Featured Image

Innovation Revs Up: 'Manufacturing Explorers' Season 3

Buckle up and join Max and Travis Egan as they talk about the thrills of visiting innovative automotive companies in the premiere of the third season of “Manufacturing Explorers,” an IMTS+ Original Series.
Sep 25, 2023

Numbers matter in Season Three of “Manufacturing Explorers,” an IMTS+ Original Series, which premieres on Sept. 28 on IMTS.com. Here are three critical numbers encountered by show stars (and father-son duo) Max and Travis Egan as they explored the automotive industry:

Season Three starts with a visit to Munro & Associates in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Sandy Munro, known as the “Teardown Titan,” deconstructs and analyzes vehicles, and he has particularly focused on EVs. The tour starts with Munro explaining the genius behind the Model Y design and really any design that consolidates parts for optimization. Munro calls items such as bolts “unfasteners.” Any design that eliminates a connection is one less thing to go wrong, and it’s something he happily points out as part of Munro’s redesign services. Munro also answers Max’s questions about EV battery recycling and battery life (you’ll be surprised), explores the design of electric motors (they are only about the size of a basketball!), and provides insights into design and manufacturing efficiency. In a twist of fate, a fender bender at home provides the opportunity to rent a Model Y, and it’s a contest between Max and Travis to see who becomes the bigger fan and why.

In the second episode, Max and Travis travel to Magna to meet up with another father-son duo, general manager John Cunningham and manufacturing engineer Alex Cunningham. If you drive a modern vehicle, chances are you’ve experienced one of the millions of sensors manufactured by Magna, including those used for cruise control, parking assist, object detection, and tailgate cameras. Watch as Max experiences one of Magna’s newer innovations, the Toyota Tundra trailer backup assist, then gets a firsthand look at how printed circuit boards are made.

In the final episode of the third season, Max and Travis explore what might be the key to EV growth: the synthesis of lithium-ion anode and cathode battery materials. Based in North Andover, Massachusetts, 6K Inc. created the UniMelt® system, a production-scale microwave plasma process that produces critical materials. Pour in feedstock at the top, zap it with an ultra-high temperate 6,000-degree plasma, and high-value materials come out at the bottom. While conventional battery material production processes made from lithium, nickel, and cobalt pose geopolitical risks, cause mining damage to the environment, and are fraught with fair labor issues, UniMelt® is a green process that enables a diverse and reliable supply chain for EV battery components leveraging both domestic and recycled feedstock.

Season Three also bids a bittersweet farewell to its current hosts, as it’s the final season with Travis and Max. The show started with Max as a young mechanical engineering undergraduate and Travis introducing him to his world of manufacturing. After one pandemic, five years, two degrees, and 10 road trips with dad and a camera crew, Max is now pursuing his dream career as a lead analyst in the renewable energy industry.

Buckle up and join Max and Travis Egan as they talk about the thrills of visiting innovative automotive companies in the premiere of the third season of “Manufacturing Explorers,” an IMTS+ Original Series, at IMTS.com/ManufacturingExplorers


To read the rest of the Energy Issue of MT Magazine, click here.

PicturePicture
Author
Michelle Edmonson, CEM
Vice President, Exhibitions
Recent technology News
Manufacturing is the process of transforming raw materials into something with value. When you add a fervor for art, a keenness for progress, or a desire to help, you get a passion project.
It is the quintessential event that brings our industry together – whether it’s the moment they walk into the Grand Concourse, captivated by the energy of the vibrant crowd, or the enduring relationships they build.
IMTS 2024 brought the manufacturing technology community together for six exhilarating days filled with opportunities to explore new solutions and build meaningful connections.
From industry icons to next-generation innovators, presenters on the IMTS+ Main Stage shared a common conviction that the future of the manufacturing industry is limited only by imagination – and there is no shortage of that.
IMTS is the exclusive North American event to discover the latest technologies, hear new ideas, and connect with the best and brightest in the industry. If you couldn’t make this time, or to get a refresher on the highlights, read on…
Similar News
undefined
Intelligence
By Catherine “Cat” Ross | Mar 17, 2025

Global Shop Solutions celebrates a 20-year milestone. Kitagawa North-Tech and SMW Autoblok announce key leadership updates. America Makes, IACMI, and the ARM Institute drive innovation with new research and events. Get the full scoop!

5 min
undefined
Technology
By Benjamin Moses | Mar 17, 2025

Episode 132: The Tech Friends open with older movies they’d like to see remade with some of the same actors and producers. Elissa reports on the implementation of AI in 911 dispatch.

26 min
undefined
Intelligence
By Cathy Ma | Mar 05, 2025

The MFG Meeting 2025 gathered manufacturing leaders, innovators, and policy experts to discuss the forces shaping the future of our industry. Here are nine key takeaways we hope will provide you with the latest business intelligence and insights.

8 min