#Engineering Automation

[mkcecollege]

Advanced robotics is transforming engineering by automating complex tasks with AI and machine learning. Industries like healthcare, manufacturing, and logistics benefit from intelligent machines that enhance efficiency and precision. Unlike traditional automation, AI-powered robots adapt, learn, and improve over time. At M.Kumarasamy College of Engineering (MKCE), students engage with cutting-edge robotics through hands-on projects. The institution’s labs foster innovation in autonomous systems and adaptive algorithms. Emerging trends like swarm robotics and soft robotics are revolutionizing automation. MKCE integrates interdisciplinary learning, merging robotics with AI and mechanical engineering. Industry partnerships ensure students gain real-world exposure to advanced technologies. The college also emphasizes sustainable robotics solutions for a greener future. As robotics continues to evolve, MKCE remains at the forefront of this transformative field.

To know more : https://mkce.ac.in/blog/advanced-robotics-as-the-next-frontier-in-engineering-automation/

[atsersystems]

Web based cip management system

ATSER Systems, Inc. transforms infrastructure project management with the launch of a cutting-edge web-based CIP management system. It streamlines maintenance plans, asset tracking, and compliance oversight while providing real-time information for effective decision-making. With user-friendly interfaces and adaptable functionality, ATSER's solution streamlines processes for flawless project execution and compliance with regulations.

[prototechsolutionsblog]

CAD Automation: Redefining the Design Landscape for Success

In the world of modern engineering and design, Computer-Aided Design (CAD) has revolutionized the way products are conceived, developed, and manufactured. As technology continues to advance, CAD automation emerges as a key player in enhancing design efficiency and fostering innovation. This blog post delves into the realm of CAD automation, exploring its significance, benefits, challenges, and potential future trends.

 Understanding CAD Automation

CAD automation refers to the process of utilizing software tools and scripts to streamline various aspects of the design process. It involves automating repetitive tasks, generating complex designs, and facilitating seamless collaboration between designers and engineers. The goal of CAD automation is to reduce manual effort, minimize errors, improve consistency, and accelerate the overall design cycle.

 Significance of CAD Automation

 1. Efficiency Enhancement:

Automating routine and time-consuming tasks, such as dimensioning, detailing, and generating drawings, allows designers and engineers to allocate more time to creative and high-value tasks. This not only accelerates the design process but also increases productivity and reduces the risk of human errors.

 2. Design Iteration and Optimization:

Automation tools enable rapid design iteration. Designers can easily generate variations of a concept, test different parameters, and evaluate multiple scenarios. This iterative process aids in identifying the most optimal design solution and fosters innovation.

 3. Consistency and Standardization:

CAD automation enforces design standards and guidelines consistently across projects. This ensures that designs adhere to industry best practices and regulatory requirements, reducing the chances of errors caused by deviations from standards.

 4. Complex Geometry and Customization:

Automated scripts and parametric modeling techniques enable the creation of intricate and complex geometries that might be challenging to achieve manually. Additionally, automation allows for easy customization of designs to meet specific customer requirements.

 5. Collaboration and Communication:

CAD automation tools facilitate seamless collaboration between cross-functional teams. Design modifications, updates, and feedback can be efficiently communicated and integrated into the design process, enhancing teamwork and reducing communication gaps.

 Benefits of CAD Automation

 1. Time Savings:

Automating repetitive tasks drastically reduces the time required for design and drafting. This leads to faster project completion and quicker time-to-market for products.

 2. Error Reduction:

Human errors are inevitable in manual tasks, but automation significantly reduces the risk. Consistent and standardized designs generated by automation tools mitigate the chances of costly mistakes.

 3. Innovation Encouragement:

By handling routine tasks, designers can focus on exploring innovative design concepts and pushing boundaries. This results in more creative and inventive solutions.

 4. Cost Efficiency:

Efficient design processes translate to cost savings. Reduced design time, fewer errors, and optimized designs contribute to lower production costs.

