Snacks: check. Ultimate playlist: got it. Pit Vipers: on. It’s finally time for the long-awaited Season 4 of “Road Trippin’ with Steve,” powered by SMW Autoblok (IMTS booth #431617).
For those who haven’t been following us since Season 1 (gasp!), we’ve delved into the history of manufacturing in the Northeast, explored the advent of additive manufacturing in the South, and tooled around Detroit to discover the best of Motor City’s exciting “automative” future. And as the great Willie Nelson crooned, we’re ready to get back on the road again.
Put It in Gear
Season 4 of “Road Trippin’ with Steve” is all about the power of partnerships in manufacturing. In the first episode, the crew and I explored the U.S. headquarters of SMW Autoblok, a company that, by all accounts, is a chuckmaking icon. Larry Robbins, the president and CEO of SMW Autoblok, took us on an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of their manufacturing facility in Wheeling, Illinois.
At SMW Autoblok, we saw lathe chucks, stationary chucks, three-jaw chucks, four-jaw chucks, vises, zero-point systems, automation and mechatronic workholding systems and sensors, end-of-arm tooling, and a myriad of other workholding and automation products – all of them built to exacting standards. Most importantly, we got a firsthand account of SMW Autoblok’s inclusive approach to business. Larry emphasized the importance of seeing other manufacturing companies as partners, not competition.
Shifting Into Overdrive
In our second episode, Larry took the “Road Trippin’” crew to visit his friends and partners at Mazak (IMTS booth #338300) in nearby Florence, Kentucky.
Mazak is an undisputed powerhouse in machining solutions. The company offers a comprehensive range of vertical and horizontal machining centers and turning centers as well as more advanced machine tools – including my favorite machine, the Integrex i Neo, a multitasking platform that consolidates production processes.
After gawking at awesome machines, we learned about the essential partnership between Mazak and SMW Autoblok. The union of these two industry giants gives customers access to powerful machines and top-notch workholding in a single machine cell.
Keeping It Going
The celebration of partnerships continued in our third episode, which took us to the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) in Greenville, South Carolina. This world-class facility is a national model for how industry and academia can work together.
CU-ICAR is powered by partnerships. More than 67% of its research is industry-sponsored. We saw firsthand how tech and equipment partners like Okuma (IMTS booth #338500), JTEKT (IMTS booth #338700), Renishaw (IMTS booth #134314), and SMW Autoblok work alongside automakers – including BMW, which builds its SUVs in South Carolina. CU-ICAR even has an engine dyno – because of course they do.
Europe Bound
And just when you think we’ve covered every mile of American manufacturing, we’re shifting into high gear and crossing the Atlantic. Powered by SMW Autoblok, Season 5 takes “Road Trippin’ with Steve” to Europe, where centuries of craftsmanship meet cutting-edge innovation. New roads, legendary shops, and global partnerships await. Passport ready, wrenches packed. Let’s ride.
Watch Season 4 of “Road Trippin’ with Steve” at IMTS.com/RTWSS4, and catch the first three seasons at IMTS.com/RTWS.
To read the rest of the State of Additive Issue of MT Magazine, click here.
