In this episode of Manufacturing Matters, TECH B2B Marketing’s Jimmy Carroll and Winn Hardin are joined by Matt Wicks, Vice President and General Manager of Robotics Automation at Zebra, to discuss some of the advancements that are helping drive growth in autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). They’ll discuss the impact the labor market is having on the need for these technologies in warehouses across the country, and how Zebra is helping warehouses connect their existing handheld systems to AMRs for increased productivity, flexibility, ease of use, and collaboration with human workers. They’ll also discuss Zebra’s investments into other areas within automation, including machine vision.Support the Show.

Laser triangulation is a great 3D scanning technique for high-speed applications. But what happens when the CMOS chip in your 3D sensor can’t keep pace? In this episode of the Manufacturing Matters podcast, Gretchen Alper of Automation Technology (AT) GmbH joins TECH B2B Marketing’s Jimmy Carroll and Amanda Del Buono to discuss how this challenge led to the development of a CMOS chip with on-sensor intelligence. The technology now enables processing rates as fast as 30 gigapixels per second and is changing the game for applications from logistics to road inspection. Alper also discusses her journey as a woman navigating the automation and manufacturing space, starting from her early career as an applications engineer to her current role as AT’s Business Director for North America. Support the Show.

Last week’s Automate 2024 event hosted its first ever Women’s Empower Hour, which highlighted the growing number of women working in the automation space. In this episode of Manufacturing Matters, TECH B2B Marketing’s Amanda Del Buono and Morgan Chang, US Business Development Manager at LexxPluss, continue this essential workforce development conversation. They discuss navigating the automation industry as a female and touch on some of the latest news and insights from LexxPluss.Support the Show.

For applications where imaging needs to go beyond the visible spectrum, hyperspectral imaging offers a power means for capturing and analyzing data from a large number of narrow, contiguous bands across the electromagnetic spectrum. On this episode of Manufacturing Matters, Jeff Oleske, Business Area Manager at Specim, joins Jimmy Carroll and John Lewis to discuss how this technology that used to be confined to lab environments is now solving the problems we thought were unsolvable. Oleske explains how hyperspectral imaging cameras are assisting manufacturers in a growing number of applications, from sorting black plastics to foreign-object detection in foods, mining and more. He also highlights the innovations that are pushing hyperspectral imaging technology forward, like unified calibration, as well as the role of software in hyperspectral imaging.Support the Show.

Employee training programs have been proven to improve performance, lower turnover, and increase engagement. In this episode, GD&T Basics - Engineer Essentials LLC Founder and Lead Course Developer Tom Geiss joins TECH B2B Marketing’s Winn Hardin and John Lewis to dive further into the benefits that employee training offers manufacturing and automation organizations of all types. They also discuss where, how, and why simplifying the complex language of Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) can help engineers communicate their project objectives more effectively, and why that benefits their employers. Support the Show.

Many jobs within the manufacturing industry today fall under the “three D’s”- dull, dirty, and dangerous. Within manufacturing, companies have struggled to attract and retain workers for more than a decade, with COVID-19 and the Great Resignation further complicating the issue. In this episode of Manufacturing Matters, TECH B2B Marketing’s Winn Hardin is joined by Gary Miller, owner of Miller Resource Group, to talk about the manufacturing labor market. Miller highlights the opportunity for reskilling workers for today’s manufacturing positions and emphasizes the importance of changing the perception of the industry in the public eye, so young people see manufacturing as an exciting opportunity to work with automation and robotics technologies in a fulfilling job.Support the Show.

As industrial cameras evolve and gain processing power, more complex applications are possible. Doug Erlemann, business development manager of cameras at Baumer, joined TECH B2B Marketing’s Jimmy Carroll and John Lewis to share how advancements in camera technology, when combined with artificial intelligence–enabled software, leads to more efficient and accurate quality control, especially for facilities processing naturally derived raw materials or executing edge computing. Erlemann and our hosts also discuss the trend toward more user-friendly automation technologies and more. Support the Show.

A solid safety program requires many factors to align, such as people, practices, and infrastructure. Complicating matters is that manufacturing environments must increasingly call for quick changeovers to accommodate the growing number of SKUs produced. In this episode of Manufacturing Matters, TECH B2B Marketing's Daniel McCarthy and Amanda Del Buono join Matthew Clark, industry manager of intralogistics and packaging at EUCHNER USA, Inc. , to discuss proper safety equipment. They cover how Euchner is building flexibility into its automation safety components, like with the MGB2 modular door safety system; how communication protocols and networking capabilities enhance safety components for manufacturing operations; and more.Support the Show.

As consumers demand more sustainability from the products they buy, the domino effect is driving that demand throughout the supply chain, resulting in suppliers expecting sustainable practices out of their suppliers. On this episode of Manufacturing Matters Sustainable Photonics Partner Noel Moore joins TECH B2B Marketing’s Jimmy Carroll and John Lewis to discuss how the photonics industry is managing the sustainability demand and explain how Sustainable Photonics creates partnerships with companies like Day Optics to support holistic sustainability practices. They discuss the evolution of the photonics market and its current state; how manufacturing, supply chain, and customer relationships need to be considered when addressing sustainability; the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on sustainability programs, notably for conserving resources via quality analysis; and much more.Support the Show.

