Most engineering mistakes in manufacturing don’t look serious at first — but they quickly turn into rework, production delays, and lost shop time on the factory floor. In this episode of Manufacturing Runs The World, we break down how one hour of rushed engineering work can realistically turn into 20 hours of manufacturing rework.

We sit down with Matthew Gettle, Mechanical Design Engineer at Reading Bakery Systems, to explain why designs that look perfect in CAD often fail in real-world manufacturing environments. Matthew shares how rushed decisions, missed details, and lack of shop-floor feedback quietly destroy manufacturing efficiency, quality, and trust between engineers and technicians.

This conversation dives into the real friction between engineering teams and the assembly floor. From food-grade sanitary design and safety standards to custom machinery and operator usability, Matthew explains why good manufacturing engineering requires more than equations — it requires real-world awareness.

If you are an engineer, designer, manufacturing leader, or student entering the manufacturing industry, this episode will change how you think about design responsibility, time management, and the real cost of engineering decisions on the shop floor.

Manufacturing Runs The World exists to challenge the idea that manufacturing is dirty, boring, or dying — and to show why modern manufacturing is technical, precise, and more important than ever.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Why engineering mistakes cost more than you think

00:09 One hour of engineering equals ten hours of shop time

00:17 Why designs that work on a computer fail in real life

00:35 What a mechanical design engineer actually does

00:54 The hidden challenges of food-grade machinery design

01:24 Balancing sanitation, safety, and complexity

01:56 Designing for real people, not just machines

02:30 The biggest mistake engineers make early in their careers

03:04 Why shop-floor experience matters more than equations

03:36 Earning trust from machinists and technicians

04:18 Why feedback loops save time and money

05:10 Reducing design time without sacrificing quality

06:02 Preventing new engineers from making costly mistakes

07:21 How better components improve machine performance

08:00 Designing machines that actually work for operators

08:48 Why multiple design reviews are non-negotiable

09:49 Advice for future engineers entering manufacturing

10:31 The 20-hour lesson every engineer must learn

🙏 Thank You to Our Sponsors

Ellison Technologies

Ellison Technologies empowers manufacturers with advanced CNC machines, automation, and expert support — helping shops work smarter, faster, and more competitively.

https://ellisontechnologies.com

GSC – 3D & Automation

A leading reseller of SOLIDWORKS CAD software and Markforged industrial 3D printers, empowering engineers with cutting-edge design, simulation, and additive manufacturing tools.

https://gsc-3d.com

Your support helps keep conversations about manufacturing, engineering, and leadership alive.What part of the engineering process do you think causes the most rework in manufacturing today?

Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Most people think manufacturing is dirty, boring, or dying — but modern automation is doing something far more powerful: improving quality, reducing fatigue, preventing defects, and helping build products that people rely on to stay healthy.

In this episode of Manufacturing Runs The World, we sit down with Jeff Buck, Co-President of Automation NTH (Automation to the Nth Degree) — a U.S.-based industrial automation systems integrator with operations in Tennessee and California. Jeff shares leadership with Greg Young, blending deep technical execution with business operations to help manufacturers deploy automation that works long-term — not just impressive machines, but systems that can be operated, maintained, improved, and scaled.

Jeff explains where automation delivers the biggest return: areas with quality fallout. When manual processes lead to scrap, rejects, inconsistency, inspection fatigue, and ergonomic strain, automation becomes a strategic advantage. Certain manufacturing processes simply cannot be done manually with the accuracy, repeatability, and consistency required, especially at scale.

Automation NTH specializes in high-precision discrete automation. A part comes in, gets fixtured, processed, assembled, and inspected using PLC programming, HMI systems, industrial robotics, machine vision, and AI vision technology. Jeff breaks down how automation has evolved over time — shifting from mostly mechanical systems to software-driven, data-rich, sensor-based automation that powers today’s smart factories.

You’ll also hear what’s shaping the future of manufacturing right now:

• AI vision systems for inspection and defect detection
• Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) moving product across plant floors
• Predictive maintenance using vibration, motor current, and temperature data
• Operator and technician training for long-term automation success
• Manufacturing data analytics to improve throughput and reduce downtime

If you’re a manufacturer trying to compete globally, this is the reality: the “money-printing machine” has to keep running. The winners are the ones who use automation, robotics, AI, and data to improve quality, reduce waste, protect workers, and scale reliably.

