EECO Asks Why Podcast

If you want to hear a hero story about the American dream listen to Bobby Cole's story and you will be inspired.  Bobby has an innate nature to help people and has coupled that drive with his love of technology and built an amazing business that supports industry daily.  The advice he shares for others wanting to enter industry is golden.  He shares how important it is to learn skills outside of your field of study, develop your soft skills and always surround yourself with good people.

Bobby has taught at a local community college for years and loves the see the light bulb come on when he's teaching the next generation of industry leaders.  He uses real world experiences to highlight what is possible and how technology really makes an impact in the real world. 

Bobby gives us a peak inside to what he enjoys outside of his career.  He's an avid musician and loves to play the drums whenever he can.  He's an avid motocross rider and loves to suit up and hit the trail to escape it all.   At the end of the day he has a heart for serving others and his passion aligns perfection with his talents which makes for a powerful combination.  Bobby is hands down our hero and after hearing about his amazing journey we know he'll become your hero as well.

Guest: Bobby Cole - President at Think PLC
Host: Chris Grainger
Executive Producer: Adam Sheets
Video Editing: Andi Thrower

Resources:
Green Lights
Death By Meetings
Gift of Struggle
Think PLC LinkedIn Page
Think PLC Website 

In this special idea episode Hussain Al-Khalaf gives us a peek behind the curtain of the fascinating world of the pulp and paper industry.  Hussain is a Capital Electrical Project Manager at International Paper in Savannah, Georgia and is on the front lines of this exciting industry.  For those that may be new to this industry Hussain explains that the focus on projects in the future center around improving efficiencies, environmental friendliness and balancing capacity for future market demands.

He gives a unique perspective on how the industry has embraced technology and looks for ways to utilize data to continue driving improvements.  The industry does a phenomenal job of learning from each other and uses consultation approaches from sister mills to build upon and execute projects with success in the future.  The pulp and paper industry is a science and embracing evolutions in technology keeps it as a frontline leader in the US.

Hussain's advice for those wanting to pursue a career in the pulp/paper industry is golden.  From healthy work life balance to the opportunity to make a difference in the world this industry offers it all.  This is an exclusive look inside a industry that has made and will continue to make a huge impact on peoples lives!   

Guest: Hussain Al-Khalaf -
Capital Electrical Project Manager at International Paper
Host: Chris Grainger
Executive Producer: Adam Sheets
Audio/Video Editing: Andi Thrower

International Paper

Nirpal Sihota has an amazing journey and has impacted so many throughout his career.  He is a first-generation Asian Indian and always embraced the learn on your own mindset.  After time at Cal Poly, he served industry in roles at Siemens as an integrator before coming to Rockwell in 2011.  He speaks to how connected the industry is and the impact that technology is having as companies grow in the future.  Items such as artificial intelligence and analytics are areas that Nirpal expands on as the impact is being felt daily.

How people are getting work done now is something that excites Nirpal greatly.  He gets to see the front line of the most advanced changes in technology in industry and shares some of his passion around helping others solve industries' most complex problems. Learning from others within your organization is advice that he shares and one that he sees getting overlooked regularly.  Companies out there have extremely talented people willing to help others but each person has to take the initiative to ask the questions to learn and grow.

Nirpal shares about his amazing family in California and his passion for sports including basketball and most recently golf.  His "why" hits home as he is driven to help others be the best version of themselves and that shows the heart and character of our hero!

Guest: Nirpal Sihota - Director of Industry Sales at Rockwell Automation
Host: Chris Grainger
Executive Producer: Adam Sheets

When you think about Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), it's really about creating a digital model to represent physical processes. Brandon Mendoza is an expert in helping manufacturers realize the benefits of cutting edge advances for industry and explores these exciting concepts.  Brandon shares that the end goal for manufacturers is to drive optimization, predict outcomes and prescribe the best action to deliver the best results.  He unpacks how much data is available now for manufacturers and gives practical advice on how to being utilizing available information to improve processes.

