MMT Chats: AI on the Shop Floor Now

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In this MMT Chat, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Mike Murakami, wire and sinker EDM lead hand at StackTeck Systems, to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) is quietly—but powerfully—transforming moldmaking. What stands out most in this conversation is Mike’s down-to-earth, practical approach to AI—not as a futuristic concept, but as a daily tool helping him solve real problems on the shop floor.

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If you’re skeptical about AI or think it’s only for programmers or design engineers, Mike is here to challenge that. From building machine dashboards that automatically log EDM run times to reducing time spent on redundant tasks, he explains how using tools like ChatGPT has increased efficiency across his department. Mike sees AI as a partner—an extra set of hands that helps free up time, reduce frustration and ultimately improve quality of life both in and outside the shop.

You’ll also hear how AI can help capture tribal knowledge, assist with sustainability efforts and even bring generations of workers together by bridging the gap between traditional moldmaking skills and new digital tools. Mike talks candidly about hallucinations, prompting best practices and why the human behind the keyboard still matters most.

What I love about this chat is how accessible Mike makes it all sound. He didn’t start as a programmer—he just wanted to solve small problems faster. If you’ve ever thought, “There has to be a better way,” this episode is for you.

 Tune in to get inspired and maybe even motivated to start experimenting with AI in your own shop.

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