What does reshoring mean to you? Depending on where you’re standing, whether its Asia, North America, or in developing countries in Western Europe, reshoring means different things to different people. On this episode of Manufacturing Matters, Sven Dharmani, global advanced manufacturing and mobility supply chain leader at @Ernst & Young EY joins TECH B2B Marketing’s Winn Hardin and Jimmy Carroll to talk about how complex modeling is helping companies develop both long and short-tail supply chains, and how integrators and technology suppliers must take advantage. He also talks about the potential for industrial automation across various sectors and the state of international manufacturing markets.Support the Show.

Theodor Nielsen, CEO of NIL Technology ApS, joins this episode of Manufacturing Matters from SPIE’s Photonics West 2024 to discuss the latest trends and advancements in nanoimprint lithography, notably metalenses, which are compact, module flat lenses designed to be used in markets including robotics and automotive, among many others. Nielsen explains to TECH B2B Marketing’s Jimmy Carroll and John Lewis how metalenses can be used in eye tracking, 3D sensing, and other applications. They also talk about the growing augmented reality (AR) market and its unique challenges, NIL Technology’s metalense solutions, and more. Support the Show.

In this episode of Manufacturing Matters, Flex-Line Automation President Cathy Rinne and Sales and Marketing Manager Lauren Van De Mark join TECH B2B Marketing’s Jimmy Carroll and Amanda Del Buono for a discussion from A3’s 2024 Business Forum. Cathy and Lauren share the conveyor system integrator’s 40-year history and how it has adapted to keep up with evolving customer demands, including conveyor integration with robotics and other equipment like palletizers. The discussion also touches on the growing role of women in industry, with Cathy sharing some of her real-life experiences as an industry executive over the past 40 years and how these compare with her daughter Lauren’s experiences.Support the Show.

In this episode of Manufacturing Matters, Fel Legrand, US/Canada Sales Manager at Gentec-EO joined Jimmy Carroll and John Lewis at SPIE Photonics West 2024 to talk about the latest developments and trends in laser beam diagnostics and performance devices. Topics included the importance of accurate laser beam measurement, including solutions for extremely high-power lasers and the applications in which these products are deployed, along with nuclear fusion, telecommunication, additive manufacturing, and more. Support the Show.

Women in the automation space have been working hard to advance their role in the industry for many years. With McKinsey & Company reporting only 33% of entry-level positions in the industrial manufacturing space are held by women, it’s clear there’s still room for growth. In this episode of Manufacturing Matters, TECH B2B Marketing’s Amanda Del Buono discusses the evolving role of women in industry with Brenda Courim, Güdel’s Head of Sales–Robotics and Components.Support the Show.

In this episode of Manufacturing Matters, Andrea Van Landingham, VP of Business Development at Theia Technologies, joined TECH B2B Marketing’s Jimmy Carroll at the 2024 A3 Business Forum to talk about how a lens company adapts to changes and shifts in the machine vision market. Topics include matching optics to pixel sizes, evolving vision-guided robotics applications, life sciences applications, deep learning, and more.Support the Show.

In this episode, we take a glimpse back into the history of robotics, as ABB Robotics celebrates 50 years of robotics this year. Ali Raja, ABB Robotics’ Managing Director – Industries US, joins TECH B2B Marketing’s Jimmy Carroll and Winn Hardin to share some company’s history of innovation, which started with the first microprocessor robot in 1974. They reflect on the growth of the robotics industry in this time, as well as the growing acceptance of robotics in the workplace and their impact on the labor market. They also discuss ABB’s recent acquisition of Sevensense, artificial intelligence in the industrial space, emerging markets for robotics, and much more.  Support the Show.

More and more sectors of the manufacturing industry are realizing the benefits of automation and robotics in their processes. To explore this, Simon Kenworthy, ManagingDirector, SPA-NA, Shape Process Automation, joins TECH B2B Marketing’s Jimmy Carroll and Winn Hardin to discuss the unique needs of the food and beverage industry, a long-time laggard when it comes to automation, as it begins embracing automation. They also explore the automotive industry’s automation evolution as electronic vehicles proliferate and demand more modularity, flexibility, and ease of use.Support the Show.

On this episode of Manufacturing Matters, Joe Cyrek, President of Magswitch Automation Group joined Winn Hardin and Jimmy Carroll at the 2024 A3 Business Forum to talk about the important role of switchable magnetic technology in applications including robotics and automation, welding, manufacturing, and material handlings. Specific applications discussed included automotive manufacturing, bin picking, electric vehicle battery cell handling, cobots, and even shipbuilding. Additionally, the podcast covered warehouse automation growth drivers, ease of use in automation, and the potential use of AI within switchable magnetic technology. Support the Show.

On this episode of Manufacturing Matters, Ray Hoare, CEO of Concurrent EDA joined Jimmy Carroll and John Lewis at SPIE Photonics West 2024 to dive into the latest developments and trends in industrial computing and processing, with a particular focus on FPGAs and their role in edge AI. Topics included pushing AI capabilities directly onto cameras, DPU processing, and exciting developments from AMD that are set to drive AI capabilities forward. Additional topics include GPUs vs. FPGAs for edge AI, high-resolution cameras, custom camera design, and more.Support the Show.

This year is an exciting one for the A3 - Association for Advancing Automation! Not only will this be the first year that #Automate becomes an annual event, but 2024 also marks 50 years since the association was founded. This week, TECH B2B Marketing’s Amanda Del Buono was joined by A3’s Vice President of Marketing Deb Kling, Director of Marketing Clarissa Schwendeman, and Media Production Manager Jana Martin to discuss the association’s milestone anniversary and its future, along with some of the latest technological developments and growth drivers in the #automation space. They also discussed the growing role of women in automation and tech.Support the Show.