Eckhart Opens Advanced Technology Center
The company’s technology showcase will include engineering and assembly of its autonomous guided vehicles and an additive manufacturing laboratory, among other things.
Eckhart, founded in 1958 as a supplier to global manufacturers, has opened a 47,000-square-foot Advanced Technology Center in Warren, Michigan. It will serve as a technology showcase, including engineering and assembly of Autocraft autonomous guided vehicles, which aim to transform manufacturing value streams worldwide, as well as an additive manufacturing laboratory.
The Advanced Technology Center currently employs 60. The company’s expansion plans call for the employment of more than 100 in the next two years to accelerate the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies. Its workforce is focused on enhancing the safety, productivity and reliability of employees who will be part of assembly processes connected to the smart factories of the future.
“Expansion into Southeast Michigan, where there is a concentration of talent in the global epicenter for automotive research and development, is a key component of Eckhart’s growth strategy,” says President and CEO Andrew P. Storm. “While the auto industry is focused on developing autonomous vehicles for use on the streets, Eckhart is accelerating the development of advanced technologies we believe will reshape the manufacturing ecosystem.”
The company’s services to global manufacturers include autonomous guided vehicles, collaborative robotics, flexible automation, 3D printing/additive manufacturing, assembly tooling and engineering services. In addition to the Advanced Technology Center, Eckhart operates locations in Algonac, Lansing, Marine City, and Rochester Hills.
Related Content
-
3 Ways Artificial Intelligence Will Revolutionize Machine Shops
AI will become a tool to increase productivity in the same way that robotics has.
-
Weiler to Debut New Automation Features For Its Lathes
Weiler’s V 110 four-way precision lathe introduces features new to the U.S.
-
Fearless Five-Axis Programming Fosters Shop Growth
Reinvestment in automation has spurred KCS Advanced Machining Service’s growth from prototyping to low-and mid-volume parts. The key to its success? A young staff of talented programmers.