ASSEMBLY Audible

www.assemblymag.com · assemblymag.com

The ASSEMBLY Audible podcast explores the people, processes and technologies for assembling parts into finished products. Whether you make large products in small volumes or small products in large volumes, our goal is to provide insights, ideas and inspiration you can put to work. Have a topic you would like to learn more about? Guest suggestions? Email sprovierij@bnpmedia.com.Listen to us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

309 episodes

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Episodes 300

Defense Supply Chain Has a Confidence Problem, Not a Capacity Problem
3d ago · 25:56
Many assume the defense industrial base can't increase production because manufacturers lack capacity, but Boston Consulting Group's Justin Rodriguez argues the real challenge is supplier confidence. Drawing on research from hundreds of suppliers, he explains how inconsistent demand, changing designs and procurement practices discourage companies from hiring workers and investing in production. Rodriguez discusses why stable demand signals are essential for unlocking existing manufacturing capacity and what the defense industry can learn from automotive and aerospace supply chains. He also sha
AI Helped Cut Lead Times 77% at a Global Lighthouse Factory
11d ago · 15:51
Artificial intelligence is transforming manufacturing, but successful implementation starts with solving real business problems — not deploying technology for its own sake. In this episode, Tena Coppedge, vice president of manufacturing at Hitachi Vantara, explains how her team used AI to eliminate siloed data, improve inventory visibility and reduce order-to-shipment lead time by 77%. She also shares practical advice on avoiding "pilot purgatory," scaling AI initiatives and building the data foundation needed for lasting results.
Manufacturers Know When a Machine Fails. They Often Don’t Know What Happened Next
12d ago · 15:32
Manufacturers have become exceptionally good at collecting machine data. But what happens to the human knowledge generated when something goes wrong? In this episode, Nikhil Arora, Director of Business Development at Relay, discusses one of manufacturing's biggest information gaps: the operational context that often exists between a machine failure and its resolution. The conversation explores shift handoffs, downtime, troubleshooting, workforce knowledge transfer and how manufacturers are beginning to capture frontline insights that have traditionally lived in operator memory, handwritten not
What Manufacturers Need to Know About Humanoid Robot Deployment
17d ago · 14:41
Humanoid robots are moving closer to real factory deployment, but manufacturers still face major challenges around safety, testing, repeatability and workforce integration. Bruce Richard of Jabil explains what manufacturers need to understand before humanoids can scale across industrial operations.
How Detroit’s Auto Manufacturing Expertise Is Helping Build America’s Drone Industry
24d ago · 22:55
Keith Miao, CEO and founder of Birdstop, explains why the Detroit-based company is building autonomous drones around the automotive supply base and why domestic production has become increasingly important. The conversation explores drone supply chains, automotive suppliers, automation, and quality testing.
Can American Manufacturing Compete? The Impacts of “Made in America” Production
1mo ago · 19:19
DECKED committed to U.S. manufacturing long before reshoring became a major trend. CEO Bill Banta explains how automation, supply chain control and rapid product iteration are helping the company compete while manufacturing in America.
ASSEMBLY Audible: Why Lean Manufacturing Fails—and How to Make It Work
1mo ago · 19:59
Lean manufacturing doesn’t fail because of the tools—it fails when leaders lose touch with the plant floor. Dr. Terra Vanzant-Stern, author of Leaner Manufacturing: How to Make the Lean Production Process Easier, Faster, and More Cost-Effective, explains why trust, engagement and collective intelligence are critical to making lean work.
Manufacturing Leadership Advice That Actually Works on the Plant Floor
1mo ago · 12:34
Manufacturing leadership advice often sounds great — until the line goes down at 2 a.m. Julian M. Allen, Jr., manufacturing veteran and author of Operational Leadership Uncensored: Real Talk for Burgeoning Manufacturing Leaders, explains why so many new leaders struggle on the plant floor and what actually earns trust from frontline crews.
ASSEMBLY Audible: Inside the Self-Driving Factory Lab
1mo ago · 16:15
Georgia Tech’s Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility is using AI, robotics and autonomous experimentation to accelerate manufacturing development. Dr. Tom Kurfess explains how the self-driving lab is helping manufacturers test and de-risk new technologies before they reach production.
Why AI in Manufacturing Depends on Fixing Factory Data
1mo ago · 16:15
Manufacturers are investing heavily in AI and automation, but many still can’t access or organize the data needed to make those systems useful. Aron Semle, CTO of HighByte, explains how fragmented factory systems and proprietary data structures are limiting smart manufacturing—and why initiatives such as i3X are becoming critical to making industrial AI practical on the plant floor.
Why Manufacturers Are Choosing Flexibility Instead of Reshoring
2mo ago · 18:26
Tariffs have reduced direct imports from China, but that doesn't mean manufacturing is coming back to the United States. Patrick Van den Bossche of Kearney explains why companies are building supply chain flexibility instead of committing to reshoring — and why much of the production leaving China is simply moving somewhere else.
Why AI Adoption in Manufacturing Is Stuck in Pilot Mode
2mo ago · 21:51
Manufacturers are rapidly adopting AI, but most deployments remain limited to small-scale pilots. In this episode, Mike Sabin, CEO of Revalize, explains why scaling AI across the enterprise is proving far more difficult than expected. The conversation explores the key barriers, including fragmented data, legacy systems and the need to shift from viewing AI as a technology project to treating it as an operational transformation.
A New Chapter for the Advanced Manufacturing Expo
2mo ago · 19:40
