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February 2024

The February 2024 edition of Smart Manufacturing is now available as a digital magazine. Links to individual articles are below.

 

Rashmi Vadlakonda explains 3D-printing technology to Project Scientist girls who visited Trane Technologies corporate headquarters in North Carolina.

Celebrating Women in Smart Manufacturing

February 20, 2024
International Women’s Day is March 8. Women move manufacturing forward 365 days a year.
Amy Bryson
By Amy Bryson Contributing Lead Editor, Smart Manufacturing
Smart factories leverage a series of technologies to connect manufacturing processes and upload data into one safe and secure location.

Smart Factory 101: Getting Started

February 15, 2024
Breaking down barriers for small- and medium-sized manufacturers
By Brad Marley Contributing Editor
Artificial Intelligence

AI Simplified

February 12, 2024
The complex world of artificial intelligence and machine learning—and why it all matters
By Karen Haywood Queen Contributing Editor, SME Media

Voices AMplified

  • SMART MANUFACTURING

    Humanoids on the Factory Floor: The Next Frontier of Automation

    Alex Greenberg, Director of Robotics 4.0 Simulation, Siemens Digital Industries Software January 24, 2026
    Manufacturers are increasingly interested in humanoid robots due to persistent labor and skills shortages, rising product complexity, and the need for greater operational resilience. Humanoids promise flexibility: Their humanlike form allows them to operate in environments designed for people, using existing tools and workstations without extensive reconfiguration.
  • SME SPEAKS

    Forging the Future: How AI and Robotics Shape the Workforce

    Jake Okun, Instructor, School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks SME Member since 2022; 2025 30 Under 30 Honoree January 24, 2026
    The hum of machinery. The rhythm of creation. The spark in the eyes of my students the first time they bring an idea to life through code, motion and metal is where the future begins for me every day. As a faculty member at Arizona State University, I have the privilege of teaching the next generation of engineers, innovators and dreamers. My mission is simple: to help students not only prepare for the workforce but also discover the excitement and endless possibilities that manufacturing, robotics and AI can offer as they discover their futures.
  • MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING

    Lessons From the Shop Floor

    Kip Hanson January 23, 2026
    One of my most memorable lessons in the machine shop came from John “Blackie” Armstrong. I was but a few weeks on the job when he leaned over and said, “It doesn’t matter how you do it, just be sure you do it the same way every time.”

Manufacturing USA

  • SMART MANUFACTURING

    Humanoids on the Factory Floor: The Next Frontier of Automation

    Alex Greenberg, Director of Robotics 4.0 Simulation, Siemens Digital Industries Software January 24, 2026
    Manufacturers are increasingly interested in humanoid robots due to persistent labor and skills shortages, rising product complexity, and the need for greater operational resilience. Humanoids promise flexibility: Their humanlike form allows them to operate in environments designed for people, using existing tools and workstations without extensive reconfiguration.
  • SME SPEAKS

    Forging the Future: How AI and Robotics Shape the Workforce

    Jake Okun, Instructor, School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks SME Member since 2022; 2025 30 Under 30 Honoree January 24, 2026
    The hum of machinery. The rhythm of creation. The spark in the eyes of my students the first time they bring an idea to life through code, motion and metal is where the future begins for me every day. As a faculty member at Arizona State University, I have the privilege of teaching the next generation of engineers, innovators and dreamers. My mission is simple: to help students not only prepare for the workforce but also discover the excitement and endless possibilities that manufacturing, robotics and AI can offer as they discover their futures.
  • MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING

    Lessons From the Shop Floor

    Kip Hanson January 23, 2026
    One of my most memorable lessons in the machine shop came from John “Blackie” Armstrong. I was but a few weeks on the job when he leaned over and said, “It doesn’t matter how you do it, just be sure you do it the same way every time.”

