April 21, 2023 Robotics Manufacturing Hub Assists Small Manufacturers

No-cost Initiative for 11 Pennsylvania Counties is funded by the Build Back Better Regional Challenge Grant.

The ARM (Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing) Institute is now seeking small and medium sized manufacturers in Southwestern PA looking to explore the use of robotics through the Institute’s Robotics Manufacturing Hub. The Robotics Manufacturing Hub (the Hub) is funded through the region’s Build Back Better initiative awarded through the U.S. Economic Development Administration. The Hub will help small and medium sized manufacturers in the region evaluate their operations, understand if robotics can address their challenges, and prototype robotics solutions at no cost.

The ARM Institute is the nation’s leading robotics Manufacturing Innovation Institute. Since 2017, the Institute has worked with its nearly 400 member organizations to catalyze 120+ robotics and workforce projects to strengthen U.S. manufacturing. The Institute facilitates collaboration between industry, government, and academia to propel solutions that address urgent needs in manufacturing. Operating as a non-profit organization, the ARM Institute acts as an honest broker between robotics and manufacturing stakeholders.

Through the Robotics Manufacturing Hub, small and medium sized manufacturers will work with ARM Institute experts to evaluate their operations, learn if robotics can address their challenges, and prototype robotics solutions at the Institute’s Mill 19 facility in Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood neighborhood. The Hub will also give manufacturers access to the Institute’s extensive member consortium and partners, ensuring that selected solutions offer the highest possible return on investment.

“Since our Institute’s inception in 2017, small and medium sized manufacturers across the nation have given us the same message about what limits their operations: they lack the resources needed to implement robotics and they can’t find enough trained workers,” stated Mr. Jay Douglass, ARM Institute Chief Operating Officer, “The Robotics Manufacturing Hub directly addresses these needs by removing the barriers to discovering the right robotics technology for their operations and finding solutions that augment gaps in their workforce.”

“The ARM Institute is perfectly positioned to offer this program. The capabilities offered through the Hub build on the work the Institute has been doing since 2017,” stated Dr. Chuck Brandt, ARM Institute Chief Technology Officer, “Implementing robotics is perceived as risky, particularly for smaller manufacturers. The Robotics Manufacturing Hub will help manufacturers understand, evaluate, and minimize the risks associated with adopting robotics within their operations.”

The use of robotics is critical to helping small and medium sized manufacturers increase their productivity to better compete nationally and abroad. However, implementation often requires a significant investment of time and capital. Additionally, smaller manufacturers typically do not have the in-house expertise needed to understand where robotics fits into their operations. The Hub works with manufacturers to remove these barriers to adoption.

The Robotics Manufacturing Hub services are offered at no cost through the Build Back Better funding but will only be offered for a limited time through this grant.

Prototyping Services

The Robotics Manufacturing Hub leverages the ARM Institute’s Mill 19 facility in Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood neighborhood. Using this facility, ARM Institute experts will help manufacturers prototype solutions and demonstrate proofs-of-concept.

The Hub will explore solutions in many manufacturing areas, including machine tending, assembly/disassembly, inspection, to name a few.

Qualifications

This service is available only to small and medium sized manufacturers in the Southwestern Pennsylvania region, limited to the following 11 counties:

• Allegheny
• Armstrong
• Beaver
• Butler
• Cambria
• Fayette
• Greene
• Indiana
• Lawrence
• Washington
• Westmoreland

Manufacturers must fit into the small and medium sized range, defined as having 500 or fewer employees and less than $100M in annual revenue.

Learn More or Get Involved

To learn more about the Robotics Manufacturing Hub or get involved, click here or send an email to  RMHub@arminstitute.org indicating your interest.

ABOUT THE ARM INSTITUTE
The Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute is a Manufacturing Innovation Institute (MII) funded by the Office of the Secretary of Defense under Agreement Number W911NF-17-3-0004 and is part of the Manufacturing USA® network. The ARM Institute leverages a unique, robust, and diverse ecosystem of 390+ consortium members and partners across industry, academia, and government to make robotics, autonomy, and artificial intelligence more accessible to U.S. manufacturers large and small, train and empower the manufacturing workforce, strengthen our economy and global competitiveness, and elevate national security and resilience.  Based in Pittsburgh, PA since 2017, with an office in St. Petersburg, FL, the ARM Institute is leading the way to a future where people & robots work together to respond to our nation’s greatest challenges and to produce the world’s most desired products. For more information, visit www.arminstitute.org and follow the ARM Institute on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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