Making Chips Podcast for Manufacturing Leaders

The RFQs are coming in. Your machines have capacity. But the quotes are waiting on the same handful of people who are already busy keeping the shop running. Quoting takes experience, eats up valuable time, and comes with an especially frustrating reality: much of that effort goes into jobs you'll never win. And when a purchase order comes back immediately, your first thought might be, "What did we miss?"
Recorded live at IMTS, we welcome CloudNC co-founder Theo Saville back to MakingChips, alongside Jason Bowes, to talk about this hidden bottleneck—and how AI could help relieve it. Building on CAM Assist, their AI tool for automating repetitive CAM programming tasks, CloudNC is expanding into quoting and estimating. Their approach starts with preparing the quote, surfacing risks, and generating an initial routing so an experienced person can review the work instead of building everything from scratch.
With more than 1,000 shops now using CloudNC's technology, Theo and Jason share what they've learned since Theo's previous appearance, including lessons from running their own aerospace and defense shop. We discuss why quote turnaround matters, where chasing precision becomes counterproductive, and how estimates, programming decisions, and actual cycle times should inform one another.
We also revisit Theo's original ambition: making CNC manufacturing as simple as submitting a part and pressing go. How close are we? What still needs to happen? And how do you earn the trust of experienced machinists who will be responsible for the results? With growing demand putting pressure on shops to deliver faster, this conversation explores where AI can help today—and what it will take to go further.
What's Covered in this Episode
(1:11) Buyers show up at IMTS with real shopping lists
(1:54) Why metal parts take 10 weeks and what CloudNC set out to fix
(3:38) CAM Assist, an AI that gets programming 70 to 80% of the way
(4:53) Jason on sleeping on the shop floor and why a real shop matters
(5:59) Why quoting is the natural next step after automated programming
(6:50) Ground Control automates FAI generation and PO review
(7:30) Why CloudNC built its own shop to shrink the problem
(9:43) From beta to over a thousand customers, starting in the US
(10:44) What the workflow looks like from RFQ to CAM to inspection
(13:08) The owner as bottleneck and the E-Myth trap
(16:38) Find Kennametal at IMTS and the Next Level Shop
(17:28) Running a shop on the software: ones and twos, and first over the line
(19:55) Don't over-engineer the quote, just win the work
(21:57) What a day looks like with a quote agent, CAM Assist, and ERPs
(24:51) Increase spindle uptime with Hennig Workflow
(25:41) Estimated targets vs. actual part targets
(28:55) Lightweight quoting vs. full toolpath calculation
(30:05) Milling today, lathes on the roadmap
(31:34) The goal: lift the ceiling from 20 machines to over 100
(32:51) Can't I just vibe code this?
(37:15) Let your website answer buyer questions with Navu
(38:28) Using AI to flag red flags on a print instead of quoting it
(44:28) Where vibe coding does make sense
Resources Mentioned
Ground Control
Kennametal
Hennig Workflow
Navu
ProShop ERP
IMTS
Connect with Theo and Jason of CloudNC
Connect with Theo on LinkedIn
Connect with Jason on LinkedIn
CloudNC
Connect with MakingChips
Website
On Facebook
On LinkedIn
On Instagram
On Twitter
On YouTube

We spend a lot of time asking where the next generation of machinists will come from. Ethan Crane was working in building supplies. A trip to a machine shop for a project turned into a receiving job, and a look around the shop turned into a new ambition: I want to do that.
His first classroom was a little Harbor Freight bench lathe a coworker brought in. Ethan spent his lunch breaks making chips, then went home to study machining textbooks and watch videos. Nobody had to convince him that manufacturing was cool. He was already hooked. But even after he started making parts, he wondered whether he deserved to call himself a machinist. Did it count if he wasn't running a CNC? If his parts went into farm equipment instead of an airplane?
That question stuck with me. Recorded live at IMTS, Jason and I chat with Ethan about manual machining, learning the trade, and what makes someone want to keep getting better. Surrounded by some of the most advanced equipment in manufacturing, we're talking with a guy who loves turning handles and feeling a tool cut metal—and has plenty to say about why that work still matters.
We get into the decisions shops make every day: when a job belongs on a manual machine, when it's time to move it to CNC, and why an unexpected repair at the front door can be worth taking on. Ethan also shares what it means to make parts for the same kinds of farm equipment he grew up around, then see those parts become something that goes to work in a field.
The conversation gets just as honest about our responsibilities as shop owners. We say we want people who are hungry to learn. What happens when they show up? Are we giving them consistent training, opportunities to progress, and a chance to understand why their work matters—or leaving them waiting for someone to have time?
Ethan is still learning, and he's willing to let people see it. His videos show the work, his enthusiasm, and sometimes the part that took three attempts to get right. There's something in that for anyone trying to bring new people into this industry: what looks routine to an experienced machinist might be the very thing that makes someone else say, "I want to do that."
What's Covered in this Episode
(0:00) Jason Davis guest hosts, and it's the first IMTS for him and Ethan
(1:15) Ethan's path from building supply to the machine shop
(3:46) Why the best new machinists keep learning after clock-out
(5:26) Move into high-level machining with DN Solution 
(6:37) The first cut on a manual machine and why it hooks you
(9:20) The first Bridgeport, machining history and what WWII industrialization took
(11:37) How we decide what runs manual and what runs CNC
(13:42) The integration between ProShop and GroundControl 
(20:37) How shop owners can find and fuel the next generation
(24:53) Always be hiring—don't wait until you need somebody
(26:02) Let new machinists see the finished product
(27:16) Increase spindle uptime with the Hennig WorkFlow automation system
(28:07) Why we believe manual machines still have a purpose
(32:13) Walk-in repair jobs that turn into customers
(34:26) Seeing where your individual components end up is rewarding
(35:02) You don't need to make aerospace parts to be a machinist
(36:35) Social media advice: keep it simple and make it cool
(41:15) Ethan's challenge at IMTS: find every manual machine
Resources Mentioned
DN Solutions
Hennig Workflow
IMTS
Connect with Ethan Crane
Ethan Crane on Instagram
Ethan Crane on LinkedIn
Connect with MakingChips
Website
On Facebook
On LinkedIn
On Instagram
On Twitter
On YouTube

