In June of 2023, the Pentaflex team will be installing a new automated assembly cell at our headquarters in Springfield, Ohio. Pentaflex is partnering with JR Automation to design, build, and install this new piece of automated equipment to assemble brake spiders for heavy truck and trailer applications.
The new cell will increase quality by 100 percent inspection of the part as it is processed through the cell. Additionally, it will reduce the amount of labor required to produce the part, and operate at a faster run rate than our current process.
In this current tight labor environment, reducing the process headcount is very beneficial not only for our own team, but also for our customers. In order to install and operate this new equipment, we are sending employees to Clark State College to gain knowledge of operating and maintaining robotic cells and systems.
Meet Our Partner, JR Automation
Pentaflex chose to partner with JR Automation for this project because of their impeccable reputation in the automation arena. Considered the very best in the field of automating manufacturing, we knew that if we were going to implement this process, we were going to do it right the first time. You can learn more about JR Automation and their approach by visiting their website at jrautomation.com.
Training Employees for the Future
The training program we are sending our team through at Clark State College lasts approximately a year. During that year, employees will spend time in classes focusing on programming, learning programmable logic, robot management, and other related topics to be able to run the new equipment and system at our facility.
Our first employee to go through the program, James, is set to receive his Certification in Robotics and Automation Technology.
Here is what James had to say about his experience at Clark State College so far:
I started this program with zero knowledge of robotics and how things operated in the automation field. Taking the robotic certificate program that Clark State has to offer has made me feel extremely more comfortable with them. I’ve learned how to manipulate them, how to create simple program logic to make the robot perform certain commands, and I’ve even learned how to weld with a robot. All of these things I’ve learned through the robot certificate program through Clark State. Clark State has helped me in so many ways and I’m extremely grateful for that.