⏱️ CHAPTERS (12 MOST ENGAGING & RETENTION-DRIVEN)

00:00 – Automation That Can Literally Save Lives

00:19 – Fixing the Biggest Manufacturing Misconceptions

00:46 – Why It’s Called “Automation to the Nth Degree”

01:40 – From Control Systems to Turnkey Automation

02:26 – Why Software & Controls Overtook Mechanical Systems

03:25 – What High-Precision Discrete Automation Really Is

04:05 – Automation in Medical & Life-Science Manufacturing

04:43 – Training Teams for Long-Term Automation Success

05:21 – AI Vision, AMRs & What’s Hot in Automation

06:06 – Predictive Maintenance & Preventing Downtime

07:23 – Does Automation Replace Jobs or Elevate Them?

09:29 – The Most Mind-Blowing Products Automation Builds

🙏 Thank You to Our SponsorsA big thank you to our sponsors for supporting Manufacturing Runs the World and helping us share real stories from the factory floor.

Ellison Technologies

Ellison Technologies empowers manufacturers with advanced CNC machines, automation, and expert support—helping shops work smarter, faster, and more competitively.

👉 https://ellisontechnologies.com

GSC – 3D & Automation

A leading reseller of SOLIDWORKS® CAD software and MarkForged® industrial 3D printers, empowering engineers with cutting-edge design, simulation, and additive manufacturing tools.

👉 https://gsc-3d.com

Where do you see automation creating the biggest impact in your operation — quality, safety, uptime, or workforce development?

👇 Share your thoughts in the comments below.

When a critical machine fails, production doesn’t slow down — it stops.Every minute of downtime can cost thousands, derail schedules, and threaten entire operations. So how do manufacturers keep massive machines running when replacement parts take months… or no longer exist at all?In this episode of Manufacturing Runs the World, we break down how modern manufacturers avoid catastrophic downtime by solving problems on site, under pressure, and often with no room for failure.Our guest is Cody Reeves, a Mechanical and Sales Engineer at Devitt Machinery Co.. Based in Aston, Pennsylvania, Devitt Machinery specializes in precision machine tool repair materials and services, including Moglice® and DWH® products. Cody works directly with engineers, machinists, and plant leaders to restore accuracy, rigidity, and reliability in critical machine tools — often in situations where downtime simply isn’t an option.In this conversation, Cody shares real-world shop-floor stories that reveal what modern manufacturing actually looks like today:

• A “temporary” fix applied in 2016 that is still running
• Why waiting months for OEM replacement parts can destroy operations
• How on-site repair techniques can reduce downtime from months to days
• Why precision repairs matter more than cosmetic fixes
• How modern manufacturing blends engineering, machining, and problem-solving

We also explore why manufacturing still suffers from outdated stereotypes — and why that perception couldn’t be further from reality. Today’s manufacturing is highly technical, deeply engineering-driven, and increasingly clean, digital, and innovative.From aerospace and steel mills to space-related applications supporting companies like Blue Origin and SpaceX suppliers, this episode highlights how modern manufacturers think differently when failure is not an option.This isn’t theory.This isn’t a sales pitch.This is real manufacturing — solving real problems, in real time.CHAPTERS00:00 A “temporary” fix that’s still running today00:18 Why manufacturing isn’t dirty, boring, or dying01:11 Breaking outdated factory stereotypes01:47 Engineers vs machinists — where breakdowns begin02:34 Inside machine tool repair and way liner systems03:23 On-site repairs that minimize downtime03:56 Why OEM timelines don’t work in reality05:03 Engineering and sales on the shop floor06:43 Emergency calls that save production lines07:50 The repair that avoided a year-long shutdown09:13 Precision shimming and restoring worn components11:05 From machine tools to space simulation systems🙏 Thank You to Our SponsorsA big thank you to our sponsors for supporting Manufacturing Runs the World and helping us share real stories from the factory floor.Ellison TechnologiesEllison Technologies empowers manufacturers with advanced CNC machines, automation, and expert support—helping shops work smarter, faster, and more competitively.👉 https://ellisontechnologies.comGSC 3DA leading reseller of SOLIDWORKS® CAD software and Markforged® industrial 3D printers, empowering engineers with cutting-edge design, simulation, and additive manufacturing tools.👉 https://gsc-3d.comYour support helps keep these conversations about manufacturing, engineering, and leadership alive.Engagement QuestionWhat’s the most creative or unexpected fix you’ve seen keep a critical machine running — and how much downtime did it save?Share your experience in the comments below.