 5. Enhanced Quality:

Automation tools ensure that designs adhere to defined standards, leading to higher-quality outputs that meet or exceed customer expectations.

 Challenges of CAD Automation

While CAD automation offers numerous benefits, it's important to acknowledge the challenges that come with its implementation:

 1. Initial Setup Complexity:

Developing and implementing automation scripts requires specialized skills and time. Setting up an automation workflow can be complex and resource-intensive.

 2. Maintenance and Updates:

Automation workflows need continuous monitoring and updates to remain effective. Changes in design requirements or software updates may necessitate adjustments to the automation process.

 3. Skill Requirements:

CAD automation demands a certain level of programming and scripting skills. Not all design professionals possess these skills, which might lead to a skill gap within the team.

 4. Balancing Automation and Creativity:

While automation improves efficiency, there's a concern that excessive automation might stifle creativity. Striking the right balance is crucial to ensure that designers still have the freedom to innovate.

 Future Trends in CAD Automation

The future of CAD automation holds exciting possibilities:

 1. AI-Powered Design Generation:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) could play a significant role in generating design concepts based on user inputs and requirements. This could lead to the rapid creation of diverse design options.

 2. Cloud-Based Collaboration:

Collaboration tools and CAD software are likely to move towards the cloud, enabling real-time collaboration between team members regardless of their geographical location.

 3. Integration with Simulation and Analysis:

Automation could seamlessly integrate design with simulation and analysis tools, allowing for quicker evaluation of design performance and optimization.

 4. Generative Design Evolution:

Generative design algorithms, driven by AI, could become more advanced, producing complex designs that consider multiple variables and constraints.

 Conclusion

CAD automation is transforming the design landscape by freeing designers from repetitive tasks, empowering them to innovate, and enhancing design efficiency. While challenges exist, the benefits of CAD automation outweigh the drawbacks, and the continuous evolution of technology promises even greater possibilities in the future. Embracing CAD automation can position design teams at the forefront of innovation and efficiency in the rapidly evolving engineering and manufacturing industries.

ProtoTech Solutions' journey into the realm of CAD automation is a testament to the transformative power of technology. Their commitment to streamlining design processes, fostering innovation, and embracing the future sets an inspiring example for the entire design and engineering community. As ProtoTech Solutions continues to pioneer advancements in CAD automation, the design landscape stands poised for a future of unprecedented efficiency, creativity, and collaboration.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

"The Writing Boy"

In 1774 AD, during the reign of Louis XVI (1754-1793), Swiss watchmaker Pierre Jacques Dro (1721-1790) unveiled a remarkable engineering feat that would go down in history as the world's first android or programmed automaton.

Known as "The Writing Boy," this creation appeared at first glance to be a simple wooden doll with a porcelain head, barefoot, and holding a goose feather.

But hidden within this seemingly ordinary toy was a technological marvel, a writing mechanism powered by 6,000 intricate moving parts, making it the first automatic calligrapher.

"The Writing Boy" was a groundbreaking achievement, as it was capable of writing complex sentences, such as "My inventor is Jacques Dro."

The automaton was a product of 20 months of meticulous work by Pierre Jacques Dro, and its debut in Paris stunned the court of King Louis XVI.

The android's ability to perform such an intricate task showcased the high level of craftsmanship and innovation of the time.

This astonishing creation marked a significant milestone in the history of robotics and engineering.

Not only was it the world’s first programmed android, but it also demonstrated the potential of machines to replicate human actions.

"The Writing Boy" paved the way for future advancements in automation, solidifying Pierre Jacques Dro’s legacy as a pioneer in the field of robotics.

[adafruit]

OPT4048 - a "tri-stimulus" light sensor 🔴🟢🔵

We were chatting in the forums with someone when the OPT4048 (https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/texas-instruments/OPT4048DTSR/21298553) came up. It's an interesting light sensor that does color sensing but with diodes matched to the CIE XYZ color space. This would make them particularly good for color-light tuning. We made a cute breakout for this board. Fun fact: it's 3.3V power but 5V logic friendly.