What do a freestyle motocross legend, a custom motorcycle painter, and a machine shop owner with 19 spindles have in common? A whole lot more than motorcycles. And at IMTS 2026, Kennametal brought all three together to prove it.
Recorded live from the MakingChips studio at IMTS, we sit down with Carey Hart, the motocross icon who made history with a backflip on a dirt bike; Taylor Schultz, a custom painter whose work turns motorcycles into rolling artwork; and Satya Kraus, founder of Kraus Motor Co. 
Together, they built a custom Indian motorcycle right on the show floor, complete with precision-machined components made using Kennametal tooling. It's part manufacturing demonstration, part art project, and one seriously cool giveaway.
But the motorcycle is just the beginning. Satya shares how his obsession with building better bikes turned into a manufacturing business producing roughly 3,000 parts a week. Carey talks about finding his way from professional motocross into fabrication and custom bike building, while Taylor brings an artist's perspective to a world of CNC machines and automation. Their paths couldn't be more different, yet all three found their way into manufacturing because they loved creating something with their own hands.
That leads to a bigger conversation about what the industry might be missing when it comes to attracting young talent. What happens when we show people the creativity behind machining instead of just the machines? Can automation actually make manufacturing careers more rewarding? And what can shop owners learn from people who have turned their passions into thriving businesses?
From building a shop one spindle at a time to the importance of culture, collaboration, and keeping manufacturing in America, this conversation is a reminder that there's a lot more to making chips than making parts. Sometimes, it starts with wanting to build a really incredible motorcycle.
Segments
(0:30) Live from IMTS 2026: Meet the builders behind Kennametal's custom Indian motorcycle
(2:14) From custom bikes to CNC machining: How Satya Kraus built his manufacturing business
(4:39) Carey Hart's journey from freestyle motocross to custom motorcycle building
(6:31) Taylor Schultz's path from body shops and art school to custom painting
(8:28) Learn how to build a next-level shop with DN Solutions 
(9:40) Machining real motorcycle components with Kennametal tooling
(12:31) The challenge of keeping consumer product manufacturing in America
(15:24) First impressions of IMTS and the artistry behind precision machining
(18:00) Why you need to check out the Hennig WorkFlow Automation System
(18:51) Attracting the next generation through creativity, hands-on work, and shop classes
(25:51) From craftsman to business owner: Learning to build systems instead of just parts
(28:15) Robotics, AI, and the growing value of handmade craftsmanship
(31:32) How Navu can help you answer your buyer's questions 
(32:45) Growing from one Haas to 19 spindles: Lessons in patience, technology, and investment
(37:21) Why people, culture, and collaboration matter as much as machines
(39:15) Building businesses around passion and the people who share it
(40:24) The finished Indian motorcycle and the Kennametal IMTS giveaway
Resources Mentioned
Kennametal
Kennametal's IMTS 2026 Motorcycle Build
Kraus Motor Co.
Hart Luck Parts & Gear
Schultz Designz
Indian Motorcycle
Tiger Manufacturing
A.R.E. Manufacturing
How to Connect with Satya, Carey, and Taylor
Satya Kraus's website: https://krausmotorco.com
Satya's Instagram
Carey Hart's Website: https://www.hartluck.com
Instagram
Taylor Schultz's website: https://www.schultzdesignz.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/schultzdesignz/

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
On Facebook
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