Clear Automation Announces Appointment Of Paul Kuchay As Vice President Of Sales And Marketing Amid Continued Growth

SOUTHINGTON, Conn. — April 9, 2019 — Clear Automation, arobotic systems integrator based in Connecticut, has announced the appointment of Paul Kuchay as its vice president of sales and marketing. Kuchay will be responsible for increasing sales, driving the organization’s marketing strategy, and serving as a key player on Clear Automation’s management team.

Kuchay joins Clear Automation with 27 years of experience developing custom automation assembly and end-of-line packaging solutions for global corporations in Life Sciences and Consumer Products. In addition to extensive experience leading Sales and Marketing teams  Kuchay previously served as the president of Mikron Automation, a global manufacturing company that specializes in assembly equipment.

Kuchay holds an Associates Degree in Nuclear Technology from the New York State Regents Board and has completed training at the Navy Nuclear Power Training Command. Kuchay served on Navy active duty for 10 years and also served both as a Navy Recruiter and Supervisor to the Operation of the Nuclear Power plant on two different fast attack submarines based in Groton, Conn.

He said: “I am excited to return to Clear Automation after an eleven-year absence. Clear is uniquely positioned to lead the market in key advanced technologies that enable our customers to have more flexibility in their production environment. This flexibility is facilitated by leveraging today’s emerging technologies in vision-guided robotics along with linear motor material handling systems thereby creating the future of manufacturing production lines with enhanced speed and flexibility.”

Clear Automation CEO, John DeBlasio, said: “We are very pleased to welcome Paul to Clear Automation. In his nearly three decades in the industry, Paul has proven to be a successful leader in sales, marketing, and overall growth strategy. We are confident that Paul will help to drive Clear Automation’s strategy to become a leader in custom automation for the cosmetic and life sciences industries.”

Posted April 9, 2019

Source: Clear Automation

Lectra Reveals Versalis® 2019 During Its Annual Automotive Event

PARIS — April 9, 2019 — Lectra unveiled a major evolution of Versalis® digital leather cutting solution designed to support automotive suppliers during its fifth annual automotive event. Hosted at Lectra’s International Advanced Technology & Conference Center (IATC) in Bordeaux-Cestas, France, Lectra welcomed 60 guests, from more than 15 different countries, representing the automotive seating, airbag and interiors value chains.

During the two-day event, Lectra experts and external thought leaders shared industry knowledge and presented best insights on the design challenges and opportunities shaping the evolution of the automotive interior. The prevailing idea is that interiors will transform to replicate the comforts and design of a living space. This new trend for comfort and luxury underscores the importance of leather. Quality leather interiors are expected to match the global automotive outlook market projections, which is predicted to remain positive through 2025 on the back of sustained growth in the sports-utility vehicle (SUV) and premium segments.

To meet this growing demand and their operational excellence objectives, automotive leather suppliers need to pursue their digital transformation while implementing Industry 4.0 principles. This means finding the right blend of production flexibility, operational agility and cost minimization through process optimization and continuous improvement.

A key highlight of the event was the unveiling of Versalis 2019, Lectra’s new digital leather cutting solution. Adapted to automotive production needs and promising higher productivity and performance capabilities, Versalis 2019 reaffirms Lectra as a leader in Industry 4.0. Offering a best-in-class cutting solution, value-added software, and complete range of services, Versalis 2019 is expertly designed to meet the new challenges automotive leather suppliers face in today’s fast-moving manufacturing environment.

Versalis 2019 features major advances compared to Lectra’s previous generation. It significantly improves productivity and nesting efficiency performance thanks to an evolution in equipment and software design based on customer participation and feedback. Cutting precision is improved substantially thanks to the use of a large pressure plate that flattens wrinkles before the start of the cutting operation to deliver a higher level of quality performance and production standardization. Versalis’ ergonomic design enhances the ease of use through augmented reality, with a newly redesigned hide reception tray and automated belt cleaning.

Versalis 2019 integrates seamlessly with a company’s legacy IT systems. The addition of an application programming interface (API) connector ensures compatibility with existing enterprise resource planning (ERP) and manufacturing execution system (MES) to have access to production data and set dedicated key performance indicators (KPI).

