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Thursday, December 12, 2024

Shouldering The Holiday Rush: Robots Help Manufacturers Keep Up

The holiday shopping season used to be more predictable. On Black Friday, consumers headed to malls and department stores to wait in line for the sweetest deals on items like electronics, toys, and clothes. But with the rise of e-commerce and consumers expecting quicker delivery times, the holiday shopping season starts earlier every year and new demands continue to arise. ...

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Tuesday, December 10, 2024

Robotic Automation Is Transforming Production Jobs, Not Eliminating Them

Robots are everywhere. Tesla is touting its humanoid robot coined Optimus, Chipotle has deployed Chippy to make tortilla chips, and startup Perceptive completed its first fully automated dental procedure using an AI-powered robot this year. These are just a few examples of companies using robotic automation to boost productivity. As robots become increasingly commonplace across industry, many believe automation eliminates...

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Thursday, November 14, 2024

Temp Labor vs. Full Service Automation Rentals: What You Should Know

The U.S. manufacturing industry is experiencing strong growth, but finding labor is a major obstacle. This is true for positions with specialized expertise and manual production line work, as baby boomers continue to retire and the appeal of manual work declines. There are currently 1.5 million unfilled manufacturing jobs in the U.S. today, and it’s no secret that companies are...

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Thursday, November 7, 2024

Introducing Formic’s Full Service Palletizer Rental Program: the Easiest Way to Automate Packing and Stacking Operations

CPG companies across the United States produce billions of products every day to fill our shelves with food, beverages, personal care, cleaning supplies, medicine, and more that allow people like us to live our lives with ease. However, getting the job done and shipments out the door has become increasingly difficult over the last 5-10 years.  Labor availability for manufacturing...

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Thursday, September 5, 2024

Is It Time for End of Line Automation?

It’s no secret - the manufacturing climate has shifted significantly over the last few years. Companies are dealing with increased demands for efficiency, quicker turnaround times, and better pricing. This comes with the growing challenges of finding and retaining skilled workers, the rising cost of raw materials, both of which lead to increasing costs and stagnant productivity gains. Many are...

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Monday, September 2, 2024

Join Us at IMTS: "Fueling US Manufacturing" with Shawn Fitzgerald & Austin Hennessey from Mitsubishi HC Capital North America

We're thrilled to announce an exciting presentation at the upcoming International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) in Chicago, IL. Shawn Fitzgerald, VP of Sales and Marketing at Formic, and Austin Hennessey from Mitsubishi HC Capital North America (HCCNA), will be taking the stage to deliver a compelling talk titled "Fueling US Manufacturing." This must-attend session will take place in the North...

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Wednesday, August 28, 2024

Cobot Palletizers vs. Industrial Palletizers

Which Is Right For Your Production Line? In today's competitive manufacturing environment, streamlining processes and maximizing efficiency are top priorities. Many manufacturers are now looking to automation as the answer to these challenges. While robotics and other technologies may be utilized throughout a facility, the end-of-line processes, such as palletizing, are a great area to start. However, the amount of...

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Tuesday, June 25, 2024

The Next Chapter

Today is a special day for robots and manufacturers in America. I’m proud to announce that Formic has secured $27.4M in additional funding led by Blackhorn Ventures, which will accelerate and scale our mission of putting more robots to work in American factories. This brings our total Series A funding to $53.9M. Formic was founded with a vision to create...

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Tuesday, March 19, 2024

How External Manufacturing Professionals Can Win With Robotics-As-A-Service

Contemporary Challenges to Building Trust Amidst Volatility As costs increase for labor and raw materials, external manufacturers are battling on multiple fronts to stay on time and on budget. This “squeeze” can manifest itself into more transactional RFQ processes and/or doubling-down on finding savings within existing external manufacturing partners. What is leading to this increase in pricing volatility? Market disturbances...

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Wednesday, December 13, 2023

The Engine Room #6: The Latest Trends in Food & Beverage with David Gray, CEO of FedUp Foods

In Engine Room episode #6, David Gray, CEO of FedUp Foods, joins us to share his insights from investing in food production businesses and also managing Food & Beverage businesses (Greenseed Contract Packaging and FedUp Foods). Specifically, we dive into the latest trends in Food & Bev, the most pressing challenges, and best advice for other F&B companies who are...

