Vision Engineering Inc. celebrated its 40th anniversary of the opening of their U.S. headquarters on February 6th. To commemorate this milestone, Vision Engineering Inc. will donate $40 to the national charity, Feeding America, for every Mantis stereo microscope sold from February 6th – March 17th.

“We couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate our accomplishments than to give back to the community. We chose this charity (Feeding America) because food banks across the United States are experiencing an increased demand for support due to Covid-19. People are struggling to put food on the table. The funds we raise from Mantis sales will help food banks across the U.S. supply meals to those in need. Our goal is to donate enough to provide at least 60,000 meals," explains Bernie Sherwill, general manager, Vision Engineering Inc.

Established in 1958 in Surrey, United Kingdom, Vision Engineering Ltd. began by suppling technologically advanced quality control equipment to the defense and aerospace sectors as well as the expanding electronics industry. From 1960 to 1970 Vision Engineering products were exported to the U.S. to support the substantial growth in the electronics and defense markets. Due to the increasing demand for Vision Engineering products in the U.S., in 1973 founder Rob Freeman set up a joint venture with Kulicke & Suffa U.S.A. (known as Vision Systems Inc.) for OEM integration and distribution with an office in Ivyland, PA. In 1974, Vision Systems Inc. became wholly owned by Vision Engineering Ltd. and moved to New York.

In 1981, Vision Engineering Inc. was founded and in 1982, the company moved to New Milford, CT, where they currently are based. Initially the building housed sales, service, tech support and a small-scale machine shop, set up by Rob and Robin Gable, who had started as an apprentice in the optical shop at the UK headquarters.

Thirteen years later, in 1994, Vision Engineering revolutionized the microscope industry by introducing Mantis, the first eyepiece-less stereo microscope. Mantis was quickly adopted for assembly and quality control processes worldwide, particularly in the electronics, telecoms and medical device markets. As the demand for Mantis grew it became clear to use the facility in New Milford as the manufacturing site for Mantis, where it is still manufactured today.

Mantis has gone through many technological advances and has won many awards since its launch. It is known as an ergonomic solution to stereo microscopes. Similarly, the original New Milford site has grown to include sales and marketing, finance, service and technical support and the original machine shop is now a modern manufacturing facility with a quality lab and clean room for assembly in order to cope with the demand for Mantis, other opto-mechanical assemblies and contract manufacturing projects.

In 2019, Vision Engineering expanded its U.S. presence by opening a West Coast Technology Center in Irvine, CA. This site serves as a support, training and demonstration venue to bring Vision Engineering’s leading edge technologies into the hands of potential tech collaborators and customers.

The company attributes its success to looking at the future and developing new technologies to improve quality in manufacturing, by inspection and measurement.

For more information, visit www.visioneng.com.

December orders of manufacturing technology totaled $456.7 million, nearly a 40% increase from November 2020 and a 17.6% increase over December 2019, according to the latest U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders report published by AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology.

This is the highest monthly total since November 2018 and the second-straight month of year-over-year gains. Total orders in 2020 were $3.87 billion, a decrease of 15% from 2019. “In December, the manufacturing technology industry saw growth in all geographic regions of the country as well as across the majority of manufacturing sectors,” said Douglas K. Woods, president of AMT. “Given the reduced holiday schedules of most companies in December, this is particularly striking. The aerospace industry, which has been anemic since the spring due to the collapse of global travel, did significantly better than it has in many months. The November FAA approval of the Boeing 737 Max led to increased capital equipment investments by both small and large companies who had financing dependent upon FAA approval in place for these investments. “Last spring, industry economic forecasters were predicting a 50% decline in manufacturing technology orders for the year amid U.S. industrial production contracting at a lower annualized rate than any point during the Great Depression. But as 2020 closes, we can now confirm that orders were down only 15% for 2020. Given the strength of December, and with pent up demand, depleted inventories, continued reshoring, several COVID vaccines, and a lot of cash on the sidelines, things bode well for a positive start to 2021.”

For more information, visit www.amtonline.org.

Zeiss announced the opening of a new facility dedicated to training nearly 100 United States-based field engineers on servicing the complete range of Zeiss electron and light microscopes. The 5,000 square foot facility, located in White Plains, NY, will focus on providing technical training on servicing and preventative maintenance. It will also host applications courses to increase workforce efficiency. The new facility enables Zeiss to run in-person courses while meeting all New York State COVID-19 related social distancing requirements and health measures, including use of health and temperature monitoring equipment.

In addition to in-person training, trainers can also conduct courses virtually from the training center and implement equipment upgrades, combining real life with virtual reality. The facility also holds a repair center for in-house repairs and is the home for North America technical and product support.

