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Company NewsFebruary 15, 2008 AIDCO International Announces Relocation of Corporate, R&D and Manufacturing Operations to Cincinnati, OhioAIDCO International, based in Adrian, Michigan, a leading provider of robotic palletizing solutions today announced its immediate relocation of its corporate operations, including R&D and manufacturing, to the Cincinnati, Ohio area. 5450 Spellmire Drive
COMPANY CONTACT: U.S. Patent issued for Mixed Palletizing to Order Robotic SystemADRIAN, MICHIGAN, U.S.A. -- AIDCO International, Inc., as a leading provider of random mixed and homogeneous robotic and conventional palletizing solutions is very pleased to announce that it has been granted United States Patent No. 7,153,085 entitled “MULTI-MODAL PACKAGE HANDLING TOOL AND SYSTEM”, which relates to AIDCO’s “Selectively Picked from Pallet, Random Mixed Palletizing System and associated End of Arm Tool”, developed initially for use in the Packaging and Warehouse or Distribution Center industries. This patent grants AIDCO the right to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, selling or importing the claimed invention. To this end, AIDCO intends to actively enforce its patent rights This patented tool and system are part of AIDCO’s new Palligistics™ “intelligent palletizing logistics” hardware and software work cell concept, called “Palligistics™ SSP” and was developed for creating mixed, display, rainbow and re-palletized mixed pallets from, for example, pre-formedhomogeneouss pallets of products. It solves the customer’s problem of needing to manually re-palletize products stored in distribution or warehousing centers through Pick-To-Order Palletizing of products as directed by customer WMS information to build pallets of mixed products destined for retail stores in the on demand supply chain network. This unique and extremely flexible proprietary EOAT and the overall work cell design solution is one of several state-of-the-art developments we have been working on. It is a result of some five years of research and development efforts and is a large part of our company’s strategy to ensure we remain at the forefront of the next generation of the supply chain logistics equipment our customers require. An announcement of the issuance of this patent and a request to mark the products covered by the patent with the corresponding patent number have been communicated to all known parties involved in the development and implementation of this system, as well, as through this posting on our AIDCO website. We are really excited about the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s recognition of AIDCO’s continual advancement in the palletizing solutions industry and look forward to working with customers on developing this and other innovative solutions to increase their efficiency and productivity through palletizing automation. Contacts: AIDCO International New Director of Engineering at AIDCO InternationalAdrian, MI – March 26, 2007 - Rick Stachel has joined AIDCO International as the Director of Engineering in support of the company’s efforts to continually develop and improve its conventional and robotic palletizing and mixed Palletizing-to-Order product lines. Stachel has been involved with the packaging industry for over 25 years and provides a strong background in Lean Manufacturing, Controls and Mechanical Engineering to the growing company. Contacts: AIDCO International Bulk Palletizer Provides Quick Changeover and Increased SpeedAIDCO International is showcasing its redesigned, second generation conventional bulk and case palletizing system - Model SweepStar®_Servus SHHL 600 Case Palletizer technology. Using a combination of mechanical and servo-drive technology, it provides increased speed and stability, fewer maintenance issues and faster product changeover for increased product flexibility. When pallet formats are stored in the easy-to-use controller and selected from a menu displayed on a HMI screen, customers can quickly change to handle most pallet sizes to meet market demands and keep operational throughput at its highest efficiency. Palletize Multiple Products without Gripper ChangeoverAIDCO International introduces its new, patent-pending GripStar CFVC 200 multi-functional EOAT gripper that handles multiple products in various sizes without a tool change over. The dual-head design can palletize or depalletize different product types and sizes - cases, shrink-wrapped cans, product in trays and crates - from a variety of industries, including food, beverage, chemical, pharmaceutical, and personal care. As a manufacturer and integrator focused on end-of-line and beginning of line palletizing and re-palletizing solutions, AIDCO designed the CFVC 200 to work with any robotic arm or a gantry system specifically to address the customer’s need for consistency, flexibility and the throughput needed to increase operational efficiency. Often handicapped by limited floor space, the GripStar can extend and retract one of its two gripper heads to allow it to reach into tight spaces, pick up product and then set it down in a small space and in the pattern needed to maximize pallet efficiency. Press Release: 3/18/2005  R.A. JONES & Co. Inc. (Covington, Kentucky) and AIDCO International (Adrian, Michigan) have announced a Strategic Alliance to market their respective cartoning and palletizing equipment with the goal of providing more integrated, turn-key packaging solutions to customers. According to JONES President & CEO Gordon Bonfield, “This alliance allows JONES to expand its beginning and end-of-line material handling capabilities and offer total line solutions to our customers. In addition to conventional and robotic palletizing, AIDCO offers JONES robotic palletizing logistics expertise that will allow us to reach beyond our traditional marketplace.” Salh Khan, AIDCO President comments “An alliance like this with JONES is a natural fit for AIDCO since both companies share similar cultures and reputations for customer satisfaction. JONES’ strong integration and service capability will allow us to take on larger projects than we handled previously. As a certified MBE company, this allows us to grow more quickly, while still focusing our development efforts in the fast growing area of robotics-based packaging.” Covington, KY based R.A. JONES & Co. Inc, part of IWKA PACKAGING GmbH, is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2005. JONES is a global leader in cartoning, pouching, case packing and robotic packaging automation solutions in addition to being one of the packaging industry’s largest turnkey and engineering services suppliers. AIDCO International, in business over 30 years in Adrian, Michigan, focuses on the manufacture and integration of conventional and robotic depalletizing and palletizing, robotic case packing and case stacking/denesting systems for the food, consumer product and beverage industries. Contact:
