Welcome to podcast # 159. I caught up with Bryan, who is a customer of Mycionics, my client. I spent the last few days at #Mushroomdays or #Mushroom Days in the Netherlands.

Here are some of my questions:

How did you get into mushroom farming?

Can you tell me about Apex / South Mill Champs? What is the output of the farm? How many employees?

What is a Drawer farm, what is that and why is it important to the conversation?

1.5 million pounds weekly , production in winnipeg lot to gain 

Drawer farm, Europe is (now) learning from us

NO ONE WANT to pick mushrooms, it is a really tough job.

Canada's Temporary foreign workers program?

Labour is a complex variable on the farm.

Why automation? 

Beyond the labor challenge, you are going to get a lot of data?

What are some of the challenges?

You are positioning your farm to be one of the most technologically advanced automated mushroom growing operations in North America. 

That must be challenging and exciting.

How did you learn about Mycionics?

Tell me about your project. 

What is the ROI of automation, from your perspective?

How do you roll out automation in a farm? Is it by room?

You have purchased the Mycionics Crop Scout and robotic harvester picker. Can you tell our audience what they do

Your workers have to make thousands of picks (decisions) a day, how does (adding) this automation make them feel?

You have committed to rolling out Crop Scouts product and you have tested others, so you believe in the technology approach from Mycionics

What about the data that you are collecting? How is that going to change your operation?

You are also considering robotic picking automation, a multi arm robot on order. I know that you have had some initial success with a prototype unit? How is that experience going?

What have you had to do to get ready for automation?

How has Mycionics been to work with? Are they responsive? What about remote support?

So you are a big believer in the Mycionics approach and the Mycionics team?

You know the team from Mycionics, Ryan and Stefan, are they open to your feedback?

You deal with lots of automation vendors when it comes to mushroom harvesting, what has been the difference between suppliers?

You are piloting technology all the time, do you have a message for these evolving suppliers?

You are pretty excited about the data?

Mushroom farming in Canada, why and why now?

Future of mushroom farming is automated, would you agree?

Is there anything that separates mycionics, have they done anything special  innovation

Robotics and automation are not perfected in the lab, it is in the barn. It needs people like you open to fail and to iterate.

Thanks for coming onto the podcast. Thanks for all you do for the industry!

Did we forget to talk about anything?

If you would like to get in touch with Bryan here is his LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-madden-b12a9329/

https://www.mycionics.com

Stefan Glibetic is president of Mycionics based out of Kitchener/Waterloo, ON

My friend is in charge of sales and growth at Mycionics is Ryan McCartney: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryandoesdeals/

If you would like to get in touch with us at THE robot industry podcast, you can find me, Jim Beretta on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimberetta/

Today’s podcast was produced by Customer Attraction Industrial Marketing and I would like to thank my team: Chris Gray for the music, Geoffrey Bremner for audio production and my business partner Janet.

And I would like to thank my Senior Audio Software Engineer, Geoff Bremner and you can find more information on his Linketree, linktr.ee/gbaudio

Be safe out there!

Jim

Jim Beretta

Customer Attraction & The Robot Industry Podcast

London, ON

The farming operation is part of Haggerty Creek Ltd. owned & operated by Chuck & Justin Baresich and AGRIS Cooperative since 2001 www.haggertycreek.com. He has been researching and testing various automated technologies.

Haggerty AgRobotics is actively developing relationships with leading ag-technology companies to commercialize new innovations and bring them to farmers in Eastern Canada.

Here are some of my questions to Chuck:

Who is the Ontario AgRobotics Working Group?

Ag robotics adoption in Canada? What’s holding users back? What motivates them?

What is digital agriculture?

How did you get into automation….and what automation are you using?

Laser Zapper? Standard equipment?

What countries do they come from?

Service and support question (what is plan B?)

Resistant weeds and speed

Data question: Cameras and computers in every machine quality of images, etc.

Canadians are typically slow to install automation in factories…are farmers the same?

Let's talk about autonomous farming vehicles (AMRs, AGVs and logistics)

Is broadband a problem? Remote processing.

What is your advice to farmers who are thinking about automation?

Where can farmers see demonstrations?

How do we get better at putting more automation into farm?

Too complicated? Waterloo company startup example.

How can people get a hold of you?

AgRobotics Working Group

The AgRobotics Working Group comprises a diverse membership, including representatives from various levels of government, academic institutions, industry associations, and many more stakeholders in the agriculture sector. Since our establishment in March 2021, we have been dedicated to on-farm demonstrations, fostering networks, facilitating collaboration, and brainstorming innovative technology solutions. Our weekly meetings serve as a platform for discussing ideas, reviewing new technologies, applying for funding opportunities, and developing priorities for Ontario Agriculture.

Show Notes:

https://www.agroboticswg.com/memberships

https://www.agroboticswg.com/events

‍London, ON – March 23, 2026 – The future of farming will be on display at the inaugural Canadian AgRobotics & AI Summit on March 26, 2026, at The Grove, Western Fair District. As Canada’s largest agrobotics conference, the one-day event will bring together farmers, innovators, researchers, funders and industry leaders from across North America to explore the rapidly evolving role of robotics and artificial intelligence in agriculture.

