Manufacturing Happy Hour

Join Adam Ruebsam, President of Tri Tech Automation, Luke Manier, Managing Director, and Ryan Williams, Director of Innovation and Solution Sales, as they explore the intriguing concept of the 'hidden factory' in manufacturing. The trio discusses how to unlock untapped potential in existing resources and address invisible inefficiencies. They also highlight the importance of mentorship in fostering career growth and share valuable insights about learning from unexpected sources, like the Savannah Bananas, to enhance customer experiences.

Nikki Gonzalez, Director of Business Development at Weintek USA and co-founder of the Automation Ladies podcast, joins a panel of experts for a lively discussion on the state of manufacturing in 2025. They dive into groundbreaking innovations like 3D printed body parts and sustainable surfboards made from ocean plastic. The conversation emphasizes adapting to market changes, fostering worker skills, and the vital role of community in driving progress. Expect inspiring insights on overcoming challenges and the importance of investing in relationships and technology!

Jennifer Apicella, Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Robotics Network, shares insights into Pittsburgh's evolution as a robotics hub over 40 years. She highlights how the city's unique strengths have fostered innovation without imitating Silicon Valley. The discussion covers the importance of community collaboration, the role of education, and how successful commercialization drives technological advancement. Apicella also touches on the significance of engaging local talent and resources in building a thriving robotics ecosystem.

In this engaging conversation, Aaron Prather, Director of Robotics & Autonomous Systems Program at ASTM International, dives into the pivotal role of safety standards in robotics. He discusses the complex hurdles preventing humanoid robots from entering daily life, emphasizing the need for tailored regulations across various industries. The talk unfolds exciting possibilities for robots in healthcare and personal care, underlining the importance of collaboration between technical experts and social scientists to navigate challenges ahead.

Chris Nolte, Co-Founder of Bloom and an Iraq war veteran, discusses the reindustrialization movement in Detroit, emphasizing its potential to revive American manufacturing. He shares how COVID exposed vulnerabilities in global supply chains and the urgent need for localized production. Chris advocates for leveraging new technologies and inter-industry collaboration to accelerate progress. The conversation highlights Detroit's transformation into an innovative hub, attracting talent and fostering a community-centric approach to manufacturing.

What if accepting failure was the key to entrepreneurial success? Mark DeSantis has built and sold multiple companies over the years and like any entrepreneurial journey, it’s been a mixture of ups and downs, failures and successes. But in this episode, we hear that acknowledging the possibility of failure is what gave him the courage to keep on going.Mark shares his entrepreneurial story – why he began it, how he stays motivated, and some of the best lessons he’s picked up over the years. One of the top points he makes in this episode is to be problem-focused, not solutions-focused. When building tech solutions, it’s easy to get lost in the tech itself and lose sight of the real problems you want it to solve. But to make anything commercially viable, especially something as “new” as robotics, it needs to solve real problems.Mark also sings the praises of Pittsburgh, which he says is one of the best cities for robotics innovation today. He’s seen the city decline and grow over the years into what’s now a college town that’s thriving in the tech space.In this episode, find out:Mark shares what he’s been up to recently, after seeing Bloomfield Robotics acquired by Kubota CorporationThe challenge of living with uncertainty as an entrepreneur and the story that inspired him to embrace fearWhy entrepreneurship is like climbing Mount Everest in that you should look in front of you, not at the summitMark’s secret to enjoying the journey of entrepreneurship and the moment he decided he wanted to do this for the rest of his lifeWhy AI and robotics are perfect for the “big and boring” problems in our livesWhy we might need a Henry Ford-style revolution to take robotics to the next levelHow Pittsburgh is growing in the tech and robotics spaceWhy asking if someone wants to buy your solution is the wrong question for an entrepreneur to askEnjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!Tweetable Quotes:“Where technology, particularly AI, can make a difference is in the big and boring problems. The places where nobody thinks to take an advanced technology."“Go where everyone else isn't with advanced solutions and make sure the problem's big enough where you can make a difference.  “If you’re frozen with fear because you're worried about the failure of the company, or your personal failure and the humiliation that that might bring, you're not going to make good decisions. You're gonna fail. It's like playing not to lose in sports. Entrepreneurship’s all offense, no defense.”Links & mentions:Mark DeSantis, his bio is stackedBloomfield Robotics, combining plant-level imaging and deep learning to assess the health and performance of every plant, at any scale continuouslyKubota, manufacturing and assembling Kubota lawn tractorsPittsburgh Robotics Network, facilitating commercial business growth and economic development opportunities for the Greater Pittsburgh region's robotics, autonomy, and AI clusterWatch this episode on YouTubeMake sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

