Applied Manufacturing Technologies promotes Salvalaggio to COO
AMT promotes Vice President of Operations Services Craig Salvalaggio to Chief Operating Officer (COO), allowing the company to accelerate its support and development of innovative engineering services, turnkey automated systems, and control system integration solutions Applied Manufacturing Technologies (AMT), North America’s largest independent automation engineering company supporting manufacturers, robot companies, systems integrators, line builders, and users of robotic automation worldwide, has announced that Vice President of Operations Services Craig Salvalaggio has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer (COO) of AMT. “Craig is an accomplished leader with a passion for people and for the business of AMT. As he has risen through the organization, Craig has lived and breathed AMT’s purpose and core values earning the respect and trust of our employees, as well as our customers and partners,” said president and CEO Michael Jacobs. “Of all the people I know, no one is more capable and better suited for this role than Craig, and I would like to offer him my heartiest congratulations.” As COO, Salvalaggio will lead the overall operations of Applied Manufacturing Technologies services along with sales, engineering, and talent management. His unique combination of technical expertise in automation and robotics combined with his visionary leadership ability led to his promotion. Joining AMT in 2003, Salvalaggio was originally hired as a robotics software engineer before quickly being promoted through the ranks to project manager, engineering general manager, vice president of engineering, vice president of operations, and most recently chief operating officer. Salvalaggio holds a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Lake Superior State University, a Master of Science in operations management, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Kettering University. Salvalaggio is actively involved in the Robotics Industries Association (RIA) as a committee member and co-chair of the RIA Certified Integrator Program, as well as sitting on the Board of Directors for both RIA and Association for Advancing Automation (A3). A prolific writer, Salvalaggio has authored 15 technical articles in a variety of industry journals. He is also an in-demand speaker, presenting at a wide array of industry events, including RIA International Safety Conferences, Automate, SME, ATX West, The Battery Show, and RoboBusiness CRO Summits.
MHI announces finalists for 2020 MHI Innovation Award
MHI is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2020 MHI Innovation Awards. After receiving 155 submissions for this year’s awards, five independent judges comprised of professionals from the material handling and supply chain industry completed the initial vetting process. Four finalists were chosen as the most innovative products in each category – Best New Innovation; Best Innovation of an Existing Product; and Best IT Innovation based on concept, value, and impact. The finalists are: Best New Product Agility Robotics – Booth #1508 Digit 6 River Systems, Inc. – Booth #7489 End-to-End Fulfillment Solution Quarion Technology Inc. – Booth #1709 DokSAFE™ PINC – Booth #8281 PINC AIR (Aerial Inventory Robots) Best Innovation of an Existing Product OPEX Corporation- Booth #8819 Perfect Pick HD & Sure Sort Micro-fulfillment Solution Dematic – Booth #5619 DEMATIC MICRO-FULFILLMENT Fetch Robotics – Booth #9011 TagSurveyor AutoGuide Mobile Robots – Booth #3403 High Bay Pallet Lift Module for Robotic Autonomous Mobile Robots Best IT Innovation Honeywell Intelligrated – Booth #7619a Connected Assets by Honeywell Intelligrated Optimal Discovery LLC – Booth #7478 Optimal Picking ORTEC – Booth #9426 Cost to Serve solution Yard Management Solutions – Booth #8178 Yard Management Solutions MHI would like to thank the individuals from the following companies for graciously volunteering their time as Innovation Award judges: Groupe Deschenes; Ace Hardware Corp.; Kitchen Cabinet Distributors; 3M; and Purolator. All Innovation Award participants, including finalists, will receive: Listing in the show entry corridor of Georgia World Congress Center during MODEX 2020 at the Innovation Award display kiosk Product listing on the Innovation Award page at modexhow.com Exposure in the Q2 issue of MHISolutions magazine Recognized with an Innovation Award participant floor sticker in front of booth at MODEX 2020 On Monday, March 9, 2020, finalists will make an in-booth presentation to a panel of judges at MODEX 2020. The winners products will be announced on March 11th during MHI Industry Night with Colin Jost in the Thomas Murphy Ballroom on Level 5 of the GWCC. For more information on MHI Industry Night and to purchase tickets please visit https://www.modexshow.com/attendees/networking.aspx
2020 RIA Board of Directors election results announced
The Robotic Industries Association (RIA) just announced the results of the recent Board of Directors election. The new Chairperson of the Board is Matt Wicks, Chief Robotics Solution Architect, Honeywell Intelligrated. Newly elected board members include: Integrator Category – Ken McLaughlin, JMP Solutions Supplier Category – Melonee Wise, Fetch Robotics; and Erik Nieves, Plus One RoboticsCurrent RIA board members who retained their seats in the recent election include: Supplier Category – Steve Green, KUKA; Jane Heffner, ABB; and Matt Rendall, Clearpath Robotics The RIA Board Executive Committee in 2020 includes the following industry leaders: Chair – Matt Wicks, Honeywell Intelligrated; Past Chair – Joe Gemma, Calvary Robotics; First Vice Chair – Milton Guerry, SCHUNK; Second Vice Chair – Lou Finazzo, FANUC America Corporation; Secretary – Jon Battles, Amazon.com; and RIA President – Jeff Burnstein “I’m honored to accept this role with a talented team of industry professionals as we continue to guide and support the robotics industry in this time of rapid growth,” said Matt Wicks. “Robotics are playing an ever-increasing role in our global economy and adoption rates are climbing steadily. The RIA is a leader in driving robotic innovation, growth and safety throughout our industry.” The remaining board members for 2020 include Carl Doeksen, 3M; Steve Kruzel, Yaskawa America, Inc.; Mark Lewandowski, Procter & Gamble; Bob Little, ATI Industrial Automation; John Lizzi, General Electric; Tyler McCoy, JR Automation Technologies LLC; Gary McMurray, Georgia Institute of Technology; Craig Salvalaggio, Applied Manufacturing Technologies; Walter Vahey, Teradyne; and Carol Woten, Genesis Systems – IPG Photonics Company. After many years of dedicated service, Catherine Morris, ATI Industrial Automation; Stu Shepherd, Universal Robots; and Mike Jacobs, Applied Manufacturing Technologies are departing the RIA Board. These three board members were recognized at the recent A3 Business Forum for their service to the industry and to the RIA and A3 associations.
