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