# Lights Out Lenses: Engineering, Quality & the Leadership Behind Automation (Part 2), Ep #41

- Show: [Lights Out](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lights-out)
- Published: 2026-05-22
- Length: 52m
- Episode: 41
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lights-out/2026-05-22-lights-out-lenses-engineering-quality-the-leadership-behind-automation-part-2-ep
- Listen: https://8819970d-2c51-481c-b08a-4d2a806885b2.libsyn.com/lights-out-lenses-engineering-quality-the-leadership-behind-automation-part-2-ep-42

## Summary

Forrest Vaught, Director of Engineering & Programming at Advanced Machine & Fabricating, explains how standardization of tooling, fixturing, and programs is critical for successful automation in high-mix, low-volume environments. He details the logic of the FASTEMS 'Pistol Pete' system, which optimizes pallet selection based on tool life and due dates, and discusses the bottlenecks of feeding the system. Owner Scott Shortess reflects on the financial risks, the humility required to admit weak leadership, and how benchmarking in Europe exposed the need for automation to improve both throughput and employee quality of life.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lights-out/2026-05-22-lights-out-lenses-engineering-quality-the-leadership-behind-automation-part-2-ep#t=0) Introduction and Engineering Team Structure
- [8:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lights-out/2026-05-22-lights-out-lenses-engineering-quality-the-leadership-behind-automation-part-2-ep#t=493) Standardization and Automation Requirements
- [13:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lights-out/2026-05-22-lights-out-lenses-engineering-quality-the-leadership-behind-automation-part-2-ep#t=799) FASTEMS and Pistol Pete Logic
- [15:50](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lights-out/2026-05-22-lights-out-lenses-engineering-quality-the-leadership-behind-automation-part-2-ep#t=950) Feeding the Beast and Bottlenecks
- [22:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lights-out/2026-05-22-lights-out-lenses-engineering-quality-the-leadership-behind-automation-part-2-ep#t=1358) Owner Perspective: Leadership and Culture
- [32:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lights-out/2026-05-22-lights-out-lenses-engineering-quality-the-leadership-behind-automation-part-2-ep#t=1955) Benchmarking and Financial Risk

## Topics

- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Factory operations & automation](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/factory-operations)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Advanced Machine & Fabricating (company)
- FASTEMS (company)
- Pistol Pete (product)
- Hennig WorkFlow (product)
- Pro Shop ERP (tool)
- Factor (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [#067 - How to speed up your New Product Introduction - Production Line Tool, with Pete Staples of Blue Clover Devices, USA](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2019-02-13-067-how-to-speed-up-your-new-product-introduction-production-line-tool-with-pete) (The Hardware Entrepreneur)
- [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)
- [EMS@C Panel: Exploring Digital Transformation, The Digital Dividend, and Strategic Collaboration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2023-11-24-ems-c-panel-exploring-digital-transformation-the-digital-dividend-and-strategic) (EMS@C-LEVEL)
- [Bonus - That SCOOP Show Productronica Preview - Rob Raine and Alexander Hagenfeldt from ASM Assembly Solutions](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2021-10-28-bonus-that-scoop-show-productronica-preview-rob-raine-and-alexander-hagenfeldt-f) (EMS@C-LEVEL)
- [The New ROI of Automation w/ Scot Lindemann](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2022-02-08-the-new-roi-of-automation-w-scot-lindemann) (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/2026-05-22-lights-out-lenses-engineering-quality-the-leadership-behind-automation-part-2-ep. 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.