E-commerce and the rise of dimensioning
With e-commerce’s dramatic rise in popularity, how products are packed and shipped is becoming more and more important. Shipping costs for eaches can quickly eat away at your bottom line if you don’t monitor your dimensions. Click here to view the video.
Soft Robotics announces oversubscribed funding round
Global Industrial Automation Leader FANUC joins Oversubscribed Series B Co-Led by Calibrate Ventures and Material Impact. Proceeds Will be Used to Accelerate Growth and Drive International Expansion in Core Packaging and Manufacturing Markets Soft Robotics, Inc., an innovative robotics pioneer, today announced that it has raised $23 million in an oversubscribed Series B funding round. The round is co-led by Calibrate Ventures and Material Impact and includes additional existing investors Honeywell, Hyperplane, Scale, Tekfen Ventures, and Yamaha. With this round Soft Robotics also adds FANUC Corp., the world’s largest industrial robot manufacturer, as a new investor. Soft Robotics previously announced a strategic partnership with FANUC to integrate Soft Robotics’ mGrip adaptable gripper system with any FANUC robot through the deployment of a new controller. The combined product was introduced at IREX in Tokyo, Japan in December 2019. Addressing the most challenging applications from primary and secondary food packaging to unstructured bin picking, Soft Robotics’ proprietary grasping technology, machine vision, and software solutions enable automation solutions for large and meaningful industries such as food and beverage, consumer goods and cosmetics manufacturing, e-commerce supply chains, and more. “This new funding will allow us to power the next phase of our growth strategy and continue to provide solutions to our customers’ greatest challenges,” said Carl Vause, CEO of Soft Robotics. “Variability is the kryptonite of the robotics industry. By offering a system that is able to grasp and manipulate items that vary in size, shape, and weight, we are able to solve the problem of high variability in both products and processes.” In addition to bringing proven solutions in food packaging and consumer goods manufacturing, Soft Robotics is working with e-commerce, logistics, and retail customers to address the high cost of online returns logistics. With the technology’s unique ability to handle the most unstructured and delicate items, Soft Robotics can now help automate reverse logistics: one of the costliest links in the online supply chain owing to high variation and high-value items such as apparel. Post-holiday product returns are shining a light on the challenge of reverse logistics. According to a recent report, fifteen-thirty percent of all online orders are returned. In addition, processing a return requires twenty percent more space and two times the labor as sending out a package. UPS alone recently processed nearly two million returns on a single day. According to some sources, holiday returns could add up to as much as $90 to $95 billion worth of merchandise this year. “Creating or accelerating a direct-to-customer channel is a strong cross-sector trend that has moved beyond markets such as food packaging and consumer goods manufacturing and more. At the order management level, it also means establishing highly dynamic ‘reverse supply chains.’ However, the general labor scarcity for use-cases related to order management is a critical roadblock. In that context, the role of nimble gripper solutions adaptable to both the inbound and outbound workflows become of strategic importance,” according to Remy Glaisner, Research Director WW Robotics at IDC. “The challenges of customer product – consumer but not only – returns are front and center throughout the year, and demand high variability for high value items such as in the apparel industry.” With its patented and proven technology and unique ability to handle the most unstructured and delicate items, Soft Robotics is bringing automation to industries in dire need of such solutions due to the global shortage of qualified workers. For the past two years the number of job openings has exceeded the number of unemployed persons according to the U.S. Labor Department. In the most recent Material Handling Institute report, “hiring qualified workers is seen as the single biggest challenge, with 65 percent of respondents rating it as extremely or very challenging and 91 percent rating it as at least somewhat challenging.” According to a 2018 report from Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute, a skills gap may leave an estimated 2.4 million positions unfilled between 2018 and 2028, with a potential economic impact of $2.5 trillion. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 5.1 out of every 100 warehouse and storage workers experience injuries or work-related illnesses each year. According to Jeff Burnstein of the Association for Advancing Automation: “If we don’t automate ourselves out of this problem, the implications for the economy will be profound.” “We are thrilled to continue to support Soft Robotics in its quest to transform workforce automation and to be playing a part in its future,” said Kevin Dunlap, Co-Founder of Calibrate Ventures. “Through its precise, reliable and easy-to-use technology, Soft Robotics is at the vanguard of the advanced automation space and is well positioned to become the standard for gripper solutions globally.”
