ROK Talk on Drives Podcast Series | Rockwell Automation

From simple starters to complex drive systems, motors play a critical role in industrial operations. This podcast explores trends in drive technology, examines specific application challenges, and most importantly, will help you understand how to get the most out of your motor control applications. ROK Talk on Drives is hosted by Business Lead Jim Finiak and Lead Product Manager Sam Shelley.

Digging Deeper: Boosting Mining Performance with VFDs

Join Jim and Sam alongside industry expert Andrew Hoch as they explore how variable frequency drives (VFDs) are helping mining operations improve efficiency, increase equipment reliability, and optimize control of critical applications. Tune in for practical insights on reducing energy consumption, supporting maintenance goals, and maximizing productivity across the mine.

Leave a comment on Spotify or email us if you have suggestions for upcoming podcasts, to give us feedback or get information on new episodes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RAROKTalkDrives@rockwellautomation.com⁠⁠⁠⁠.

How VFDs are Transforming Food & Beverage Production

Jim and Sam team up with industry expert Todd Gilliam to see what part VFDs play in food and beverage production. Learn how drives help maintain consistent product quality, improve energy efficiency, and help meet strict safety standards. Understand how connected drive technology can provide better visibility, helping teams detect issues early and reduce unplanned downtime.

Dive deeper into what the future of smart manufacturing looks like for the industry in this report: ⁠State of Smart Manufacturing Report: CPG Edition.

Leave a comment on Spotify or email us if you have suggestions for upcoming podcasts, to give us feedback or get information on new episodes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RAROKTalkDrives@rockwellautomation.com⁠⁠⁠.

The Catalyst for Smarter Chemical Processing

In this episode, learn how drives help chemical and plastics manufacturers run smarter, more efficient operations—delivering reliable motor control for applications like extrusion, mixing, and pumping while improving energy usage and product consistency. Sam and Jim break down how PowerFlex® drives reduce downtime and simplify maintenance, even in challenging environments, so producers can keep processes running smoothly.

Leave a comment on Spotify or email us if you have suggestions for upcoming podcasts, to give us feedback or get information on new episodes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RAROKTalkDrives@rockwellautomation.com⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠

What's Driving Faster Material Movement?

Hosts Jim and Sam sit down with industry expert Michael Lennard to discuss how variable frequency drives (VFDs) support modern warehousing and logistics operations. The conversation explores where VFDs are used, why they matter for material handling systems, and how they help improve efficiency, performance and safety in fast‑moving logistics environments.

Leave a comment on Spotify or email us if you have suggestions for upcoming podcasts, to give us feedback or get information on new episodes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RAROKTalkDrives@rockwellautomation.com⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠

Where the Rubber Meets the Road: How VFDs are Advancing Tire Production

In this episode of ROK Talk on Drives, we dive into the powerful role Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) are playing in today’s tire manufacturing landscape. Hosts Jim and Sam speak with experts Dan Paul and Eduardo Rodriguez to unpack why VFDs are so critical and how their place in automation systems continues to evolve. From improving plant efficiency to elevating process control and advancing sustainability, learn why VFDs are central to modern tire and rubber operations.

Leave a comment on Spotify or email us if you have suggestions for upcoming podcasts, to give us feedback or get information on new episodes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RAROKTalkDrives@rockwellautomation.com⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Big Drive Behind Mill Operations

The next advancement in pulp and paper mill automation starts with smarter, more responsive motor control. In this episode, host Sam Shelley teams up with Rockwell Automation experts Eduardo Rodriguez and Mike Clark to break down the real impact of VFDs in pulp and paper—from serious energy efficiency gains to solving the challenges that pulp and paper operations face every day.

Leave a comment on Spotify or email us if you have suggestions for upcoming podcasts, to give us feedback or get information on new episodes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RAROKTalkDrives@rockwellautomation.com.⁠⁠⁠⁠

Are Variable Frequency Drives the Secret to Smarter Oilfield Operations?

Explore how VFDs are transforming the oil and gas industry. Jim and Sam are joined by industry expert Ron Busse to discuss real-world applications, energy savings, process optimization, and the role of automation in meeting sustainability goals. Learn about overcoming infrastructure challenges, harmonics compliance, regenerative solutions, and how smarter motor control can help operators do more with less while reducing their carbon footprint.

Leave a comment on Spotify or email us if you have suggestions for upcoming podcasts, to give us feedback or get information on new episodes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RAROKTalkDrives@rockwellautomation.com.⁠⁠⁠⁠

It Starts with a Spark-Reinventing the Classic Motor Starter

In this episode of ROK Talk on Drives, hosts Jim and Samwelcome special guest Bill Meindl, business unit manager at Rockwell Automation, to explore the past, present, and future of motor starting technology. From the humble beginnings of the compression rheostat in 1903 to today’s cutting-edge M100 electronic motor starter, we trace a journey of innovation. The result is smaller panels, simplified wiring and improved reliability.