Nearly 30 multi-day courses will be given this year, covering topics ranging from the basics of microscopy and research upright microscopes to in-depth technical features, installation, and preventative maintenance. Courses will be offered on Axio Scan.Z1, Celldiscoverer 7, LSM 980/800/700, EVO, Gemini, and Crossbeam. Additional courses will cover basic and advanced imaging techniques, as well as instruction on servicing customers quickly, decreasing mean time to repair, and improving first time fix rate.

While currently limited to internal training, the multifunctional training center is intended to be opened up for customer and business partner training in the future.

For more information, visit www.zeiss.com.

Wayland Additive announced that its Quality Management System (QMS) has been awarded ISO 9001:2015 certification.

ISO 9001 is the world’s most recognized QMS standard. Its aim is to help organizations meet the needs of their customers and other stakeholders more effectively. This is achieved by building a framework to ensure consistent quality in the provision of goods and/or services.

Will Richardson, CEO at Wayland Additive, says, “We are delighted to have been awarded ISO 9001 accreditation. It is an independent endorsement of the fact that we at Wayland Additive adhere to the key quality management principles, namely customer focus, engagement of people, process approach, leadership, improvement, evidence-based decision-making, and relationship management. The ISO 9001 certification provides objective proof to our clients that customer satisfaction is at the core of our business. The award of an internationally recognized QMS award is another important step for Wayland as we take our proprietary NeuBeam® process encapsulated in our Calibur3 metal AM system from R&D to commercial availability.”

Peter Hansford, director of business development at Wayland, says, “The ISO 9001 certification is especially important for us at Wayland, as it reinforces a key aspect of the relationship that we wish to nurture with our customers, basically a partnership to ensure that our technology is optimized for specific applications. This means that at the heart of everything we do is a pragmatic and real focus on customer satisfaction. The customer really is at the center of everything that we do. We are creating an industrial metal AM solution that focus on real-time deficiencies in alternative technologies, and we ensure that this ground-breaking technology is refined to meet specific customer requirements and expectations.”

Wayland Additive will be hosting a virtual commercial launch event on the March 16 and a physical event at its headquarters in Huddersfield, U.K. on May 19. For more information, or to register for these events, visit www.waylandadditive.com.

A2LA members have elected and approved two new individuals to A2LA’s Board of Directors for terms beginning January 1, 2021. Mike Carter, CEO of Western Energy Support and Technology (WEST), is an accomplished executive with over 29 years of experience in flow measurement and calibration. William Troy, a retired three-star Lieutenant General in the U.S. Army, is former CEO of the American Society for Quality, where he led a $40 million budget for the global, 68,000-member non-profit organization. The Board of Directors has also appointed Robin Stombler, president of Auburn Health Strategies, as its new vice chair. Stombler’s decades of experience working with the laboratory community, as well as her strategic and governmental perspective are invaluable to the A2LA board.

“We are honored to welcome these new individuals, and to continue our collaboration with Ms. Stombler, in this new leadership role,” said Lonnie Spires, A2LA president and CEO. “The knowledge and experience of our existing and newly elected board members is essential to support A2LA in its mission to provide independent, world-class accreditation programs that inspire confidence in the quality of services and acceptance of results from accredited organizations.”

A2LA is governed by a volunteer board of directors, who use their leadership acumen and expertise in the accreditation field to guide the association’s strategic vision. They are a small, agile team elected by A2LA members who work closely with the CEO and management to ensure A2LA’s success and uphold their commitment to leadership in the field of accreditation.

For more information, visit www.a2la.org.

The Manufacturing Institute, the workforce development and education partner of the National Association of Manufacturers, announced a three-year partnership with Union Pacific Railroad to shrink the workforce gender gap by inspiring more women and young people to pursue modern industry careers.

The $3 million grant from Union Pacific—one of the nation’s largest freight railroads—will fund a new initiative called “Careers on Track.” The initiative will support workforce development and career solutions for women and will include creating a digital STEM curriculum, a virtual 3D-mapping STEM experience and a STEM micro-grant program for women.

The MI will also leverage existing programs, such as Heroes MAKE America, the STEP Women’s Initiative and its youth engagement platform, to launch a digital campaign to bring awareness to the workforce gender gap and inspire the next generation of workers.

“There are nearly 500,000 job openings right now in manufacturing and millions more expected over the next decade, and closing the gender gap is a critical part of meeting this incredible need. That’s why we are excited to work with a partner like Union Pacific that shares our vision of supporting the women’s workforce of tomorrow while advancing the women’s workforce of today,” said MI Executive Director Carolyn Lee. “This partnership will bolster the MI’s existing efforts and allow us to accomplish even more through ‘Careers on Track.’”

“We have a unique opportunity to address today’s workforce crisis head-on. At Union Pacific, our goal is to double the number of women in our workforce within the next 10 years, and this partnership with the MI is a crucial step toward that goal,” said Union Pacific Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer Beth Whited. “We are inspired by the MI’s track record of innovation and look forward to working closely with them over the next three years.”

