Get the most out of your #cobot by selecting the right partner.

FPE AUTOMATION IS YOUR SOURCE
FOR UNIVERSAL ROBOTS

FPE Automation has been UR's partner in your area for years now.  We have the experience to put cobots to work for you. LET US BRING THE ROBOT BY FOR A VISIT In addition to our close ties to Universal Robots, if your application requires it,  we can involve a certified UR Integrator. You can buy a robot anywhere,  but does your source have what it takes to ensure  you get the most out of your purchase?  We've got the partnerships and the expertise you need. Download our single-page onsite demo flyer: Meet the Universal Robot

Schedule an on-site collaborative robot demo with our experts. Explore the ways you can increase productivity and profit by using the latest technology.

 You'll need end-of-arm tooling to get results. FPE Automation represents an impressive number of top UR+ certified partners. We have hands-on experience using these products. Our team works with their teams every day. We can recommend the right solution so that it perfectly meets your requirements.

FPE AUTOMATION IS THE ORGANIZATION WITH THE PROVEN TRACK RECORD

Roboworld Protective Robot Suits and Pendant Armor

Protect Your Investment

Roboworld makes Robotsuit® protective robot suits and Pendant Armor® teach pendant bumpers for Universal Robots. As the premier manufacturer of robotic protective equipment, Roboworld is the answer if your robot is operating in an extreme environment, or you want that extra level of protection. 

The Gecko Gripper from OnRobot

Onrobot GECKO GRIPPER

Attach like a gecko
and automate more

Nature-inspired gecko technology from OnRobot makes it possible to attach & lift any kind of flat and smooth surfaces. Fast, easy gripping technology for pick & place/assembly applications.

Grabs with gecko-style adhesive Picks up flat objects without air system Can lift Solid or porous objects Instantaneous gripping Integrated load sensor for precise gripping Proximity sensor – part presence

FPE Automation Wins an Exceptional Three MAC Distributor Awards for November

FPE Automation Received Three MAC Distributor Awards for November

The FPE Automation team has been hard at work! We just read the latest announcement released by MAC Valves, and it seems congratulations are in order.

To receive just one MAC distributor award is exceptional. To receive three in a single month (November 2018) is a tremendous accomplishment.

I'd like to share with you how we did it. The hope is that we can pass some of these substantial savings or process improvements along to you.

SOLUTION #1

MAC Valves recently introduced their MAC MI/O-67 fieldbus platform. FPE Automation's Tom Krien approached a longtime customer who has had an excellent working relationship with FPE for many years. Tom is a seasoned professional, so he is well aware that decisions like these are not made lightly. He also had a strong intuition that the solution would be right for this customer. The customer, in the packaging industry, said they prefer MAC Valves over the competition. Still, they were reluctant to make the decision to switch. There was a lot to consider. 

In the end, the customer liked the MAC solution better. They discovered that the pricing was also favorable. As a result, they are standardizing a 46 Series MI/O assembly to use on a new machine. They are so pleased with  the new design that they have made the decision to debut it at an upcoming trade show. 

Congratulations, Tom Krien! 


SOLUTION #2

To tell you the truth, the topic of dust collection and air quality had always been a relatively boring one, until recently. MAC Valves has been making some ground-breaking strides in the processing of airborne contaminants. The MAC pulse valve solutions are both more efficient and more cost-effective, giving them a clear advantage over whatever legacy technology your company may be using today. As a result, FPE Automation's Scott Massie proposed a solution to a food processing facility that put the ROI at an impressive three months.

Scott is FPE Automation's sales manager. An industry heavyweight, he was in on the pulse valve innovations from day #1 and has a lot of knowledge in that area. The customer was so impressed with  the solution, that it led to a plant-wide audit resulting in a decision to retrofit all of the plant’s dust collectors with MAC pulse valves. We're told that the next step is to approach their sister company and retrofit their dust collectors as well. 

Congratulations, Scott Massie! 

SOLUTION #3

This third award is another dust collection success. It's an interesting case. This customer is a company that produces adhesives and sealants for the building industry. In other words, the kind of product that can create an environmental hazard to employees. Care must be taken to provide the right solution. 

The award goes to FPE Automation's Brian Einzig. Brian joined us as a new sales engineer in January of 2017 and has been impressing us ever since with his considerable intellect and product knowledge, coupled with his easygoing, candid and honest communication style and a great work ethic. So, we're thrilled to announce Brian's first award of this type. Scott Massie is also deserving of an assist on this one for lending his expertise.  

The plant's dust collection system was constantly becoming clogged and breaking down. MAC Valves has a patented solution that reduces downtime. They ran the numbers. To paraphrase what they said:

"Our filter changes and other associated downtime resulted in thousands of dollars in savings, with an ROI of less than three months! Since the pulse duration was increased from every 3 seconds to every 150 seconds, there was an additional energy savings of over $5000! We were able to take two compressors completely off line (300HP and 165HP). We simply didn't need them anymore."

This company is sharing the news with their other locations so that they can implement MAC pulse valves as well. 

Congratulations, Brian Einzig! 




The hope is that you will identify with one of these solutions and take advantage of the same process improvement or ROI that was realized by these manufacturers. They had to realize some substantial gains and advantages in order to even consider a change.

We're here to help. 