“Consistent with Lectra’s longstanding commitment to continuous improvement, our newest leather cutting range will enable suppliers of leather cut parts to not only achieve digital transformation but also prepare their operations for future challenges,” said Céline Choussy, chief marketing & communications officer, Lectra.

The Versalis 2019 range of digital leather-cutting solutions will be available to automotive suppliers as of June 2019.

Posted April 9, 2019

Source: Lectra

The LYCRA Co. Promotes New Denim Fabrics With Its Sustainable Innovations

AMSTERDAM — April 9, 2019 — At the upcoming Kingpins Amsterdam tradeshow, The LYCRA Co. will be showcasing fabrics with its latest sustainable offerings, including LYCRA® fiber 166L which was recently awarded a Gold Level Material Health Certificate by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute.

“By specifying Lycra fiber 166L in denim and woven fabrics, mills, brands, and retailers can be assured of transparency about the product’s ingredients and suppliers as well as The Lycra Company’s commitment to continuously improving the sustainability profile of its products,” says Jean Hegedus, ready-to-wear director for The LYCRA Co. The 166L fiber is produced at The Lycra Co.’s plants in China, Singapore, and Northern Ireland and is widely available.

In addition to Lycra fiber 166L, the company will also display customers’ fabrics made with its EcoMade technology, including Lycra T400® and COOLMAX® fibers. The EcoMade versions of these products offer the same performance benefits as their standard counterparts, while being made partly from recycled materials. The latest innovation to be launched within this group is Coolmax Natural Touch technology, which uses a patented composite yarn structure to deliver enhanced moisture management and a natural appearance and hand.

“We’re very excited about the prospects for Coolmax Natural Touch technology,” Hegedus said. “We previewed the concept at the last Kingpins show and since then, we’ve seen a very positive response.”

Tradeshow guests are invited to stop by The Lycra Co. stand to see the latest innovations. The Kingpins Show will take place on April 10-11 at The Gashouder Building, Westergasfabriek in Amsterdam. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday.

Posted April 9, 2019

Source: The LYCRA Co.

NASA Selects Two New Space Tech Research Institutes For Smart Habitats

WASHINGTON — April 8, 2019 — As exploration missions venture beyond low-Earth orbit and to the Moon — and eventually Mars — NASA must consider automated technologies to keep habitats operational even when they are not occupied by astronauts. To help achieve this, NASA has selected two new Space Technology Research Institutes (STRIs) to advance space habitat designs using resilient and autonomous systems.

The selected proposals create two multi-disciplinary, university-led research institutes to develop technologies critical to a sustainable human presence on the Moon and Mars. The smart habitat, or SmartHab, research will complement other NASA projects to help mature the mission architecture needed to meet challenging exploration goals.

“Partnering with universities lets us tap into new expertise, foster innovative ideas, as well as expand the research and development talent base for both aerospace and broader applications,” said Jim Reuter, acting associate administrator of NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate. “We’re excited to work with these two new STRIs to develop smart habitat technologies for exploration missions on the Moon and Mars.”

Each STRI will receive as much as $15 million over a five-year period. The selected institutes are:

Habitats Optimized for Missions of Exploration (HOME)

The HOME institute’s design approach for deep space habitats is one that relies not only on proven engineering and risk analysis, but also on emergent technologies to enable resilient, autonomous and self-maintained habitats for human explorers.

The institute seeks to advance early-stage technologies related to autonomous systems, human and automation teaming, data science, machine learning, robotic maintenance, onboard manufacturing, and more.

The HOME team is led by Stephen Robinson, principal investigator at the University of California, Davis, in partnership with the University of Colorado Boulder, Carnegie Mellon University, the Georgia Institute of Technology, Howard University, Texas A&M University and the University of Southern California. Industry collaborators include Sierra Nevada Corporation, Blue Origin and United Technology Aerospace Systems.

Resilient ExtraTerrestrial Habitats institute (RETHi)

RETHi seeks to design and operate resilient deep space habitats that can adapt, absorb and rapidly recover from expected and unexpected disruptions. The institute plans to leverage expertise in civil infrastructure with advanced technology fields such as modular and autonomous robotics and hybrid simulation.

Through an integrated effort, RETHi will mature deep space habitats that can operate in both crewed and uncrewed configurations. The institute plans to create a cyber-physical prototype testbed of physical and virtual models to develop, deploy and validate different capabilities.

