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Scott Roberts is the North American Regional Sales Manager for Bodycote’s S³P technologies, where he oversees the sales team and rep network responsible for bringing one of the most unique surface hardening processes to manufacturers across the country. The S³P family of treatments—including Kolsterising—uses low-temperature carbon diffusion to create exceptionally hard, wear-resistant surfaces while preserving the corrosion resistance that stainless steels and cobalt-chromium alloys are valued for.

Scott didn’t begin his career in materials science or engineering, yet he has built deep expertise in helping engineers and manufacturers solve hard problems related to wear, galling, friction, and component longevity. Through roles ranging from business development to market management, he has spent nearly 10 years guiding customers through when and why processes like Kolsterising offer a major performance advantage—and how they differ from more traditional hardening methods that can cause distortion, cracking, or loss of corrosion resistance.

Before joining Bodycote, Scott worked in metals sales for aerospace customers such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and GKN, giving him early insight into how demanding applications push material limits. He has since combined that application-level understanding with extensive real-world customer consulting, helping companies in medical devices, industrial equipment, energy, and beyond adopt surface-engineering solutions that extend component life and reduce failure rates.

Today Scott is a key voice in the growing conversation around advanced diffusion-based hardening technologies. His passion is teaching engineers what these processes can (and cannot) do, clarifying common misconceptions, and helping teams make smarter decisions about material selection and treatment—especially when performance requirements are mission-critical.

LINKS: 

Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-roberts-574aa94/

Guest website: https://www.bodycote.com/ 

Aaron Moncur, host

Download the Essential Guide to Designing Test Fixtures: https://pipelinemedialab.beehiiv.com/test-fixture

Subscribe to the show to get notified so you don't miss new episodes every Friday.

The Being An Engineer podcast is brought to you by Pipeline Design & Engineering. Pipeline partners with medical & other device engineering teams who need turnkey equipment such as cycle test machines, custom test fixtures, automation equipment, assembly jigs, inspection stations and more. You can find us on the web at www.teampipeline.us

Watch the show on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TeamPipelineus

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Scott Heimendinger is an engineer and inventor whose career spans business intelligence at Microsoft and IBM, to cutting-edge food-tech innovation. Early in his career he served as a program manager at Microsoft, then pivoted into culinary science, co-founding the pioneering sous-vide company Sansaire, which raised over $823 K via Kickstarter to make sous-vide accessible to home cooks.

He then moved into roles of increasing technical depth: at Modernist Cuisine he developed robotics, motion-control systems, microscopy, visual engineering and more; at Anova he led the development of the Anova Precision Oven — a home-focused combi-oven blending steam, air-flow and sensors. Today, with Seattle Ultrasonics, he’s tackling the humble chef’s knife: by embedding ultrasonic vibrations (over 40,000 Hz) and rigorous testing (including a robot-arm slicing experiment producing 100,000 data points) he’s redefining what it means to “cut better” in the kitchen.

For this episode we’ll dive into Scott’s journey bridging engineering and food, the technical story behind the ultrasonic knife (including prototyping, testing, failures and design iterations), and how a leader like him shepherds innovation from concept through to product launch. For engineers interested in product development, instrumentation, design-for-manufacturing and the crossover into consumer goods — this is one you won’t want to miss.

LINKS:

Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottheimendinger/

Guest website: https://seattleultrasonics.com/

Aaron Moncur, host

Download the Essential Guide to Designing Test Fixtures: https://pipelinemedialab.beehiiv.com/test-fixture

Subscribe to the show to get notified so you don't miss new episodes every Friday.

The Being An Engineer podcast is brought to you by Pipeline Design & Engineering. Pipeline partners with medical & other device engineering teams who need turnkey equipment such as cycle test machines, custom test fixtures, automation equipment, assembly jigs, inspection stations and more. You can find us on the web at www.teampipeline.us

Watch the show on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TeamPipelineus

Send us a text

In this short trailer, Pipeline Design & Engineering announces a new service we quietly piloted in 2025—and are officially opening up in 2026. 

Pipeline is a team of engineers who design and build custom machines, fixtures, and automation systems for manufacturers working on complex, real-world problems. Like most engineering teams, we rely heavily on custom machined parts—and over the years, we’ve developed a trusted overseas manufacturing supply chain to support our own work. 

This episode tells the story of how a single difficult-to-manufacture part led us to test that supply chain for select customers, how carefully we validated quality and lead times, and why we’re now confident offering this capability more broadly. 

What’s being announced: 

• Turnkey procurement of custom machined parts at pricing that significantly outperforms typical domestic shops 
• Strong quality, including tight-tolerance and difficult parts 
• Typical ~2-week lead times, with expedited options available case-by-case 
• Engineering-led DFM review, quality checks, and a single domestic point of contact 

If you’re sourcing custom machined parts and feeling pressure from pricing, lead times, or supplier reliability, this episode explains why Pipeline built this service—and who it’s best suited for. 

