Skip to content

December 2021

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

 

Visitors and delegates connected with more than 265 exhibiting companies.

RAPID + TCT emphasizes how additive manufacturing will expand

November 18, 2021
This year’s RAPID + TCT show signaled a new wave of users, with 35 percent of the audience being new to adopting additive manufacturing technologies.
Bill Koenig
By Bill Koenig Senior Editor, SME Media
Okuma’s Brad Klippstein, right, said his company’s NET BOX suite-C Quick device for legacy machine tools is so easy to install and use that a shop owner can do it himself.

Legacy machinery can be data mined for modern operations

November 22, 2021
Whether transmitted through wires or the air, data collected from older factory devices can help a shop owner make smarter business decisions.
Ilene Wolff
By Ilene Wolff Contributing Editor, SME Media
At MD&M West 2021, Justin Ryan of Rady Children’s Hospital, Cambre Kelly of Restor3d and Sean McEligot of the Mayo Clinic covered a wide range of topics related to the use of additive manufacturing for end-use-device development.

Medical device AM experts tackle quality, software, hiring

December 7, 2021
Justin Ryan of Rady Children’s Hospital, Cambre Kelly of Restor3d and Sean McEligot of the Mayo Clinic discuss the use of additive manufacturing for end-use-device development.
Ilene Wolff
By Ilene Wolff Contributing Editor, SME Media
“The laws of physics contain an enormous wealth of information in a very condensed way,” said Herman Van der Auweraer, director of technology innovation at Siemens Digital Industries Software. “Physics-based simulation methods are using these physics laws.”

With physics-informed AI, machine operators can trust and verify

November 26, 2021
Physics-informed AI simulations are beginning to replace artificial neural network models, yielding more accurate and more trustworthy predictions than ANN simulations.
By Karen Haywood Queen Contributing Editor, SME Media
Jonathan Wise, CESMII

Industry 4.0 in a Multi-Protocol Universe

November 16, 2021
CESMII Smart Manufacturing Panel explains: Tools exist for old and new tech to mesh in smart manufacturing.
Ilene Wolff
By Ilene Wolff Contributing Editor, SME Media
In contrast to a CAD model, a virtual twin is more than merely a static representation of a machine or even an entire factory, said Dassault’s Eric Green. A virtual twin of a factory includes real-world performance and operational data, such as how that factory operates on a given day or shift, he said.

Building resilience against disruption

December 2, 2021
Key steps are virtual twins and real relationships.
By Karen Haywood Queen Contributing Editor, SME Media
Ed Cuoco, VP of strategy and solutions at PTC

Helping companies improve quality, reduce repairs and waste

December 6, 2021
The experience an Italian electronics manufacturer had with emerging tools provides a glimpse of a better world.
By Karen Haywood Queen Contributing Editor, SME Media

Manufacturing USA Update

  • WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

    Where Safety Breaks Down for Women in Manufacturing and the Trades

    Meaghan Ziemba, Contributing Editor January 20, 2026
    I spend a lot of time talking about leadership, workforce development and what it will take to advance women in manufacturing, engineering and the trades. I talk about pipelines, mentorship, culture and opportunity. But there’s a piece of this conversation that often gets pushed to the margins because it makes people uncomfortable.
  • MATERIALS

    Engineering Thermal Precision: The Case for Alumina Ceramic Tubes in Next-Gen Manufacturing

    Haber Ma, Senior Engineer in Advanced Ceramics, Adcerax January 20, 2026
    As manufacturers push toward digitalization, automation and energy efficiency, one factor quietly determines success: thermal precision. Every deviation in temperature control affects process quality, calibration cycles and equipment uptime.
  • PRESS RELEASES

    Mazak Opens Phoenix Technical Center

    PRESS RELEASE: Mazak Corp. January 20, 2026
    With the start of the new year, Mazak Corporation has announced that its new Phoenix Technical Center is officially open and providing service and support for manufacturers throughout the Western United States. To showcase the new facility, Mazak will also host a grand opening event later this year.

AM Update

  • WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

    Where Safety Breaks Down for Women in Manufacturing and the Trades

    Meaghan Ziemba, Contributing Editor January 20, 2026
    I spend a lot of time talking about leadership, workforce development and what it will take to advance women in manufacturing, engineering and the trades. I talk about pipelines, mentorship, culture and opportunity. But there’s a piece of this conversation that often gets pushed to the margins because it makes people uncomfortable.
  • MATERIALS

    Engineering Thermal Precision: The Case for Alumina Ceramic Tubes in Next-Gen Manufacturing

    Haber Ma, Senior Engineer in Advanced Ceramics, Adcerax January 20, 2026
    As manufacturers push toward digitalization, automation and energy efficiency, one factor quietly determines success: thermal precision. Every deviation in temperature control affects process quality, calibration cycles and equipment uptime.
  • PRESS RELEASES

    Mazak Opens Phoenix Technical Center

    PRESS RELEASE: Mazak Corp. January 20, 2026
    With the start of the new year, Mazak Corporation has announced that its new Phoenix Technical Center is officially open and providing service and support for manufacturers throughout the Western United States. To showcase the new facility, Mazak will also host a grand opening event later this year.

Up Front

  • WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

    Where Safety Breaks Down for Women in Manufacturing and the Trades

    Meaghan Ziemba, Contributing Editor January 20, 2026
    I spend a lot of time talking about leadership, workforce development and what it will take to advance women in manufacturing, engineering and the trades. I talk about pipelines, mentorship, culture and opportunity. But there’s a piece of this conversation that often gets pushed to the margins because it makes people uncomfortable.
  • MATERIALS

    Engineering Thermal Precision: The Case for Alumina Ceramic Tubes in Next-Gen Manufacturing

    Haber Ma, Senior Engineer in Advanced Ceramics, Adcerax January 20, 2026
    As manufacturers push toward digitalization, automation and energy efficiency, one factor quietly determines success: thermal precision. Every deviation in temperature control affects process quality, calibration cycles and equipment uptime.
  • PRESS RELEASES

    Mazak Opens Phoenix Technical Center

    PRESS RELEASE: Mazak Corp. January 20, 2026
    With the start of the new year, Mazak Corporation has announced that its new Phoenix Technical Center is officially open and providing service and support for manufacturers throughout the Western United States. To showcase the new facility, Mazak will also host a grand opening event later this year.

Field Intelligence

  • WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

    Where Safety Breaks Down for Women in Manufacturing and the Trades

    Meaghan Ziemba, Contributing Editor January 20, 2026
    I spend a lot of time talking about leadership, workforce development and what it will take to advance women in manufacturing, engineering and the trades. I talk about pipelines, mentorship, culture and opportunity. But there’s a piece of this conversation that often gets pushed to the margins because it makes people uncomfortable.
  • MATERIALS

    Engineering Thermal Precision: The Case for Alumina Ceramic Tubes in Next-Gen Manufacturing

    Haber Ma, Senior Engineer in Advanced Ceramics, Adcerax January 20, 2026
    As manufacturers push toward digitalization, automation and energy efficiency, one factor quietly determines success: thermal precision. Every deviation in temperature control affects process quality, calibration cycles and equipment uptime.
  • PRESS RELEASES

    Mazak Opens Phoenix Technical Center

    PRESS RELEASE: Mazak Corp. January 20, 2026
    With the start of the new year, Mazak Corporation has announced that its new Phoenix Technical Center is officially open and providing service and support for manufacturers throughout the Western United States. To showcase the new facility, Mazak will also host a grand opening event later this year.