Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast

The costs of oversizing your compressed air system

Compressed air is inherently expensive. On top of that, very often it is produced inefficiently. But it doesn’t have to be. Taking a look at your compressed air system’s equipment, layout, performance, and environment can help you improve the overall system’s reliability and efficiency saving you money on energy, maintenance, and life-cycle costs. 
A review of thousands of compressed air systems reveals that, on average, users operate below 50% of system capacity. Oversized compressors are among the most common problems in air systems. In this episode of The Hidden Costs of Compressed Air series, speakers Matt McCorkle and Neil Mehltretter address why oversizing occurs and how an oversized system reduces reliability and increases maintenance and lifecycle costs.
Additional resource:Over-sized and Under-utilized: An Epidemic

Digital manufacturing: Better, faster, cheaper

Haven Allen is CEO and co-founder of mHUB, a leading hardtech and manufacturing innovation center, and is a managing partner of mHUB’s $15M Seed-stage product impact fund. Allen is an entrepreneur and technology strategist who most recently concentrated on growing the manufacturing industry and strengthening its community throughout the greater Chicago area. Allen recently spoke with Thomas Wilk about how companies are using digitalization to stay competitive and what organizations like mHUB are doing to attract the next generation of workers.

Manufacturing’s new normal: How COVID changed the industry

Plant Services met veteran millwright and newly minted predictive maintenance technician Michael Macsisak several years ago, and Mike has checked in with the editors as he began work in mining and then again last year to discuss transitioning from a predictive mindset to a reliability-focused approach. Plant Services Chief Editor Thomas Wilk recently caught up with Mike to talk about life in a post-COVID industrial world.

Fight cyberattacks and their impacts with a strong response plan

Ron Brash is the director of Cyber Security Insights at Verve Industrial, a multi-faceted role that includes engaging with customers to work on identifying vulnerabilities that are often not disclosed, explaining and researching technical details buried in products onsite or in a lab, and staying on top of trends or tools. Plant Services Chief Editor Thomas Wilk caught up with Brash for a discussion on cybersecurity trends in 2021, a conversation that took on added urgency as last year’s data breach of the U.S. federal government came increasingly to light.

How to drive effective water treatment and management at your facility

Kevin Milici is the executive VP of marketing and technology for Kurita America, a global leader in water solutions and one of the world’s largest suppliers of water treatment equipment, chemistries and services. The Kurita Group takes an integrated solutions approach to water treatment, looking for the root cause of a plant’s real problem or inefficiency, and developing a site-specific remedy. Plant Services chief editor Thomas Wilk spoke with Kevin late last year on the role that maintenance and reliability teams play to drive effective water treatment and management.

Cybersecurity in 2021: What you need to know

Ben Dickinson is Global Product Manager for Cyber Security at ABB. In December of last year, breaking news of the SolarWinds supply-chain attack moved cybersecurity into the top headlines, as news emerged that many U.S. governmental systems were at risk. Plant Services editor in chief Thomas Wilk had the chance to talk with Ben about the links between cybersecurity, energy efficiency, and physical safety in the age of COVID.

3D printing to the rescue: How makers are printing parts to fight COVID-19

In this episode of The Tool Belt, Thomas Wilk sits down with Mara Hitner, director of business development for MatterHackers. Mara's mission is to empower, enable and equip everyone to create our future by turning the ideas they have into the things they use via desktop 3D printers, CNC machines and laser cutters. During the interview, Mara discusses how MatterHackers' COVID-19 Maker Response Hub is connecting those who need medical aid and those who can create it using digital manufacturing.

The role of the system integrator in the digital transformation

In this episode of The Tool Belt, Thomas Wilk sits down with José Rivera, CEO of the Control System Integrators Association. Jose works to help independent system integrators build better companies through the adoption of the association’s best practices guidelines. During the interview, Jose discusses the changing role of system integrators.

Cybersecurity trends and best practices for 2020

In this episode of The Tool Belt, Thomas Wilk sits down with Donovan Tindill, senior cybersecurity SME for Honeywell Connected Enterprise Industrial Cybersecurity. For over 20 years, Donovan has specialized in cybersecurity and infrastructure for control systems. During the interview, Donovan discusses cybersecurity trends and best practices for 2020.

Introducing The Tool Belt, Plant Services’ new podcast series

We’re all familiar with the old adage “always use the right tool for the job.” But as the industrial landscape continues to evolve, having the necessary knowledge and skills to keep your plant up and running might just be the most important tool of all.