EECO Asks Why Podcast

In this recap episode we look back at the heroes and ideas that made season 2 memorable.  Several miniseries were released with the highlight being the first Women in Engineering series. Every hero has a unique and impactful journey that we hope inspires others to pursue their passions.  The ideas shared were epic and spoke to how industry is evolving and how many of these ideas will lead innovati...

To simplify Industry 4.0 Brandon Mendoza defines it as: Combining smart connected systems with advanced analytics to enable data driven decisions.  Knowing that definition the question remains on how to prioritize technology to truly make an impact in industry.  Brandon addresses this head on and reviews how the speed of changing technology is impacting decisions and causing headwinds in knowing h...

Polo Paredes shares his unique and inspiring journey thru his career.  He spent time teaching technology and opens up about how he made the transition to Rockwell Automation.  Polo wrote out his dreams and constantly found ways to make those dreams a reality. His perspective on leadership and wisdom paints a clear picture of how you can personally impact those around you.  Trust is a key attribute...

When it comes to electrical equipment ANSI and UL ratings are important to understand. In this episode Jonathan Fuller walks thru the important areas to know in each and how to ensure you are making the best decision for your situation.  This episode is designed to give you the most important information to increase awareness and educate on a sometimes confusing topic. Guest: Jonathan Fuller - Aut...

In this episode our hero Will Gibson shares his journey thru engineering.  Will has a passion for learning and helping others.  His story started down an electrical path but he found his passion in civil engineering.  He speaks to how important it is to not put yourself in boxes in your career and to have the courage to try new things.  He's had wonderful mentors throughout his career and now...

Workforce attrition is a real problem in industry and Jason Simon is on the frontlines combatting it head on.  At AMTEC he works hand in hand with industry professionals and educators to bridge the gap of skilled labor for the industrial workforce.  In this episode Jason opens up about how significant the issue is and how by listening to the needs of industry they are designing solutions to get th...

What do you think about when you think “manufacturing”?  Maybe you envision an assembly line like Henry Ford invented.  Perhaps you think of a monotonous task where you’re standing the same spot doing the same action for eight hours a day.  THAT COULDN’T BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH Linda Freeman does a fantastic job of breaking down perspectives around manufacturing and will leave you eager to learn...

Jay Flores makes STEM fun! In this conversation Jay unpacks how we all have a responsibility to encourage and support the next generation in their pursuit of knowledge.  Jay reveals how engineering "talk" can be confusing and the impact that has on others.  He creates unique ways to engage on STEM topics and explains how he has incorporated magic to bridge the gap.  There are other ways...

As industry evolves the technologies and solutions being utilized continues to push the limits of innovation.  Renee Eddy leads the charge at Eaton and spends her time thinking through the latest problems end users are trying to solve and applying cutting edge thinking to meet those needs.  She speaks to the importance of truly understanding the voice of the customer and how to use data, market, a...

Alexus Hancock is an outstanding engineer with a personality that makes every room she's in brighter. She speaks to how anyone can accomplish their dreams with the right perspective and attitude.  There are many memorable quotes and advice from Alexus around how to grow engineering and STEM for the next generation of engineers.  There are hurdles when entering industry and she speaks to how a...

Let's face it power rooms can be intimidating and rightfully so.  There is danger present and if you aren't careful disaster could strike.  Knowing how to keep yourself safe in these situations and elevating your level of expertise is the goal of this conversation.  Mike Rathbun has extensive experience with power and walks thru several areas to consider when assigned this task.  Often m...

Matthew Latham's journey began by serving his country in the Navy.  While there, he was inspired to pursue engineering after seeing first hand the impact it can make.  He followed his dream and is now Engineering Manager at Trimm Inc. in North Carolina.  He unpacks some of the hurdles he sees as a leader in industry and some of the creative ways he's approaching the future.  Wearing mult...

Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is evolving by leaps and bounds in industry.  The impact to manufacturing is growing and Amos Purdy provides thought provoking items to consider.  Amos introduces the idea of the data pyramid and how to correlate that with IIoT.  He gives real life examples of how a process engineer could make impactful decisions as more and more meaningful data is available in...

Dustin Rodgers is one of our heroes and served his country in the Marines.  After his service he had a perception about manufacturing that he shares.  It wasn't a positive perception but his eyes were opened when he got exposure thru the Academy of Advanced Manufacturing.  Now Dustin gets the opportunity to work with robots regularly which he absolutely loves.  He speaks to the hands on train...

Bee Lo shares how he decided to join the Navy and the training he was able to complete that aligned to his passion in electronics. From the Navy he knew he wanted to pursue a career in manufacturing but wasn't sure the best way to get there.  He found the Academy of Advanced Manufacturing and the training aligned with his personal goals for his future. Upon graduation Bee his making his way a...

Our first testimonial about the impact of the Academy of Advanced Manufacturing is Jackson Henderson.  Jackson served in the Air Force and talked about some of the hurdles he had to overcome transitioning from the military to civilian workforce. He has a passion for fixing problems and loves automation.  He shares a cool story of how he met the CEO of Rockwell Automation and the impact that made o...

We love our military heroes and this episode we talk with Mary Burgoon about a program that directly impacts many that serve our great country. The Academy of Advanced Manufacturing was designed to help those that want to make a transition from military to industry when their service is complete. Thru this conversation you'll hear how Rockwell Automation is helping by designing a program that...

Tim Shope is one of our heroes and throughout this conversation you'll quickly see why.  He served his country in the Navy and has a tremendous journey that led him to Avid Solutions. Tim is on the front lines helping manufacturing achieve their digital transformation goals. His understanding of technology and how to elevate knowledge in the next generation of engineers is a strength he discu...

In manufacturing there are digital and human elements that relate to every machine producing product.  As industry evolves, the idea of digitizing assets to optimize plants is becoming more relevant. In this episode, Andrew Hastert does a phenomenal job of identifying how to address digitization of assets to improve industry.  He discusses areas of cybersecurity, predictive maintenance, maintenanc...

Imagine 20+ years ago, a pharmaceutical facility operating with 8 computers on the entire site. Now imagine the facility of today with an extreme level of connectivity. In this episode, Joe Barton walks us thru the evolution he's experienced as the IT leader at Merck, from those initial 8 PC's to the hyper connected plant they have today.  Joe shares how standards impacted the evolution...

Megan Samford unpacks the core of product security and addresses why this should be important for everyone to understand in industry.  She speaks to the two primary lenses that product security identifies with.  Secure development life cycle and actual product design are covered in depth and she does a great job of relating these areas to how they impact the manufacturing environment. IT/OT conver...

Santa Thangavel does an excellent job of relating how security can be compromised in an industrial environment.  Often security breaches are not intentional by the one who allows access but they are always intentional by the outsiders trying to get in.  Santa breaks down the delineation between OT and IT.  He highlights how cybersecurity impacts OT more directly as the need in the industrial floor...

Cyber security is becoming more important as digital transformation impacts industry. With the development of technology connectivity and access to data is growing by leaps and bounds.  With that growth there is a growing risk in terms of security.  In this episode Bill Medcalf breaks down the areas you should be aware of in the industrial environment and actionable steps that can be taken to be p...

It's rare to cross paths with someone that exudes true humility.  That's exactly what happened with the conversation with Tim Woodson.  In this inspiring story Tim explains how he worked his way from an entry level welder to the president of Sentry Equipment. Tim explains the importance of helping others and how throughout his career many people have positively impacted him. He explains...

As WiFi enters the industrial sector it can be hard to understand some of the specific impacts. Scott McNeil is an expert in this industry and clears the air on what this means and areas to understand to ensure your WiFi system is designed properly.  Scott addresses areas such as packet loss, latency and data throughput.  The industrial environment presents new challenges and knowing how to addres...