What are the best ways to stay current with manufacturing methods and tools?

Some best ways to keep up-to-date with current manufacturing methods and tools 1. Continuous Learning: Engage in ongoing education through workshops, webinars, and industry conferences to learn about the latest trends and technologies. 2. Professional Networking: Join professional organizations and online forums where peers share insights and experiences with new manufacturing methods and tools. 3. Industry Publications: Subscribe to trade journals and magazines that cover the latest developments in manufacturing technology. 4. Research and Development (R&D): Invest in R&D to explore new manufacturing technologies and methods that could be applied to your operations. 5. Technology Adoption: Be proactive in adopting Industry 4.0 technologies

To stay current with manufacturing methods and tools, regularly engage in industry publications, attend conferences, and participate in webinars. Join professional associations and online forums to connect with peers, share insights, and access the latest trends. Enroll in relevant courses or certifications to acquire new skills. Foster relationships with suppliers and stay informed about emerging technologies. Embrace continuous learning, leverage online resources, and follow key influencers in the field to stay abreast of advancements and best practices in manufacturing.

In the dynamic field of manufacturing, professionals must prioritize continuous education through courses and workshops covering the latest tools, technologies, and methodologies. Attending industry conferences, joining relevant forums, and engaging in hands-on training ensure a technical mastery of emerging manufacturing methods. Regularly monitoring scholarly publications and participating in webinars further contribute to staying abreast of technological advancements in the field.

I have found that trade shows are one of the most powerful networking events you can leverage in keeping your finger on the pulse of changes in the industry. Some of the most critical ones that are cross-industry are the various CIMdata events including the annual CIMdata PLM Roadmap and Eurostep PDT Conference where the content is specifically selected for exploring trends and technology. Similarly, to follow trends in standards, the US GPDIS Conference and the European iVIP conference are where standards are discussed and written and therefore provide the best place to see the dynamics of integration that are so critical to successful implementations. Finally, each PLM vendor has their own shows where you can deep dive on their solutions.

To add to Michael Finochhiaro's post, there were also yearly, semi-yearly events hosted by Management Roundtable and also Kalthoff International that had a myriad of vendors and presentation/sessions that discussed what should be and showed was is possible in the industry. It clearly enabled the ability to sit down with experts that one (in the 90s and early 2000s) could never find a means to do this in person, unlike the ability today when one can Zoom or Teams meet over a virtual mtg session. To speak of today's technology (post-COVID) one can register for a vast amount of business, vendor, and technology session (events) with the click of a mouse, never having to book a flight or hotel room. Low touch, low cost, high value. AR is next?

There are fortunately a lot of PLM veterans that publish on LinkedIn who will give you far better and relevant information than the ones listed to the left here. Oleg Shilovetsky's OpenBOM/BeyondPLM posts are excellent, Jim Brown and Julie Fraser at Tech-Clarity, the Gartner, Forrester, and IDC posts about PLM, Stan P's posts on CIMdata: these are just a few examples of my favorite talking heads because I feel that the most balanced view comes from Industry Analysts. Other consultants like my friends Jos Voskuil, Lionel Grealou, Rob Ferrone, Mike Kilal of CanvasGFX and the folks at SharePLM also provide valuable information that is education and entertaining to read.

Active involvement with professional bodies such as the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) or the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) offers resources and networking opportunities to stay updated. Keeping an eye on new patent filings and technical papers can reveal emerging trends and innovations in manufacturing. In my practice, regularly reviewing publications in the USPTO database and IEEE journals has been insightful. Regularly attend trade shows and industry exhibitions. These events are crucial for firsthand experience of the latest tools and technologies. I've found attending events like the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) extremely beneficial.

No one can stay up to date on every new tool/technology/approach because there is just too much noise in our day to day lives. 1.Dedicate a certain period of time to "learning" daily or weekly. 2.Focus on what's contextually relevant or that peaks your curiosity. (ex. "AI" in manufacturing) 3. You are educating yourself. Apply a broad brush to questions you want to have answered and sources of information. - ex. where does AI fit in my segment of manufacturing. Choose paths to dig deeper 4. With the foundation in place select communities where you can engage with peers/practitioners/enthusiasts/collaborators and become an active participant in discussions, industry groups, standards bodies.

The question "What are the best ways to stay current with manufacturing methods and tools?" should be reworded to "What manufacturing methods and tools do I need to stay current?" The point is that just "staying current" with methods and tools may not move the needle in your company or your career unless you are a researcher of methods and tools. So I'll answer the reworded question emphasizing that the company must stay current. - embrace standards such as SOC2, ITAR, ISO, CM2 - continuously train people so all stay compliant - adopt cloud-native SaaS best-in-class tools/systems - define a multi-year digital transformation roadmap to move data/systems from on-prem to cloud - engage credible SIs (systems integrators) to execute the roadmap.