Joe Teague discusses AME’s new independent chapter, including this year’s metalworking hall, humanoids and expanded manufacturing focus.Sponsored By:
AI Vision on the Plant Floor: Where It Works and Where It Doesn’t
2mo ago · 19:54
AI is changing machine vision, but not in the way many manufacturers expect. Matt Moschner, CEO of Cognex, explains where AI vision systems outperform traditional tools, where they don’t and why most real-world applications rely on a hybrid approach.
Could Trade Deal Uncertainty Slow America’s Manufacturing Comeback?
2mo ago · 21:38
Patrick Lozada, Senior Director of Global Policy at the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, explains how the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, supports manufacturing, regional supply chains, standards alignment and long-term investment certainty. The conversation covers tariffs, reshoring, AI data center demand, grid infrastructure, electrical codes, trade uncertainty and what manufacturers need before committing to new capacity in the United States.Sponsored By:
Why OEM-Supplier Relationships Improved Despite Tariffs and EV Uncertainty
3mo ago · 21:16
Despite tariffs, EV disruption and supply chain pressure, supplier relationships improved across all six major North American OEMs for the first time in 26 years. Dr. Angela Johnson explains what changed — and why communication and trust are becoming critical competitive advantages.
Rebuilding the Manufacturing Workforce from the Ground Up
3mo ago · 19:32
Manufacturers need skilled workers now—but traditional training pathways often fall short. In this episode, Justin Brooks explains how short-duration programs are helping people enter manufacturing faster, build confidence on the shop floor and connect directly with employers.
Are Tariffs Helping or Hurting Manufacturers?
3mo ago · 23:08
Tariffs aren’t impacting every manufacturer the same way. Eddy Azad, founder and CEO of Parsec Automation, explains why some companies gain an advantage while others struggle—and why preparation ultimately determines the outcome.
AI Is a Human Problem, Not a Technology One
3mo ago · 29:45
AI isn’t failing because of the technology—it’s failing because of how people use it. In this episode, Chris Draper, CEO and co-founder of morriganAI and author of Safe AI Basics and co-author of Governing Artificial Intelligence, challenges the way we think about AI and explains why the real risk—and opportunity—lies in human behavior. Sponsored By:
What Happens When Your Best Technician Retires?
4mo ago · 21:49
Manufacturers aren’t just losing workers — they’re losing decades of institutional knowledge. Nick Haase, co-founder of MaintainX, explains how the “silver tsunami” is exposing gaps in maintenance data and why companies that fail to capture that knowledge now risk falling behind.
How Manufacturers Stay Ready for What’s Next
4mo ago · 21:45
Disruptions are inevitable—but being unprepared isn’t. Eddy Azad, founder and CEO of Parsec Automation, explains how manufacturers can build resilience through continuous improvement, visibility and long-term thinking to stay competitive.
Mark Woeppel on Rethinking Inventory and Breaking the Cycle of Shortages
4mo ago · 16:06
Mark Woeppel explains why many plants fall into a cycle of expediting and reactive decision-making. Drawing on decades of experience, he shares examples of assembly operations overwhelmed by incomplete builds, conflicting priorities and systems that cannot keep pace with real-world conditions.He also introduces the Theory of Constraints as a way to restore stability. By identifying the true constraint and aligning production around it, manufacturers can improve throughput, reduce chaos and regain control of delivery performance.To learn more, join Woeppel for a live webinar on May 20 at 2 p.m.
Tamer Kadous on How Physical AI Is Driving the Next Shift in Factory Connectivity
4mo ago · 14:46
As manufacturers push deeper into artificial intelligence, a new challenge is emerging: most factory networks weren’t built to support the speed, scale and reliability that modern AI systems require. From robotics to real-time analytics, connectivity is becoming a critical constraint on how far manufacturers can take automation.One of the biggest forces behind that shift is the rise of physical AI: systems that interact with the real world, continuously learning from sensors and feeding data back into models. These applications depend on constant, high-performance communication between machine
Dawn Fichter on Recruiting Basics, Better Onboarding and Hiring Skilled Manufacturing Workers
4mo ago · 27:12
Dawn Fichter, owner of Tools 4 Hiring, discusses why so many manufacturing roles remain open for months and what hiring managers are often getting wrong. Drawing on more than 15 years of recruiting experience, Fichter explains why the challenge is often not a shortage of people, but a breakdown in process, alignment and expectations. She shares practical advice on how manufacturers can move faster, simplify job requirements and focus less on the perfect resume and more on trainability, mindset and soft skills.
Greg Dyer on Manufacturing Hiring, Workforce Flexibility and the Future of Factory Talent
5mo ago · 19:44
Greg Dyer, chief commercial officer at Randstad USA, discusses the challenges manufacturers face as they work to recruit, develop and retain the workforce needed to keep production running. With reshoring efforts accelerating and experienced workers retiring in large numbers, manufacturers must rethink how they attract talent and build sustainable workforce pipelines. Dyer explains how the labor market for manufacturing remains strong but increasingly competitive, with companies needing the right mix of skills, location and recruiting strategies to succeed. He also discusses how automation, AI

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ASSEMBLY Audible

Episodes 300

Defense Supply Chain Has a Confidence Problem, Not a Capacity Problem

AI Helped Cut Lead Times 77% at a Global Lighthouse Factory

Manufacturers Know When a Machine Fails. They Often Don’t Know What Happened Next

What Manufacturers Need to Know About Humanoid Robot Deployment

How Detroit’s Auto Manufacturing Expertise Is Helping Build America’s Drone Industry

Can American Manufacturing Compete? The Impacts of “Made in America” Production