Advanced Manufacturing Now

Wire harness manufacturing is facing rising complexity, tighter timelines, and zero tolerance for errors - yet many teams still rely on physical formboards and manual interpretation on the shop floor. In this webinar, we'll explore how manufacturers are digitizing wire harness manufacturing execution, replacing guesswork with guided, real-time build instructions driven directly from design data. This session will examine where errors typically occur, why they're often discovered too late, and how leading teams are shifting quality upstream during the build process. Attendees will learn how digital execution reduces training time, minimizes reliance on tribal knowledge, and enables consistent, scalable wire harness production. Key Takeaways: Presenters: Andrew Armstrong Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer Henry Lopez Senior Field Applications Engineer Brought to you by: Cadonix Visit https://advancedmanufacturing.org/webinars for more webinars and an interactive experience with visuals.

SME Media Editor-in-Chief Steve Plumb and Senior Editor Michael McConnell sit down with Harry Moser, president of the Reshoring Initiative, to explore the growing impact of reshoring on the U.S. economy. They discuss how reshoring can quickly strengthen the U.S. economy and boost competitiveness by building a stronger skilled workforce. This is an audio-only recording of our latest episode of Advanced Manufacturing Live. Follow SME Media on LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube to catch our next episode live.

On July 4, 2026, America will celebrate 250 years of independence, and Freedom 250 is the public-private organization leading that celebration. We speak with Keith Krach, CEO of Freedom 250, about the work the organization is doing to reignite the spirit of American innovation for another 250 years.

We sit down with Laura Beckwith, Director of Product Management at Configit, to explore the evolving role of generative AI in manufacturing—and why it's not as simple as plugging AI into existing systems.

Mae Krier has lived an amazing life. She started working at Boeing, riveting the wings of B-17 and B-29 planes during World War II, and has been a fierce advocate for all the Rosies ever since. She's inspired countless girls and women throughout her life, and now—after just turning 100—she's working with Raya Kenney to erect a monument to the Rosies in Washington, D.C. To learn more about the WWII Women's Memorial Foundation, visit them at wwiiwomenmemorial.org

The R&D Tax Credit is a tax credit that businesses can claim for qualified U.S. research and development spending — things like developing or improving products, processes, formulas, or software. However, navigating the R&D credit landscape is not without its hurdles. Challenges include identifying qualifying activities on the shop floor, managing the rigorous documentation required for audits, and integrating tax strategy into broader business development goals. This webinar will review the current updates and opportunities with the R&D tax credit for the manufacturing sector. Our experts will also discuss strategic approaches to identifying high-value opportunities because of the OBBB. Presenters: Tim Parrish CEO Sagemont Matt Davenport Director of R&D Tax Credit Services Sagemont Brought to you by: Sagemont Visit https://advancedmanufacturing.org/webinars for more webinars and an interactive experience with visuals.

SME Media Editor Rachael Thomas and Associate Editor Cary Gitter sit down for an industry update, discussing recent news on the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, a visit to Michigan Central and Newlab in Detroit, and the administration's proposed defense budget for 2027. This is an audio-only 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 SME's chief Manufacturing Officer, Dr. Brett Conner, to discuss the National Security Strategy and National Defense Strategy, and what they mean for manufacturers in the United States.

We speak with Alexandra Levit, workforce futurist and founder of Inspiration at Work, and Stephanie Loeck, vice president of strategic development at GPS Education Partners, about their book Make School Work and the growing impact of work-based learning.

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 assetsWhy data access, not headcount, is becoming the real productivity multiplierHow "selective improvement" is replacing broad transformation 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, founder and CEO of Hirebotics, to explore the rapid rise of cobots in modern manufacturing and how cloud-connected cobots have transformed 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: 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 Nation 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: 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.

We sit down with SME's chief Manufacturing Officer, Dr. Brett Conner, to discuss the National Security Strategy and National Defense Strategy, and what they mean for manufacturers in the United States.

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 AI to speed RFQs, avoid repeat quality issues, and ramp new engineers faster This session is designed for forward-thinking manufacturing leaders who want to future-proof their organizations and empower their teams — not replace them. Visit https://advancedmanufacturing.org/webinars for more webinars and an interactive experience with visuals.