A Look Back at 2025 Episodes

As digital manufacturing rapidly evolves, reflecting on key industry breakthroughs, technological shifts, and operational challenges helps precision manufacturers prepare for the year ahead.

In this special end-of-year episode, host Michael Thiessen takes listeners on a comprehensive journey through the critical topics covered throughout 2025. Michael reviews key insights from industry experts across workforce development, aerospace innovation, automotive supply chain recalibrations, practical artificial intelligence, and trade policy disruptions. Together, these highlights provide a valuable snapshot of how tool and die shops, CAD/CAM managers, and manufacturing executives navigated a transformative year while building resilient operations for 2026.

Whether you missed an episode or want to recap the biggest manufacturing strategies of 2025, this episode brings together the most actionable takeaways from the year.

In this episode: 
00:00 - Introduction & Celebrating 2025 Highlights 
03:15 - Workforce Development & Bridging the Manufacturing Skills Gap 
07:40 - Aerospace Trends & High-Precision Component Opportunities 
12:10 - Automotive Supply Chains: Navigating Tariffs & Trade Disruptions 
16:30 - Practical AI & Automation on the Shop Floor 
20:45 - Looking Ahead: What to Expect in Digital Manufacturing for 2026

Thanks for listening!

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Transcript

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Speaker - Voiceover 0:01

Welcome to the All Axis podcast from the Experts and Tebis. Each episode we'll talk about technology topics, trends, or solutions that manufacturers need to know in today's rapidly evolving times. Now, sit back, enjoy the discussion and let us know what you think.