Cisco-Eagle names Jaco Houston Director of Sales
Cisco-Eagle an automated handling systems provider has named Matt Jaco Houston Director of Sales. Jaco was previously an account executive. In that role, he helped a variety of companies implement successful material handling, storage, automation, order fulfillment and related projects. Jaco holds a Logistics and Supply Chain Management MBA from Texas A&M. In his new role, Jaco will focus on managing the Houston operations, including sales, service and engineering operations.
Softeon to feature powerful Fulfillment Suite at NRF Big Show 2020
From DOM to New Warehouse Execution Solution and much more, Softeon Solutions enable companies to meet customer demand at least possible cost Softeon, a global supply chain software provider with the industry’s best record of customer success, will be demonstrating its powerful fulfillment suite of solutions as part of the National Retail Federation’s “Big Show,” held at the Javits Center in New York City from January 12-14, 2020, in booth 3942. Softeon’s fulfillment solutions for retailers and consumer goods companies are focused around a central value proposition: Meeting customer demand and service commitment at least possible cost. Softeon’s Fulfillment solution components, available as integrated systems or as stand-alone capabilities, include the following: Distributed Order Management (DOM) / Order Management (OMS): Softeon offers retailers and other companies a robust, highly configurable DOM solution plus a powerful traditional order management system. The DOM solution delivers Omnichannel enablement (e.g., buy on-line, pick-up in store, or BOPIS) and optimal order sourcing to select the lowest shipping cost while considering customer service requirements and network capacities and constraints. Traditional OMS and DOM components can be flexibly combined to deliver a complete order management solution. Better yet, Softeon DOM and Order Management can be integrated with a company’s existing systems in a matter of months, versus the extended time and cost associated with many offerings currently in the market. Advanced Warehouse Management / Warehouse Execution Systems: Softeon offers powerful WMS capabilities that meet even the most complex needs for retail distribution and e-fulfillment, including support for all popular picking and replenishment models, sophisticated allocation functionality across channels, crossdocking, vendor compliance tracking, and much more. Now, Softeon has also released a robust Warehouse Execution System (WES), with innovative capabilities for optimizing the picking and shipping processes; optimizing resource allocation through a unique simulation capability; managing and coordinating activities across different equipment and processing areas in the DC with a single system; direct integration and optimization of picking sub-systems such as put walls, smart carts, pick-to-light and more. The Softeon WMS and WES can be deployed independently, or together in the first integrated Warehouse Management and Execution System in the industry. Store Fulfillment: Softeon offers a “lite” solution for managing store fulfillment, including inventory management, order picking in the store, backroom order packing, parcel shipping and more. Vendor Drop Ship: The drop-ship module, a component of Softeon’s Distributed Order Management system, offers a powerful, yet easy to deploy, solution for routing orders to vendors for direct customer fulfillment. Returns: Softeon’s Reverse Logistics solution leverages the powerful rules engine that underlies the entire suite of solutions to manage appropriate returns disposition based on a wide number of configurable attributes. It is successfully deployed both in-store and in returns center/DC applications. Vendor Portal: Connect with offshore or domestic suppliers to send POs, receiving acknowledgements, print compliance labels, generate advanced ship notices, view in-transit inventories and more. “Softeon is really changing the game for retailers, brand companies and more with a powerful, flexible set of fulfillment solutions,” says Dan Gilmore, Chief Marketing Officer at Softeon. “Our focus simple: help companies delight their customers and meet their fulfillment requirements at least possible cost. We do that through optimization, orchestration and simulation across processes.” Softeon’s roster of retail and eCommerce customers continues to grow, and includes companies in apparel, shoes, jewelry, hard goods, C-stores and more. Christopher Teufel, CIO of Omnichannel retailer Duluth Trading Company, will be joining Softeon’s Gilmore and Satish Kumar for a seminar presentation on “The Winning Formula for Distributed Order Management in Retail and Beyond” on Monday, January 13, at 2:15 on Level 3, Stage 4.
