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Manufacturing Engineering: December 2022

The December 2022 edition of Manufacturing Engineering is available as a digital magazine. Links to individual articles are below.
A technology cycle is a conversational or dialog-guided control option designed to simplify advanced programming for operations such as gear skiving.

Machine OEMs Meet the Moment

December 21, 2022
Artificial intelligence and automation help modernize machining.
By SME Media Staff
Global installed offshore wind capacity is expected to reach 630 gigawatts by 2050. Achieving this milestone, however, will require the continued use of advanced simulation and modeling software.

No Room for Error

December 21, 2022
When energy infrastructure fails, the cost is often unbearable. Are better design tools the means to reduce risk, improve efficiency, and prepare the world for a more sustainable future?
Kip Hanson
By Kip Hanson Contributing Editor, SME Media
In a collaborative research project, Autodesk and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) tested the use of generative design to make a concept space lander that is 35 percent lighter than a traditional design. Although not energy related, the technology holds promise for a wide range of manufactured parts.

Powerful Parts

December 28, 2022
Tough materials, tight tolerances, low quantities, and complex shapes—leading suppliers offer advice for navigating the energy industry’s stringent demands.
Kip Hanson
By Kip Hanson Contributing Editor, SME Media
UNILOCK ERGO E400 base stations can be mounted together on the machine table to multiply clamping force. They are pneumatically linked to operate in unison.

Zeroing in on Workholding

January 4, 2023
The path to better setups can be a zero-sum game; not all systems are created equally.
Ed Sinkora
By Ed Sinkora Contributing Editor, SME Media

Shop Solutions

  • CUTTING EDGE

    Smart Manufacturing Optimism: Tech, Talent Drive Growth

    Amy Bryson February 15, 2026
    Manufacturing leaders always look for smart strategies to gain a competitive edge and uncover new opportunities. Deloitte’s 2026 Manufacturing Industry Outlook says there’s room for cautious optimism among those manufacturers focused on targeted technology investments, particularly in agentic AI, to drive agility despite ongoing economic and talent challenges.
  • MATERIALS

    Beyond Lubrication: From Commodity to Competitive Advantage

    Pavel Kralicek, Commercial Offer Advisor, ExxonMobil Product Solution, Europe, Africa and Middle East February 14, 2026
    In modern manufacturing environments, lubrication is undergoing a quiet but important transformation. Once treated as a basic commodity, lubricants are increasingly recognized as strategic enablers of equipment reliability, energy efficiency and helping to advance operator’s sustainability ambitions. As manufacturers strive to achieve higher productivity and meet environmental goals, lubrication choices are integral to operational performance, rather than an afterthought.
  • GOVERNMENT AND ECONOMICS

    Supercharging the Arsenal of Freedom: Speed, Scale and Execution

    Brett Conner, Chief Manufacturing Officer, SME February 14, 2026
    The Trump administration and Congress have signaled their intent to strengthen American manufacturing, especially for the defense industrial base. There are profound implications for the manufacturing sector, with strategy, policy documents and legislation pointing to three things: speed, scale and execution.

Up Front

  • CUTTING EDGE

    Smart Manufacturing Optimism: Tech, Talent Drive Growth

    Amy Bryson February 15, 2026
    Manufacturing leaders always look for smart strategies to gain a competitive edge and uncover new opportunities. Deloitte’s 2026 Manufacturing Industry Outlook says there’s room for cautious optimism among those manufacturers focused on targeted technology investments, particularly in agentic AI, to drive agility despite ongoing economic and talent challenges.
  • MATERIALS

    Beyond Lubrication: From Commodity to Competitive Advantage

    Pavel Kralicek, Commercial Offer Advisor, ExxonMobil Product Solution, Europe, Africa and Middle East February 14, 2026
    In modern manufacturing environments, lubrication is undergoing a quiet but important transformation. Once treated as a basic commodity, lubricants are increasingly recognized as strategic enablers of equipment reliability, energy efficiency and helping to advance operator’s sustainability ambitions. As manufacturers strive to achieve higher productivity and meet environmental goals, lubrication choices are integral to operational performance, rather than an afterthought.
  • GOVERNMENT AND ECONOMICS

    Supercharging the Arsenal of Freedom: Speed, Scale and Execution

    Brett Conner, Chief Manufacturing Officer, SME February 14, 2026
    The Trump administration and Congress have signaled their intent to strengthen American manufacturing, especially for the defense industrial base. There are profound implications for the manufacturing sector, with strategy, policy documents and legislation pointing to three things: speed, scale and execution.

SME Speaks

  • CUTTING EDGE

    Smart Manufacturing Optimism: Tech, Talent Drive Growth

    Amy Bryson February 15, 2026
    Manufacturing leaders always look for smart strategies to gain a competitive edge and uncover new opportunities. Deloitte’s 2026 Manufacturing Industry Outlook says there’s room for cautious optimism among those manufacturers focused on targeted technology investments, particularly in agentic AI, to drive agility despite ongoing economic and talent challenges.
  • MATERIALS

    Beyond Lubrication: From Commodity to Competitive Advantage

    Pavel Kralicek, Commercial Offer Advisor, ExxonMobil Product Solution, Europe, Africa and Middle East February 14, 2026
    In modern manufacturing environments, lubrication is undergoing a quiet but important transformation. Once treated as a basic commodity, lubricants are increasingly recognized as strategic enablers of equipment reliability, energy efficiency and helping to advance operator’s sustainability ambitions. As manufacturers strive to achieve higher productivity and meet environmental goals, lubrication choices are integral to operational performance, rather than an afterthought.
  • GOVERNMENT AND ECONOMICS

    Supercharging the Arsenal of Freedom: Speed, Scale and Execution

    Brett Conner, Chief Manufacturing Officer, SME February 14, 2026
    The Trump administration and Congress have signaled their intent to strengthen American manufacturing, especially for the defense industrial base. There are profound implications for the manufacturing sector, with strategy, policy documents and legislation pointing to three things: speed, scale and execution.

Advanced Manufacturing Now

  • CUTTING EDGE

    Smart Manufacturing Optimism: Tech, Talent Drive Growth

    Amy Bryson February 15, 2026
    Manufacturing leaders always look for smart strategies to gain a competitive edge and uncover new opportunities. Deloitte’s 2026 Manufacturing Industry Outlook says there’s room for cautious optimism among those manufacturers focused on targeted technology investments, particularly in agentic AI, to drive agility despite ongoing economic and talent challenges.
  • MATERIALS

    Beyond Lubrication: From Commodity to Competitive Advantage

    Pavel Kralicek, Commercial Offer Advisor, ExxonMobil Product Solution, Europe, Africa and Middle East February 14, 2026
    In modern manufacturing environments, lubrication is undergoing a quiet but important transformation. Once treated as a basic commodity, lubricants are increasingly recognized as strategic enablers of equipment reliability, energy efficiency and helping to advance operator’s sustainability ambitions. As manufacturers strive to achieve higher productivity and meet environmental goals, lubrication choices are integral to operational performance, rather than an afterthought.
  • GOVERNMENT AND ECONOMICS

    Supercharging the Arsenal of Freedom: Speed, Scale and Execution

    Brett Conner, Chief Manufacturing Officer, SME February 14, 2026
    The Trump administration and Congress have signaled their intent to strengthen American manufacturing, especially for the defense industrial base. There are profound implications for the manufacturing sector, with strategy, policy documents and legislation pointing to three things: speed, scale and execution.

Software Update

  • CUTTING EDGE

    Smart Manufacturing Optimism: Tech, Talent Drive Growth

    Amy Bryson February 15, 2026
    Manufacturing leaders always look for smart strategies to gain a competitive edge and uncover new opportunities. Deloitte’s 2026 Manufacturing Industry Outlook says there’s room for cautious optimism among those manufacturers focused on targeted technology investments, particularly in agentic AI, to drive agility despite ongoing economic and talent challenges.
  • MATERIALS

    Beyond Lubrication: From Commodity to Competitive Advantage

    Pavel Kralicek, Commercial Offer Advisor, ExxonMobil Product Solution, Europe, Africa and Middle East February 14, 2026
    In modern manufacturing environments, lubrication is undergoing a quiet but important transformation. Once treated as a basic commodity, lubricants are increasingly recognized as strategic enablers of equipment reliability, energy efficiency and helping to advance operator’s sustainability ambitions. As manufacturers strive to achieve higher productivity and meet environmental goals, lubrication choices are integral to operational performance, rather than an afterthought.
  • GOVERNMENT AND ECONOMICS

    Supercharging the Arsenal of Freedom: Speed, Scale and Execution

    Brett Conner, Chief Manufacturing Officer, SME February 14, 2026
    The Trump administration and Congress have signaled their intent to strengthen American manufacturing, especially for the defense industrial base. There are profound implications for the manufacturing sector, with strategy, policy documents and legislation pointing to three things: speed, scale and execution.

Viewpoints

  • CUTTING EDGE

    Smart Manufacturing Optimism: Tech, Talent Drive Growth

    Amy Bryson February 15, 2026
    Manufacturing leaders always look for smart strategies to gain a competitive edge and uncover new opportunities. Deloitte’s 2026 Manufacturing Industry Outlook says there’s room for cautious optimism among those manufacturers focused on targeted technology investments, particularly in agentic AI, to drive agility despite ongoing economic and talent challenges.
  • MATERIALS

    Beyond Lubrication: From Commodity to Competitive Advantage

    Pavel Kralicek, Commercial Offer Advisor, ExxonMobil Product Solution, Europe, Africa and Middle East February 14, 2026
    In modern manufacturing environments, lubrication is undergoing a quiet but important transformation. Once treated as a basic commodity, lubricants are increasingly recognized as strategic enablers of equipment reliability, energy efficiency and helping to advance operator’s sustainability ambitions. As manufacturers strive to achieve higher productivity and meet environmental goals, lubrication choices are integral to operational performance, rather than an afterthought.
  • GOVERNMENT AND ECONOMICS

    Supercharging the Arsenal of Freedom: Speed, Scale and Execution

    Brett Conner, Chief Manufacturing Officer, SME February 14, 2026
    The Trump administration and Congress have signaled their intent to strengthen American manufacturing, especially for the defense industrial base. There are profound implications for the manufacturing sector, with strategy, policy documents and legislation pointing to three things: speed, scale and execution.