Machines Aren’t the Bottleneck Anymore (New Machinists Club Podcast Episode with Tony Gunn & Sunny Han)
Manufacturing has never been short on innovation, but right now, advancements are happening at an accelerated pace. In the latest episode of The Machinist Club Podcast, titled AI is Giving Machinists Superpowers! our CEO and Founder Sunny Han talked with Host Tony Gunn about how AI, modern software, and better-connected systems are transforming machine shops from the inside out.
Sunny kicked things off by addressing a core problem: misunderstandings on both sides of the industry. Outsiders to the industry do not always grasp how sophisticated manufacturing is today, often seeing it as outdated, perhaps visualizing factories as they were early in the 20th century. Meanwhile, for manufacturing insiders, software and AI are sometimes assumed to be simple tools that should magically work without significant effort. The truth, as Sunny explains, lives somewhere in the middle.
Bottlenecks, Both Perceived and Imagined
Modern manufacturing is driven by technical prowess and highly skilled craftsmanship. This happens to be the same case with good software. Scaling either one requires experience, infrastructure, and intentional design. That mismatch in expectations is one of the reasons the industry is both hungry for technology and frustrated by it.
One of the most valuable insights from the episode was Sunny’s breakdown of why shops reject new technology. It usually comes down to one of two beliefs:
“This company can’t actually do what they say.”
“Even if it works, we can’t realistically implement it.”
Today, Sunny sees far more of the latter concern. Shops feel overwhelmed, understaffed, or unsure they can take on one more system.
So why are more shops saying yes? According to Sunny, outdated systems feel painfully out of place compared to the rest of modern software. Machines are no longer the bottleneck. Coordination, scheduling and communication are. Lastly, people are carrying more mental load than ever, managing more jobs, machines, and decisions with fewer tools.
Software, when done right, isn’t about “going digital.” It’s about relieving pressure, increasing throughput, and giving people back time and clarity.
What a “Tech Stack” Really Means for Machine Shops
Buzzwords aside, Sunny demystified the idea of a tech stack in a way machinists immediately recognize. Just like asking what CAD/CAM system a shop runs, a tech stack is simply the collection of tools that work together to run the business. He also offered a practical framework. If he could only choose three ingredients for a modern shop’s tech stack, they would be:
- A system of record (ERP or operations hub)
- Automatic data sources (from machines, people, or workflows)
- Standards and quality controls to ensure consistency on the output side
No fluff. Just the essentials that keep work flowing and mistakes from multiplying.
One of the most thought-provoking moments of the episode came when Sunny and Tony discussed Conway’s Law, the idea that a company’s communication structure must align with its systems, or one of them will fail. In short: If your software requires meetings, data entry, and bureaucracy, but your culture doesn’t support that, the system will break. And if you adopt fast, real-time tools without changing how people communicate, those tools won’t deliver value either. This concept demonstrates that technology decisions aren’t just technical. They’re organizational.
Beyond the AI Hype
When the conversation turned to AI, Sunny struck a balance between optimism and realism. AI isn’t here to replace craftsmanship, but it is here to amplify it. Large Language Models (LLMs), APIs, and automation aren’t magic. They’re tools. Shockingly powerful tools, but only when paired with human judgment, experience, and intention.
As Sunny put it, “the most important choice isn’t whether AI will change things. It’s whether you choose to engage with it or sit on the sidelines.” Net-net: This episode isn’t about chasing trends. It’s about understanding where manufacturing is actually headed and how shop leaders can make smarter, calmer decisions in the middle of rapid change. Have a listen! Give us a ring at 612-502-0050 if you want to chat about the episode.
