A Gripping Display of Automation Technology
Crowds of customers, business partners and other guests gathered recently for a day of education and networking in automation technology that was co-hosted by ATI Industrial Automation, Inc. (Apex, NC) and SCHUNK Intec Inc. (Morrisville, NC) at each of their nearby facilities in the booming Research Triangle region of the state. The inaugural Automation Expo at ATI included tours of their recently expanded and renovated headquarters, presentations on automation, robotics and manufacturing, live robotics displays and demonstrations of how end-effector technology applications can be leveraged for improved productivity. The new 68,000 sq ft expansion houses engineering, sales, marketing, accounting, IT, planning, and production teams and includes a high-tech design verification lab, a dedicated material removal product testing lab and more manufacturing space. It increases their East Coast robotics hub to 185,000 sq ft and provides room for an additional 200 new hires.
Throughout the day, attendees used a complimentary shuttle service that operated between the ATI event and the Technology Day hosted at SCHUNK, which included tours of their new facility, more presentations on automation, robotics and manufacturing, and live robotics displays and demonstrations of how new clamping systems and gripper technology applications can improve productivity and reduce operating costs. Attendees listened to discussions on advanced manufacturing, trends and challenges in smart gripping technologies, and had the opportunity to network with keynote speakers that included Milton Guerry, the president of SCHUNK USA; Henrik Schunk, the chief executive officer of parent company SCHUNK GmbH; Jurgen von Hollen, the president of Universal Robots; Michael Lepp, the senior athletic advisor of Joe Gibbs Racing and other industry leaders. Lunch and refreshments were provided at both facilities.
