Automation Blog

The invention of the sewing machine radically changed the lives of everyone from housewives to workers, consumers, and manufacturers. Sewing machines enabled mass production of not only clothing but automotive and furniture upholstery, bedding, luggage, shoes—the list goes on and on. Today, advanced automation technology is taking the sewing machine to new levels of capability. […]

Criterion uses the latest technology to develop innovative automation solutions that help our customers save time, reduce risk, and improve quality. We’ve found that 3D printing enables us to quickly—and accurately—prototype and test concepts, enabling us to keep projects on schedule and on budget. And we know that many of our customer’s engineering teams are

Brinkley RV, designer and manufacturer of premium travel trailers and luxury fifth wheels, is setting new standards of quality in its industry. When the Brinkley team set out to upgrade its vehicle vibration testing system, they chose to work with the ‘creative engineering minds’ at Criterion Automation, says Kevin Lehman, Brinkley RV’s EHS, maintenance and

When designing and building custom automation equipment, the ability to quickly prototype and test concepts is critical to keeping projects on schedule, within budget and ultimately successful. At Criterion, we’ve been perfecting the 3D printing of prototypes and production parts for more than five years. 3D printing has made the prototyping and testing process easier

As we head into 2024, manufacturers are expecting to face an ongoing shortage of skilled labor among other challenges. Some studies indicate companies could free up three additional hours a day per person by adapting digitization and automation. When done right, automation can be relatively easy to implement, cost-effective to operate, and result in significant

No matter how thorough the design of a traditional sequence-based robot cell, the chance of a part making it through a multi-step cell without any faults is remarkably low. The engineers at Criterion have found a better way, creating opportunistic sequencers that take advantage of operations that are running and bypassing those that are disabled.

Machine vision systems automate a variety of tasks, including inspection, selection, and guidance of parts and products. If you’ve considered adding a vision system in the past but found the cost too high or the programming too involved, it may be time to take another look. As costs have come down, the programming and operation

Almost two-thirds of US manufacturers expect their operations to be automated to at least 80 percent within 10 years. Beyond the clear benefits of manufacturing automation—increased production, minimized safety risks, optimized quality—there are other key trends driving the increase. If you’re a West Michigan-based manufacturer, some or all of these challenges will likely sound familiar.

Manufacturers have embraced automation more than any other industry.  According to a Deloitte survey taken in 2020, Robotic Process Automation was the most common technology being implemented with 78% of respondents already using robots and another 16% planning to add robotic automation in the next 3 years.    Automation has made it possible to:  Increase Productivity