Think manufacturing is dirty, dangerous, and outdated? Think again. The reality inside modern factories is very different from the myths most people still believe.In this episode of Manufacturing Runs the World, we sit down with Anthony Reiter, Chief Finance Officer of Reiter Technical Services, alongside Project Engineer Matt, to talk about factory safety, automation, AI in sawmills, and how modern manufacturing environments actually operate.Reiter Technical Services is a sawmill equipment manufacturer and engineering consulting company that designs log handling systems, lumber processing lines, conveyors, and automated production equipment. From raw logs to finished boards, their engineering work powers critical parts of the modern wood manufacturing industry.One of the biggest misconceptions about manufacturing is that it’s inherently dangerous. Anthony and Matt explain that today’s industrial environments are built around strict safety systems. Modern factories follow OSHA safety standards, machine guarding requirements, lockout-tagout procedures, and engineered protection systems designed to prevent injuries before they happen.According to their experience, the most serious incidents don’t come from machines randomly failing. Instead, accidents usually happen when procedures are ignored—such as entering equipment without locking it out or bypassing safety systems. When protocols are followed, manufacturing becomes one of the most structured, controlled, and safety-focused work environments in the industrial world.The conversation also explores how AI, automation, and smart manufacturing systems are transforming the sawmill industry. Modern optimizers use scanners to read wood grain, detect defects, and automatically determine the most efficient cut. What once required manual grading is now handled by intelligent systems that increase efficiency, reduce waste, and improve output quality.From OSHA safety systems to AI-driven production lines, this episode breaks down how modern sawmills really work—and why outdated stereotypes about manufacturing no longer reflect reality.Today’s manufacturing industry is:

• Highly automated
• Driven by engineering and advanced technology
• Focused on safety, precision, and efficiency
• Powered by AI and smart systems
• Essential to global supply chains

Companies like Reiter Technical Services are helping independent and family-owned sawmills modernize operations, improve efficiency, and stay competitive in a rapidly evolving industrial world.Chapters 0:00 – The real cause of factory accidents0:36 – Introducing Reiter Technical Services1:05 – How the company started in sawmill engineering2:17 – From consulting to equipment manufacturing3:05 – What a project engineer actually does4:36 – R&D, patents, and new machine designs5:20 – Automation inside modern sawmills5:45 – How AI scanners optimize wood cutting6:56 – Why AI still needs human engineers7:54 – Experience levels inside the company8:59 – Wild engineering projects in the industry9:37 – Why modern factories are actually very safe🙏 Thank You to Our SponsorsA big thank you to our sponsors for supporting Manufacturing Runs the World and helping us share real stories from the factory floor.Ellison TechnologiesEllison Technologies empowers manufacturers with advanced CNC machines, automation, and expert support—helping shops work smarter, faster, and more competitively.👉 https://ellisontechnologies.comGSC 3DA leading reseller of SOLIDWORKS® CAD software and Markforged® industrial 3D printers, empowering engineers with cutting-edge design, simulation, and additive manufacturing tools.👉 https://gsc-3d.comYour support helps keep these conversations about manufacturing, engineering, and leadership alive.What surprised you most about how modern factories actually operate?

Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Are you ready to see modern manufacturing through a completely new lens?Most people imagine factories as dirty, boring, or dying—but the reality of modern manufacturing engineering and product development is far more dynamic, complex, and human. This episode of Manufacturing Runs the World breaks outdated stereotypes and reveals what manufacturing actually looks like behind the scenes today.In this conversation, Adrienne Clark, Director of Engineering Operations at Re:Build Fikst, shares what it really takes to turn abstract ideas into real, manufacturable products. Adrienne works at the intersection of manufacturing engineering, product development, prototyping, automation, and medical device manufacturing, supporting engineering teams as they navigate uncertainty, win new work, and solve complex problems.One story from the episode captures this reality clearly.While working on a medical device manufacturing project, Adrienne’s team was invited by a surgeon into a cadaver lab to evaluate a cranial plate prototype designed to help bond skull fractures. This wasn’t done for shock value—it was real-world validation. In modern manufacturing, engineering and design decisions can carry real human consequences, which is why hands-on prototyping, testing, and validation matter so much.This episode highlights a truth many engineers learn the hard way: you don’t solve complex manufacturing problems by waiting for perfect answers—you solve them by building, testing, and learning quickly.Adrienne explains why early prototyping is a game-changer in engineering and manufacturing. Spending months debating a “maybe” solution often teaches less than building something quickly—even with cardboard, duct tape, or a rough prototype—to see whether an idea actually works.At Re:Build Fikst, this learn-by-doing mindset shows up everywhere:Manufacturing engineering and product developmentCAD design paired with physical prototypingMedical device manufacturing and validationAutomation and custom equipment designEngineering teams that learn by makingEngineers are encouraged to work directly with the tools that bring ideas to life—from CAD modeling and SOLIDWORKS to 3D printing, laser cutting, CNC machining, and low-volume manufacturing. This hands-on exposure helps engineers become better designers by understanding how parts are actually made, assembled, and used.CHAPTERS 00:00 – A Medical Device Project That Led to a Cadaver Lab00:22 – Manufacturing Isn’t Dirty, Boring, or Dying00:48 – What Engineering Operations Really Looks Like01:06 – Becoming the Company Historian and Team Support01:48 – Growing Through Re:Build Fikst’s Acquisition02:54 – From Engineering Co-Op to Career Path03:34 – Why Product Design Consulting Accelerates Learning05:05 – Navigating Ambiguity in Engineering Problems05:56 – Why Early Prototyping Beats Waiting07:21 – Engineering Validation with Real Consequences09:05 – Automation, Robotics, and AI in Engineering12:07 – Why Engineers Should Use Every ToolA big thank you to our sponsors for supporting Manufacturing Runs the World and helping us share real stories from the factory floor.🔹 Ellison TechnologiesEllison Technologies empowers manufacturers with advanced CNC machines, automation, and expert support—helping shops work smarter, faster, and more competitively.👉 https://ellisontechnologies.com🔹 GSC – 3D & AutomationGSC is one of the nation’s leading resellers of SOLIDWORKS CAD software and Markforged industrial 3D printers, empowering engineers and manufacturers with cutting-edge design, simulation, and additive manufacturing solutions.👉 https://gsc-3d.comYour support helps keep these conversations about manufacturing, automation, and leadership alive. Thank you for investing in the future of industry.

