AMI to Receive 2022 Manufacturing Leadership Award

Advanced Manufacturing International (AMI) Inc. announced it will receive the Manufacturing Leadership Council award under the category "Collaborative Ecosystems" for the project "Improving Small & Medium Manufacturer Productivity with IoT Driven Smart Manufacturing." The AMI project, funded in part by the Smart Manufacturing Institute CESMII, demonstrates how a low-cost, easy-to-implement, and secure Internet of Things (IoT) platform based on open standards can enable two diverse Small- to Medium-sized Manufacturers (SMM) to adopt Smart Manufacturing technology.

"AMI is grateful to be recognized by the Manufacturing Leadership Council for this important lighthouse project to advance the digital transformation of small- to medium-sized manufacturers," said Dr. Dean Bartles, CEO of the Manufacturing Technology Deployment Group (MTDG) and parent company of AMI. "Helping these manufacturers become smart factories will allow them to leverage their data to become more efficient, productive, sustainable and competitive."

"This year's winners are exemplary for their compelling use of technology, innovative approach to problem-solving and overall commitment to furthering the progress of Manufacturing 4.0," said Manufacturing Leadership Council (MLC) Co-Founder, Vice President, and Executive Director David R. Brousell. Presented by the MLC, a division of the NAM, the awards recognize excellence in digital manufacturing.

AMI will be honored at the Manufacturing Leadership Awards Gala on Wednesday, June 29, 2022, at the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort in Florida. The gala is the closing event for Rethink: The Manufacturing Leadership Council Summit. Details about the awards are available at https://www.manufacturingleadershipcouncil.com/leadership-awards/.

For additional information, visit AMI at www.advmfg.org and SMLC at www.smlconsortium.org.

Olympus Makes it Evident

Olympus Corporation (“Olympus”) announced the completion of the separation of its Scientific Solutions business to a wholly-owned subsidiary, Evident Corporation (“Evident”). Following the divestiture of its Imaging business, this move further signifies the company’s long-term strategy to cement its position as a major player in the medtech industry.

The proposed split was first announced in June 2021. As a newly-established wholly-owned subsidiary, Evident, headquartered in Japan, continues to operate independently under the Olympus umbrella.

Olympus’ Scientific Solutions business encompassed the Olympus Industrial and Life Science businesses. The reorganization will give the Scientific Solutions business the autonomy and agility to respond quickly and more flexibly to the needs of Industrial and Life Science customers.

Yoshitake Saito, the president and representative director of Evident, commented on the new company’s focus: “Evident, while continuing to provide best-in-class products, will expand its digital and cloud-based solutions to enhance the customer experience and to improve the overall workflow in the research and inspection fields. We will shift from a business model centered on the sale of products, to one focused on solving customer issues and challenges. With this greater management autonomy, we will promote agile product development and open innovation, which we believe will increase the speed of product development.”

According to the company, the new company name exemplifies its unwavering commitment to continue providing high-quality products and technical expertise, allowing its customers to discover new insights and find new evidence in their areas of expertise, and a renewed focus on customer collaboration and responsiveness to customer concerns.

For more information, visit www.EvidentScientific.com.

New Certified Vision Professional-Basic Courses Launch April 7 from Association for Advancing Automation

The Association for Advancing Automation (A3) unveiled new and refreshed courses for its Certified Vision Professional-Basic (CVP-Basic) program on April 7, 2022.

The individual CVP-Basic training program, which outlines the fundamentals of machine vision and imaging, offers vision industry professionals the opportunity to enhance their knowledge and professional status. The new classes will be available virtually at AUTOMATE.ORG and in-person at the Automate 2022 Conference in Detroit, June 6-9.

The specialized training featured in the updated courses consists of six classes taught by industry leaders, including:

• The Fundamentals of Machine Vision, Dave Dechow, Landing AI
• Beginning Optics for Machine Vision, Nick Sischka, Edmund Optics
• Beginning Lighting for Machine Vision, Daryl Martin, Advanced Illumination
• The Fundamentals of Camera & Image Sensor Technology, Kevin McCabe, IDS Imaging Development Systems
• Image Processing Fundamentals, Nicolas Vazquez, National Instruments, and Romik Chatterjee, Graftek Imaging
• Vision System Design, David Dechow, Landing AI, and Perry West, Automated Vision Systems

“The A3 CVP program has become a critical benchmark for machine vision professionals,” said Robert Huschka, A3’s Vice President of Education Strategies. “Our project manager, Perry West of Automated Vision Systems, has worked with these industry leaders to bring the latest technology and techniques to this industry-leading certification program.”

More than 1,180 people have achieved certification in the CVP program.  

The virtual courses will be available on A3’s website beginning April 7. A3 member companies at the Gold and Platinum levels will have free access to the new courses.

For others, there are two options available for accessing the online CVP training:

• Register to take all courses in the full basic programs. Purchasers can access the courses anytime and start and stop as needed. Access to all courses is valid for 90 days. This purchase is based on a single user.
• Register for a company-wide license. This subscription allows an entire team access to all basic courses for a full year.

