Couverture de Lights Out: Technology and Automation Podcast by MakingChips

Lights Out: Technology and Automation Podcast by MakingChips

Lights Out: Technology and Automation Podcast by MakingChips

De : Nick Goellner
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 Talent is scarce, experience even more so, driving up costs and sleepless nights. You may even think to yourself, "Can we do this?" But this new era brings new technology and a different perspective on your operations. What you will hear will turn on a light bulb in your mind so you can turn out the lights in your shop. Get ready to sleep soundly while your shop never stops. Get ready for MakingChips Lights Out with your host, Nick Goellner.2024 Economie Management Management et direction
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    • From ROI to Reality — Measuring Success After You Automate, Ep #32

      From ROI to Reality — Measuring Success After You Automate, Ep #32
      Jan 16 2026

      Automation doesn't end when the system is powered on. In fact, that's often where the real work begins. In the third and final episode of this Lights Out series, the conversation shifts from planning and justification to execution, measurement, and long-term performance.

      After covering market forces driving automation adoption and breaking down ROI math in the first two episodes, this installment tackles the question many shop owners wrestle with once automation is live: Is this actually working? Dave Vuyk and Eric Nekich dig into how to validate performance, track meaningful metrics, and avoid leaving ROI on the table after implementation.

      Rather than chasing dozens of KPIs, the discussion focuses on practical measurement frameworks that connect directly back to the original business problem automation was meant to solve. From labor efficiency and throughput to OEE and cost per unit, the hosts explain how to create visibility without overwhelming leadership or alienating the shop floor.

      This episode also explores the human side of post-automation success. Metrics aren't meant to be surveillance tools. When used correctly, they become shared scorecards that drive engagement, continuous improvement, and ownership across the organization. For shops serious about lights-out manufacturing, this final chapter reinforces a simple truth: automation only delivers value when outcomes are measured, understood, and continuously improved.

      You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...
      • (0:00) Recap of the three-part automation ROI series
      • (2:03) The risk of flying blind without a measurement framework
      • (3:20) Why tracking everything dilutes ROI visibility
      • (3:58) Tying KPIs back to the original business problem
      • (4:46) Core automation KPIs tied to ROI calculations
      • (6:08) What realistic ROI looks like 90 days after implementation
      • (6:45) Join us at the 2026 IMTS Exhibitor Workshop
      • (8:52) Why labor savings alone don't tell the full story
      • (10:55) Manufacturing cost as a percentage of revenue
      • (11:44) Translating KPIs into shop-floor language
      • (12:50) Capacity gains, lead times, and customer impact
      • (13:39) Breaking down OEE into availability, performance, and quality
      • (16:36) How fixturing and workholding affect automation ROI
      • (18:46) Process reliability, chip management, and coolant considerations
      • (20:06) Why ROI ownership must extend beyond leadership
      • (21:22) Why we love SMW Autoblok for workholding
      • (22:33) Benchmarking without falling into the comparison trap
      • (25:36) Industry averages for OEE, OTD, and cycle time reduction
      • (27:40) Crawl, walk, run expectations for lights-out automation
      • (29:52) Change management and shop-floor buy-in
      • (34:24) Three post-implementation actions to lock in ROI
      • (38:56) Use Hire MFG Leaders for your next hire
      Resources & People Mentioned
      • Join us at the 2026 IMTS Exhibitor Workshop
      • Check out SMW Autoblok's catalog
      • ProShop ERP
      Connect With Lights Out
      • LinkedIn
      • MakingChips.com

      Subscribe to Lights Out

      On Apple and Spotify


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      38 min
    • How to Calculate Automation ROI — The Right Way, Ep #31