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Wednesday, December 13, 2023

The Engine Room Episode #5: Bringing Automation into Family-Owned Manufacturing and Food Production

In Engine Room episode #5, Danijel Lolic joins us to share insights from his previous career as VP of Operations for Rice Fruit Company and his current role as Head of Customer Success for Formic. Specifically, we dive into what it's like to work in family-owned manufacturing businesses and how to run a successful operation, avoiding some of the common...

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Thursday, November 30, 2023

How to Get Started With Robotic Automation in Your Facility

How to Get Started With Robotic Automation in Your Facility: A Guide by Formic.co Integrating robotic systems into manufacturing workflows offers efficiency, precision, and productivity. Industrial robotics used to be way too expensive, complex, and risky for smaller manufacturers, but due to increasing technical flexibility, education, and usability, we’re seeing an era of unprecedented adoption. With automation, manufacturers are able...

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Tuesday, November 21, 2023

Complete Guide to Different Palletizing Systems

Types of Palletizers and Palletizer Applications Brief Introduction to Palletizers What do you do if you need more stackers, material handlers, or machines to stack boxes or bags? One broad word tends to cover it; palletizers. However, there are a few different types of automated palletizers that perform slightly differently in different environments. We understand that NO two facilities are...

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Tuesday, November 21, 2023

Palletizing: Perfect Starting Point for Manufacturers New to Robotic Automation

Introduction to Palletizing Automation In the ever-evolving world of manufacturing, automation has become a game-changer. It promises increased efficiency, reduced labor costs, and improved overall productivity. However, for manufacturers inexperienced with robotic automation, taking the first steps can be daunting. Enter automated palletizing, a brilliant starting point that offers a smooth transition into the world of automation. In this blog...

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Tuesday, November 14, 2023

Guide to Palletizing Systems

Types of Palletizers and Palletizer Applications Brief Introduction to Palletizers What do you do if you need more stackers, material handlers, or machines to stack boxes or bags? One broad word tends to cover it; palletizers. However, there are a few different types of automated palletizers that perform slightly differently in different environments. We understand that NO two facilities are...

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Tuesday, November 14, 2023

Palletizing: A Perfect Starting Point for Manufacturers New to Robotic Automation

Introduction to Palletizing Automation In the ever-evolving world of manufacturing, automation has become a game-changer. It promises increased efficiency, reduced labor costs, and improved overall productivity. However, for manufacturers inexperienced with robotic automation, taking the first steps can be daunting. Enter automated palletizing, a brilliant starting point that offers a smooth transition into the world of automation. In this blog...

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Friday, November 10, 2023

Robots as a Service (RaaS) vs. Ownership of Industrial Robots in End-of-Line Packaging and Palletizing

The Advantages of RaaS Automation in End-of-Line Packaging and Palletizing In manufacturing and logistics, end-of-line operations are efficient and cost effective in ensuring products are packaged and ready for shipment. Traditionally, these operations have relied heavily on manual labor. However, with advancements in robotics technology, many companies are transitioning to using robots for their end-of-line automated packaging and palletizing processes....

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Friday, November 10, 2023

Robots as a Service (RaaS) vs. Ownership of Industrial Robots in Metal Fabrication

The Advantages of RaaS Automation in Manufacturing Automation plays a crucial role in improving productivity and efficiency in various industries, but is mission critical to the scale and growth of  manufacturing and production processes. Industrial Automation has made significant advancements  in the field of manufacturing robotics that have provided the industry with the capability to manage the demand, despite the...

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Friday, November 10, 2023

Robots-as-a-Service (RaaS)

What is Robots-as-a-Service (RaaS)?  Robots-as-a-Service (RaaS) is a business model in which companies offer industrial robotic automation via a subscription-based contract. This allows businesses to adopt industrial robotic solutions without the significant upfront costs of purchasing and maintaining the equipment. ABI Research published a report that predicts that by 2026, RaaS installations will generate $34 billion in revenue.   How...

