ROK Talk on drives

Jim and Sam team up with industry expert Todd Gilliam to see what part VFDs play in food and beverage production. Learn how drives help maintain consistent product quality, improve energy efficiency, and help meet strict safety standards. Understand how connected drive technology can provide better visibility, helping teams detect issues early and reduce unplanned downtime. Dive deeper into what t...

In this episode, learn how drives help chemical and plastics manufacturers run smarter, more efficient operations—delivering reliable motor control for applications like extrusion, mixing, and pumping while improving energy usage and product consistency. Sam and Jim break down how PowerFlex® drives reduce downtime and simplify maintenance, even in challenging environments, so producers can keep pr...

Hosts Jim and Sam sit down with industry expert Michael Lennard to discuss how variable frequency drives (VFDs) support modern warehousing and logistics operations. The conversation explores where VFDs are used, why they matter for material handling systems, and how they help improve efficiency, performance and safety in fast‑moving logistics environments.

In this episode of ROK Talk on Drives, we dive into thepowerful role Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) are playing intoday’s tire manufacturing landscape. Hosts Jim and Sam speak with experts Dan Paul and Eduardo Rodriguez to unpack why VFDs are so critical and how their place in automation systems continues to evolve.  From improving plant efficiency to elevating process control and advancing sust...

The next advancement in pulp and paper mill automation starts with smarter, more responsive motor control. In this episode, host Sam Shelley teams up with Rockwell Automation experts Eduardo Rodriguez and Mike Clark to break down the real impact of VFDs in pulp and paper—from serious energy efficiency gains to solving the challenges that pulp and paper operations face every day. Leave a comment on...

Explore how VFDs are transforming the oil and gas industry. Jim and Sam are joined by industry expert Ron Busse to discuss real-world applications, energy savings, process optimization, and the role of automation in meeting sustainability goals. Learn about overcoming infrastructure challenges, harmonics compliance, regenerative solutions, and how smarter motor control can help operators do more w...

In this episode of ROK Talk on Drives, hosts Jim and Sam welcome special guest Bill Meindl, business unit manager at Rockwell Automation, to explore the past, present, and future of motor starting technology. From the humble beginnings of the compression rheostat in 1903 to today’s cutting-edge M100 electronic motor starter, we trace a journey of innovation. The result is smaller panels, simplifie...

Join Jim and Sam in another episode of ROK Talk on driveswhere we welcome safety expert Jonathan Johnson. JJ will talk about how moving mechanicals are a potential source of harm for the workers that interact with them. He’ll try to help us understand the risks associated with drives and helpyou keep your people and plant safe.  For more information on safety and drives see this safety publication...

Join Jim and Sam for the latest episode of ROK Talk on drives as they explore the risks corrosive gases can pose in your plant. Find out the reasons why VFDs are vulnerable to these gases and how to protect your plant. Learn how to combat corrosion-related downtime, protect your equipment in harsh environments and increase productivity. Leave a comment on Spotify or email us if you have suggestion...

How did you learn to set up a VFD? In this episode, listen to the journey of a new controls engineer and hear how new hires are learning today. Find out what training opportunities have the biggest impact and how to accelerate technical skills development. To learn more about Workforce Development Training Services, see: https://www.rockwellautomation.com/en-us/support/workforce-development-traini...

In this episode of ROK Talk on drives we welcome a very special guest , Navid Zargari, sustainability manager at Rockwell Automation and long time medium voltage expert. Navid will join our hosts, Jim and Sam and will walk us through the technologies used in modern medium voltage drives. Learn how to stay ahead of the curve on how to navigate applying the appropriate technology suited to your appl...

Welcome to episode 15 of ROK Talk on drives where Sam and Jim welcome Dustin Molzon to the show today. Dustin is a product manager with Rockwell Automation for cybersecurity products, called FactoryTalk Policy Manager. They will be talking about Cyber Security, specifically as it pertains to how it affects drives, what you should consider with drives and Cyber Security and how it fits into the ove...

Today our crew takes Andrew Hastert into the ROK Talk fold. He'll walk us through FactoryTalk® Analytics™ GuardianAI™ software from Rockwell Automation. Learn how the combination of this software and PowerFlex® drives can give you a view into the health of your plant assets. See more at: rok.auto/ft-analytics-guardianai Leave a comment on Spotify or email us if you have suggestions for upcoming po...