The multidisciplinary team is led by Purdue University principal investigator Shirley Dyke, in partnership with University of Connecticut, Harvard University and the University of Texas at San Antonio.

The new selections will join two institutes founded by NASA in 2017. The established STRIs have advanced biological engineering and cutting-edge methods for developing carbon nanotube-based, ultra-strong and lightweight aerospace structural material.

The two inaugural institutes are the Center for the Utilization of Biological Engineering in Space (CUBES) and the Ultra-Strong Composites by Computational Design (US-COMP). Both of these undertakings are harnessing a talent base of inventiveness and innovation to help shape NASA’s pursuit of Earth-independent, self-sustaining exploration mission capabilities.

These selections are funded by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD), which is responsible for developing the cross-cutting, pioneering, new technologies and capabilities needed by the agency to achieve its current and future missions.

Posted April 9, 2019

Source: NASA

Graco Supply Co. Agrees To Acquire E.V. Roberts To Form The Largest Niche Specialty Chemicals Distributor To Serve The North American Aerospace Market

FORT WORTH, Texas — April 9, 2019 — Graco Supply Co. today announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire E.V. Roberts to forge the largest aerospace-focused specialty chemicals distributor in North America. The Graco/E.V. Roberts combination will create a full-service, solutions-oriented distribution firm offering access to a larger portfolio of products in more locations and custom value-added services to support the evolving needs of its customer and supplier partners.

E.V. Roberts, with an 80-year track record of successfully distributing, formulating, and packaging specialty chemicals to the aerospace and other advanced manufacturing markets, provides significant growth channels for Graco. E.V. Roberts maintains a world-class quality system and is an authorized distributor for 3M, Henkel, Momentive, Resin Formulators, and Scott Bader.

“We are thrilled to have Ron Cloud and his outstanding team join us in taking aerospace chemical distribution to a new level,” said Jason Caldwell, president and CEO of Graco. “Bringing more products and services to our customers through our combined channel is important. Unleashing the talent and expertise of these two innovative teams with a strong aerospace chemical distribution heritage is truly exciting.”

Ron Cloud, president and CEO of E.V. Roberts, also commented on the integration, and his reasoning behind choosing to partner with Graco Supply. “I had the opportunity to lead E.V. Roberts through nearly 25 years of double-digit growth and evolution,” he said. “In this period, I have never witnessed a more complementary union of products, services, and most importantly, people necessary to drive growth and effect positive change for our industry. Graco Supply and E.V. Roberts are the perfect blend of dedicated focus, nimbleness, and technical expertise, and it’s only up from here.”

With nearly 30 years of experience providing growth capital to the aerospace, defense and federal services sectors, CM Equity Partners, as sponsor to Graco, will fund the acquisition, continuing Graco’s strong track record of growth and enabling the combined companies to better serve its customers and suppliers.

With approximately 150 employees, the combined company will operate from Fort Worth with distribution and service centers in all major aerospace hubs, including the West (Carson and Burbank, Calif.), Pacific Northwest (Kent, Wash.), Southeast/East (N.C., Atlanta) and Central (Wichita, Kan.) regions.

Posted April 9, 2019

Source: Graco Supply Co.

ITMA 2019: ColorJet Becomes Platinum Sponsor

NOIDA, India— April 9, 2019 — From a net consumer of textile machinery to being a platinum sponsor of ITMA is a long way to come for the Indian textile machinery industry. ColorJet is the first Indian digital textile printing company to strike a platinum sponsorship deal at ITMA 2019 and will have a stand at Hall-3, Booth No-B102.

ITMA is the world’s leading showcase for textile and garment technology, including textile printing, and it provides the ideal platform for the industry to present a wide rangeof the latest technologies. ITMA 2015 featured 1,691 exhibitors from 46 countries, 95 supporting media from 19 countries and 123,000 buyers from 147 countries. Of these visitors, 21 percent were from the printing and dyeing sectors.

The textile printing industry represents 30 billion square meters of material volume on an annual basis worldwide while global digital textile printing market was valued at 1.17 billion euros in 2016 with growth forecast to reach 2.42 billion euros in 2021. Digitally printed textile is growing at a steady annual rate of 25 percent.

