Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast

Hosted by Endeavor Business Media’s Manufacturing Group

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Episodes

448

Latest episode

Oct 2026

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About the show

Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast offers news and information for the people who make, store and move things and those who manage and maintain the facilities where that work gets done. Manufacturers can listen for critical insights into the technologies, economic conditions and best practices that can influence how to best run facilities to reach operational excellence.

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60 recent

October 31, 2026Episode 45018 min

IFS Unleashed Reveals the Next Phase of Industrial AI (IndustryWeek)

In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Dennis Scimeca and Scott Achelpohl discuss key announcements and emerging trends from the IFS Unleashed Conference, where industrial AI dominated the conversation. They explore new partnerships between IFS, Siemens and Aveva, the evolution of agentic AI and digital workers, and how manufacturers are using AI to automate workflows and improve operations. The conversation also examines growing concerns about AI governance, cybersecurity and the gap between factory-floor adoption and executive oversight.

October 27, 2026Episode 4499 min

5 Products Readers Couldn’t Stop Clicking in October (New Equipment Digest)

In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Laura Davis of New Equipment Digest breaks down the five most popular products on New Equipment Digest in October. Learn what each one does, the specs that matter, and which operations stand to benefit most: Chicago Pneumatic’s THS and THL/TR hydraulic torque wrenches Enerpac’s Armor Stack modular tool cases ABB Robotics’ IRB 1700 and IRB 1700ID industrial robots, Epson’s AX6 collaborative robot Exair’s redesigned EFC Electronic Flow Control.

October 22, 2026Episode 44822 min

How Is Physical AI Moving Into Actual Manufacturing? (American Machinist)

In the wide universe of artificial intelligence, Physical AI is a confluence of perception, reasoning, and execution - as Michael Kenworthy, CTO of VulcanForms helpfully explains. Physical AI builds on foundations like large language models (LLMs) and vision-language-action frameworks - and bridges internet text intelligence with physical robotics. Now Physical AI is spreading out from the realm of automation and into more pragmatic applications. In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Kenworthy uses his insights in metal additive manufacturing to describe the potential for Physical AI, how it is maturing, how to prepare to apply it, and where to watch for its impact.

October 20, 2026Episode 44711 min

The Top 10 Forklift Manufacturers of 2026 (Supply Chain Insider)

Dave Blanchard, editor-in-chief of Material Handling & Logistics , presents MH&L's annual list of the 10 largest global manufacturers of forklifts, and offers some analysis of current market conditions and trends.

October 17, 2026Episode 44318 min

Agentic CI – The Next Evolution of Continuous Improvement (IndustryWeek)

Manufacturers have spent decades refining continuous improvement and the next evolution isn’t about replacing those proven methods with AI. It’s about making them dramatically more effective. In this sponsored episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, IndustryWeek senior editor for technology Dennis Scimeca talks with Fabriq co-founder Octave Lapeyronie about the emergence of Agentic Continuous Improvement: putting AI inside the daily management rituals manufacturers already rely on, while keeping frontline teams firmly in control. The episode is sponsored by Fabriq. Go to www.fabriq.tech to learn more.

October 15, 2026Episode 44629 min

What Happened When Fidelity Manufacturing Changed From Family-Owned To Employee-Owned (IndustryWeek)

In this episode of Great Question: a Manufacturing Podcast, Mitch Twardosky, CEO of Fidelity Manufacturing, discusses the manufacturing company's very recent ownership transition—the owners sold the company to an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) as a succession plan—while in the midst of significant company growth driven by increasing demand for backup generation. Twardosky shares with IndustryWeek's Jill Jusko how the ESOP almost immediately had employees taking an ownership mindset about what does and does not add value to the company. He also talks about workforce development related to the manufacturer's expansion into Texas, where a 200,000 square-foot plant is about to open.

October 13, 2026Episode 44532 min

How To Realize The Full Potential Of Connected Worker Solutions In The AI Era (Smart Industry)

In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, ARC Advisory Group research lead Inderpreet Shoker brings the data and follows up her recent three-part Smart Industry series on connected worker platforms with more advice on making the most of these promising solutions that involve many variables to succeed in smart factories.

October 8, 2026Episode 44421 min

Who Owns Maintenance Decisions in a Reliability-Focused Plant? (Ask A Plant Manager)

Joe Kuhn , CMRP, former plant manager, engineer and global reliability consultant, is now president of Lean Driven Reliability LLC. He is the author of the book “Zero to Hero: How to Jumpstart Your Reliability Journey Given Today’s Business Challenges” and the creator of the Joe Kuhn YouTube Channel , which offers content on starting your reliability journey and achieving financial independence. In the monthly podcast miniseries Ask a Plant Manager, Joe and Plant Services editor in chief Anna Townshend consider a commonplace scenario facing the industry and Joe offers advice, as well as actions that you can take to get on track tomorrow. This episode explores maintenance and operator ownership and the problems with blurred accountability.

October 6, 2026Episode 44225 min

Innovative Strategies for Employee Wellbeing and Suicide Prevention (Talking EHS)

In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Shaun Carvalho, chief safety officer at Shawmut Design and Construction , discusses how organizations can develop comprehensive safety and wellbeing programs that go beyond traditional PPE, emphasizing mental health, substance abuse, and inclusive communication strategies.

October 3, 2026Episode 43715 min

One System, One Answer: How Manufacturing Can Connect the Dots (IndustryWeek)

Manufacturing leaders face a hidden cost: fragmented data. This sponsored podcast episode, recorded with guest Keith Dunnell, VP, Global Head of Manufacturing Industry GTM at ServiceNow, is for operations leaders, security teams, and plant managers who know fragmentation is slowing them down but aren't sure how to fix it. This podcast is sponsored by ServiceNow.