Sidener Engineering changes name to Exotic Automation & Supply
The company has been a part of the Exotic Automation & Supply family since April 2017 Sidener Engineering, a premier Parker Hannifin distributor, announced that they have completed their corporate name change to Exotic Automation & Supply. Sidener was acquired by Michigan-headquartered Exotic Automation & Supply in April 2017 and has since significantly increased service levels to customers in Indiana and surrounding areas. “Sidener has experienced accelerated growth since the acquisition,” Vince Staffilino, Regional Sales Manager said. “The name change exemplifies the future forward vision of Exotic to be the fluid power distributor of choice in Indiana.” Since the acquisition, the company has become an authorized distributor for SKF lubrication products, Destaco clamp and gripper solutions, Barksdale control products and Parker Pneumatics. Two new Parker Stores were opened to service customers in Central Indiana and the company gained access to over $10 million of in-stock inventory. “The past few years have been monumental for Exotic and expanding into Indiana played a big part in that,” Steve Orlando, Vice President of Sales & Marketing said. “We implemented new technology, gained access to new product lines and opened two ParkerStores in the Indianapolis region to support Indiana’s diversified markets.” All future Sidener Engineering correspondences will come from Exotic Automation.
Tompkins Robotics partners with fashion retailer to enhance fulfillment operations and meet growing customer demands
Tompkins Robotics, a business unit of Tompkins International, has teamed up with Nordstrom to design and deploy cutting-edge parcel sortation systems to help streamline and optimize the fashion retailer’s distribution operations at a few sites throughout the U.S. The revolutionary robotic solution utilizes Tompkins Robotics’ t-Sort autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) to support e-commerce and retail replenishment needs. “In today’s dynamic and evolving marketplace, it is more important than ever for retailers to make rapid delivery a reality for customers,” said Jim Tompkins, chairman and CEO of Tompkins International. “Tompkins Robotics offers Nordstrom a flexible solution that is capable of adapting and scaling to meet evolving customer and supply demands.” Ideal for small to large distribution operations, t-Sort is a portable, scalable robotic sortation system that operates similar to a tilt tray or crossbelt sorter without a fixed track, consisting of free moving robots along the shortest route possible to sort items and packages by shipping order, destination or service level. Capable of handling parcels and units as small as a penny and up to 66 pounds. While automation can sometimes require a large upfront investment, the t-Sort system is fully modular and additional robots can be added or removed instantaneously without any interruption or downtime, enabling Nordstrom to easily to ramp up for peak seasons. Nordstrom is utilizing Tompkins Robotics’ t-Sort system to handle unit and item sortation of e-commerce and store fulfillment orders as well as the provider’s larger t-Sort Plus robots for parcel and carton shipping sortation to outbound carriers and modes. The retailer is currently using the t-Sort robotic solution to fulfill west coast beauty orders. “We have developed a market approach to our supply chain enabled by our combined technology of Tompkins Robotics and Attabotics,” said Ngoc Phan, vice president of supply chain systems and engineering at Nordstrom. “This approach helps us continue to get customers the right product at a faster speed and reduce out of stocks, extended fulfillment times and shipping delays, and we look forward to continue leveraging this technology to enhance our fulfillment operations to provide a seamless shopping experience for customers.” The t-Sort system integrates with other innovative technologies to offer a true end-to-end order fulfillment solution for Nordstrom. When combined with new storage and retrieval automation, the integrated solution uses up to 90% less footprint within the retailer’s distribution facilities. “This project represents collaboration between multiple innovative organizations applying digital transformation and revolutionary robotic systems to supply chain operations to drive speed, accuracy and profitability,” said Mike Futch, president of Tompkins Robotics. “The end result is shorter delivery times, improved in-store stock positions, reduced operational and freight costs and an enhanced overall customer experience.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2bEeQsbVg0&feature=emb_logo
Hytrol hires Shew to leader their academic partnership initiative
Natalie Shew has been named Hytrol’s new Manager of Academic Partnerships. Shew will lead Hytrol’s new Academic Partnership initiative. Working closely with regional schools and colleges, Shew will develop programs and relationships that promote education in manufacturing and automation while increasing the talent pool. Natalie brings a wealth of knowledge working with educational programs,” said Hytrol Director of Strategic Planning Phillip Poston. “Her vision for engagement between Hytrol and educational partners is dynamic, and her enthusiasm is contagious. She is an excellent addition to the Hytrol family.” Shew joins Hytrol from the University of Arkansas where she served as assistant director of proposals and planning for university advancement. With 10 years of experience in non-profit and for-profit management, Shew has held diverse roles such as directing proposals and private grants for a $1.2 billion campaign, founding a technical writing company, and working in educational advocacy in India, Afghanistan, and Northwest Arkansas. “I am thrilled to join the Hytrol family, a place where new ideas are welcomed, people come first, and the sky is the limit. With this foundation, I feel fully equipped to build transformational relationships with our academic partners. My primary goals are to increase the flow of talent to Hytrol, help cultivate a thriving workforce, and boost economic and educational outcomes for the company, our partners, and the region,” said Shew. Shew is a Memphis, Tennessee native. Her husband Dr. Aaron Shew is the REL Wilson Chair of Agriculture Economics at Arkansas State University. The pair reside in Jonesboro with their two large dogs.
