The Digital Factory

Rob Carter has served as FedEx's Chief Information Officer for nearly 20 years, developing the company's information infrastructure and implementing new cutting-edge technologies. In this fireside chat with Jeff Immelt recorded at the Digital Factory Conference in 2019, Carter discusses the role of technology at FedEx, how FedEx learns about and evaluates new technologies, and how it puts innovation at the center of its business. Visit https://www.thedigitalfactory.com/videos/the-digital-supply-chain to watch the video version of this fireside chat, and to watch other videos from the Digital Factory Conference.

Corporate sustainability has its roots in risk management and health and safety management—sort of a conservative, back-office function. Now it’s a competitive differentiator. In this episode of the Digital Factory Podcast, Jon Bruner talks with Zoé Bezpalko, sustainability strategy manager at Autodesk, about how manufacturers can use new technologies to make products sustainably—and to reach customers, potential employees, and partners who demand sustainability. Visit http://bit.ly/2mPeK9W for links and notes on this episode.

How sustainable is 3D printing? Ask most experts and you’ll get some hand-waving: it creates less waste than machining and reduces transportation energy, but many materials aren’t recyclable. All of those factors turn out to be overstated when they’re subjected to careful study. In this episode of the Digital Factory Podcast, Jon Bruner talks with Jeremy Faludi, an assistant professor of sustainable design at TU Delft, about the measurable environmental impact of 3D printing. His conclusions are nuanced and sometimes surprising. Visit http://bit.ly/2ZnzbNF for links and notes on this episode.

Terry Wohlers, President of Wohlers Associates and author of the authoritative Wohlers Report on 3D printing, is my guest on this episode of the podcast. We talk about 3D printing at scale, the importance of design for additive, the emergence of metal 3D printing, and the inflection points he’s watching for. Videos of every presentation at the Digital Factory Conference are now available at https://www.thedigitalfactory.com/videos, and Wohlers is featured on this panel: https://www.thedigitalfactory.com/videos/scaling-additive-manufacturing-from-prototype-to-production Visit http://bit.ly/2ylwgW2 for full episode notes and links.

3D Hubs reoriented its business last fall, away from hobbyists and toward the professional market. Now it’s planning to invest heavily in AI-driven automation. In this episode Jon Bruner speaks with Bram de Zwart, co-founder and CEO of 3D Hubs. Brian Garret, 3D Hubs' other co-founder and Chief Product Officer, is speaking at the Digital Factory Conference on May 7, alongside other CEOs, CTOs, and CIOs who are transforming their businesses through manufacturing. Visit https://www.thedigitalfactory.com to see the program and register. Visit http://bit.ly/2vzLlSB for full episode notes and links.

The 3D printers at Align Technology turn out half a million parts every day—an exceptional scale that makes the company the largest user of 3D printing in the world. But, as lots of companies have learned, installing a 3D printing capability is only the first step toward digital production. Align’s massive, custom-built additive production line is part of a digital workflow that begins when a patient’s mouth is scanned and incorporates generative design, deep learning, and lots of automation. In this episode Jon Bruner speaks with Emory Wright, Senior Vice President for Global Operations at Align. Joe Hogan, Align's CEO, is speaking at the Digital Factory Conference on May 7, alongside other CEOs, CTOs, and CIOs who are transforming their businesses through manufacturing. Visit https://www.thedigitalfactory.com to see the program and register. Visit http://bit.ly/2UoaMjV for full episode notes and links.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology, or NIST, offers a striking catalog of reference materials that includes peanut butter, New Jersey soil, domestic sludge, Lake Michigan fish tissue, and Spam. These materials turn out to illuminate the fascinating process by which measurement standards are defined in terms of fundamental physical constants and then handed down by NIST as artifacts that anyone can use to calibrate a bathroom scale or detect impurities in molybdenum oxide. In this episode Jon Bruner interviews Steven Choquette, director of NIST's Office of Reference Materials, about the 1,300 materials that NIST's scientists produce and certify, and about the future of the program in biological materials. Visit http://bit.ly/nistsrm for full episode notes and links. And visit https://www.thedigitalfactory.com to learn more about The Digital Factory Conference, returning to Boston on May 7, 2019. Register to join CEOs, CTOs, and CIOs who are transforming their businesses through manufacturing.

