Manufacturing Matters
The Manufacturing Matters podcast aims to get to the heart of automation technology and how it plays into the growing manufacturing industry. Join us for insights and interviews discussing trends, innovations, and advanced automation technologies, such as robotics, machine vision, AI, and much more. Follow our social channels here: http://linktr.ee/m_mp
Episodes
135 episodes
Episode 134 - Paul Osterhaus, Managing Partner at QOC Innovations
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 ...
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Season 4
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Episode 134
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36:10
Episode 133 - Geoff Dawson, Director of Sales at FANUC
“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...
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Season 4
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Episode 133
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21:29
Episode 132 - Jim Anderson, Senior Business Development Manager at SICK
“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 w...
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Season 4
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Episode 132
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36:35
Episode 131 - Stu Shepherd, President of Shepherd Solutions
“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 wal...
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Season 4
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Episode 131
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31:41
Episode 130 – Bryan Powrozek, Partner at Wipfli
“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 ...
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Season 4
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Episode 130
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35:39
Episode 129 – Alex Shikany, Executive Vice President, Association for Advancing Automation (A3)
“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...
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Season 4
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Episode 129
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27:50
Episode 128 – Vision Panel Discussion at 2026 A3 Business Forum
“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...
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40:38
Episode 127 - AI Panel Discussion at 2026 A3 Business Forum
“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 qu...
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Season 4
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Episode 127
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50:59
Episode 126 – Robotics Panel Discussion at 2026 A3 Business Forum
“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 o...
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Season 4
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Episode 126
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27:48
Episode 125 - Vaidy Raghavan, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Xometry
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 c...
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Season 4
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Episode 125
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43:29
Episode 124 - Saurabh Chandra, Founder & CEO of Ati Motors
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 suspens...
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Season 4
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Episode 124
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21:32
Episode 123 - Hany Fouda, Senior Vice President of Process Automation at Schneider Electric
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, S...
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Season 4
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Episode 123
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42:50
Episode 122 - Greg Magdanz, Vice President of OEM and Robotics at Schneider Electric
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...
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Season 3
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Episode 122
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30:43
Episode 121 – Agustin Lopez Diaz, North American Supply Chain Officer at Schneider Electric
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 Schneid...
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Season 3
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Episode 121
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21:33
Episode 120 – Jay Timmons, President and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers
“AI will be disruptive, but our job, not only as manufacturers but also policymakers, is to make sure that that disruption is good for society, it’s good for our country, it’s good for promoting our values.” For hundreds of years, ...
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Season 3
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Episode 120
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25:41
Episode 119 – Ozgur Tohumcu, General Manager for Automotive and Manufacturing at Amazon Web Services
“We were talking about AI assistants a year ago. Now we are deploying advanced AI agents on the factory floor, and that shift is transforming how manufacturers approach automation, data, and solving some of their biggest challenges.” <...
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Season 3
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Episode 119
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37:40
Episode 118 – Wolfgang Sauter, Senior Distinguished Engineer at Marvell Technology
When you walk into a data center and see thousands of cables connecting endless rows of servers, you're only viewing the tip of the bandwidth iceberg. The real bandwidth revolution is happening inside the semiconductor chip packages driving tho...
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Season 3
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Episode 118
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37:39
Episode 117 – Debra Phillips from NEMA and Tom Lawton of TESCO Metering
In this episode of Manufacturing Matters, podcast host Winn Hardin speaks with Debra Phillips from NEMA and Tom Lawton of TESCO Metering about the impacts of tariffs on American markets. Winn’s guests share how both large and small enterprises ...
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Season 3
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Episode 117
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50:58
Episode 116 – Christelle Keefer, Global Segment Manager for Education, ABB Robotics
The National Association of Manufacturers reports that there were more than 400,000 manufacturing jobs open in June 2025. The labor shortage has been an ongoing challenge, but like many other challenges manufacturers face, some of the best mind...
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Season 3
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Episode 116
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29:22
Episode 115 – Ted Larson, CEO and co-founder of OLogic
If you’re a first-time climber trying to tackle Mount Everest, the only way you’ll make it to the top and come back alive is if you’ve got a great set of Sherpas to carry your stuff and show you the way. That’s how
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Season 3
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Episode 115
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51:31
Episode 114 - Ken VonderHaar, Director of Client Engagement at CRB
When manufacturers miss deadlines for capital project startup, that can have a huge impact on product and business success. Operational readiness is not just about production hitting set goals — ultimately, it’s about getting product to consume...
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Season 3
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Episode 114
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39:19
Episode 113 - Darcy Bachert, CEO of Prolucid Technologies
"Businesses in manufacturing and beyond face significant challenges today, whether their reshoring operations, skill shortages, labor shortages, or political strain, but today’s automation technologies can help solve these problems."In ...
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Season 3
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Episode 113
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39:40
Episode 112 – Rajat Bhageria, Founder and CEO of Chef Robotics
“While many applications within the food manufacturing space have been successfully automated, some gaps exist when it comes to high-mix automation, including the handling of prepared sandwiches, salads, and other meals. By augmenting robots wi...
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Season 3
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Episode 112
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37:17
Episode 111 - Anthony Jules, Founder and CEO of Robust AI
"As much as we feel like the change is never ending right now, that's going to be the constant for the next couple of decades. We're going to have more options for how we increase productivity, how we collaborate with robots and each other, and...
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Season 3
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Episode 111
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36:02
Episode 110 – Vikas Gupta, Senior Director of Product Management for Silicon Photonics at GlobalFoundries
“From a fab perspective, you’re not only looking at submicron structures, but then some of these fiber interfaces may be centimeters. You have to be able to inspect and fabricate structures which vary in orders of magnitude.” Photo...
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Season 3
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Episode 110
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38:59