Year End Savings: Up to 100% Tax Deduction for UR Collaborative Robots

YEAR END TAX INCENTIVE  YOU MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR A SIGNIFICANT FEDERAL TAX DEDUCTION As 2018 comes to an end, we wanted to inform you of a potentially game-changing year-end event involving Section 179 of the Internal Revenue Code.  If you are planning a #cobot purchase, there is no better time. Hurry - take advantage of the IRS tax deduction while you can! Your trusted tax professional can answer your questions. FPE Automation and Universal Robots will take it from there! GET DETAILS Section 179 of the Internal Revenue Code allows US businesses to take a 100% tax deduction for qualified equipment and off-the-shelf software that is put into service by December 31. With an industry leading manufacturing process, FPE Automation and Universal Robots guarantee year-end delivery for orders received and processed by December 16, 2018. You can buy, finance or lease the equipment, so talk to your tax adviser and contact us right away. *Contact your tax adviser for details. GET MORE INFORMATION

MiR Demo Van Hitting the Road in 2019

MiR (Mobile Industrial Robots) just announced plans to take the new MiR500 on the road!

By Sandia Harrison, Marketing Manager.

Introducing the MiR Demo Van

Beep beep! 

MiR will be travelling cross-country in 2019, offering demonstrations of their popular MiR500. MiR-North America has had another record-setting year experiencing over +100% growth from 2017. It's time to "Hit the Road, Jack". 

The MiR500 is the largest in the fleet of mobile industrial robots from MiR. It's MiR's hot product, because it is capable of pallet transfer. 

We haven't received word yet about when the van will arrive in the Midwest. Check back soon. When FPE Automation's dates are added to the calendar, I'll post them right away.

FPE Introduces Metaphase

FPE Automation's new partnership with Metaphase: A perfect fit for both companies.

By: Sandia Harrison, Marketing Manager

We're pleased to announce a brand new alliance with the Metaphase Lighting Technologies - offering the world's largest selection of LED illumination. 

I had the opportunity to see Metaphase in action last week at the 2018 Collaborative Robots, Advanced Vision & AI Conference (CRAV). There, I chatted with their team. It's truly amazing what there is to know about lighting. Anyone involved with machine vision know's its both complex... and key to the success of the implementation and accuracy. Here is my take-away from the conversations I had there:

Metaphase has the largest catalog in the industry, offering the best selection of products anywhere. They can also create custom lighting and additional sizes without the usual hassle of going through a lengthy design process. In fact, I got the clear impression that it is their flexibility that sets them apart from other lighting manufacturers. 

Metaphase lighting is currently in use in some of the most advanced vision systems in the world. They are award-winning in their excellence and innovation. 

They are enthusiastic and excited about lighting. I'm energized by their knowledge and enthusiasm for their products, and eager to for our valued clients to have the opportunity to work with Metaphase. I know you will be pleased! 

Get the flyer!

Murr IO-Link Solutions

Introducing IO-Link from Murrelektronik: 
Eliminates device configuration from the shop floor. 
Simplifies integration like never before.

The new IODD On Board technology by Murrelektronik allows you to store your sensor/actuator parameter data, eliminating the need for manual settings or special tools.
Get the flyer!	This greatly simplifies matters. Up to now, every new IO-Link device had to be integrated into the software individually, a time-consuming process.  Now, device parameterization can be done ahead of time,  in the office, and no longer needs to be performed on the spot, during machine commissioning on the shop floor. Multiple devices can be configured too, using copy + paste.

3D Pick & Place and Part Identification with AI

Visual Guidance at FPE Automation

With visual guidance, random parts and images can be identified so that the part can be targeted. The applications are nearly infinite. It's not an overstatement to say visual guidance the most eagerly-awaited technology since the invention of the collaborative robot, or cobot.

Here's what we have to offer.

The introduction of two new partnerships:

Canon Canon's 3D Machine Vision System (RV-Series) is a high speed image recognition system designed to work with robot arms. Employing Canon proprietary digital imaging technologies, the RV1100/RV500/RV300 serves as the “eyes” of industrial robots. Through cutting-edge image-recognition, data-processing and optical technologies, the systems is capable of 3D recognition of production-line parts randomly assembled in a pile. It can even accurately recognize parts with complex shapes and parts with few distinguishing features.

Recognition Robotics CortexRecognition®, RAIO, Robeye®, Lucana and 11 patents for visual guidance. Developed to mimic the human visual process, the software uses a unique algorithm that gives production robots the ability to view, recognize and locate pre-determined parts. In any situation where an object needs to be grabbed using a robotic arm, our software can be taught to see it, recognize it, then grab it every time - no matter the object’s position or orientation.

FPE Automation's best-in-class lineup of products to work with this technology... and the industry's top talent on our team to help you implement it. 

Universal Robots The world's #1 collaborative robot recently introduced their new eSeries.	Epson The world's largest manufacturer of industrial SCARA and Pick & Place robots.
Robotiq An industry leader of plug + play adaptive grippers made for collaborative robots.	OnRobot End-of-arm tooling for collaborative robots, including grippers and hex force torque sensors.
Piab Small, powerful and flexible, Piab's Kenos® KCS vacuum gripper, and their UR-certified piCOBOT can handle just about anything, anywhere, even difficult-to-grip parts.	RoboWorld Featuring a wide variety of Robosuits® to protect your cobot in harsh environments. RoboWorld's Pendant Armor products are durable cases for teach pendants.

Product Videos:

Recognition Robotics put it very well when they called the emerging visual guidance industry "category-shifting".  The technology is truly revolutionary. These videos will quickly bring you up to speed with what's happening in the industry. They're worth a minute or two of viewing time. Check them out! 

We're here to help.