The Today in Manufacturing Podcast is brought to you by the editors of Manufacturing.net and Industrial Equipment News (IEN).

This episode is brought to you by Oracle NetSuite. Most organizations have more dashboards, reports, and data than ever before, yet decisions still get made on gut feel or anecdote. The gap is not data, it’s action.

In this practical field guide, Bernie Smith, Director of Made to Measure KPIs and KPI Academy, shares his approach to connecting KPIs to real decisions and measurable improvement.

Learn how to:

• Make dashboards useful instead of “wallpaper”

• Choose measures people actually trust and act on

• Define clear responses when a KPI moves • Design targets that encourage the right behaviors

• Connect strategy, measurement, and action

Download "Beyond the Dashboard" right now. https://www.manufacturing.net/formstack/beyond_the_dashboard?utm_source=podcast

Every week, we cover the three biggest stories in manufacturing, and the implications they have on the industry moving forward.

This week: U.S. Steel Commits $475M to Install New Quench & Tempering Line https://www.ien.com/22969501

U.S. Steel just announced plans to invest some $475 million for the installation of a new quench & tempering (Q&T) line at its Fairfield Tubular Operations in Alabama.

'World's First' Fusion Power Plant Given Regulatory Clearance https://www.ien.com/22969244

Helion is a Washington-based fusion energy company. Last week, the company claimed to become the first company in the world to secure the regulatory licenses needed for a fusion power plant.

Ford Motor Sues to Shut Down Lemon Law Fraud

https://www.ien.com/22969305

Last week, Ford Motor filed a lawsuit against Quill & Arrow. The lawsuit alleges rampant lawsuit abuse. Yes, it is a lawsuit over lawsuits, but this one comes after Quill & Arrow filed thousands of Lemon Law cases every year against Ford and other automakers.

In Case You Missed It

LA Mayor Bass Declares Emergency to Secure Resources to Help Fight Warehouse Fire

https://foodmanufacturing.com/22969301/

Authorities said the cold-storage warehouse has "85 million pounds of frozen food inside."

Quantum Sensors Could Spot Hidden Damage

https://www.ien.com/safety/article/22969249/quantum-sensors-could-spot-hidden-damage-in-the-thousands-of-structurally-deficient-us-bridges

These sensors could help engineers pinpoint problems before they get worse.

Boston Dynamics Announces $100 Million U.S. Expansion Effort

https://www.ien.com/automation/news/22969587/boston-dynamics-announces-100-million-us-expansion-effort

Boston Dynamics yesterday announced plans to transform a 323,000 square foot facility in Waltham, Massachusetts, into an advanced robotics and AI center. The company will invest $100 million in the project and anticipates creating 1,250 new jobs by 2033.

Please make sure to like, subscribe and share the podcast. And to email the podcast, you can reach any of us at Jeff, Andy or David@ien.com, with “Email the Podcast” in the subject line. Subscribe to our daily and weekly newsletters.

#Manufacturing #ManufacturingNews #USSteel #FusionEnergy #Ford #Industry40 #Engineering #EnergyIndustry #Infrastructure #IndustrialNews

The Today in Manufacturing Podcast is brought to you by the editors of Manufacturing.net and Industrial Equipment News (IEN).

This week's episode is brought to you by Oracle NetSuite. As AI becomes increasingly embedded, the focus for business leaders is now shifting to, “How can we use it responsibly and profitably?”

Based on what other businesses have experienced with the new tools, we are starting to see what works and what doesn’t. This new business guide, "Practical AI Lessons and Strategies," discusses financial analysis applications of AI, including prompt engineering, presenting results with certainty, and securing confidential data.

