Manufacturing Hub

In this episode of Manufacturing Hub, we welcome back Billy Albritton for a deep dive into the evolving world of artificial intelligence in manufacturing. Billy first joined us on Episode 23, and now almost 200 episodes later, he returns to share his perspective on how far the space has come and what the future holds. Billy walks us through his journey from the military to advanced manufacturing and ultimately to becoming a leading voice in the AI and digital transformation space. We explore how large language models like ChatGPT are already changing how we write code, design solutions, and even train junior engineers. He offers real-world use cases of generative and agentic AI in industrial contexts and explains how tools like Cursor are already being used to automate everything from software development to curriculum generation. We unpack the cultural barriers that prevent AI from being adopted on the plant floor and how forward-looking companies can implement AI safely and ethically. From internal teams building custom tools to small agile firms delivering big results, the conversation highlights the shift in power and opportunity across the ecosystem. Billy also gives us a glimpse into the near future of AI-enhanced humanoid robots, local LLM deployments on the shop floor, and what might happen to traditional job roles as these technologies scale. Whether you are an engineer, developer, plant manager, or simply curious about how AI is impacting the real world, this episode will give you both insights and practical strategies to consider. Stick around until the end to hear Billy’s predictions for the next five, ten, and twenty years in manufacturing. And if you’re wondering how to get started with AI tools, Billy offers concrete advice and resources you can begin exploring today. Timestamps: 00:00 Welcome back Billy Albritton 02:00 Billy’s path into manufacturing and robotics 06:00 How ChatGPT shifted Billy’s perspective 10:00 What is agentic AI and why it matters 15:00 The changing role of junior developers 20:00 AI in traditional enterprise software vs the real factory floor 27:00 Challenges with industrial AI adoption 32:00 Internal vs external development strategies 37:00 Billy’s go-to AI tools and workflows 45:00 Real-time AI assistants and the new software paradigm 53:00 Is there a ceiling to generative AI? 59:00 The future of robotics and humanoids 1:03:00 What happens to work in a post-AI world? 1:06:00 Advice for anyone looking to start with AI today Connect with Billy https://www.linkedin.com/in/billyalbritton/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/billyalbritton/] Follow us Host: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vladromanov/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/vladromanov/] Show: https://www.manufacturinghub.live/ [https://www.manufacturinghub.live/] Joltek: https://www.joltek.com/ [https://www.joltek.com/] Recommended Tools Mentioned Cursor: https://www.cursor.so/ [https://www.cursor.so/] OpenAI ChatGPT: https://chat.openai.com/ [https://chat.openai.com/] Claude by Anthropic: https://claude.ai/ [https://claude.ai/] Synthesia: https://www.synthesia.io/ [https://www.synthesia.io/] Hugging Face: https://huggingface.co/ [https://huggingface.co/] Leonardo AI: https://leonardo.ai/ [https://leonardo.ai/] Subscribe for more conversations with the most innovative minds in manufacturing and industrial automation. New episodes every Thursday.

AI is making headlines across every industry, but how much of it is actually being used on the manufacturing floor? In this episode of Manufacturing Hub, Vlad and Dave return to the whiteboard to explore practical and real-world applications of artificial intelligence in manufacturing. From pre-operations to live production, this session covers how AI is being used today across CAD tools, BOM generation, predictive maintenance, system optimization, and machine vision. We also talk through the risks, the limitations, and what still requires human judgment. We begin with design tools and programming before the machine even starts. Then we move through how AI is being used during operations for tasks like work order creation, failure detection, and PLC coding assistance. We explore real use cases for predictive maintenance and ask the tough question: what value are companies actually getting from this technology? Later in the episode we shift into optimization strategies. How can AI help increase throughput or reduce energy costs based on historical data? What does it take to apply these methods in mid-market factories, not just Fortune 100 environments? We also dive into quality inspection and machine vision. These applications are among the most mature in manufacturing today, and we break down examples like barcode inspection, defect detection, and using AI to adapt based on customer complaints. Throughout the episode we share insights from the field and address audience questions about generative AI, simulation tools, and where human expertise still matters most. Referenced in this episode Phoenix Contact case study from Episode 173: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoQjowwDi2M [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoQjowwDi2M] Siemens and Microsoft Copilot initiative Emerson, Bentley Nevada, and GE predictive maintenance platforms University of Tennessee Reliability and Maintainability Center: https://www.rmc.utk.edu UR and Spectral vision systems seen at Automate 2025 Teledyne and Cognex AI-based machine vision tools Cone GAVIN and Siemens Process Simulate Joltek – consulting for manufacturing strategy, automation, and digital transformation: https://www.joltek.com/ [https://www.joltek.com/] This is Episode 212 of Manufacturing Hub, your go-to resource for conversations between real practitioners in industrial automation and manufacturing. Join us live every Wednesday at 4 PM Eastern and follow along on YouTube, LinkedIn, and all major podcast platforms.

