Control Intelligence

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Welcome to Control Intelligence, a ControlDesign.com podcast that goes deep inside the automation and technology that machine builders, system integrators and end users rely on to keep production humming efficiently

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    • Jun 2, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekly NEW EPISODES
    • 12m AVG DURATION
    • 104 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Control Intelligence

    Building the tech and workforce for the bioindustrial economy

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2025 21:02


    Managing editor Anna Townshend spoke with two team members at BioMADE, which is one of nine different Manufacturing Innovation Institutes started by the Department of Defense. This particular group is focused on building the U.S. bioindustrial economy. There are many companies and scientists doing great work using chemical waste products to create new products that we often lack a domestic supply chain for, and the organization is also focused on commercializing and scaling the technology needed to do this work and the workforce to support the industry. Jill Zullo, executive vice president and chief operating officer at BioMADE, has a long career supporting sustainable products and focused on new bioindustrial markets. Most recently, she worked at Cargill, as interim president & CEO of NatureWorks, a Cargill joint venture focused on biomanufacturing development to replace fossil fuel-based materials. Tim Dobbs, data architect for BioMADE's data science team, is a chemical engineer with a degree from the University of Connectivity and a master's degree in Life Sciences. At BioMADE, he designs, models and deploys data models to BioMADE's member organizations. He and the technology team at BioMADE provide the unified computational infrastructure for bioproduction-centered collaboration across industry, academia and government.

    May 2025 industry news: scholarships, decarbonization and Automate

    Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2025 11:54


    In this episode of Control Intelligence, managing editor Anna Townshend shares machine builder and system integrator news highlights from the month of May.

    Patrick Bunn: laying the groundwork for future generations of automation

    Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2025 33:14


    This week's guest on Control Intelligence is Patrick Bunn, owner of Bunn Automation Consulting in Birmingham, Alabama. Bunn's career has included valuable experience with CMC Steel Alabama, Revere Control Systems, EC&S, Hargrove Controls & Automation and Enercon, as well as his volunteer work with younger people in technology, engineering and automation. He will be one of the presenters at OT SCADA CON this July in Houston, where he'll be discussing industrial network protocols and how to use Wireshark software for troubleshooting, as well as the OSI model, which he wrote a very popular on for Control Design. He will speak at the event on July 24 at 3 p.m.

    Stu Shepherd talks robotics, AI, and the 2025 Engelberger Robotics Awards

    Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2025 21:22


    This week's guest on Control Intelligence is Stu Shepherd, co-founder and president of Shepherd Solutions. Shepherd was selected as the winner of the 2025 Joseph F. Engelberger Robotics Award for Leadership. He will be recognized at the awards dinner during the Automate Show in Detroit the week of May 12. Shepherd is nearing 50 years of transforming manufacturing in the Americas through robotic automation and capital equipment-related new business development. His past service includes being chairperson of the Robotic Industries Association (RIA) and the Association for Advancing Automation (A3). In addition to having chaired both A3 and RIA, Shepherd continues as an A3 Robotics board member. He is also a safety committee member and a member of the American Welding Society (AWS), serving on the D16 Robotic and Automatic Welding Committee. Prior to founding his consulting firm, Shepherd's past professional experience includes automation integration roles at General Motors, a well as sales and leadership roles at FANUC America, KUKA, Güdel and Universal Robots. He's also held consulting roles at Gain and HowToRobot, which merged in April 2024.

    Cabinet-free automation

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2025 25:30


    The decentralized MX-System achieves completely cabinet-free automation of machines and systems. Beckhoff has bundled more than four decades of automation expertise into the MX-System, which performs all of the tasks and gives individual externally mounted components the protection of a classic control cabinet. In this episode of Control Intelligence, editor in chief Mike Bacidore talks with Brandon Snell, MX-System Product Manager at Beckhoff Automation about all thinks cabinet-free automation.

    A conversation with robot royalty Joe Gemma

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2025 48:20


    This week's guest on Control Intelligence is robot royalty. Joe Gemma was the 2024 winner of the Joseph F. Engelberger Robotics Award for Leadership, but that was just a touchstone along a career that continues to move robotics and automation forward. Gemma serves on the board of directors for the Association for Advancing Automation, A3, which hosts the annual Automate Show, this year taking place in Detroit the week of May 12. He's also past president and board member of the International Federation of Robotics. He's been the CEO of KUKA Robotics Americas and CEO of Staubli North America, and this month he was named CEO of Wauseon Machine, which specializes in automation, endforming equipment and precision machining, where he's been since 2022.