It’s difficult to sell new technologies to big manufacturers. If you’ve got a novel way to build things and a fresh startup to market it, you’ll run into all sorts of obstacles: established industrial companies tend to be risk-averse, top-down organizations with long replacement cycles and highly specific requirements. Many industrial startups generate lots of interest but starve as they trek through long sales cycles. Dayna Grayson sees that changing. She’s a partner at NEA who has invested in several next-generation manufacturing startups, including Formlabs, Desktop Metal, Onshape, and Upskill, and she points to three major shifts that have made manufacturing a compelling sector for startups to address. Visit http://bit.ly/2Xco9WR for full episode notes and links. And visit https://www.thedigitalfactory.com/ to learn more about The Digital Factory Conference, returning to Boston on May 7, 2019. Dayna Grayson will speak along with CEOs, CTOs, and CIOs who are transforming their businesses through manufacturing.

The Digital Factory Conference, our advanced-manufacturing leadership summit, is coming back to Boston on May 7. This year it’s got a new co-host: Jeff Immelt, who spent 16 years as CEO of GE and is now, among other roles, a partner at NEA. Visit https://thedigitalfactory.com/ to learn more about the conference. This episode of the Digital Factory Podcast features a wide-ranging conversation between Jeff and Jon Bruner about digital transformation in manufacturing. In his investing, Jeff focuses on what he calls the “Four A’s:” artificial intelligence, automation, analytics, and additive manufacturing. Not only will those technologies improve overall manufacturing productivity, they also promise to introduce new capabilities that can drive transformative business models, like mass customization, machine-as-a-service, and rapid product development. For full episode notes, visit http://bit.ly/2HHHwTZ.

Jon Bruner and Andrew Edman talk about the value of proprietary manufacturing technology, the aesthetics of generative design, the influence of social media on product design, and the acceleration of the product lifecycle. For links related to this episode, visit http://bit.ly/2CqLqw7.

Last week a large part of the 3D printing industry gathered in Frankfurt to visit Formnext, an immense additive manufacturing trade show. In this episode, recorded in the hallway outside the Formnext show floor, we bring you interviews with three authorities on 3D printing: Joris Peels, editor-in-chief of 3DPrint.com; Nora Toure, founder of Women in 3D Printing, and A. John Hart, associate professor of mechanical engineering at MIT and co-founder of Desktop Metal. Visit http://bit.ly/2A4XIri to see links and background for this episode.

Computer aided design software is becoming more sophisticated: it’s moving to the cloud, it’s beginning to offer generative capabilities, and, broadly speaking, it’s bringing manufacturing closer to design. In this episode of the Digital Factory Podcast, Jon Bruner talks with Stephen Hooper, Vice President and General Manager of Autodesk’s Fusion 360, about how those developments in CAD software are driving major changes in the practices, roles, and capabilities of product development. Visit http://bit.ly/2CBs6fQ to see links and background for this episode.

This week we present three conversations from IMTS, the giant manufacturing technology trade show that comes to Chicago every other year. In this episode Jon Bruner speaks with Elizabeth Koprucki, Assistant Director of Fab Lab and Design at the University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, about the importance of giving creators direct access to tools. Be sure to listen to the other two episodes in this series, #12 featuring Spencer Wright of The Prepared, and #13 with Inventables CEO Zach Kaplan. Visit http://bit.ly/2ImRLKo to see links and background for this episode.

