Automation World Gets Your Questions Answered

In this episode we connect with Alex Greenberg, director of robotics 4.0 simulation at Siemens Digital Industries Software, to learn how immersive virtual reality, photorealistic simulations and AI are accelerating robot deployment assessments and manufacturing cell design.

In this episode, we connect with Dusty Alexander, CEO of Global Shop Solutions to explain ERP’s role in the digitization of manufacturing production, how it enables real-time production management, and how small to mid-sized manufacturers can justify the use of ERP for their business.

In this episode we connect with Critical Manufacturing's CEO Francisco Almada Lobo to understand how MES and industrial data platforms enable legacy equipment connectivity to drive real-time analytics, proactive maintenance and operational excellence.

Andrew Harris with system integrator ACS explains how cybersecurity fits in with equipment safety as part of a risk assessment, and the use of digital twin tech and safety PLCs as part of the safety risk assessment process.

Kevin McClusky, chief technology architect at Inductive Automation, explains why and how IT technologies such as containers, DevOps, application management and MQTT are impacting industrial operations technologies.

Tim Gaus, smart manufacturing business leader at Deloitte Consulting, explains agentic AI and how it differs from AI data analytics and AI chatbots, how manufacturers can use AI agents and where they will likely have the most impact in industry.

We connect with Ken Crawford, senior director of automation at Weidmuller, to explore the differences between open control systems and proprietary control systems, the security and reliability of open control technologies, and the process of adopting open systems for manufacturers who are using either proprietary control system technologies or those that are part of a vendor/partner ecosystem.

We connect with Brett Finley, CEO of PLZ Corp., to get first-hand insights into PLZ’s digital transformation efforts that range from the plant floor to the enterprise and into the company's supply chain operations.

Evan Novakowski with system integrator Actemium Avanceon explains the primary factors that influence how data polling over Ethernet impacts PLC cycle time, if specific Ethernet protocols are more efficient for PLC data polling, strategies to optimize PLC cycle time and more.

Lisa Masciantonio, chief workforce officer at the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Institute, shares her insights into how robotics and AI have changed the U.S. manufacturing landscape in the past decade, as well as the key workforce challenges manufacturers face as they implement robotics and/or AI.

As the manufacturing industries advance, and control technologies are increasingly built to withstand harsh industrial environments for direct placement on or nearby production operations, are enclosures still as vital to automation today as they’ve been in the past? Check out these insights from Jody Kinney at AutomationDirect.

This episode features input from several industrial technology experts about the automation technologies they expect to be of primary interest to manufacturers this year. From AI, robots and sustainability to preventative maintenance, inventory and workforce training, find out what industry experts from Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing, Cognizant, Fluke Reliability, Glassdome, Honeywell and Sno...

In this episode, we connect with Robert Schoenberger, editor-in-chief at Industry Week, to get his insights on manufacturing business issues most likely to affect automation purchasing and implementation decisions this year.

Do you know the machine safety basics to keep workers safe and machinery operating at its peak? In this episode, we feature insights from Joe Carson, president and founder of system integrator Pacific Blue Engineering, to get you up to speed with the best practices for implementing machine safety protocols.

Referencing decisions made around IT and OT convergence at Entegris in 2008, we look at how those decisions helped the company scale its operations technology across multiple plants and support the company's growth from $550 million in 2008 to $3.5 billion in 2023, starting with HMI software on three machines and growing to 200 machines and 90,000 tags.

Clearing up some of the confusion about different artificial intelligence technologies—specifically generative AI and AI for data analytics—and how they’re being applied in the manufacturing industries as well as to the development of industrial automation technologies.

We connect with Karthee Madasamay of MFV partners, a deep tech VC firm that was an early investor in Agility Robotics (one of the largest manufacturers of humanoid robots), to learn more about the current capabilities of humanoids, their cost and maintenance requirements, and how far off we are from seeing humanoids become more commonplace in manufacturing environments.

In this episode we’ll be looking at a recent report from A3 that indicates a significant drop in robot orders in the first half of 2024 and what that may mean for manufacturers considering near-term robot purchases and implementations.

In this episode we connect with G Brooks-Zak of Outlier Automation to get insights on software-defined automation and how it can impact manufacturing, including what it means for IT/OT convergence, specific application benefits such as with predictive maintenance and AI, its current use in industry and cybersecurity.

Now that Power over Ethernet (PoE) systems can deliver up to 90W of power per port, which is enough to operate the most power-hungry IoT sensors, devices and controllers, it makes sense to get up to speed on PoE technology and how it can be used on your network.

Get insights on the issues associated with integrating edge computing into a legacy manufacturing environment, as well as how edge computing aids predictive maintenance, manufacturing operations resiliency and cybersecurity. Our guest for this podcast is Steve Mustard, former executive board member and president of the International Society of Automation and current president and CEO of National A...

Production monitors provide real-time data visibility, enabling operators and managers to track and improve performance, identify issues and make informed decisions quickly to enhance manufacturing efficiency, reduce downtime and improve productivity.

Repositionable motors are designed for precise and variable motion control applications and differ from fixed-position motors in that they can easily adapt to different tasks or product configurations without the need for extensive mechanical adjustments. Their ability to quickly adapt to new settings helps drive manufacturing efficiency, reduce downtime and support mass customization. We connecte...

Learn about the main factors behind the difference in cost between industrial power supplies, what the Power Boost feature is, the value of a power supply's environmental ratings and certifications, the life expectancy of industrial power supplies and the relevance of their IIoT capabilities.

In this podcast, we talk with Tim Long, global head of manufacturing at Snowflake,  to understand what the company's data cloud services offer to the manufacturing industries, especially considering the wide use of cloud services from Amazon, Microsoft and Google, as well as those from automation technology suppliers. We also discuss the use of Snowflake by well-known manufacturers such as 3M, Sub...