Global manufacturing supplier Eckhart opens an advanced-technology center in Warren, MI.
The 47,000-sq.-ft. (4,371-sq.-m) facility will serve as the company’s technology showcase, including engineering and assembly of the next-generation Autocraft autonomous guided vehicles for material handling, as well as an additive-manufacturing (3D printing) laboratory.
The center currently has a staff of 60 and Eckhart’s expansion plans call for the employment of more than 100 in the next two years, all to accelerate adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies for the world’s largest industrial companies.
“Eckhart’s 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,” the company says in a news release.
“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 Andrew Storm, Eckhart president and CEO.
“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.”
Eckhart’s other services to global manufacturers include collaborative robotics and flexible automation, assembly tooling and engineering services.