Most engineers know how to draw parts.But very few truly understand how machines actually make them.That gap between CAD design and manufacturing reality is the real reason “simple” engineering designs turn into expensive problems on the shop floor — blown budgets, delayed production, frustrated machinists, and parts that never behave the way they looked on screen.In this powerful episode of Manufacturing Runs The World, we break down why so many engineering designs fail in real production — and why the problem usually isn’t the machine, the shop, or the quote… it’s the disconnect between design and how parts are actually made.If you’ve ever wondered why a part that “should” cost $150 suddenly costs $10,000…Why machinists push back on drawings…Or why production timelines explode after design sign-off…This episode will fundamentally change how you see engineering and manufacturing.Jeremy Wagley is a manufacturing leader at Engineered Tooling & Manufacturing (ETM) with more than 30 years of hands-on experience across sheet metal fabrication, CNC machining, welding, grinding, and shop-floor operations. He started his career on the CAD side, becoming highly skilled at drawing parts — but like many engineers, he didn’t fully understand the real-world consequences of his designs until he began making those parts himself.That shift — from screen to shop floor — taught him something most engineering programs never do: machine intuition.This episode exposes the real gap between CAD design and manufacturing reality. Modern CAD software like SolidWorks, AutoCAD, and Fusion 360 makes designing fast and visually perfect. But real manufacturing isn’t clean lines and ideal geometry — it’s tooling limitations, setups, tolerances, recalls, bending constraints, material behavior, welding time, grinding time, inspection, rework, and human labor.When engineers ignore those realities, costs explode and production slows.Jeremy shares unforgettable, real shop-floor stories that reveal the hidden risks behind manufacturing decisions — including building a massive robot chassis that was dropped off a truck and scrapped, and producing hundreds of parts for a client who went bankrupt, leaving the shop surrounded by inventory no one could ship or sell.These stories aren’t just entertaining — they expose the business realities behind quoting, fabrication, and production that most engineers never see until it’s too late.This episode is for:Mechanical engineersManufacturing engineersProduct designersCAD designersMachinists and fabricatorsShop owners and operations managersEngineering and trade studentsIf you work with CNC machines, press brakes, laser cutters, welding stations, grinding rooms, or use tools like SolidWorks, Fusion 360, AutoCAD, or Mastercam, this conversation will help you design better parts, reduce manufacturing cost, and avoid painful redesigns.CHAPTERS00:00 Introduction01:52 Meet Jeremy Wagley03:40 CAD Without Shop Experience04:14 Learning by Making05:30 Shop Culture & Reality06:33 Old vs New Manufacturing08:04 Wild Shop-Floor Stories09:14 Pretty CAD vs Reality09:50 $10,000 vs $150 Parts10:05 Robot Chassis Story11:09 Client Bankruptcy Reality12:52 Manufacturing Lessons That StickA big thank you to our sponsors for supporting Manufacturing Runs The World and helping us share real stories from the factory floor.🔹 Ellison TechnologiesEllison Technologies delivers advanced manufacturing solutions and machine tools that help shops work smarter, faster, and more competitively.🔹 GSC – Industry Leading Reseller of SOLIDWORKS & Markforged 3D PrintersGSC is one of the nation’s leading resellers of SOLIDWORKS CAD software and Markforged industrial 3D printers, empowering engineers and manufacturers with cutting-edge design, simulation, and additive manufacturing solutions.

Manufacturing automation is changing the future of work—and industrial robots are not doing what most people fear.Instead of “robots taking jobs,” the real story inside modern manufacturing often looks very different: robots can help protect jobs, stabilize factories, and make work safer.When people hear factory automation, they imagine machines replacing humans and empty production floors. But after sitting down with Danielle Vigent, Robotics Development Engineer at Formic, that assumption quickly falls apart.Danielle doesn’t talk about robotics like a sales pitch.She talks about it with purpose.She describes her role as “bringing robots into the world”—and what she really means is guiding automation from concept to reality, in a way that actually works for people on the factory floor.Because real industrial automation isn’t just a robot arm on a line.It’s the full journey: from customer commitment to site validation, CAD layouts, warehouse measurements, factory acceptance testing, installation, rate testing, and hands-on training—until the system is running in the real world.Danielle starts by walking the factory floor.Not relying on plans alone. Not just listening to management.She looks for the binder—the real production sheets showing what’s actually being built. That’s how automation gets designed to fit the space, the process, and the people doing the work.One of the most powerful stories in this episode comes from a legacy snack factory in Ohio.This is the kind of plant that keeps a small town alive.Generations of workers. Real pride. Real livelihoods.But the company was struggling.They needed automation—but couldn’t risk a massive capital expense. Hiring was difficult. Labor was tight. Growth felt stalled.Instead of selling equipment and walking away, Danielle’s team offered something different:Robots as a Service.No massive upfront cost.No financial cliff.A partnership model where success only happens if the system actually runs.They automated one line—and that single step unlocked momentum. Leadership could say yes to growth without betting the company. Automation became an operating expense instead of a risky capital expenditure leap.

