Next-Gen Metal Fab Podcast: Rethinking the Future of Fabrication

Imagine this: every fabrication shop, no matter its size, equipped with its own AI-powered software developer, custom coding part production on the fly. It sounds futuristic, but that future is approaching fast.

These are exactly the kinds of bold, future-forward conversations happening on the Next-Gen Metal Fab podcast, part of the FMA Podcast Network. If you’ve ever asked, “How can we get more young people interested in manufacturing?” this podcast has the answers.

Hosted by Tim Heston, senior editor at The Fabricator, alongside Caleb Chamberlain of OSH Cut, Cody Lee of Everyday Technologies, and Lance Thrailkill of All Metals Fabricating, the show explores metal fabrication from a fresh, younger perspective, something that’s been sorely missing in an industry steeped in tradition.

Recent episodes dive into topics like:

How AI is shaking up fabrication shops of all sizes
Why automating the quoting and order release process is a game-changer
What it takes to lead a young, tech-savvy team in a traditionally older field

According to Heston, the podcast’s fastest-growing audience isn’t longtime veterans, but newcomers who are curious about the industry and what a career in fabrication looks like. Take Chamberlain, for example, the average age at his shop is in the 30s, a stark contrast to many others, where 50 is the norm. And Lee—whose family runs a construction business—has no previous fabrication experience, yet he’s helping reimagine how things get done.

“It’s a diverse set of young and progressive voices,” Heston says. “And that’s exactly what the industry needs right now.”

🎧 Ready to hear what the future of fabrication sounds like?
Check out Next-Gen Metal Fab and all of FMA’s podcasts. The voices shaping tomorrow’s workforce are already having the conversations today.