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Monday, November 6, 2023

Inspired in 15 Podcast with Formic's Saman Farid

When Formic emerged in the realm of automation and robotics for manufacturing, the concept of seamlessly integrating cutting-edge robotics technology into small businesses appeared ambitious. However, Formic's Co-Founder and CEO, Saman Farid, has played a pivotal role in democratizing robotics by significantly enhancing accessibility and user-friendliness. We delve into the factors driving the rapid evolution of robotic intelligence, the persistent...

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Saturday, September 30, 2023

Should You Automate Welding?

The Pros and Cons of Automated Welding Robotics-enabled automated welding can provide large gains in productivity, profitability, precision, and repeatability - in the right applications. Manual welding has its merits, but the benefits of automated welding systems are increasingly compelling for many assemblies. However, many assemblers are implementing automated welding systems to increase quality, productivity, profitability, precision, and repeatability. Welding...

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Saturday, September 30, 2023

Automated Welding

The Complete Guide to Robotic Automated Welding   Table of Contents What is Cobot Welding? Collaborative welding vs manual welding and traditional automation Benefits of cobot welding How do my welders work with a cobot? Why should I invest in a cobot welder? Why choose the Formic Weld?   The welding industry is facing a significant shortage of skilled workers,...

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Saturday, September 30, 2023

How Do You Automate a Welding Process?

Key Considerations for Automating Welding Processes When embarking on the journey to automate your welding processes, several crucial factors come into play. These include understanding the specific welding application you're working with, evaluating the potential return on investment (ROI), and choosing the most appropriate robotic technology for your needs. This comprehensive guide explores the world of automated welding, robotic welding,...

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Wednesday, August 16, 2023

Understanding Automated Material Handling Systems: A Comprehensive Guide to Getting Started

What are automated material handling systems? What are automated material handling systems, and how do they revolutionize the way goods and materials are handled in various industries? With an increasing demand for efficiency and precision, automation has become a crucial part of today’s manufacturing facilities and warehouses.  Automated material handling systems encompass the use of robotics and automation technology to...

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Wednesday, August 16, 2023

How to Get Started with Automated Palletizing

A Guide to Getting Started with Palletizing Automation From small businesses to large manufacturing plants, automated palletizing has revolutionized how we handle products. In this guide, we delve into everything you need to know about this game-changing technology.   The Importance of Palletizing in Manufacturing and Co-Packing Facilities Palletizing is a fundamental operation in manufacturing and co-packing facilities. It involves...

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Wednesday, August 16, 2023

Automated Palletizing: How It Works and How To Do It

The Comprehensive Guide to Industrial Automated Palletizing Welcome to the fascinating world of industrial palletizing automation. As businesses strive to increase productivity, reduce costs, and improve safety, more and more industries are turning to automated solutions. Our comprehensive guide will help you understand the role of robotic palletizing in various industries, its benefits, and how it works.   What is...

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Thursday, February 23, 2023

Choosing the Right Vendor for Palletizing Automation

Automating the palletizing process is an important decision for factory owners. It can dramatically improve efficiency, accuracy, safety, and cost savings. But it’s also a big investment, so you want to make sure you choose the right vendor for your automation needs. Here are some tips for making the best choice.  Geographic Proximity Automation can seem daunting when you’re starting...

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Wednesday, February 22, 2023

Ensuring Safety When Deploying Industrial Palletizers

Automation has been a major game-changer in the industry, enabling manufacturers to reduce costs and increase productivity. But with that increased automation comes an increased focus on safety. So how can you ensure the safety of your employees when deploying automation, such as industrial palletizers, in your factory?  Let’s take a closer look at how you can keep your workers...

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Monday, February 6, 2023

What Does the January U.S. Jobs Report Mean for Manufacturing?

With the U.S. jobs report blowing away expectations by adding 517,000 jobs in January and lowering the unemployment rate to 3.4%, it's clear that the economy is doing well despite the high-profile tech sector layoffs we’ve seen over the last few months. However, for American manufacturers, there are still not enough workers to fill the estimated 877,250 manufacturing jobs open...

