The Fourth Revolution

The Fourth Revolution explores the evolution of and science behind lean production practices with guest Stephen Dardaris, director of continuous improvement for Hillrom. From post-war factory production to modern-day automation, manufacturing has evolved and continues to change. Dardaris explained how Toyota’s Production System fits into production history while still influencing global manufacturing efficiency with revolutionary ideas and practices. Applicable for more than just cars, the Toyota Production System can apply to a variety of production environments, particularly high-mix, low volume production. Dardaris moved through the holistic picture of a company, from supply to assembly, transport and even accounting. By trimming away the fat and honing in on real, lean numbers, the Toyota Production System returns tangible profits. Lean production may seem like a no-brainer for better, more profitable production, but Dardaris said doing “lean” things is a lagging measure that produces results over time, not necessarily immediately upon implementation. For this reason, some lean practices require a leap of faith and trust in what may seem like radical change. Most companies, Dardaris said, are caught in the middle, afraid of risk and trusting the process. The Toyota Production System is not a “cost-out process,” a simple money-saving initiative. On the contrary, Dardaris said, TPS is a growth strategy, a business initiative designed to be more than just save a money-saver and a streamlining concept with an eye for big growth.

Welcome to this information quick hit edition of the fourth revolution, brought to you by Bartell. I’m James Kent. Today I'm going to talk about the impact electric vehicles have on tire Design.Environmental concerns have primarily driven the increasing popularity of electric cars, but the impacts of electric vehicles reach further than reducing carbon emissions. As the differences between electric and gasoline-powered cars become more evident, the automotive industry must adjust to support these new demands. One major area of research and development is in the tire industry.Tire design and manufacturing have evolved along with the automobile over the decades, and the electric vehicle phenomenon is another step in this journey. How will electric vehicles impact the tire market? Is the tire wear different? Will new specialty tires be in demand?The tire design must support the goal of optimizing the vehicle range of electric cars on a single charge while delivering high performance and a long lifecycle. With over 200 variables involved in tire design, including tread design, material selection, manufacturing process, construction, and sidewall design, this is no easy task.Tires are a critical component of overall electric vehicle performance. Differences in torque, mass, size, and rolling resistance each have a noticeable effect on the tire function and longevity. High--performance electric vehicles, such as Teslas, can wear out a set of tires in just 8,000-12,000 miles if driven hard.Michelin’s R&D team has been working tirelessly to deliver tires optimized for electric vehicles. Making tires for about 45 percent of the electric vehicles produced in the United States, Michelin dedicates much of its track time to electric vehicles. The effort has paid off as Michelin has made numerous advancements, including improving rolling resistance performance for electric vehicle tires.Electric vehicles are freeing drivers from the dependence on gasoline. These technologically advanced cars offer drivers a clean and comfortable ride, but tire wear is a major concern. Without the proper tire, this smooth ride could be cut short.At Bartell, we provide cutting-edge solutions for the tire and rubber industry. Helping build more efficient, effective, and safer tires for a wide range of vehicles, including the newest EVs, Bartell continues to improve manufacturing by delivering enhanced technologies.If you’d like to learn more about Bartell’s equipment for manufacturers in the tire and rubber industry, go to www.bartellmachineery.com/markets/tire-rubber.

Here on the Fourth Revolution by Bartell, we talk about the disruptive technologies and trends that are changing the way we live and work. But today's topic is a bit more retrospective, as host Shelby Skrhak discusses the importance of corporate diversity initiatives with Madi Dixon, Women Business Enterprises Business Development Ambassador for Bartell parent company, Heico. "Diversity shouldn't really be a conversation, but something that's accepted throughout a company's core values (and is) equally as important as costs and quality," Dixon said. A corporate supplier diversity program prioritizes using minority-owned, women-owned, veteran-owned, LGBT-owned, service-disabled or veteran-owned businesses as suppliers. Heico has long been certified as a women-owned, operated and controlled business, or WBE. Though supplier diversity been used as a vein of conscious capitalism in the past, almost as a gesture of goodwill, today's diversity network programs are not only competitive in cost and quality, but offer businesses an advantage. "Businesses want innovation and partnership," Dixon said. "When we talk with businesses, they want to know how we can partner with them (and) how can we provide long-term solutions with something they may have never thought of before." To that end, Dixon offers this advice for businesses dipping their toes into supplier diversity programs: "Success in the supplier diversity network is through relationship building. Certification allows us to establish those relationships with supplier teams and, in turn, we create and grow the business."

