Meet Chris Balow | EV Magazine

Meet Chris Balow, who has 18 years of experience at Plex. Chris has gained extensive knowledge of the manufacturing industry by visiting factories across the country and building valuable relationships with manufacturers in a variety of industries. His expertise spans integrated manufacturing, product design, and software development, particularly in the automotive industry. At Plex, Chris plays a critical role in developing and implementing innovative manufacturing solutions that improve efficiency and fundamentally transform existing processes.

Hello, please introduce yourself.

I am the Director of Product Management at Plex, a division of Rockwell Automation. During my time at Plex, I have had the privilege of visiting plants across the country and building relationships with manufacturers in a variety of industries.

Tell us about your studies and professional experiences.

I graduated with a degree in Integrated Manufacturing, which we used to call Smart Manufacturing. After graduating, I began my career as a product designer at Ford Motor Company, where I began developing software to support the automotive manufacturing industry. I joined Plex in 2005, focusing on implementation, which involved meeting with manufacturers, understanding their challenges, and helping them solve them. This role gave me deep insight into all aspects of the supply chain across different industries, which proved invaluable as I transitioned into product development. In my current role, I am once again focusing on Smart Manufacturing within the automotive industry.

What skills have you developed throughout your career?

Throughout my career at Plex, I have continually developed my skills to keep pace with the company’s growth and the evolving needs of the manufacturing industry. My early experiences in integrated manufacturing were crucial to developing new or enhanced smart manufacturing solutions. Over the years, I have honed my skills in product leadership, team building, project management, and cross-team collaboration.

What is Plex?

Plex is a Rockwell Automation company and leader in cloud-delivered intelligent manufacturing solutions. We enable manufacturers worldwide to create exceptional products. The Plex platform enables manufacturers to connect, automate, track and analyze every aspect of their business, driving transformation. BOXOUT, our intelligent manufacturing platform, includes solutions for MES, ERP, quality, supply chain planning and management, asset performance management, production monitoring, process automation and analytics. It connects people, systems, machines and supply chains, enabling manufacturers to achieve precision, efficiency and agility.

How do you support the circular economy?

Achieving true circularity requires integrating complex business processes under a single digital umbrella. Real-time data and advanced analytics enable the management of vast data sets, delivering automation and efficiency beyond human capabilities. Plex supports the circular economy by providing digital tools that optimize resource usage, product lifecycles, and track product composition. For example, Plex’s DemandCaster helps manufacturers accurately forecast demand, ensuring efficient and sufficient inventory management.

Plex helps to:

• Sustainability: Track material usage, material genealogy, energy consumption and waste generation to make informed decisions about sourcing sustainable materials, minimizing waste and designing recyclable products.
• Operational efficiency: Optimizing production processes to reduce material waste and energy consumption.

How can the broader electric vehicle sector strengthen the circular economy?

Traditionally, car manufacturing is linear: extracting raw materials, building cars, and disposing of vehicles. A circular economy conserves resources for as long as possible. For electric vehicles, this means:

• Design for disassembly: Making electric vehicles easier to disassemble allows valuable components like batteries and motors to be reused or recycled.
• A second life for batteries: Electric vehicle batteries retain a significant charge after use. We extend their lifespan and reduce waste by designing second-life applications in energy storage systems.
• Use of recycled materials: Incorporating more recycled materials such as steel and aluminum into the production of electric vehicles reduces reliance on new resources and lowers environmental impact.

Do you have any electric vehicle-related partnerships you can tell us about?

At Plex, we pride ourselves on our strong partnerships in the EV space, like the one with The Shyft Group. We partnered with The Shyft Group, a leading specialty vehicle manufacturer, to revolutionize their production process and accelerate the development of electric delivery vehicles. By implementing Plex’s intelligent manufacturing platform, including ERP and MES capabilities, across three facilities, they streamlined operations, improved efficiency, and significantly reduced development time. For example, their Plymouth, Michigan facility created a Plex environment in just two weeks, supporting initial parts lists, purchasing workflows, material ordering, and inventory management. This enabled rapid prototype development, in just nine months from concept to working prototype. The new EV was launched under The Shyft Group’s brand, Blue Arc, and is dedicated to developing commercial-grade electric vehicle solutions.

What are your plans for the next 12 months?

In the coming year, Plex will continue to advance its commitment to smart manufacturing solutions. We plan to develop products that improve factory operations through enhanced planning and connected worker solutions, with a focus on developing the next-generation manufacturing workforce.

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