Vecna Robotics announces $50M financing as demand for Warehouse Robots and Workflow Orchestration soars
Vecna Robotics, a provider in workflow orchestration and self-driving forklift provider, announced it raised $50 million in Series B funding. With double-digit annual growth forecast for the mobile robot market over the next five years, the new capital will expand Vecna Robotics’ industry-leading footprint and accelerate the development of new product offerings. This round is led by Blackhorn Ventures, with participation from new investors Highland Capital and Fontinalis Partners, and additional funding from existing investors Drive Capital and Tectonic Ventures. Workflows are the driving force behind every business that deals with physical goods, from wholesale to retail, from manufacturing to warehousing and distribution. Vecna Robotics’ solutions focus on maximizing workflow efficiency with fully autonomous pallet trucks and tow tractors combined with Pivotal™, the world’s first AI-based orchestration agent. More than a fleet manager, Pivotal also interfaces with human workers and other equipment to increase job satisfaction, optimize freight capacity, increase warehouse capacity and help eliminate waste. In the last year, Vecna Robotics deployed its robot and software solutions in many of the world’s leading distribution centers with deployments at FedEx Ground, Milton CAT, DHL Supply Chain, GEODIS, Medline and many others. This new capital will help Vecna Robotics continue to rapidly scale its products and services to the material handling market which faces both a growing labor shortage and increased competitive pressures. “Vecna Robotics’ focus on the Pivotal platform and innovative AMRs to create unprecedented resource productivity for industrial applications is strongly aligned with our investment strategy,” said Trevor Zimmerman of Blackhorn Ventures. “We are excited to be a part of their growth.” With this investment, Trevor Zimmerman of Blackhorn Ventures and Bob Davis of Highland Capital will join Vecna Robotics’ Board of Directors. “In speaking with Vecna Robotics’ customers, it was clear that the company offers best-in-class solutions and services. The company has an industry leading position in a $100 billion market, and we look forward to working with them as they revolutionize material handling around the world,” said Bob Davis of Highland Capital. Chris Cheever, Founder & Partner at Fontinalis, echoed this view. “Vecna is executing brilliantly at the intersection of key trends we are interested in as a mobility investor, namely the power of automation and increasing e-commerce disruption of supply chains,” said Cheever. Vecna Robotics’ products are helping organizations such as Medline increase efficiency and safety. “Our confidence in the team and its vision for safe, effective human-robot collaboration within a warehouse environment grew as our partnership evolved. This vision supports the future needs of our team members and our customers,” said Daniel Schwartz, Regional Vice President of Operations at Medline, a global manufacturer and distributor of medical products, services and solutions. “Vecna Robotics’ solution takes a lot of dead travel in our warehouse super-centers out of our team’s days so they can focus on more skilled work.” In working with a number of strategic partners including UniCarriers Americas, one of the largest manufacturers of material handling equipment in the world, and RICOH, the leading support provider with four thousand boots-on-the-ground technicians nationwide, Vecna Robotics is positioned with a complete ecosystem necessary for rapid growth and ability to consistently meet customer needs. “We’re thrilled to have Blackhorn, Highland and Fontinalis share our vision for the future of the material handling industry. A highly orchestrated solution that leverages the best of robots, manually-operated equipment and the irreplaceable human factor is the key to long-term success for our customers,” said Daniel Theobald, Founder and CEO, Vecna Robotics. “This investment cements our position as the world’s leading material handling automation company and helps accelerate our growth strategy in the coming year and beyond.”
BALYO strengthens its intellectual property with 15 patents issued in 2019
BALYO, a technological provider in the design and development of innovative robotic solutions, provides an update on the progress of its intellectual property strategy. The Group currently holds 50 patents, of which 15 were granted over the last year. Thanks to an active intellectual property policy, BALYO has strengthened its portfolio, which now includes 10 patent families compared to 3 in 2016. These families, which reflect BALYO’s major technological development, cover the following areas: location, navigation, safety, perception, energy management, fleet management, communication management and simplification of installation tools. Each family of patents is extended internationally in the Group’s markets. The Group is thus increasing the protection of its technological assets while deploying and perpetuating its licensing policy. Karim Mokaddem, BALYO’s Chief Technology Officer, said “The significant strengthening of the patent portfolio worldwide testifies to the added value of BALYO solutions. The positive results of our research activities allow us to increase our competitive advantage, strengthen the performance and reliability of our solutions and simplify their deployment.”
