Manufacturing Happy Hour

Chris Luecke

Welcome to Manufacturing Happy Hour, the podcast where we get real about the latest trends and technologies impacting modern manufacturers. Hosted by industry veteran Chris Luecke, each week, we interview makers, founders, and other manufacturing leaders that are at the top of their game and give you the tools, tactics, and strategies you need to take your career and your business to the next level. We go beyond the buzzwords and dissect real-life applications and success stories so that you can tackle your biggest manufacturing challenges and turn them into profitable opportunities. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

  1. 6天前

    252: Adaptive Production, Resilient Manufacturing, and "Lightbulb Moments" in AI featuring Chris Stevens, SVP and GM of US Automation Business, Siemens Digital Industries

    Manufacturers (not just the guys on the shop floor, but the C-suite behind them) are on a race to the finish line when it comes to automation. Most of us by now are pretty familiar with how AI and automation can play a role in manufacturing. But it looks like we’re heading to the next stage… In this episode, we hear from Chris Stevens, the SVP & GM of US Automation Business at Siemens Digital Industries. We grab a virtual drink and kick the episode off with an interesting paradox – twenty years ago, the push was to automate humans out of processes. But today, we’re figuring out how to bring them back. Chris talks about where we’re heading now with AI – from reactive tools to proactive partners with the rise of agentic AI. He talks about how the new and improved era of AI can make adaptive manufacturing a reality – imagine having one line but with multiple configurations. Digital transformation is a big theme in this episode, but it’s not just about tools and technology. Chris highlights the role of people in the new age of manufacturing too. In this episode, find out: Chris explains the biggest changes since he’s been in the industry and why the focus has moved on from just ‘lean manufacturing’A breakdown of what adaptive manufacturing is and how it ties into automation and AIHow the lines are blurring between IT and manufacturing rolesHow AI could help to bring humans back into the loop – internal and external use casesAgentic AI vs. reactive tools like Copilot and how manufacturers can use AI agents in real examplesThe top lightbulb moments around AI and why data contextualization is how we move one step forward as an industryDifferent ways adaptive production methods are changing manufacturing processesHow adaptive production ties into the trends around reshoringWhy more manufacturers need to use digital twin technologyCurrent digital transformation trends and why it’s not just about the technology Enjoying 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 contextualization of data is extremely important. That's where the work's got to happen.”“Two decades ago, it was 'how can I take humans out of the loop?' Today it's 'how do I bring humans back in the loop?'”“There's a lot of digital transformation projects that fail, and it has nothing to do with the technology. It has everything to do with usability. Making sure that people like it and then how we implement it.” Links & mentions: Siemens Digital Industries, business platform that helps organizations digitally transform using software and hardware like digital twin technology 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.

    46 分钟
  2. 9月2日

    251: What is a Corporate Venture Studio? An Interview with Joel Reed, President of Premier Labs

    We just can’t stay away from Pittsburgh’s robotics scene! So we’re back, this time turning the spotlight on the business and startup angle with Premier Labs. Premier Labs is a corporate venture studio, a relatively new model that changes how technology comes to market. President Joel Reed joins the episode to give real examples and explanations about how a corporate venture studio works. In short, Premier Labs starts with real problems and works backward to create solutions that actually fit. Finding product-market fit is usually the biggest hump for new product companies to get over. But that’s only an issue if you start with the product first. Premier Labs’ approach starts with the problem first and then builds a solution and a company around that. Joel explains how this pretty much guarantees product-market fit, plus how businesses are already succeeding through Premier Labs.  In this episode, find out: Why Pittsburgh is the capital of robotics in the USHow Premier Labs is solving startup problems with its corporate venture studio modelThe product-market fit challenge and why the studio model basically eliminates itDifferences between service vs product-based companies and why Premier Labs decided to stay separate from the robotics companyReal examples of companies the studio has helped to support and growWhy Premier Labs is looking out for operational leaders rather than just tech founders to head up the new companiesHow Pittsburgh has been crucial to Premier’s successJoel tells us why he chose Premier Labs for the next stage of his career Enjoying 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: “There's this mentality called break-fix, which is when things break, we'll fix them. But we really can get ahead of that."“You get to learn a customer's problem before you actually start designing the solution.”“We validate that product-market fit, and then we look for people with credibility with the customers who might have some execution or operational experience to be able to build those companies.”  Links & mentions: Premier Automation, an industry leading engineered solutions company focused on providing best-in-class automation, drive, robotics, electrical control, and morePremier Labs, a corporate venture studio that creates purpose-built companies to solve business problems using automation, robotics and artificial intelligenceThe Abbey on Butler Street, a trendy, spacious cafe serving espresso, craft beer and cocktails, plus new American cuisine in Pittsburgh, PA’s Lawrenceville neighborhood 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.