You’ll want to grab yourself a pilsner for this episode. Manufacturing Happy Hour heads overseas to sample some fine German beer in the city of Munich…and we also headed to automatica 2025 while we were there.Europe’s biggest AI and automation event is a must-visit if you can get over there. But if not, this episode has you covered.Between event talks, demos, and trips to the beer garden, we met some amazing people behind robotics and AI companies in Germany and beyond. Chris Luecke and Jake Hall (The Manufacturing Millennial) speak to company founders, innovators, and robotics pioneers, including:Wendy Tan White, CEO, IntrinsicDayana Ramirez Gutierrez, Chief of Innovation, TUMNicole Ebner, Head of Robotics/AI Startup Incubator, TUMDr. Martina Kohlhuber, Scientific Director TUM CampusAlwin Heerklotz, CEO, Innok RoboticsNikolas Roessler, CCO/CFO, Innok RoboticsDr. Christian Liedtke, Principal Consultant, KUKAPatrick Schwarzkopf, Managing Director, VDMAYou’ll hear what makes Germany, specifically Bavaria, a rising star in robotics innovation, how AI is powering robotics’ evolution (and vice versa), and how European businesses approach innovation. In this episode, find out:Wendy gives us background on Intrinsic and explains what AI adds to robotics’ potential todayWhy we’re at an inflection point with AI and robotics and the top trends that are driving the demandWhy hardware and software are both equally important and why we need to think about the physical world as much as the digitalThe importance of hybrid skills and how a “confluence of knowledge” will drive more creativity and breakthroughs in tech  What we can learn about the innovation ecosystem in MunichHow we can empower startups to bring tech from academia into the working worldWhy collaboration is the key thing that the world can learn from Bavaria and German manufacturingA background on Innok Robotics and why the founders decided to focus on AMRs in outdoor applicationsWhy a niche market focus makes Innok Robotics stand out in their fieldWhy growth in new markets depends on the customers’ approach to risk tooWhat Germany brings to innovation – smart engineersWhy AI is the push that robotics needs (and vice versa) so we can start doing more with physical AIWhy more people should come to Automatica and see the reflection of European entrepreneurship and innovationThe challenges facing innovative startups in Europe, and why investors should be more open to riskEnjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!Tweetable Quotes:“The thing AI can do for traditional robotics is add vision, touch, dexterity in a way we've never been able to provide with sensors before or at least in a cost effective way.” – Wendy Tan White“Our customers in Germany are forward-thinking and they take not only the risk but also the pain to start with a product that’s not finished yet. I think that’s been an important part of getting to where we are now.” – Alwin Heerklotz“We come from a world that we describe as a deterministic world... now we move into a different paradigm with AI...the robots become skilled, like humans have skills." – Patrick SchwarzkopfLinks & mentions:automatica, the world's leading trade fair for smart automation and robotics, automatica brings together all key technologies in the technology hub of MunichIntrinsic AI, a platform for the next generation of intelligent automation, making it easier for developers and businesses to unlock the value of roboticsTUM – Technical University of Munich, a university that brings talent from around the world to create innovations togethermunich_i, a top-level event in AI and robotics, presented at automatica 2025UnternehmerTUM, Europe’s largest center for startups and innovationrobo.innovate, Bavaria’s deep-tech incubator for start-up projects in the field of intelligent robotics & AIInnok Robotics, providing an autonomous platform for outdoor applications, including AMRsKUKA, German manufacturer of industrial robots and factory automation systemsVDMA, German Engineering Federation, one of the largest and most important industrial associations in Europe representing 3,600 German and European mechanical and plant engineering companiesMake sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

Bret Boyd, CEO and Co-Founder of Sustainment, is a former Army infantry officer with a wealth of leadership experience. In this conversation, he reveals that access to capital is currently a pressing challenge for mid-market manufacturers, surpassing talent gaps. Bret draws parallels between military and business leadership, emphasizing teamwork in supplier management. He discusses the importance of technology investment and how AI can revolutionize manufacturing practices, engaging younger generations to reshape the industry’s future.