Areas such as quality, performance, utilization, workforce production and overall operation agility are all areas that Brandon covers to showcase how ML/AI can be incorporated to drive results.  For those getting started with these initiatives he suggests avoiding common entry areas such as predictive maintenance and focus on performance and quality.

At the end of the day Brandon explains that ML and AI are all about helping teams make better and faster decisions.  The ability to do that is evolving fast and driving tremendous value for industry.   This episode is jammed packed with knowledge and insight to help those in manufacturing realize what is possible with the right team and data behind you!

Guest:  Brandon Mendoza - Director of Sales at Oden Technologies
Host: Chris Grainger
Executive Producer: Adam Sheets
Audio/Video Editing: Andi Thrower

Oden Technologies
Smart Manufacturing: Moving from Static to Dynamic Manufacturing Operations

Helping people and solving complex problems drives our hero Jim Wertz.  As the leader of Altavista Instruments and Controls (AIC) he gets to live out this passion every day.  Jim discovered at an early age his passion for engineering and shares about his experiences through industry that is sure to inspire others.  He has am amazing story about a controller at a steel facility.  Imagine getting a call late on Friday with a mill down and in a panic.  He chose to embrace that challenge and through sheer determination was able to fix the equipment and get the mill running on Monday morning. 

It's stories like this and many other examples that makes Jim and the AIC team heroes. Jim also has a passion for helping the next generation of engineers and shares his experience working with his daughters beta team and their success as they won back to back championships! 

Jim is happiest when he's helping others get out of a jam and has been able to lead AIC to achieve tremendous success.  He shares about his passion for family outside of work and how much he enjoys hitting the trails on his horses or jeeps (all weather dependent!).

We are blessed that Jim shared his story with us and encourage those that are in industry or considering such a path to hear the wonderful wisdom that Jim Wertz provides.  He is definitely our hero!

Guest:  Jim Wertz - President / Sr. Electrical Engineer at Altavista Instruments & Controls
Host: Chris Grainger
Executive Producer: Adam Sheets
Audio/Video Editing: Andi Thrower

Altatvista Instruments & Control

With so much focus on IIoT, Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing sometimes technology such as power monitoring gets left behind.  Mike Rathbun is an expert in this area and unpacks the idea to help envision how a better understanding of power can create more reliable and profitable business operations. Mike walks through how to begin a power monitoring journey and the importance of establishing a solid network infrastructure that will manage the data.

He addresses the question that most industrial users ask - what is the system going to do for me?  He explores the power behind understanding power consumption and loading.  By having a firm grasp of these areas industries have the ability to adjust operations and processes to take greater control of their utility costs!

Power Factor plaguing your plant?  Mike explains ways to understand this concept deeper and action you can take to avoid those penalties.  The advice Mike provides at the end is small.  As in any IIoT or Industry 4.0 project with power monitoring the best plan of action is to start small.  One meter could be all it takes to build the team of advocates at your facility to begin moving towards a full-blown power monitoring system.  Savor each win and stay focused on understanding the exciting world of power that is at your fingertips!

Guest: Mike Rathbun - Power & Control Solution Architecture Manager at EECO.
Host: Chris Grainger
Executive Producer: Adam Sheets
Audio Engineer: Luke Yntema

Resources:
What is Power Monitoring
How to Start Power Monitoring
Power Terminology

Our hero Chung-Chee Tai shared his story and it was an absolute treat.  When he decided to pursue engineering he chose Iowa State University.  Believe it or not coming straight from Asia and not speaking English wasn't the biggest culture shock for him.  The winters in Iowa was a completely different story!  Chung-Chee is full of life and was one of the most fun guests ever on EECO Asks Why.

Chung-Chee shares what young engineers should embrace to grow their careers by not drawing a box around yourself.  He fully embraces mentoring young engineers and is intentional about investing time in others.  Every two weeks he sits down and coaches these individuals and loves to help others achieve their goals. 