    33 分钟
  3. 8月26日

    250: How to Uncover Your "Hidden Factory" and Extract More Value from the Plant Floor featuring Tri Tech Automation

    As manufacturers are under pressure to do more with less and somehow fill roles in an increasingly smaller talent pool, unlocking your “hidden factory” could be the solution. To celebrate episode 250, Chris Luecke returns home to St. Louis to meet with some of his early career mentors from Rockwell Automation – now heading up Tri Tech Automation. Ryan Williams, Director of Innovation and Solution Sales, Adam Ruebsam, President, and Luke Manier, Managing Director, sit down at Urban Chestnut Brewing Company for a trip down memory lane and a look forward to the future of manufacturing. The hidden factory concept is simple – how do we uncover the untapped potential in our existing resources? We talk about what that looks like for Tri Tech Automation and how they help customers find those new opportunities. Mentorship is a big theme in this conversation, so we discuss the importance of reaching out to the right people, whether you’re new in your career or want to try something different. Plus, we look at what we can learn from the Savannah Bananas baseball team (believe it or not, we could learn a thing or two from their customer-first approach). Cheers to 250 episodes and counting! In this episode, find out: We start with the most important question – what beer did everyone pick?Ryan, Adam, and Luke introduce themselves and Tri Tech Automation, and Chris reminisces with his mentors from his Rockwell Automation daysHow Tri Tech Automation focuses on helping customers right-size their tech and find new solutions from their existing resourcesWhat is a hidden factory and how do you unlock more potential from what you already have?The most common issues that manufacturers struggle withReal stories about what unlocking a hidden factory really looks likeHow Tri Tech Automation is focused on a three-year plan to unlock its own hidden factories within the workforce, tech, and processes How they’ve unlocked potential across two different locationsWhat manufacturers can learn from the Savannah BananasAdvice for young people getting into the industry and for those already in manufacturingWhy mentors are the biggest bonus to your manufacturing career Enjoying 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 “hidden factory” represents the untapped potential to do more in their operations with the resources that they have. It represents the invisible inefficiencies and unutilized capacity." - Luke"It's business value first and technology second. We have to right-size the technology... but we really need to start with the business outcomes." - Adam“Customers know they've got inefficiencies, but they can't quantify it without the data. So it starts with gathering on the front end and then analyzing the low-hanging fruit, where the biggest improvements are.” - Ryan Links & mentions: Tri Tech Automation, a full-service control systems integrator providing R&D, controls design, programming, fabrication, start-up, and commissioning based in St. Louis and TulsaEOS - Entrepreneurial Operating System, a complete set of real-world tools that help entrepreneurs get what they want from their businessa...

    51 分钟
  4. 8月19日 · 附赠内容

    BONUS: How is the Manufacturing Industry Doing Halfway through 2025? Recorded at Hexagon LIVE 2025

    What happens when you put five podcasters in a room together at one of the biggest events of the year for innovative industrial tech? A super broad view of what’s happening in the industry and what we’ve got to look forward to. Recorded live from Hexagon’s 2025 event, we welcomed four friends of Manufacturing Happy Hour, returning to the show to talk about the innovations we were most excited to see at the event. But for the main part of our conversation, we do a mid-year check-in on the industry to hear their thoughts of what we have in store in the future. Say hello to our panel: Jim Mayer – Founder of The Manufacturing Connector and Host of the Manufacturing Culture Podcast Nikki Gonzalez – Director of Business Development at Weintek USA plus Co-Founder and Host of the Automation Ladies podcast Mike Payne - President & Owner of Hill Manufacturing & Fabrication and Co-Host of MakingChips Nick Goellner - VP of Sales & Marketing at Hennig, and Co-Host of MakingChips Tune in to hear about 3D printed body parts, how scientists are turning ocean trash into surfboards, and how new mentor programs are revolutionizing how we train the next generation. We each take stock of what we’ve been seeing in the industry lately and why uncertainty isn’t dampening our optimism. While investing in new tech is naturally a big part of our conversation, we also widen the topic to investing in ourselves and our teams, highlighting the importance of relationships and staying true to company values. In this episode, find out: The tech that stood out the most to us at Hexagon’s 2025 eventA mid-year check-in: Jim, Nikki, Mike and Nick share their thoughts on manufacturing in 2025Why Jim’s optimistic about the industry and how technology adoption is fueling thatHow Mike’s balancing his optimism with concern over the access to capital challengeHow manufacturers can weather the storm in uncertain times (some lessons from COVID)What it means to invest in yourself as a manufacturer and company leader and why it’s about more than just adopting new techWhy you should overlook working on relationships and partnerships in the industryJim explains why we all need to reassess company values and make sure we’re staying true to what we believe in Enjoying 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: “Make sure everybody's looking at the same scoreboard. Train and coach your team to think like a business owner.” - Nick“Build the foundation on values and relationships. When one of those numbers changes, you work it out together.” – Nikki“The shops that adopt the new technologies will be the ones who really start to expand their capacity and workforce.”- Jim“All these solutions that are coming to market, whether it's hardware or software, help to fill that productivity gap. The concern that I have relates back to the current funding crisis with the MEP networks because if those grant dollars are going away, how do we adopt this stuff?” - Mike  Links & mentions: Manufacturing Culture Podcast, hosted by Jim Mayer, this podcast explores the culture of manufacturing with different manufacturing leaders The Manufacturing Connector, connecting manufacturers through training and storytelling, founded by Jima href="https://www.automationladies.io/" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

