# DIY Automation That Actually Works: How One 80-Person Shop Cracked High-Mix Lights-Out Manufacturing, Ep #39

- Show: [Lights Out](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lights-out)
- Published: 2026-04-24
- Length: 54m
- Episode: 39
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lights-out/2026-04-24-diy-automation-that-actually-works-how-one-80-person-shop-cracked-high-mix-light
- Listen: https://8819970d-2c51-481c-b08a-4d2a806885b2.libsyn.com/diy-automation-that-actually-works-how-one-80-person-shop-cracked-high-mix-lights-out-manufacturing-ep-39

## Summary

Katie Murphy, from Arcamed, an 80-person medical manufacturing company in Indiana, explains how her team built a high-mix, lights-out automation system in-house. By leveraging a state grant for collaborative robots and focusing on common features like vices, they increased spindle utilization from 50% to 80% and achieved 58 hours of unattended runtime. This DIY approach allowed them to upskill operators, such as 'Jerry,' into CNC programmers, proving that small shops can automate complex, low-volume work without expensive integrators.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lights-out/2026-04-24-diy-automation-that-actually-works-how-one-80-person-shop-cracked-high-mix-light#t=0) Introduction: Katie Murphy and Arcamed's Automation Journey
- [9:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lights-out/2026-04-24-diy-automation-that-actually-works-how-one-80-person-shop-cracked-high-mix-light#t=543) The Problem: High-Mix, Low-Volume Bottlenecks and Utilization
- [14:47](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lights-out/2026-04-24-diy-automation-that-actually-works-how-one-80-person-shop-cracked-high-mix-light#t=887) Securing Grants and Defining Success Metrics
- [21:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lights-out/2026-04-24-diy-automation-that-actually-works-how-one-80-person-shop-cracked-high-mix-light#t=1311) Avoiding Local Optimization and Upskilling Operators
- [29:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lights-out/2026-04-24-diy-automation-that-actually-works-how-one-80-person-shop-cracked-high-mix-light#t=1745) The DIY Decision: From Bookshelf Prototype to 5th Axis Components
- [37:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lights-out/2026-04-24-diy-automation-that-actually-works-how-one-80-person-shop-cracked-high-mix-light#t=2227) Iterative Design and On-the-Job Learning
- [43:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lights-out/2026-04-24-diy-automation-that-actually-works-how-one-80-person-shop-cracked-high-mix-light#t=2606) Impact: Spindle Utilization and Future AI Vision Plans

## Topics

- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)
- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)
- [Robotics & autonomy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/robotics-and-autonomy)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Arcamed (company)
- 5th Axis (company)
- Hennig (company)
- DN Solutions (company)
- FacturMFG (company)
- ProShop ERP (tool)
- Purdue MEP (company)
- Canexus (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Using Robots in High-Mix, Low-Volume Environments w/ Josh Gruenstein](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-01-28-using-robots-in-high-mix-low-volume-environments-w-josh-gruenstein) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [Robot-Lean: Synthesizing Automation and Lean Manufacturing w/ Alex Webster](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-06-03-robot-lean-synthesizing-automation-and-lean-manufacturing-w-alex-webster) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [Solving Labor Challenges the Simpler Way: A Fresh Look at Robotics w/ Ken Macken](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-03-03-solving-labor-challenges-the-simpler-way-a-fresh-look-at-robotics-w-ken-macken) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [Building an Automation Company on Ambition and Hustle with Malachi Greb](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-11-15-building-an-automation-company-on-ambition-and-hustle-with-malachi-greb) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [Democratizing Industrial Automation w/ Etienne Lacroix](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2024-10-29-democratizing-industrial-automation-w-etienne-lacroix) (The Manufacturing Executive)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lights-out/2026-04-24-diy-automation-that-actually-works-how-one-80-person-shop-cracked-high-mix-light. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Lights Out.