If you would like to get in touch with us at THE robot industry podcast, you can find me, Jim Beretta on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimberetta/

Today’s podcast was produced by Customer Attraction Industrial Marketing and I would like to thank my team: Chris Gray for the music, Geoffrey Bremner for audio production and my business partner Janet.

And I would like to thank my Senior Audio Software Engineer, Geoff Bremner and you can find more information on his Linketree, linktr.ee/gbaudio

Be safe out there!

Jim

Jim Beretta

Customer Attraction & The Robot Industry Podcast

London, ON

Matthew Hortop, P.E. is a Technical Specialist for all Things Electrification.

AVL is his employer and they are a 12,000-person company focused on powertrains. They don't make engines or inverters, they help customers doing the technology development. Batteries have become an important part of the automotive industry, including the drivetrain.

AVL

https://www.avl.com/en/engineering/e-mobility-engineering/battery-development-electric-vehicles

Some of the questions that I asked Matt:

How did you get into the industry?

What do you do?

What do you have for an automotive OEM?

The speed of the battery industry?

How do you support your customers?

You can find out more about the organizers (Invest Windsor Essex) at https://www.emergingtechnologies.ca/ or at https://www.investwindsoressex.com/.

If you would like to get in touch with us at THE robot industry podcast, you can find me, Jim Beretta on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimberetta/

Today’s podcast was produced by Customer Attraction Industrial Marketing and I would like to thank my team: Chris Gray for the music, Geoffrey Bremner for audio production and my business partner Janet.

And I would like to thank my Senior Audio Software Engineer, Geoff Bremner and you can find more information on his Linketree, linktr.ee/gbaudio

Be safe out there!

Jim

Jim Beretta

Customer Attraction & The Robot Industry Podcast

London, ON

They, TetraGen, are a Manitoba-based developer of adaptive robotic manufacturing systems for high-mix, high-variability applications. Their current focus is on welding and trimming processes. Enjoy the podcast!

Some of my questions to him:

Matt, How did you get into the industry?

Tell me (and our audience) about TetraGen.

Who are your bullseye customers?

Why did you choose robotic welding?

How big is the labour challenge?

How does AI come into welding?

Tell me about your partners?

Have you had any surprises in starting TetraGen?

Data? How important is this to your customers?

How does a customer get started with you?

What does the future look like for automated - AI - welding?

What are some Frequently Asked Questions?

How can people get a hold of you?

https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-khoshdarregi-561b8631

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tetragen-robotics

If you would like to get in touch with us at THE robot industry podcast, you can find me, Jim Beretta on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimberetta/

Today’s podcast was produced by Customer Attraction Industrial Marketing and I would like to thank my team: Chris Gray for the music, Geoffrey Bremner for audio production and my business partner Janet.

And I would like to thank my Senior Audio Software Engineer, Geoff Bremner and you can find more information on his Linketree, linktr.ee/gbaudio

Be safe out there!

Jim

Jim Beretta

Customer Attraction & The Robot Industry Podcast

London, ON

I was happy to have Steve on the podcast to talk about CRM for automation integrators and machine builders.

Enjoy the podcast and if you are thinking about a CRM for your machine building company, or are thinking about a Zoho implementation, I highly recommend him and his company

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenslothouber

Emberops is his company name.

I would like to thank my team and our Senior Audio Software Engineer, Geoff Bremner, and you can find more information on his Linketree, linktr.ee/gbaudio

Thanks for listening!

Jim

Jim Beretta Customer Attraction Industrial Marketing & The Robot Industry Podcast London, ON jim@customerattraction.com

St. Thomas is just South of London, ON and North of Port Stanley, which is where I grew up in the summer, so the opportunity to have a tour and record a podcast was very exciting to me. Chris is a manufacturing professional who has worked with The Cakerie, Armo Tools, Convergix Automation (JMP Automation), and ATS Automation ~ so we have a lot in common, as many of these companies have been my clients before, and we have a lot in common, living nearby.

St. Thomas (aka Railway City) is also the "Rail Capital" of Canada. At one time, St. Thomas had around 25 different railroads that came into the city, and it was, and still is, a major hub of manufacturing. For the large amount of wood that is required, being connected to CP and CN rail line is a game-changer for Element5.

Chris is now the CEO of Element5 (a member of the HASSLACHER group) and oversees the entire operation, including a 350-square-foot facility with sanding, pressing, CNC cutting, RF pressing, gluing, laminating, X-ray, vision inspection, material handling, and staff and sales.

The build of the operation took place during covid.  The facility was recently expanded substantially in September of 2025 from 137,000 square feet to over 350,000 square feet, adding in a full Glulam production line, and a two-storey mass timber front office. This expansion also doubled the production of the facility from 50,000 cubic meters to 100,000 cubic meters annually of cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glued-laminated timber (Glulam) products..

Keywords: Dimensional lumber, Engineered lumber, Mass Timber, Element5, St. Thomas, Messenger Freight, Artificial Intelligence. CLT Cross Laminated Timber, Glue Lamination, Build Canada, Canadian Wood Council.

For background information here, see: Element5 Mass Timber Celebrates Grand Opening of Expanded Manufacturing Plant in St. Thomas, Ontario - Element5

Thanks to Diana Tamblyn, Mira Grkavac, and my friends at MPI who did the early connect. Element5 is located at 70 Dennis Road, St. Thomas, Ontario N5P 0B6

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-latour-5a5a044

www.Element5.co for some wonderful pictures!

