Makingchips | Equipping Manufacturing Leaders

Today’s episode of Making Chips features a listener question. You can leave your question for Jim and Jason to answer by going to www.MakingChips.com to leave your question. They just might answer it on an upcoming podcast episode. Today’s question has to do with costing out a job. Is there a standard formula or way to price out jobs in light of workers who are manning more than one machine, etc.? Jim has years of experience in costing out jobs so he’s got a lot to share in this episode. But first, some thoughts about the Making Chips growth curve The Podcast has been going gangbusters. Jim and Jason are both amazed that there have been 13,00o downloads of the show that have happened since they first began. They're eager to put that influence to even more work for you as the show continues. So the guys first of all want to "thank you" for supporting the show and their work to inform, educate, and expand the manufacturing industry. The guys also want to let you in on a materials sourcing company they've been w

We introduced you to Patricia Miller of Matrix IV back in episode 26 and in today’s episode we’re going to do a deeper dive into the challenges and victories Patricia has faced as she’s taken over the reigns of her family’s ailing manufacturing company. The insights she shares as a former marketer from the biotech field, looking into the manufacturing industry for the first time, are very insightful and worth a listen.   As Patricia Miller took over the reigns of her grandfather’s failing company she realized that she had her work cut out for her. The company was stuck in the 70s and had to pivot quickly or else it would die. Patricia took immediate steps to do a handful of vital things - 4 in fact - that she highlights in this episode of Making Chips.   First on Patricia Miller’s list of advice for those in the manufacturing industry is the vital need to build community and connection within the industry. She did exactly that after taking over as leader of Matrix IV, going to conventions and local meetups, u

Marketing is an important part of any business. It’s got to be because it’s how you let people know who you are and what you do. That’s something that can never change. But the WAY you marketing has GOT to change. Why? Because the world we live in changes. People are repulsed or attracted by different things today than they were even a few years ago. Marketing has got to flex with the times.   In this episode of Making Chips, Jim Carr and Jason Zenger walk you through their personal mindset about marketing for the manufacturing industry, focusing on the top old-school marketing tactics that don’t work in the modern era. Some of them are seen as “staples” of good marketing but simply don’t yield results and wind up wasting money. Listen in to find out what they are.   A peek into this episode: Interruption marketing. Do you know what that is? Do you know why it’s probably the WORST way to get attention for your manufacturing business? And do you know if you’re doing it or not? If you didn’t know what it was in

That’s what Patricia Miller’s professional associates told her when she started investigating the possibility of taking over her family business after she’d already pursued and been successful at a career that included marketing, corporate leadership, and politics. Put yourself in her shoes and you’ll probably understand why they said what they did. She’d already experienced many perks that manufacturing leaders seldom do. Travel, posh offices, important connections - yet, she says her heart and her home pulled her back to take over her grandfather’s failing manufacturing business.   Welcome to Making Chips - THE podcast for manufacturing leaders and those involved in the manufacturing industry. Jim Carr and Jason Zenger bring you these shows week after week to help you keep on top of what’s happening in the manufacturing industry and to equip you to be the leader of your company as you desire to be.   Today the guys are talking with Patricia Miller in what is likely part one of a two part conversation. Patri

It’s a manufacturing renaissance   Where do you typically find the best employees for your manufacturing company? How do you go about finding them? As you’ll hear from Jim and Jason’s stories in this podcast episode, everyone gets into the business through a different path. But the guys believe there’s a huge reservoir of future manufacturing leaders in High School students.   Why High School students? Because they represent an untapped, teachable, ready-to-train class of workers who are in need of what the manufacturing industry has to offer. The shortage of qualified, motivated manufacturing workers illustrates how shop owners have to look outside the normal places to find workers who can not only get busy making chips, but can also become the manufacturing leaders of tomorrow. High School students might just fit that bill for you.   A manufacturing renaissance is happening here and now. It’s once again possible for a person working in the manufacturing industry to earn an income that can comfortably suppo

If you are a manufacturing leader and you are not on LinkedIn, you don’t exist. - Jim Carr   That’s how strongly Jim feels about the power of having a presence on LinkedIn. It’s not just for job-seekers, it’s for anyone who wants to engage in dialogue and exchange of information in a business niche. Manufacturing is one of those and you might be surprised at the amount of information flowing back and forth behind the scenes through the LinkedIn network.   In this episode, Jim and Jason are going to walk you through 6 reasons you need to be on LinkedIn if you are (or want to be) a leader in the manufacturing industry. Some of these may seem like common sense, but others will surprise you.   Don’t neglect the conversations that are already happening on LinkedIn. You never know when you’re going to have the opportunity to get involved in a conversation, provide an answer to a question from your area of expertise, and as a result become known as a leader in your niche of the industry. That puts you on the radar