      How to Calculate Automation ROI — The Right Way, Ep #31
      Dec 26 2025
      Automation is exploding across the manufacturing world, but the real differentiator isn't the robot, pallet pool, or software you buy—it's whether you know how to calculate ROI the right way. In this episode of Lights Out, we break down the financial side of automation in plain language so every shop owner, operator, and leader can make smarter investment decisions with confidence. This is the follow-up to our baseline episode, where we had listeners identify their current spindle utilization, setup times, labor load, and cost per part. Now we take the next step: turning those numbers into an ROI model that actually reflects how automation performs on the shop floor. Instead of guesswork, gut instinct, or "we tried that once," we show you how to quantify annual savings, increased capacity, reduced scrap, payback period, and more. We simplify the math in a way that works for high-mix job shops, multi-shift production cells, and every workflow in between. Whether you're evaluating a robotic tending system, a pallet pool, high-density workholding, or a Cobot, understanding the financial impact of your decision is the foundation for long-term, scalable automation success. With real scenarios, honest discussion, and a few holiday-season laughs (including Nick's mysterious disappearance), this episode gives you the practical tools you need to approach automation with clarity—not confusion. If you want to make 2026 your most efficient year yet, start by calculating ROI the right way You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... (0:23) How ProShop ERP delivered rapid ROI in Mike Payne's shop(2:49) Today's focus on ROI and key metrics(4:15) Review of required baseline data including utilization, setup time, labor load, and cost per part(6:32) Breakdown of the simple ROI formula and the more detailed expanded formula(8:53) ROI Example: Labor savings, increased spindle hours, and scrap reduction(12:39) Method for calculating labor savings using remaining labor percentage(13:45) Why you should use Hire MFG Leaders for your next hire(14:16) Converting increased machine utilization into measurable financial value(15:02) Impact of pallet pools and high-density workholding on cutting setup and changeover time(16:49) Importance of including maintenance, programming, and depreciation in ROI models(19:38) Role of adaptive feed-rate controls in improving uptime and process reliability(21:57) ROI scenarios for robotic tending cells and five-axis pallet pool systems(24:18) Value of redeploying skilled operators to higher-impact work as part of automation ROI(25:16) When Cobots are an appropriate automation choice and when integrators are necessary(27:18) Key homework steps: running a basic ROI estimate and identifying utilization gaps(29:32) Why you need to check out the SMW Autoblok catalog Resources & People Mentioned How ProShop ERP delivered rapid ROI in Mike Payne's shopWhy you should use Hire MFG Leaders for your next hireWhy you need to check out the SMW Autoblok catalog The Core ROI Formula for Automation Simple version: ROI (%) = (Annual Savings – Annual Costs) ÷ Investment × 100 Expanded version for manufacturing: ROI = [(Labor Savings + Increased Machine Utilization + Scrap Reduction + Overtime Avoided) – Maintenance & Depreciation] ÷ Capital Cost Connect With Lights Out LinkedInMakingChips.com Subscribe to Lights Out On Apple and Spotify Audio Production and Show Notes by - PODCAST FAST TRACK
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      31 min
    • The Automation Adoption Boom: Why ROI is the 2026 Metric That Matters, Ep #30

      The Automation Adoption Boom: Why ROI is the 2026 Metric That Matters, Ep #30
      Dec 12 2025

      Before a shop can automate confidently, it has to understand one thing clearly: ROI drives every great automation decision. In this episode of Lights Out, David Vuyk and Eric Nekich kick off a multi-part series on Automation ROI—focusing not on hype or shiny tech, but on the real metrics and methods that determine whether automation will pay off or become an expensive paperweight.

      With "Jolly St. Nick Goellner" out preparing for the holiday season, David and Eric take the mic to break down a critical truth: you cannot automate an unreliable process, and far too many shops are buying robots before they fix the fundamentals. From workholding to setup reduction to operator loading, the guys lay out the baseline measurements every shop must capture before investing in automation.

      They also explore why automation adoption surged 30% this year and how reshoring, labor shortages, and rising demand are pushing shops to think differently about their processes. But enthusiasm alone isn't enough—what separates successful adopters from fence-sitters is the ability to quantify ROI quickly and accurately, not in a vacuum, but across the entire upstream-downstream workflow.

      This episode serves as the foundation for the ROI model the hosts will build in Part 2. You'll walk away knowing which numbers matter, how to capture them (even with pen and paper), and how to prepare your shop for real automation readiness. And yes…you'll also get your homework.

      You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...
      • (0:00) Why automation fails when processes and fixturing are unreliable
      • (0:12) Why we love SMW Autoblok for workholding
      • (2:18) Launching the Automation ROI series and framing the conversation
      • (3:42) Industry trends driving a 30% rise in automation adoption
      • (6:31) Fence-sitters, misconceptions, and why ROI must lead decisions
      • (7:29) Step one of ROI: defining the process and the goal behind automation
      • (11:03) Why ROI must include upstream and downstream impacts
      • (13:46) Common automation failures, cobot misuse, and "coat hanger" systems
      • (16:44) Core ROI foundations and costs affected by automation
      • (17:43) Partner with Verdant Commercial Capital for financing
      • (22:35) Metric #1: Measuring spindle utilization accurately
      • (25:22) Metric #2: Understanding setup time and the role of modular workholding
      • (28:50) Metric #3: Operators per machine and multi-machine tending
      • (31:18) Metric #4: Labor cost per part and machine burden calculations
      • (32:18) Metric #5: Remaining Labor Percentage and what "good" looks like
      • (35:34) Homework: identify bottlenecks and capture current-state metrics
      • (38:14) Make your next hire with Hire MFG Leaders
      Resources & People Mentioned
      • Why we love SMW Autoblok for workholding
      • Partner with Verdant Commercial Capital for financing
      • Make your next hire with Hire MFG Leaders
      Connect With Lights Out
      • LinkedIn
      • MakingChips.com

      Subscribe to Lights Out

      On Apple and Spotify


      Audio Production and Show Notes by - PODCAST FAST TRACK
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      39 min
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