[bonebrokebuddy]

@kodedgeekthings eyo you mentioned wanting a dpxdc prompt for Howard, Batman’s mechanic!

Harold misses fixing toys for kids and in his off hours has taken up the habit of answering questions on forums about machining, electrical, engineering, mechanics, and mechanical design that are often frequented by students.

One day, he comes across a request by a college student who is trying to assemble his own car out of scrap he bought from a local wrecking yard.

Ghostly_Boy states that he has previous experience in machining and can make replacements for broken or too-damaged parts if need be, but he doesn’t know where to start and what specific requirements he needs to reach to ensure it’s street legal.

Harold willing to help, he answers a few of Ghostly Boy’s clarifying questions:

- Great questions!

It’s good to note that if you’re not careful, fixing or making your own car from parts can be a moneysink and can cost you more than a brand new vehicle. - That being said, your first major step to ensuring you can drive the car is to get the title of the body/frame of the car you plan to build. It’ll have the VIN on a plate welded to the frame usually near the lower edge of the windshield wipers on the drivers side. It’s how the DMV identifies vehicles for licensing.

- Generally, you’ll at first get a “wreck out” title that shows the vehicle is listed as a total loss, but if you can assemble the parts for the car with that frame, the DMV can check if it’s properly running and road worthy & license for you to use it on public roads if you’ve done the proper paperwork.

- Once that is done, it’s largely a case of getting the right parts and assembling them. Depending on how much you have to repair, you could be taking on a task that could give a challenge to even a seasoned mechanic. There may be additional paperwork depending on what exactly you need to repair, like the breaks, lights, steering, etc.

- If you want to build the car entirely from scratch, chassis and all, that’s an entirely different story with a much more complicated list of requirements to make it street legal, so getting a frame from a junkyard is a great first step!

- Make sure to keep all bills of sale, junkyard receipts, invoices and manufacturers’ certificates on any major parts you used in building the vehicle to prove its road worthy to the DMV when it’s complete!

Harold doesn’t always answer first but over time he’s found the adventures of this kid amusing and keeps up with it.

Ghostly_Boy keeps the forum updated with his progress:

The kid spontaneously deciding to scrap the wiring system and make his own in a span of 3 days, leaving experienced mechanics on the forum practically screaming at the kid for his updates showing him using random wires he salvaged and pigtailing them together to get the length of wire he needed.

Mixing not only multiple types of wires but ones that didn’t have the protection needed for auto use. DIY-ing his own relay and fuses he didn’t have and connecting the wrong grounds and switches. And planning on leaving the wires unwrapped and loose.

Leaving Ghost to promptly redo the wiring, correctly this time, within 78 hours.

Making a repair of a massive rusted hole on the passenger side by the bumper and the front tire via cutting 1/2in past the rust, grinding it pretty and clean, tac & seam welding the vintage aluminum housing material of a toaster to cover the hole to the response of Harold and many others in the forum just going “�� I guess that would work?”

Harold and many others telling the kid that this “ectoplasm” material wasn’t cleared through the EPA’s Clear Air Act and could be illegal to drive with it as it’s fuel source unless he got the emissions tested & the center of gravity of the car adjusted to have the center of gravity a gas car has, it wouldn’t pass Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Nor would the previously untested on material make it easy or quick to get an Emissions testing certificate. Best to just stick with gas.

Removing what he thought was a “skid plate” that turned out to be another rusted out section on the frame on the bottom of his car and repairing it with steel he salvaged from an old medical table he had laying around. (To the multiple slightly confused commenters asking how Ghost had a spare medical table, he replied, “eh, my folks visit every so often and they’ve been giving me things they’re clearing out of the house so they can move closer to my older sister. I just so happened to get the ye olde medical table. They’re an odd couple of folks but that’s why I love them.”)

