In this week’s episode of The Downtime, Sarah Wynn and Sheri Kasprzak opened the show with their usual banter — but this time, there was a special reason to celebrate. It was Sarah’s birthday, setting the tone for an episode filled with both industry insight and sweet surprises.
Sheri also revealed a fitting way to mark the occasion: inviting Stephanie Neil, Editorial Director of WTWH Media’s Automation & Controls brands, to join the podcast for a dual celebration of Sarah’s birthday and National S’mores Day.
Before diving into cake and campfire treats, the hosts shared some timely industry stories. Sheri spotlighted a condition monitoring update from Dodge Industrial, underscoring how proactive maintenance can boost plant performance.
Sarah then teed up her interview with Neugart, exploring how precision engineering in packaging lines can help manufacturers increase efficiency without sacrificing quality.
Listeners were treated to Sarah’s full conversation with Neugart, covering topics from gear solutions to the importance of reliability in high-speed packaging operations.
After the technical talk, the mood shifted back to lighthearted fun. Sarah introduced The Downtime’s fantasy football league before Sheri and Sarah welcomed Neil for a s’mores-making, birthday-honoring session. Between the chocolate, marshmallows, and laughter, Sheri nearly set her house on fire — a moment that kept the celebration lively and a bit smoky.
The s’mores segment wrapped after more than 17 minutes of sweet chaos, with the hosts closing the episode by reflecting on the mix of professional insights and personal moments that keep The Downtime unique.
Whether you tuned in for the engineering expertise, the birthday cheer, or the near-disaster marshmallow roast, this episode delivered on every front.
Timestamps for The Downtime | Episode 17
00:16 – Sarah and Sheri kick off the episode.
00:42 – Sheri announced it’s Sarah’s birthday!
02:24 – Sheri reveals Stephanie Neil, Editorial Director of WTWH Media’s Automation & Controls brands, will join the podcast to celebrate Sarah’s birthday and National S’mores Day.
03:34 – Sheri introduces a story on condition monitoring from Dodge Industrial.
04:45 –– Sarah sets up her interview on precision engineering in packaging lines with Neugart.
05:46 – Sarah’s interview with Neugart.
20:33 – Neugart interview ends.
20:56 – Sarah introduces The Downtime’s fantasy football league.
23:22 – Sarah and Sheri host a National S’mores Day and birthday celebration with Stephanie Neil.
24:17 – Sheri nearly sets her house on fire.
41:38 – S’mores and birthday celebration ends.
42:41 – Sheri and Sarah wrap up the episode.
Check out our archive!
Episode 1: Packaging + Robots + Tariffs, Oh, My!
Episode 2: It’s Gonna Be May
Episode 5: Thinking Inside the Box
Episode 6: Conveyance, Copilots & College Grads
Episode 7: Running on AI and Coffee
Episode 10: Manufacturing Fun!
Episode 12: Digital Transformation
