. 2 in IndustryWeek’s annual IW U.S. 50 Best Manufacturers list.
Vic Grizzle, CEO of Armstrong, sat down with IndustryWeek’s Robert Schoenberger to discuss the management philosophy behind that performance. Some key elements:
Investing in the business: Armstrong dedicates more of its cashflow to operational improvements than many of its peers, part of an annual push to increase productivity by about 3% every year
Championing stability: Customers and employees know what to expect from a company that has stable management and rarely changes big-picture strategies
Adaptability: While it champions stability, Armstrong also looks for adjacent opportunities, experiments with new technologies and constantly updates its processes

In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Thomas Wilk, chief editor of Plant Services, is joined by Blair Fraser, the VP of technology at UE Systems to discuss how ultrasound tools are evolving. Many maintenance technicians use machine condition monitoring technologies for two related goals: detect a problem, and diagnose the root cause. However, Fraser argues that these technologies are evolving quickly to help teams achieve the next-step goal of deciding on the best corrective course of action that fits overall plant goals.