“The hardest part of robotics isn't actually doing robotics. It's providing a solution that solves a real customer problem.” Melonee Wise’s quote from this episode is a good summary of what we talk about in this episode – practical, real-world applications of the technology we see hyped.Robotics, AMRs, humanoid robots, automation, AI – all of these things are hot topics in manufacturing. But the truth is that these solutions may not always result in the most exciting or sexiest applications. But when they’re eliminating boring, laborious tasks, it’s a huge opportunity across the industry.For part two of our Automate 2025 special episode, we hear from five incredible people, all from different areas of manufacturing, automation and robotics.We kick things off with Melonee Wise from Agility Robotics who you may have heard on the show before. She talks about the practical applications of using humanoid robots and where the industry is headed, while also talking through the biggest concern of adopting this new tech – safety.We kick things off with Melonee Wise from Agility Robotics who you may have heard on the show before. She talks about the practical applications of using humanoid robots and where the industry is headed, while also talking through the biggest concern of adopting this new tech – safety.Glen Guernsey from JR Automation talks about the biggest changes in warehouse automation today – including the ability to handle random SKU palletization. We chat with Zoie Rittling of OnLogic and Michael Maxey from ZEDEDA, about how right sizing AI at the edge is about eliminating boring work. And finally, Robert Ponsonby from Arduino talks about the interoperability and open-source solutions that drive innovation. All are slightly different takes on automation’s new capabilities but offer truly great insights for anyone working in manufacturing thinking about the future. In this episode, find out:Melonee talks through Agility Robotics’ humanoid demo and the practical applications of this techWhy Agility Robotics focused on bulk material handling at the beginning and takes a tiered approach to complexity  Why robots performing individual tasks isn’t what’s important – it’s how this connects to other systems and solves overall problemsWhere the humanoid market is likely headed compared to AMRsWhat the new safety standard means for humanoid implementation and how we could realistically see cooperatively safe humanoids working alongside humansGlen talks about the biggest changes we’re seeing in warehouse automation, including the ability to handle random SKU palletizationWhy the labor shortage will need to be supplemented with automationPractical applications of AGVs and AMRs in warehouse operationsWhat the warehouse of the future will look likeZoie and Michael describe edge architecture and how it applies to managing applicationsHow the industry can right-size AI at the edge and how this will look different from using cloud applicationsWhy you need to prioritize integration when looking for the best AI partnersRobert defines interoperability and Arduino’s approach to open-source softwareHow interoperability in open source allows for innovation, empowering teams, and rapid deploymentEnjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!Tweetable Quotes:"The most innovative thing that's out there has to do with random SKU palletization... up until recently with the advances in AI and advances in vision systems, this was not something that was easily done." – Glen Guernsey"We've seen on average for rollouts on projects, a 70% reduction in timeline. Instead of a six-month project, all of a sudden, you guys are done in a month and a half.” Robert Ponsonby"The hard part is not actually doing robotics. It's providing a solution that solves a customer problem." Melonee Wise Links & mentions:Arduino, a leader in open-source hardware and softwareAgility Robotics, a leading manufacturer of humanoid robots and automation solutionsJR Automation, intelligent automated manufacturing and distribution technology solutionsOnLogic, industrial computers engineered for IoT edgeAutomate, the biggest automation trade show, this year held in Detroit, Michigan Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

Welcome to Part 1 of our two-part Automate 2025 recap series. In this episode, we dive into current trends in automation and robotics, including cobots, open operating systems, and more. The interviews were recorded as part of A3's Automate LIVE series of interviews and include insights from the following industry leaders:Jerry Perez, FANUC America CorporationBernd Raithel, Director Product Management & Marketing, Siemens Factory AutomationShawn Donahue and Brian Darling, Raymond CorpKen Crawford, Sr. Director of Automation, WeidmuellerStay tuned for Part 2 covering the latest trends in warehouse automation, AI at the edge, and more coming out later this week.