“ColorJet is proud to be Platinum sponsor of ITMA 2019. This partnership is aligned with our aspiration of becoming a global digital textile printing brand coming out of India with a face of efficient Indian engineering product and technology,” said Jitender Pal Singh, vice president (Textiles) at ColorJet India.

Sylvia Phua, ITMA 2019 Project Director added: “Printing is an exciting sector at ITMA 2019 as the industry has seen vast transformation in the digital arena. We are pleased to welcome ColorJet, a leading Indian manufacturer of digital inkjet printers, to showcase their innovations at our exhibition.”

Posted April 9, 2019

Source: ColorJet India Ltd

Gelest Appoints Jim Whitlock To Newly Created COO Position

MORRISVILLE, Pa.  — April 9, 2019 — Gelest Inc., an innovator in materials science and technology and a New Mountain Capital portfolio company, has appointed Jim Whitlock to the newly created position of COO, effective immediately, to deepen its senior leadership team in conjunction with the company’s continuing growth.

“Jim has over 30 years of experience in the silicone business, including roles as senior vice president and corporate vice president with Dow Corning in its Core Products Business and global manufacturing & engineering operations, and he is joining Gelest at a pivotal time,” said Ken Gayer, CEO, Gelest. “The expansion of our senior leadership team reflects Gelest’s commitment to operational excellence and growth as a globally-recognized leading innovator and manufacturer of highly value-added advanced materials. With Jim’s appointment, we look forward to improving customer satisfaction and operational performance in every respect and accelerating our growth in advanced technology end markets with the support of our partners at New Mountain Capital.”

Whitlock joins Gelest from Honeywell, where he served as vice president of Integrated Supply Chain for their Performance Materials & Technology business Group.

Whitlock said: “I look forward to working with my new colleagues, driving operations excellence to position the company for profitable and sustainable growth, and positively contributing to the company’s strategic priorities. I am excited to apply my extensive experience to help the company achieve greater results and drive value.”

Whitlock graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree from Ohio State University.

Posted April 9, 2019

Source: Gelest Inc.

Mitsubishi Corp. Completes Acquisition Of Strategic Shareholding In ELG Carbon Fibre

COSELEY, England — April 9, 2019 — The previously announced acquisition of 25 percent of shares in ELG Carbon Fibre (ECF) by Mitsubishi Corp. (MC) has been completed. This arrangement was effective April 5.

Under the agreement, MC will use its existing resources to promote the sales and marketing of ECF recycled carbon fiber products and accelerate the global expansion of ECF’s recycling operations. By uniting ELG Haniel’s advanced technology and proficiency in the metals reprocessing industry, ECF’s know-how regarding carbon fiber recycling and MC’s global network and broad interface with different industries, the companies can now enhance their global business development and reliable supply of reprocessed carbon fiber.

ECF is the first company in the world to have established stable commercial production of reclaimed carbon fiber, supplying to markets such as the automotive, electronics and wind energy markets.

Frazer Barnes, ECF’s Managing Director, commented: “This transaction demonstrates our commitment to driving shareholder value and developing the business on a global scale. With the strong support of MC, we have already actioned our integration plans to achieve profitable and sustainable growth targets and are confident in our ability to achieve these goals. This agreement provides valuable resources to support ECF’s continued expansion and strengthens our position within the Asian and North America markets.”

The shareholders of ECF will become ELG Carbon Fibre International GmbH (ECFI), a 100-percent owned subsidiary of ELG Haniel GmbH in Germany and MC.

Posted April 9, 2019

Source: ELG Carbon Fibre

Raymond Launches Ecovera In Collaboration With Reliance Industries

MUMBAI — April 8, 2019 — Raymond Group, fashion and textile manufacturer and retailer, has unveiled the eco-friendly Ecovera — a range of fabrics manufactured by using R|Elan™, the latest technology from Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL).

The Ecovera range will soon hit 1500 stores across 700 cities. It is made from R|Elan GreenGold, a green fiber. R|Elan GreenGold is made by recycling post-consumer waste PET bottles, using bio-fuels and energy-efficient processes.

Raymond’s Ecovera, powered by RIL’s R|Elan, will redeem almost 1 million PET bottles from landfills. It’s a testimony to both RIL and Raymond’s commitment to saving the Earth.