Danielle Vigent is a Robotics Development Engineer at Formic, where she works on deploying robotics and automation solutions that help manufacturers grow without massive capital investment. Her work focuses on practical, human-centered automation — using robots to strengthen factories, protect jobs, and build long-term sustainability.CHAPTERS00:00 – Robots Are the Fun Part of Manufacturing01:24 – What She Really Does With Robots02:05 – Site Validation: “Show Me the Binder”02:56 – “I Bring Robots Into the World”03:18 – Choosing the Right Systems Integrator04:09 – Getting Hands Dirty on Install Day04:51 – Robots as a Service (Partnership Model)06:11 – Why Faster Deployments Matter07:14 – The Ohio Snack Factory Story08:32 – Automation Without Big CapEx09:23 – “Robots Are Taking My Job” Fear10:15 – From Fear to Excitement10:59 – The Magic of the First Robot11:24 – When the Robot Starts MovingA big thank you to our sponsors for supporting Manufacturing Runs the World and helping us share real stories from the factory floor.🔹 Ellison TechnologiesEllison Technologies empowers manufacturers with advanced CNC machines, automation, and expert support—helping shops work smarter, faster, and more competitively.👉 https://ellisontechnologies.com🔹 GSC – 3D & AutomationGSC is one of the nation’s leading resellers of SOLIDWORKS CAD software and Markforged industrial 3D printers, empowering engineers and manufacturers with cutting-edge design, simulation, and additive manufacturing solutions.👉 https://gsc-3d.comYour support helps keep these conversations about manufacturing, automation, and leadership alive. Thank you for investing in the future of industry.

Can strong manufacturing leadership really fix a toxic work culture?In this full episode of Manufacturing Runs The World, I sit down with Jim Chew, CEO and President of JenFab Cleaning Solutions, to explore a real manufacturing turnaround—where a factory rebuilt its culture by leading without fear, yelling, or point systems.What if the future of manufacturing isn’t about machines…but about how we treat people?Jim Chew is a former Army officer, West Point graduate, and longtime manufacturing leader who walked into a broken factory culture—and rebuilt it into one of the most people-centered leadership models in modern manufacturing.Jim runs a shop where:• People feel safe• Leadership has their back• Skill growth leads to real pay growth• Culture matters more than controlAnd here’s the part that stops most leaders cold:99% of his workforce is made up of second-chance employees—formerly incarcerated men and people in recovery.Most leaders wouldn’t touch that model.Jim built his entire culture around it.From Old-School Fear to Modern Leadership:When Jim walked into this company, it looked like too many factories still do:• Yelling and screaming• Point systems• Break buzzers• HR write-ups instead of leadership• People leaving for $1 more an hourTurnover was massive.Safety was broken.Trust didn’t exist.So he changed everything—not with fear, but with people.The Second-Chance Factory:Jim believes you can’t lead people shaped by trauma, addiction, or incarceration the same way you lead spreadsheets.So he studied:• Neuro-leadership• Brain science• Trauma and behavior• Learning under pressureAnd built a shop with:• No yelling• No point systems• No fear-based control• Only accountability, safety, and respectThe result?Safety incidents dropped to world-class levels.Turnover nearly disappeared.People started believing leadership actually cared.💰 He Chose People Over ProfitWhen the company was losing money, the easy move was:• Freeze pay• Cut people• Slash benefitsJim did the opposite.⏱️ Chapters / Timestamps00:00 – Morning + quick opener00:13 – Celtics / Rhode Island small talk00:38 – “Manufacturing is dirty, boring, dying” (misconception)00:44 – What this channel is really about00:56 – Why Jim + JenFab is a story worth telling01:16 – West Point → Army → business leadership01:49 – Private equity world + running a manufacturing company02:22 – COVID shock + “rational fear mode” decisions03:06 – Values-first leadership: people at the center03:26 – The breaking point: messing with 401(k) for shop-floor workers04:20 – Why firing people around the holidays is toxic05:19 – Old-school factory culture: yelling, points, write-ups05:50 – The bombshell: 99% second-chance workforce06:46 – Safety turnaround: TRIR 12 → world-class (without threats)08:00 – Pay tied to skill growth + fairness systems08:35 – The financial turnaround: $3M swing + cutting losing products09:46 – Turnover 40%/month → nearly zero resignations11:16 – “Wednesday Workouts”: leadership training that sticks11:59 – Better pay, better benefits + lean improvement12:33 – Final thoughts: people over profitA big thank you to our sponsors for supporting Manufacturing Runs the World and helping us share real stories from the factory floor.🔹 Ellison TechnologiesEllison Technologies empowers manufacturers with advanced CNC machines, automation, and expert support—helping shops work smarter, faster, and more competitively.👉 https://ellisontechnologies.com🔹 GSC – 3D & AutomationGSC is one of the nation’s leading resellers of SOLIDWORKS CAD software and Markforged industrial 3D printers, empowering engineers and manufacturers with cutting-edge design, simulation, and additive manufacturing solutions.👉 https://gsc-3d.comYour support helps keep these conversations about manufacturing, automation, and leadership alive. Thank you for investing in the future of industry.