1 888-670-7713 info@elementfive.co

If you would like to get in touch with us at THE robot industry podcast, you can find me, Jim Beretta on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimberetta/

Today’s podcast was produced by Customer Attraction Industrial Marketing and I would like to thank my team: Chris Gray for the music, Geoffrey Bremner for audio production and my business partner Janet.

Be safe out there!

Jim

Jim Beretta

Customer Attraction & The Robot Industry Podcast

London, ON

With a background in mechatronics and over a decade of experience in aerospace and automotive robotics, Stan has spent his career working on high-precision systems involving vision, force feedback, and micron-level motion. That path led him to Mecademic, a Montreal-based robot manufacturer purpose-built for microautomation.

Together, they explore how Mecademic is rethinking industrial robotics for applications where space, precision, and system simplicity matter more than brute force. From electronics and medical devices to optics and photonics, Mecademic robots are enabling automation in environments traditional robots were never designed to handle.

You’ll hear about:

• Why Mecademic robots are designed specifically for microautomation
• What makes ultra-compact six-axis robots viable in space-constrained systems
• How embedded controllers and no external teach pendants simplify cell architecture
• The difference between precision, repeatability, resolution, and accuracy, and why it matters
• How some manufacturers treat robots as swap-and-go spare parts to minimize downtime
• Where Mecademic robots overlap with, and go beyond, hexapods in high-precision applications
• How system integrators use Mecademic to access medical, photonics, and electronics markets
• What the Mecademic Approved Integrator Program offers and who it’s built for

Stan also shares insights on Mecademic’s North American manufacturing, global expansion, and what makes a strong integrator partnership in high-precision automation.

I would like to mention A3: the Association for Advancing Automation. they are the leading automation trade association for robotics, vision and imaging, motion control and motors and the industrial artificial intelligence technologies.  Visit Automate dot org to learn more.

If you would like to get in touch with us at THE robot industry podcast, you can find me, Jim Beretta on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimberetta/

Today’s podcast was produced by Customer Attraction Industrial Marketing and I would like to thank my team: Chris Gray for the music, Geoffrey Bremner for audio production and my business partner Janet.

Be safe out there!

Jim

Jim Beretta

Customer Attraction & The Robot Industry Podcast

London, ON

Geoff is a true geek, loves recording music and podcasts.

Welcome to Automation Matters Podcast with me, Jim Beretta.

Have a listen.

Jim

Notes:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffreybremner

https://linktr.ee/gbaudio

This podcast will be about marketing, sales, strategy, business development, customer attraction and strategies for growing your automation business. 

We will look at big trends and micro trends, best practices and things I learned helping grow one the largest automation integrators in the industry.

A few of our first podcasts for automation matters will be on CRM, marketing, and yes, even podcasting. We will look at some of the common mistakes and clever ways that companies differentiate themselves in the industry.

My feedback channel is open and you can message me at the email automationmatters@gmail.com or reach out to me on LinkedIn. I look forward to connecting with you on the automation matters podcast and If you’re interested in participating please reach out to me, Jim Beretta on LinkedIn...https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimberetta/

Thanks for listening and for subscribing.

Jim

Jim Beretta Customer Attraction & The Robot Industry Podcast, Automation Matters Podcast with Jim Beretta London, ON info@customerattraction.com

You can find out more about the organizers (Invest Windsor Essex) at https://www.emergingtechnologies.ca/ or at https://www.investwindsoressex.com/.

If you have not heard of Tarek or Mirsee Robotics, they have built a humanoid robot for use at work, think "end of line" in factories also think pick and place. Their robot is named MH3, and boasts a 10-hour charge. The robot is designed and manufactured in Cambridge, Ontario.

• 31 degrees of freedom
• Wireless Charging
• Best in class Hands
• Best in class Arms
• Inherently Stable
• Highest Payload Mobile Base
• Strong but Safe
• Power off brakes
• Remote Teleop and AI control

Humanoids are poised to address labour shortages, enhancing safety, and driving economic prosperity. Mirsee robots allow skilled operators remote access to hazardous environments, while providing a safe and cost-effective alternative to traditional human labour.

https://mirsee.com

I would like to mention A3: the Association for Advancing Automation. they are the leading automation trade association for robotics, vision and imaging, motion control and motors and the industrial artificial intelligence technologies.  Visit Automate dot org to learn more.

If you would like to get in touch with us at THE robot industry podcast, you can find me, Jim Beretta on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimberetta/

Today’s podcast was produced by Customer Attraction Industrial Marketing and I would like to thank my team: Chris Gray for the music, Geoffrey Bremner for audio production and my business partner Janet.

Warm Regards and continued success for 2026!

Jim

Jim Beretta

Customer Attraction & The Robot Industry Podcast

London, ON

Bison Ventures is a Venture Capital (VC) firm with $135M AUM for frontier tech. From AI-powered drug discovery to collaborative robotics, Bison backs bold, deeply scientific solutions that have potential for massive commercial scale. An all-engineer team, Bison believes most attractive opportunities exist at the intersection of technical disciplines ignored by mainstream VC. 

Partner Caleb Appleton specializes in physical applications of AI. He’s an early investor in Cobot, a collaborative robotics co. En route to unicorn status following its $100M Series B Previously, Caleb was an investor at Innovation Endeavors, where he focused on frontier robotics (including surgical robotics, $RBOT), applied AI, and next-gen hardware.

