E-shots Web-exclusive: MIE takes home automation honors

The rewards of implementing a successful automated manufacturing cell could be zero defects, increased plant capacity, quality improvements, repeatability, and reduced WIP inventory. Those were the first rewards Molding International & Engineering (MIE; Temecula, CA) reaped when it installed a vision-guided robot system to manufacture insert-molded electrical connectors for the automotive industry. The next reward came on June 13 in Rosemont, IL, when the Robotic Industries Assn. (RIA) and Automated Imaging Assn. (AIA) presented MIE with the Robots & Vision User Recognition Award during a ceremony at the International Robots & Vision Show.

MIE won in the category of companies with fewer than 200 employees thanks to a flexible automation cell containing equipment from Denso Robotics and Tensor Automation, which supplies DVT/Cognex cameras.

“This is a great example of a small company that has made significant investments in robotics and machine vision in order to become more competitive,” said Donald A. Vincent, RIA's executive VP. “It proves that robots and machine vision aren't just for large companies.”