This week we present three conversations from IMTS, the giant manufacturing technology trade show that comes to Chicago every other year. In this episode we speak with Zach Kaplan, founder and CEO of Inventables, about why pure performance is played out, and the importance of accessibility in next-generation manufacturing tools. Be sure to listen to the other two episodes in this series, #12 featuring Spencer Wright of The Prepared, and #14 with Elizabeth Koprucki from the University of Chicago's fab lab. Visit http://bit.ly/2ImRLKo to see links and background for this episode.

This week we present three conversations from IMTS, the giant manufacturing technology trade show that comes to Chicago every other year. In this episode we speak with Spencer Wright, author of The Prepared and head of partnerships at nTopology. He's an authority on 3D printing, so he's able to make sense of the enormous range of 3D printing processes and machines that appeared at IMTS this year. Be sure to listen to the other two episodes in this series, #13 featuring Inventables CEO Zach Kaplan, and #14 with Elizabeth Koprucki from the University of Chicago's fab lab. Visit http://bit.ly/2ImRLKo to see links and background for this episode.

Jabil Circuit is a $20 billion contract manufacturer that produces everything from specialized medical devices to mobile phone accessories. Since Jabil doesn’t own any of the brands that roll off its lines, the company’s entire value is in its ability to spin up multitudes of new manufacturing processes that meet new requirements from its clients. In this episode of the Digital Factory Podcast, Jon Bruner speaks with John Dulchinos, Jabil’s Vice President of Digital Manufacturing. He’s responsible for evaluating new manufacturing technologies and finding ways to apply them in Jabil’s supply chain, and he’s got hard numbers and real experience with many technologies that are still in their infancies. Dulchinos is featured in The Digital Factory Report, an overview of recent advances in artificial intelligence, additive manufacturing, and advanced automation, and a look at how those technologies are transforming the business of making things. Download the report for free and watch Dulchinos’ presentation from the Digital Factory Conference at https://digitalfactory.xyz/. In this episode: – The importance of ‘thinking big, starting small, failing fast’ – Strategy for scaling a new technology from prototyping into production – The surprising cost-effectiveness of 3D printing: it used to be cheaper than injection molding for runs under 500-1,000 units, but the field has advanced so much that it’s now cheaper than injection molding for some runs up to 30,000 or 40,000 units – Dulchinos’ current focus areas: additive manufacturing, new forms of robotics and automation, and interconnection between tools and factories – Dulchinos’ favorite tools: Henckels kitchen knives Read more on the Formlabs blog: http://bit.ly/2NkxMSa

Computer aided design, or CAD, has followed the arc of computing over the last 50 years: the first CAD programs were command-line applications that ran on mainframes, which gave way to graphical software that ran on desktop PCs. The next generation of CAD software can run almost anywhere, including in a Web browser or on a phone. As CAD becomes available on every platform, it’s changing the way that engineers and designers work by bringing more people into contact with CAD and by making handoffs between teams more fluid. In this episode of the Digital Factory Podcast, Jon Bruner talks with Jon Hirschtick, the co-founder and CEO of Onshape, a six-year-old company developing a CAD platform that’s entirely cloud-based. (You might also know Hirschtick as the co-founder of SolidWorks, a pioneer in bringing CAD from mainframes to desktop computers.) Links from this episode: – Onshape – The Uni-ball Pure Malt 4-color pen, Jon Hirschtick’s favorite tool, which he uses to write in his Shinola journal notebook. Read more on the Formlabs blog: http://bit.ly/2OTACKR