Today's episode is all about On-Machine® motor control solutions—both servo class drives as well as VFDs. Justin Garski joins Jim and Sam to offer his expert insight to wage the war of in-cabinet vs. decentralized solutions.  Take a look at our On-Machine Calculator to get a better understanding about what On-Machine solutions can do for you: https://configurator.rockwellautomation.com/#/configure...

Ever want to go back to the future? Wonder where variable frequency drive (VFD) motor control technology came from? Dave Dahl turns on the way back dial as he joins Jim and Sam where he'll give an overview of VFDs and their significance in various industries over time. In this episode we'll go back in time and explore the history, evolution and impact of VFDs. Email us if you have suggestions for...

Join Jim Finiak and new co-host Sam Shelley for his first full episode with ROK Talk on Drives. Today Tadeo Rodriguez, customer sustainability lead of Rockwell Automation,  joins the team in making sense of sustainability. We learned in the previous episode, part 1, exactly what sustainability is. Now, join us as we learn how you can take action toward sustainability implementation specific to mot...

After some time off, ROK Talk on drives is back for more fun. Joining Jim Finiak this season is Sam Shelley, drives lead product manager at Rockwell Automation. Sam brings to the table a wealth of drives knowledge and offers interesting perspectives on the subject. Email us if you have suggestions for upcoming podcasts, to give us feedback or get information on new episodes ⁠RAROKTalkDrives@rockwe...

Tune in to the latest episode of ROKTalk on Drives to see how you can connect the dots from sustainability to variable frequency drives. Corrine Pellish and Josh Olive join Jim Finiak to talk about what sustainability is and how your company can become more sustainable with the use of Allen-Bradley VFDs.  Email us if you have suggestions for upcoming podcasts, to give us feedback or get informatio...

Join Jim and Neal and their guests for more drives installation fun! Email us if you have suggestions for upcoming podcasts, to give us feedback or get information on new episodes ⁠RAROKTalkDrives@rockwellautomation.com.⁠

Today we join Jim and Neal in another episode of ROK Talk on Drives. Installations guides got you down? Well take a listen to Dave Dahl of Rockwell Automation. He joins us for a riveting discussion on installation best practices. Dave will talk more about how the success of your startup can set the whole tone of the drive compatibility.  Email us if you have suggestions for upcoming podcasts, to g...

Today's episode revolves around the center of the motor control universe--CENTERLINE MCCs! We brought in Elizabeth Allen and Diego Wilches to talk about the CENTERLINE MCC and the history behind it. Email us if you have suggestions for upcoming podcasts, to give us feedback or get information on new episodes ⁠RAROKTalkDrives@rockwellautomation.com.⁠

Join Jim and Neal for a deep dive into a subject near and dear to Jim’s heart—Total Force Technology. Total Force is the common control technology across the Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 755T LV drives and PowerFlex 6000T MV drives. Special guests include Sayantani Ganguly with Medium Voltage Drives and Adam Davis with Low Voltage Drives. Email us if you have suggestions for upcoming podcasts, to give...

Today, Mark Ossanna and Elizabeth Allen of Rockwell Automation MCCs, join our hosts Jim Finiak and Neal Corbett. They will discuss packaging AC drives in low voltage motor control centers. Email us if you have suggestions for upcoming podcasts, to give us feedback or get information on new episodes ⁠RAROKTalkDrives@rockwellautomation.com.⁠

Tune in to episode 3 of ROK Talk on Drives where you can learn more about the differences and similarities of variable frequency drives and servo drives. We will talk to Mike Harris from our drives team and Michelle Holt from our Motion team and they will go head to head on which drive is best for your application. We can then help you solve the mystery of which drive you should use over the other...

Today’s topic is on how to select the right medium voltage drive for your application.  Fred Jason teaches us when  you need to consider a medium voltage drive vs a low voltage drive.  Medium Voltage is preferred when· higher power motors are required when  branch circuit power cabling distances are longer. Email us if you have suggestions for upcoming podcasts, to give us feedback or get informat...