Leave a comment on Spotify or email us if you have suggestions for upcoming podcasts, to give us feedback or get information on new episodes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RAROKTalkDrives@rockwellautomation.com.⁠⁠⁠⁠

Safety First!

Join Jim and Sam in another episode of ROK Talk on drives where we welcome safety expert Jonathan Johnson. He'll talk about how moving mechanicals are a potential source of harm for the workers that interact with them. He’ll try to help us understand the risks associated with drives and help you keep your people and plant safe.

For more information on safety and drives see this safety publication in the Rockwell Automation Literature Library:

SAFETY-AT175A-EN-P

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Corrosive Gas-You might not know you have a problem

Join Jim and Sam for the latest episode of ROK Talk on drives as they explore the risks corrosive gases can pose in your plant. Find out the reasons why VFDs are vulnerable to these gases and how to protect your plant. Learn how to combat corrosion-related downtime, protect your equipment in harsh environments and increase productivity.

Leave a comment on Spotify or email us if you have suggestions for upcoming podcasts, to give us feedback or get information on new episodes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RAROKTalkDrives@rockwellautomation.com.⁠⁠⁠⁠

VFD Training: How do you overcome the skills gap and onboard talent faster?

How did you learn to set up a VFD? In this episode, listen to the journey of a new controls engineer and hear how new hires are learning today. Find out what training opportunities have the biggest impact and how to accelerate technical skills development.

To learn more about Workforce Development Training Services, see:

https://www.rockwellautomation.com/en-us/support/workforce-development-training.html

Let's come to a happy medium (voltage).

In this episode of ROK Talk on drives we welcome a very special guest , Navid Zargari, sustainability manager at Rockwell Automation and long time medium voltage expert. Navid will join our hosts, Jim and Sam and will walk us through the technologies used in modern medium voltage drives. Learn how to stay ahead of the curve on how to navigate applying the appropriate technology suited to your application outcome.

Leave a comment on Spotify or email us if you have suggestions for upcoming podcasts, to give us feedback or get information on new episodes RAROKTalkDrives@rockwellautomation.com.⁠

Cyber Security and Drives—How will you protect your equipment from security risks?

Welcome to episode 15 of ROK Talk on drives where Sam and Jim welcome Dustin Molzon to the show today. Dustin is a product manager with Rockwell Automation for cybersecurity products, called FactoryTalk® Policy Manager.

They will be talking about Cyber Security, specifically as it pertains to how it affects drives, what you should consider with drives and Cyber Security and how it fits into the overall package that is a plant installation.

Leave a comment on Spotify or email us if you have suggestions for upcoming podcasts, to give us feedback or get information on new episodes RAROKTalkDrives@rockwellautomation.com.⁠

Your smart VFD has a lot to say. Are you listening?

Today our crew takes Andrew Hastert into the ROK Talk fold. He'll walk us through FactoryTalk® Analytics™ GuardianAI™ software from Rockwell Automation. Learn how the combination of this software and PowerFlex® drives can give you a view into the health of your plant assets. See more at: rok.auto/ft-analytics-guardianai

Email us if you have suggestions for upcoming podcasts, to give us feedback or get information on new episodes RAROKTalkDrives@rockwellautomation.com.⁠

The Epic Battle of In-Cabinet vs. On-Machine

Today's episode is all about On-Machine® motor control solutions—both servo class drives as well as VFDs. Justin Garski joins Jim and Sam to offer his expert insight to wage the war of in-cabinet vs. decentralized solutions.

Take a look at our On-Machine Calculator to get a better understanding about what On-Machine solutions can do for you: https://configurator.rockwellautomation.com/#/configure/template/ROI Calculation

Email us if you have suggestions for upcoming podcasts, to give us feedback or get information on new episodes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RAROKTalkDrives@rockwellautomation.com.⁠

Driving Change, Part 1 - How We Started Turning

Ever want to go back to the future? Wonder where variable frequency drive (VFD) motor control technology came from? Dave Dahl turns on the way back dial as he joins Jim and Sam where he'll give an overview of VFDs and their significance in various industries over time. In this episode we'll go back in time and explore the history, evolution and impact of VFDs.

Email us if you have suggestions for upcoming podcasts, to give us feedback or get information on new episodes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RAROKTalkDrives@rockwellautomation.com.⁠

Sustainability Part 2 - Beyond the Buzz Words

Join Jim Finiak and new co-host Sam Shelley for his first full episode with ROK Talk on Drives. Today Tadeo Rodriguez, customer sustainability lead of Rockwell Automation, joins the team in making sense of sustainability. We learned in the previous episode, part I, exactly what sustainability is. Now, join us as we learn how you can take action towards sustainability implementation specific to motor control and drives.

