When the topic of favorite things came up, the manufacturing gurus at the “Tom and Lonnie Chat” never mentioned raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens (both admittedly great). The group, however, had plenty of favorite industry innovations and inspirations to kick off the holiday season. Here are a few of their favorite things: An advanced manufacturing program for high school students – Dr. Kyle Saleeby, a research staff member at Georgia Tech, has been inspired by his work on the Advanced Manufacturing Pathways program, which helps high schools integrate advanced manufacturing into their curriculum. In an effort to address chronic workforce development issues, the program is shipping 3D printers and CNC machines to six different schools, with some scheduled for delivery by Christmas. The program will provide students with hands-on experience in creating parts using 3D printers and CNC machines. The resulting parts will be used to construct small race cars for competitions. Metal Additive Printer and Its Output – As a research fellow at Sandia National Laboratories, Dr. Lonnie Love has the opportunity to work on advanced projects utilizing cutting-edge technology. His current favorite is the Velo additive system, which the lab is using to create a revolutionary vehicle. This vehicle will be unveiled on the National Mall on July 4, 2026, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. “Years ago, I thought that powder bed 3D printing was dead. I thought it would be too slow, but these machines are unbelievably fast. They have eight lasers, and each is one kilowatt. It is wicked cool,” Love explains. IMTS 2026 – A list of favorite things in manufacturing would never be complete without a mention of IMTS. Dr. Tom Kurfess, chief manufacturing officer at Georgia Tech, notes that IMTS is always one of his favorite events. He is already planning for IMTS 2026 in Chicago, September 14-19, 2026. In addition to the exciting technological advances featured on the more than 1.2 million square feet of show floor, Kurfess also looks forward to learning more about advancements in automation and AI in real time at IMTS. AI Advancements – AI is everywhere, and manufacturing is no exception. One of my favorite things is how AI is driving efficiencies in manufacturing. We see AI being integrated into all facets of manufacturing and will be featured in booths and presentations throughout IMTS 2026. With nearly limitless potential, AI can be used to solve both workforce and profitability challenges in manufacturing.Kurfess agrees, explaining that AI applications will impact everything from high-level engineering to daily shop floor decisions. “Too many people think of AI as these super high-end applications, but AI is also going to prevent small mistakes that have a big impact,” he says. “I’ve crashed a few machines in my lifetime, and typically it is because I’ve swapped a number or made another dumb mistake. AI can help us avoid such errors. We are now seeing some stalwarts in the manufacturing industry incorporating AI-enabled error prevention capabilities.” There is no denying that avoiding costly mistakes is on everyone’s list of favorite things. View the full episode on demand. Register for IMTS 2026, Sept. 14-19, Chicago, and look for the experts from the Tom and Lonnie Chat on the IMTS+ Main Stage.
From inspiring workforce development projects to advancements in AI and additive manufacturing, the special holiday episode of the “Tom and Lonnie Chat” focuses on the favorite things of our favorite manufacturing podcasters.
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