Making Chips Podcast for Manufacturing Leaders

A new machine can open the door to different work, greater capacity, and your shop's next stage of growth. But buying it is only part of the equation. Who's going to run it? How many hours will it actually produce? And have you considered what automation could make possible?
Recorded at IMTS 2026, this episode brings Mark Christopher, Product Sales Manager for Automation at DN Solutions, into the conversation about making equipment investments that make sense. 
We get into pallet systems, workholding, and the small details that can bring a lights-out plan to a dead stop. There's a story about an overnight run that went sideways, a shop that discovered how little it was using its automation, and a surprisingly tough sell: convincing experienced machinists that slowing down might help them produce more.
We also explore buying machines with future automation in mind, where AI could take machine tools next, and what becomes possible when skilled people have better tools. Mark wraps up with his journey from a $9-an-hour tech-school graduate to applications engineering and automation leadership—including the job interview he nearly talked himself out of.
Whether you need a capability you don't have or more production from the equipment you already own, the goal is the same: make the investment match the need—and have a plan to put it to work.
What's Covered in this Episode
(0:00) Live from IMTS 2026 with Mark Christopher of DN Solutions
(1:47) The new PS7 100, a seven pallet system priced under a hundred grand
(4:13) Why drones took over the conversation at this year's show
(5:36) Drones machined, printed, and assembled on the IMTS floor
(7:31) Bigger horizontal pallets, five axis growth, and what customers are actually buying
(8:57) Prismatic fixtures, more clamping stations, and the morning harvest
(10:35) How do you know you're ready to automate?
(11:47) Increase your spindle uptime without adding headcount with Hennig Workflow
(12:38) The robot cell, the forgotten chip hopper, and a floor covered in chips
(15:09) OEE without the jargon, and why performance is the most overhyped number
(20:51) Take your shop to the next level with DN Solutions
(22:02) Inside the machine giveaway and what's actually in the package
(24:16) Last year's winner is already on his third machine
(25:30) Buy it automation ready, because ten grand now beats a hundred grand later
(27:33) Nobody should be a doorman, pay people to run three or four machines
(29:30) Gabe from Factur on the go to market steps most shops skip
(35:38) Nothing is better than the relationships built at IMTS
(38:01) Dissecting the future of AI in manufacturing 
(44:50) Give buyers real answers on your website with Navu
(46:02) Mark's path from tech school and a nine dollar an hour job to automation sales
Resources Mentioned
Hennig Workflow
Factur
Navu
Kennametal
IMTS
Connect with Mark Christopher
DN Solutions
Connect on LinkedIn
Connect with MakingChips
Website
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On LinkedIn
On Instagram
On Twitter
On YouTube

We spent this year asking young shop owners how they found machining, and one name came up in almost every single conversation. Titan Gilroy. What better way to close out our Generation CNC and workforce development series than a conversation with the man himself?
Most of the conversation lands on the part owners would rather not hear. If your shop is dirty, your walls are beige, and your bathroom is an afterthought, you're telling every visitor and every employee exactly what your standards are. Titan makes the case that precision isn't something you save for the part. It shows up in the crevices nobody sees, in how your team dresses and speaks, and yes, in the bathroom.
He's also blunt about where the talent problem actually sits. People drive past your building every day with no idea a CNC machine exists, let alone that it pays six figures without a degree. Whether they ever find out is a question of what the industry puts in front of them, and what your shop looks like when they finally walk in.
We also dig into what actually moves people. The briefcase of parts that beats a resume, why your best performers are the ones studying machining on a Saturday, how an apprenticeship program can pull your culture out of a hole, and the apprenticeship guide book Titans of CNC is releasing at Boombastic.
The through line is uncomfortable and useful. The next generation is out there, and whether they rise is mostly on the owner.
What's Covered in this Episode
(0:00) Why nearly every Generation CNC guest named Titan Gilroy
(1:54) From homelessness and prison to finding purpose in manufacturing
(4:17) 3,600 registered schools and more than 800,000 current students
(5:32) Increase spindle uptime without adding headcount with Hennig Workflow
(6:29) How does Titan think we can overcome the awareness gap?
(8:32) The shops that struggle have no vision, no imagination, and no pride
(10:36) You need to live greatness in everything that you do (yes, even bathrooms)
(14:05) Bring a briefcase of parts to the interview—not a resume
(16:45) Take your shop to the next level with DN Solutions
(17:55) An obsession for perfection, and the crowd it attracts
(20:40) How the curriculum is evolving toward lights out machining
(22:53) Out automate anyone, then take the machining to the highest level
(24:13) We need to continuously upskill our teams to fill the gaps we're seeing
(26:23) How to promote a culture of continuous improvement
(28:20) The apprenticeship guide book launching at Boombastic
(33:48) Why Mike's best guys have never had to ask for a raise
(37:47) Invest in your own business first with ProShop ERP
(39:26) How to inspire greatness in the next generation
(41:57) Cutting the two negative voices and watching the culture rise
(45:25) What Boombastic looks like November 11 through 13
Resources Mentioned
Titans of CNC
Hennig Workflow
DN Solutions
ProShop ERP
Connect with Titan Gilroy
Titans of CNC
Connect on LinkedIn
Connect with MakingChips
Website
On Facebook
On LinkedIn
On Instagram
On Twitter
On YouTube

For every five people aging out of the skilled trades, only two are stepping in behind them. Manufacturers have spent years talking about that gap. Danville, Virginia, decided to build its way out of it.
