Advanced Manufacturing Now

Recorded live at CES 2026 in Las Vegas, this episode features a conversation between SME Media Editor-in-Chief Steve Plumb and SME Chief Manufacturing Officer Dr. Brett Conner on why manufacturing belongs at the world's biggest technology show.

In today's special episode, you'll hear the audio version of SME Media's brand new video series, Advanced Manufacturing Live! You can find the video version of this episode on SME Media's social media pages.     

In this special episode of Advanced Manufacturing Now, the SME Editorial Team reflects on the highlights of 2025 and anticipates the trends and challenges for 2026. 

Let's eliminate material waste, accelerate production, and break down data silos between the front office and the shop floor. Discover the power of seamless integration by joining us in an exclusive co-hosted webinar with QBuild and ECI where they'll discuss how integrating your nesting software with your ERP system can revolutionize your fabrication processes.  In the session, you'll see how this powerful integration can help:  Supercharge Production Speed: Automate the nesting process and eliminate manual data entry, leading to faster job starts and reduced lead times.  Eradicate Data Silos: Ensure real-time data synchronization and eliminate the disconnect between your engineering, production, and management teams for accurate insights and streamlined workflows.  Know your Costs & Make Every Cent Count: Unlock precise insights into your jobs' true material and labor consumption – eliminate guesswork and drive profitability.   Boost Overall Efficiency: Make smarter decisions based on a single source of truth, leading to improved resource allocation and increased profitability.  Join us to unlock the full potential of your fabrication processes and drive your business towards greater success and stay ahead in a competitive market.  Speakers: Tim Watkins: Vice President - New System Sales, ECI Software Solutions | Hasara Sandul: Partner Manager and Sales Engineer, QBuild Brought to you by: ECI Visit https://advancedmanufacturing.org/webinars for more webinars and an interactive experience with visuals.  

In this episode of Advanced Manufacturing Now, Editor-in-Chief Steve Plumb sits down with Gary Shapiro, CEO and Vice Chair of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), to preview CES 2026, taking place January 6–9 in Las Vegas.

In this episode of Advanced Manufacturing Now, Editor-in-Chief Steve Plumb speaks with Silvio Memme, head of business development at P1-AI, about the rise of AI-based engineering agents and what they mean for manufacturing and product development.

Solving the Unstructured Data Challenge: Preparing Manufacturing for the AI Revolution Industry 4.0 has illuminated the transformative impact of real-time shop floor data. However, vast repositories of historical engineering and supply chain data, traditionally confined to back-office systems, continue to be underutilized. To fully leverage the capabilities of AI, integration of these disparate data sources is imperative. This includes critical information residing in various forms, such as sensor readings, machine logs, customer feedback, and especially legacy 2D drawings, handwritten notes, and "tribal knowledge" trapped within the minds of experienced professionals. Traditional data processing methods often struggle to make sense of this hidden treasure, leading to inefficiencies, missed opportunities, and a hindrance to true digital transformation. American manufacturers are facing immense pressure, from intensifying global competition and economic uncertainty to skilled labor shortages and the impending retirement of senior engineers who hold decades of undocumented institutional knowledge. To thrive, manufacturers must unlock the full potential of their data and embrace the AI revolution. This webinar will delve into how manufacturing companies can overcome these pervasive unstructured data challenges and strategically prepare for an AI-driven future. Join us to discover how to transform fragmented data into actionable insights, enhance cross-functional collaboration, and drive unprecedented efficiency and innovation. What You'll Learn: The Criticality of Unstructured Data: Understand why traditional data processing methods fail to extract valuable insights from diverse unstructured sources, from drawings to machine logs. AI as a Game-Changer: Explore how Artificial Intelligence (AI), including machine learning and natural language processing (NLP), is emerging as a key enabler for structuring and utilizing unstructured data, augmenting human capabilities, and driving manufacturing evolution. Building a Data Foundation for AI: Discover how to digitize your entire archive of drawings, including old hand-drafted and scanned documents, and link them with crucial supply chain, quality, and procurement data to create a comprehensive "data lake". Democratizing Knowledge with AI-Powered Insights: Learn how advanced search capabilities, including patented similarity search (based on part shape) and keyword search, can empower all employees, from new hires to seasoned veterans, to instantly find relevant designs, pricing history, and supplier information, reducing reliance on individual memory or tedious manual searching. Achieving Tangible Business Outcomes: See how solving the unstructured data challenge directly leads to reduced costs, optimized supplier relationships, faster RFQ responses, improved design quality, accelerated time-to-market, and enhanced decision-making across procurement, engineering, and sales. Navigating the Future of Manufacturing: Gain insights into how embracing AI and a data-driven culture can position your organization at the forefront of the industrial revolution, fostering continuous improvement and sustainable growth. This webinar will provide practical strategies and real-world examples, demonstrating how transforming your data assets can create new value and drive long-term success. Meet Your Presenters: Chris Cope, VP of Engineering at CADDi: As VP of Engineering at CADDi, Chris will highlight strategies for leveraging AI to transform unstructured data and illuminate pathways for enhanced collaboration across engineering, procurement, and manufacturing teams. Aaron Lober, VP of Marketing at CADDi: Bringing deep expertise in the transformative power of manufacturing intelligence platforms, Aaron will highlight how cutting-edge technology directly addresses industry pain points and unlocks competitive advantages. Philip Carpenito, Former Chief Procurement Officer at L3Harris: As a leader in procurement for a major industrial organization, Philip will share invaluable insights into the strategic challenges and opportunities within complex supply chains, emphasizing the critical role of data-driven decision-making in optimizing procurement processes and supplier relationships. Don't miss this opportunity to revolutionize your approach to data and prepare your manufacturing operations for the AI revolution. Speakers: Chris Cope: VP of Engineering, CADDi | Aaron Lober: Vice President of Marketing, CADDi | Philip Carpenito: Former Chief Procurement Officer, L3Harris Sponsored by: CADDi Visit https://advancedmanufacturing.org/webinars for more webinars and an interactive experience with visuals.    

