Archives: Podcasts

In Episode 251 of The Robot Report Podcast, hosts Steve Crowe and Mike Oitzman are joined by special guest Sarah Wynn, senior editor at sibling site Packaging OEM, to chat about their experiences on the show floor at Automate last month.

The Robot Report Podcast: Editors recap physical AI, edge computing, and robotics at Automate

July 2, 2026

Piab Group’s BLFF vacuum suction cup (left side of image) is designed to handle a range of packaging formats, from flexible pouches to cases, while a Fanuc industrial robot (right side of image) demonstrates mixed-SKU “rainbow pallet” capability with Ziploc bags, boxes of macaroni and cheese, and Kleenex at Modex 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Robot Report Podcast: Editors recap Modex palletizing, e-commerce, end-of-line automation

April 18, 2026

Spencer Cramer, founder and CEO of ei3, joins The Downtime podcast to discuss remote connectivity and OEE in manufacturing.

The Downtime podcast: ei3 on remote management and OEM service models

April 9, 2026

Packaging OEM was on site at Pack Expo East in Philadelphia on February 18, 2026, and captured these images. From left to right: Rovema North America's BVC 260 Flex continuous motion vertical-form-fill-seal machine for flexible packaging, Vention's third-generation rapid series palletizer with a Fanuc robot for the end of the line, and linear bearings from NB Corporation of America.

The Downtime Podcast: Reporting on remote management and Pack Expo East

February 26, 2026

Andrew Morehead Jr., director of global standards at GS1 US, is shown on the right. He joined The Downtime podcast to explain how 2D barcodes hold more data than 1D barcodes and what OEMs need to know about Sunrise 2027.

The Downtime Podcast: Preparing packaging lines for Sunrise 2027 with GS1 US

February 19, 2026

A SCARA pick-and-place robot handles macaron cookies during a demonstration at Schneider Electric’s 2025 Innovation Summit in Las Vegas (background). Dante Vaccaro (on the right), digital transformation consultant at Schneider Electric, spoke with Packaging OEM and The Downtime about how OEMs can be "AI-ready" and the "Ferrari" of motion control technology.

The Downtime Podcast: Schneider Electric on how OEMs can be “AI-ready” and the “Ferrari” of motion control technology

February 12, 2026

Bosch Rexroth’s VarioFlow belt conveyor for larger CPG product flows, shown with Krupa Ravichandraan, sales product manager, on the right, who discussed modular conveyor design on The Downtime podcast.

The Downtime Podcast: Bosch Rexroth on modular conveyor design for CPG packaging lines

February 5, 2026

Tom Worsnopp, product marketing manager at Festo, discusses the CMMT-AS servo drives and the new S3 safety-integrated version on The Downtime podcast, highlighting advanced safety functions, drive-level security, and compact machine design for packaging automation.

The Downtime Podcast: Festo on safety-integrated servo drives for packaging

January 29, 2026

Sean Walters, general manager of CAPTRON North America, is shown in the top right corner. He joined The Downtime Podcast to discuss capacitive sensing technology for washdown environments, including the demo coming to IPPE with hygienic buttons for food packaging. (background image)

The Downtime Podcast: CAPTRON on sensing technology for washdown environments

January 22, 2026

Weintek human machine interface (HMI) on the shop floor at Hamrick Packaging Systems in Kent, Ohio, on August 19, 2025, showing HMIs used in OEM collaborations for packaging machines (background of image). Nikki Gonzales, director of business development at Weintek, co-founder of Automation Ladies and OT SCADA CON, and guest on The Downtime podcast.

The Downtime Podcast: How Weintek’s HMIs act as a “universal remote” for packaging OEMs

January 15, 2026