# 253: Rapid Execution in Industrial Automation: From FEED Study to Recommissioning in Five Months featuring Cassy Gardner and Chris Schleich of E Tech Group

- Show: [Manufacturing Happy Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour)
- Published: 2025-09-16
- Length: 35m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-09-16-253-rapid-execution-in-industrial-automation-from-feed-study-to-recommissioning
- Listen: http://manufacturinghappyhour.com

## Summary

Cassy Gardner and Chris Schleich of E Tech Group detail a rapid-execution case study where they recommissioned a mothballed solar facility in five months after demolition destroyed critical automation infrastructure. They explain how a Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) study, combined with 'humble confidence' and 'tenacious politeness,' allowed them to navigate unknowns and tight schedules. The team utilized oversized electrical panels to fast-track fabrication and leveraged Rockwell PlantPAx standard libraries to achieve rapid code development, ultimately coordinating a 45-person effort to meet aggressive delivery commitments.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-09-16-253-rapid-execution-in-industrial-automation-from-feed-study-to-recommissioning#t=0) Introduction: Cassy Gardner and Chris Schleich of E Tech Group
- [3:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-09-16-253-rapid-execution-in-industrial-automation-from-feed-study-to-recommissioning#t=215) Project Backstory: Mothballed Solar Facility and Demolition Damage
- [8:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-09-16-253-rapid-execution-in-industrial-automation-from-feed-study-to-recommissioning#t=502) The Pitfall: Automation as an Afterthought and Starting Early
- [12:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-09-16-253-rapid-execution-in-industrial-automation-from-feed-study-to-recommissioning#t=760) The FEED Study: Navigating Unknowns and Destroyed Infrastructure
- [18:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-09-16-253-rapid-execution-in-industrial-automation-from-feed-study-to-recommissioning#t=1083) Fast-Tracking: Oversized Panels and Creative Schedule Solutions
- [20:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-09-16-253-rapid-execution-in-industrial-automation-from-feed-study-to-recommissioning#t=1238) Execution: Tenacious Politeness and the 'Pit Bull' Requirements Manager
- [27:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-09-16-253-rapid-execution-in-industrial-automation-from-feed-study-to-recommissioning#t=1657) Technical Best Practices: Rockwell PlantPAx and Standard Libraries
- [31:56](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-09-16-253-rapid-execution-in-industrial-automation-from-feed-study-to-recommissioning#t=1916) Final Advice: Complexity, Team Size, and Future-Proofing

## Topics

- [Mechanical engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/mechanical-engineering)
- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- E Tech Group (company)
- Rockwell PlantPAx (tool)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Lights Out Lenses: Engineering, Quality & the Leadership Behind Automation (Part 2), Ep #41](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lights-out/2026-05-22-lights-out-lenses-engineering-quality-the-leadership-behind-automation-part-2-ep) (Lights Out)
- [Get Started w/ Data Collection & Robotics Today w/ Aaron Prather](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-08-17-get-started-w-data-collection-robotics-today-w-aaron-prather) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [Transforming Solar Construction Through Robotics with Deise Yumi Asami](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2026-07-17-transforming-solar-construction-through-robotics-with-deise-yumi-asami) (The Robot Report Podcast)
- [Modernizing the Traditional Manufacturing Facility w/ Chris Stevens](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2024-08-20-modernizing-the-traditional-manufacturing-facility-w-chris-stevens) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [Mechanical Engineering at Oxide [chapter images]](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2026-05-07-mechanical-engineering-at-oxide-chapter-images) (Oxide and Friends)

## Citing this page

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