In this episode of Advanced Manufacturing Now, Editor Rachael Thomas is joined by Hendrie Viktor, vice president and head of sales at ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions North America.

This episode dives into one of the biggest challenges facing manufacturing today—connecting the next generation to meaningful career pathways. Host Toni Neary sits down with Allison Danielsen, Vice President at Tallo, to explore how technology, community, and authentic employer engagement can reshape the early talent pipeline. Allison shares her own winding career path and how it inspired her passion for bridging the skills gap. She breaks down how Tallo's platform—used by more than two million young people—helps students understand their strengths, explore careers, and connect directly with employers. Toni and Allison discuss Gen Z's expectations for work, why culture matters more than ever, and how employers can reach students in the fast-moving world of TikTok. The episode also highlights innovative ideas like micro-internships, digital career communities, and employer storytelling—all designed to spark curiosity and build confidence in the future workforce. Whether you're an educator, employer, or advocate for manufacturing careers, this conversation offers actionable insight into how we can better support and inspire early talent.

In this episode of Advanced Manufacturing Now, the SME editorial team discusses the December/January double issue of Manufacturing Engineering and Technology, showcasing how today's most innovative manufacturers are merging cutting-edge technology with people-focused progress.

In this episode of Advanced Manufacturing Now, Editor-in-Chief Steve Plumb sits down with Todd Smith, President and CFO of Associated Metal Forming Technologies (AMFT), a global leader in precision springs, deep-drawn parts, stamping, and metal-forming solutions.

In this episode, Associate Editor Cary Gitter sits down with Bryan Christiansen, CEO and founder of Limble CMMS, to explore how usability in maintenance technology directly impacts uptime, technician adoption, and overall manufacturing performance.

Ceramic cutting tool technology has advanced substantially over the past few decades to offer significant productivity improvements in a wide range of materials. Unsurprisingly, with that rapid progression, myths have sprung up that may cause manufacturers to be hesitant to give ceramic tooling a try. During this webinar, members from the tech and marketing team at Greenleaf Corporation will: Delve into some of the most common myths about ceramic tooling Cover which materials are most appropriate for ceramics Share in-depth discussion on optimization methods, tips, and tricks to help you get the most out of your ceramic tooling- whether you are familiar with ceramic tools or just looking to understand how to incorporate them into your machining Join us to learn about ceramic tools and their applications, and to discover methods to unlock your true potential for productivity with ceramics. Speakers: Martin Dillaman: Engineering and Applications Global Manager | Beth Greenleaf: Marketing Specialist and Photographer | Aaron Allen: Applications Engineer Sponsored by: Greenleaf Visit https://advancedmanufacturing.org/webinars for more webinars and an interactive experience with visuals.  