My questions for Caleb:

What is series A, B and C?

What is a round?

How do you value a robot company?

How do you fund them?

Where do you get money to manage these companies?

How did you get into the business of robotics and AI?

What is your approach to investing in this sector? 

What’s unique about the Bison team, and how you partner with robotics founders?

You are after the big successes for your investments and time. What does that look like?

What are red flags for you when it comes to investment?

What themes in automation/robotics are you most excited to back right now—and why? It seems much attention is going towards humanoids, but what are your thoughts on this trend vs other paths to pursue?

Robotics is hard because it is both hardware, software, AI and marketing and the long lead time to development. Could you have picked an easier sector? How do you compress this time cycle?

What are the core values and value proposition to being successful in this sector, how do you coach entrepreneurs to not aim for the moon?

What does a de-risked deployment path look like for an early robotics team? What makes a robotics company scalable or suitable for commercialization?

Did we forget to talk about anything?

When you are not helping build robot and AI companies what do you like to do, hobbies?

How can people get a hold of you and find out more about Bison & Caleb Appleton?

Thanks for listening and subscribing and Happy New Year!

I would like to mention A3: the Association for Advancing Automation. they are the leading automation trade association for robotics, vision and imaging, motion control and motors and the industrial artificial intelligence technologies.  Visit Automate dot org to learn more.

If you would like to get in touch with us at THE robot industry podcast, you can find me, Jim Beretta on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimberetta/

Today’s podcast was produced by Customer Attraction Industrial Marketing and I would like to thank my team: Chris Gray for the music, Geoffrey Bremner for audio production, my business partner Janet and our sponsor: Mecademic Industrial Robots ~ world leading manufacturers of compact and precise industrial robots. 

Warm Regards and success for 2026!

Jim

Jim Beretta

Customer Attraction & The Robot Industry Podcast

London, ON

From DIN rails to terminal blocks to power supplies, Garrett Renders has seen many automation products from a young age. He is currently the Business Development Manager at Phoenix Contact Canada for Ontario. His role is to help clients solve problems using our PC's automation portfolio (which includes controllers, networking, interfaces, and safety). While Phoenix Contact is well known from a product standpoint, his goal is to demonstrate how their value-added centre and solution partners apply technology to empower an all-electric society!

OT Cybersecurity has become a big issue for SME manufacturers.

Automotive industry has been soft with EV.

M Guard Router concentrator.

PLC Next product.

OEE, uptime - customer machines and systems

Unexpected downtime.

The data conundrum: the cost and the efficacy of collecting the right data.

Phoenix Contact and measuring power data from Milton HQ building realtime and online.

Thanks Wendy and Garrett!

If you are from Ontario and users want to reach out and find out more about Phoenix Contact? You can reach out to Garrett here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garrett-renders/

I would like to mention A3: the Association for Advancing Automation. they are the leading automation trade association for robotics, vision and imaging, motion control and motors and the industrial artificial intelligence technologies.  Visit Automate dot org to learn more.

If you would like to get in touch with us at THE robot industry podcast, you can find me, Jim Beretta on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimberetta/

Today’s podcast was produced by Customer Attraction Industrial Marketing and I would like to thank my team: Chris Gray for the music, Geoffrey Bremner for audio production, my business partner Janet and our new sponsor: Mecademic Industrial Robots ~ world leading manufacturers of compact and precise industrial robots. 

Warm Regards,

Jim

Jim Beretta

Customer Attraction & The Robot Industry Podcast

London, ON

Yun Yao, holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering from McGill University, is a dynamic professional known for her creativity and ambition. In 2010, she co-founded Tactile Labs, a non-profit organization that advances haptics research, where her leadership has fostered innovation and collaboration. After completing her PhD, Yun became a senior engineer, designing wireless communication systems, excelling both technically and in leading innovation initiatives. In 2021, she co-founded Soralink to integrate AI and IoT into the food manufacturing and processing industry, aiming to apply cutting-edge technologies to real-world challenges. Yun's career reflects her commitment to pushing technological boundaries, fostering collaboration and driving transformational change across industries.

Designed and made in Canada (Montreal), Soralink offers a complete solution for industrial machine condition monitoring, failure prediction, predictive maintenance, as well as productivity tracking. Their solution includes smart AI sensors, LTE connectivity, and AI prediction engine.

Yun thanks for joining me for the podcast.

Why did you start the company?

Montreal is kind of a hotspot in North America for AI, Why is that?

What is AI?

What is Model Drift?

What is an algorithm?

Tell us about Soralink (are you an integrator)?

People that think AI is Chat GPT?

How are companies ready for AI?

Fit bit for the machines

What are some of the challenges that you face in collecting information

Tell us about AI in Canada manufacturing

What is keeping mfgs awake at nights?

Who are you having the conversations with ? CEO CTO

How do you get started in the conversation; AI in manufacturing

Do you have some Use cases that you can tell us about

When is AI not a good fit?

Is it good to work on a simple project or a big, complex project?

How long does a project take?

Are there ongoing costs to an AI project?

What are the outcomes?

What are the deliverables?

Did we forget to talk about something?

How do people find out more about you and how do they contact you?

