A great way to enhance safety and reliability in an electrical system is by performing a coordination study. In this episode Kareem Josephs explains what a coordination study is and how it can positively impact end users. Picture in your mind a set of dominoes. For each domino to fall the previous one has to "trip" and then causes the next action to occur. This happens all the way thru the setup to the last domino which ultimately falls. A coordination study evaluates an electrical system to ens...
Jan 06, 2021•19 min
Entering an electrical room can be unsettling for those new to industry. How do you keep yourself safe in these environments? Dan Leeman is an expert in this space and walks thru practical ways you can ensure a safe engagement with electrical gear. Dan reviews how being proactive with visual inspections will give tons of data that you can act on. He unpacks terms such as limited approach and restricted approach boundary which define the safe distances that personnel can engage by each piece of e...
Jan 05, 2021•19 min
Protecting equipment from unexpected changes in power is key to a safe and reliable system. One of the best ways to ensure a system is properly designed and will manage faults in the most efficient way is to have a short circuit study completed. Kareem Josephs unpacks why short circuit studies are important in this idea episode. He shares how to start the process of obtaining a short circuit study, how often a study should be considered and what you should expect. Who should be leading the charg...
Jan 04, 2021•19 min
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 innovation in the future that will ultimately impact the world. Season 3 is setting up to be huge. Out of the ...
Dec 23, 2020•9 min
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 that Polo emphasizes as being important in creating credibility. Polo walks thru a formula for leaders...
Dec 20, 2020•32 min
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 how to build roadmap that will lead to success in the future. He breaks down a great way to approach th...
Dec 20, 2020•22 min
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 - Automation & Power Automation Product Manager at Electrical Equipment Company Host: Chris Grainger E...
Dec 16, 2020•14 min
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 searches for opportunities to help others grow. Will loves seeing large projects come to fruition and the jo...
Dec 13, 2020•36 min
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 the skills taught in an efficient and effective manner. The gap in education and industry is wide and th...
Dec 09, 2020•23 min
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 more. She walks thru how manufacturing has evolved and the extremely high level of technology that is ...
Dec 08, 2020•25 min
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 that he suggests we all could begin using: Relate to real life so people can see the practicality behind STEM Enc...
Dec 07, 2020•27 min
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, and technology analytics to design the best path towards a robust and powerful solution. She gives a gr...
Dec 02, 2020•19 min
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 asking questions, finding mentors and being personable will accelerate your career and open doors. She share...
Nov 29, 2020•34 min
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 mistakes are made by the most qualified individuals as with human nature the repetitiveness of a task can open the ...
Nov 22, 2020•19 min
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 multiple hats in a manufacturing environment he shares how he must react to demands and find balance between all depar...
Nov 18, 2020•32 min
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 real time. The landscape is changing daily for industry and knowing how to start integrating this tech...
Nov 15, 2020•17 min
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 training and how that was so beneficial to putting to practice the classroom portions of the curriculum. He's an a...
Nov 12, 2020•26 min
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 as a control technician at Brady Corporation. He shares how Brady is investing in technology and how he has...
Nov 11, 2020•24 min
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 on him. Jackson has a passion for music, podcasting and narrating. He make a great connection on how hi...
Nov 10, 2020•35 min
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 tackles some of the latest technology as well as commercial skills that we all need to effectively work ...
Nov 09, 2020•29 min
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 discusses. His "WHY" clearly shows where Tim's heart is: Learn every day Continue to innovate Help this country...
Nov 01, 2020•30 min
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, maintenance optimization and performance optimization that are cutting edge innovations which directly impact re...
Oct 25, 2020•31 min
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 and provides sage advice for anyone that may be self evaluating their career. Joe began his career as a chemist...
Oct 18, 2020•34 min
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 convergence is covered as the need access data across many levels of network infrastructure is something ind...
Oct 14, 2020•34 min
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 is centered around availability and time impacts manufacturing at great lengths. For those that aren't...
Oct 13, 2020•23 min
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 proactive in your security position. Security assessments are reviewed to highlight how to establish a ...
Oct 12, 2020•29 min
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 how the landscape is changing in his industry and the impact technology is having on the future which includes e...
Oct 04, 2020•29 min
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 address these items head on will ensure the industrial WiFi network will perform as desired. OWN YOUR AIRSPA...
Sep 27, 2020•16 min
In this episode Dan Leeman shares his personal journey and provides insightful professional wisdom. Dan states that in life you should seek a mentor and at the same time be intentional about mentoring others. He addresses workforce attrition as a hurdle and areas he sees that industry should respond. A highlight in his career was tied directly to an innovative solution that revolutionized safety in MCC design. That led to several patents and something that Dan looks back on fondly. He's passiona...
Sep 20, 2020•24 min
To wrap up our amazing Women in Engineering series we asked Christine LaFave Grace to explore with us the idea of "now what?" Christine unpacks a ton of wisdom and insight on how the landscape is changing and what individuals as well as companies could do to create more positive strides moving forward. She shares ideas around diversity and inclusion that are thought provoking and actionable. The women in the series each had unique paths and experiences that led them to where they are. Christine ...
Sep 13, 2020•34 min