In this special edition of Manufacturing Hub, we take you inside one of the most transparent and technically rigorous events in industrial automation: ProveIt 2025. Created by Walker Reynolds and the team at 4.0 Solutions, ProveIt brings together 36 vendors to solve real manufacturing problems inside a live virtual factory environment. Everything is connected through a Unified Namespace and powered by real-time MQTT infrastructure. Unlike traditional expos, ProveIt is not about product demos. It's about execution. Vendors were given access to production data, a shared namespace, a deadline, and a challenge: prove your solution works—live, with full transparency around time, cost, and outcomes. Featured Guests We speak with industry leaders and innovators including: * Walker Reynolds from 4.0 Solutions * Travis Cox from Inductive Automation * Benson Hougland from Opto 22 * Caleb and Sophia from Siemens (WinCC OA and Industrial Edge) * Mark and Harry from Tatsoft Frameworks * And many more voices from across the Manufacturing Hub community What You'll Learn * Why ProveIt is reshaping the way we evaluate industrial tech * How Unified Namespace is implemented at scale * Real examples of cost, delivery time, and performance data * Building resilient MQTT architectures for edge-to-cloud * AI and machine learning use cases that go beyond dashboards * Why transparency and interoperability matter more than ever * Lessons in vendor selection, technical strategy, and scalability * How real manufacturers are architecting their next-gen stacks Explore the Technologies Featured ProveIt and 4.0 Solutions https://www.40solutions.com [https://www.40solutions.com] https://www.proveit.live [https://www.proveit.live] UNS and Industry 4.0 Learning https://www.iiot.university [https://www.iiot.university] https://www.youtube.com/@4.0Solutions [https://www.youtube.com/@4.0Solutions] MQTT Infrastructure HiveMQ – https://www.hivemq.com [https://www.hivemq.com] Tatsoft Frameworks – https://tatsoft.com [https://tatsoft.com] SCADA and Edge Platforms Inductive Automation – https://inductiveautomation.com [https://inductiveautomation.com] Opto 22 – https://www.opto22.com [https://www.opto22.com] Siemens WinCC OA – https://new.siemens.com/global/en/products/automation/industry-software/automation-software/scada/wincc-open-architecture.html Siemens Industrial Edge – https://www.siemens.com/global/en/products/automation/industrial-edge.html Cloud and Data Services Google Cloud for Manufacturing – https://cloud.google.com/solutions/manufacturing Dell NativeEdge – https://www.dell.com/en-us/dt/solutions/edge-computing/nativeedge.htm Snowflake Manufacturing Solutions – https://www.snowflake.com/solutions/industry/manufacturing Litmus Edge AI – https://litmus.io [https://litmus.io] Tulip Interfaces – https://tulip.co [https://tulip.co] Community and Resources Industry 4.0 Discord https://discord.gg/industry40 IOT University Mastermind Program https://iot.university [https://iot.university] More Episodes of Manufacturing Hub https://www.youtube.com/@ManufacturingHub [https://www.youtube.com/@ManufacturingHub] Final Thoughts ProveIt is not just a conference. It is a full-scale test bed for what's possible in modern manufacturing. Real data. Real time. Real constraints. Real answers. If you want to see how the best in the industry are building the next generation of manufacturing architecture, this is the episode to watch. Let us know which vendors impressed you most. What technologies are you excited to explore? And what would you like to see proved next year? Thank you for being part of the Manufacturing Hub community.

