Best ControlDesign Podcasts (2025)

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Expanding robotic applications across the engineering landscape 17:00

Play Pause

3d ago17:00

17:00

The landscape of industry is undergoing a profound transformation, largely driven by the increasing integration of robotics. Once confined to the realm of science fiction, industrial robots are now an indispensable part of manufacturing and production processes worldwide. In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Charl…

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Implementing smart control design for safer speeds 7:14

10d ago7:14

7:14

Many times, in industrial automation we hear the term “safe speed” in motion conversations. It’s important to define safe speed and how it applies to control design, in relationship to functional safety. In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses how smart control d…

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LiDAR and IO-Link: sensor solutions for controls engineers 20:17

18d ago20:17

20:17

Two technologies that have risen to prominence in industrial settings over the past few years are light detection and ranging (LiDAR) and IO-Link. The discussion, popularity and implementation of both continue to rise. Aaron Rothmeyer, manager, market product manager, at SICK, explains why in this episode of Control Intelligence.…

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Evolving equipment operations employ advanced industrial panel displays 7:56

25d ago7:56

7:56

Industrial panel displays have undergone significant advancements in recent years, driven by the growing demand for better performance, durability and functionality. In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Charles Palmer, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses displays.…

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Commissioning machine projects with PLCs and HMI 6:34

1M ago6:34

6:34

Commissioning a stand-alone machine project based on control with a programmable logic controller (PLC) and a human-machine interface (HMI) has many facets to the successful implementation of the equipment that the control system is controlling. In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Jeremy Pollard, Mike Bacidore di…

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Optimizing industrial control systems with PLCs and PACs 6:48

1M ago6:48

6:48

A programmable logic controller (PLC) is essentially a term used for any controller these days. A programmable automation controller (PAC) is the alternative. It could be looked at as a flip phone vs. a smart phone. However, there are distinguishing characteristics. In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strau…

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Absolute vs. incremental encoders: when are they appropriate? 7:24

1M ago7:24

7:24

In the world of motor encoders, there are two main types – incremental and absolute. Incremental encoders do not retain their actual position upon power-up, whereas absolute encoders do. They both give position feedback, which the motion controller can use to calculate velocity, acceleration and jerk. These parameters are necessary for a fully capa…

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Building the tech and workforce for the bioindustrial economy 21:02

2M ago21:02

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 …

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May 2025 industry news: scholarships, decarbonization and Automate 11:54

2M ago11:54

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.By controldesign

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Patrick Bunn: laying the groundwork for future generations of automation 33:14

2M ago33:14

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 autom…

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Stu Shepherd talks robotics, AI, and the 2025 Engelberger Robotics Awards 21:22

2M ago21:22

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 transformin…

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Cabinet-free automation 25:30

3M ago25:30

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 Intelligen…

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A conversation with robot royalty Joe Gemma 48:20

3M ago48:20

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 hos…

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What is MQTT? 5:50

3M ago5:50

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.By controldesign

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Presence-sensing tech for safer automation 6:45

3M ago6:45

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 …

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What's in store for upcoming automation conferences and trade shows 5:07

4M ago5:07

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.By controldesign

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March 2025 industry news: facilities, VFD integration and Hannover Messe 15:00

4M ago15:00

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.By controldesign

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How industrial safety sensors have your back 10:38

4M ago10:38

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.By controldesign

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Securely implementing remote monitoring and diagnostics 5:34

4M ago5:34

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.By controldesign

1
PLCs v. PACs: similarities and differences 6:15

5M ago6:15

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).By controldesign

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IPCs, IT departments and software updates: how they work together 7:43

5M ago7:43

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.By controldesign

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February 2025 industry news: robotics, acquisitions and the two Pats 16:20

5M ago16:20

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.By controldesign

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VFDs and their many advantages 6:30

5M ago6:30

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.By controldesign

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How to restrict PSCs' instruction sets 8:29

6M ago8:29

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.By controldesign

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Protecting OT data against voltage spikes 7:26

6M ago7:26

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.By controldesign

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January 2025 industry news: AI assistants, appointments and STEM support 11:33

6M ago11:33

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.By controldesign

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What is unified namespace? 4:54

6M ago4:54

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.By controldesign

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Radar, lidar, infrared and time-of-flight: advancements in sensors 7:29

6M ago7:29

7:29

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

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Integrating four robots types into applications 8:49

7M ago8:49

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.By controldesign

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December 2024 industry news: a year in review 10:42

7M ago10:42

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.By controldesign

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Which network protocol works best for you? 7:02

7M ago7:02

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.By controldesign

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Uses of wireless, battery-free pushbuttons 3:51

8M ago3:51

3:51

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

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Exploring AI capabilities with Rockwell Automation 4:47

8M ago4:47

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.By controldesign

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November 2024 industry news: expansions, award nominations and Automation Fair highlights 14:24

8M ago14:24

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.By controldesign

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Machine vision vs. computer vision 9:57

8M ago9:57

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.By controldesign

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5 use cases for the uninterruptible power supply 7:08

9M ago7:08

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.By controldesign

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Wireless HMI enables endless control and monitoring 6:41

9M ago6:41

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.By controldesign

1
October 2024 industry news: acquisitions, new facilities and AI 14:39

9M ago14:39

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.By controldesign

1
Fiberglass, ABS or recycled plastic materials create unique enclosure troubleshooting scenarios 6:39

9M ago6:39

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.By controldesign

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Object-oriented programming or ladder logic? 3:47

9M ago3:47

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.By controldesign

1
The evolution of the programmable automation controller 6:36

10M ago6:36

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.By controldesign

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September 2024 industry news: reports, associations and new leaders 17:33

10M ago17:33

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.By controldesign

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HMIs in hazardous areas 10:09

10M ago10:09

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.By controldesign

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How RFID can be used in real-time inventory management, seamless asset tracking, quality control and streamlined production processes 7:37

10M ago7:37

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.By controldesign

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Industrial vs. commercial networks 6:49

11M ago6:49

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.By controldesign

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50 years of EZAutomation innovation 21:16

11M ago21:16

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 unchan…

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August 2024 industry news: events, standards and executive appointments 17:17

11M ago17:17

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.By controldesign

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Embracing cybersecurity with Nozomi Networks 5:03

11M ago5:03

5:03

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

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Protecting and serving data with sensing devices 5:44

12M ago5:44

5:44

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

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How RFID continues to evolve in industrial applications 18:41

12M ago18:41

18:41

Pepperl+Fuchs’ Michael McCabe explains standardized tags, data transfer rates, capabilities, security and integrationBy controldesign