Speaker - Michael Thiessen 0:20

Hello, my friends. Welcome to the All Axis Podcast. I am your host, Michael Thiessen. Today is a very special episode. Today is the episode where we say thanks, and that is thanks to all of you, listeners, first and foremost. But we want to say a very special thanks to all of the guests that we had on throughout the course of the year. Obviously, if you're listening to this one right now, we're finding ourselves at the end of 2025. And it's appropriate to do a little wrap-up episode of all the different touch points that we've had throughout the course of the year. Because there were quite a few. I want to really highlight some of the topics that we covered in that entire year. Hopefully, you've listened to all of the episodes throughout the course of the year. And then, of course, this wrap-up doesn't mean really anything to you, but hopefully you still enjoy the couple items that we have to add to each one of these episodes and each one of the topics that we covered throughout the year. So, I mean, we covered really the modern manufacturing as a whole, as you know this. We really covered the success of this, I don't know if you want to call it trifecta, but it's we looked at technology, we looked at talent, and of course we looked at the overall policy because you know, with government, when government gets involved, it gets all messy and it changes from day to day. And so we dug really into that, uh, into these three topics, you may call it. We also looked at AI because all of you guys want to know about artificial intelligence. How can it help me? How can it uh how can I improve my processes? And everybody jumps to this AI buzzword. Uh, we looked at the uh the next generation workforce, you hear that particular buzzword flying around as if this is some viral trend. But all it really is is how do we get our younger generation engaged and what do we need to do? So we looked into that, we looked at training grants and incentives, and we we tackled trades and policies. We were all over the map, really. We looked at and then also at the auto industry. If you work in the auto industry like most of you molders and dine makers uh do that listen to us, you know that the industry was up and down throughout the entire year. Mostly down, I should say. But uh but then also some of the mold makers and dime makers kind of said, you know what, we need to diversify. We need to look at other areas. So that's when the aerospace industry really came into play. And we looked a little bit into that to see what does that look like? How do companies get involved in all of this? And then, of course, how do we develop talent? So these were all the topics that we kind of covered throughout the course of the year. And I personally think it was an exceptional year that we had so many different topics that we were able to cover and that we brought to you. So let me let me recap. And we start with the not with the first one of 2025, but we're gonna cover the last one that just aired just recently. And uh, this was a very interesting episode with uh Terry Smzagala. He's the founder of the TGS Advisory, and that's where we looked into how does government interact with us? How can they help us utilize our voices and change policy so that it becomes more beneficial for us to operate? We looked at the global trade challenges, and we talked a little bit about that, about how the terrorists impact us as manufacturers and maybe some geopolitical tensions. We looked at some strategies from mitigating risks and how can we get through this? But all in all, he gave some really good advice of how we should or how you should maybe get with associations because they can have a bigger voice. But even you, as an individual company, can have a very large voice and have your issues be known to the various representatives of your government in order to benefit from this. There's so many grants out there, Terry also mentioned. I mean, grants for training, grants for equipment, grants for overall technology, because all this work, we want to get onshore again back in the US. And the government does help out. So do you need to kind of look into that to see what is available to you? And then we talked a little bit about building resilience and leveraging the uh forecasting of risks. Uh, we talked a little bit again about uh trade policy, but overall, I think it was a very, very interesting episode where we really try to look at governmental affairs and honestly, you know, we want to stay away from politics and all that kind of stuff and government. But in this particular episode, we felt it was important for you to know that uh government can help you and uh engage with uh with your policymakers to get further ahead. And the one before that, the episode, that one was called How AI is revolutionizing quality inspection and manufacturing. Now, that alone, that title alone, should have really enticed you to listen to this thing. And you probably did, because AI is such an interesting envelope of topics that we try to understand and get our head around it of how it all works and how we can apply it and the way how we're working today. And this is where we had Kevin Wang on from Unit X. Now, Kevin, very, very interesting individual, really had his focus set early on in life and looked into the mechanical engineering spectrum, but really listened to his mother and went down the line of mechanical engineering as well as his love for software and technology. And this is how he then utilized the items that he learned in during his college time about AI and sampling of data and how he can utilize this now in his inspection capabilities to automate that process even further. All of you guys use some kind of inspection technology for probing or anything like that. But this one takes it one step further. So we looked at the importance of automation, we talked about that, we talked about AI capabilities, we looked at how different cam systems are ready for AI and so and so forth. We looked at the different size manufacturers, and we looked at we talked a little bit about some of the skills gap and what is AI trying to do. Should we be really worried about all of this? And we looked a little bit, we talked a little bit about the younger talent uh that was out there. And of course, we looked at the future outlook. What does he think of where I is really going with this? So we looked at this AI-powered inspection system, how it can really help you utilize those kind of tools and uh in your manufacturing capabilities. Then we had a really fun episode. I mean, uh if you ask me, this one, this next episode was a ton of fun. These two individuals I knew for quite some