A partner you can trust: FPE Automation won multiple awards at the Kawasaki partner conference

Kawaski Robotics Awards FPE Automation With Two Separate, Distinct Honors

Wixom, Michigan
April 12, 2023

By Sandia Harrison, Director of Marketing, FPE Automation

Kawasaki Robotics hosted its annual partner conference this week, called Drive 2023. Hundreds of integrator partners were in attendance. 

L to R: Paul Marcovecchio, Director - General Industries, Kawasaki Robotics, Sandia Harrison, Director of Marketing/IT, FPE Automation, Joey Bardos,
President, FPE Automation, Zachary Thoma, Regional Sales Manager, Kawasaki Robotics, and Jomy Vadakumpadam, Vice President of Sales, FPE Automation

Keynote speakers included Kawasaki top leadership, and presentations were made about exciting advancements in the world of industrial robotics and AI. Stay tuned for future blog articles on those topics. Everything Kawasaki does, they do with a commitment to quality, and this event was no exception. Kawasaki's Drive 2023 took place in a historic setting; the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation.

The FPE Automation team was extremely honored to win the top award of the day, and particularly humbled to be the sole company to take home two trophies.

Accolades like these take teamwork to achieve. At FPE Automation, we are aware that our entire staff, along with the strong support of the Kawasaki Robotics team, and our valued customers, all worked together to bring us to this point in time.

FPE Automation and Kawasaki Robotics are the chosen partners of businesses in the region both large and small. We work closely with manufacturers and certified systems integrators. It's a sometimes challenging and ever-evolving endeavor. Together we're continuously producing successful implementations. 

If you'd like to have a conversation with us about automation, we encourage you to reach out. 

We would also like to extend our gratitude to everyone who has contributed to this success.  

Doing visual inspection right: More than a dozen Kawasaki robots hit the production floor at this wheel manufacturer's site

Kawasaki Robots Present Wheel Rims for Visual Inspection

By Sandia Harrison, Director of Marketing, FPE Automation

Is your business leveraging automation to the fullest? At Automation International, the answer is yes. 

Danville, Illinois-based Automation International is using Kawasaki RS050 robots, together with PHD GRR grippers to present their products for visual inspection. The solution is considered by all parties to exemplify how automation can be used to manufacture smarter.

I spoke to Tim Foley, Senior Engineer at Automation International. He explained that the material handling process was set up so that the wheel rim orientation could be detected. Once it is verified, the part continues on to further process. Tim told me it is "one small piece of a big automated line that we're putting together this year for testing and development. So far, we are very happy with the way things have turned out."

As a longtime Kawasaki Robotics partner, Tim Foley and Automation International's considerable in-house expertise, along with teams at FPE Automation, PHD Inc., and of course, Kawasaki, all came together to create a solution that can be considered a benchmark for other companies. Automation International's Jeff Franklin’s creative contributions to this project were integral in the ongoing development of the system. The result is a testimony to the effectiveness of automation done well. 

The multi-robot solution was so well-received that FPE Automation's Steve Moore (pictured here, on the right) brought Joey Bardos (left), President of FPE Automation, in for a tour. 

I asked Steve Moore to tell me what was going on in the photo. He explained, "Automation International is using these robots and high capacity GRR grippers from PHD, Inc. for pick and place/visual inspection of automotive wheels." Steve added, "What you do not see, are the additional RSO50 robots that will be used for welding the various components of the wheels together. There are 13 robots in total for this project."

After the visit, I caught up with Joey Bardos on a Zoom meeting. He shared his reaction with me: "Automation International is a great partner. Very knowledgeable. I look forward to seeing this develop as the welding portion of the process comes on board. I'm really impressed with the teams at Kawasaki, PHD and Automation International, and what they have accomplished here. This is an excellent example of automation done right."

If you haven't had a conversation with the FPE Automation team about how to optimize your processes recently, we welcome you to reach out.