Coming soon: Our new Machine Language podcast debuts May 26

Canada’s industrial automation sector is always evolving, and, as the industry’s news source, Manufacturing AUTOMATION is too!

That’s why we’re excited to debut a new podcast called Machine Language, where we will cover the latest technologies and trends in industrial automation for the manufacturing market.

Every month, join Kristina Urquhart, editor of Manufacturing AUTOMATION magazine, as she interviews industry experts about topics related to automation and machinery, including safety integration, robotics and sensors, motion control, software solutions, Industry 4.0 and the IIoT, cybersecurity and networking, and artificial intelligence.

New episodes will be available on the last Tuesday of the month, with the first episode premiering on Tuesday, May 26. You’ll be able to find the podcast here on MA’s website, and on Annex Business Media’s SoundCloud and iTunes accounts.

COVID-19 impact

Our first episode features an interview with Shelley Fellows, chair of Automate Canada, and Mike Bilton, chair of the Canadian Association of Mold Makers. The sister associations have been working together to assess the impacts of COVID-19 on the mold, tool and die, and industrial automation sectors through weekly surveys of their members.

In the episode, Fellows and Bilton discuss some of the major concerns brought forth by manufacturers, and some unexpected positive impacts of the coronavirus crisis. They also highlight health and safety best practices, and dig in to how Industry 4.0 technologies will help manufacturers become more resilient long-term.

“The wise companies are looking at this as an opportunity to invest in some new technologies,” says Fellows during the conversation. “[It’ll be] interesting to see what will happen when they sustain it – for those who are going to sustain it – and make it part of their business diversification strategy.

“It’s one thing to take a section of your plant and repurpose it with some equipment and some ingenuity but then to actually make it part of your long-term strategy, that’s where I see automation and Industry 4.0 technologies will have that important role to play.”

To hear more from Shelley Fellows and Mike Bilton, tune into our podcast on May 26.

If you have an idea for a Machine Language podcast episode, email our host Kristina Urquhart at kurquhart@annexbusinessmedia.com.