Soft Robotics announces partnership with FANUC
Soft Robotics, an innovative robotics pioneer dedicated to solving the hardest workforce challenges, has announced a strategic partnership with FANUC, the world’s largest maker of industrial robots, that will accelerate the adoption of integrated soft robotic solutions into high-growth automation markets worldwide. Soft Robotics’ disruptive mGrip modular gripper system and automation solutions have enabled the successful implementation of robotic applications in the highly variable and unstructured environments of consumer goods manufacturing, food processing and packaging, and e-commerce supply chain automation. Through this transformative partnership, users of FANUC robots are able to directly program and implement Soft Robotics’ proprietary technology into their workstreams, and Soft Robotics’ mGrip system and FANUC optimized control system with robots are now available for purchase through FANUC’s global network. “Soft Robotics has demonstrated its distinct expertise in tackling some of the most vexing problems facing the food, beverage, and consumer goods industries, particularly with respect to the high variability of products and processes,” said Kenichiro Abe, Senior Managing Officer, General Manager, Robot Mechanical Development Laboratory, FANUC. “Together, we can move robots off of the assembly line into more real-world applications and provide differentiated value to high growth markets where automation has historically been infeasible.” The collaboration between Soft Robotics and FANUC was initiated through the shared realization of the growth opportunity in the “General Industry” market, encompassing food processing and packaging, consumer goods and cosmetic manufacturing, and logistics applications. These segments present previously off-limits automation challenges due to the complexity of handling products with shape variability, overall fragility and strict regulatory requirements. Soft Robotics’ mGrip enables robotic solutions in these highly variable industries while also bringing stringent compliance standards and certification to the United States’ FDA, Japan, and European Commission requirements for direct food handling. “This historic partnership is a true validation of our award-winning products and technology. When combined with FANUC’s global reach in robotics, we will be able to offer end-users and system integrators a single, powerful and agile automation solution to address the unique needs of underserved markets,” added Carl Vause, CEO, Soft Robotics. “From its earliest days at Harvard, Soft Robotics’ potential to fundamentally transform industrial automation was obvious,” said Carmichael Roberts, Founder and Managing Partner of Material Impact and Chairman of the Board of Soft Robotics. “The partnership with FANUC will expand on the profound impact this technology is having across industries and geographies, making it the new gold standard in robotic automation.” Soft Robotics and FANUC will be demonstrating the combined solution at the 2019 International Robotics Exhibition in Tokyo, Japan, December 18-21, 2019, Booth #B-31 in Aomi B Hall, with the new FANUC DR-3iB Delta robot, FANUC’s innovative solution for picking and packing primary and secondary food products. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aj8qjc-GhiE&feature=emb_logo
UNEX Manufacturing named Most Valuable Supplier 2020
Fifth Consecutive Year Win of Prestigious Award from Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association (MHEDA) UNEX Manufacturing, Inc. has earned the prestigious MVS (Most Valuable Supplier) Award for achievements in 2019. MHEDA (Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association) grants the MVS Award to less than 10% of all member companies. This is the fifth consecutive year that UNEX Manufacturing has earned the MVS Award. This industry award recognizes companies who have demonstrated an exemplary commitment to their dealer network, their employees, and their community. “UNEX has a vast network of top-quality distributors that we work with to make sure our clients have local expertise they can rely on,” said Brian C. Neuwirth, President of UNEX Manufacturing. “We are committed to working with the best of the best and work hard to ensure our distributors’ success by providing them with valuable tools, industry knowledge, and robust solutions that meet or exceed our mutual customers’ needs.” “Achievement of MHEDA’s MVS status represents members who have demonstrated a commitment to their business and its employees, their industry and also to the communities within which they serve,” said Mike Vaughn, 2019 MHEDA Chairman of the Board and Chief Financial Officer of Liftech Equipment Companies in East Syracuse, NY. To qualify for the MVS Award, UNEX was required to meet a series of criteria in several areas critical to the distributor companies who do business with them. In addition to confirming an on-going commitment to safety and employee training, award recipients must provide documentation of active participation in a program that “gives back.” MVS Award winners have demonstrated an overall commitment to business excellence by documenting programs in the following areas: Industry Advocacy Distributor Advocacy Business Networking Continuing Education Business Best Practices
SUN Automation Group announces partnership with Greene House Group
Greene House Group to Represent SUN Automation Group’s Line of Solutions for the Corrugated Industry SUN Automation Group®, a global provider of innovative equipment to the corrugated industry, has announced that the Greene House Group will represent SUN equipment and parts to its customers in California, Oregon, and Washington. Frank Greene, Greene House Group’s founder and President, brings over 30 years of experience in both the corrugated and converting segments of the industry. His vast skill set and knowledge base translates to consistently providing top of the line equipment solutions for box plant corrugators. Working alongside Greene is his son, Hayden Greene, whose industry acumen and sales aptitude further enhance Greene House Group’s capabilities. “I’ve long admired SUN Automation Group’s dedication to innovation and its commitment to listening and responding to customers’ needs. As their newest regional sales representative, I’m excited to share with my customers how SUN’s products deliver efficiencies and maximize ROI,” says Frank Greene. SUN believes this partnership will enhance its presence in these regions, resulting in increased market share. “We’re proud to be represented by Greene House Group, and have full confidence in their ability to convey SUN’s value to customers. Our network of sales partnerships continues to be an integral component of our growth strategy,” says Greg Jones, Vice President of Global Sales & Aftermarket at SUN Automation Group.