People just crying at the kid to go to rockauto.com and just buy the damn parts he needs for his car. (A good resource btw)

The kid kept cutting corners to save cash but through the badgering of Harold and many others that he actually would have to spend money to make this car be safe to drive in, he finally got it completed.

Ghost’s post of him leaving DMV waving the updated title to the car in its envelope in the air, titled, “THE DMV FINALLY SAID IT WASN’T A FIRE HAZARD! ONLY TOOK 2 YEARS! THANKS EVERYONE!” Got the most amount of responses he’d ever had with congratulations from lurkers and previous commenters.

Over the course of those two years, Danny learned how to draw his own wiring diagrams, properly solder and weld, and learning to actually plan out his projects so he got it right at least the fifth time instead of the 20th. Not bad for a kid that went straight from graduating high school with a 1.5GPA to construction jobs.

But after finally getting the car approved, Ghostly_Boy returns to the forum with a new problem. Lamenting that his parents keep coming over and “modifying” his car to no longer make it street legal.

At this point, about half of the answers to the submission think it’s either a joke project taken very, very seriously with a good chunk of money behind it, or a kid with parents that have narrowly avoided falling completely down the mad scientist rogue rabbit hole.

After all, what sort of parent would think that the DMV would approve to “anti-ghost missiles” being attached to the outer body of the car? Either way, the submissions always had video attached showing a demonstration, proving that Ghost wasn’t just completely yanking their chain. And a good amount of money would have to be sunken in to not only pay for the fines Ghostly continued to get from the additions to his car, but to actually manufacture and make a unique working product for each plea for help request.

Harold is not only taking notes on some of these defense measures but also decides to bring up the boy to Alfred. Intrigued, they together keep an eye on Ghostly_Boy. Bruce may be their employer, but they can handle a case or two on their own.

- I wanted Danny to try to make smth for himself now that he doesn’t have access to his parent’s lab anymore but he also doesn’t have access to ectoplasm so he’s fairly unfamiliar how to wire things Not for ectoplasmic standards.

Also I wanted to make a prompt where Danny had a good relationship with his parents & went into a fairly realistic job after high school with his fairly bad GPA so he’s saving up for a technical school via construction jobs as he doesn’t like the idea of working fast food for understandable reasons.

[lazeecomet]

The Story of KLogs: What happens when an Mechanical Engineer codes

Since i no longer work at Wearhouse Automation Startup (WAS for short) and havnt for many years i feel as though i should recount the tale of the most bonkers program i ever wrote, but we need to establish some background

WAS has its HQ very far away from the big customer site and i worked as a Field Service Engineer (FSE) on site. so i learned early on that if a problem needed to be solved fast, WE had to do it. we never got many updates on what was coming down the pipeline for us or what issues were being worked on. this made us very independent

As such, we got good at reading the robot logs ourselves. it took too much time to send the logs off to HQ for analysis and get back what the problem was. we can read. now GETTING the logs is another thing.

the early robots we cut our teeth on used 2.4 gHz wifi to communicate with FSE's so dumping the logs was as simple as pushing a button in a little application and it would spit out a txt file

later on our robots were upgraded to use a 2.4 mHz xbee radio to communicate with us. which was FUCKING SLOW. and log dumping became a much more tedious process. you had to connect, go to logging mode, and then the robot would vomit all the logs in the past 2 min OR the entirety of its memory bank (only 2 options) into a terminal window. you would then save the terminal window and open it in a text editor to read them. it could take up to 5 min to dump the entire log file and if you didnt dump fast enough, the ACK messages from the control server would fill up the logs and erase the error as the memory overwrote itself.

this missing logs problem was a Big Deal for software who now weren't getting every log from every error so a NEW method of saving logs was devised: the robot would just vomit the log data in real time over a DIFFERENT radio and we would save it to a KQL server. Thanks Daddy Microsoft.

now whats KQL you may be asking. why, its Microsofts very own SQL clone! its Kusto Query Language. never mind that the system uses a SQL database for daily operations. lets use this proprietary Microsoft thing because they are paying us

so yay, problem solved. we now never miss the logs. so how do we read them if they are split up line by line in a database? why with a query of course!

select * from tbLogs where RobotUID = [64CharLongString] and timestamp > [UnixTimeCode]

if this makes no sense to you, CONGRATULATIONS! you found the problem with this setup. Most FSE's were BAD at SQL which meant they didnt read logs anymore. If you do understand what the query is, CONGRATULATIONS! you see why this is Very Stupid.