Passport to Innovation

  • SMART MANUFACTURING

    Humanoids on the Factory Floor: The Next Frontier of Automation

    Alex Greenberg, Director of Robotics 4.0 Simulation, Siemens Digital Industries Software January 24, 2026
    Manufacturers are increasingly interested in humanoid robots due to persistent labor and skills shortages, rising product complexity, and the need for greater operational resilience. Humanoids promise flexibility: Their humanlike form allows them to operate in environments designed for people, using existing tools and workstations without extensive reconfiguration.
  • SME SPEAKS

    Forging the Future: How AI and Robotics Shape the Workforce

    Jake Okun, Instructor, School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks SME Member since 2022; 2025 30 Under 30 Honoree January 24, 2026
    The hum of machinery. The rhythm of creation. The spark in the eyes of my students the first time they bring an idea to life through code, motion and metal is where the future begins for me every day. As a faculty member at Arizona State University, I have the privilege of teaching the next generation of engineers, innovators and dreamers. My mission is simple: to help students not only prepare for the workforce but also discover the excitement and endless possibilities that manufacturing, robotics and AI can offer as they discover their futures.
  • MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING

    Lessons From the Shop Floor

    Kip Hanson January 23, 2026
    One of my most memorable lessons in the machine shop came from John “Blackie” Armstrong. I was but a few weeks on the job when he leaned over and said, “It doesn’t matter how you do it, just be sure you do it the same way every time.”

How To

  • SMART MANUFACTURING

    Humanoids on the Factory Floor: The Next Frontier of Automation

    Alex Greenberg, Director of Robotics 4.0 Simulation, Siemens Digital Industries Software January 24, 2026
    Manufacturers are increasingly interested in humanoid robots due to persistent labor and skills shortages, rising product complexity, and the need for greater operational resilience. Humanoids promise flexibility: Their humanlike form allows them to operate in environments designed for people, using existing tools and workstations without extensive reconfiguration.
  • SME SPEAKS

    Forging the Future: How AI and Robotics Shape the Workforce

    Jake Okun, Instructor, School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks SME Member since 2022; 2025 30 Under 30 Honoree January 24, 2026
    The hum of machinery. The rhythm of creation. The spark in the eyes of my students the first time they bring an idea to life through code, motion and metal is where the future begins for me every day. As a faculty member at Arizona State University, I have the privilege of teaching the next generation of engineers, innovators and dreamers. My mission is simple: to help students not only prepare for the workforce but also discover the excitement and endless possibilities that manufacturing, robotics and AI can offer as they discover their futures.
  • MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING

    Lessons From the Shop Floor

    Kip Hanson January 23, 2026
    One of my most memorable lessons in the machine shop came from John “Blackie” Armstrong. I was but a few weeks on the job when he leaned over and said, “It doesn’t matter how you do it, just be sure you do it the same way every time.”

Field Intelligence

  • SMART MANUFACTURING

    Humanoids on the Factory Floor: The Next Frontier of Automation

    Alex Greenberg, Director of Robotics 4.0 Simulation, Siemens Digital Industries Software January 24, 2026
    Manufacturers are increasingly interested in humanoid robots due to persistent labor and skills shortages, rising product complexity, and the need for greater operational resilience. Humanoids promise flexibility: Their humanlike form allows them to operate in environments designed for people, using existing tools and workstations without extensive reconfiguration.
  • SME SPEAKS

    Forging the Future: How AI and Robotics Shape the Workforce

    Jake Okun, Instructor, School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks SME Member since 2022; 2025 30 Under 30 Honoree January 24, 2026
    The hum of machinery. The rhythm of creation. The spark in the eyes of my students the first time they bring an idea to life through code, motion and metal is where the future begins for me every day. As a faculty member at Arizona State University, I have the privilege of teaching the next generation of engineers, innovators and dreamers. My mission is simple: to help students not only prepare for the workforce but also discover the excitement and endless possibilities that manufacturing, robotics and AI can offer as they discover their futures.
  • MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING

    Lessons From the Shop Floor

    Kip Hanson January 23, 2026
    One of my most memorable lessons in the machine shop came from John “Blackie” Armstrong. I was but a few weeks on the job when he leaned over and said, “It doesn’t matter how you do it, just be sure you do it the same way every time.”