FANUC invests in the automation of the Americas

As North American manufacturers turn to more automation, FANUC America responds with the grand opening of a new facility in Auburn Hills, Mich. FANUC robots are lined up for shipping at the company’s new North Campus building. Photo by Dan Davis

Three hundred and sixty-four days after FANUC America Corp. management broke ground on a new facility, the company welcomed dignitaries, customers, suppliers, media, and its own employees to walk around its new robotics and automation facility in Auburn Hills, Mich., on Oct. 22.

The new 461,000-sq.-ft. facility, referred to by FANUC America officials as North Campus, houses engineering, product development, manufacturing, and warehousing. The company now has more than 1 million sq. ft. of building space in Oakland County, Mich., including its headquarters in Rochester Hills and another facility in Pontiac.

“Robots and automation have helped us transform the manufacturing industry. And they are certainly helping manufacturers in the Americas bring back and keep manufacturing here today,” said Mike Cicco, FANUC America president/CEO.

The trend is alive and well in the metal manufacturing community as companies struggle to find people to fill open positions in the front office and on the shop floor. More shops are installing robotic welding cells to alleviate bottlenecks, and the adoption rate for robotic bending cells is on the rise. The Association for Advancing Automation, an industry group based in Ann Arbor, Mich., reported in early 2019 that shipments of robots to U.S. factories and warehouses totaled 28,478, nearly a 16 percent increase over 2017. Increasingly, these robots are heading to facilities that are not involved with vehicle assembly or automotive parts manufacturing, areas that have long been the main landing spot for robots.

“Right now we are in the middle of a manufacturing evolution. We in the manufacturing community need to work hard to attract talent to our industry,” Cicco said. “But we also need to upskill the existing labor force on the latest technologies in the industry. This will increase their skills and increase their pay, as well as create new opportunities in new industries and applications.”

In addition to congratulating them on the new building, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer highlighted FANUC’s contributions to local educational institutions. FANUC America officials report that the company has made $32 million in charitable donations over the years, which includes more than 3,500 robots and CNC machines to more than 1,000 schools.

“It’s critical that we have partnerships with companies like FANUC to ensure that we have an educated workforce for today and in the future,” Whitmer said.

Visitors to the grand opening ceremony had the chance to tour the company’s Trade Show Testing Laboratory, where robotic exhibits are tested before being sent out to industry events; Product Development Laboratory, where new technology, such as a cobot being used in a 3D printing application, is fine-tuned; and Product Reliability Laboratory, where robots are proven out before being commercialized. Attendees also were able to see how robots are used in assembly, material handling, packaging, palletizing, painting, and welding applications.

The $51 million facility is expected to employ up to 100 people when it is fully up and running.

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