FARO Acquires Mobile Scanning Provider GeoSLAM

FARO® Technologies, Inc., announced the acquisition of UK-based GeoSLAM, a leading provider of mobile scanning solutions with proprietary high-productivity simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) software to create 3D models for use in Digital Twin applications. Founded in 2012, the addition of GeoSLAM is expected to significantly expand and accelerate FARO’s market growth opportunity in the mobile scanning space.

“We are thrilled to add GeoSLAM’s handheld 3D scanning technology to our portfolio of cutting-edge data capture solutions,” said Michael Burger, FARO president and CEO. “FARO now offers the industry’s broadest set of 4D data capture solutions, including 3600 camera-based images, mobile scanning and stationary high-accuracy laser scanning, allowing customers to balance the need for accuracy, speed and detail depending on their requirements. These capture technologies provide the foundation for our 4D digital reality-based SaaS offering that will allow customers to access multiple 4D data sources for visualization and analysis through a single user experience. We welcome the GeoSLAM team to our FARO family.”

“Joining with FARO represents the next step in the growth of GeoSLAM and the establishment of mobile mapping as a driver for growth in the way businesses map and understand their spaces,” added Andy Parr, GeoSLAM CEO. “Both companies share a vision of the importance of mobile scanning in the burgeoning digital reality capture market.”

GeoSLAM reported £14.5 million in revenue with 18% EBITDA in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022. EBITDA, a non-GAAP measure, is calculated as net income/loss before interest (income) expense, net, income tax expense (benefit), foreign exchange rate variance, and depreciation and amortization. The transaction closed on September 1, 2022, funded with available cash reserves and equity consideration.

Under terms of the agreement, GeoSLAM shareholders received a cash payment of £22.0 million and 495,562 shares of FARO stock that is subject to customary lock-up provisions. FARO expects the acquisition to be accretive to Non-GAAP EPS in 2023.

For more information, visit www.faro.com.

ASQ Houston, Inspection Division Conference Coming in September

The American Society for Quality, ASQ, will be hosting “Quality—Then and Now, its joint inspection division and greater Houston section conference Sept. 29-30 at Sheraton Houston-Brookhollow Hotel in Houston, TX.

The one-and-a-half day conference will feature a bevy of speakers and wrap up on Friday afternoon with individual tours throughout Houston, such as at the Space Center Houston, the Houston Zoo, the Museum of Fine Arts, and the Lone Star Flight Museum. Wali Alam, Margaret Johnson, and Erin Urban will deliver keynote addresses and a host of speakers will present throughout the conference.

ASQ Greater Houston Section Chair Eduardo Vega said, “This year our regional conference is turning into a national one thanks to a joint effort with the ASQ Inspection Division. Houston is the 4th largest city in the country; you will have the opportunity to network with quality professionals from the most diverse industries such as healthcare, energy, manufacturing, etc. Quality professionals will share how the quality tools are now part of the digital world. Join us!”

ASQ Inspection Division Chair Carl Drechsel said, “All organizations depend on quality to control processes and judge performance. Information collected by quality professionals provides critical controls on key processes. Turning data into action benefits the organizations that can leverage these data management tools. A major consideration in quality improvement involves comparing “Quality Then and Now.” The 2022 Joint ASQ Inspection Division & Greater Houston Section Conference in Houston, TX, on September 29 -30, 2022 provides the necessary skills and knowledge to leverage these critical tools.”

For more information, visit https://asq.org/conferences/inspection-division.

Women in Manufacturing Education Foundation Announces 2022 Class of Hall of Fame Inductees

The Women in Manufacturing Education Foundation (WiMEF) announced 13 outstanding women leaders who make up the 2022 class of Women in Manufacturing Hall of Fame inductees.

The group will be officially welcomed to the Hall of Fame with a ceremony and gala on October 12, 2022, as part of WiM’s 12th annual SUMMIT taking place in Atlanta, GA. The event will welcome more than 150 attendees in celebration of these trailblazing women in manufacturing.

The Women in Manufacturing Hall of Fame honors women who have made outstanding contributions during the course of their established careers in manufacturing. Recipients include women who are dedicated to supporting, promoting and inspiring women in the manufacturing industry.

“The 13 esteemed honorees who comprise our third class of inductees have made renowned, lasting contributions to our industry,” said WiM and WiMEF President and Founder Allison Grealis. “Their commitment to supporting and mentoring women in manufacturing has paved pathways for countless other women to thrive in this industry. We are thrilled to recognize them in this special way.”