time already. They're a staple on the internet, on technology, on manufacturing from MTDCNC. We talked to Tom Skubala over from the UK, and also from Tony Gunn, both of them from MTDCNC at the time. Tony has now moved on and does his own stuff with TDM Global and uh, I think it's worldwide machinist, I think he's doing is dealing with. But two very insightful individuals because they see a lot of things that are out there in either in the European theater or in the American theater or even Asian theaters that are happening with the industry as a whole. We talked about machinery, we looked at the global market outlook, how is it different between Europe and the US? And honestly, it's the same stuff all over the place. It's just a little bit different. We had a lot of fun talking about the different areas. Of course, there's a lot of jabbing going on. It probably gave you a smile just listening to it, and it gave me a smile, really. I don't see these guys uh with uh Tom and Tony uh all that often, but it was a ton of fun talking about them, but also talking about the technology and innovation. And then we touched on the subject about the workforce development and how this is being done in the different countries. And it's really insightful to hear what they have to say about the different workforces, how they're really geared up in the different countries and dealing with the uh young experts that are coming up through the chain. And what we have to do over here in the US potentially in order to uh to bring that talent up. There's a lot of colleges and a lot of high schools already that are focusing on the machining side again, and we're welcoming that uh overall. We talked about these things. We talked about the regulatory pressures and opportunities for innovations. And overall, we talked about the manufacturing resilience and looked a little bit into the future, looked at that crystal ball that we that we call it up so often to see what's going on. And of course, we had to touch on the electrification of EVs, meat aircrafts, and all of that. Before that, I had joined, just recently before then this next episode, I joined the AMBA at a conference, and this is where Michael Michael Fuse, he's an economic expert from ITR Economics, came on stage and talked about the tariffs and uh and really cut through all the noise and the negativity that went on at the time, and probably still is, about our economy and the tariffs and how bad or good or wherever you stand on this topic of tariffs. And it was, and he really shined a light on this on these doom and gloom headlines so that we can make better decisions in the in our manufacturing environment. So it was really the reality versus the headlines arguments that uh we talked a little bit during that episode. Uh, we talked about the economic indicators of where we think the economy is going in terms of manufacturing, um, and also how it can help you make best decisions on when to purchase potentially machinery or uh industry goods that help you going forward. We talked about the uncertainty as well as we give really practical advice to all of you, all of the manufacturers that listen to us, tips on budgeting. We talked about capital investment timing and the workforce planning. It really was an incredible, insightful episode that we covered with Michael. Hopefully, you listened to that because the tips and tricks that he gave are just uh incredibly helpful. Then I had the pleasure of dealing with four of my good friends. We talked about aerospace uh on a global scale. Uh, and I had the benefit of knowing individuals that are dealing with the aerospace business in Portugal, France, and Italy, in the UK, and of course us over here in the US. And I talked to all my friends from Tebis. And uh so we talked to Pedro Nunes from Tebis Portugal, Guillaume Bansard from Tebis France, Giancarlo Grinza from Tebis Italy, and of course our good friend Paul Scally from Tebis UK about the different trends and challenges in the aerospace, how important that industry is for them in their own respective countries. What were some of the troubles or some of the issues that they were running into? And we looked at the technology innovation that really highlights this particular industry. This industry looks at automation, they're looking at this digital twins, and they're looking at really advanced cam solutions because the material that they're dealing with are just so expensive. And making a mistake is not an option. So we talked about that, we talked about the workforce development, and I think you can already see a theme. We talked a lot about labor issues all across on all the episodes, and this one was no different. And we looked at the future opportunities in the different markets and technologies. If that's uh the additive manufacturing, we talked a little bit about that, as well as strategic investments and long-term success in the aerospace industry. So it was a great roundtable discussion where we really focused on key trends and we looked at challenges within the aerospace, as well as, of course, the regular manufacturing industries across all the different countries. And then we stayed, actually, before we did that episode, we stayed on this topic of aerospace. And we hyped my we had Mike Stengel. Uh, he's the partner of the Aerodynamic Advisory Board. And uh he really knows his stuff when it comes to the aerospace industry. We took a deep dive into that industry, especially looking at the North American sector and looking at the current state as well as the future outlook. Of course, we have we always talk about the post-pandemic recovery. And this was no difference. We looked at that and looked at the commercial aviation of how that industry is rebounding and coming back with a vengeance. Uh, we looked at the uh increase of the narrow body aircraft, we talked about the supply chain challenges, and we know this darn well. Boeing and all the other aerospace companies that we have here in the US. If they bring out a brand new aircraft to be produced, there's not enough manufacturing or spindles here in the US alone to capitalize on all the work that is there. They have orders for years and years and years to come already in the books for aircrafts that have to be manufactured, and they don't have enough suppliers. So we talked about that, how important that is for our US operations, but then also we talked a little bit about the European or the worldly situations and how also they will be brought up with more and more aerospace needs and we and all that. Of course, like in all the other episodes, we talked about skilled labor because that is a problem. And um, he gave us some good advice on this, and