It’s hard to imagine an application for 3D printing that’s more complex or heavier-duty than keeping a railroad running, but Deutsche Bahn, Germany’s railroad operator and a global logistics player, is doing just that. In episode 9 of the Digital Factory Podcast, we speak with Stefanie Brickwede, who runs the additive manufacturing program at Deutsche Bahn and founded Mobility Goes Additive. We discuss the company’s applications for 3D printing, how she’s approached cultural change around additive manufacturing within the organization, and what’s next for 3D printing in the rail, automotive, and air transport industries. (Stefanie Brickwede is a keynote speaker at The Digital Factory Conference in Munich on May 14. Join executives and technical experts from companies like GE, BMW, Henkel, Carl Zeiss, Deloitte, EOS, HP, and SAP to learn strategies for digital transformation in manufacturing. Visit https://digitalfactory.xyz/ to see the program and register, and use the code PODCAST for a discount. Advance price ends on April 26!) In this episode: – How Deutsche Bahn uses 3D printing to produce spare parts that meet strict safety regulations – Why the company mostly outsources its 3D printing needs – How the team introduced 3D printing, from getting stakeholder buy-in to training colleagues Read more and find episode links on the Formlabs blog: http://bit.ly/2HOw8Cj See the full Digital Factory Munich conference program, and register using the code PODCAST for a discount: https://digitalfactory.xyz/

Most people who design 3D printed objects want them to keep their shape as closely as possible after printing, but an emerging field known as 4D printing aims to make objects that can reconfigure themselves after fabrication. In episode 8 of the Digital Factory Podcast, we speak with Kristina Shea, professor of Engineering Design and Computing at ETH Zürich, on why self-assembly and 4D printing could be foundational design technologies in the very near future, with applications from aerospace to medical devices. (Kristina Shea is a keynote speaker at The Digital Factory Conference in Munich on May 14. Join executives and technical experts from companies like GE, BMW, Henkel, Carl Zeiss, Deloitte, EOS, HP, and SAP to learn strategies for digital transformation in manufacturing. Visit https://digitalfactory.xyz/ to see the program, and use the code PODCAST for a 10% discount.) In this episode: – What goes into 4D printing, which is able to produce reconfigurable 3D-printed objects – How computational design contributes to 4D printing, and how it’s changing the role of human designers – Potential practical applications of 4D printing Read more on the Formlabs blog: http://bit.ly/2GYCNM4 See Kristina Shea's work at ETH Zurich's Engineering Design and Computing Laboratory: http://bit.ly/2HcoHEO See the full Digital Factory Munich conference program, and register using the code PODCAST for a discount: https://digitalfactory.xyz/

Product assembly is a big factor in production time, labor cost, and complexity. 3D printing can be used to consolidate multiple parts into a single part that couldn’t be produced conventionally, but most products still need at least some assembly. Fasteners are fiddly and snap-fits are fragile. An emerging solution: advanced adhesives, applied with automated machinery—a step toward fully digital assembly. In episode 7 of the Digital Factory Podcast, we sit down with Michael Todd, vice president for innovation and new business development in the Henkel Adhesives group, to discuss how adhesives can be used to create entire assemblies out of 3D printed parts, and how different adhesives can address different applications. (The Digital Factory Conference is coming to Munich on May 14. Join executives from companies like Henkel, GE, BMW, and SAP to learn strategies for digital transformation in manufacturing. Visit https://digitalfactory.xyz/ to see the program, and register before April 5 for a €50 discount.) Listen to hear about: - The limitations of off-the-shelf adhesive solutions for advanced problems - Some of the strangest chemistries and conditions Henkel has had to solve for - What an adhesives expert would choose from the adhesives shelf at the hardware store in a pinch Read more on the Formlabs blog: http://bit.ly/2FY5MMk Videos from The Digital Factory conference: http://bit.ly/2q3lFdd

We sit down with Eric Klein, partner at Lemnos, a leading early stage hardware venture fund. Klein and his partners provide direct investment and intensive coaching for hardware entrepreneurs in areas like robotics, aerospace, and connected devices. Play the full podcast to hear about: - The challenges of hiring for early stage hardware startups - How more accessible electronics and hardware-as-a-service models are changing the hardware business - How the hardware renaissance is critically different from the maker movement Videos from The Digital Factory: http://bit.ly/2q3lFdd Read more on the Formlabs blog: http://bit.ly/2BdCfzf