You could not search by robot name. each robot had some arbitrarily assigned 64 character long string as an identifier and the timestamps were not set to local time. so you had run a lookup query to find the right name and do some time zone math to figure out what part of the logs to read. oh yeah and you had to download KQL to view them. so now we had both SQL and KQL on our computers

NOBODY in the field like this.

But Daddy Microsoft comes to the rescue

see we didnt JUST get KQL with part of that deal. we got the entire Microsoft cloud suite. and some people (like me) had been automating emails and stuff with Power Automate

This is Microsoft Power Automate. its Microsoft's version of Scratch but it has hooks into everything Microsoft. SharePoint, Teams, Outlook, Excel, it can integrate with all of it. i had been using it to send an email once a day with a list of all the robots in maintenance.

this gave me an idea

and i checked

and Power Automate had hooks for KQL

KLogs is actually short for Kusto Logs

I did not know how to program in Power Automate but damn it anything is better then writing KQL queries. so i got to work. and about 2 months later i had a BEHEMOTH of a Power Automate program. it lagged the webpage and many times when i tried to edit something my changes wouldn't take and i would have to click in very specific ways to ensure none of my variables were getting nuked. i dont think this was the intended purpose of Power Automate but this is what it did

the KLogger would watch a list of Teams chats and when someone typed "klogs" or pasted a copy of an ERROR mesage, it would spring into action.

it extracted the robot name from the message and timestamp from teams

it would lookup the name in the database to find the 64 long string UID and the location that robot was assigned too

it would reply to the message in teams saying it found a robot name and was getting logs

it would run a KQL query for the database and get the control system logs then export then into a CSV

it would save the CSV with the a .xls extension into a folder in ShairPoint (it would make a new folder for each day and location if it didnt have one already)

it would send ANOTHER message in teams with a LINK to the file in SharePoint

it would then enter a loop and scour the robot logs looking for the keyword ESTOP to find the error. (it did this because Kusto was SLOWER then the xbee radio and had up to a 10 min delay on syncing)

if it found the error, it would adjust its start and end timestamps to capture it and export the robot logs book-ended from the event by ~ 1 min. if it didnt, it would use the timestamp from when it was triggered +/- 5 min

it saved THOSE logs to SharePoint the same way as before

it would send ANOTHER message in teams with a link to the files

it would then check if the error was 1 of 3 very specific type of error with the camera. if it was it extracted the base64 jpg image saved in KQL as a byte array, do the math to convert it, and save that as a jpg in SharePoint (and link it of course)

and then it would terminate. and if it encountered an error anywhere in all of this, i had logic where it would spit back an error message in Teams as plaintext explaining what step failed and the program would close gracefully

I deployed it without asking anyone at one of the sites that was struggling. i just pointed it at their chat and turned it on. it had a bit of a rocky start (spammed chat) but man did the FSE's LOVE IT.

about 6 months later software deployed their answer to reading the logs: a webpage that acted as a nice GUI to the KQL database. much better then an CSV file

it still needed you to scroll though a big drop-down of robot names and enter a timestamp, but i noticed something. all that did was just change part of the URL and refresh the webpage

SO I MADE KLOGS 2 AND HAD IT GENERATE THE URL FOR YOU AND REPLY TO YOUR MESSAGE WITH IT. (it also still did the control server and jpg stuff). Theres a non-zero chance that klogs was still in use long after i left that job

now i dont recommend anyone use power automate like this. its clunky and weird. i had to make a variable called "Carrage Return" which was a blank text box that i pressed enter one time in because it was incapable of understanding /n or generating a new line in any capacity OTHER then this (thanks support forum).