The newest technologies like 5G, IoT devices, AI, and machine learning are "sexy" topics that drive conversation and thought leadership, but for many legacy companies, they're a moonshot to incorporate into their own businesses. Old technology, old methodology, and the feared "That's the way we've always done it!" are what keep long-time manufacturing businesses perpetually behind the times. Derran Smith, Vice President of Marketing for Pettibone, LLC, has observed this firsthand and shares his insight on large scale company-wide change for this episode of The Fourth Revolution by Bartell. Pettibone manufactures and markets a wide variety of material handling loaders, mobile site prep equipment, and automated production systems, as well as knobs, handles, custom plastic components, and more. No one ever said change is easy, and especially when it comes to changing entire products, processes, and even incorporating "robotic personnel" if you will, it's downright daunting. "Companies are pouring millions of dollars into digital transformation initiatives, but a high percentage fail to pay off because companies put the cart before the horse focusing on a specific technology," Smith said. That's why Smith advises starting with your most central mission: your overall business strategy. "Companies need to do the hard work of fitting the change into the overall business strategy first," he said. "In many cases, a wholesale disruption isn't necessary. You can respond by looking at your manufacturing processes and your distribution channels. What technology can you purchase today to help you?"

Tyson Foods is investing big bucks into its digital transformation. On August 8th it unveiled its brand new automation technology center in Springdale. Chairman John Tyson touted the facility as a, quote, "commitment to creating the next generation of manufacturing solutions through advanced automation, robotics and machine learning." The center has multi-faceted space for a machine vision technology lab, food production simulations and hands-on robotics training to open new doors for Tyson employees. Even amid job loss and and a waning workforce, the manufacturing industry has actually added jobs, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics' July report. In July, the sector added 16,000 new jobs, with the automotive industry supplying the bulk of the employment. This represents the second straight month of growth for manufacturing jobs, though it still doesn't match 2018's pace, which had almost 200% more fresh manufacturing jobs by this time last year. These have been your Fourth Revolution Headlines, by Bartell.

You can hardly listen to a political speech without hearing the buzzword - “manufacturing jobs.” As baby boomers retire from their lifelong careers in manufacturing, no one is stepping up to fill these vacant positions. But why? The manufacturing industry has an “industry image issue," said Greg Barnett, senior vice president of The Predictive Index. Manufacturing jobs have lost their glamour as the industry has aged. In today’s flashy tech-centered world, manufacturing jobs look drab and unattractive in comparison to Silicon Valley startups. On this episode, we were joined by Barnett to discuss how manufacturing business can make internal changes to their company and recruit smart, long-term employees. Manufacturing jobs have several perks, and the industry itself is working hard to transition into the modern world by rebranding their look and appealing to the rising workforce. Core company changes are crucial to keeping the manufacturing industry alive, but Barnett said that all to often, he hears from his clients: “We’re not Google. We don’t do ping pong tables...and free food.” So how can manufacturing companies modernize and attract the rising workforce? Barnett broke it down into three parts: designing new leadership, defining company culture, and inspiring the workforce. Manufacturing businesses are in desperate need of a rebrand, starting with how young workers view and are trained for jobs. Education today is mostly done online, yet there is no pipeline for training future manufacturing workers on a digital platform. By redefining company culture, highlighting employment benefits to the public, and optimizing the workforce with the modern tools to succeed and grow, the manufacturing industry can flourish in today’s modern world.

In this episode of The Fourth Revolution by Bartell, Pettibone President and CEO Barbara Philibert went into detail on that, when it comes to Industry 4.0, the key to optimizing processes and performance in a global economy is data. “What a universal language data has become,” she said as she recalled a meeting in China where data helped bridge the language barrier. Growing up in rural Iowa, manufacturing was a simple affair, Philibert said. Reflecting on her 30-year career in the industry, she noted that manufacturing has evolved into a complex and global behemoth, which present benefits and challenges. The production floor has also undergone a data-influenced transformation. Decades ago, when Philibert would venture onto the job site, the production leads would guide her through the site, physically showing her manufacturing progress. Now they’re using tablet computers to show her how they make it and the data to go along with it. These small and large shifts toward data usage on the manufacturing floor have created a shift in the workforce. Workers are having to adjust their skill sets to match a more analytical future for the floor, whether that means software usage or data comprehension. Is the industry ready for this change? Philibert giver her take on the podcast, breaking down how the combination of a generation of workers aging out of the industry and a lack of information around careers in manufacturing is setting the stage for a lack of skilled workers and forcing companies to address the changing standard for manufacturing skills. The CEO sees how younger employees in manufacturing are natural at using technology, and she advocated for high schools and guidance counselors to encourage more young people to seek long-term careers in the industry. Faced with a current skilled labor shortage, she has some advice for manufacturing companies: “Reach out to the community colleges, reach out to your schools... invite [them] in to show them what we can do.”