We sit down with Krisztina “Z” Holly, host of the Art of Manufacturing podcast and founder of the MAKE IT IN LA initiative, a coalition of organizations that support the manufacturing ecosystem and inspire entrepreneurs to turn their passions into real products in Los Angeles. Play the full podcast to hear about: - The surprisingly broad and sophisticated Los Angeles manufacturing sector–America’s largest - The steps cities can take to become hotbeds for manufacturing and entrepreneurship - The importance of cross-pollination between industries and craftspeople More content from The Digital Factory: http://bit.ly/2q3lFdd Read more on the Formlabs blog: http://bit.ly/2Bl7rsz

In honor of our conference on digital manufacturing, The Digital Factory, Formlabs has created a podcast! In this series, hosted by Jon Bruner and guest host David Cranor, we’ll explore the future of the factory floor through conversations with experts who are changing the way things are made. In episode 4, Jon and David sit down with Ric Fulop, the founder and CEO of Desktop Metal, founded in 2015 with the goal of reinventing the way design and manufacturing teams print with metal. Like Formlabs, Desktop Metal is hard at work making industrial technology more accessible and bringing 3D printing further into the realm of production of end-use parts. Play the full podcast to hear: - How Desktop Metal’s 3D printing process differs from metal powder diffusion - The details of the processes used to produce metal parts today - The technical details of Desktop Metal’s studio and production systems Watch talks from The Digital Factory: http://bit.ly/2q3lFdd Read more on the Formlabs blog: http://bit.ly/2uWu1pC

In honor of our conference on digital manufacturing, The Digital Factory, Formlabs has created a podcast! In this series, hosted by Jon Bruner and guest host David Cranor, we’ll explore the future of the factory floor through conversations with experts who are changing the way things are made. In episode 3, Jon and David sit down with Spencer Wright, head of product at nTopology, where he helps build software that generates specialized lattices suited for specific manufacturing constraints. Wright also authors The Prepared, a weekly newsletter covering manufacturing, engineering, and infrastructure from an accessible human perspective with as much of a focus on societal implications as on technology. Play the full podcast to hear: - The challenges and rewards of moving from traditional machining to metal 3D printing. - The benefits of lattice structures and how they’re generated. - The potential downsides of an automated future. Watch talks from The Digital Factory: http://bit.ly/2q3lFdd Read more on the Formlabs blog: http://bit.ly/2tgZ1kZ

In honor of our conference on digital manufacturing, The Digital Factory, Formlabs has started a podcast! In this series, hosted by Jon Bruner, we’ll explore the future of the factory floor through conversations with experts who are changing the way things are made. In episode 2, Jon sits down with Gian Paolo Bassi, CEO of SolidWorks, one of the leaders in 3D computer-aided design (CAD) technology. SolidWorks has revolutionized the availability of sophisticated, parametric solid modeling since its release in 1995. During his tenure as CEO, Bassi has spearheaded the development of future product and technology strategies and collaboration with a strong user community. Play the full podcast to hear: - Bassi’s design, engineering, and entrepreneurship predictions - The one thing that SolidWorks CAD customers are asking for now - How software companies like Solidworks are bridging gaps and closing chasms Watch talks from The Digital Factory: http://bit.ly/2q3lFdd Read more on the Formlabs blog: http://bit.ly/2qb2uO9

In honor of our conference on digital manufacturing, The Digital Factory, Formlabs is pleased to publish the first episode of our new podcast! In this series, hosted by Jon Bruner, we’ll explore the future of the factory floor through conversations with experts who are changing the way things are made. In episode 1, Jon sits down with Formlabs CEO and founder Max Lobovsky to explore the present and future of 3D printing. Play the full podcast to hear: - Max’s take on where additive manufacturing is headed - What role other design and engineering tools will play - What’s next for Formlabs products Watch talks from the Digital Factory: http://bit.ly/2q3lFdd Read more on the Formlabs blog: http://bit.ly/2yewAVM