im also sure this probably is giving the actual programmer people anxiety. imagine working at a company and then some rando you've never seen but only heard about as "the FSE whos really good at root causing stuff", in a department that does not do any coding, managed to, in their spare time, build and release and entire workflow piggybacking on your work without any oversight, code review, or permission.....and everyone liked it

[allgremlinyaps]

stop arguing the existence of forklifts in the atla comics under my post you guys. there was an honest to god truck in Day Of Black Sun

[generativetenebrousautomata]

[zeemakesthings]

My Introduction

Name: Zee

Pronouns: He/Him

Age: 20

Interests: Gaming, Computers and Electronics, Music, Music Tech - Specifics: Satisfactory, Minecraft, BeamNG, Phantom Forces, Marvel Rivals, Cities Skylines, Subnautica, TLOU, FNAF, LLM, ML, PC Building, HomeAssistant, IoT, Self-Hosting, Automation, Drones, Trains, Photography, House, Jazz, Fusion, Funk, D&B, Sound Engineering, Studio Design, Recording, Mixing, Drumming

Looking forward to meeting new people and sharing my experiences!

[sngl-led-auto-lights]

Why do cars now not get better gas mileage?

That's a perceptive observation—while engine technology has advanced significantly, the average fuel economy of new vehicles in the U.S. has stagnated since 2014 after decades of improvement. Here’s why, distilled into key factors:

⚖️ 1. Vehicle Size & Weight Have Skyrocketed Shift to Trucks/SUVs: Over 80% of new vehicles sold in the U.S. are trucks, SUVs, or crossovers—up from 50% in 2013. These are inherently heavier (+800–1,500 lbs vs. sedans) and less aerodynamic.

Safety Regulations: Airbags, reinforced frames, crash structures, and advanced driver aids add 200–500 lbs per vehicle vs. 2000s-era cars.

Feature Bloat: Panoramic roofs, power seats, advanced infotainment, and sound-deadening materials add mass.

🚀 2. Performance Expectations Have Increased Power Over Efficiency: In 2000, the average vehicle had 172 HP and 0–60 mph in 10.5 seconds. Today: 246 HP and 0–60 in 7.5 seconds—despite added weight.

Turbocharging Trade-Offs: Smaller turbo engines (e.g., 2.0L 4-cyl replacing V6s) boost power but often underperform EPA ratings in real-world driving due to turbo lag and driving habits.

🔧 3. Emissions Controls Reduce Efficiency Gasoline Particulate Filters (GPFs): Mandatory in Europe and some U.S. models post-2020 to trap pollutants—they restrict exhaust flow, increasing backpressure and lowering MPG by 2–5%.

Lean-Burn Engine Limitations: Stricter NOx regulations prevent the use of ultra-lean combustion modes that could boost MPG.

🔌 4. Hybrids/Electric Focus Divert Innovation Automakers invest heavily in EVs and plug-in hybrids to meet regulations. Gains from these vehicles offset stagnant gas-engine MPG in fleet averages, but pure gasoline engines see fewer breakthroughs.

Example: Toyota shifted R&D from next-gen gasoline engines to solid-state batteries.

🌪️ 5. Aerodynamics Hit a Wall Despite advanced modeling, drag reduction gains are marginal:

1980s sedans: Cd ~0.35

2024 sedans: Cd ~0.27 (optimal)

SUVs/trucks: Cd ~0.30–0.40 due to height and frontal area. Further improvements are costly and limited by design trends (tall hoods, aggressive grilles).

📈 6. The CAFE Standards Loophole Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) gives trucks/SUVs looser targets vs. cars. A "large pickup" only needs 25 MPG by 2026 vs. 52 MPG for a sedan.

Automakers exploit this by shifting production to light trucks—artificially lowering fleet efficiency.

