Automation

Kitagawa NorthTech, Inc., which offers standard chucks, custom engineered workholding and Steady Rests solutions, in April announced that Shaun Thomas joined the company as Senior Manager of Engineering & Manufacturing. In his position for the workholding company, Thomas will be instrumental in managing all design, engineering and manufacturing processes. 

It takes knowledge and skill to get a robot to do exactly what you want it to do in a manufacturing environment--and those are hard to come by in this skills-gap era. A new interface designed by Georgia Institute of Technology researchers is simpler and more efficient than most interfaces, and doesn’t require significant training time. The user simply points and clicks on an item, then chooses a grasp. The robot does the rest of the work.

Typically in a scrap handling process, the how and where the scrap is collected and disposed of is not part of the conveyor system's design—but should be. That how and where could be crucial to the longevity of your conveyor. PRAB Inc., Kalamazoo, Mich., has a free, downloadable white paper on "The Importance of Design Elements in Maximizing the Life of Your Steel Belt Conveyor," that details what to be aware of.

Colson Group USA, a manufacturer of casters, wheels and other mobility products, continues to make significant investments to its production and distribution operations while reshoring manufacturing.

United Grinding, Miamisburg, Ohio, in March appointed Michael Gebhardt as Vice President of Operations. In the position, he will manage the company’s first-ever Operations Division at its new facility, and serve as a member of the company's Executive Management Team.

SCHUNK customers now have a fully equipped facility where they can view a demonstration, receive advice and support for their specific application, or get an expert technician for repair or service. The Tec-Center has a milling machine, lathe, air chuck display and robotic machine-loading display, giving people the ability to see a variety of processes using real parts and machines.

BIG KAISER’s parent company, BIG DAISHOWA Seiki Co. Ltd., in March announced the completion of its new logistics and distribution center, which joins five existing factories on the lush Japanese island of Awaji. The 130,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art facility was built to meet the need for logistics improvements as the company's product reach expands globally, according to the company.