Justin Pritchard

Today in Manufacturing Podcast

Today in Manufacturing Podcast

Today in Manufacturing has a new podcast brought to you by the editors of Industrial Media. In each episode, we discuss the five biggest stories in manufacturing, and the implications they have on the industry moving forward.

In this Nov. 8, 2018 file photo The Camp Fire rages through Paradise, Calif. An Associated Press review shows widespread problems with the four “public safety power shutoffs” the utility started rolling out in 2018, a year before massive blackouts paralyzed much of California in recent months. Interviews and documents obtained under public records requests reveal persistent failures and broken promises that in some cases compromised public safety.

PG&E’s History with Blackouts Signaled Trouble

A review found widespread problems.

In this Oct. 31 2018 photo, George and Brenda Davis look at his nerve stimulator and medical documents at their home in Milton, Fla. George Davis had three Medtronic spinal-cord implants between 2003 and 2007 after a car accident mangled his back. They temporarily reduced some of his pain, but he said the non-rechargeable batteries that were supposed to last for years never did and he tired of multiple surgical removals. In 2015, he decided to try a Boston Scientific device. But he said he soon started feeling pain shooting down his back and legs and a burning sensation at the implant site. Brenda Davis said Boston Scientific disregarded her complaints after her husband suffered a life-threatening infection following implant surgery.

High Bar Set for Medical Device Lawsuits

They've set a precedent that has killed lawsuits involving some of the most sophisticated devices on the market.

In this Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2016, file photo, the Waymo driverless car is displayed during a Google event in San Francisco. California regulators have taken an important step to clear the road for everyday people to get self-driving cars. The state's Department of Motor Vehicles on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017, published proposed rules that would govern the technology within California, where manufacturers have been testing hundreds of prototypes on roads and highways.

New Rules Mean Self-Driving Cars Will Be Here Soon

The technology's long and windy road to market is getting shorter.

A Skycrane helicopter lowers a load of rocks to fill in a hole on the Oroville Dam's emergency spillway, Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017, in Oroville, Calif. The barrier, at the nation's tallest dam, is being repaired after authorities ordered mass evacuations for everyone living below the lake out of concerns the spillway could fail and send a 30-foot wall of water roaring downstream.

Cracks Offer Dam Clues

Six months ago, state inspectors said the concrete spillway was sound. What happened?

The water from the Feather River flows through Oroville, Calif., Monday, Feb. 13, 2017. Water levels at Lake Oroville, which feeds the river are continuing to drop, stopping water from spilling over the spillway. Thousands of Northern California residents were asked to evacuate their homes Sunday evening after authorities warned the emergency spillway of the Oroville Dam could fail at any time unleashing uncontrolled flood waters on towns below.

Dam Managers Dismissed Flood Concern

They warned against the very scenario that threatened to unfold over the weekend.

California regulators release safety reports filed by 11 companies that have been testing self-driving car prototypes on public roads on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017. The papers report the number of times in 2016 that human backup drivers took control from the cars' self-driving software, though companies argue such 'disengagements' don't always reflect something going wrong.

Self-Driving Cars Need Less Humans

Car prototypes are getting better at negotiating streets and highways without intervention.

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State Open to Cars that Lack Steering Wheel

It's not going to happen immediately — automakers and tech companies are still testing prototypes.

In this July 15, 2016, photo, a double decker tour bus drives by an Audi self driving vehicle parked on Pennsylvania Avenue, near the Capitol in Washington. The federal government should be in charge of regulating self-driving cars rather than states since the vehicles are essentially controlled by software, not people, Obama administration officials said Sept. 19 as they laid out the broad outlines of their plans to help get the transformational technology safely onto the nation’s roadways.

Feds Preview Self-Driving Car Rules

Federal officials have been struggling with how to capitalize on the technology's promised safety benefits while making sure they are ready for widespread use.

Uber Using Self-Driving Cars

Riders will be able to opt in if they want a self-driving car, and rides will be free to those willing to do it.

In this Sept. 29, 2015 file photo, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors Inc., introduces the Model X car at the company's headquarters in Fremont, Calif. A Tesla in Autopilot mode can drive itself but it's not a 'self-driving' vehicle, at least as far as safety regulators are concerned. So, instead of coming under heavy government scrutiny before being sold to the public, Tesla can mass-produce cars that automatically adjust speed with the flow of traffic, keep their lane and slam the brakes in an emergency.

Tesla's Autopilot Comes With Warnings

A Tesla in Autopilot mode can drive itself but it's not a "self-driving" vehicle.

This undated photo provided by the University of California, Los Angeles shows Bill Klug, a professor of mechanical engineering. Mainak Sarkar fatally shot Klug before taking his own life in a UCLA engineering building Wednesday, June 1, 2016, leading to a lockdown on the campus.

UCLA Gunman Targeted Engineering Mentor

The kindly professor whom the gunman blamed for his ruin had, in truth, quietly seen to his academic success.