⛽ 7. Real-World vs. Lab Testing EPA test cycles (last updated in 2008) underestimate real-world driving:

Aggressive acceleration

Higher highway speeds (75–80 mph vs. 48 mph test cycle)

Use of AC/heat

Modern engines optimized for tests often underdeliver on roads.

💡 Why It’s Not All Bad: Hidden Efficiency Gains Engine Tech: Direct injection, variable valve timing, and 10-speed transmissions do improve efficiency—but gains are consumed by weight and power demands.

Hybridization: Mild-hybrid systems (e.g., Ford F-150) add 2–4 MPG without plug-in complexity.

High-Efficiency Exceptions: Vehicles prioritizing MPG (e.g., Toyota Prius, Honda Accord Hybrid) achieve 50+ MPG—proving it’s possible without compromises.

🔮 Future Trajectory Stricter CAFE 2026 rules may push fleet averages to 52 MPG (vs. 35.2 MPG today).

Turbo-hybrid systems (e.g., Ford Maverick: 37 MPG pickup) and PHEVs bridge the gap.

Weight reduction via aluminum/steel composites remains critical but expensive.

✅ Key Takeaway

Cars are more efficient per pound and per horsepower than ever—but consumer demand for large, fast, feature-heavy vehicles and regulatory trade-offs have hidden these gains. The push toward electrification will likely accelerate net efficiency, but core gasoline engines face diminishing returns without a revolution in materials and aerodynamics.

[mkcecollege]

MKCE integrates interdisciplinary learning, merging robotics with AI and mechanical engineering. Industry partnerships ensure students gain real-world exposure to advanced technologies. The college also emphasizes sustainable robotics solutions for a greener future. As robotics continues to evolve, MKCE remains at the forefront of this transformative field.

To know more : https://mkce.ac.in/blog/advanced-robotics-as-the-next-frontier-in-engineering-automation/

[atsersystems]

Construction Engineering and Construction Management

Ensuring structural integrity through the design and implementation of infrastructure projects is the responsibility of construction engineering. These projects are planned, coordinated, and controlled by construction management. Leading supplier of construction management software, ATSER Systems, Inc. uses cutting-edge technology to improve productivity, quality, and safety in the building trade.

[bcdlistings]

Brandon Cooper Design

Brandon Cooper Design provides marketing and creative services in Stuart, Palm City and across the Treasure Coast — helping small businesses get found, trusted and chosen through strategic branding, website design, content creation, local SEO and video storytelling.

Service Area (In Florida): Stuart, Palm City, Martin County, Port St. Lucie, Hobe Sound 33455, Jensen Beach 34957, Port Salerno 34997, Sewall’s Point 34996

Business Hours: Mon-Fri: 9AM — 5PM EST Payment Methods: Credit Cards, DCH Direct Deposit Contact Name: Brandon Cooper

Contact Info: Brandon Cooper Design Address: Stuart, FL 34996, USA Phone: +1 (772) 210–4318 Mail: hello@brandoncooper.com Website: https://www.brandoncooper.com

Find Online: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BrandonCooperDesign

[jcmarchi]

Stackpack Secures $6.3M to Reinvent Vendor Management in an AI-Driven Business Landscape

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/stackpack-secures-6-3m-to-reinvent-vendor-management-in-an-ai-driven-business-landscape/

Stackpack Secures $6.3M to Reinvent Vendor Management in an AI-Driven Business Landscape

In a world where third-party tools, services, and contractors form the operational backbone of modern companies, Stackpack has raised $6.3 million to bring order to the growing complexity.

Led by Freestyle Capital, the funding round includes support from Elefund, Upside Partnership, Nomad Ventures, Layout Ventures, MSIV Fund, and strategic angels from Intuit, Workday, Affirm, Snapdocs, and xAI.

The funding supports Stackpack’s mission to redefine how businesses manage their expanding vendor networks—an increasingly vital task as organizations now juggle hundreds or even thousands of external partners and platforms.

