Manufacturing Matters

This episode of Manufacturing Matters features Winn Hardin in conversation with Denise Chludzinski, vice president of business development at Miller Resource Group, a leading recruiter specializing in food and industrial automation manufacturing sectors. They discuss current talent trends, labor market challenges, and growth opportunities in manufacturing for 2026.  Support the show

"Every Burro turns on with 12 eyes … and if one robot makes a mistake in a train depot yard in Australia, or an airport in South America, or doing vegetation management alongside a road in Pennsylvania, the entire fleet learns from that lesson.” For years, autonomous robots largely stayed indoors, confined to the predictable aisles of warehouses and factories. Leveraging his experience growin...

"Computational design and 3D printing go together like peanut butter and chocolate." For most of its history, 3D printing was considered speculative, risky, even fringe. Today, says Eric Utley, 3D printing applications engineering manager at Protolabs, it's boring, and that's exactly the point.  In this episode of Manufacturing Matters, TECH B2B Marketing's Jimmy Carroll s...

Artificial intelligence is everywhere in manufacturing right now. But for many plant teams, it still feels more like a concept than a practical tool. In this episode of Manufacturing Matters, Aaron Hand sits down with Alex Sandoval, founder and CEO of Allie, to break down what AI actually looks like on the factory floor.  Sandoval explains how AI co-pilots can connect to PLCs, quality systems, and...

“One of my biggest complaints with public policy is we're too reactive. And because technology now changes so rapidly, if you're reactive, by the time you have a policy in place, it's outdated.” -Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan    The United States accounts for just 9% of global robotics installations while China accounts for 54% — a gap that Congresswoman McClellan believes demand...

"Engineers can now start thinking about cell design not from the cages, but from the actual work."   A significant if not obvious factor that all companies implementing robotic systems must consider is safety. While robotic guarding has been the industry standard for years, Sensory Robotics COO Mark Gagas believes another way offers more flexibility and space for manufacturers. After 19...

Artificial intelligence is quickly making its way onto the manufacturing floor. But when it comes to safety, the stakes are different. In this episode of Manufacturing Matters, Winn Hardin and Aaron Hand talk with Erik Reynolds, founder of Reynolds & Moore, about what it really takes to bring AI into safety-critical systems.  For decades, safety engineering has relied on deterministic, fully e...

Robots may get most of the attention, but what happens at the end of the arm often determines whether an automation project succeeds or fails. As manufacturers push for greater flexibility, faster changeovers, and more complex handling, the demands on grippers and end-of-arm tooling are evolving at least as quickly as the robots themselves. In this episode of Manufacturing Matters, Aaron Hand talk...

Computer imaging (aka Machine Vision) is having a moment, and Allied Vision CEO Robert Franz explains why. In this episode of Manufacturing Matters, he joins Winn Hardin to talk about Allied Vision’s brand unification, the shift from components to customer-first solutions, and why AI, edge intelligence, SWIR imaging, and open smart cameras are opening up huge new opportunities across automation, a...

In this episode of Manufacturing Matters, host Dan McCarthy of TECH B2B Marketing sits down with Arne Leinse, CEO of LioniX International, to explore the manufacturing realities behind photonic integrated circuits (PICs) — one of the most technically demanding frontiers in semiconductor manufacturing.  As CEO of a module supplier built around silicon nitride waveguide technology, Leinse highlights...

In this episode of Manufacturing Matters, host Winn Hardin sits down with Clint Bundy, managing director of the Bundy Group, to pull back the curtain on the world of mergers, acquisitions, and capital raising within the industrial automation sector. As the manufacturing industry faces a "graying" C-suite and shifting economic forecasts, Bundy provides a masterclass on how business owners...

 Manufacturers are generating more data than ever — from machines on the production floor to purchasing, inventory, and finance. Yet many companies still struggle to turn that data into clear answers to the questions that matter most: Are we profitable on a given job? Do we have the capacity to take on more work? Where are bottlenecks slowing us down?  In this episode of Manufacturing Matters, Win...