What is your booth number at ADM show

Some information about ADM Toronto 2025:

The Advanced Manufacturing show happens in Toronto at the Toronto Congress Center, TCC which is right by the airport, which is actually located in Etobicoke on 650 Dixon Road.

Tuesday, October 21, 2025 • 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Wednesday, October 22, 2025 • 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Thursday, October 23, 2025 • 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

I know that ADM is one big show, but how is the show divided up? Yes there are 6 co-located shows

Packaging | Automation | Design and manufacturing | Plastics and Processing | EV technology

Here is the show URL:

https://www.admtoronto.com/en/lp-general.html

You can use the code ROBOT to register. If that doesn't work try: SHIFT.

Some info on Soralink: https://soralink.co/en/

And to get in touch with Yun: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hsinyun/

See you at the show!

Thanks,

Jim

Jim Beretta Customer Attraction & The Robot Industry Podcast London, ON jim@customerattraction.com

519-716-2262 Mobile

Welcome to The Robot Industry Podcast #149

This episode too is a little different for The Robot Industry Podcast. This episode is about sponsorships and their efficacy. Informa is a client for over 15 years (aka UBM, and Canon Communications).

I have been involved in the ADM (Advanced Design & Manufacturing) Toronto and ADM Montreal shows for many years. If you know me, you may have fielded a phone call or read an email about the show and the efficacy of being involved in trade events.

I have invited Gayle Hutchens, who directs sponsorships at shows.

Some information about ADM Toronto 2025:

The Advanced Manufacturing show happens in Toronto at the Toronto Congress Center, TCC which is right by the airport, which is actually located in Etobicoke on 650 Dixon Road.

Tuesday, October 21, 2025 • 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Wednesday, October 22, 2025 • 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Thursday, October 23, 2025 • 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

I know that ADM is one big show, but how is the show divided up? Yes there are 6 co-located shows

Packaging | Automation | Design and manufacturing | Plastics and Processing | EV technology

Here is the show URL:

https://www.admtoronto.com/en/lp-general.html

You can use the code ROBOT to register. If that doesn't work try: SHIFT.

See you there.

Thanks,

Jim

Jim Beretta Customer Attraction & The Robot Industry Podcast London, ON jim@customerattraction.com

519-716-2262 Mobile

This episode is a little different for The Robot Industry Podcast. I have invited some of my friends from the ADM Toronto 2025 show to join me to talk about the upcoming show. Informa is a client for over 15 years (aka UBM, and Canon Communications).

I have been involved in the ADM Toronto and ADM Montreal shows for many years. If you know me, you may have fielded a phone call or read an email about the show and the efficacy of being involved in trade events.

I have invited Kayle Kvinge, who is the show director, Annie Helfgott our mentoring expert and Gayle Hutchens, who directs sponsorships at shows ( we moved Gayle, and she is up on the next podcast #149) as we ran out of time.

Some information about ADM Toronto 2025:

Happens at Toronto Congress Center on Oct. 21-23, 2025

The Advanced Manufacturing show happens in Toronto at the Toronto Congress Center, TCC which is right by the airport, which is actually located in Etobicoke on 650 Dixon Road.

Tuesday, October 21, 2025 • 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Wednesday, October 22, 2025 • 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Thursday, October 23, 2025 • 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

I know that ADM is one big show, but how is the show divided up? Yes there are 6 co-located shows

Packaging | Automation | Design and manufacturing | Plastics and Processing | EV technology

Who are some of the partners in the event?

• PAC Global the packaging association, Global Leader in Sustainable, Inclusive, and Accessible Solutions
• Invest Quebec
• Cosmetic Alliance Canada
• Canadian Chamber of Commerce
• Charged EV
• Volta Foundation
• Accelerate and Engineering Societies of Canada including Professional Engineers in Ontario and Society of woman engineers

There are lots of exhibitors:

• Fanuc Canada, Kuka Robotics, SEW, Beckhoff Automation
• Reiser Canada, NuMove, Plexpack, Capmatic and Shawpack, Premier Tech
• Proto3000, IKO Thompson, Stratasys
• Absolute Haitian, Kubota Brabender, Piovan and Tiger Vac
• Unitrack Corporation, Meridian Manufacturing, Soralink and Vooban

Here is the show URL:

https://www.admtoronto.com/en/lp-general.html

You can use the code ROBOT to register. See you there.

Thanks,

Jim

Jim Beretta Customer Attraction & The Robot Industry Podcast London, ON jim@customerattraction.com

519-716-2262 Mobile

Bruce has over 30 years of experience in automation and engineering.  He began as a process engineer and consumer of automation, establishing a background in processes such as forming, welding, material handling, joining, and discrete assembly.  In automation, he began as an application engineer and eventually migrated into business development, where he has been for the last 15 years.

Who is Ehrhardt Automation?

How do you buy and automation system?

So Bruce, how do you prepare as a manufacturer?

How do they, the prospective customer, set up a budget?

What if you don’t have a spec document?

What are the key elements of the type of automation company that you might want to engage in?

How about 3rd party suppliers, like robot companies, can they help?

Questions that a prospective customer should ask the supplier?

What if you are a new user of automation?

Did we miss anything?

If someone wants to find out more about how they can put automation into their facility, how do they get a hold of you?