The 2022 class of Women in Manufacturing Hall of Fame inductees:

• Dorene Billingsley, Director of Operations (Retired) - AdvanSix
• Michelle Bockman, President - STANLEY X
• Lynn Bottone, Vice President, Biotech Operations - Pfizer
• Louise Connell, Supplier Diversity Manager - BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC
• Leah Curry, President - Toyota Indiana
• Lori Goucher, Senior Vice President Technology and Investments Catalysts - BASF
• Elizabeth Griffith, Director of Global Program Management - HFI
• Tracey Horton, Vice President, Global Manufacturing, Optical Connectivity Solutions - Corning (Optical Communications)
• Denise Johnson, Group President, Resource Industries - Caterpillar Inc.
• Dr. Ann Kelleher, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Technology Development - Intel Corporation
• Luann Rickert, Vice President, Internal Audit - John Deere
• Michelle Taylor, Director, Advanced Quality Planning CHVAC - Trane Technologies
• Pei Wang, Vice President and General Manager, Asia – BorgWarner

Inductees were nominated by their colleagues and industry peers and selected by a judging panel of Women in Manufacturing Education Foundation (WiMEF) board members as well as staff. The inductees were chosen based on their lifetime contributions to the advancement of women in manufacturing.

“We are honored to welcome the 2022 class of inductees to the Women in Manufacturing Hall of Fame,” said WiMEF Board Chair Cara Herzog, Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Southwire Company. “The impressive work these 13 women have accomplished throughout their careers to support and advance women in our industry is inspiring. WiMEF has now welcomed 37 trailblazing women into the Hall of Fame. They exemplify why the foundation exists—to provide women in industry with opportunities to advance their careers and become leaders in manufacturing.”

For more information, visit www.wimef.org and www.womeninmanufacturing.org.

Xiris Appoints Polytec GmbH as Distributor

Xiris Automation Inc. announced that Polytec GmbH of Waldbronn, Germany has been appointed an official distributor of Xiris Weld Inspection Systems for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. As experts in industrial measurement technology solutions, Polytec will be able to provide consulting, demos, sales, and service for the turnkey weld inspection systems that serve the tube and pipe industry. In entering this relationship with Polytec, Cameron Serles, president of Xiris Automation comments, “We are pleased to work with such an excellent partner who has many years of experience selling optical metrology equipment across Germany, Austria and Switzerland. They share our values of a high level of commitment to ensuring customer satisfaction and continuous improvement of technical knowledge.”

As pioneers of laser technology, Polytec has offered optical metrology solutions for research and industry since 1967, operating as a distributor in its early years and by the 1970s, making a name for themselves as developers of in-house, laser-based measuring instruments.

Currently, Polytec holds the position of global market leader in the field of non-contact vibration measuring technology with laser vibrometers. Systems for length and velocity measurement, surface characterization, analytics and process automation also make up its wide range of in-house developments. The distribution of machine vision solutions and optical measurement systems is another of Polytec's core areas of expertise. Dr. Dirk Samiec, Photonics business unit manager at Polytec, explains, "The systems from Xiris fit perfectly with our focus of offering high-quality solutions for optical quality control and ideally complement our infrared, hyperspectral and X-ray solutions."

For more information, visit www.xiris.com.

Women in Manufacturing Association Launches International Women’s Network

The Women in Manufacturing® Association (WiM) announced the launch of the International Women’s Network (IWN), which aims to connect the association’s growing number of international members and deliver them opportunities to connect, share information and support one another.

WiM currently supports more than 600 international members in 40 countries, with the largest concentration of international members being in Canada, Mexico, India, Brazil and Germany.

The IWN kicks off its programming with a virtual forum on August 25, 2022, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Participants will hear featured guest speaker Susanne Lauda, Director of Global Advanced Manufacturing Technology with AGCO Corporation, share her professional journey in manufacturing with WiM President and Founder Allison Grealis. The program also includes interactive roundtable discussions on how to survive and thrive in the male-dominated manufacturing space, and best practices on innovative ways that companies are supporting and advancing women. More information, including free registration, is available on the IWN webpage.

“As WiM membership continues to grow internationally, we are thrilled to bring networking opportunities to this community through the launch of our International Women’s Network,” said WiM President Allison Grealis. “A taskforce of WiM members, led by Chair Jeff White of Robinson+Cole, was formed earlier this year to discuss the needs of our international members and to develop programming and a peer network to meet those needs. As a result, the IWN was created. We look forward to offering quarterly IWN forums that provide international insights into key industry topics.”

WiM’s IWN will follow its virtual August kickoff program with an in-person forum in Stuttgart, Germany, on November 2, 2022. This event will include panel discussions, workshops, plant tours and more. Those interested in learning more can complete a brief form to get up-to-date information.

The IWN virtual series and in-person forum in Germany are sponsored by Amazon and Robinson+Cole. WiM welcomes additional supporters and sponsors of its IWN programming. Interested companies should contact Kay Adams at kadams@womeninmfg.org for details.

The Women in Manufacturing® Association is a more than 14,000-member-strong association dedicated to supporting, promoting and inspiring women who have chosen a career in the manufacturing industry.

For more information, visit www.womeninmanufacturing.org.