Designing robotics with the workforce in mind
Robotics and automation have quickly become the supply chain and manufacturing industries’ top choice to update systems and increase productivity. With smaller options now available, some robotics designers are adopting new philosophies: that these mobile robots are a tool to be used by employees, and should be designed as such. Click here to view the video.
Big deal: Heineken opens new production facility in Mexico
Heineken and KHS are setting standards with the newest and one of the biggest breweries in Mexico on all counts: besides its impressive proportions the plant is also a shining example when it comes to ecological and economic sustainability As far back as in 2006 the potential for the launch of one of the most important greenfield projects in the history of Mexican brewing was recognized: Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma proposed building its seventh production site in Meoqui in the state of Chihuahua in the north of the country. Nine years later the plans were finalized by HEINEKEN México which in the meantime had since taken over the brewery. By setting up shop in Meoqui Heineken is closing a geographical gap in the north of Mexico. This strategic location optimizes the company’s production and sales network. The region also has a good infrastructure, provides qualified personnel and a local government which specifically promotes economic development. Largest Heineken site worldwide With a capacity of five million hectoliters a year the greenfield site has now become the largest production facility in the Heineken Group. The brewery has created 500 new jobs on site and 1,500 indirect positions to boot. The premises are such that expansion is possible in the medium term. A few facts and figures from 2016 illustrate just how important the Mexican market is for Heineken: the Mexican branch contributed 16% to the sales, 12% to the turnover and 15% to the profits of the Dutch brewery even before the new bottling plant went into operation. And – even more importantly – over the same period HEINEKEN México increased its volume by 4%, its value by 8% and its profit by a proud 16%. Against this dynamic and extremely promising background, which also bodes well for the future, it’s little surprise that the parent company decided to invest around €400 million in its Mexican enterprise – more than ever before. The exemplary project encompasses six lines, four of which were supplied and commissioned by KHS. These comprise two glass lines for 355-milliliter non-returnable bottles, one for 325-milliliter returnable bottles – all with a capacity of up to 40,000 bottles per hour each – and a fourth line for up to 28,000 947-milliliter returnable or non-returnable bottles an hour. The machine program covers practically the entire KHS product range: from bottle washers through fillers, labelers, pasteurizers and packaging machines to palletizers. Plant manager Eusebio Reynoso Razo tells us what ultimately won the Dortmund systems supplier the contract. “We’ve been in the business together for over 40 years. It’s thus clear that we can fully rely on the careful, proven and modern processes which distinguish KHS as a first-class manufacturer of lines and machines with ist highly qualified engineers.” Trust is a key criterion, believes Reynoso. “It’s quite a challenge to build such an enormous factory. We therefore only wanted to work with the best so that we could get off to a good start.” Mexico is a familiar stomping ground for KHS, with one of its eleven own production plants opened in Zinacantepec in 1992. “At HEINEKEN México we have an installed base of around 80 machines spread out across the entire country,” says Mario Perez, sales manager for the north zone at KHS Mexico. “This base primarily consists of fillers, packaging machines and pasteurizers.” The very first project involving the two companies dates back to 1977 when delivery was taken of a VVF-120D canning line. It’s located at Monterrey in the northeast of the country and is still in operation. Among the particular challenges posed by the site in Meoqui weren’t just line performance, however, but first and foremost flexibility and sustainability. Maximum flexibility Two types of beer, six beer styles and thirteen different brands are produced in Meoqui – not just Heineken but also Tecate, Dos Equis and Indio, among others. This range, filled into various containers of differing size, results in a vast diversity of Stock Keeping Units (SKUs) and a large number of possible combinations. This calls for the shortest possible setup times for format changeovers and maximum flexibility in labeling. In addition there is also a slightly unusual requirement regarding the secondary packaging; instead of plastic crates, returnable cardboard boxes holding 12 or 20 bottles are used, the handling of which presents a certain technical challenge. Maximum flexibility was also needed in other areas of the project. “Owing to current market demands we were forced to change the original order of the lines for commissioning according to the SKUs we needed most,” plant manager Reynoso remembers. “This of course made all those involved nervous. But the KHS team understood our situation. Despite this change cooperation with the local crew was marvelous and we were able to wind up the process with outstanding results.” In the first few months alone over 30 different SKUs were processed on the 4 KHS lines and over 1.2 million hectoliters filled into glass bottles and packaged. All told, Reynoso is extremely satisfied with the teamwork. “We’ve experienced a lot of successes together – from installation through commissioning to the moment when the first full pallets of product rolled off the conveyor belts. The great willingness of the responsible KHS representative on site to get things moving, his good cooperation and excellent communication really helped the team to function well.” Exemplary use of resources The second major challenge was sustainability: in keeping with its commitment to “brew a better world” HEINEKEN México sees itself as a pioneer. The factory in Meoqui was thus erected according to the latest principles of the circular economy – with the focus on renewable energies and an efficient use of water. Electricity comes from renewable sources. Photovoltaic cells are installed in the brewery windows, for instance, which generate about 12% of the total electricity needed on site. The rest is produced by wind power. Treatment of wastewater means that all facilities and green spaces can be supplied and biogas is used in the boilers. The declared objective is