Email and phones are still the best ways.

bpolson@ehrhardtautomation.com / 952-290-3384

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bruce-polson-aa43b213

When you are not helping people get the automation that they need, what do you like to do?

I would like to acknowledge A3: the Association for Advancing Automation. they are the leading automation trade association for robotics, vision and imaging, motion control and motors and the industrial artificial intelligence technologies.  Visit Automate dot org to learn more.

If you would like to get in touch with us at THE robot industry podcast, you can find me jim beretta on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimberetta/

Today’s podcast was produced by Customer Attraction Industrial Marketing and I would like to thank my team Chris Gray for the music, Geoffy Bremner for audio production, my business partner Janet and our new sponsor: Mecademic Industrial Robots ~ world leading manufacturers of compact and precise industrial robots. https://mecademic.com/

Warm Regards,

Jim

Jim Beretta

Customer Attraction & The Robot Industry Podcast

Vivian Chu is a roboticist with over a decade of experience in human-robot interaction. She created Moxi and Poli, and applied her HRI and machine learning expertise to platforms like PR2, Meka, and Kinova Jaco2. She has worked at Google[X], Honda Research Institute, and IBM Research. Vivian holds a Ph.D. in Robotics from Georgia Tech and an M.S.E. from the University of Pennsylvania. She’s been recognized by MIT Technology Review (35 Innovators Under 35), Fortune (40 Under 40), named a Google Anita Borg Scholar and Stanford EECS Rising Star, awarded Best Cognitive Robotics Paper at ICRA, and featured on Robohub’s 25 Women in Robotics list.

Questions:

Vivian, Tell us about Diligent, who are you and what do you make?

Where are you located?

How did you get interested in robotics and automation?

What is Moxi?

Why did you decide on hospitals as your first use case?

Who are the economic drivers and decision makers in hospital and what are their pain points?

What are some of the surprises that you learned from hospitals, about robotics?

Why Diligent chose to go AI-hybrid, vs all-in on AI?

The importance of execution > demos and what deployment taught Diligent that the lab couldn’t

Building robots with a “human-first approach,” designing robots to serve as coworkers instead of replacements.

The key design elements that make Moxi ultra- adaptable, dexterous, and safe?

Let’s talk about data? Is this something that hospitals are interested in?

You just brought in some new executives to your team.

What is next for Diligent — now that you have proven yourselves in hospitals, do you have plans to expand into offices, factories? What makes your stack capable of doing so?

Future of robotics working with people?

Did we forget to talk about anything?

You are a busy, new mom. When you are not automating, innovating, building robots, or working with companies and AI, what do you enjoy doing for hobbies?

How can people get a hold of you and find out more about Diligent?

I would like to mention A3: the Association for Advancing Automation. they are the leading automation trade association for robotics, vision and imaging, motion control and motors and the industrial artificial intelligence technologies.  Visit Automate dot org to learn more.

If you would like to get in touch with us at THE robot industry podcast, you can find me jim beretta on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimberetta/

Today’s podcast was produced by Customer Attraction Industrial Marketing and I would like to thank my team: Chris Gray for the music, Geoffy Bremner for audio production, my business partner Janet and our new sponsor: Mecademic Industrial Robots ~ world-leading manufacturers of compact and precise industrial robots. https://mecademic.com/

Thanks, too, to our regular sponsor, Ehrhardt Automation Systems, located in Granite City, Illinois.

Warm Regards,

Jim

Jim Beretta

Customer Attraction & The Robot Industry Podcast

London, ON

Faculty of Applied Sciences & Technology (FAST) is growing to meet the needs of industry in engineering, mechatronics, robotics, information technology, data analytics, cybersecurity, sustainable design, and the skilled trades. 

Shaun, Tell me a bit about yourself.

Who is Humber College?

What are the most interesting courses?

You talk to Manufacturers….what are the Challenges for manufacturers?

What are they asking for?

Where do your grads go?

Engagement > Does everyone want AI and machine vision?

How are students prepare for industry? Are they doing anything else?

Support from the college

AI &  robotics? 

Cybersecurity?

Did we forget to talk about anything?

How can people get in touch and find out more?

I would like to mention A3: the Association for Advancing Automation. they are the leading automation trade association for robotics, vision and imaging, motion control and motors and the industrial artificial intelligence technologies.  Visit Automate dot org to learn more.

If you would like to get in touch with us at THE robot industry podcast, you can find me jim beretta on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimberetta/

Today’s podcast was produced by Customer Attraction Industrial Marketing and I would like to thank my team: Chris Gray for the music, Geoffy Bremner for audio production, my business partner Janet and our new sponsor: Mecademic Industrial Robots ~ world-leading manufacturers of compact and precise industrial robots. https://mecademic.com/

Thanks, too, to our regular sponsor, Ehrhardt Automation Systems, located in Granite City, Illinois.

Warm Regards,

Jim

Jim Beretta

Customer Attraction & The Robot Industry Podcast

London, ON

Good day, everyone, and welcome to the robot industry podcast . Thanks for joining us and for subscribing.

Konrad, welcome to the podcast. Can you take a few minutes and introduce yourself to our audience?

Tell me about your automation background here in southwestern Ontario (SWO).

What is happening from a high level in automation?

You have a strong background in precision indexing automation from Germany, correct?

Can you tell our audience about your Adapto Solution?

Who are your customers?

Success stories and use cases for Adapto?

Greenhouse automation?