If you don’t know how to calculate SFPM, you’re losing money!   Every now and then we like to go to square one to discuss some fundamental issues surrounding the work done in the average machine shop. This episode is one of those episodes. Jim and Jason are talking SFPM - Surface Feet Per Minute in this episode. If you don’t understand what SFPM is, or if you don’t know how to calculate it, you need to listen in to this episode.   Properly calculating SFPM is a fundamental machine shop skill that enables you to do a handful of very important things:   You’re able to optimize the work-flow of your shop. You do that by maximizing the rate at which you are making chips. This results in more money being made per minute. It also saves tools, materials, and time.   Every machinist, from novice to experienced must understand how to calculate Surface Feet Per Minute in order to do the very best job with every piece of material and with every tool. Without this knowledge they will wear out tools, destroy mat

  A corporate snapshot that has nothing to do with a camera!   Shop owners know what they do because they do it every day. But how do you communicate your areas of specialty and expertise in a concise, powerful way so that your prospective clients are able to get it right off? That’s what a corporate snapshot is for.   In this episode of Making Chips, Jim and Jason invite 3 guests into the study who specialize in helping businesses create their very own corporate snapshot. Their guests are Jule Poulos (a previous guest from episode 19 of Making Chips), Ray Ziganto (another previous guest - episode 18 of Making Chips), and Jon Baklund (yet another previous guest - Making Chips episode 21).   Here’s a brief summary of 4 important questions that a corporate snapshot should answer:   What we do as a company Who we are as a company Who we serve as a company Why we do what we do better   When you’re able to clearly and accurately define and express those 4 key issues about your company you unlock the powe

Today Jason and Jim are coming to you from Chicago, the “Windy City!” They are there because they’re chatting with Jon Baklund, a veteran tool and die maker who started in the manufacturing industry when he was 19. His father still works in the shop daily, and his wife works in the business as well - so it’s a true “family” business. His business, Baklund R & D is heavily involved in #d printing, which is a very intriguing new aspect of the manufacturing industry.   3D printing is a newer technology that is truly going to be a game-changer in the manufacturing industry. It’s one of those things that old-school folks may feel an urge to resist but our advice is to jump on board the train because it’s going to be moving out! Jon Baklund has one 3D printer in his shop, an environmentally controlled device that allows him to make virtually any shape part with any interior shape imaginable. He says you have to “think from the inside-out” when it comes to 3D printing, and we agree.   3D printing machines on the

This is a hot topic edition where Jim is asking Jason about vending systems for the machine shop. You may have the impression that vending machines are just for the huge companies that crank out bazillions of widgets every day. But is that true? You’re going to find out that and a ton more about machine shop vending systems in this episode of Making Chips.   There are many misconceptions about vending systems and much resistance to the idea that a small shop could actually benefit from using them, but Jason Zenger knows better. He’s been able to place systems in a variety of settings, from small to large shops and has seen the benefit in even the smallest settings.   The reason for that is simple: The cost for vending systems has dropped as the technology has increased, making the power of vending systems more affordable for the little guy. Vending systems also enable you to keep track of tool and supply usage, which in turn tells you which employees are using what items so that you can make more informed adj

In this episode, we interview Julie Poulos about the brand image of your manufacturing company and why strategy is most important.  Being “the best kept secret” should NOT be your goal.  Julie tells us why starting with a new website or a new logo is NOT the right first step. Marketing Steps: 1. Competitive Analysis 2. Interviews 3. Online Analytics 4. Influencer Identification (Defining Your Buyer Types) 5. Develop the Plan Jim and I want you to be equipped when you are having a discussion with a firm to help you with marketing or your e-Strategy. In our Manufacturing News segment, we discuss multiple articles that cite a slow down in business for the beginning of 2015. About MakingChips MakingChips is a weekly podcast that will equip leaders in the metalworking manufacturing industry with valuable content to utilize in their career and business. What makes MakingChips unique is the fact that we are in the trenches getting dirty, leading, managing, designing, solving problems and pushing productivity.  Makin

In this episode, we interview Ray Zaganto, who created a new concept called “The Hardware Store” for reaching his customers by being innovative, thinking outside the box and finding the Alpha Engineer. Your "first place" is your home.  Your ”second place" is the workplace.  The “third place” is another location that connects you into a community and facilitates creative interaction. A lot of companies do not have the resources to outfit a standalone location and create a third place, but as Ray said: “Make Your Shop a Destination.” In our Manufacturing News segment, we discuss an episode of the TV show, “The Good Wife” in relation to an episode about 3D printing. About MakingChips MakingChips is a weekly podcast that will equip leaders in the metalworking manufacturing industry with valuable content to utilize in their career and business. What makes MakingChips unique is the fact that we are in the trenches getting dirty, leading, managing, designing, solving problems and pushing productivity.  MakingChips i

In this episode, we interview Michael Magliano, an industrial real estate broker from Cushman & Wakefield, about strategies for buying, selling and leasing industrial real estate. In our Manufacturing News segment, we discuss an article that asks the question: “What Do Manufacturing Workers Want From Their Employer.”

