Ignited: Striking Industrial Automation Conversations

The old excuses — fragile environments, siloed systems, vendor lock-in — don't hold up anymore. In this episode, we dive into the high-stakes world of industrial edge computing, interoperability, and system architecture built to survive (and thrive) at the edge. This one's for the rebels, architects, and visionaries reshaping heavy industry, logistics, and field operations.   Operational technology should be seamle...

For decades, industrial automation was dominated by proprietary, vendor-locked control systems — but that's changing. In this episode, we sit down with Don Bartusiak to explore the journey of Open Process Automation (OPA), from its origins as an industry response to vendor lock-in to its current state as a real, deployable standard reshaping process control.

Guest: Don Bartusiak - President at Collaborative Systems Integratio...

The industrial automation industry has a talent challenge. The question is who is doing something about it — and how.

Travis and Tom sit down with David Grussenmeyer, Director of Strategic Alliances, and Annabelle Haley, Educational Engagement Program Manager at Inductive Automation, to explore the company's commitment to building the next generation of industrial automation professionals. From donated Ignition licenses and f...

What happens when a small automation team at a legendary guitar manufacturer decides to build something extraordinary? You get a story that will inspire every engineer in industrial automation.

Travis and Tom welcome Tyler Robertson, Automation Manager at Taylor Guitars, for one of the most unique and compelling conversations in Ignited's first season. Taylor Guitars is not just a manufacturer — it is an ESOP, a sustainabilit...

AI in industrial automation has generated more hype than almost any technology in recent memory. But what is actually happening on the plant floor — and what does it take to move from data collection to genuine intelligence?

Travis and Tom welcome Jeff Winter, VP of Commercial Strategy at Belden and one of the most recognized voices in smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0. Jeff serves on the boards of ISA and MESA and as an a...

Good software doesn't just solve today's problems — it anticipates tomorrow's. In this episode, we explore how the architectural decisions made in industrial automation today will determine how flexible, scalable, and resilient systems are for years to come.

Hosts Travis and Tom sit down with Kevin McClusky, Chief Technology Architect at Inductive Automation, for a wide-ranging conversation about how OT architectures have shi...

Most people know Ignition as a powerful platform for manufacturing and infrastructure — but this episode reveals something far bigger. Travis and Tom sit down with David Grussenmeyer and the remarkable Liliya Valihun to explore how Inductive Automation's Community Impact program is enabling people to use Ignition as a tool for solving deeply human problems.

The conversation covers how Inductive Automation is supporting missio...

Data centers are no longer just IT infrastructure — they're becoming some of the most complex, process-controlled facilities in the world. In this episode, we explore how explosive growth in data center demand is reshaping what it means to be an OT engineer, and why the tools of modern software development are now essential on the plant floor.

Hosts Travis and Tom sit down with Jason and Keith to unpack how the surging demand...

Data in Motion — MQTT, Sparkplug B, and Why the Edge Changes Everything

What happens when you need to move data across an entire enterprise — reliably, efficiently, and at scale — without drowning in network traffic or proprietary middleware? That's where MQTT and Sparkplug B come in.

Travis and Tom sit down with Benson Houghland, VP of Products at Opto 22, and Arlen Nipper, co-inventor of MQTT, to trace the prot...

Before you can understand what makes Ignition powerful, you have to understand the standards it's built on. In this deep-dive fireside chat, Travis and Tom welcome Kevin Herron — one of the architects behind Ignition's OPC UA implementation — to decode the world of OPC and OPC UA from the ground up.   This isn't a marketing conversation. It's a technical one. Kevin walks through what OPC actually is, why OPC UA rep...

Great software only creates value when people know how to use it. And in industrial automation, where the stakes include uptime, safety, and production output, the difference between a successful deployment and a frustrating one often comes down to the resources behind the platform — not just the platform itself.   In this episode, Travis and Tom welcome Dave Fogle to explore something that doesn't get talked about enoug...

Every great podcast starts with a question worth answering. For Travis Cox and Tom Burke, that question is simple: why does industrial automation need this conversation, right now?   In this inaugural episode, your hosts set the stage for everything Ignited is about. Travis and Tom share why they felt compelled to launch the show — the inflection point the industry is at, the gap between what's possible with Ignition and...