Advanced Manufacturing Now

The manufacturing industry is transitioning into a new era of additive implementation, from massive automotive-scale builds to ultra-precise micro 3D printing. We dive into the evolving landscape of this technology in our preview of the April 2026 edition of Manufacturing Engineering and Technology, just ahead of RAPID + TCT 2026. 

2026 is not about transformation - it's about survival through smarter allocation. Manufacturing leaders are entering the year with fewer people, tighter margins, and far less patience for initiatives that don't deliver measurable ROI. Based on CADDi's 2026 Industry Report, this session breaks down where manufacturers are still investing, what they're deliberately avoiding, and how the best teams are extracting more output from the assets and data they already own. We'll explore: Why 69% of companies are prioritizing physical assets - and why automation and robotics are winning over headcount Why data access, not headcount, is becoming the real productivity multiplier How "selective improvement" is replacing broad transformation - and what that means for ROI, resilience, and speed Join us for a data-backed look at where the industry is heading and how leading manufacturers are extracting more value from the assets, systems, and people they already have. Presenters: Aaron Lober VP of Marketing CADDi Chris Cope VP of Engineering CADDi Patrick Harrigan VP of Partnerships CADDi Brought to you by: CADDi Visit https://advancedmanufacturing.org/webinars for more webinars and an interactive experience with visuals.

SME Media Editor-in-Chief Steve Plumb and Associate Editor Cary Gitter are joined by SME's Dave Morton, group director, events; Suzy Marzano, senior manager, industry development and technical activities; and Stacey Eeman, director, industry strategy, for a special preview of RAPID + TCT—North America's largest additive manufacturing event—and the AeroDef Manufacturing showcase, coming up in Boston April 13-16. This is an audio recording of our latest episode of Advanced Manufacturing Live. Follow SME Media on LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube to catch our next episode live. 

We sit down with Matthew Bush, CEO of Hirebotics, to discuss the rapid rise of cobots in modern manufacturing and how they are transforming operations across industries.

Manufacturing organizations face a wide range of interconnected risks—from supply chain disruptions and inventory shortages to customer concentration and pricing volatility. Yet many still rely on traditional "what if" scenarios that fail to capture how these risks interact and compound, limiting their ability to anticipate performance shortfalls. Join Glen Justis, CEO of Acclaim Strategies, LLC, to see how leading manufacturers use Monte Carlo methods to analyze the interaction of manufacturing risks and support the development of more effective risk mitigation strategies. In this session, you'll learn: Why traditional "what if" analysis falls short for manufacturing risk decisions How deeper insight into risk variability supports better, more resilient manufacturing decisions Strategies to model supply chain and inventory risk, evaluate customer concentration, and support pricing optimization under uncertainty Presenter: Glen Justis CEO, Acclaim Strategies, LLC Brought to you by: LUMIVERO Visit https://advancedmanufacturing.org/webinars for more webinars and an interactive experience with visuals.  

We speak with Brittany Rodriguez about her career as a Technical Professional in Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, how her mother supported her move into a manufacturing career, and being recognized as an SME 30 Under 30 Honoree in 2025.  Nominations are open now for SME 30 Under 30 2026 until April 17, 2026.

Industrial operations rely on precise lubrication to ensure optimal performance and longevity. Yet, for decades, lubricant condition monitoring has relied on scheduled sampling, delayed lab results and discovering issues only after costly damage has occurred. Real-time condition monitoring fundamentally changes this reactive approach, transforming lubrication management from guesswork into intelligent, predictive maintenance. Real-time monitoring powered by expert knowledge represents the evolution from reactive to predictive maintenance strategies. Companies that embrace this evolution, will lead in operational excellence and asset reliability. What you will learn in this webinar: Why lubrication monitoring is important. The problem with traditional monitoring & why change is needed. Why expertise is essential – not just sensors. Benefits for Operations Teams & the transformation journey. Presenters: Cole Turner Franco Global Industrial Technical Offer Manager Adam Rice Application Engineer, Industrial Solutions Brought to you by: Castrol Visit https://advancedmanufacturing.org/webinars for more webinars and an interactive experience with visuals.

SME Media Senior Editor Michael McConnell and Associate Editor Cary Gitter sit down with Ethan Baehrend—a 2024 SME 30 Under 30 honoree and the founder and CEO of Creative 3D Technologies—to discuss the latest in additive manufacturing and the future of the technology. This is an audio recording of our latest episode of Advanced Manufacturing Live. Follow SME Media on LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube to catch our next episode live. 