Turning Chaos into Control

Founded in 2023 by Sara Wyman, formerly of Etsy and Affirm, Stackpack was built to solve a problem she knew too well: modern companies are powered by vendors, yet most still track them with outdated methods—spreadsheets, scattered documents, and guesswork. With SaaS stacks ballooning and AI tools proliferating, unmanaged vendors become silent liabilities.

“Companies call themselves ‘people-first,’ but in reality, they’re becoming ‘vendor-first,’” said Wyman. “There are often 6x more vendors than employees. Yet there’s no system of record to manage that shift—until now.”

Stackpack gives finance and IT teams a unified, AI-powered dashboard that provides real-time visibility into vendor contracts, spend, renewals, and compliance risks. The platform automatically extracts key contract terms like auto-renewal clauses, flags overlapping subscriptions, and even predicts upcoming renewals buried deep in PDFs.

AI That Works Like a Virtual Vendor Manager

Stackpack’s Behavioral AI Engine acts as an intelligent assistant, surfacing hidden cost-saving opportunities, compliance risks, and critical dates. It not only identifies inefficiencies—it takes action, issuing alerts, initiating workflows, and providing recommendations across the vendor lifecycle.

For instance:

Renewal alerts prevent surprise charges.

Spend tracking identifies underused or duplicate tools.

Contract intelligence extracts legal and pricing terms from uploads or integrations with tools like Google Drive.

Approval workflows streamline onboarding and procurement.

This brings the kind of automation once reserved for enterprise procurement platforms like Coupa or SAP to startups and mid-sized businesses—at a fraction of the cost.

A Timely Solution for a Growing Problem

Vendor management has become a boardroom issue. As more companies shift budgets from headcount to outsourced services, compliance and financial oversight have become harder to maintain. Stackpack’s early traction is proof of demand: just months after launch, it’s managing over 10,500 vendors and $510 million in spend across more than 50 customers, including Every Man Jack, Rho, Density, HouseRx, Fexa, and ZeroEyes.

“The CFO is the one left holding the bag when things go wrong,” said Brandon Lee, Accounting Manager at BizzyCar. “Stackpack means we don’t have to cross our fingers every quarter.”

Beyond Visibility: Enabling Smarter Vendor Decisions

Alongside its core platform, Stackpack is launching Requests & Approvals, a lightweight tool to simplify vendor onboarding and purchasing decisions—currently in beta. The feature is already attracting customers looking for faster, more agile alternatives to traditional procurement systems.

With a long-term vision to help companies not only manage but discover and evaluate vendors more strategically, Stackpack is laying the groundwork for a smarter, interconnected vendor ecosystem.

“Every vendor decision carries legal, financial, and security consequences,” said Dave Samuel, General Partner at Freestyle Capital. “Stackpack is building the intelligent infrastructure to manage these relationships proactively.”

The Future of Vendor Operations

As third-party ecosystems grow in size and complexity, Stackpack aims to transform vendor operations from a liability into a competitive advantage. Its AI-powered approach gives companies a modern operating system for vendor management—one that’s scalable, proactive, and deeply integrated into finance and operations.

“This isn’t just about cost control—it’s about running a smarter company,” said Wyman. “Managing your vendors should be as strategic as managing your talent. We’re giving companies the tools to make that possible.”

With fresh funding and a rapidly expanding customer base, Stackpack is poised to become the new standard for how modern businesses manage the partners powering their growth.

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Solenoids go clicky-clacky 🔩🔊🤖

We're testing out an I2C-to-solenoid driver today. It uses an MCP23017 expander. We like this particular chip for this usage because it has push-pull outputs, making it ideal for driving our N-channel FETs and flyback diodes. The A port connects to the 8 drivers, while the B port remains available for other GPIO purposes. For this demo, whenever we 'touch' a pin on port B to ground, the corresponding solenoid triggers provide an easy way to check speed and power usage.