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Tuesday, January 10, 2023

Saman Farid Guests on the Forward Podcast and Discusses How Unlocking Automation is the Key to Fighting Labor Shortages

Our CEO, Saman Farid, recently joined the Forward Podcast to talk about a range of issues, including how U.S. manufacturing stacks up against China and Korea, the vast opportunities available for automation, Formic’s approach to unlocking robotization and fighting labor shortage, and building a $100 billion company. According to Saman, there are 1.5 million unfilled manufacturing jobs in America today....

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Friday, December 2, 2022

Theresa Dobson: Dissecting Formic Culture

Theresa Dobson VP of People Theresa Dobson is a thought-leader in the areas of building strong talent acquisition teams, culture, and businesses. Outside of Formic, she consults on culture and leadership strategy for start-ups, using her experience working in fast-growing consumer brands.  Here is our recent conversation with Theresa Dobson, VP of People at Formic, who highlights the traits and...

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Thursday, December 1, 2022

Jeff Bezos’ Advice to Small Businesses: Avoid Making Large Capital Expenditures During Uncertain Times

It’s no secret that we’re living in some pretty turbulent economic times. In the last several weeks major layoffs have been announced at Amazon, Meta, Twitter, Re/Max, GE Appliances, JPMorgan, Electrolux, and HelloFresh to name a few. The reason for this economic downturn according to Business Insider is two-fold: slowing business growth and increased labor costs. While companies drastically reduce...

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Friday, November 18, 2022

Formic Featured in the Andreessen Horowitz “American Dynamism 50”

Affordable healthcare. Reusable rockets. Unlimited manufacturing labor. These are a few of the stickiest challenges that some American companies are tackling.  Andreessen Horowitz, a top tech VC firm with $20B under management, just released their list of the top 50 companies kickstarting American renewal, called the “American Dynamism 50.” What is American Dynamism? Andreessen Horowitz defines it this way: “It...

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Thursday, October 13, 2022

ThomasNet Industry Podcast Episode 51 features Saman Farid, CEO and Co-Founder of Formic

The Thomas Industry Podcast is back and better than ever! You don't want to miss this episode on automation. "The thing that we've heard over and over and over again from our customers is 'Yeah, we've been planning to automate. We're right about to do it. We've been planning this project for the last five or ten years.' Well, why...

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Sunday, June 12, 2022

Integrator Spotlight: Designhawk Innovations

There are many aspects to successfully deploying an automation system.  One of the most critical aspects is choosing the right system integrator partner.   We recently had the opportunity to catch up with one of our valued integrator partners, Jeff Benning, the Founder and President of Designhawk Innovations.  Jeff has built an extraordinary team that is passionate about what they do -...

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Friday, May 13, 2022

Andy Larson: How to Master the Deployment Process

Andy Larson Robotics Deployment Manager With more than 28 years of experience in robotics and automation, Andy is an expert on project management for sophisticated engineering systems and processes. At Formic, he employs his skills and knowledge to provide best-in-class solutions to manufacturers alongside our integration partners.    Here is our recent conversation with Andy, which highlights some of the...

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Tuesday, May 10, 2022

Takeaways from ATX West 2022

Although live events took a hit during the pandemic, they are now back and booming. Trade shows specifically are perfect opportunities to network and strengthen relationships between manufacturers and solutions providers like us.  From the recent ATX West trade show in Anaheim, which gathered over 13,000 people, it was clear to our team how important it is for us to...

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Friday, April 22, 2022

How to Prepare Your Plant for an Upcoming Automation Rollout

Implementing a new automation system represents a transformative change for everyone at a plant. The use of novel technology is sure to alter workflows and recalibrate responsibilities for managers and operators alike.  Despite the scale of the change, an automation rollout doesn’t have to be disruptive. The key is to plan properly for a seamless transition. If you keep these...

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Friday, April 22, 2022

Malcolm Kerr, Marketing a New Disruptive Offering

Interview with Malcolm Kerr, Head of Growth and Go-to-Market Strategy Malcolm’s experience spans across Corporate Strategy, Product Marketing, Sales, and Growth Marketing, all within rapidly growing start up environments. He is also an investor and mentor to early-stage growth companies.    What is your position and role here at Formic? I am the Head of Growth and Go-to-Market Strategy, which...