In this episode, we interview Ray Ziganto, President of Bi-Link, a global manufacturing company about his take-aways from the Crain’s Manufacturing Summit. • How does a manufacturing company stay on the leading edge? • How do you re-think manufacturing education? • Start with small steps. Cary Wood, President, Chief Executive Officer, Board Member of Sparton, talks about how to train and relate to the new workforce generation and why his turnover is so low. Dr. David Boulay, President of the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMEC), discusses how public-private partnerships like IMEC support small and midsize manufacturing companies.  For more information on organizations like this, search for US Department of Commerce Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP). Dave Szczupak, Executive Vice President of Whirlpool, discusses the importance of local manufacturing companies to their supply chain and workforce development for the new generation.  Dave also tells us about the FIRST Robotics Competition for

What are the 3 most important actions that manufacturers can take now to improve their utilization of CAM software?  In this episode, we interview Matt Sump with ShopWare, one the top resellers of MasterCAM Software.  Jim answers the question: If you put 10 machinist in a shop and gave them a piece of material and a print, how many different ways will they produce that part? We discuss: • Latest trends in CAM software • How tool paths are calculated • Radial chip thinning • Most efficient amount of material removal • Surface feet per minute • Spindle speed • Utilizing a tooling database in CAM software • Machine utilization • Dynamic Machining versus High Speed Machining • Improving machining hydraulic manifolds using CAM software • Utilizing Dynamic Tool Paths • Automating existing processes with macros • Going beyond the basics by automating ! We briefly talk about the history of how MakingChips was started. !! In our Manufacturing News segment, we discuss an article declaring that US manufacturing is going

In this episode, Jim and I discuss how you can receive grant money to expand your manufacturing business.  We specifically discuss the Federal TAAF Grant that Jim was awarded, the process that he went through, the reimbursed expenses and how he coupled two programs together. Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms  MakingChips.com/TAAF In our Manufacturing News segment, we discuss an article in the LA Times that states manufacturing is slower to grow in California than any other state in the USA.  The main factor for slow growth in California is the cost of doing business in the state. We have 2 questions for you: 1. Have you been successful receiving grant money?  If so, please share your story in the comments for this episode. 2. Would you like us to share more information associated with grant money, so you can take advantage of this under-utilized resource?

Roberts Swiss, a 60 year old manufacturer of Precision Swiss Machined Parts. Fernando gives actionable advise to others who are not born into privilege and do not have a lot of resources, but desire to seek advancement starting from the ground floor. Fernando attributes his career success to: • Taking advantage of learning from every possible resource - including the people who stood in his way • Tackling large projects • Questioning the WHY behind business processes • Working hard and doing the right thing • Being the conduit of change • Realizing challenges as opportunities for growth • Bringing a culture of excellence • Grace In our Manufacturing News segment, we discuss an article that stated US Stocks started the year mixed because manufacturing growth stalled in December, which proves that manufacturing makes a huge difference to the US economy. #ManufacturingMatters

When should the owners of a business start succession planning? NOW! In our Manufacturing News segment, we discuss an article stating that slow manufacturing growth doesn’t matter to the economy.

Should you implement Robotics into your company? In this episode we interview Brian Panek from Panek Precision about robotics. We discuss the basics of robotics, how it has changed his manufacturing and the culture of his company. PanekPrecision.com LinkedIn.com/in/brianpanek Universal Robots In our Manufacturing News segment, we discuss that MakingChips has been featured on iTunes New & Noteworthy, which is a huge accomplishment. We would like to thank our listeners for their feedback and support.

Who is in your network? In this episode we discuss the power of networking and how to properly cultivate relationships in your industry. Join MakingChips at the 3rd Annual Crain’s Midwest Manufacturers Summit. Crain’s Manufacturing Summit 1. Networking is a long term process 2. Should you stalk them on LinkedIn? 3. When you think that it is time for the hard sell…wait. 4. Ask for an introduction. 5. Stay within a particular circle. 6. Don't forget follow up, but don’t hard sell. 7. Offer free advise. 8. Look for commonality. 9. Collect business cards. 10. Connect on LinkedIn. 11. Give before you expect to receive. In our Manufacturing News segment, we discuss Forbes 30 under 30 in Manufacturing. In our Metalworking Tools segment, we discuss Lenox Circtech Precision Circular Saw Blades. More manufacturing companies are replacing band saw applications with with machines that use cermet tipped circular saw blades.