You are involved in the innovation community here in London. Tell me about that.

Did we forget to talk about anything?

When you are not innovating, robotics and automation, what kind of hobbies do you have?

How can people find you if they want to reach out and find out more about Konnexio.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/konradkonnerth

I would like to mention A3: the Association for Advancing Automation. they are the leading automation trade association for robotics, vision and imaging, motion control and motors and the industrial artificial intelligence technologies.  Visit Automate dot org to learn more.

If you would like to get in touch with us at THE robot industry podcast, you can find me jim beretta on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimberetta/

Today’s podcast was produced by Customer Attraction Industrial Marketing and I would like to thank my team Chris Gray for the music, Geoffy Bremner for audio production, my business partner Janet and our new sponsor: Mecademic Industrial Robots ~ world leading manufacturers of compact and precise industrial robots. https://mecademic.com/

Warm Regards,

Jim

Jim Beretta

Customer Attraction & The Robot Industry Podcast

London, ON

Andrew, how did you get into this industry?

Who are your customers? Manufacturers or other integrators, robotics OEMs (or all three)?

Do you have a typical customer or are they all custom?

Who is TrueLight Machine Vision Integrations?

Tell me a bit about what is going on in automated vision (in the industry)?

Are you busy?

Lighting?, lenses, AI, data, security and robot guidance?

USE CASES

What kind of vision “inquires” do you get from customers?

How do you go about it, do you need a specification before you do a project?

Engineering study?

What does the future look like for vision, any predictions?

Did we forget to talk about anything?

If someone wants to find out how do they get a hold of you?

https://truelightvision.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/perkinsandrew

I would like to acknowledge A3: the Association for Advancing Automation. they are the leading automation trade association for robotics, vision and imaging, motion control and motors and the industrial artificial intelligence technologies.  Visit Automate dot org to learn more.

If you would like to get in touch with us at THE robot industry podcast, you can find me jim beretta on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimberetta/

Today’s podcast was produced by Customer Attraction Industrial Marketing and I would like to thank my team Chris Gray for the music, Geoffy Bremner for audio production, my business partner Janet and our new sponsor: Mecademic Industrial Robots ~ world leading manufacturers of compact and precise industrial robots. https://mecademic.com/

Warm Regards,

Jim

Jim Beretta

Customer Attraction & The Robot Industry Podcast

London, ON

Scott Pytel, P. Eng is Co-Owner and VP at MPI. MPI Solutions invited me to tour the facility and chat with the founders.

Kevin van der Maarel is also a Co-Owner and a mechanical engineer. He enjoys the constant change brought about by automation.

What is happening in the world of machine control?

What is Industry 4.0 from your (or your customers') lens?

What type of work do you do at MPI?

Type of control systems do you work in?

You are a Beckhoff Control Systems Integrator. Why is that?

Is there a typical customer or customer project?

What else do you do at MPI Solutions?

Why PC controls?

What industries do you operate in?

Maintenance and support in controls and automation.

MPI Solutions Inc. is located at 980 Adelaide St South Unit 112, London, ON N6E 1R3, Canada

Telephone: 519-690-0494 Email: sales@mpisolutions.ca

If you would like to get in touch with us at THE robot industry podcast, you can find me, Jim Beretta on LinkedIn or you can use info@customerattraction.com

Customer Attraction Industrial Marketing produced today’s podcast and I would like to thank my team: Chris Gray for the music, Geoffy Bremner for audio production, my business partner Janet and our sponsors Ehrhardt Automation Systems and our new sponsor Mecademic Industrial Robotics.

Warm Regards,

Jim

Jim Beretta

Customer Attraction & The Robot Industry Podcast

London, ON

Steve Hoenig is a senior executive with expertise in marketing, sales, product design, business development, P/L Management, Strat planning, engineering, and leading complex teams. He is an astute, decisive, and energetic leader recognized for outstanding interpersonal relationships and bottom-line results. 

• MSEE & MBA 
• 35+ Years in Automation 
• Focused on adding value and helping customers be successful. 
• Initially drawn and stayed in Automation because I am an engineer, and this industry is on the cutting edge of product development and manufacturing - you never get bored. 

On June 2024, Mike Gunner joined BBS Automation Chicago as their Managing Director/President. 

Mike comes to BBS with many years in the global automation sector which include roles at KraussMaffei as VP of Automation and at Mikron Corporation  

During his 30+ years in Automation, Mike has had Management positions in Sales, Applications, Controls Engineering and Project Management. Some of the industries he has touched on include Medical, Automotive, Consumer and Defense.

Mike has a B.Sc. Honors in Electrical Engineering and also a PH. D in Electronic Engineering both from the University of Hull, England.

Welcome guys, thanks for joining me. It is great to catch up.

Can you give our audience an idea who is BBS?

What are some of the changes that have been happening at BBS?

How many people are you now?

Where are your facilities?

Who is your “perfect” client?

What value of jobs can you take on?

Tell me a little bit about the technologies “stack” of machine systems that you have at BBS (high speed, high accuracy, robotics, etc) 

What are some of the automation trends that you are seeing from a high level?

How do you share these capabilities between divisions, say Germany and Italy? (ie the “One Company” convo)

“Can you walk us through a recent project where a customer came to BBS with a unique challenge—and how your team developed a custom automation solution from concept to completion?”

