Ep. 81: Teaching Engineers to Talk with Al Whatmough

Ep. 81: Teaching Engineers to Talk with Al Whatmough

From The Lone Machinists by Jamie Peacock & Curt Van Filipowski (Feat. Jon Dillehay)

July 15, 2026 · 1h 29m · Season 1 · Episode 81

About this episode

The episode features a discussion with Al Whatmough about the importance of communication in engineering and the evolution of CAD and CAM technologies.

This week on the Lone Machinist Podcast, Jamie and Curt are joined by Al Whatmough, whose career has taken him from apprentice machinist to educator, software leader, and one of the driving forces behind modern CAM. It's a conversation that's less about software and more about how great ideas actually happen. Al shares the journey from teaching machining and CAD classes to helping grow Autodesk's CAM products from a niche offering into a platform used by hundreds of thousands of machinists around the world. Along the way, he explains why teaching turned out to be the most valuable skill he ever learned—and why being able to communicate ideas is often more important than having the right answer. The discussion dives into apprenticeships, learning from the quiet machinists who never stop making chips, and why engineers have a habit of disappearing into problem-solving mode when sometimes the fastest solution is simply asking someone a question. As Al puts it, innovation happens at the speed of communication. The conversation also explores the evolution of CAD and CAM, breaking down why connecting previously separate workflows changed manufacturing forever, and how AI is beginning…

People in this episode

Hosts: Jamie Peacock, Curt Van Filipowski

Guest: Al Whatmough

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Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Autodesk

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