What if the American Dream never actually left — it just moved to the factory floor?

In this episode of Manufacturing Runs The World, we're meeting with Cris of Manitowoc Tool & Manufacturing, a 300,000+ sq ft operation in Wisconsin, and I’m hit with a story that completely reframes how modern manufacturing really works.

Cris Muchowski started here straight out of high school.

No degree.

No network.

No shortcuts.

His first job? Wash line. Cleaning parts. Entry-level. Bottom of the org chart.

Today?

He’s Vice President of a massive, multi-facility manufacturing company with more than 275 employees, millions of parts shipped annually, and one of the strongest tool & die + stamping operations in the Midwest.You will not hear many career arcs like this — not in corporate America, not in tech, not in finance.But you will find them in U.S. manufacturing.This is why I’m doing this series.

This is why I’m teaching myself engineering by talking to people who built their careers with their hands, brains, discipline, and grit.

🔧 Inside a 300,000+ sq ft Tool, Die & Stamping Operation

MTM started in 1965 and has grown steadily for decades — not through hype, not through tech buzzwords, but through:

• Excellence in tool & die
• Real partnerships with OEMs
• Skilled trades talent they trained internally
• Operational discipline

And a philosophy:

“The reward for good work is more work.”

The building Cris talks about began as 25,000 sq ft. As demand grew, they added another section… then another… then another.

Today it spans 300,000+ sq ft across multiple operations, including a brand-new 100,000 sq ft distribution center.This is the quiet power of midwestern manufacturing — no press releases, no noise, just real capabilities and real results.

🏭 The Career Path Schools Never Mention

Cris’s story is the exact counterexample to every narrative young people are told today:“You need a college degree.”“Trades are a dead-end.”“Manufacturing is dying.”“You can’t build a career starting at the bottom.”

Meanwhile…Cris went from:Wash line → Quality lab tech → Quality engineer → Quality manager → Production plant manager → VP of a 300,000 sq ft manufacturing companyThis isn’t a one-off anomaly — this is what happens when a company invests in its people and the industry values skill over paperwork.

When people ask “Where did the middle class go?” — it’s here.🇺🇸 Why U.S. Manufacturing Is Growing AgainPost-COVID onshoring completely reshaped MTM’s customer mix.Companies are shifting from 50/50 offshore → 75/25 domestic because:

•  Container shipping doesn’t work for heavy stamped components
• Lead times matter
• Quality control is critical
• Tariffs make offshore risky
• OEMs need suppliers who can respond fast

MTM is winning because they’ve built the capabilities before the reshoring wave hit.🧠 What I Learned in This Episode (Teach Myself Engineering Journey)From Cris, I learned:

• Engineering knowledge lives on the shop floor — not in textbooks
• Manufacturing careers are built through repetition, discipline, accountability
• Toolmaking and stamping require generational skill and patience
• Leadership comes from doing the work, not skipping steps
• Modern manufacturing is advanced, data-driven, and deeply human
• The best engineers often started as operators or technicians

If you’re following my journey to “teach myself engineering by talking to real engineers,” this is one of the most important episodes so far.🚀 Subscribe & Follow the Story:  @ManufacturingRunsTheWorld  If you want stories that actually show what manufacturing careers look like — and not the outdated stereotypes — hit subscribe.

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

https://gsc-3d.com👉 Subscribe for new episodes and turn on the bell 🔔 so you don’t miss what’s next.