What happens when a desperate shop owner tries to copy someone else’s success—without understanding the system behind it?

In this episode of Lights Out, Nick and Kaleb are joined by their friend and workholding expert Eric Nekich to break down the first chapter of a fictional story that might hit a little too close to home. 

“The Automation Trap” follows Gary, the stressed-out owner of IronClunk Machining, who’s drowning in inefficiency and envy—especially after touring Klaus’s pristine, automated, award-winning shop. Gary’s heart is in the right place. But what happens when he throws his last dollars at a cobot, lowballs a high-stakes job, and hopes for a miracle?

We explore why copying someone else’s automation playbook can backfire, how the wrong KPIs (like spindle utilization) can lead you astray, and why automation should never be the first step in a struggling shop. We also dig into red flags around collaborative robots, the danger of skipping process readiness, and the importance of shop culture and team buy-in.

Whether you see yourself in Gary or Klaus—or somewhere in between—this episode will challenge your thinking and spark some laughs along the way. This is part one of a story-driven series you won’t want to miss. 

You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...

• (0:18) Invest in your business by investing in ProShop ERP
• (2:45) Welcoming Eric Nekich back to the show
• (3:47) Recapping the previous episode
• (5:24) Dinosaur vises, angry quality guys, and bad vibes
• (9:01) The real trap: automating before your process is ready
• (11:19) The Maestro moment: solving quality bottlenecks with automation
• (16:43) Enter Klaus: the lean legend with smiling operators and Modern Machine Shop awards
• (18:50) Is your envy even valid? Why copying Klaus might not make sense
• (20:57) Grow your top and bottom line with CliftonLarsonAllen
• (21:36) Gary’s backstory: loans, burnout, and a desperate dream
• (25:13) High mix vs. high volume: why the context matters
• (26:27) Team buy-in, financial transparency, and culture shifts
• (29:32) Spindle utilization vs. OEE: don’t get distracted
• (33:22) The cobot mistake: throwing money at a process you haven’t measured
• (35:59) Pallet vs. part loading: how to match automation to application
• (36:54) Cobot myths: it’s not collaborative unless the whole setup is
• (39:10) Cliffhanger: Gary wins the job—but he’s not ready to deliver
• (41:18) What Gary should’ve done instead: value stream mapping and expert help
• (45:51) Why you should listen to Machine Shop Mastery

Resources & People Mentioned

• Keys to Maintaining a Manufacturing Leadership Mindset
• Workholding Evolves with Great Partnerships 
• The Toyota Way
• The Goal

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• MakingChips.com

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Audio Production and Show Notes by - PODCAST FAST TRACK