Worried about scratches, scuffs, and blemishes during your sheet metal fabrication process? Whether you need to replace brush panels on turret punch, shearing, laser, and bending machines or require a safe work surface for assembly and material transfer, we've got you covered. When it comes to designing brush for different materials and processes, we take into account the weight and finish to ensure your brush has the optimal bristle diameter, spacing, and height. This tailored approach helps you consistently deliver top quality products. You can order from our extensive library of standard brush panels for major equipment manufacturers like Amada, Trumpf, Euromac, Salvagnini, Prima-Power, and LVD-Strippit or we can create custom shapes and configurations. Let's work together to optimize your sheet metal fabrication processes and enhance the quality of your end products. Presenters: Jeff Fettig Sales Team Greg Gach Lead Engineer Brought to you by: RBT Visit https://advancedmanufacturing.org/webinars for more webinars and an interactive experience with visuals.

Manufacturers are facing a silent crisis: decades of institutional knowledge are walking out the door as experienced engineers retire, turnover rises, and supplier ecosystems shift. At the same time, teams are drowning in unstructured files — drawings, quotes, QC reports, and tribal process notes — making it harder than ever to reuse past work, avoid repeat mistakes, and train new talent. AI has the power to reverse this trend — not by replacing experts, but by capturing, structuring, and amplifying their knowledge across engineering, procurement, and operations. Join CADDi's VP of Partnerships Patrick Harrigan and CADDi's VP of Engineering Chris Cope for a deep-dive discussion on: You Will Learn Why knowledge attrition is the #1 hidden cost in manufacturing transformation How AI is being applied today to digitize, structure, and unlock legacy engineering + supplier data Real examples of teams using AI to speed RFQs, avoid repeat quality issues, and ramp new engineers faster Frameworks for evaluating AI tools that support — not disrupt — your workforce A practical roadmap to start preserving expertise before it's gone This session is designed for forward-thinking manufacturing leaders who want to future-proof their organizations and empower their teams — not replace them. Brought to you by: CADDi Visit https://advancedmanufacturing.org/webinars for more webinars and an interactive experience with visuals.

SME Media Senior Editor Michael McConnell, Editor Rachel Thomas and Associate Editor Cary Gitter sit down for an industry update, discussing economic expansion in the manufacturing sector, a visit to Autotool Tech Day in Ohio and the latest news on tariffs. This is an audio recording of our latest episode of Advanced Manufacturing Live. Follow SME Media on LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube to catch our next episode live. 

We sit down with Dave Evans, CEO of Misumi America and founder of Fictiv, to unpack findings from the 11th Annual State of Manufacturing and Supply Chain Report.

Welcome How Winning Manufacturers Put Historical Data At The Center Of Their Business Transformation American manufacturing has been on a negative trajectory for the last half century. In the last 20 years alone, 30% of Americas small and midsized manufacturers have been absorbed by larger competitors or gone out of business. Trade policy alone isn't enough to save the American Manufacturer. To dominate the 21st century, American Manufacturers need to innovate faster than ever before. Fortunately a fresh crop of leading innovators in this new AI-powered era is beginning to emerge. We're here to bring you their stories. Consolidating components purchasing across a global supply chain. Speeding up DFM to get products to market faster. Enforcing reuse to avoid unnecessary duplication and carrying costs. These are just a few of the success stories that CADDi customers have pioneered over the last year. We're here to deep dive some of these for you. The CADDi team will get under the hood on approaches used by our top customers so you can deploy them in your own business. Don't miss this chance to grab the AI-enabled playbooks that are making companies like, Subaru, Kawasaki, Dairy Conveyor Corp, Denso, Ebara, and others so successful at improving QCD Brought to you by: CADDi  SPEAKERS: Aaron Lober VP of Marketing CADDi Aaron Lober is an accomplished marketing executive with a foundation in product marketing at companies like Procore Technologies, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Blameless (acquired by FireHydrant). He holds an MBA from Pepperdine Graziadio Business School. Chris Cope VP of Engineering CADDi Chris Cope is a seasoned technology leader with expertise in SRE, AI, Architecture and Security. Formerly with Xometry and Laconia, Chris excels in optimizing production workflows and spearheading automation projects. He is known for driving innovation and scaling teams to enhance operational efficiency and earned a Masters in Computer Science from DePaul University. Patrick Harrigan VP of Partnerships CADDi Patrick Harrigan, VP of Partnerships at CADDi, formerly of Hexagon AB and Tulip Interfaces, fosters a partner network to expand CADDi's AI platform, driving operational efficiency, cost reduction, and knowledge democratization. Visit https://advancedmanufacturing.org/webinars for more webinars and an interactive experience with visuals.