“Technologies like AI, cobots, and digital twins are making automation more accessible and making the deployment of robots more agile and much faster. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to engage with a robot.”  In this episode of Manufacturing Matters , TECH B2B Marketing’s Jimmy Carroll is joined by Geoff Dawson, Director of Sales at FANUC, to discuss the different technologies shaping the...

“If we can simulate 70% of a system before it ever hits the factory floor, that reduces time and cost for automation deployment.”  Advances in machine vision, AI-enabled software, and simulation technologies continue to reshape the way companies in manufacturing and warehousing design, deploy, and benefit from automation systems. In this episode of the Manufacturing Matters podcast, TECH B2B Marke...

“We’re at a perfect storm, finally, of being able to see automation really grow again.”   Automation is more approachable than ever before, with more experts in the field — even for very specific applications — available to help walk you through the process of understanding whether certain applications can or should be automated. If you don’t have much experience, start simple and take a crawl, wa...

“When it comes to the monumental new tax law changes, every company should understand what this means for them. Are there provisions like the R&D tax credit, depreciation for qualified production property or the opportunity zones that your company could take advantage of? If you haven’t heard from your adviser, reach out and ask.”  In this episode of the Manufacturing Matters podcast, TECH B2B...

“After a year defined by uncertainty — largely from tariffs — automation companies should be entering 2026 with renewed confidence and optimism.”  Uncertainty in 2025 created headwinds, but as the tariff hangover lifts and companies begin adapting to challenges, 2026 is expected to be a year of momentum and growth, according to Association for Advancing Automation (A3) executive vice president Ale...

 “What I’m most excited about right now is what’s new in machine vision. ... This combination of new sensors, advanced processing, and sophisticated algorithms will unlock new spaces for vision.”   While robots and AI may steal some of the spotlight from other technologies in industrial automation, machine vision technologies are being used more than ever before, providing eyes for the machines an...

“If AI is overhyped, automation is completely underhyped. As automation advances and becomes more precise and durable and solves new challenges, AI is augmenting these systems by adding flexibility and autonomy.”  While we’ve not quite moved past the hype curve, AI technology today is quickly reshaping how factories and warehouses operate. In this special episode of the Manufacturing Matters podca...

“The whole dialogue has shifted from what can it do to when it will and how do we scale it?”  Humanoid robotics technology is slowly but surely moving into real-world deployment. The excitement behind humanoids is just one of several hot topics in robotics discussed on this special episode of the Manufacturing Matters podcast.  In this episode, TECH B2B Marketing’s Jimmy Carroll sits down with a p...

The world has seen its fair share of supply chain challenges for several years now. Where historically supply chain management has been all too reactive, artificial intelligence (AI) is enabling a more proactive approach. “AI’s role in supply chain resilience is really about turning uncertainty into intelligence,” says Vaidy Raghavan, chief product and technology officer for Xometry.    Providing...

Inspired by self-driving cars, Ati Motors’ autonomous mobile robots not only break free of the magnetic tape of older-generation AGVs but also break free of the straight lines and predictable grids of warehouse work. Combining tires and suspensions that can handle mechanical challenges with 3D lidar, high-precision mapping, and artificial intelligence to provide autonomy, these AMRs are venturing...

Discover how decoupling hardware and software is revolutionizing all industries, including manufacturing, and how powerful digital twin technology and AI are playing their parts. Live from the Schneider Electric Innovation Summit, Hany Fouda, Schneider’s senior vice president of process automation, explains the shift toward automated processes, which is driving efficiency and predictability in con...

Dive into the cutting edge of manufacturing with Greg Magdanz, VP of OEM and robotics at Schneider Electric. In a discussion recorded live at the Innovation Summit, Magdanz reveals how the convergence of IT and operational technology is fueling the next industrial revolution. Discover how digital twin software can save OEMs time and money by enabling program design and prototyping before a single...

Learn how even small companies can strengthen supply chains through analytics and automation in this talk with Agustin Lopez Diaz, Schneider Electric’s North American supply chain officer. Lopez Diaz illustrates this point by discussing Schneider’s $100 million–plus plan to reshore production in the U.S. The project includes the company’s new Nebraska facility, which uses sustainable water sources...