Union Pacific has a long history of providing support to local organizations through its robust Community Ties Giving Program. Focused on building safe, prosperous, vibrant communities, the program’s workforce development efforts focus on putting youth on the right track, raising awareness of middle skills jobs like those offered by Union Pacific and educating and preparing young adults for career readiness. This partnership with the MI directly helps address these goals.

“Careers on Track” will serve as a national model on how to empower and inspire women and youth, particularly girls, to explore modern career paths by changing the perception of what an industry career means in 2021 and beyond, as well as help women build networks and develop skills that help them excel personally and professionally.

For more information, visit www.themanufacturinginstitute.org or www.up.com.

For the first time, yearly orders of robots from non-automotive sectors surpassed automotive robot orders, as sales of robotic units in North America increased 3.5% in 2020 from 2019. This growth was driven by a strong Q4 that was the second-best quarter ever for North American robotic sales with a 63.6% increase over Q4 2019.

Industry statistics – released by the Robotic Industries Association (RIA), part of the Association for Advancing Automation (A3) – show that North American companies ordered 31,044 robotic units, valued at $1.572 billion in 2020. In Q4, companies ordered 9,972 units valued at $479 million.

“The surge in robot orders that we’re seeing, despite the pandemic, demonstrates the growing interest in robotic and automation solutions,” said Jeff Burnstein, A3 president. “It’s promising to see the growth of robotics in new applications and reaching a wider group of users than ever before.”

Year-over-year orders in life sciences increased by 69%, food and consumer goods grew by 56%, and plastics and rubber saw a 51% increase. Automotive orders increased 39% in 2020.

“In 2020, we saw two trends in particular that propelled growth in non-automotive orders for robotics technology,” said John Bubnikovich, chief regional officer – North America, KUKA Robotics. “First, the automation competence level in general industry has grown, and that matured into greater demand for the technology. Second, consumer behavior shifted significantly and the expectations created by this shift were tough to satisfy without automation.”

At the same time, Bubnikovich said, supply chain disruptions and instability in the workforce made industries accelerate automation strategies.

The same trends are being noticed by other major robot manufacturers.

“With the changes in people’s personal buying behavior caused by COVID, robots have been utilized in record numbers to allow for the fulfillment of orders in the e-commerce space while allowing for correct social distancing practices,” said Dean Elkins, segment leader – handling, Yaskawa Motoman. “In addition, robots largely aided in the production of personal protection and testing equipment and the medical devices needed to keep our society healthy and safe.”

“We have seen a substantial increase in activity in non-automotive sectors, as customers focus on making their production lines more flexible and better able to efficiently achieve high mix, lower volume production in response to constantly evolving customer demands,” says Mark Joppru, vice president – consumer segment & service robotics, US ABB Robotics and Machine Automation. “In food applications, for example, where robots were traditionally used to automate simpler processes like case loading, they are increasingly being commissioned for higher value processes, like directly preparing food, resulting in improvements to food safety and hygiene. While these trends have existed for several years, COVID has changed perceptions and priorities for customers, accelerating the adoption of robotic automation.”

In August of 2020, A3 reported on the strain to supply chains and economic uncertainty due to COVID-19. Alex Shikany, A3 vice president, membership & business intelligence, noted that despite a drop in orders, industry leaders showed optimism about the remainder of 2020, and accurately predicted the strong finish to 2020.

“The pandemic has created a sense of urgency for manufacturing companies to invest in automation like never before,” said Mike Cicco, president and CEO of FANUC America. “Traditionally, companies have implemented automation to reduce cost, increase output, and improve quality. However, the pandemic has added an additional factor that is driving manufacturers to re-examine their supply chain to increase flexibility, minimize disruptions, and move it closer to their customers. With this mindset, there are more opportunities for scaling robotic applications across multiple facilities, especially for larger companies. The untapped potential for automation is a promising sign for our industry; the opportunities for automation today are truly limitless.”

To help educate users and potential users about how to successfully apply robotics and automation, A3 will hold Automate Forward, the premier virtual automation trade show and conference. Register free and join industry peers March 22-26 to hear from more than 80 speakers and see the latest technologies from more than 160 leading automation suppliers.

For more information, visit www.a3automate.org.

LMI Technologies (LMI) announced that LMI’s Chief Executive Officer, Terry Arden, will be stepping down from his full-time CEO role, but will continue in a different role at LMI. This has been a carefully taken decision during 2020 and is based on the desire from Terry to have a better work-life balance.

Teledyne Technologies Incorporated and FLIR Systems, Inc., jointly announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Teledyne will acquire FLIR in a cash and stock transaction valued at approximately $8.0 billion.

JAI has announced the opening of a new office and production facility in Singapore to further strengthen its global sales, support and manufacturing activities. The new office in Singapore is in addition to the company’s offices already operating in Denmark, Germany, United States, United Kingdom, China and Japan.