Speaking on the joint development of the sustainable range, Sudhanshu Pokhriyal, president, Textiles, Raymond Ltd., said, “We as an organization are known for innovations in manufacturing top quality fabrics using both natural and man-made fibers. In our endeavour to create eco-friendly, sustainable fabrics, R|Elan GreenGold is a perfect choice to produce fabrics that have multiple qualities with superior handle and luster. The use of R|Elan GreenGold is also a step towards achieving our goal of making our organization sustainable and environment-friendly.”

Raymond is one of the largest vertically and horizontally integrated manufacturers of worsted suiting fabrics in the world. It commands a dominant market share of over 60 per cent in the worsted suiting fabrics space in India. Throughout its history, Raymond’s motto has been: ‘Dressing the modern man right’.

Drawing from Reliance’s extensive R&D and vast expertise in fibers, R|Elan is a portfolio of innovative fabrics that does more. R Elan GreenGold is a new-age technology from RIL with globally supreme eco-credentials and specially engineered to fulfill consumer requirement for sustainable fashion. GreenGold is one of the eco-friendliest raw materials for the fashion industry and is supporting major brands achieve their environmental commitments.

According to Gunjan Sharma, CMO – Polyester Business, RIL, “We are proud to be associated with Raymond. It provides us with an opportunity to do our bit for the environment. R|Elan GreenGold enables and equips Raymond to create an innovative and fashionable fabric with an added dose of sustainability.”

RIL’s petrochemicals business is committed to adhering to the concept of circular economy, recycling and waste reduction. Its aim is to make Indian textile and fashion industry a leader in practicing these concepts. Thus, R|Elan products will provide consumers next generation fabrics that are in line with the latest fashion trends while also fulfilling their lifestyle needs. RIL’s efforts will give consumers the assurance that if there is R|Elan on the outside, there is something special on the inside.

Posted April 8, 2019

Source: Raymond Limited & Reliance Industries Limited (RIL)

Stäubli Introduces New TS2 Robots To North American Market At Automate 2019

DUNCAN, S.C. — April 8, 2019 — Stäubli today introduced its new TS2 four-axis robots to the North American market at Automate 2019 (booth #7150), held at McCormick Place in Chicago.

The completely redesigned four-axis machines feature hollow shaft technology, which allows all the cables to be routed internally to create a revolutionary hygienic design for use in sensitive environments.

“This new series of SCARA robots has been reimagined, incorporating our JCS drive technology that has greatly improved the performance and versatility of our six-axis machines,” said Sebastien Schmitt, robotics division manager, Stäubli North America. “This allows for ultra-short cycle times and enormous performance gains for the new four-axis TS2.”

The new line consists of four models, the TS2-40, TS2-60, TS2-80 and TS2-100 to provide a solution for a wide range of manufacturing scenarios. With the four-axis TS2-100, Stäubli has extended the working radius of the TS series (400 to 800 millimeters) up to 1,000 millimeters.

Compared to the previous TS models, the new TS2s also feature a more compact design, and each four-axis machine can be ordered with an optional integrated tool change system. This allows the SCARA’s grippers and tools to automatically replace themselves, significantly increasing the uptime in certain applications. Tools or grippers also can be changed manually within seconds by means of a bayonet locking mechanism.

“All media and signal connections are automatic,” said Schmitt. “There is no external bundling of cables and no irregular contours, and the new TS2s feature a completely sealed housing. The quill can be optionally protected with a cover and affixed with special screws and concealed connections can be housed under the robot pedestal. The TS2 offers the latest and greatest in hygienic design.”

The TS2s also are modular, which reduces delivery times for the new SCARAs and saves unnecessary costs. All machines have the same robot pedestal that the series shares with the six-axis TX2 generation. Forearms, axes and drives are identical on certain models as well.

“The TS2-40 and TS2-60 share the same forearm, as do the TS2-80 and the TS2-100,” said Schmitt. “Utilizing our own JCS drive technology means we are no longer dependent on the reliability of other suppliers. Users will not only be pleased with the high performance of these machines, which are faster, quieter and more accurate, but will also benefit from shorter delivery times.”

Visit Stäubli at Automate (booth #7150) to learn more about the new TS2s, or visit www.staubli.us for more information.

Posted April 8, 2019

Source: Stäubli North America

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