EECO Asks Why Podcast

Learning, teaching and helping others succeed is the passion that drives our hero Dan Carnovale.  He's had an amazing journey and shares with us how his path has landed where he leads Eaton's Power Systems Experience Center.  From a concept to actual reality Dan has seen it all and the PSEC is a bucket list item for many in engineering.  The experience will have you in awe and be careful...

Coming into a new industry can be intimidating especially if the terminology used is new.  Think about some of the acronyms you hear at businesses such as doctors or financial services.  The same gap exists for those new to industry and the world of power can be equally as confusing.  Jonathan Fuller does a great job of breaking down some of the most commonly used terms in power to give everyone a...

A big thank you to all of the guests we have had this season.  We look forward to all the episodes that are going to come in season 5, but we can't forget about the incredible stories that we have listened to before. Season 4 was packed with so many awesome guests discussing ideas and topics that really make an impact. Everything from technical devices and applications, marketing, building re...

Mike Cromheecke has quite a story and opens up about his amazing journey through industry.  He began his career at Rockwell and had the opportunity to travel the world supporting some of the most technical problems in industry.  Mike had several great opportunities at Rockwell before he founded Steamchain.io  As the CEO he is constantly searching for ways to create value for the clients he serves....

If you ever get the chance to start up a variable frequency drive (VFD) it could be intimidating.  They are complex devices and with high voltage and current comes risk if you aren't familiar with the technology. Chase Boehlke does a great job explaining what you should know if you are ever in this position.  He breaks down how to start this process and why verifying wiring is critical to suc...

Find your passion and make it your purpose! That's Tim Wilborne's advice to those that want to make an impact in the world.  In this hero conversation Tim walks us through his amazing journey from working in his dads machine shop to now owning one of the most successful UL 508A shops in the country. Tim is quick to point out that his path wasn't always easy.  When he and his wife Am...

Is your industrial network reliable? Have you considered how it may be affecting your bottom line?  Do you know where to start looking to identify risk areas?  These are very common situations for many manufacturers and in this episode K Sorsenginh walks us through items to consider within the industrial network to improve performance, enhance reliability and consistently move process critical dat...

From his first job in injection molding to being the Manufacturing Unicorn he is today Ray Ziganto is making a huge impact in industry.  He is a huge advocate for building up the next generation and educating them to the exciting opportunities that exist in manufacturing.  Ray points out the opportunity that exists to start inspiring grade school age kids and their parents about the fabulous caree...

Stop selling and start solving problems! It is a simple philosophy that has great returns for those that make the connection.  For Jake Hall, the subject matter experts (SME) that support manufacturing are the ones best positioned to help industry grow in the future.  In this conversation Jake unpacks what a SME is and how that has evolved over time.  The days of knowing part numbers and catalogs...

Mike Rathbun's journey has been absolutely amazing.  What began as a seven year old tearing apart the family TV set on the living room floor led him down a path of electrical engineering that was full of excitement.  Mike served his country in the Navy and credits them for molding him into the man he is today.  Mike started his own integration company supporting the automotive industry and sh...

Completing a project successfully takes many groups coming together and overcoming hurdles. Claire Stevens digs into this topic and shares areas she's learned along the way to take projects from the design phase to functionality. Claire is the Utility Distribution Engineer at NC State University and she's had an amazing opportunity to facilitate complex projects and her real-world experi...

Solving problems that most people find impossible is what drives Preston Hadley.  He's an industry leader and is on the front lines daily making automation come to life all around him.  From his roots in IT at his families business he fell in love with automation and controls and never looked back.  Preston is taking it upon himself to address the skills gap in industry and his Change a Life...

So you've been teaching power safety for years and a pandemic hits....what now?? You make a POWER MOVE that's what and you completely change the game.  Tom Domitrovich did just that and as the VP of Technical sales at Eaton he shared some of the new ways he had to begin thinking and acting to stay in front of those wanting to further their journey's in the electrical industry.  He d...

Lisa Scanlon has a passion for manufacturing and her journey began in the fluid power world.  After her education in hydraulic and pneumatic engineering she fell in love with industry and found that the voice of the end user was one that matters most.  In her current roles the Services Manager at Rockwell she's 100% focused on delivering cutting edge services to industry all across the countr...

What if you could take the coolest part of an industry and make it come to life for others?  This is exactly what Ray Tharpe and Vadim Kovalev have accomplished to showcase the amazing technology and opportunities that exist in the wood industry.  Ray is president at RTM Industrial Maintenance and is a leader in supporting the lumber industry with the most complex modernization projects.  Vadim is...

Our hero Tim Pollard likes to say he's always been obsessed with communication.  That obsession has led him through an illustrious career and in which he unpacks in this episode.  Tim unpacks areas that have impacted him and what he's been able to learn and adjust to along the way.  As the CEO of Oratium he's led the company through tremendous adversity and most recently navigated t...

Lock Out Tag Out (LOTO) is near and dear to EECO Asks Why as it's centered around safety.  Jonathan Fuller unpacks this impactful process and discusses some of the key points to ensuring a successful program.  Out the gate he opens up the idea that LOTO practices impact many field outside of electrical specifically.  He provides wise advice on steps needed to take to get started.   Proper pre...

If you want to hear a hero story about the American dream listen to Bobby Cole's story and you will be inspired.  Bobby has an innate nature to help people and has coupled that drive with his love of technology and built an amazing business that supports industry daily.  The advice he shares for others wanting to enter industry is golden.  He shares how important it is to learn skills outside...

In this special idea episode Hussain Al-Khalaf gives us a peek behind the curtain of the fascinating world of the pulp and paper industry.  Hussain is a Capital Electrical Project Manager at International Paper in Savannah, Georgia and is on the front lines of this exciting industry.  For those that may be new to this industry Hussain explains that the focus on projects in the future center around...

Nirpal Sihota has an amazing journey and has impacted so many throughout his career.  He is a first-generation Asian Indian and always embraced the learn on your own mindset.  After time at Cal Poly, he served industry in roles at Siemens as an integrator before coming to Rockwell in 2011.  He speaks to how connected the industry is and the impact that technology is having as companies grow in the...

When you think about Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), it's really about creating a digital model to represent physical processes. Brandon Mendoza is an expert in helping manufacturers realize the benefits of cutting edge advances for industry and explores these exciting concepts.  Brandon shares that the end goal for manufacturers is to drive optimization, predict outco...

Helping people and solving complex problems drives our hero Jim Wertz.  As the leader of Altavista Instruments and Controls (AIC) he gets to live out this passion every day.  Jim discovered at an early age his passion for engineering and shares about his experiences through industry that is sure to inspire others.  He has am amazing story about a controller at a steel facility.  Imagine getting a...

With so much focus on IIoT, Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing sometimes technology such as power monitoring gets left behind.  Mike Rathbun is an expert in this area and unpacks the idea to help envision how a better understanding of power can create more reliable and profitable business operations. Mike walks through how to begin a power monitoring journey and the importance of establishing a...

Our hero Chung-Chee Tai shared his story and it was an absolute treat.  When he decided to pursue engineering he chose Iowa State University.  Believe it or not coming straight from Asia and not speaking English wasn't the biggest culture shock for him.  The winters in Iowa was a completely different story!  Chung-Chee is full of life and was one of the most fun guests ever on EECO Asks Why....

Understanding variable frequency drives (VFD's) can be difficult and in this episode Chase Boehlke does a fantastic job of breaking down this technology.  He shares the general design differences in a VFD and other motor starting devices.  Understanding variable and constant torque applications are areas that Chase unpacks.  Ever heard of an IGBT? Chase's explanation of that technology i...