To learn more or see if your parts are a fit, reach out to Pipeline directly at teampipeline.us  

Subscribe to the show to get notified so you don't miss new episodes every Friday.

The Being An Engineer podcast is brought to you by Pipeline Design & Engineering. Pipeline partners with medical & other device engineering teams who need turnkey equipment such as cycle test machines, custom test fixtures, automation equipment, assembly jigs, inspection stations and more. You can find us on the web at www.teampipeline.us

Watch the show on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TeamPipelineus

Send us a text

Aaron Eden brings more than three decades of building, testing, and shipping practical innovation. At Intuit, he focuses on AI-driven process automation; partnering with product, operations, and analyst communities to eliminate manual toil and design customer-centric solutions at scale. His posts highlight ongoing hiring and growth around intelligent automation and a practitioner’s mindset toward measurable impact.

Before Intuit, Aaron co-founded Moves the Needle, where he helped Fortune-scale organizations adopt lean startup and design thinking behaviors. Through executive mentoring and enterprise programs, he guided leaders to shorten time-to-market and increase employee engagement while staying grounded in customer outcomes. He’s also held multiple roles inside Intuit’s broader innovation ecosystem, including Design for Delight leadership and talent initiatives aimed at spreading experimentation across the company. 

Outside of the enterprise, Aaron’s entrepreneurial streak shows up in community and advisory work. He co-leads the Artificial Intelligence Trailblazers meetup—an open community designed to make modern AI approachable—and frequently speaks on translating buzz into business results. He also mentors founders through Startup Tucson and participates in local panels like the University of Arizona’s “Technology for Good,” where he advocates for responsible, accessible AI.

If you’re an engineer or technical leader, you’ll appreciate Aaron’s bias toward running small, smart experiments, measuring what matters, and shipping value fast—principles he’s applied from customer care analytics to RPA/AI platforms. Expect a conversation rich with playbooks for automating high-variance processes, empowering analysts, and building an innovation culture that sticks.

LINKS:

Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaroneden/

Guest website: https://www.brainbridge.app/

Guest NPO: https://www.aitrailblazers.io/

Aaron Moncur, host

Download the Essential Guide to Designing Test Fixtures: https://pipelinemedialab.beehiiv.com/test-fixture

Subscribe to the show to get notified so you don't miss new episodes every Friday.

The Being An Engineer podcast is brought to you by Pipeline Design & Engineering. Pipeline partners with medical & other device engineering teams who need turnkey equipment such as cycle test machines, custom test fixtures, automation equipment, assembly jigs, inspection stations and more. You can find us on the web at www.teampipeline.us

Watch the show on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TeamPipelineus

Send us a text

Presented by Mike Landis, Director of Engineering at Pipeline Design & Engineering 

In this PDX Webinar, Mike Landis shares the practical project management framework Pipeline uses to manage engineering development projects, balancing budget, schedule, scope, and risk. 

The session includes a walkthrough of Pipeline’s engineering project budget and schedule tracking spreadsheet, refined over 20 years of real-world use. 

Register for the webinar here: 

https://www.thewave.engineer/store/product/35-practical-project-management-for-engineering-teams-webinar-with-mike-landis/ 

Subscribe to the show to get notified so you don't miss new episodes every Friday.

The Being An Engineer podcast is brought to you by Pipeline Design & Engineering. Pipeline partners with medical & other device engineering teams who need turnkey equipment such as cycle test machines, custom test fixtures, automation equipment, assembly jigs, inspection stations and more. You can find us on the web at www.teampipeline.us

Watch the show on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TeamPipelineus

Send us a text

This episode is a recording of a webinar with guest Chris Denney.

Watch the recording for free on The Wave.

Think your manufacturer keeps screwing up your circuit boards? The truth might be that the design itself is setting them up to fail.

In this webinar, we uncover the most common PCB design mistakes that frustrate manufacturers — and how engineers can prevent them.

This session is geared toward mechanical engineers who want to better understand how board layout and design choices impact manufacturability, communication, and cost. You’ll walk away knowing how to collaborate more effectively with your electrical counterparts and PCB manufacturers to avoid painful (and expensive) surprises down the line.

Electrical engineers will also benefit from real-world DFM insights and practical takeaways they can apply immediately.

Learn how to:

• Identify design choices that make PCB assembly harder than it needs to be
• Communicate more effectively with PCB vendors and electrical teammates
• Design in a way that reduces rework, waste, and frustration for everyone

Watch the recording for free on The Wave.

Download the Essential Guide to Designing Test Fixtures: https://pipelinemedialab.beehiiv.com/test-fixture

Subscribe to the show to get notified so you don't miss new episodes every Friday.

The Being An Engineer podcast is brought to you by Pipeline Design & Engineering. Pipeline partners with medical & other device engineering teams who need turnkey equipment such as cycle test machines, custom test fixtures, automation equipment, assembly jigs, inspection stations and more. You can find us on the web at www.teampipeline.us

Watch the show on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TeamPipelineus

Send us a text

This episode is a rerun.

