Association for Advancing Automation (A3) stats show $1.48 billion in sales so far in 2021, surpassing the previous nine-month record set in 2017.
Strong robot sales in the third quarter of 2021 bring the total number of orders so far this year to nearly 29,000 units valued at $1.48 billion, the best numbers ever recorded for the North American robotics market. According to the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), these numbers show increases of 37% in units sold (up from 21,072) and 35% in value (up from $1.09 billion) over the same period in 2020 and surpass the previous highest record from 2017 by 5.8% and 0.5%.
In Q3 alone, North American companies ordered 9,928 robots valued at $513 million, up 32% and 35% respectively over the third quarter of 2020. This marks the third highest quarter ever in units ordered and fifth highest in value.
“With labor shortages throughout manufacturing, logistics and virtually every industry, companies of all sizes are increasingly turning to robotics and automation to stay productive and competitive,” says Jeff Burnstein, president of A3. “As our latest statistics indicate, sales are on track to make 2021 the biggest year ever for robotics orders in North America. We see many current users expanding their applications of robotics and automation throughout their facilities while first time robotics users are emerging in a wide range of industries such as automotive, agriculture, construction, electronics, food processing, life sciences, metalworking, warehousing and more.”
2021 showcases strong climb for non-automotive robotic sales In the first nine months of 2021, automotive-related orders increased 20% year over year to 12,544 units ordered. Non-automotive orders outpaced this growth, expanding 53% to 16,355 units ordered, marking only the second time non-automotive orders have surpassed automotive-related orders in the first nine months of a year (2020).
In Q3 2021 specifically, nearly two-thirds of sales (6,302) came from non-automotive industries, further demonstrating the trend of robotics growing into areas outside of automotive OEM and tier suppliers. Unit sales from non-automotive industries in Q3 saw the following increases over the same quarter in 2020:
Manufacturer and A3 member 3M has experienced the trends firsthand. "3M is seeing an upswing in providing automated solutions and processes for our customers, but as a manufacturer ourselves, we are also increasingly investing in automation,” saysCarl Doeksen, global robotics/automation director, 3M’s Abrasive Systems Division. “The pandemic put a spotlight on the benefits that automated processes bring – from the ability to ramp-up and scale-up production quickly and efficiently, to helping improve the lives of our employees, our customers, and their families.”
The latest appointments, hires, and promotions at TRUMPF, EMUGE-FRANKEN NA, MC Machinery, Westfall Technik, and LNS America.
Heidi-Melanie Maier has been named national service director for standard machines within the TRUMPF Service Department. In this role, Maier will report to Annette Doyle, vice president of technical service for TRUMPF in North America.
Maier began her career with TRUMPF in 2001 at the company headquarters in Ditzingen, Germany in the media relations and communications department. During her tenure there, she held various leadership roles working closely with her colleagues in product management areas. Prior to her move to TRUMPF Inc, Maier held the position of head of corporate communications from 2011-2017. In 2018 Maier assumed the role of director of sales and marketing for TruServices and Smart Services at TRUMPF Inc. in North America.
In her new role, Maier will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day activities of the service team for standard machine tool products throughout North America. She will also apply her strategic expertise to further advance TRUMPF’s service organization and customer support.
Christine Benz has been named head of TruServices and Smart Services at TRUMPF Inc. In this role, Benz will report to Burke Doar, senior vice president of sales and marketing for TRUMPF Inc.
Benz joined TRUMPF Inc. in 2003 in the laser development department. Following her time as a laser development engineer, she held two roles from 2007-2013 in the customer services department, one of which was manager of project engineering. In her most recent role, Benz acted as training and development manager where she was responsible for technical training and employee development. Here she oversaw all aspects of TRUMPF Inc.’s Regional Training Center and led a team that provided customers and employees throughout North America with technical trainings, leadership programs, employee learning and development curricula, and workforce development strategies.
In her new role, Benz will provide her technical knowledge and management expertise to further develop plans which aim to optimize the use of TRUMPF’s proactive aftersales technology and solution-oriented services for customers throughout North America.