then we looked at uh what does the aerospace industry go? Before that, we talked about the U.S. auto industry. At the very beginning of the year, we talked to Joe McCabe of AFS or Auto Forecast Solutions, and he probably will be on again uh next year because really automotive is in our blood. I mean, we're in Detroit. Come on. If the automotive is not in your blood, if you don't like cars, then I don't know. Uh, we talked about this changing landscape about EVs and ICE vehicles. Where's this going? What are the automakers doing? Are they putting a pause on? And by now you see some of the changes happening with the auto manufacturers, where they're veering away a little bit from the strict EV, more into the hybrids or the ice again. Uh, we talked about the supply chain again, talked about different technologies and automation, digital twins also in the automotive, very, very important. And of course, we talked about the skills gap with him as well and getting his insight on us. But overall, it was more or less giving you a vision of what this year will bring. And I think he delivered and he was right on target with all of his voodooery, I would call it. I don't even think that's that's a word. But uh yeah, I just get the look. No, it's not a word. But um he had the foreshadowing essentially of what was going to happen this year. Then, actually, the very first episode that we covered, so we talked about the next gen workforce. We had two individuals on from the Oakland Technical Campuses or Oakland schools here in our neighborhood, David Wyatt and Paul Galbenski were on, and we had a very good discussion with them of how they are enabling the youngsters, the young individuals, to find a trade or to assist them in their vision of a trade and give them the right tools to be successful. I mean, as you all know, trades are incredibly important for us in the manufacturing field because there's so much work to be done out there. And if every kid wants to go to college and wants to be a manager sitting behind a desk or wants to be a sales guy just like me, then they're not going to get any work done. We need plumbers, we let electricians, we need welders, we need auto-repair people and all that kind of stuff, and machinists. And these two individuals are doing an incredible job with a job with our youngsters and giving them the tools, the right tools to be successful. Right from high school on, and they're getting their hands dirty and they're uh making stuff and they're learning about our workforce. And these two individuals are enabling these young teenagers to get really involved in our manufacturing world. So I think that's an incredible task for these two individuals, and I really congratulate them for doing such a great job with our youngsters and also within our industry. So I think you see, you saw that we touched a whole lot of topics throughout the entire course of the year. We looked at labor force, we looked at tariffs, we looked at uh technology, we looked at the different industries with automotive and aerospace. We looked at all of those and trying to give you as many tools and as many tips that can potentially help you to be a better company and make more money, be more successful, and uh be just a great, great company and a great supplier for our automotive and aerospace industries. And uh we really truly hope that all of the episodes that we put out this year you liked and you found valuable. But all in all, I want to give thanks to all of you that that listened, that uh came back episode after episode. I've talked to some of you guys that came up to me at various conferences and you said, hey, I listened to you. Um, or it was my first time listening to you, it was rather interesting. But all in all, I want to thank all of you guys for tuning in to this podcast. You guys make this happen. Uh, if there would be no downloads, then we would have a very easy uh decision to make, and that is to stop it. But uh we have seen a lot of downloads from all of you, so thank you, thank you, thank you for doing this. We again hope you find the discussions that we have with the uh with the wizards and the technology experts and all of that uh insightful and valuable. Of course, today's episode was special, um, just recapping on what's going on. But if you like these episodes that we have put out, make sure that you don't forget to subscribe on Spotify or Apple Music or wherever you get your podcasts. Um, make sure that you click it, the All Axis Podcast, so that you never miss those. Feel free to share the episode within your network and friends. Leave us a review. We'd love to hear your feedback. Actually, I need to do a call out to Terry Szmagala as as well as to uh Kevin Wang. Uh, they actually did that exact item. They contacted us and said, He really, I really like listening to your podcast. Can I be on your podcast? I have this inside X, Y, and Z. If you want to be on the podcast, let us know. We'd love to have you if you uh if you can help our manufacturers excel in what you do. Leave us your feedback. For more updates, follow us on Instagram, on X, on LinkedIn, click it and uh follow us. And uh, all what I have left to say is thank you. Have a wonderful end of the year, wonderful Christmas time, a wonderful New Year's time. Make sure that uh you keep these machines running, you keep these youngsters tooled up. And uh I'm really looking forward to the next year, and where we're touching on a lot more subjects. I can already tell you there's already one being planned, actually, two being planned, but one is gonna be recorded here very soon, and you probably will see this at the beginning of the year. And this is where we're talking uh to two young ladies in the engineering field, and we really want to touch on subjects on why did they choose this engineering field or this manufacturing field, what enticed them to be in it? Because we're all about diversification, because there's a yet a lot of young ladies out there that love to build stuff that get satisfaction from having their finished part in their hands, and really that feeling uh is is priceless. And so we're talking to two young ladies out of the industry about what makes made them join this particular workforce. And uh, well, all that I have to say is thank you until next time and keep shaping the future of manufacturing. Talk to you soon. See you next year. Bye-bye.

Speaker - Voiceover 23:11

Thank you for joining this episode of All Axis. Please leave a comment or review with your feedback or what you'd like to hear in future episodes. To learn more about manufacturing technology solutions and Tebis's capabilities, visit our website at Tebis. That's T E B I S dot com.