Chung-Chee has many passions outside of work and shares about his amazing family.  He's an avid runner and loves to play music as often as possible.  He enjoys playing piano and even taught himself drums.  Cello is next on his list and we're sure he'll master that!   He loves visiting national parks and has visited 13 so far (50 to go and we're certain he'll hit that goal).  His why sums up this conversation perfectly - he wants to know the unknown.

We are delighted to share this hero conversation with the EECO Asks Why listeners and are humbled for the time Chung-Chee devoted to share his amazing story.

Guest: Chung-Chee Tai - VP Engineering at BluePrint Automation
Host: Chris Grainger
Executive Producer: Adam Sheets
Video Editing: Andi Thrower

Resources for BluePrint Automation:
Facebook Page
LinkedIn Page
Twitter Account
YouTube Channel

Understanding variable frequency drives (VFD's) can be difficult and in this episode Chase Boehlke does a fantastic job of breaking down this technology.  He shares the general design differences in a VFD and other motor starting devices.  Understanding variable and constant torque applications are areas that Chase unpacks.  Ever heard of an IGBT? Chase's explanation of that technology is sure to clear the air.

When it comes to applications the selection process can be complex to ensure the right VFD solution is selected to meet the required operation.  Chase reviews several applications that are common to industry to help listeners understand some of the variables that need to be considered before investing time and resources to ensure success.

This episode is full of nuggets to help the industrial end user make more informed decisions with VFD technology.  Other areas such as heat, control, coordinated systems, reactors and multi-motor applications are all topics reviewed. 

Guest: Chase Boehlke - Motion Control at Siemens
Host: Chris Grainger
Executive Producer: Adam Sheets

Additional Resources: EECOonline.com
How to Select Between a Soft Starter and VFD
What to consider with a VFD Startup
What is a VFD

What drives our hero Greg Paulsen is the opportunity to build a better tomorrow.  As the Director of Application Engineering at Xometry Greg leads innovation and has a passion for aligning client needs to the providers with expertise to meet the necessary requirements.  His passion for industry is contagious and he shared how he was able to fine tune his communication skills as a wine educator during his days at James Madison University.

Greg speaks to the importance of work ethic for the next generation of industry leaders.  He also makes a unique tie to people who have served in the hospitality industry and what that teaches you in order to be able to work with others.  While these experiences are beneficial he encourages others to stay focused on humility throughout their careers.

Greg is a new dad and shares a lot about his family and his passions outside of work.  For those watching on YouTube you'll have the opportunity to meet Greg's home work partner - Cocoa the cat wanted to be featured on this episode and made his presence known.  We are grateful for Greg taking the time to share his story and after hearing his story you'll quickly see why he is one of our heroes.

Guest:  Greg Paulsen - Director of Application Engineering at Xometry
Host: Chris Grainger
Executive Producer: Adam Sheets
Audio/Video Editing: Andi Thrower

Check out Xometry's 3D printing service and CNC machining service today. 

So how do you market to engineers in a meaningful way?  

Wendy Covey is the expert in this area and literally wrote the book to help bridge the gap. In this exciting episode Wendy unpacks what content marketing is and discusses how to conduct it effectively to help engineers and industry get better. She also covers the importance of brand and overall strategy that can be impactful in helping others get on the right track. 

Most people have heard the term of being sticky with material but what really matters to the leaders in industry these days? In Wendy's eyes it about creating content that provides meaningful and dependable information. Something that sets you up as the expert in that space. Not having the right strategy can hurt companies that are trying to grow and by following Wendy's advice many of the common headwinds can be avoided.

For the listeners that want to help engineers grow and support them in achieving their goals this conversation is a gold mine of information. Wendy has a great way of painting practical steps anyone can take to truly make an impact in the exciting world of engineering.

Guest:  Wendy Covey - CEO & Co-Founder at TREW Marketing
Host: Chris Grainger
Executive Producer: Adam Sheets
Audio/Video Editing: Andi Thrower

Resources:
TREW Marketing on LinkedIn
TREW Marketing Website
Content Marketing, Engineered (This is a MUST have in your library!)