Email us if you have suggestions for upcoming podcasts, to give us feedback or get information on new episodes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RAROKTalkDrives@rockwellautomation.com.⁠

We're baaack!

After some time off, ROK Talk on drives is back for more fun. Joining Jim Finiak this season is Sam Shelley, drives lead product manager at Rockwell Automation. Sam brings to the table a wealth of drives knowledge and offers interesting perspectives on the subject.

Email us if you have suggestions for upcoming podcasts, to give us feedback or get information on new episodes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RAROKTalkDrives@rockwellautomation.com.⁠

Sustainability to Drives: Connecting the Dots - Part 1

Tune in to the latest episode of ROKTalk on Drives to see how you can connect the dots from sustainability to variable frequency drives. Corrine Pellish and Josh Olive join Jim Finiak to talk about what sustainability is and how your company can become more sustainable with the use of Allen-Bradley VFDs.

Email us if you have suggestions for upcoming podcasts, to give us feedback or get information on new episodes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RAROKTalkDrives@rockwellautomation.com.⁠

Not another Boring Installation Guide - Part 2

Join Jim and Neal and their guests for more drives installation fun! Dave pivots from compatibility to reliability in this episode.

Email us if you have suggestions for upcoming podcasts, to give us feedback or get information on new episodes RAROKTalkDrives@rockwellautomation.com.⁠

Not another Boring Installation Guide - Part 1

Today we join Jim and Neal in another episode of ROK Talk on Drives. Installations guides got you down? Well take a listen to Dave Dahl of Rockwell Automation. He joins us for a discussion on installation best practices. Dave will talk more about how the success of your startup can set the whole tone of the drive compatibility.

Email us if you have suggestions for upcoming podcasts, to give us feedback or get information on new episodes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RAROKTalkDrives@rockwellautomation.com.⁠

Happy 50th Anniversary CENTERLINE!

ROK Talk on Drives, Episode 6 revolves around the center of the motor control universe--CENTERLINE MCCs! We brought in Elizabeth Allen and Diego Wilches to talk about the CENTERLINE MCC and the history behind it.

Email us if you have suggestions for upcoming podcasts, to give us feedback or get information on new episodes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RAROKTalkDrives@rockwellautomation.com.⁠

May the (Total) Force be With You

In ROK Talk on Drives, Episode 5, join Jim and Neal for a deep dive into a subject near and dear to Jim’s heart—TotalFORCE Technology. TotalFORCE is the common control technology across the Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 755T LV drives and PowerFlex 6000T MV drives. Special guests include Sayantani Ganguly with Medium Voltage Drives and Adam Davis with Low Voltage Drives.

Email us if you have suggestions for upcoming podcasts, to give us feedback or get information on new episodes RAROKTalkDrives@rockwellautomation.com.⁠

Pack it in! Packaging Drives in Motor Control Centers

In ROK Talk on Drives, Episode 4, Mark Ossanna and Elizabeth Allen of Rockwell Automation MCCs, join our hosts Jim Finiak and Neal Corbett to discuss packaging AC drives in low voltage motor control centers.

Email us if you have suggestions for upcoming podcasts, to give us feedback or get information on new episodes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RAROKTalkDrives@rockwellautomation.com.⁠

Answering the Burning Question: Variable Frequency Drives or Servo Drives?

In ROK Talk on Drives, Episode 3, you can learn about the differences and similarities of variable frequency drives and servo drives. We talk to Mike Harris from our drives team and Michelle Holt from our Motion team and they will go head to head on which drive is best for your application. We can then help you solve the mystery of which drive you should use over the other.

Email us if you have suggestions for upcoming podcasts, to give us feedback or get information on new episodes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RAROKTalkDrives@rockwellautomation.com.⁠

How to Select the Right Medium Voltage Drive for your Application

In ROK Talk on Drives, Episode 2, we talk about how to select the right medium voltage drive for your application. Fred Jason teaches us when you need to consider a medium voltage drive vs a low voltage drive. Medium Voltage is preferred when higher power motors are used and when branch circuit power cabling distances are longer.

Email us if you have suggestions for upcoming podcasts, to give us feedback or get information on new episodes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RAROKTalkDrives@rockwellautomation.com.⁠

Drives vs Soft Starters

In ROK Talk on Drives Episode 1, we talk about the difference between a drive and a soft starter. Bill Martin, host of ROKTalk on Industrial Components, helps explain the difference. Jim and Neal will chime in too. Drives and soft starters are found in so many different applications and industries. They both can control motors but what are the key differences between them that everyone should know about?

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ROK Talk on Drives Introduction

In ROK Talk on Drives, topics will be focused on Drives and include both medium and low voltage VFDs, as well as servo drives. Topics could cover areas of packaging and applications for drives. Tune in for all the information you never knew you needed about drives.

Email us if you have suggestions for upcoming podcasts, to give us feedback or get information on new episodes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RAROKTalkDrives@rockwellautomation.com.⁠