Welcome back to Manufacturing Hub! In this special episode, we dive into an Automate 2025 preview, joined by Brian Priebe from Mach Controls and James Brown from 4IR Solutions. We break down what to expect at Automate next week in Detroit (May 12 to 15), booth highlights, technology trends, and hands-on insights into cutting-edge industrial solutions like Unified Namespace, Dockerized PLCs, AI applications in manufacturing, and more. Topics discussed: ✅ What's new at Automate 2025 ✅ The Mach Controls ProveIt demo ✅ Building practical data infrastructure for manufacturers ✅ Unified Namespace architecture and UMH ✅ Docker containers in industrial environments ✅ AI's real potential in manufacturing operations ✅ How small to mid-size manufacturers can advance digital maturity ✅ 4IR Solutions’ Factory Stack offerings ✅ Best practices for building scalable, future-proof architectures Guest highlights: 🔹 Brian Priebe, President of Mach Controls 🔹 James Brown, CEO of 4IR Solutions References * Automate Show [https://www.automateshow.com/] * United Manufacturing Hub [https://www.united-manufacturing-hub.com/] * Inductive Automation Ignition [https://inductiveautomation.com/] * Opto 22 [https://www.opto22.com/] * Phoenix Contact [https://www.phoenixcontact.com/] Booth locations at Automate 2025: Siemens Booth #3232 Phoenix Contact Booth #5232 Inductive Automation Booth #3452 If you’re attending Automate, be sure to stop by these booths to check out demos, meet the community, and explore how modern architectures are shaping the future of manufacturing! Join the conversation: Are you exploring AI, Unified Namespace, or modern data architectures in your plant? Drop your questions or comments below! Follow us: https://www.manufacturinghub.live Joltek [https://www.joltek.com/] FRAME [https://www.framexl.com/]

In Episode 209 of Manufacturing Hub, we sit down with Dylan to explore the full spectrum of automation—from his early hands-on experiences in PLC programming all the way to architecting full-scale SCADA and MES systems. If you're looking to understand what it really takes to grow a career in industrial automation, this conversation delivers raw insights, practical lessons, and battle-tested strategies from the plant floor to the boardroom. Dylan shares how his career evolved from service technician to systems integrator, detailing the learning curve involved in jumping between platforms like Ignition, FactoryTalk, Wonderware, and SQL databases. We dig into real-world project challenges, the importance of simulation and testing, and what it means to deliver systems that operators actually enjoy using. Along the way, Dylan offers valuable advice on how to learn faster, deal with unclear project scopes, and design better user interfaces by borrowing principles from modern UX and UI design. We also examine: Why ownership and internal technical teams are critical for end users The importance of interoperability and avoiding vendor or integrator lock-in How project creep really happens and what you can do about it Visualization trends in SCADA and HMI systems, including practical opinions on high-performance design and AR/VR Data strategies for manufacturing, from pipe-level decisions to planning for future use cases Dylan’s new venture, Abelara, and how it helps manufacturers align executive vision with plant-floor execution This episode is a must-listen for engineers, integrators, and manufacturing leaders looking to modernize their operations while keeping both usability and scalability in mind. Whether you’re early in your automation career or navigating complex transformation efforts, you’ll walk away with insights you can apply immediately. ⏱ Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction 00:08 – What is Manufacturing Hub? Meet Dylan, our guest 02:00 – Dylan’s career path from tech school to SCADA systems 04:00 – Early project experience and rapid on-the-job learning 06:30 – Moving from PLCs to SCADA and MES development 08:20 – Learning without mentors: forums, support lines, and trial by fire 10:10 – Challenges and opportunities with modern control platforms 12:00 – Vendor openness, interoperability, and practical system limitations 15:00 – Scope creep and how to reduce it with better project planning 17:00 – The role of simulation and show-and-tell in successful startups 20:00 – Getting end user buy-in from operators to executives 22:15 – UI and UX in industrial systems: beyond standards and templates 26:00 – Why most HMI screens are outdated and how to improve them 30:00 – Using consumer design trends in industrial HMI development 33:00 – Ownership vs. partnership: the evolving role of integrators 36:00 – Visualization tools: what's working and what still needs to improve 40:00 – Data in manufacturing: planning, silos, and interoperability 45:00 – Why planning trumps tools and how to avoid duplicate systems 49:00 – Real talk on end user responsibility and integrator lock-in 54:00 – How local integrators can thrive in a reshoring environment 57:30 – Early signs and implications of reshoring in manufacturing 01:01:00 – Introducing Abelara: Dylan and Glenn’s new consulting venture 01:04:00 – Book recommendation: Silos, Politics and Turf Wars 01:06:00 – Career advice for new engineers: learn by doing 01:09:00 – Final thoughts and how to connect with Dylan and Abelara 📘 Book Mentioned: Silos, Politics and Turf Wars by Patrick Lencioni – A foundational read for breaking down barriers and aligning teams across departments. 🎙 Learn more about Dylan and his work at Abelara: https://abelara.com [https://abelara.com] Check out the manufacturing newsletter - https://www.framexl.com/ [https://www.framexl.com/] Subscribe for weekly conversations with experts pushing the boundaries in automation, controls, manufacturing systems, and digital transformation.