Manufacturing in Uncertain Times: Advanced Solutions to Complex Problems

Four experts in conversation about the future of advanced manufacturing.

Globalization. Outsourcing. Just-in-time. Covid-19. The challenges to American manufacturing in the 2020s are many, but so are the solutions to those challenges.

New forms of manufacturing, such as 3D printing, are revolutionizing the way things are made, and the Internet of Things promises to make devices from spacecraft to basketball shoes fully connected, changing the way people use manufactured goods forever. Manufacturing was always complex, and new factors such as artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, as well as cloud connectivity, mean accelerating change, pushing the limits of humans and the machines they use.

Where is manufacturing going? engineering.com’s Jim Anderton hosts a distinguished panel to discuss this important subject.

Moderator:

Jim Anderton, Multimedia Content Director, engineering.com

Jim was formerly editor of Canadian Metalworking Magazine and has contributed to a wide range of print and on-line publications, including Design Engineering, Canadian Plastics, Service Station and Garage Management, Autovision, and the National Post. He also brings prior industry experience in quality and part design for a Tier One automotive supplier.

Panelists:

Stuart Sim, Partner, Global Head of Data Architecture & Engineering, McKinsey and Company

Stuart is a CTO counselor and implementation specialist for very large data driven digital transformations with expertise in Retail, Heavy Industry, Steel Manufacturing, Mining, e-Learning and Education, as well as the Social and Advertising industries. Stuart is a regular speaker and expert analyst in AI, big data, Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things and is a member of several open standards groups for inter-operable systems integration.

Dr. Thomas Kurfess, Professor and HUSCO/Ramirez Distinguished Chair in Fluid Power and Motion Control at the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech

Dr. Kurfess’ research focuses on the design and development of advanced manufacturing systems, as well as national and international manufacturing policy issues. He currently serves on the Board of Governors for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the Board of Directors of the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS), and the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM), and sits on the Board of Trustees of the MT Connect Institute.

Dr. William P. King, Professor and Ralph A. Andersen Endowed Chair in the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering with the Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign

Dr. King also holds appointments in the Departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering, as well as in the Carle Illinois College of Medicine, Department of Biomedical and Translational Biosciences. His work focuses on advanced manufacturing, microsystems and nanotechnology, heat transfer, and advanced materials. Dr. King is Chief Scientist and Co-Founder at cloud manufacturing company Fast Radius, where he leads the company’s technology strategy.

This episode of the Engineering Roundtable sponsored by Fast Radius.