Business Operations

There’s no better way to see innovation at work than to visit a manufacturing facility. There’s also no better way for manufacturing leaders to learn from one another. The Manufacturing Leadership Council’s plant tours are designed to give manufacturers unparalleled insight into each other’s innovations—and you won’t want to miss the next one.

The MLC’s plant tours have long been some of its most popular offerings. Back before COVID-19, these multiday events included a site visit, an executive roundtable discussion and ample time for networking and exchanging ideas. Now the events take place virtually, a change that has several advantages: more manufacturers can conveniently attend from their desks, and companies can showcase several facilities (and more innovation) in the same tour.

But most importantly, whether online or in person, an MLC plant tour offers a one-of-a-kind opportunity to connect and collaborate. The adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies can be dauntingly complex, and the best guides are those who have already done it.

Here’s just a taste of the innovations that participants get to see.

A whirlwind tour of IBM: This past April, participants took a virtual tour of IBM’s high-end storage facility in Vác, Hungary. They got to see how IBM uses automation, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, IoT technology and data visibility throughout its operations.

• Among the many innovations that IBM’s executives discussed on the tour were its acoustic insights products. The company trains AI models to recognize sounds that could indicate a potential machine failure so that it can be fixed preemptively—a technology it developed in house.

MxD x 2: Participants also attended two tours through MxD’s facilities earlier this year, each of which showcased a number of different innovations.

• Teaching old systems new tricks: On the first tour, visitors got a look at MxD’s Innovation Center in Chicago, a facility where manufacturers conduct experiments and demonstrations. They saw how MxD retrofits legacy equipment to keep up with the digital times—such as by outfitting a type of manual milling machine in use since the 1930s with digital sensors. The total cost of the upgrade? Less than $150.
• Cybersecurity in action: On a second trip through MxD’s Chicago facility, visitors saw the company’s cybersecurity demonstration areas. One of them included the excitingly named Cyber Wall, which helps manufacturers understand and guard against threats to their operational technology systems.

Sign up for Nexteer: You won’t want to miss the MLC’s upcoming tour of Nexteer Automotive, coming up on Aug. 11 (from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. EDT). Nexteer is a global leader in the steering and driveline business, serving such major customers as BMW, Ford, Toyota, GM and more.

This virtual trip will take you inside the company’s Saginaw, Michigan, facilities and show you how Nexteer uses data to manage and improve its processes and products. Sign up today!