Automation can benefit all industrial operations, from large to small manufacturers, by streamlining repetitive or dangerous tasks while adding valuable skills to your workforce. 

Equipment failure is a known evil in the manufacturing world. But unplanned downtime carries a significant cost and hurts overall performance. This week Brian sits down with Alek Zelnins, a Maintenance Manager at Gay Lea Foods, to share his tactics and tools to improve performance and prevent equipment failure on the frontline.

In this episode, learn:

• How to adapt material from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to create training and maintenance programs for new machines
• The three most common sources of equipment failure
• How operators are essential to good preventative maintenance (PM) programs 
• Why employee training is so important for preventative maintenance 
• How technology will impact the future of machine maintenance (spoiler: people are still essential)

Most manufacturing companies don't have people dedicated to evaluating and deploying modern tools. At best, IT or HR takes responsibility for new technology and doesn't have the resources to implement them effectively.

Michael Muilenburg is the Director of Operational Technology at 3M and has learned how to leverage key personnel to create a team that successfully evaluates, deploys, and scales digital technology across the frontline operational workforce.  

Join our conversation with Michael and learn how you can create your own team, no matter the company size, and have a major impact on operational success and improvements. 

Today's manufacturing facilities are clean and modern workplaces that offer a variety of unique and exciting career opportunities.

Join our conversation with Joe Renaud from Amazon Robotics, as he shares his fascinating story of professional growth.

Chad Nelson is a Lean Six-Sigma Operations Manager at 3M and has a wealth of knowledge about standardized work and engaging frontline workers with improvement efforts.

Change management is a crucial part of any digital transformation or improvement efforts on the plant floor. But how do you deal with stubborn employees or older workers that resist new technology? In this The Voices of Manufacturing episode, we talk with Taylor Harlin, Change and Development Coach at Johnsonville, about effective strategies for gaining employee buy-in and unique ways to communicate changes with your frontline workforce.

In the past, manufacturing technology was focused on improving equipment and tools. Now, the industry is shifting its priorities towards workforce enablement. How will the shift impact the future of industrial business? 

Is audit anxiety holding your company back from ISO 9001 compliance? While it may seem like a daunting task, many businesses are closer to certification (and re-certification) than they realize.

Manufacturers are faced with a much different workforce than they've traditionally dealt with. Previous generations had more foundational knowledge, incoming generations need guidance and skill development programs to make them feel comfortable and successful in the industrial work environment.

Welcome to the first episode of The Voices of Manufacturing! Join us in conversation with Jim Vinoski, a Forbes Author who specializes in all things manufacturing.

The podcast space is growing rapidly and the shows for manufacturing and industrial professionals are no exception. Podcasts in this genre can range from broad industry analysis, to strategic business advice.