In almost any industry, IoT has become not only a consideration but a necessity, and many have already embraced and adopted it. Manufacturing has certainly seen the opportunities that come with integrating IoT, especially when it comes to cloud-based historical data on machine performance. Are the machine builders on board with this transformation, though? The answer is complicated. Here to give her perspective on this episode of The Fourth Revolution by Bartell is Kate Cohen, vice president of sales and marketing of Automation Intellect. Machine builders, which tend to focus more on the actual machine than the technology they can harness, are lagging behind when it comes to IoT adoption. But their customers are eager to include it. “Machine builders aren’t really taking IoT seriously, even after continued requests. Their customers are getting to the point where the expectation will be that machine builders must provide equipment that can deliver cloud-based historical data on machine performance via IoT technology,” Cohen said. Most manufacturers do understand the need to employ IoT, yet most don’t know how to leverage that much data acquisition. “Only about 8% of manufacturers have a strategy around seeing true ROI on IoT. There is still confusion in the industry. But those that do, know that being able to have historical and real-time information is invaluable,” Cohen said. For machine builders, it’s a complete transformation to shift to thinking about software and technology. Their revenue stream is built on the machines, warranty repairs, and replacement parts, so it’s hard for them to think outside of this bubble. Much of the industry is lagging, but Cohen noted that Bartell has been different. “They’ve had a very proactive approach when it comes to machine performance data,” she said.

Though the unemployment rate is the lowest it's been in recent memory, the skilled labor shortage doesn’t show any signs of letting up. On this episode of The Fourth Revolution by Bartell, host Daniel Litwin sat down with Randy Wolken, President & CEO of MACNY, the Manufacturers Association of Central New York to discuss changing trends in manufacturing, and the ripple effect that's having on the labor force. “The availability of labor has really changed the way we look at both how we hire people and how business gets done today,” Wolken said. Unemployment in the United States is down to 3.6%, which is the lowest level it's been since 1969. “It’s an exciting time,” Wolken admitted. In the past 10 years, the economy has seen a rising trend in more U.S.-based manufacturing, which is helping drive that low unemployment rate. “But that also means its harder to find people.” At play in this change is the fourth industrial revolution, being led by automation and efficiency, with more data to analyze. Companies of all sizes are poised to take advantage of this new revolution, particularly small and mid-sized businesses, Wolken said. But the positions that take advantage of these tools are more analytical and require a more experienced skill-set, one that is either phasing out due to an aging workforce or hasn't had enough time for the workforce to master. “It comes down to the types of people you have on the team, your ability to implement new technology, take advantage of them, and reach new markets,” Wolken said. He highlighted the top 10 trends he’s seen in manufacturing, and shares what that means for industry leaders looking to attract more skilled laborers.

When the World Economic Forum introduced the term "Fourth Industrial Revolution" in 2016, it helped define the rapidly shifting lines between physical, digital, and technological spheres of influence. Technology and machinery are evolving, and literally revolving, faster than ever, and that's rapid change is the motivation behind Bartell Machinery Systems' new podcast, The Fourth Revolution. Host Daniel Litwin sat down with Shawn Lawlor, Director of Marketing and Business Development for Bartell, to discuss what to expect from this new thought leadership show and highlight upcoming discussions on how the Fourth Industrial Revolution is changing the way manufacturers approach data in manufacturing. "There's a lot happening in this space — some of it kind of intimidating. Where do you start? Who do you trust as an expert in that space," Lawlor said. "We thought we'd share our trials and tribulations, our experiences in this space, and also tap thought leaders to share that [knowledge] with other manufacturers." Rome, New York-based Bartell works with clients in a variety of industries, including tire and rubber, wire and cable, and oil and gas, but there's a unifying challenge across these industries. "Machine builders want visibility into their production processes to measure things to be more effective," Lawlor said. "Data is king, right? Now that data is being used for machine health. They're doing predictive maintenance and using AI to correct itself and make production and process changes on the fly. That's an exciting use of the data." "These aren't just elemental tactics. These are industry changing, business-changing things."

In this inaugural episode of The Fourth Revolution, brought to you by Bartell, we tapped into the fervent passion that Bartell employees have for the automotive industry, and why one particular team member’s love for cars gives him an edge in the marketplace. We sat down with marketing content coordinator Jonathan Kahn to discuss why passion drives the most compelling content. Kahn, a lifelong fan of all things automotive and high performance, said he can be found most early Sunday mornings tuned into Formula 1 racing. His father's passion for cars made its way to him, but that passion never made its way into Kahn's work until he made it to Bartell. Kahn uses a fan’s perspective and natural curiosity to tell compelling stories about Bartell manufacturing components, a unique position for him in the industry. “Before [Bartell], I knew the different types of tires for a Formula 1 car, but now I’m really learning about the engineering and science behind it and why those tires are so good,” said Kahn. “So now, not only am I creating content that is engaging for the consumer but on a daily basis I get to learn more, too." “It’s great that the work that I do and the content I’m creating is a passion I have in my outside world as well,” he said. “It is the best of both worlds for me.” Listen to Kahn explain the power that passion for your industry can have on the content you're creating, and why it's so important to find a way to link your hobbies with your work and your work with your hobbies.