Join Editors Steve Plumb, Kip Hanson and Amy Bryson as they explore the December issue of Smart Shop Essentials, focused on automation in manufacturing.

The decision to move from a manual to an automated process has historically been a laborious, lengthy, and capital-intensive endeavor. Calculating the return on investment (ROI) of such a project is critical to the decision-making process. Companies beginning their automation journey tend to look at robots as a 1 to 1 replacement for their workforce leading to expensive over tooled and over automated processes. Focusing solely on labor replacement can lead companies to vastly undervalue some of the less obvious cost savings created by the switch to robotics. In this presentation, we will be discussing some of the best practices and common pitfalls to avoid when calculating the ROI of a robotic implementation, including: Efficient system design for a high-mix manufacturing environment Cost benefits from increased production and decreased waste Indirect cost benefits generated from increased worker satisfaction and safety Long term cost savings from greater traceability, product consistency and redeployability  By considering these concepts, we can move toward considering robots as part of an overall process improvement opportunity versus simply as a direct replacement to workers. Doing so brings into consideration improvements to the production environment, increased product quality, and enhanced company profitability. Ultimately a refocused ROI calculation will help companies pivot from mid-line labor expenses to top-line revenue and bottom-line profitability. Speakers: James Shimano: Product Manager, Epson Robots Sponsored by: EPSON Visit https://advancedmanufacturing.org/webinars for more webinars and an interactive experience with visuals.  

In this episode, we talk with Teresa Simons, Executive Director of the Alliance for Working Together (AWT), about how a group of local manufacturers turned a workforce challenge into a regional success story. From the sparks of the student RoboBots competition to the hands-on training at AWT's Transformation Center, Simons shares how AWT is inspiring students, retraining adults, and connecting people with meaningful careers in manufacturing. Tune in to learn how collaboration, innovation, and community spirit are reshaping the future of work in Northeast Ohio.

Wipfli's latest benchmarking insights highlight tariff uncertainty, labor pressures and efficiency gaps as key factors shaping the outlook for U.S. manufacturers in 2026.

Johannes Fuhrmann of Arvato Systems discusses how data spaces and digital twins boost manufacturing efficiency, data sharing, and Industry 4.0 innovation.

Join us for this transformative webinar on the power of integrated risk management (IRM) for safety and risk professionals. We'll discuss how IRM can be achieved via a culture of collaboration between departments and powered by technology. Discover the pivotal role IRM plays in bridging the gap between risk and safety departments, unifying data and strategies to drive meaningful impact across the organization and ultimately improving efficiency, reducing incidents and injuries, and decreasing risk and insurance costs such as workers' compensation claims. Jeff Enzinger, Senior Sales Executive at Origami Risk, will lead an engaging conversation between Jeff Emrick, Corporate Safety Director at Ozinga, and Jenna Bechely, Senior Risk Specialist at Ozinga. They will share their real-world experiences in implementing an IRM strategy and how it benefits their business. Takeaways: Risk and safety professionals can be true partners Business results can be achieved by collaborating (reduction in insurance claims were shown by Ozinga) Technology can surface ways to send workers home safe and avoid insurance and legal costs Ozinga's story is proof that this can be done in practice!   Speakers: Jeff Enzinger: Senior Sales Executive, Origami Risk | Jeff Emrick: Corporate Safety Director, Ozinga | Jenna Bechely: Senior Risk Specialist, Ozinga Visit https://advancedmanufacturing.org/webinars for more webinars and an interactive experience with visuals.

Steve Plumb, Editor-in-Chief of SME Media, talks with Sam Schroeder, a mechanical engineering student at Northern Illinois University, and Corey Dahlberg, a mechanical design engineer at Sloan Valve Company and SME Chapter 5 director. Together, they share insights from the SME Bright Minds Student Mentorship Program.