Building for Scalability

“How do you help customers future-proof their automation investments? Is scalability built into your systems from the beginning?”

Culture of Engineering and Innovation

“How do you foster innovation internally at BBS? Are there systems in place that encourage new thinking or cross-functional collaboration across your global teams?”

What about sectors, I assume that medical device and pharma are areas of interest?

Are there any new areas (of note) happening? 

You work in the electronics area and have some specialties in solder, paste and wearable tech, correct?

Service and support

We talked in the warm up about customers, Industry 4.0 and Mike you mentioned about getting  your OEE up, then worrying about Ind 4.0

Data and MES and Ignitioninfluenceing machine design

Automation Inspiration

“You both work deep in the world of automation—what’s a piece of tech, a machine, or even a moment in your career that made you stop and think, ‘This is why I do what I do’?”

Thanks Mike and Steve, for this update on BBS and what is happening in industrial automation. Did we miss anything?

If someone wants to find out how do they get a hold of you?

https://www.bbsautomation.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-hoenig-b5b0921

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-gunner-973691b

I would like to acknowledge A3: the Association for Advancing Automation. they are the leading automation trade association for robotics, vision and imaging, motion control and motors and the industrial artificial intelligence technologies.  Visit Automate dot org to learn more.

If you would like to get in touch with us at THE robot industry podcast, you can find me jim beretta on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimberetta/

Today’s podcast was produced by Customer Attraction Industrial Marketing and I would like to thank my team Chris Gray for the music, Geoffy Bremner for audio production, my business partner Janet and our sponsor: Mecademic Industrial Robots . manufacturers of compact and precise industrial robots. https://mecademic.com/

Warm Regards,

Jim

Jim Beretta

Customer Attraction & The Robot Industry Podcast

London, ON

I found you on a project that you did for CFIN, Canadian Food Innovation Network.

Welcome to edition #140 of the podcast. I welcome Adon Portman from JAKS Automation.

Adon, tell our audience a bit about you and your team.

I would ask about you, how you got involved/started in automation, the team,

Typical automation projects, CFIN, challenges, perfect fit projects?

What kind of work are you looking for?

How you find that work?

Some of the challenges for startup automation companies

What advice would you offer to startup system integrators like ourselves? What mistakes have you seen other system integrators make that we should be mindful of?

What markets do you think are adopting automation?

Have we forgotten to talk about anything?

How do our listeners get in touch with you?

https://www.linkedin.com/in/adon-portman

https://www.jaksautomation.com

If you would like to get in touch with us at THE robot industry podcast, you can find me, Jim Beretta on LinkedIn or you can use info@customerattraction.com

Customer Attraction Industrial Marketing produced today’s podcast and I would like to thank my team: Chris Gray for the music, Geoffy Bremner for audio production, my business partner Janet and our sponsor Ehrhardt Automation Systems.

Warm Regards,

Jim

Jim Beretta

Customer Attraction & The Robot Industry Podcast

London, ON

We talk about:

Palletizing

Robot arms vs actuators

Sensors vs. cameras

Shift away from PLCs inside robot cell

Robots and grasping

Agility, simulation and software

Cabinet door sanding for the kitchen industry

Data, software and the cost of automation trends

AI and Robot Motion

Machine Motion AI (the core) of the Vention product

Upcoming trends in the industry.

"There is nothing more manual than industrial automation." ~ Etienne Lacroix

How can people get a hold of you and find out more about Vention?

If you would like to get in touch with us at THE robot industry podcast, you can find me, Jim Beretta on LinkedIn or you can use info@customerattraction.com

Customer Attraction Industrial Marketing produced today’s podcast and I would like to thank my team: Chris Gray for the music, Geoffy Bremner for audio production, my business partner Janet and our sponsor Ehrhardt Automation Systems.

Warm Regards,

Jim

Jim Beretta

Customer Attraction & The Robot Industry Podcast

London, ON

Today, I welcome Louis Lapierre to the podcast; he works for a company called Mecademic Robotics, and they build very precise industrial robots for medical devices, photonics, aerospace, consumer and electronics industries. Their robots are used in assembly, attachment, dispense, material handling and much more.

How did you get in this industry? 

Tell us about the history of Mecademic.

What type of robot did the company launch with?

You are building your robots in North America, correct?

What markets are you serving? Is that changing?

What is different about your manufacturing philosophy (you build your own circuit boards)

Your products are small but highly accurate & precise; why is that?

Can you tell us a bit about your software or lack of software?

End of arm tools, partnerships, etc.

Let’s talk about teach pendants.

Use cases:

Where are Mecademic robots used?

Desktop factories?

Unique markets like watch manufacturing?

I know you cannot talk about many of your customers, but what are some of the processes?

What are your thoughts about the future of robotics?

Did we forget to talk about anything?

How can people get a hold of you and find out more about Mecademic?

If you would like to get in touch with us at THE robot industry podcast, you can find me, Jim Beretta on LinkedIn or you can use info@customerattraction.com

Today’s podcast was produced by Customer Attraction Industrial Marketing and I would like to thank my team: Chris Gray for the music, Geoffy Bremner for audio production, my business partner Janet and our sponsor Ehrhardt Automation Systems.

Warm Regards,

Jim

Jim Beretta

Customer Attraction & The Robot Industry Podcast

London, ON