Curious about adding a 3D printer to your operation? In this episode, we shares insights from manufacturers who have already taken the leap. 

We breakdown the March issue of Manufacturing Engineering and Technology, featuring articles on advances in wire EDM technology, AI integration, cybersecurity and workforce development, as well as our Aerospace and Defense Industry Report. 

Additive Manufacturing (AM) has evolved from a promising emerging technology into a mature production method that is transforming industries worldwide. While it has successfully enabled groundbreaking applications in sectors such as aerospace, defense, medical, and consumer goods, it has also revealed limitations where initial expectations could not be met. In this webinar, Matthias Schmidt-Lehr, Managing Partner at AM consultancy AMPOWER and Co-Author of the leading Additive Manufacturing Market Report, will share insights into the latest industry developments. Participants will gain an in-depth understanding of market numbers, technology distribution, and regional adoption differences. The session will highlight lead applications and present key learnings from successful AM suppliers and adopters. Join us to explore current trends, machine sales data, and the factors shaping the future of AM. Brought to you by: AMPOWER  SPEAKER: Matthias Schmidt-Lehr Managing Partner Visit https://advancedmanufacturing.org/webinars for more webinars and an interactive experience with visuals.

On the latest episode of Advanced Manufacturing Live, Jennifer Coyne, director of programs at The Barnes Global Advisors and an advisor on SME's AM Technical Community Leadership Committee, joins Senior Editor Michael McConnell and Editor Rachael Thomas for a conversation on workforce development and advocacy within the additive manufacturing industry as well as holistic approaches to technology adoption. Join us every two weeks on Thursday at 3pm EST for Advanced Manufacturing Live. Watch us on your preferred platform such as Facebook, LinkedIn, X and YouTube. Also available on-demand.

Join us in exploring the findings from a new Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) report by Sphera and The Aluminum Association. Learn how aluminum is shaping a more sustainable future by reducing emissions and improving efficiency in battery electric vehicle (BEV) designs.  Why Attend?  Explore Key Findings: Understand how lightweighting with aluminum contributes to lower life cycle emissions in BEVs.  Hear from Experts: Gain insights on the role of aluminum in the future of mobility, from a panel of the aluminum industry's experts, leading researchers and industry voices.  Discover Design Impacts: See how aluminum-optimized BEV design reduces Global Warming Potential by enabling battery downsizing and improving fuel efficiency.  Brought to you by: DRIVE ALUMINUM SPEAKERS: Marshall Wang Senior Manager, Sustainability Programs, The Aluminum Association Andreas Afseth Technical Director Global Automotive, Constellium Visit https://advancedmanufacturing.org/webinars for more webinars and an interactive experience with visuals.

Key Machining Strategies Covered: Trochoidal Milling: Efficient material removal with reduced tool wear High Efficiency Milling (HEM): Uses low radial depth of cut for improved tool life and productivity Specialized Operations: Helical interpolation Ramping Full slot milling Industry Segment focus: Critical aerospace components, Oil & Gas (dogbone coupon milling), automotive, medical and more Supply Chain Importance: Emphasis on the quality and availability of materials from powder to rod to finished end mill Closed-loop system includes recycling, ensuring sustainability and consistent performance Global production ensures scalability and repeatability across markets Brought to you by: CERATIZIT SPEAKER: Scott Walrath Business Development Manager Scott brings 40 years of experience in cutting tools, with a specialization in end mill manufacturing. He is the former owner of DuraMill, based in Upstate New York, and since 2021 has served as Senior Product Manager for Solid Carbide End Mills at CERATIZIT. Scott's deep expertise includes tool production, edge preparation technology, coating technologies, and machining strategy optimization. Visit https://advancedmanufacturing.org/webinars for more webinars and an interactive experience with visuals.

In this episode of Advanced Manufacturing Now, we speak with Nush Ahmed and Karlie Hahn, CEO & COO of Sisterhood of Trades respectively, about their burgeoning manufacturing careers and the rewards of building a community of their peers.