Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast

In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Laura Davis of New Equipment Digest breaks down the five most popular products on New Equipment Digest in October. Learn what each one does, the specs that matter, and which operations stand to benefit most: Chicago Pneumatic’s THS and THL/TR hydraulic torque wrenches Enerpac’s Armor Stack modular tool cases ABB Robotics’ IRB 1700 and IRB 1700ID industrial robots, Epson’s AX6 collaborative robot Exair’s redesigned EFC Electronic Flow Control.   

In the wide universe of artificial intelligence, Physical AI is a confluence of perception, reasoning, and execution - as Michael Kenworthy, CTO of VulcanForms helpfully explains. Physical AI builds on foundations like large language models (LLMs) and vision-language-action frameworks - and bridges internet text intelligence with physical robotics. Now Physical AI is spreading out from the realm of automation and into more pragmatic applications. In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Kenworthy uses his insights in metal additive manufacturing to describe the potential for Physical AI, how it is maturing, how to prepare to apply it, and where to watch for its impact.

Dave Blanchard, editor-in-chief of Material Handling & Logistics, presents MH&L's annual list of the 10 largest global manufacturers of forklifts, and offers some analysis of current market conditions and trends.

Manufacturers have spent decades refining continuous improvement and the next evolution isn’t about replacing those proven methods with AI. It’s about making them dramatically more effective. In this sponsored episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, IndustryWeek senior editor for technology Dennis Scimeca talks with Fabriq co-founder Octave Lapeyronie about the emergence of Agentic Continuous Improvement: putting AI inside the daily management rituals manufacturers already rely on, while keeping frontline teams firmly in control. The episode is sponsored by Fabriq. Go to www.fabriq.tech to learn more.

In this episode of Great Question: a Manufacturing Podcast, Mitch Twardosky, CEO of Fidelity Manufacturing, discusses the manufacturing company's very recent ownership transition—the owners sold the company to an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) as a succession plan—while in the midst of significant company growth driven by increasing demand for backup generation. Twardosky shares with IndustryWeek's Jill Jusko how the ESOP almost immediately had employees taking an ownership mindset about what does and does not add value to the company. He also talks about workforce development related to the manufacturer's expansion into Texas, where a 200,000 square-foot plant is about to open.