R.A. JONES & Co. Inc. Contact: AIDCO International Under New Minority OwnershipAIDCO International, a manufacturer of Conventional and Robotic Palletizing machinery based in Adrian, Michigan, has been purchased by Salh F. and Olivia A. Khan. Salh Khan will continue as President of the newly certified minority company, while Olivia Khan has been appointed CEO and remains the Vice President of Marketing and Organizational Development.  The company has been approved by, and all criteria for affiliation confirmed with the Michigan Minority Business Development Council (MMBDC). The company is assigned to the sector of MANUFACTURER, with a certification number for verification of status of A-9221-1-402. AIDCO International featured in Canadian Packaging Magazine in June 2004 Issue Titled Automate NowCOMING TO GRIPSInnovative vacuum gripper helps robotics-based case packing system handle a broad range of package shapes and sizes. The use of industrial robots for placing products in containers, transferring those containers between different stations in the packaging lines and palletizing them is becoming increasingly commonplace in all types of industries today--for all the right reasons. With their vast capability for utilizing a growing variety of end-of-arm tools (EOATs) and attachments, today's robots provide the high-speed "pick-and-place" palletizing ability that today's manufacturers need to meet the ever-increasing demands for packaging flexibility and productivity--replacing other slower, and potentially error-ridden, methods. Salh Kahn, president of Adrian, Mich-based manufacture of end-of-line packaging systems AIDCO International, says that as long as manufacturers of consumer products continue to innovate by making their products in every imaginable shape, material and size, they will increasingly find themselves turning to robotics-based systems to stay on top of their distribution and shipping operations.  One of such recent endeavors is development of the flexible, high-throughput RoboticStar bulk container depalletizing and palletizing system--based on an EOAT which utilized PIAB's VSG 3010 vacuum technology to easily lift and move a variety of containers with a single tool. The main design challenge in developing RoboticStar, recalls Khan, was producing a system that delivered maximum flexibility within a small footprint. "We had to design an EOAT that can handle many different products, instead of just one size." says Khan. "Most often, our customers have as many as six different shapes that need to be handled at once, so the design criteria is always tough. "Take the soda and wine containers, for example. Just think about all the different sizes, materials and shapes of bottles and cans that major brands utilize, as compared with the old, 12-ounce-bottle six-packs that used to be their only option." While using last year's Pack Expo Las Vegas 2003 international packaging exhibition to display its PC and PLC-driven RoboticStar--designed for case-packing and palletizing plastic and glass bottles, kegs, aluminum cans and their accompanying corrugated cases, plastic crates, wooden pallets and other containers--Khan found himself at the exhibit of Mass-based PIAB Inc., developer of vacuum-based technologies for automated material handling and factory automation applications. After checking out AIDCO was looking for in developing a new version RoboticStar that would ensure both flexible positioning and exceptional handling stability. "The VGS 3010 Gripper met all of our needs for speed, ease-of-use and flexibility," recounts Khan. "Changing conditions and package configurations are no problem with this system, because the position of the gripper can be easily changed. With its modular construction, the VGS 3010eliminatess the need to use multiple EOATs to handle material that changes size and position." The VGS 3010 Gripper's suction cups are made from specially-developed polyurethane called DURAFLEX, which enables the 50 to 60 cups attached to the robot head to adhere to many types of surfaces, gripping even porous leaky materials and uneven or curved surfaces. "The DURAFLEX suction cups are better than other cups," says Salh Khan. "Used in conjunction with the VGS stabilizer, the cups allow for safe and stable lifting. "They are particularly good for handling items such as plastic, glass and aluminum containers, corrugated boxes, boards and sheets." The gripper also features PIAB-developed COAX technology--a patented ejector mechanism based on a multistage concept for creating a vacuum with compressed air, whereby COAX integrates the internal components of a multistage vacuum pump into a vacuum cartridge. "One of the main reasons for using ejectors like the COAX system in the packaging industry is that they are so easy to control," states Kahn. "The pump starts to produce the vacuum flow immediately when the pressure valve is turned on, and the flow stops right at the point where the compressed air is shut off. "The weight and the small size of PIAB's air-driven pumps is another key benefit to both AIDCO and our customers," Khan adds. " The system is very easy to install and maintain, with all parts being very accessible and interchangeable." One of AIDCO's customers already using a RoboticStar with the integrated PIAB Vacuum Gripper is a leading producer of paints and coatings. Before installing the new robot/vacuum system, the company was hand-palletizing cartons after each case was sealed--an arduous and physically demanding task that was taking place three shifts a day, seven days a week. Since installing the RoboticStar, the company has experienced far less operator-related and OSHA issues, while a achieving a significantly higher line throughput at a much lower cost. Moreover, says Khan, the company has been able to attain the kind of flexibility it needed for serving its growing ranks of "Big Box" retailer customers, who often request fast supply order changes from one type of paint color to another. All in all Khan says the whole experience of integrating PIAB's vacuum technology into his company's RoboticStar system has been a rewarding enterprise for everyone involved. "It's quite a challenge coming up with solutions for handling all of these different materials, shapes and sizes," Khan sums up, "and having the flexibility of PIABS's VGS 3010 as part of our offering has made it much easier for us to design and integrate tools for our robots to rise to the challenge of handling the toughest applications." To download a scan copy of the actual article, click here.  |
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