In this episode, Jason Wells takes us inside the Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing program, where students with little or no industrial experience are prepared for careers in machining, welding, additive manufacturing, quality, and other critical trades—in just 16 weeks.
But this isn't a condensed version of a traditional classroom program. Students train eight hours a day across the same three shifts they may encounter in industry. They clock in, follow travelers, complete shift handoffs, practice 5S, and learn the habits shops expect before they ever reach the floor. They're taught G and M code instead of relying solely on conversational controls, while communication, documentation, and problem-solving are treated as seriously as technical ability.
Alan Pearce of Fasttech explains why this talent pipeline convinced him to build his company in Danville—and what happened after he began hiring its graduates. People who entered with no manufacturing background have become top-performing employees, shift supervisors, and, in some cases, are earning up to $50 an hour on shift.
This isn't just a conversation about filling open positions. It's a look at what workforce development could become when educators, manufacturers, and government stop working in separate silos—and build the talent pipeline together.
What's Covered in this Episode
(0:00) Jason's tour of ATDM: Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing
(2:16) How Danville rebuilt itself after tobacco, textiles, and furniture collapsed
(4:51) A Navy funded prototype program heading into its sixth year
(6:20) Alan Pearce on why FastTech located in Danville for the talent pool
(10:35) Grow your top and bottom line with CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA)
(11:45) Inside FastTech: wire arc and laser printing, then machining a finished part
(15:24) The Navy's Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence
(17:48) Reaching an underemployed labor pool with students from 47 states
(19:53) Why they still teach G and M code instead of conversational programming
(21:46) Soft skills, clock in and clock out, 5S, and shift handoffs built into the experience
(24:42) Get buyers real answers on your website with Navu
(25:54) The Institute as a convener of government, academia, and industry
(27:27) Graduates who became top scoring employees inside two years
(31:31) A graduation cycle every eight weeks instead of a semester calendar
(32:13) Retention through new technology and challenge, not just pay
(34:46) Why Alan turned down a veteran production manager
(36:14) The seven habits of highly effective workholding from SMW Autoblok
(36:58) Three shifts, aluminum Lego blocks, and 600 hours of training in 16 weeks
(40:58) Hybrid print and machine units now sitting on ships
(42:05) Split into the Sailors and Marines training and the valve body / twelve-parts-to-one
(47:28) Housing students locally and the after-hours cohort learning
(49:33) The down-select: aptitude testing, prerequisites, background check
(54:25) Word of mouth as their best recruiter
(59:10) What Alan tells shop owners about ATDM
Resources Mentioned
Build Submarines
CLA
Navu
SMW Autoblok
Connect with Jason Wells and Alan Pearce
Connect with Jason on LinkedIn
Connect with Alan on LinkedIn
ATDM
Institute for Advanced Learning and Research
Fastech
Connect with MakingChips
www.MakingChips.com
On Facebook
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Kennametal isn't showing up to IMTS with another wall of cutting tools. They're building a working custom motorcycle shop in the middle of the West Building—and they plan to cut chips, build a bike, and give that bike away before the show ends.
Kim Wilson, Global Director of Marketing Communications, and Matt Jacques, Global Brand and Creative Services Manager at Kennametal, join us for a look behind the curtain at what it takes to build an IMTS experience this ambitious. The concept started taking shape during IMTS 2024 and grew through collaborations with custom motorcycle builder Carey Hart, machinist Satya Krause, artist Taylor Schultz, and several Kennametal customers.
Inside the Next Level Shop, those customers will machine real components using Kennametal tooling—including parts destined for a customized Indian Sport Chief. Attendees can watch live demonstrations, bring application challenges directly to the Kennametal team, explore its digital machining capabilities, and enter to win the completed motorcycle.
But this episode isn't only about building an unforgettable booth. It's about replacing the traditional trade-show pitch with real conversations. Kim and Matt explain how Kennametal is training its team to begin with a manufacturer's challenges—not a product catalog—and help customers uncover opportunities around productivity, tool life, applications, and digital machining.
Visit Kennametal in Booth #431800 in the West Building, Level 3, to experience the Next Level Shop, see live machining demonstrations, and enter to win the custom Indian Sport Chief.
