As technology continues to set the pace of change, manufacturing systems and teams must demonstrate increased agility with the application of production intelligence. Leonel Leal, director of global advanced manufacturing engineering for Whirlpool Corp., will address these pressing topics during his keynote address, “Manufacturing Innovation Through Transformation,” at this year’s ASSEMBLY Show. The 8th annual trade show and conference, which was recently named to the list of Top 250 US Trade Shows from Trade Show News Network (TSNN), is scheduled for October 27-29, 2020, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL. The keynote presentation will take place on Wednesday, October 28, 2020 at 9:00 a.m.
“We look forward to hearing from Leonel on how manufacturers can thrive as we enter the next phase of the 21st century, and how manufacturers can create a future where process design and product design work concurrently,” said John Sprovieri, editor-in-chief of ASSEMBLY. “Leonel leads an industrial digital transformation team at Whirlpool tasked with delivering breakthrough manufacturing capability through concurrent engineering and application of agile technology. He will share insight from his vast experience as director of advanced manufacturing engineering at electric vehicle startup Faraday Future and his engineering roles at Tesla, Toyota and VF Corp.” At Whirlpool, Leonel leads the global strategy for digital transformation to enable the next level of production capabilities, along with global application of concurrent engineering methodology.
At Whirlpool, Leonel's team is in charge of creating new manufacturing systems to deliver winning products for consumers. Through digital transformation, Whirlpool's advanced manufacturing team has been able to establish foundational technologies, build production intelligence, and help deliver new products for a digital world. Leonel's leadership in concurrent engineering has allowed the company’s product and manufacturing teams to collaborate and introduce breakthrough connected products, at reduced cost, with radical lead-time reduction.
Prior to Whirlpool, Leonel worked extensively at electric vehicle startups, reducing manufacturing lead times and implementing digital product design. During stints at Tesla and Faraday Future, Leonel created the methodology, advanced process, and concurrent design to develop the Tesla Model-S and FF91 from initial concept through production-ready execution. Leonel began his career at Toyota developing a foundation in lean manufacturing, design thinking methodology, and operational excellence. Leonel has a B.S. in engineering and product design from Stanford University.
The 8th Annual ASSEMBLY Show will bring together thousands of industry professionals with hundreds of exhibiting companies providing manufacturing engineers and managers the opportunity to uncover new resources, experience equipment hands-on, evaluate the latest technologies and products and connect face-to-face with industry experts. Attendees will have access to an expansive exhibit hall, giving attendees the perfect opportunity to meet with exhibitors including Gold Sponsor PROMESS; Silver Sponsors ASG, SCHUNK and Universal Robots; and Bronze Sponsors Orbitform, and Schmidt Technology. For more information, visit www.theassemblyshow.com.
The exhibit hall will be open on Tuesday, October 27 from 4:00 – 7:00 pm; Wednesday, October 28 from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm and Thursday, October 29 from 9:00 am – 2:00 pm. For information about exhibiting or sponsorships, click here to contact the ASSEMBLY Show sales staff. Attendees can register by June 30 using code AMZN and be entered in a drawing to win one of five $100 Amazon gift cards, which can be redeemed at the Show in October. Registration is open, click here for more information.
The ASSEMBLY Show is sponsored by ASSEMBLY (www.assemblymag.com), a monthly trade magazine read by 56,000 engineers and managers responsible for manufacturing and designing cars, computers, catheters, coffee makers, etc. ASSEMBLY covers the processes, technologies, and strategies for joining discrete parts into finished products. The event is produced by BNP Media (www.bnpmedia.com), one of the country's leading business-to-business media companies serving professionals across 50+ industries.