    What is MQTT?

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2025 5:50


    Message queuing telemetry transport (MQTT) is a protocol. It has a broker and a client and can run over Ethernet. In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses MQTT and how it is used in different industries.

    Presence-sensing tech for safer automation

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 14, 2025 6:45


    Manufacturing is wrought with safety devices. As we progress further along with cobots and mixing humans and automation together, presence sensing becomes more important, not only for operations, but for functional safety. In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses machine safety, specifically presence-sensing technologies.

    What's in store for upcoming automation conferences and trade shows

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2025 5:07


    Spring is sprung, and it's time to start making plans for upcoming conferences and trade shows. In this episode of Control Intelligence, editor in chief Mike Bacidore shares two of his favorite upcoming automation events—Automate and the CSIA Conference—and what attendees can expect.

    March 2025 industry news: facilities, VFD integration and Hannover Messe

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2025 15:00


    In this episode of Control Intelligence, managing editor Anna Townshend shares machine builder and system integrator news highlights from the month of March.

    How industrial safety sensors have your back

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2025 10:38


    In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Charles Palmer, editor in chief Mike Bacidore explains the different types of industrial sensing technologies and why they're critical to ensure safety.

    Securely implementing remote monitoring and diagnostics

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2025 5:34


    In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Jeremy Pollard, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses remote monitoring and diagnostics, and how they require security.

    PLCs v. PACs: similarities and differences

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2025 6:15


    In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore shares the similarities and differences between programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and programmable automation controllers (PACs).

    IPCs, IT departments and software updates: how they work together

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2025 7:43


    In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Joey Stubbs, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses industrial PCs, IT departments and software updates.

    February 2025 industry news: robotics, acquisitions and the two Pats

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2025 16:20


    In this episode of Control Intelligence, managing editor Anna Townshend shares machine builder and system integrator news highlights from the month of February.

    VFDs and their many advantages

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 17, 2025 6:30


    In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Jeremy Pollard, editor in chief Mike Bacidore explains the many advantages of variable frequency drives.

    How to restrict PSCs' instruction sets

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2025 8:29


    In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Joey Stubbs, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses which IEC 61131-3 programming languages are best for safety controllers.

    Protecting OT data against voltage spikes

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2025 7:26


    In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by Larry Stepniak, electrical engineer at Flint Group, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses voltage spikes.

    January 2025 industry news: AI assistants, appointments and STEM support

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2025 11:33


    In this episode of Control Intelligence, managing editor Anna Townshend shares machine builder and system integrator news highlights from the month of January.

    What is unified namespace?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 21, 2025 4:54


    In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore explains what unified namespace is and why it's beneficial.

    Radar, lidar, infrared and time-of-flight: advancements in sensors

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 13, 2025 7:29


    In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Joey Stubbs, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses presence sensing technology.

    Integrating four robots types into applications

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 6, 2025 8:49


    In this episode, written by Tom Trinh, senior application engineer of automation at Valin, a subsidiary of Graybar, editor in chief Mike Bacidore dissects four types of industrial robots.

    December 2024 industry news: a year in review

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 30, 2024 10:42


    In this episode of Control Intelligence, managing editor Anna Townshend shares which news stories made the biggest waves in the automation industry in 2024.

    Which network protocol works best for you?

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2024 7:02


    In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Jeremy Pollard, editor in chief Mike Bacidore debates the merits of different network protocols.

    Uses of wireless, battery-free pushbuttons

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2024 3:51


    In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses wireless battery-less technology.

    Exploring AI capabilities with Rockwell Automation

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 2, 2024 4:47


    In this episode of Control Intelligence, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses how Rockwell Automation is introducing artificial intelligence into its portfolio of products.

    November 2024 industry news: expansions, award nominations and Automation Fair highlights

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 25, 2024 14:24


    In this episode of Control Intelligence, managing editor Anna Townshend shares machine builder and system integrator news highlights from the month of November.

    Machine vision vs. computer vision

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 18, 2024 9:57


    In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Rick Rice, editor in chief Mike Bacidore explains the differences between machine vision and computer vision.

    5 use cases for the uninterruptible power supply

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2024 7:08


    In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Joey Stubbs, editor in chief Mike Bacidore shares what uninterruptible power supplies are.

