Asset Data Interoperability
Gary On Manufacturing - Gary Mintchell
We met in a conference room at an office in Barrington, IL. A place where sometime later a couple guys thought they’d screw me in a business deal. I came out ahead in the end, but the place has mixed memories. This meeting involved thinking about the future of asset data and systems interoperability. We had a system diagram. The idea was to solve a huge problem for owner/operators of process manufacturing enterprises—flowing engineering data into other software systems for operations, maintenance, and enterprise. The incumbent system was a morass of paper (or pdf documents which was...
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People First—Toward A Humane Workplace
Gary On Manufacturing - Gary Mintchell
An early essay by Karl Marx writing at the beginning of the industrial revolution argued that humans who were formerly craftspeople were now just cogs in the industrial machine alienated from the products they made and their work. Today's podcast is sponsored by Inductive Automation, makers of Ignition — the world's most versatile industrial automation platform for connecting data, systems, and people. With the new Ignition 8.3 release, you can easily manage time-series and event data, quickly create custom graphics with onboard drawing tools, and centralize control using Ignition's...
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Why Develop AI?
Gary On Manufacturing - Gary Mintchell
Why pursue AI? As a tool to help entrepreneurs add value to their companies. The appropriate roll out entails organizing small "pirate ships" empowered to experiment and implement with a budget and air cover. Many concerns about AI's impact on employment and organization are over blown. History shows that new technology winds up creating more jobs than it destroys. This podcast is sponsored by Inductive Automation.
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ICC 2025 Recap
Gary On Manufacturing - Gary Mintchell
ICC 2025 Recap I recorded this as I was leaving Inductive Automation's Ignition Community Conference 2025 in Sacramento. The event team performed wonderfully moving ICC from the smaller Harris Center in Folsom to the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center in Sacramento with double the attendance. Lots of energy, many partners. The event had to be credited a success. Of course, the highlight was introduction of Ignition 8.3. This update included many long-sought additions. Note: Inductive Automation has been a long-term sponsor for my work. However, we do not have an "influencer" relationship,...
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Intelligent Application of Technology
Gary On Manufacturing - Gary Mintchell
When I set initial editorial direction for Automation World, I was focused on exploring the Intelligent Application of Automation emphasizing the teams that made it happen. Recently I interviewed Mike Payne, co-owner and president of Hill Manufacturing. His story of using intelligent applications of technology both for the machines and for software showed how even an old-line manufacturer can be new and profitable. Sponsored by Inductive Automation at https://www.inductiveautomation.com
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Interview With Travis Cox, Inductive Automation Chief Technology Evangelist
Gary On Manufacturing - Gary Mintchell
Inductive Automation Chief Technology Evangelist Travis Cox talks with me about the newly expanded Ignition Community Conference and the beta release of Ignition 8.3. This is a major release with many usability and IT-friendly upgrades. We talk about what's new with Ignition Community Conference and the beta release of Ignition 8.3.
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AI Obfuscation
Gary On Manufacturing - Gary Mintchell
AI has generated more hype and obfuscation than all the words from ChatGPT. OK, maybe I exaggerate, but the amount of scare talk is endless. I try to take a more rational and down-to-earth look at the issue from the point-of-view of manufacturers. I argue that AI now and in the future should be viewed as a tool that will help humans work better and more productively. I use an example from an interview with Mike Payne, co-owner and president, of Hill Manufacturing--a production machine shop operation in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Mike was introduced to me by Hexagon. This podcast is sponsored by the .
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Complexity is the Enemy
Gary On Manufacturing - Gary Mintchell
CEOs in a recent survey complained they were not seeing results from digital transformation. Too much complexity, dashboards too complex, information not clear, silos of data. Maybe we're looking at the wrong part of the problem. Maybe it's not technology; it's people.
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A Tale of Two Trends
Gary On Manufacturing - Gary Mintchell
This podcast is sponsored by Inductive Automation. Two topics dominated my inbox this year--and will probably continue to do so. These are AI Large Language Models and Cybersecurity.
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Apple, Google, Open, Too Large?
Gary On Manufacturing - Gary Mintchell
Looking at Google v DOJ and Apple v EU, Gary draws lessons for industrial automation.
info_outlineI presented a Webinar on April 5. You can find it here https://www.manufacturingtechnologytoday.com/frs/23189866/going-beyond-digital-transformation--the-real-innovations-in-manufacturing/email . I talked about how digital data isn't new, my 1978 project, how we need to watch for disruption coming from anywhere, the importance of people, and how you, yes you, can and should be a change agent.