    28 分钟
  5. 8月12日

    249: Why Pittsburgh has been Successful Commercializing Robotics with Jennifer Apicella, Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Robotics Network

    Pittsburgh’s success in the robotics space didn’t happen overnight. It’s been over 40 years in the making, with education, business, and new innovations all coming together to make the city one of the big robotics hubs alongside Boston and San Francisco. The Pittsburgh Robotics Network has been a key player in that success, giving individuals, companies, and universities the opportunity to collaborate on projects and business opportunities. Executive Director, Jennifer Apicella, joins us on the podcast to give us a background on Pittsburgh’s industry and to share her take on the commercialization of robotics and automation. A key theme in this episode is how you don’t have to replicate the success of the big cities. Every place is different, and part of Pittsburgh’s success has been to lean into its unique strengths and industry challenges. In other words, you don’t need your city to become the next Silicon Valley to be successful.  In this episode, find out: A recap of the great bars, restaurants and bowling alleys we explored around PittsburghJennifer explains what the Pittsburgh Robotics Network does and how it’s helping to support new technology and industry growthSome background on why the Pittsburgh Robotics Network was started and built by the community it now representsHow the group measures success and why commercialization is key to developing technologies that solve real problemsHow other cities and regions can learn from what Pittsburgh has done without needing to copy the same formulaThe challenges of working in a non-profit in a for-profit industry and how Jennifer balances different prioritiesJennifer’s advice for becoming a better part of the local technology communityWhy the key to commercialization is about looking beyond the tech and focusing instead on problemsPlans and predictions for Pittsburgh’s industry in the next five years  Enjoying 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: "I think it's just really important that you stop being obsessed with the technology... rather than being inspired by the technology, be inspired by the problem that it's solving."“Like any kind of industrial revolution, this is going to be largely highly disruptive to all humans. Society is going to change. People are going to change, businesses are going to change. Are you on the right side of that change?”“Commercialization is key. The world is sitting by waiting to see what robotics and autonomy look like at scale. How do you take something and not need it to be custom-built?” Links & mentions: Pittsburgh Robotics Network, a community that connects more than 125 advanced technology companies across multiple industriesIndustrial Solutions Network, an interconnected group of manufacturing technology companies working on a common missionGrapperia Pittsburgh, a cocktail bar with a huge selection of speciality cocktails, grappa and amariUmami Izakaya, a Japanese restaurant and bar serving modern Asian cuisine in PittsburghArsenal Bowl, originally Arsenal Lanes, this bowling alley combines unique décor with live music and...

    49 分钟
  6. 8月5日 · 附赠内容

    The State of Robotics in 2025: Live from the Robotics Summit & Expo in Boston, MA

    What will it take to get humanoid robots out of the experimental phase and into our daily lives? A lot of us always dreamed of having our own C-3PO at the ready, but how close are we really? Well, it’s a little more complicated than simply getting them on a production line. If we want robots to make an appearance not just in the manufacturing space, but also in healthcare, construction, public spaces, and even at home, there’s a whole lot more work to do. In this episode, we bring you a two-part conversation, recorded live at the Robotics Summit & Expo in Boston. First up, Aaron Prather, Director of Robotics & Autonomous Systems Program at ASTM, sits down with Jake Hall, the Manufacturing Millennial, to talk about the number one important thing shaping robotics – safety standards. We talk about how safety standards have a long way to go and will need to look a bit different in different industries. Next, we speak to Spencer Krause, the President and CEO of SKA Robotics, about the best use cases for robots right now and where they could end up in the future. We look at healthcare and hospitals, mining and construction, and break down what will need to happen to increase robotics use and make it a buyer’s market one day. In this episode, find out: Aaron explains his work at ASTM and the importance of pairing standards with new technologyThe biggest hurdles to improving standards for humanoid robotsWhy we’ll need different standards for different scenarios if we want robots in the home, in healthcare, and industryThe most exciting use cases for humanoids and why there’s still a lot of work to do to make it feasible How interest in robotics is growing, as shown by increased talk outside of technical fields in social science, law, and moreSpencer explains his work at SKA Robotics and how robotics is evolvingWhere the biggest current use cases for robotics are nowHow robotics is branching out into industries like mining and constructionWhat will it take to push robot use in areas like healthcare from the current 3% in the USWhy safety, use, and productivity are the keys to making robotics a buyer’s market Enjoying 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: “More people will embrace the idea of robotics and look for those solutions, and ultimately that's what we need. We need more problem solvers at the table because not all of these are technical.” – Aaron Prather“In the last five years, what we've been able to see with the ability to run perception on the edge and some of these AI algorithms has been incredible.” – Spencer Krause”We're going to see more and more different types of niche surgical robots coming out in the hospital logistics space. That's a market that's only penetrated 3% of hospitals so far in the US. I think we'll see more of that.” – Spencer Krause Links & mentions: Robotics Summit & Expo, robotics convention that brings together over 5,000 developers focused on building robots for various industries including aerospace, defense, healthcare, and logisticsSKA Robotics, robotics hardware, software, and systems engineering developera...

    18 分钟
  7. 7月29日

    248: Reindustrialization and Building in the Midwest with Chris Nolte, Co-Founder of Bloom

    The reindustrialization movement is fully underway, and cities like Detroit are leading the charge. But how do we accelerate the timescale it takes to get America back to the ‘golden days’ of manufacturing? The key, as you’ll hear in this episode, isn’t to keep looking back at the past. It’s to use the tools and resources we have today with a healthy dose of industry collaboration. Joining this episode is Chris Nolte, Co-Founder of Bloom, an operations-as-a-service platform created in Detroit to help companies build, ship, and service products through a vetted network of service partners. You’ll hear a bit about Chris’ unique story as an Iraq war veteran who originally started in the business of selling electric bikes. But he noticed, as we all saw during COVID, that global supply chains are more delicate than we imagined. And that’s why reshoring and reindustrialization in the US is gaining more traction. Chris shares his thoughts on how the US can accelerate manufacturing by saying “yes” more often, taking advantage of new technology, and collaborating across industries. You’ll also hear about how Detroit’s industrial background is making a comeback and even drawing in talent from the coasts to bolster American manufacturing. In this episode, find out: A little history lesson of Detroit and how reindustrialization has revitalized the areaHow COVID changed the public’s perception of global supply chains and the need for a stronger industry in the USWhy Chris co-founded Bloom to help fill in some of the gaps needed for US manufacturers to thriveChris’ take on how “custom at scale” can become more feasible in the USHow Chris went from serving in the military to starting an e-bike company before starting BloomWhat’s holding back the US from becoming a manufacturing powerhouse like it was in the pastWhat the US can learn from China’s approach to manufacturing and why the US needs to say “yes” moreThe culture change that’s needed and why the next generation of workers is key to making that happenWhy we need to be open-minded and stop looking back at the past if we want to accelerate reindustrializationThe secrets behind Detroit’s resurgence in manufacturing and why the Midwest needs to shout out about its successes  Enjoying 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: “It's amazing that we're doing electric vehicles and solar panels and all these sorts of things, but if we're not making that stuff here, we're really missing the boat. We're missing so much of an opportunity.”“Don't get caught up in the past because the ingredients are very different today.”“Try to be open-minded because it's a very different world today and what we couldn't do yesterday, we potentially can do today and tomorrow because we have different resources.” Links & mentions: Bloom, an operations-as-a-service platform for hard tech innovatorsNewlab Detroit, a hub with state-of-the-art prototyping equipment, work spaces, and specially pitted pilot sitesEpisode 237 with Dr. John Liu of MIT, Manufacturing Happy Hour episode on how higher education is shaping the future of manufacturinga...

    55 分钟
  8. 7月22日

    247: Lessons from a Serial Entrepreneur: Mark DeSantis on Startups, Robotics, and Commercializing Tech

    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 ask Enjoying 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...

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关于

Welcome to Manufacturing Happy Hour, the podcast where we get real about the latest trends and technologies impacting modern manufacturers. Hosted by industry veteran Chris Luecke, each week, we interview makers, founders, and other manufacturing leaders that are at the top of their game and give you the tools, tactics, and strategies you need to take your career and your business to the next level. We go beyond the buzzwords and dissect real-life applications and success stories so that you can tackle your biggest manufacturing challenges and turn them into profitable opportunities. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

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