Springfield, Ohio-based metal stamping and assembly manufacturer Pentaflex specializes in heavy gauge, highly formed components that service the commercial truck industry. Their industry, like many, has struggled in recent years to find consistent labor that supports the manufacturing of axle and brake components, a critical safety part for the heavy truck industry.
When their aging automation system required replacement, Pentaflex turned to JR Automation for a system upgrade that reduced their reliance on labor, increased output, and ensured consistent quality parts.
Recently, automaker General Motors identified an opportunity to enhance the efficiency and consistency of their top-coat finishing process, which relied on manual vehicle paint inspections. The solution was the 3M™ Finesse-it™ Robotic Paint RepairSystem, the first of its kind on a moving automotive line, which was integrated and installed by FANUC Authorized System Integrator Inovision. The automated system uses advanced software by 3M and Inovision to efficiently sand and polish automotive finishes using the AI-driven SMARTInspect™ paint inspection system to ensure precision and reliability. The result is a cost-effective solution that delivers highly consistent results.
A longtime partner of FANUC, General Motors uses FANUC technology to automate strenuous processes, improve quality control, and increase productivity in the plug insertion process. Traditionally, plugs are inserted manually by a team, which can require workers to twist and bend to reach in order to place them. General Motors sought a solution for the system to automatically place the plugs where they needed to go, detect and indicate errors to the operator, and verify that the installation is correct.