April 2021
The April 2021 edition of Smart Manufacturing is now available as a digital magazine. Links to individual articles are below.

Smart manufacturing takeaways from NASA’s latest trip to Mars
March 31, 2021
NASA landed another rover on Mars in February, thanks in part to the work and leadership of Adam Steltzner. Smart Manufacturing interviewed him shortly thereafter—just as he got off the phone with U.S. President Joe Biden.

SME’s new CEO won’t let up on continuous improvement
April 1, 2021
The adoption of smart manufacturing processes reminds Bob Willig of his “lean manufacturing journey, years ago,” he said.

Not everything is a job to die for
April 2, 2021
When a legacy automotive or aircraft part breaks and needs a replacement, manufacturers currently have no good options.

Tenured robotics integrator turns on a dime to help manufacturers do the same
April 5, 2021
In October, in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, a smaller machine shop in Wisconsin needed a robot to deburr parts—and fast.

What measures the measurements?
April 7, 2021
For most of its history in manufacturing, metrology’s competitive arena was at the point of measurement.

25 leaders transforming manufacturing
April 5, 2021
The need for leadership in smart manufacturing cannot be overstated: Making revolutionary changes can be arduous.
Upfront
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Smart Manufacturing
Thanks to ARMI, stand-in organs have a real chance
March 31, 2021I first wrote about substitute skin in 1993. And at the time, it seemed that stand-in organs—at scale—were imminent.
Advanced Manufacturing Update
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Additive Manufacturing & 3D Printing
Young CEO takes up mantle of 'responsible manufacturing'
April 6, 2021A conversation between Contributing Editor Kip Hanson and CEO of EOS, Marie Langer.
Manufacturing USA Update
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Smart Manufacturing
ARMI delivering big dose of reality to scientists creating stand-in organs
March 30, 2021Good science does not equate to workable manufacturing. This has been a longstanding truth in tissue engineering, a field that has been in limbo between academic R&D and commercialization for its entire decades-long existence.
Field Intelligence
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Smart Manufacturing
Addressing great need for automation of composites
April 1, 2021The aerospace industry is setting itself up for a massive conjunction of need for industrial capacity to produce parts in the near future. -
Smart Manufacturing
Braskem’s use of digital twin exemplifies Society 5.0
April 2, 2021To achieve a better world, we have chosen Society 5.0 as our key driver. The evolution of automation technologies in the context of Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0 is fantastic, but the focus should be to benefit society, humankind and the earth. -
Smart Manufacturing
7 first principles that add up to smart manufacturing
April 6, 2021The concept of smart manufacturing has been evolving for a decade among leading manufacturers, expert practitioners and consortia organizations like CESMII–the U.S. -
Smart Manufacturing
Let’s boldly go where no robot has gone before
April 7, 2021COVID-19 put a spotlight on the brittleness of the U.S. manufacturing supply chain. Responding to crises of many types requires, at least, the ability to rapidly repair or rebuild the machines that are the foundation of our economy. -
Smart Manufacturing
Three cheers for J&W Swiss, for conquering its data woes
April 8, 2021Many of the strongest shops are challenging the convention that manufacturing is a conservative sector when it comes to new technology.