ROI - Return on Investment - pre-pandemic vs post-pandemic. How ROI looked before the pandemic is completely different in a post-pandemic world. Does your perspective on ROI need to change as well? Traditionally, the focus for production engineering was to increase production. Automation was trying to increase production which meant getting more out of the line without adding people. And, in some unfortunate instances, there were times where it reduced the number of associates. Increasing...

Doom and gloom. Enough of that - this episode is all about successes! Listen to hear how manufacturers can use automation (and sometimes not) to overcome and succeed in a competitive market when labor can be difficult to find. elliTek's Engineers have been asked about some interesting things lately that could benefit you. Anti-air? Listen to learn what it is, why it's important, and what manufacturers can do about it. Do you remember Brandon's Brandology about the 4 reasons to automate?...

Labor shortages can be seen in nearly every industry. In manufacturing, frustration is rising because factories are seeing huge demands but are unable to take full advantage. WHY? Join us as we explore some of the reasons. Including why the labor shortages happening today are different than in the past. Why is the demand for blue-collar and manual services workers increasing? What factors are contributing to the massive drop in corporate profits, especially in manufacturing? It isn't all...

What happened with Colonial Pipeline and could it have been prevented? This episode isn't a dig at Colonial Pipeline. It's a cautionary tale for businesses, and their cybersecurity preparedness efforts. The reason Colonial shut down their pipeline was they were uncertain. They were unsure what systems were going to be affected over and above the accounting systems. They lacked confidence in the separation of their Business/IT Networks and their Operational Technology (OT)...

This is a HOT topic -- Condition Monitoring (CM).  Brandon pierces through the sales and marketing fodder to expose some really cool stuff. Sales and marketing would have you monitor just temperature and vibration. But wait, there's more! Remember the refrigerator analogy? What indicators are really enough? Manufacturers are developing some fantastic capabilities for sensors that allow users to grab data without being invasive. We call it the EKG method. Condition monitoring sensors are a...

When you think of motors, do you think of a spinning shaft for running things like the fan in an air conditioner or an exhaust fan?  What happens if something needs to move in a linear fashion?   Motors are more than rotation.  This episode is about motion control, rotary and linear motion. You'll learn about the types of rotary motors:  stepper motors and servo motors.  You'll learn how stepper and servo motors are constructed, the applications suitable for each, and the advantages, as...

Menial tasks are those repetitive, tedious, or dangerous tasks that a robot is capable of doing freeing up time for associates to focus on high-value-added tasks. The types of robots used to automate applications can be different and sometimes confusing, so we're breaking it all down for in this episode. Please join us as we explore collaborative robots, also called cobots.  You'll hear the differences between an industrial robot and a collaborative robot.  As well as: What makes a cobot...

Have you been seeing the phrase Robotic Process Automation lately? Well, you're not alone. This episode we learn about Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and some of the misconceptions surrounding RPA.

To celebrate National Women's History Month, this episode is dedicated to the countless women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math who have blazed a trail for women in STEM today. Allison Burris, Sales Engineer with elliTek, took time out of her busy schedule to talk with us about being a woman in a predominantly male career.

Making Robots ~ Building Leaders, Gracious Professionalism, and Coopetition are just a few terms you'll hear during this episode. Morgan Everett, Lead Mentor with Red Nation Robotics, is our special guest! More than just robots and more than a student run enterprise, FIRST® Robotics & Red Nation Robotics has it all. Listen to learn what our future leaders are doing and how you can help.

This episode is dedicated to the Edge - Edge Computing that is. Listen to learn all about Edge Computing. What is the Edge? Where is the Edge? What's the big deal?

Safety of employees is a top priority for plant managers. In addition to the countless aspects that represent safety risks throughout a facility, the total cost of serious workplace injures exceeds over $1 billion per week according to the 2020 Workplace Safety Index. This is HUGE, so we brought in a safety expert to get the low-down. Dave Rice is the Territory Sales Manager with Datalogic's Sensors & Safety Division. Dave has been in safety product sales for more than a decade -- Dave...

Additive Manufacturing or 3D printing is bringing new perspectives to manufacturing, so we have a special guest, Matthew Stuckey, to bring us his fresh, new perspectives on the subject. Matthew is studying Mechanical Engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and is well versed in Additive Manufacturing. Matthew interned at elliTek over the summer and is currently working with us when he isn't in class. After listening to this episode, you will know what Additive Manufacturing...

What is the new FDA proposed FSMA Rule on food traceability? What foods need additional recordkeeping? What are Critical Tracking Events and Key Data Elements? How can affected businesses comply? It isn't all doom and gloom, there are solutions that can help businesses navigate these proposed traceability rules which we discuss along with the ISO 22005 traceability standards.

This is a fun season wrap up where we're reviewing our previous Industrial Automation podcasts and looking ahead to 2021. What can manufacturers anticipate for 2021?

This episode of Industrial Automation - It Doesn't Have To... Be Unpredictable, we're talking with Keary Donovan, owner of Pathways 7. Keary has published a white paper titled "3 KPI Considerations for Maintenance and OEE." We delve into Keary's paper and uncover interdepartmental conflicts for which there is a resolution.

Gratitude and Thankfulness! During this episode, talk about IoT Based Projects, Smart Assembly Pack Out Systems, Material Handling & Management, and Automated Robotic Handling. Stick around to hear the four reasons to automate according to Brandon's Brandology.

elliTek's mission is to empower our clients. That's what this podcast is all about - empowering manufacturers, hopefully learn a thing or two, and have some fun. We encourage you to listen - rate - review - subscribe!

Perceptions can have a negative effect in life and in manufacturing. That's why it's important to focus on the data. You'll hear about the important KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) used in manufacturing and why they're important. Stick around to the end to hear why controls guys shouldn't fear the databases.

During this episode, we're talking industrial robots. You'll learn the types of robots and how they're used in manufacturing.

Manufacturing is one of the most targeted verticals for cyberattacks. Listen to learn how cyberattacks have evolved, the vectors that can infect systems, how manufacturers can still connect their systems and remain secure, and steps that can be implemented immediately.

We're talking Industrial IoT. What is IIoT? What's the difference between Digitalization and Digitization? What's MES? What about OPC? How does elliTek do IIoT where others fall short? Listen to learn about the trick!

This is the first in a series of talking all things Industrial Automation - and that it doesn't have to... In this episode, be engineered.