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Wednesday, March 23, 2022

When Automation Fails, is the Robot to Blame?

If you’ve ever had your car break down, you know the frustration of suddenly broken equipment.  Regardless of whether you were driving to the emergency room or on a casual trip to the grocery store, it is stressful at best and maybe life-altering in the worst scenarios. Equipment downtime in manufacturing does not carry the same life-changing effects, but it...

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Friday, March 18, 2022

Why Robot Palletizing and Depalletizing Are Not the Same

Palletizing and depalletizing have quickly become two of the most popular tasks to automate in factories and warehouses.  Why the sudden explosion? For one, the need is universal.  Almost every manufacturer has some form of shipping and receiving in their operation. Also, the tasks are ideal for automation. Moving heavy boxes and goods around, which is what palletizing and depalletizing...

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Friday, March 18, 2022

Janice Yamamoto, Disrupting the Industry

Janice Yamamoto, Sales Operations Manager at Formic Technologies Janice brings 18 years of experience being inside the manufacturing automation space, focused on sales opimization and project management. What do you feel is important about your role as Sales Operations Manager at Formic? I think it's really easy to think that every customer and every scenario is binary and black and...

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Wednesday, March 16, 2022

How The Metal Fabrication Industry Will Weather The Current Trade Crisis

Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, metal fabrication has been the talk of the town, with stories varying from record high steel prices to monstrous shipping delays and the labor gap. Unfortunately, we’re now entering into another trade crisis during these trying times with Russia. The metal fabrication industry will be affected, but there are some growing trends that may...

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Monday, March 14, 2022

What's Happening in Robotics in 2022

There is a lot of buzz in automation and robotics right now. We are seeing record-breaking investments around the industry, as highlighted by this recent Reuters article and illustrated by the 40,000 robots purchased last year. Having the opportunity to invest in many robotics companies and the joy of leading Formic as CEO, I recently reflected on the state of the industry...

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Tuesday, March 1, 2022

4 Common Automation Myths

Listed out are a few common misconceptions about industrial automation... Automation is expensive This statement requires a bit more context. Yes, automation comes at an overwhelming upfront cost, but today, there are many options and finance models servicing robotic solutions by subscription. The Formic’s offering, for example, delivers a custom solution at no upfront cost. Instead, the robot operates under...

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Tuesday, February 22, 2022

An Introduction to Automation in the Food and Beverage Industry

The food and beverage industry plays a major role in the U.S. economy being the third-largest contributor to the overall U.S. manufacturing GDP as recorded by nist.gov. The USDA states food and beverage manufacturing plants account for 15.8 percent of the value of shipments and 14.7 percent of all employees in the manufacturing sector. On the other hand, unemployment remains...

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Wednesday, February 16, 2022

Exploring the Collaborative Robot

At Formic, we deploy both collaborative and industrial/traditional robotic systems depending on the application requirements. We wanted to take a moment to explore collaborative robot technologies, why they’re valuable, and when they’re most appropriate. What is a collaborative robot? According to A3 Robotics, a collaborative robot, or cobot, is a type of robot that operates in a hybrid working space...

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Friday, January 28, 2022

Steve Olszewski, Facing Our Biggest Challenge

Steve Olszewski, VP of Deployment Steve brings almost 30 years of professional experience to Formic with extensive executive experience spanning both operational and general management roles in Fortune 500 organizations and early stage growth companies. Most notably, Steve served as the COO, and then CEO, of Spruce Finance, a residential solar finance company that deployed, monitored, and maintained over 30,000...

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Tuesday, January 18, 2022

Formic's Series A Raise

This week, we raised $26.5 Million in our Series A financing led by Lux Capital. I’m honored to partner with the Lux team and have Shahin Farschi join me on our board of directors. Lux is one of the leading deep technology investment funds, and has excelled for years at turning “sci-fi into sci-fact”. Lux is joined in this round...