Originally launched in 2010 at The Vision Show, the Certified Vision Professional (CVP) training is filling gaps in machine vision engineering and technician training while helping customers know who to trust with their machine vision system projects.

After completing the courses, the next step is passing the certification exam. Online exam options are currently available. Those with prior vision experience can choose to take the exam without viewing the courses. Certification is good for five years. After that, professionals will need to retake the exam to maintain their certification.

In addition to online course, vision professionals will have the first opportunity to take these new courses in-person as part of the Automate Conference in Detroit, June 6-9, 2022.

New and update courses for A3’s Advanced Certified Vision Professional program will also be unveiled at the Automate Conference. The updated CVP-Advanced program will be made available virtually at www.automate.org later this summer or register for the Automate Conference at https://www.xpressreg.net/register/auto0622/landing.php?_ga=2.207708562.1687221487.1647551819-1268631402.1636573723Conference.

Hackney Honored as ASQ’s Inspection Division 2022 Inspector of the Year

The ASQ Inspection Division has selected PPI Quality & Engineering’s Quality Control Specialist, Jesse Hackney, as the 2022 Chuck Carter International Inspector of the Year.  Hackney will be presented his award and duly acknowledged during the Inspection Division’s annual membership meeting on Monday, May 16, 2022, in Anaheim, CA, in conjunction with ASQ’s World Conference on Quality and Improvement.

Hackney is a Quality Control Specialist (QCS) working as a third-party inspector in the oil & gas industry.  He has worked for PPI Quality & Engineering since December 2015 and has worked as a third-party inspector since October 2013.  His formal training was in the United States Navy as an Electronics Technician, where he was awarded honors for high grade average and technical ability.  Hackney has worked in the field of quality control across multiple disciplines, including the fiber optics industry, as a contractor for the U.S. Air Force, in a dental lab, and now for the last 8½ years in the oil and gas industry.

Hackney is an ASQ Certified Quality Technician and a certified inspector for NDT Level II magnetic particle testing, liquid penetrant testing, and ultrasonic testing.  In addition to nondestructive testing, he regularly performs vendor audits, dimensional inspection, hardness testing and Factory Acceptance Testing.  Hackney has played a key role in reducing the cost of quality by identifying opportunities to reduce the rework of a manufactured items, proactively working with suppliers to ensure that testing of a fastening or assembly is done correctly the first time and by reviewing processes to ensure that the components used in tools are built to meet Original Equipment Manufacturer material requirements.

The Inspection Division has offered the Inspector of the Year Award since 1974. For a list of the previous award recipients, an award application, or additional information about the ASQ Inspection Division and the award, visit https://my.asq.org/communities/files/folder/158/217.

Southwire’s Stinson Named to NAM Board of Directors

The National Association of Manufacturers recently announced that Rich Stinson, Southwire’s president and CEO, has been named to the NAM Board of Directors.

The NAM was founded in 1895 and is the largest industrial trade association in the United States, with more than 14,000 members —from small businesses to global leaders—in every industrial sector. The NAM is the nation’s most influential manufacturing advocate, telling the story of the manufacturing industry and equipping manufacturers with resources through its news and insights channels and partnerships with the Manufacturing Leadership Council, The Manufacturing Institute and the Innovation Research Interchange.

“I am honored to join the NAM Board and represent Southwire as we work to contribute to the continued growth and success of all manufacturers,” said Stinson. “Our company has a clear growth strategy and a commitment to remain generationally sustainable for the next 100 years and beyond. As our world becomes even more connected and as electrification plays an even greater role, I look forward to working alongside my industry peers to promote opportunity and prosperity and, ultimately, further strengthen the future of manufacturing.”

Executives on the NAM Board, which comprises leaders representing companies of all sizes in every industrial sector, are the driving force behind the NAM’s efforts. As a board member, Stinson will bolster the NAM’s leadership in policy advocacy, workforce solutions, legal action, operational excellence and news and insights.

Board members play a key role in the NAM and the MI’s “Creators Wanted” campaign, a member-driven initiative to inspire, educate and empower more Americans to pursue careers in modern manufacturing—and to shift perceptions about careers in the industry. The campaign, which supports MI programs for students, women, veterans and other underrepresented communities and features a first-of-its-kind mobile experience and tour, seeks to cut the skills gap by 600,000 workers by 2025 and increase the number of students enrolling in technical schools, vocational schools and apprenticeships by 25%, as well as the number of parents who would encourage their children to pursue a career in modern manufacturing to 50% from 27%.

“Manufacturers are the driving force behind our economic recovery, and the NAM’s mission is to ensure that we always keep moving forward. Rich Stinson is a recognized leader in our industry, and the NAM will be stronger thanks to his service on our Board of Directors,” said Jay Timmons, NAM president and CEO. “Rich will bring invaluable insights as we advocate for the men and women of our industry and advance the values that have made America exceptional and our industry strong—free enterprise, competitiveness, individual liberty and equal opportunity.”

For more information, visit www.southwiresustainability.com or www.nam.org.