FANUC America opens new Robotics and Automation facility
FANUC America, a supplier of robotics, CNCs, ROBOMACHINEs and Industrial IoT solutions held their grand opening celebration at its new 461,000 square-foot North Campus robotics and automation facility in Auburn Hills, MI on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019. FANUC invited customers, local officials, educators, suppliers, and the media to an official program, ribbon cutting ceremony and facility tour. Special guests included Michigan’s Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Auburn Hills Mayor Kevin McDaniel, and Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett. Constructed and in full operation just one year after breaking ground, the new facility houses several departments including engineering, product development, manufacturing and warehousing. Now, to keep pace with the growing demand for robots and automation, FANUC occupies over one million square feet of building space in Oakland County, Michigan. FANUC had an automation tour path that included over 20 robot demonstrations, from its smallest M-1iA delta robot, to the mighty M-2000iA, the world’s strongest robot able to lift 2.3 tons. There were a variety of hands-on cobot demonstrations that highlight easy setup and programming. Additional demonstrations included real-world robotic solutions for assembly, material handling, packaging, palletizing, painting and welding. Most of the solutions include FANUC intelligence like integrated iRVision that gives the robots a sense of sight. The key tour stop during the grand opening featured two FANUC CR-15iA collaborative robots packing bags of weekend nutrition for a local Michigan chapter of Blessings in a Backpack, a non-profit organization that provides children living in food-insecure households with bags of food for the weekend. FANUC’s products are used in a wide range of industries including automotive, aerospace, consumer goods, e-commerce, food and beverage, medical device and pharmaceuticals to name a few. The company’s line of painting robots, and a variety of automation software products have been designed and built in Michigan since 1982.
MHI Next-Gen Supply Chain update: Advanced Analytics
This episode of our four-part, Next Gen Supply Chain series focuses on the third stage of digital adoption, advanced analytics. Click here to view video.
Teradyne to acquire AutoGuide Mobile Robots
Supplier of High-Payload Autonomous Mobile Robots Complements Teradyne MiR’s leading AMR position Teradyne, Inc. and AutoGuide Mobile Robots has announced they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Teradyne will acquire privately held AutoGuide for $165 million; $58 million net of cash acquired plus $107 million if certain performance targets are met extending potentially through 2022. The acquisition is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2019, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approval. AutoGuide provides autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for material transport of payloads up to 10,000 pounds (4,500 kg) for the manufacturing, warehouse and logistics markets. Proven at leading manufacturers and warehouse providers including Pactiv, Ford and Husqvarna, AutoGuide is expected to more than double its revenue in 2019 from approximately $4 million in 2018. AutoGuide’s products include the Max N10 Tugger, Pallet Stacker and SurePath fleet management software. The Max N10 Pallet Stacker autonomously identifies and lifts pallets, transports them to a specified destination and then stacks the pallets. The Max N10 Tugger autonomously pulls trailers or carts of material from point-to-point, including indexing for easy loading and unloading. SurePath fleet management software provides an easy means to specify routes, coordinating the autonomous lifting and transport of pallets, and managing Max N10 AMR traffic to optimize customers’ material transport. In response to market demand for easy-to-deploy autonomous mobile robots, AutoGuide’s advanced products offer the innovations to deliver easy deployment, improved safety, reduced costs and increased efficiency of industrial and warehouse material handling operations. “The high-payload AMR market is an emerging, fast-growing segment of the global forklift market,” said Mark Jagiela, president and CEO of Teradyne. “AutoGuide’s modular architecture and innovative technologies provide safe, easy-to-deploy products that naturally complement our MiR low- to mid-payload AMRs, extending Teradyne’s reach in this attractive market.” “AutoGuide, like Universal Robots and MiR, is using emerging smart, cost-effective technologies in industrial robotics to improve workflows and reduce operating costs in a broad spectrum of industries,” continued Jagiela. “We look forward to helping AutoGuide grow by developing their global sales and support capabilities, while continuing to strengthen and expand their innovative product lineup.” Rob Sullivan, president and CEO of AutoGuide said, “The combined strength of Teradyne’s industrial automation businesses and AutoGuide’s product lines offer new opportunities to create end-to-end automation solutions for customers seeking the safest and most productive material-handling operations from a single source. Teradyne’s financial strength and global reach will help support AutoGuide’s growth, enabling us to maintain our agile approach to the development and deployment of high-value automation systems that bring industry leading value to our customers.”