EMUGE-FRANKEN N.A., a leading manufacturer of high-performance taps, thread mills, drills, end mills, clamping devices and other rotary tools, has announced the promotion of Scott Lowe to national sales manager for the U.S. and Canada. In his new position, Lowe is responsible for leading the EMUGE-FRANKEN N.A. sales organization to further strengthen support for customers and distributor partners, as well as grow market share. Prior to his promotion, Lowe was the EMUGE-FRANKEN N.A. national accounts manager for the U.S. and Canada for approximately two years.
“I am very pleased to announce Scott’s promotion to National Sales Manager, which will provide strong leadership to our sales organization,” says Bob Hellinger, president, EMUGE-FRANKEN N.A. “Scott has well over two decades of combined sales management experience and cutting tool technical skills which make him an ideal choice for this position.”
“I am excited to take on this new role at EMUGE-FRANKEN N.A. at a pivotal time, when in addition to continuing to advance our core tapping and thread milling products, we are aggressively expanding our milling tool portfolio including the manufacture of end mills in the U.S.,” Lowe says. “By leading a strong, technically proficient sales team that works closely with end users and distributors, I look forward to continuing the legacy of EMUGE-FRANKEN’s excellent reputation for the highest quality cutting tools and customer support.”
CNC machinery sales veteran Charlie Bible has joined MC Machinery as a regional sales representative for lasers, automation equipment and press brakes.
Based in Seabrook, Tex., Bible covers southern and western Texas and New Mexico.
A Long Island, N.Y. native, Bible served in the U.S. Air Force before beginning a three-decade career in CNC machinery sales.
“Charlie’s extensive background in fabrication equipment is a huge asset to our laser and press brake customers in Texas and New Mexico,” says MC Machinery North American Sales Manager for Fabrication Shane Herendeen. “He understands the manufacturing industry and its challenges, while also having the knowledge and insight to offer valuable solutions.”
Bible can be reached at charlie.bible@mcmachinery.com.
Aaron Neefe has been promoted to laser and press brakes applications engineer at MC Machinery’s Southeast Technology Center in Concord, N.C. Neefe has been a press brake, automatic tool changer and field service technician at the MC Machinery Elk Grove Village, Illinois, headquarters since early 2019.
“We have been very impressed with Aaron’s work ethic, attention to detail, communication skills and his ability to find creative solutions to help customers,” says Shane Herendeen, MC Machinery’s North American sales manager for fabrication. “With his extensive background in forming and press brakes, our applications team is excited to have him start demonstrating our equipment in the Southeast Technology Center.”
The MC Machinery Southeast Technology Center opened in December 2020, featuring a 13,500ft2 showroom and areas for training and demos.
The Board of Westfall Technik and Brian Jones, the company’s founder, are pleased to announce that Mark Gomulka has assumed the position of CEO of Westfall Technik.
Jones, who started Westfall with a vision to create a vertically integrated advanced plastics company, has worked closely with Gomulka for years at Nypro and at Flex. Gomulka joined Westfall as senior vice president in January 2020. Together, the Westfall leadership team has launched or acquired 18 companies in less than four years. Westfall enjoys a leading roster of medical and CPG customers, high-performing operators, and a world-class sales team.
“I trust Mark to lead Westfall as CEO,” Jones says. “I’ve seen executives grow up in the plastics industry for a long time, and Mark knows better than anyone how to execute the integrated vision for Westfall. We’ve worked together closely for many years, and Mark has done a masterful job maturing the Westfall organization.”
Gomulka has risen rapidly at Westfall, after leading Flex’s medical and precision plastics operations for the prior five years. Previously, he spent 15 years at Nypro in various global operational and leadership roles.
Will Dickey has joined LNS North America as national product manager for bar feeder systems. In this role Dickey will oversee all bar feeder product development, product launches, applications assistance, and customer support.
Related experiences include management roles in business integration, account services, production, and Lean manufacturing. Dickey holds a B.A. in Business Administration from Lynchburg College and an MBA in International Business from Xavier University, Cincinnati.
Kirby Gehrum, a 20-year member of the LNS North America team, is now senior bar feeder product specialist. In his new role, Gehrum will quote and manage special bar feeder projects and applications, supply technical production assistance, and provide support to the National Product Manager.
LNS designs, manufactures, sells and supports bar feeders, chip conveyors, work support devices, Chipblaster coolant management, and air filtration systems worldwide. To learn more call: 513-528-5674, email: allproducts-sales@LNS-northamerica.com, or visit www.LNS-northamerica.com.