Andrew and Lisa are Menlonians (team members at Menlo Innovations). They do things different there. And even though they develop software products, the processes they use are supremely applicable to developing hard goods products, as well. Join us as we discuss “the Menlo way” and paired work, kindergarten skills, storycards, and other methods of producing the right product, on budget, and on schedule.

Download the Essential Guide to Designing Test Fixtures: https://pipelinemedialab.beehiiv.com/test-fixture

Subscribe to the show to get notified so you don't miss new episodes every Friday.

The Being An Engineer podcast is brought to you by Pipeline Design & Engineering. Pipeline partners with medical & other device engineering teams who need turnkey equipment such as cycle test machines, custom test fixtures, automation equipment, assembly jigs, inspection stations and more. You can find us on the web at www.teampipeline.us

Watch the show on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TeamPipelineus

Send us a text

This episode is a rerun.

Rob Donley has a deep understanding of how engineering works. Kicking off his engineering career from a young age building RC cars and model rockets, he has provided design and leadership capabilities for many companies over the years, and brings to the table not just the ability to design something, but to understand the many facets that accompany development of a new product such as manufacturing, supply chain, financial strategy, and project management. 

Download the Essential Guide to Designing Test Fixtures: https://pipelinemedialab.beehiiv.com/test-fixture

Subscribe to the show to get notified so you don't miss new episodes every Friday.

The Being An Engineer podcast is brought to you by Pipeline Design & Engineering. Pipeline partners with medical & other device engineering teams who need turnkey equipment such as cycle test machines, custom test fixtures, automation equipment, assembly jigs, inspection stations and more. You can find us on the web at www.teampipeline.us

Watch the show on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TeamPipelineus

Send us a text

Join us on-site at Stryker as we explore the world of packaging engineering with Eric Richins, a packaging engineer with 10 years of experience in the industry. In this insightful interview, Eric discusses the various aspects of packaging from primary to tertiary, highlighting the importance of packaging in maintaining product sterility and efficiency in production. He shares intriguing details about the automation of packaging processes, the regulatory challenges faced, and the critical role packaging plays in the medical device industry. Eric offers a behind-the-scenes look at the complexities of packaging engineering and what it takes to ensure seamless operations. Tune in to learn about the nuances of this often-overlooked field and the unique skills required to excel in it.

Aaron Moncur, host

Subscribe to the show to get notified so you don't miss new episodes every Friday.

The Being An Engineer podcast is brought to you by Pipeline Design & Engineering. Pipeline partners with medical & other device engineering teams who need turnkey equipment such as cycle test machines, custom test fixtures, automation equipment, assembly jigs, inspection stations and more. You can find us on the web at www.teampipeline.us

Watch the show on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TeamPipelineus

Send us a text

In this special format-breaking episode of the Being An Engineer podcast, Aaron and Brad sit down together—no guest, no script—to talk through an issue almost every engineer has bumped into at some point: the slow erosion of professional communication.

The conversation starts with a LinkedIn post Brad wrote after experiencing repeated ghosting during his job search—even after multi-hour onsite interviews and commitments from hiring managers. That sparks a broader discussion about the shifting expectations around communication in today’s workforce, how different generations approach feedback and follow-through, and what’s driving the breakdown of mutual respect between candidates, companies, vendors, and customers.

Aaron shares stories from his 16 years running Pipeline Design & Engineering, including how silence from prospective clients affects small engineering firms and why reciprocity is essential for trust in any business relationship. The two also talk openly about dealing with ambiguity, stress, and the pressure for instant answers in a world where patience is becoming rare.

This episode explores:

·         Why ghosting is becoming normalized—and why it shouldn’t be

·         How feedback and clarity can drastically change hiring experiences

·         The role of generational differences in communication styles

·         How ambiguity affects engineers and leaders at every level

·         Practical frameworks for reducing stress and strengthening trust

·         Why “say what you’re going to do, then do it” still matters

·         A challenge to listeners to help rebuild professional respect, one small action at a time

Aaron and Brad wrap up with a call to action: if you’re ever in a position to choose—whether selecting candidates, vendors, or partners—take the minute to close the loop. Be the change you want to see in the industry.

Let us know what you think of this new conversational format, what topics you’d like us to tackle next, or whether we should stick to the classic interview style. Drop us a note on LinkedIn, on The Wave, or at [email protected].

LINKS:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/pipeline-media-lab/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/pipelinedesign/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradhirayama/

Aaron Moncur, host

Download the Essential Guide to Designing Test Fixtures: https://pipelinemedialab.beehiiv.com/test-fixture

Subscribe to the show to get notified so you don't miss new episodes every Friday.

The Being An Engineer podcast is brought to you by Pipeline Design & Engineering. Pipeline partners with medical & other device engineering teams who need turnkey equipment such as cycle test machines, custom test fixtures, automation equipment, assembly jigs, inspection stations and more. You can find us on the web at www.teampipeline.us

Watch the show on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TeamPipelineus