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Thermoforming equipment manufacturer Brown Machine Group (BMG), Beaverton, Mich., has acquired the robotics capabilities of automation equipment supplier, aXatronics, Loveland, Ohio. BMG provides its thermoforming equipment and tooling as well as automated materials handling equipment for plastic and paper products and related services under the Brown, Lyle, Nalle Automation Systems (NAS), and Freeman Company brand names. The aXatronics staff is joining NAS and will manufacture and support aXatronics equipment in the NAS facility, located in Knoxville, TN.  Formerly aXatronics’ president, Dave Whelan is now NAS’ director of robotics.

A certified Motoman Robotics Strategic Partner and proven supplier of automation solutions aXatronics’ primary focus is creating high-level mechatronics process engineered solutions for challenging processes in manufacturing including commercial and industrial packaging. Products offered by aXatronics include stackers, loaders, product handlers, case packers and robotic end-of-arm tools. The combination of NAS systems and aXatronics robotic offerings can provide customers with the “ultimate” packaging manufacturing solution, according to BMG.

Said BMG’s CEO Greg Wolf, “We are laser focused on our customer’s needs and this addition to BMG fills a much-needed void to expand our automation capabilities. Our objective is to not only supply the most innovative equipment in the industry, but to provide our customer base with a fully integrated turn-key solution to meet their specific needs and challenges.”

aXatronics and Dave Whelan gained national attention when aXatronics received the coveted North and South America “Innovation Award” from Yaskawa Motoman in 2014 for its work in creating the first robot, worldwide, capable of tying a ribbon bow around a boxed product. As a strategic partner of Yaskawa America Inc., aXatronics has originated many versatile and diverse robotic solutions ranging from palletizing up to 200 different case sizes containing glass products on a single robot to multiple robotic solutions for a Fortune 100 manufacturer of large steel containers. They are also known for creating specialized robotic end-of-arm-tooling solutions for other integrators and manufacturers enabling the success of a variety of other robotic systems.