If your coffee maker can be “smart,” imagine what an entire factory can do.

In this episode of Manufacturing Runs The World, host Justin Schnor sits down with Travis Cox, Chief Technology Evangelist at Inductive Automation, to reveal how the systems behind modern manufacturing actually think, move, and learn.

Travis helped build Ignition, the platform used by thousands of factories—and yes, even theme-park dinosaurs—to bring machines to life. From buttons and sensors to data and decision-making, he explains how human creativity and machine logic are shaping the future of how things get made.

🏭 What You’ll Learn (in plain English)

1. How machines “talk”• Every machine has a remote, a brain, and a control room view.• The remote (HMI) is the touchscreen that operators use to run the machine.• The brain (PLC) reads sensors, makes decisions, and keeps things safe.• The control room view (SCADA) ties everything together so teams can see the whole factory in one glance.
2. Why culture matters more than techA lot of factories aren’t stuck because of outdated machines—they’re stuck because of fear of change. Travis explains how leadership, small pilot wins, and teamwork between factory and office tech teams are what actually push automation forward.
3. The new education revolutionTravis and his team help 270+ schools worldwide teach hands-on skills with free licenses and real-world projects—students building robots, wiring sensors, and designing interfaces before they even graduate. Makerspaces, community colleges, and universities are now the new talent pipeline for the next industrial era.
4. The wildest use case everWhen an Australian company used Ignition to choreograph animatronic dinosaurs for Jurassic World and Universal Studios, Travis realized automation had officially gone cinematic. Those same control systems move robot arms, conveyors, and yes—giant mechanical raptors.
5. What’s next for Industry 4.0 (and 5.0)Travis keeps it real: “Most factories haven’t finished Industry 3.0.” But he also points to the growing momentum—federal investment in smart manufacturing, open data standards, and a push for interoperability—that’s accelerating progress. The future isn’t about buzzwords; it’s about connecting people, processes, and purpose.

💬 Why This MattersFactories aren’t cold, robotic places—they’re living systems powered by humans who think like engineers and creators.Automation doesn’t replace people; it amplifies them.It lets someone on the floor see a problem faster, solve it safer, and make the next product better.This conversation connects everyday experiences—like your smart home or the theme park animatronic you’ve seen up close—to the hidden world of industrial automation that powers nearly everything around us.⏱️ Chapters00:00 — What Industry 5.0 really means01:30 — Travis’s origin story at Inductive Automation03:00 — How factories talk: remote, brain, control room06:00 — Why education is the secret to closing the skills gap08:15 — How culture—not tech—holds manufacturers back10:00 — The animatronic dinosaur story12:30 — The push toward open standards and smart manufacturing14:00 — How to prepare for the next generation of industrial jobs🗣️ Join the ConversationWhat’s the coolest thing you’ve ever seen a machine do?Comment below—and if you’ve toured a factory or worked with automation, share your story! We feature the best replies in future shorts.🎙️ About the ShowManufacturing Runs The World uses real stories to teach how modern engineering and manufacturing shape our everyday lives. Hosted by Justin Schnor, each episode reveals the human side of the machines—from garage inventors to automation pioneers.🎧 Listen on Spotify, YouTube & Apple Podcasts💡 Sponsored by Ellison Technologies & GSC 3Dhttps://elliscontechnologies.com

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