OnRobot Case Study: The Benefits of Collaborative Robots in Machine Tending

Tomenson Machine Works had difficulty staffing workers to perform their most repetitive tasks until they used Universal Robots with OnRobot grippers in their pin stamping operation. 

FPE Automation customer, West Chicago-based Tomenson Machine Works chose OnRobot because their RG6 gripper was able to handle their smallest to largest parts.

Collaborative robots were a must for Tomenson. The ability to work alongside humans and not require safety guarding was imperative. They didn't think traditional robots would be a fit. Finding the right gripper was even more of a challenge. The size of the precision hydraulic manifolds they produce is constantly changing. 

In this video, they talk about how easy it was to integrate the collaborative robots. FPE Automation's Brian Einzig discusses the flexibility of OnRobot products. For Tomenson, ROI was 6-7 months, and their employees are happy to be able to focus on more engaging tasks, like their more complex parts. They saw a 40% reduction in engraver misloads, a substantial quality improvement. They are running their robot on both first and second shift and exploring new ways they can add collaborative robotics to their business model. 

This is the second case study this week released by Universal Robots featuring FPE Automation! That is unprecedented, and indicative of the great things that are going on in the Midwest in industrial automation. FPE, an authorized, premier distributor of Universal Robots, is proud to be at the center of it all. 

FPE Automation was recently featured in a case study presented by Universal Robots.

UR Enables Die Casting Company to Keep Jobs in the USA

Universal Robots produced this case study at FPE Automation's Franklin Park-based customer, RCM Industries, Inc.

FPE's Cameron Friend was instrumental in getting RCM's compelling story told. Turns out, they were able to keep jobs in the United States by deploying collaborative robots to do machine tending. Best of all, RCM was able to get a return on their investment in less than 12 months. Check it out!

MAC New Generation High Flow Individual Solenoid Valve for 26 Line Blocks

Designed for Glass Applications

Over 15,000 installations worldwide.

This updated solution from MAC Valves has, at its heart, a MAC Bonded Spool as well as a work-horse 35 Series type balanced pilot. It is designed for rugged environments, and available at FPE Automation.

  DOWNLOAD THE ALL-NEW BROCHURE/TECH SPECS HERE

PHD Inc. Releases New Hot Stamping Brochure for Industrial Automation

Tooling for Hot Forming Applications

A new resource from PHD: Hot Forming Solutions Brochure now available.

Hot forming or hot stamping is the process of heating steel to approximately 950°C. It is then formed in water-cooled dies for a certain time. The end result, the item produced is two to three times the strength of conventionally stamped part. 

Automotive parts that utilize this process may include A and B pillars, frame tunnels, side-impact supports, roof rails, and panel rockers. 

PHD has about ten years of hot stamping process experience. That is roughly as long as the technology has been around. PHD was involved in designing and implementing solutions for hot stamped pressings while the technology was being developed, and has been doing so ever since. Their expertise enables them to fully understand the challenging requirements of this forming process.


  Download/view the PHD Hot Forming Solutions Brochure

Universal Robots and FPE Partner Fusion OEM Featured on Fox Business

Fox Business aired this live segment featuring FPE partner Fusion OEM's Craig Zoberis. 

Now hiring robots as your 'buddy' on the production floor:

Fusion OEM integrates Universal Robots into innovative CNC machine tending solutions. The news story shows how collaborative robots are solving labor challenges in manufacturing, where there are currently job shortages. By performing dull, dirty and dangerous tasks (sometimes referred to as the three "D"s), robots make jobs easier and safer for the people who work alongside them. That technology allows American manufacturers to attract workers where they could not previously. It also helps business to keep jobs in the region by doing less with more and by keeping workers safer. FPE Automation works closely with both Universal Robots and Fusion OEM to help make all of this happen.

High School Students Explore Robotics as a Career Path with FPE Automation's Help

Area high school students visit with business officials and learn about future career and education opportunities, with the help of FPE Automation and the Great River Economic Development Foundation

Kurt Vaeth of FPE Automation, left, helps Josey Rarick and Monroe Fox use a robotic arm controlled by a tablet during the third annual Tri-State MakerFest on Wednesday, Oct. 3, at the Oakley-Lindsay Center. Area high school students visited with business officials and learned about future career and education opportunities.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE

FPE Automation, Inc.'s Kurt Vaeth received some well-deserved press today in the local news publication the Herald-Whig in the Quincy, Illinois area for his involvement with high school students. 

For more than 50 years, FPE, a third-generation family-owned business, has lived and worked in the community we serve. Our territory is also our home. To say that we are committed to the future of Midwest manufacturing and jobs is an understatement. Today, we're proud of everyone who was involved in MakerFest! Great job, Kurt!

#fpegivesback