What's Covered in this Episode
(0:00) Nick's fifth baby is due the Tuesday of IMTS, and his attendance is still up for debate
(2:26) Kim Wilson and Matt Jacques on their roles (and the IMTS that doubled as Matt's first day)
(5:43) Metal Mania in 2024 and why Kennametal had to come back looking different
(7:20) How the Next Level Shop theme morphed into a full custom motorcycle build
(9:08) Taylor Schultz, Satya Krause, and Carey Hart putting their hands on the booth concept
(10:34) From giving away a machine in 2024 to giving away a bike built in the booth
(13:15) Win a fully tooled SVM 4100 from MakingChips, DN Solutions, and Kennametal
(14:02) A 100 by 60 booth, project sheets, and leaning hard on the EWI relationship
(16:49) An in house design team taking over all the creative for the first time
(17:47) Why so many IMTS booths run the same branding show after show
(19:23) Racks of tooling versus something a shop owner can stand and watch
(20:19) The 2024 lesson: cutting chips at a show takes about a year of prep
(21:19) Elevate, powered by AMT and Women in Manufacturing, during IMTS 2026
(22:12) Customer demos from Spire Motorsports, Purdue students, and Tim Drinkwater
(23:26) Partnership in practice: tooling up the mini tombstones in the Hennig booth
(26:04) Two huge giveaways happening on Friday the 18th
(28:45) A Monday announcement and a first to market additive technology launch
(29:44) Find Kennametal tooling at 14 different booths in the South Hall
(30:20) First timer advice: comfortable shoes, hydration, and map the show before you go
(33:04) Who trains the booth team and how the floor gets divided up between them
(35:35) Ask questions and be human, because nobody wants to be pitched at
(37:42) Take your shop to the next level with DN Solutions
(38:54) ProShop's booth staffed with 40 customer ambassadors
(41:48) Does a booth theme actually stick with a shop owner two years later?
(44:32) What they're most excited about, and what's keeping them up at night
Resources Mentioned
Kennametal
MakingChips Machine Giveaway
IMTS
Elevate at IMTS 2026
DN Solutions
ProShop ERP
Superfeet
Connect with Kim Wilson and Matt Jacques
Connect with Kim on LinkedIn
Connect with Matt on LinkedIn
Kennametal
Kennametal at IMTS 2026: Booth 431800, West Hall, Level 3
Connect with MakingChips
www.MakingChips.com
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Most machine shops start thinking seriously about workforce development when they already need someone. A machinist quits, capacity jumps, the backlog grows, and suddenly finding skilled people becomes an emergency.
MSP Manufacturing has taken a very different approach. Johnny Goode joins Paul and Brooke to explain how MSP has spent years building relationships with high schools, apprenticeship programs, students, parents, and the broader manufacturing community. Now, as the company experiences more than 50% revenue growth, that investment is starting to pay off.
We dig into ROI Uplands, a regional program connecting high school students with real employers, and what it actually looks like to bring 16- and 17-year-olds into a working machine shop. Can apprentices contribute meaningfully in an environment where quality, safety, and precision matter? How much training does it take? And what happens to your culture when young people become a regular part of the team?
We also get into the bigger problem facing manufacturing: many students and their parents still have no idea what these careers actually look like. Johnny, Paul, and Brooke talk about the earning potential hiding inside modern manufacturing, why exposure needs to start long before graduation, and what shops can do to help create the next generation of machinists instead of waiting for someone else to do it.
What's Covered in this Episode
(0:00) Why these apprentices hold themselves to a higher standard than anyone sets for them
(2:17) Reintroducing Johnny Goode and getting a snapshot of MSP Manufacturing
(4:11) 30 employees, six apprentices, and 50% revenue growth without adding bodies
(5:30) How ROI Uplands links nine counties of Indiana high schools to local employers
(7:51) Take your shop to the next level with DN Solutions
(9:05) Eagle Manufacturing and the student-run businesses taking real jobs from industry
(10:35) Interview day, the draft, and the state reimbursing half of apprentice wages
(11:55) A three-to-two tuition deal that sends students into the workforce with zero debt
(13:04) Brooke on steamfitting, welding, and the year of college she'd take back
(14:47) 500 applicants, 100 placements, and why Indiana is ahead of the curve
(16:14) What happens to culture when apprentices are the children of your employees
(17:57) Win a fully tooled SVM 4100 from MakingChips, DN Solutions, and Kennametal
(18:44) Why people apply to MSP when there are no job postings anywhere
(20:38) What MSP does to support their community
(21:40) The Band-Aid analogy: keep patching the wound or repair it
(23:42) What a day actually looks like for an apprentice on the floor
(26:09) What success looks like: Hiring for culture fit over subject matter expertise
(29:10) Why students are choosing manufacturing internships
(31:05) Countering the stigma that the trades are the fallback option
(33:42) The $180,000 setup programmer nobody talks about
(36:00) Reality-based AI for the factory floor at the IMTS Industrial AI Conference
(35:19) AI as a force multiplier, not a people replacer
(37:26) Why schools turn down free software, and what ProShop does instead
(42:12) Advisory boards, wait lists, and the tech school near Tulsa with no students
(45:33) Reaching third graders before anyone tells them what a machinist is
(50:07) What gives Johnny the most hope for the next generation
Resources Mentioned
ROI Uplands
Eagle Manufacturing (Brown County High School)
ProShop ERP
DN Solutions
Kennametal
Conexus Indiana
MakingChips Machine Giveaway
IMTS
IMTS Industrial AI Conference
Titans of CNC
Connect with Johnny Goode
Johnny Goode on LinkedIn
MSP Manufacturing
Connect with MakingChips
www.MakingChips.com
On Facebook
On LinkedIn
On Instagram
On Twitter
On YouTube