In episode 22 of The Downtime, WTWH Media’s weekly manufacturing podcast, co-host Sarah Wynn talks with two Schneider Electric executives: Ali Haj Fraj, senior vice president, digital factory, and Richella Odebrecht, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for industrial automation.
The interviews were recorded at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston during Schneider’s Open Automation event. The conversation with Haj Fraj explores the company’s EcoStruxure Automation Expert platform and how open, software-defined automation can reshape packaging lines to reduce downtime, allow for easier integration, and simplify maintenance.
Odebrecht explains how the solution can serve as a translator to connect systems and make lives easier for operators.
Additionally, co-host Sheri Kasprzak shares the recently named Engineering Leaders Under 40 for Control Engineering and Plant Engineering, including the 2025 salary surveys. You can download that research for free now on Control Engineering and Plant Engineering’s websites.
Open automation for packaging
Haj Fraj explained how Automation Expert offers flexibility and is changing the way packaging machine builders approach automation.
“With Automation Expert, Schneider Electric has launched the world’s first open, software-defined automation,” said Haj Fraj. “We think that this is a huge revolution in the market, bringing a lot of big values for our customers: hardware agnosticity, distributed intelligence, application-centricity, and digital continuity.”
The open platform makes it easier to integrate third-party systems on packaging lines, such as robotics, vision, and motion technologies, while maintaining consistent operation across different hardware. Haj Fraj added that you can run applications on a PLC, IPC, or even a variable-speed drive while using the same program across different controllers.
“Hardware agnostic is one of the principles of our Automation Expert,” he said. “What we mean by that is we separate the true lifecycles of the software, of the hardware, and with that, the runtime can still run on different types of hardware.”
It also helps OEMs reduce downtime.
“One very important thing when you have downtime is that you can switch quickly to the hardware you have,” Haj Fraj said. “The control can switch from one controller to another without interrupting the application.”
Open automation as a ‘translator’
Odebrecht shared how open automation can make a noticeable difference for customers beyond technical details. She highlighted a water customer dealing with 100 installations using six different programming platforms, creating complexity and inefficiency.
“It’s like having to speak French, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, and Chinese, and make it all work together seamlessly,” she said. “Open software-defined automation acts like a translator, harmonizing all the different systems and making life much easier for operators.”
Odebrecht also used a space analogy to describe Schneider’s open automation journey. “Since we’re here at NASA, I’d say we’re in lift-off. We’ve taken off, and many more are joining the mission. We’re heading towards orbit and looking forward to multiple landings together with our customers and partners.”
Learn more about EcoStruxure Automation Expert by clicking here.
Episode 22 | Show notes & time stamps
00:17 – Co-hosts open the show
02:08 – Wynn addresses her hat of the week
02:52 – Co-hosts open the headlines segment
02:57 – Wynn highlights Morrison Container Handling Solution’s Redesigned Screw Denester and Robotic Orienting System, which will be on display at Pack Expo Las Vegas
03:44 – Kasprzak highlights Engineering Leaders Under 40 award winners, full list of winners available on Control Engineering and Plant Engineering’s websites
04:37 – Kasprzak encourages listeners to check out salary surveys from Control Engineering and Plant Engineering
05:33 – Wynn discusses her trip to Schneider Electric’s Open Automation showcase in Houston, Texas
07:08 – Wynn introduces an interview segment with Schneider Electric’s Ali Haj Fraj, senior vice president of digital factory, and Richella Odebrecht, senior vice president, marketing, CMO. The trio discusses EcoStruxure Automation Expert
08:40 – Interview with Haj Fraj begins
09:22 – Wynn asks Haj Fraj about Schneider’s Automation Expert for packaging
10:11 – Haj Fraj elaborates on Schneider’s hardware-agnostic approach
11:11 – Wynn and Haj Fraj discuss how open automation can reduce downtime
12:17 – Haj Fraj provides a packaging example of scaling production and operational flexibility
13:25 – Haj Fraj describes the integration of robotics, vision, and motion systems on packaging lines
14:27 – Detailed explanation of Automation Expert’s capabilities from Haj Fraj
15:15 – Wynn begins interview with Odebrecht
15:56 – Odebrecht shares a vivid customer story about open automation
17:57 – Odebrecht illustrates Schneider’s automation journey with a space analogy
19:35 – Odebrecht interview ends
19:40 – Wynn thanks Haj Fraj, Odebrecht, and Schneider Electric
20:20 – Game time segment “Astronaut Aptitude Test” begins
29:13 – Game time segment ends
29:20 – The dynamic duo wraps up the show
About The Downtime podcast and co-hosts
The Downtime is a weekly manufacturing podcast from WTWH Media that features insights from its automation and controls publications. It’s co-hosted by Wynn, who serves as the senior editor (digital) for Packaging OEM, and Kasprzak, who is the managing editor for Plant Engineering, Control Engineering, and Consulting-Specifying Engineer.
Check out The Downtime’s recent episodes
Episode 17: How Neugart gearboxes support packaging machinery
Episode 18: Memphis Record Pressing enhances vinyl packaging with OEM tech
Episode 19: An interview with WTWH Media and Design World journalist Mike Santora
Episode 20: Emerson on Floor-to-Cloud packaging technology for OEMs
Episode 21: JLS Automation introduces Peregrine robotic cartoner