You won't want to miss these upcoming events - Toolholding/Workholding roundtable on 11/18 and A Look at the Supply Chain Headed into 2022 on 12/8
A panel of industry experts discusses trends and answers attendees’ questions concerning toolholding and workholding systems. Topics include:
Supply chain is dominating the news. Demand is soaring, ports are backed up, container prices are soaring, shipping costs are skyrocketing, warehouses are full, and manufacturers are experiencing extended lead times across the board. The end-to-end supply chain challenges are exacerbated with massive worker resignations. Unfortunately, these issues are not going away anytime soon. Manufacturing and Supply Chain Expert, Lisa Anderson, MBA, CSCP, CLTD, president of LMA Consulting Group Inc., will talk about the current state of the supply chain, and more importantly, what executives should be doing to survive – and thrive – during these volatile times. Topics include:
Get your toolholding/workholding questions answered in this free webinar.
Have you registered for this week’s Toolholding/Workholding roundtable? Taking place on Thursday, from 12 – 1 pm ET, this free webinar will feature a panel of industry experts discussing trends and answering attendees’ questions concerning toolholding and workholding systems. Topics include:
Register today to hear from representatives from Reid Supply, Schunk, and SMW Autoblok. Can’t participate on the day of the event? No problem. Each registered attendee will also receive a link to the recording, which will be sent within 7-10 business days after the event.
Teknic’s ClearPath integrated servo motor, CPM-MCVC-3441S-RLN, provides a low-cost, reliable motor solution for a ventilator alternative.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the world was experiencing critical shortages. As hospitals ran out of ventilators, doctors were turning to anesthesia workstations, BiPAP machines, and CPAP machines to help ventilate patients. As doctors exhausted their supplies, they were scrambling to find alternatives.
At first, the solution may seem obvious – produce more ventilators – but by the time manufacturers are able to scale up production to meet current and future demand, it would be too late.
Given that scaling up conventional ventilators will take too long, medical professionals need additional solutions. At some point, the only remaining option will be to manually ventilate patients with Ambu bags and hope that conventional ventilators become available. Although Ambu bags are readily available, there aren’t enough trained clinicians to operate these devices for every patient in need.
Operating an Ambu bag requires a clinician to actuate the bag about 10 to 30 times per minute without stopping – an action that quickly becomes tiring. When one clinician fatigues, a new one must take over, and this cycle must continue until the patient recovers or a ventilator becomes available.
Teknic worked on a project that automates the operation of Ambu bags. As an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) with extensive experience working on U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) medical applications, our team was aware of many unique requirements for this application.
In mid-March, a team including Dr. Stephen Richardson (an anesthesiologist at the University of Minnesota), Jim McGurran (an engineer from MGC Diagnostics), and a small group from the Earl E. Bakken Medical Devices Center conceived the idea of a one-armed robot (more technically, a single-axis linear actuator) to automate human ventilation using an Ambu bag.
When the team had an early working prototype, they contacted Teknic (on a recommendation from Digi-Key, a large electronics distributor) for advice on the project’s motion control requirements. In just more than two weeks, our collective team brought the device all the way through concept, prototype, and production.
The machine, internally nicknamed Ambu-bot by Teknic, was not designed to replace ventilators. Rather, it was designed to automate the manual ventilation typically performed by medical personnel so that clinicians in over-stressed hospitals can treat other patients.
We left out sophisticated adjustments and sensors commonly found (and required) in conventional ventilators to drastically speed up the design, prototyping, testing, and production to meet the urgent need. The machine used one of Teknic’s ClearPath servos, but was designed for a wide range of servo or stepper motors.
While using this machine, clinicians will be required to monitor patients more closely than patients on a conventional ventilator. However, this machine does all the required manual labor consistently and continuously, so a clinician can monitor multiple patients at the same time to ensure that each patient’s vitals stay in an acceptable range.
The FDA formally granted Emergency Use Authorization (EMU) to Boston Scientific and the University of Minnesota, under the official name Coventor Automatic Adult Manual Resuscitator Compressor. Boston Scientific announced plans to initially build 3,000 units, and then more as needed.
Project partners: Teknic would like to give special thanks to all of the team members who participated on this project: