EECO Asks Why Podcast

Meaghan Ziemba is leading the way and inspiring young minds all over as she advocates for the wonderful world of manufacturing.  She hosts a phenomenal show called Mavens of Manufacturing and is on the front lines of helping the next generation of industrial leaders find their path.  In this hero conversation Meaghan gives us a peak behind the curtains at what drives her passion and some of the wa...

Protection of electrical circuits can be tricky to understand.  Jonathan Fuller is an expert in these devices and breaks down how to differentiate between short circuit and overload protection.  He points out that it starts with understanding what the upstream potential is that could damage the equipment from a huge inrush of instantaneous current.  The short circuit device is the equipment that s...

Scott McNeil is one of the most passionate people in industry and his love for what he does comes out in everything he does.  In this hero conversation Scott takes us back to where it all began when he jumped into the wireless game 16 years ago.  He served some time in his local school district and even supported a community college.  Since joining GPA he's ad the opportunity to service the i...

What an amazing season of EECO Asks Why.  With 12 idea and 11 hero episodes there was so much to unpack.  Special thanks to all the guests who made it special. In this recap Chris walks through what he remembers the most and gives a sneak peak into what's coming down the line.   Get ready for our Holiday's with the Heroes in season six.  Chris also introduces the newest member of his cre...

For those that never had to convert an across the line starter to a Variable Frequency Drive this is the episode for you!  Mike Rathbun is an expert in this area and he unpacks items to consider before making this conversion.  There are many reasons why an application would benefit from a VFD and the most prominent are when a variable speed requirement could improve operations.  There are also end...

We're going international and had the awesome opportunity to talk with Nataliya Kilmovskikh and hear her amazing journey.  She lives in Denmark and has traveled the world throughout her career.  Nataliya wasn't always on the automation track and was teaching English in China several years ago.  Her fire for automation started burning when she was introduced to industrial robots and knew...

Buckle up and hang on as Mary Bruce Clemons unpacks the topic of STEAM in this idea conversation. Many will remember Mary from her hero episode where she journeyed from Harley sales to engineering and for those that missed it you'll quickly pick up on her passion for industry.  Many are familiar with STEM initiatives and Mary explains how the "A" (which is where arts are introduced)...

Brian Garland is a hero of industry and he unpacks his amazing journey from his childhood in the coal mines of Western Pennsylvania to the steel mills that he worked in starting at 17 years old all the way through to shop ownership and machining.  At the center of his career adventures was his passion to help others and that comes out with every story Brian shares.  He walks through a key headwind...

MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems) play a key role in the evolution of manufacturing.  Mayuri Dahibhate is a MES engineer and is on the front lines of developing these systems to make industries more reliable and increase overall equipment efficiency.  The MES system is a middle layer between the enterprise planning solution and actual floor operations.  These systems transfer data to monitor K...

Talk about an industrial SUPER HERO in this episode we get the behind the scenes look at what led Jake Hall to create the Manufacturing Millennial and how he's impacted people all over the world by opening their eyes to the exciting world of manufacturing.  From getting the idea at an Association of High Technology Distribution event he took the challenge head on and has completely changed th...

Knowing how to make the right choice in motor starting devices can be tricky.  Chase Boehlke is an industry expert and breaks down areas to consider when selecting a soft starter and a variable frequency drive (VFD).  He explains how to evaluate applications and fundamental areas that one must know in order to make the right decision.  For him the basic understanding of if the motor will be requir...

How about this for advice - "Make sure you fail, if you don't fail you're not trying. It's better to aim high and miss and aim low and hit." That's just a taste of the insight that we learned from our hero Vic Parangelo.  From his early days of wanting to be an astronaut to being a pilot in the Air Force Vic always shot for the stars.  He shared his amazing journey an...

In the industrial world the protection of motors has evolved greatly.  Dating back to the most basic of motor protection which included thermomagnetic overloads protecting motors has been important to keep business moving forward.  Mike Rathbun is an expert in motor control and protection and walks us through one of the greatest advancements for premier motor protection with the intelligent motor...

When you combine an entrepreneurial spirit with a passion for helping others you get something special.  That's exactly what you'll see and hear from our hero Aidan Benkowski. He has a curiosity for some of the most complex problems in industry and loves to find ways to help people solve them.  At Gener8tor he spends his days connecting some of the latest ideas that can help industry con...

In the world of power a new idea is making it rise across industry - welcome to the world of smart microgrids! Graham Staples is a pioneer in this industry and helps end users make the dream of having a smart microgrid a reality as the Power and Energy Group Manager at RoviSys.  Seeing that this is a new topic for many Graham does a fantastic job of breaking down what entails a smart microgrid sol...

Get ready for a story with turns that you'll never see coming.  Jon Meighan is the President of Lake Erie Rubber and his journey there is nothing short of incredible. He always had an entrepreneurial spirit. Through that, he worked his way to being the plant manager at GE. He had a desire to make a larger impact on his community and took the leap of a lifetime and purchased Lake Erie Rubber....

As industry modernizes efforts around motor reliability continues to be at the forefront of importance. Mike Rathbun is an expert in the reliability world and takes us back to the basics to building an effective and efficient motor reliability program.  He outlines the importance of having processes in place that can be ingrained in operations with consistent repeatable functions.  Mike spends tim...

As a fifth-generation logger, Ray Tharpe has a passion for the wood industry that is literally is in his blood. He leads the RTM Industrial Maintenance team and has done phenomenal work in many mills in the US. He walks us through his journey and how in January of 2016 he took the leap to start his business. He shares insight into some of the hurdles the industry is facing and how his talented tea...

As industry continues to evolve it is important to remain focused on safety and security for control systems.  Richie Fortenberry is an expert in helping others connect the important dots that enable these systems to operate at extremely efficient levels.  Richie lays a foundation in this episode by zoning in on the importance of identifying and assessing initial hazards and failure modes.  By gai...

Mayuri Dahibhate has a phenomenal journey and shares great insight to her career in engineering.  After completing her education in her home country of India Mayuri had the opportunity to work in several exciting roles focused on MES solutions.  Currently she is an MES engineer at E-Technologies Group and is on the front line of helping manufacturers achieve goals they could only have dreamed abou...

Computer Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) are being optimized to make huge impacts in manufacturing and Sandy D'Souza is a leading expert in this technology.  The evolution of CMMS systems is fascinating and the original roots began with technicians carrying clipboards capturing data.  Fast forward and Sandy explains how the wave of technology that is impacting manufacturing is being opt...

From selling Harley's to insurance/finance to now a wonderful Industrial Control Technician Mary Bruce Clemons' journey will have you on the edge of your seat.  Her passion for STEAM - yes you read that right - comes through with everything she does.  She connected early with art and sees the beauty in using that as a means to inspire the next generation of innovators. Mary believes in t...

What a ride Ashleigh Walters takes us on as she details the amazing journey she's been able to lead as President of Onex in Erie, PA.  When she took the reigns the company had lost its family centric values and she recognized that to succeed in the future change was needed. It was her approach to leading change that makes her a phenomenal leader.  The core of the change was establishing a cul...

Mike Caccia has been serving industry for 35 years and it all started engraving legend plates at a panel shop. From there his journey took him to the world of manufacturing and then working for one of the largest electrical automation companies in the world.  Mike's advice to those wanting to pursue a career in industry is to never stop learning. Don't let the learning stop when you rece...

Imagine a world of manufacturing where business models such as Amazon and Uber collide.  That's exactly what is happening at Xometry and in this episode, Greg Paulsen explains how he's leading the way, connecting manufacturers with new opportunities with a unique approach.  As manufacturing continues to grow different needs arise for engineered parts in both testing and development.  Kno...