    Wireless HMI enables endless control and monitoring

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 4, 2024 6:41


    In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Jeremy Pollard, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses the uses of wireless HMI.

    October 2024 industry news: acquisitions, new facilities and AI

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2024 14:39


    In this episode of Control Intelligence, managing editor Anna Townshend shares machine builder and system integrator news highlights from the month of October.

    Fiberglass, ABS or recycled plastic materials create unique enclosure troubleshooting scenarios

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 21, 2024 6:39


    In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Joey Stubbs, editor in chief Mike Bacidore shares how to troubleshoot electrical noise in composite enclosures.

    Object-oriented programming or ladder logic?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2024 3:47


    In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses object-oriented programming in PLCs.

    The evolution of the programmable automation controller

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2024 6:36


    In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Jeremy Pollard, editor in chief Mike Bacidore differentiates between programmable automation controllers and programmable logic controllers.

    September 2024 industry news: reports, associations and new leaders

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2024 17:33


    In this episode of Control Intelligence, managing editor Anna Townshend shares machine builder and system integrator news highlights from the month of September.

    HMIs in hazardous areas

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2024 10:09


    In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Rick Rice, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses how to protect HMIs in hazardous environments.

    How RFID can be used in real-time inventory management, seamless asset tracking, quality control and streamlined production processes

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2024 7:37


    In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Joey Stubbs, editor in chief Mike Bacidore shares four use cases of radio-frequency identification.

    Industrial vs. commercial networks

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2024 6:49


    In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Jeremy Pollard, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses how industrial networks differ from commercial networks.

    50 years of EZAutomation innovation

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2024 21:16


    In 2025, AVG Automation, parent company of EZAutomation, a midwestern U.S. manufacturer and factory-direct purveyor of industrial automation systems and components, will celebrate 50 years since its founding in 1975. The automation technology landscape has changed dramatically since that time, but many of the underlying industry needs remain unchanged. Control Design editor-in-chief Mike Bacidore spoke to Shalli Kumar, founder and chairman of EZAutomation and its parent company in this episode of Control Intelligence.

    August 2024 industry news: events, standards and executive appointments

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2024 17:17


    In this episode of Control Intelligence, managing editor Anna Townshend shares machine builder and system integrator news highlights from the month of August.

    Embracing cybersecurity with Nozomi Networks

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2024 5:03


    In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor-in-chief Mike Bacidore discusses cybersecurity-enabled controllers.

    Protecting and serving data with sensing devices

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 12, 2024 5:44


    In this Control Intelligence podcast, written by contributing editor Jeremy Pollard, editor-in-chief Mike Bacidore explores networking capabilities with sensing devices.

    How RFID continues to evolve in industrial applications

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 5, 2024 18:41


    Pepperl+Fuchs' Michael McCabe explains standardized tags, data transfer rates, capabilities, security and integration

    July 2024 industry news: certifications, leaders and obituaries

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 29, 2024 20:47


    In this episode of Control Intelligence, Anna Townshend shares machine builder and system integrator news highlights from July 2024.

    When to consider Arduino, Raspberry Pi and other microcontrollers

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2024 6:31


    In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Jeremy Pollard, editor-in-chief Mike Bacidore explains how new frontiers in machine control have their upsides and their limitations.

    Advances in stepper motors to provide precise motion control

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2024 7:11


    In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Joey Stubbs, editor-in-chief Mike Bacidore discusses what makes stepper motors more energy efficient and reliable.

    How system integrators are using digital tools

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 8, 2024 6:35


    In this episode of Control Intelligence, editor-in-chief Mike Bacidore shares highlights from a panel discussion that took place at the CSIA Exchange.

    What are your sensing options in industrial manufacturing?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2024 7:48


    In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Charles Palmer, editor-in-chief Mike Bacidore discusses lasers and other position sensing.

    June 2024 industry news: new machines, anniversaries and name changes

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 24, 2024 12:11


    In this episode of Control Intelligence, managing editor Anna Townshend shares machine builder and system integrator news highlights from June 2024.

    The changing role of PLCs in a connected plant

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2024 4:57


    In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor-in-chief Mike Bacidore discusses the future of PLCs in machinery used in a modular, connected factory or plant.

    ANCA talks tech trends affecting machine builders

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2024 14:24


    In this episode of Control Intelligence, managing editor Anna Townshend discusses emerging technology and the introduction of autonomous manufacturing for CNC operation.

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