Download the business guide now for lessons and strategies for using AI in finance analysis. Included is a practical roadmap to follow as your finance team scales AI usage.

https://www.manufacturing.net/formstack/practical_ai_lessons_and_strategies?utm_source=podcast

Every week, we cover the three biggest stories in manufacturing, and the implications they have on the industry moving forward. This week:

Strike to End at GM Supplier; Workers Win Significant Increases and Workers at GM Supplier Plant Ratify New Deal, Ending Strike

Workers could see a host of new benefits.

https://www.ien.com/operations/video/22968847/strike-to-end-at-gm-supplier-workers-win-significant-increases

https://www.ien.com/operations/news/22968986/workers-at-gm-supplier-plant-ratify-new-deal-ending-strike

JBS Shutting Down Multiple Plants, Eliminating Over 2,000 Jobs

The move comes amid a cattle supply squeeze.

https://www.ien.com/operations/video/22968956/jbs-shutting-down-multiple-plants-eliminating-over-2000-jobs

Ford Tearing Down One Engine Every Day After Record-Breaking Year of Recalls

The automaker recalled 12.9 million vehicles over 153 separate campaigns last year.

https://www.ien.com/operations/video/22969051/ford-tearing-down-one-engine-every-day-after-recordbreaking-year-of-recalls

In Case You Missed It

In a World's First, Researchers Turn Cow Poop Into Jet Fuel

Not to toot its own horn, but the company said its SAF costs a lot less to make.

https://www.ien.com/product-development/news/22968881/in-a-worlds-first-researchers-turn-cow-poop-into-jet-fuel

8 Killed in B-52 Bomber Crash in Southern California

The aircraft went down during a routine test mission.

https://www.manufacturing.net/aerospace/news/22969001/8-killed-in-b52-bomber-crash-in-southern-california

New Firm Emerges from Stealth; Using AI to Democratize Custom Chip Design and Birth 'Designless Semiconductor Industry'

One of the co-founders skipped high school to enroll in college at 15 and went to work on custom chips at Apple and Tesla.

https://www.ien.com/artificial-intelligence/news/22969153/architect-labs-emerges-from-stealth-using-ai-to-democratize-custom-chip-design-and-birth-designless-semiconductor-industry

#Manufacturing #ManufacturingNews #LaborStrike #GM #GeneralMotors #Ford #JBS #Layoffs #SupplyChain #FactoryJobs #QualityControl #AutomotiveManufacturing #Industry40 #ArtificialIntelligence #Semiconductors

Editor's note: Download and listen to the audio version below and click here to subscribe to the Today in Manufacturing podcast.

The Today in Manufacturing Podcast is brought to you by the editors of Manufacturing.net and Industrial Equipment News (IEN).

This week's episode is brought to you by Outsystems. AI has moved past the "experimentation" phase. Today, 96% of organizations are already using AI agents, but 94% of leaders admit that "AI sprawl" is creating massive security risks and technical debt.

The State of AI Development 2026 tells you how the world’s most successful companies are moving from simple chatbots to complex agentic systems without losing control of their governance or architecture.

Here's what you'll learn:

• The Maturity Benchmark: Where your organization stands compared to 1,900 global IT leaders in the transition to agentic AI.
• The Governance Gap: Why only 12% of enterprises have a centralized strategy and how to avoid the "fragmentation trap."
• Proven ROI: Real-world data on how leaders are achieving a 40% increase in productivity by embedding AI directly into the software lifecycle.
• The 2026 CIO Roadmap: A practical 6-step framework to scale AI safely, modernize legacy data, and maintain "human-in-the-loop" accountability.

Download "The State of AI Development 2026" right now.

Every week, we cover the three biggest stories in manufacturing, and the implications they have on the industry moving forward. This week:

- AI Biffs Design in RAM T-Shirt Gaffe

- 'Spud King' Fined for Illegal Potato Chip Factory

- Employees Injured After Boeing 787's Nose Landing Gear Collapses at Airport

In Case You Missed It

- Why the Brothers Bauman Moved Their Boutique Flyfishing Firm from California to Colorado

- Siemens Gets $6.9M to Boost Medical Device Cybersecurity

- Artificial Eyes Could Bring Human-like Sight to Self-driving Cars, Robots

Please make sure to like, subscribe and share the podcast. And to email the podcast, you can reach any of us at Jeff, Ben or David@ien.com, with “Email the Podcast” in the subject line. Subscribe to our daily and weekly newsletters.