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Friday, January 14, 2022

Mandissa Marshall, The Startup Mentality

Mandissa Marshall, Talent Acquisition Lead You have been a part of Formic for 3 months now, how would you describe your time here so far? It's been a blast coming on board, even unexpecting. I didn't realize how collaborative and team oriented everyone is internally. I've been really blessed to have so many team members on site share so much...

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Monday, December 20, 2021

7 Exciting Trends in Industrial Automation

Innovations in industrial automation are often talked about, but here are a few trends you might not have heard of… 1. Soft Robotics Technology such as soft robotics is a direct solution to many of the limitations in traditional industrial robots. They are called soft robotics because they literally have features such as soft-touch grippers that consist of more elastic...

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Monday, November 22, 2021

Why Do Customers Choose Formic?

Although no two manufacturers are entirely alike, many of them face similar challenges with regards to productivity, output, labor, and capital improvement initiatives. Any manufacturer considering automation thinks through their choice of partner carefully: there is a high cost of failure, and any production hiccup can impact both top line revenue and operational expenses. There are also a broad range...

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Thursday, November 11, 2021

Why the U.S. Needs to Automate Now

The current state of the U.S. labor market speaks for itself. It is estimated that almost 2.1 million jobs in manufacturing could go unfilled by 2030, according to a study by Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute.  New automation technology can help the U.S. bridge this gap, yet it is still very common to walk on to a small to mid-sized...

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Friday, October 22, 2021

Jack Wagler: "Formic is Offering a Service Like Uber"

Jack Wagler, Treasurer and VP of Finance at Formic What is your position, and how involved are you with incoming customer deals?  What we are doing is very unique. When you are offering a new solution like RaaS, you have to have new contracts and new documentation to allow that to happen. A key part of my involvement with the...

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Tuesday, October 19, 2021

The Challenge with Industry 4.0 that No One is Talking About

The Technology Homo sapiens have been alive for slightly over 300,000 years. Incredibly, however, our most powerful technological inventions - the steam engine, mass production and digital technology - have all occurred within the last 250 years, a blink of an eye on the timescale of our existence.  Now, in 2021, we are in the midst of a fourth revolution...

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Friday, October 15, 2021

Kyle Kidwell, An Engineering Perspective on Automation

Kyle Kidwell, an application engineer at Formic. Responsible for evaluating potential automation applications, managing projects, and engaging with customers.  What is your proudest accomplishment working at Formic? I would say my proudest accomplishment doesn’t necessarily have anything to do specifically with individual effort. I would say that as a team we have worked to develop a system that  allows us...

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Monday, October 11, 2021

5 Robotics Companies Revolutionizing the World in 2021 - Part 2

1. SIMBE ROBOTICS  Simbe Robotics is helping brick-and-mortar retail stores optimize their shelves and their profits. “Tally'' is an autonomous robot that tracks inventory to ensure that everything the customer wants is on the shelf. This is a serious problem for regional retailers; according to the IHL group, over 24% of Amazon’s current retail revenue comes from customers who first...

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Friday, October 8, 2021

Saman Farid, The Co-Founder Story

Saman Farid, the CEO and Co-Founder of Formic shares his observations on the current state of U.S. manufacturing and the robotics industry.  In your own words, what is Formic to you? Formic puts robots to work where they can make a difference - in factories that need reliable, cost effective, and capable throughput. How did you come into the robotics...

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Monday, October 4, 2021

5 Robotics Companies Revolutionizing the World in 2021 - Part 1

1. AMP ROBOTICS  Each year, over 139 million tons of American trash is discarded into landfills. Not only are these landfills an eyesore, but they also emit methane gas, leak dangerous chemicals and harm biodiversity. Fortunately, Amp Robotics is using artificial intelligence to solve America’s waste problem. Currently, the U.S. recycles 34.6% of its garbage, far below some nations which...

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Friday, September 17, 2021

Misa Ilkhechi, The Co-Founder Story

Misa Ilkhechi, the Co-Founder and VP of Sales answers some big questions about him and his story with Formic.  In your own words, what is Formic to you? Formic is the first automation solution that guarantees system uptime while lowering the barrier to entry for manufacturers with its flexible pay as you go model. The flexibility and uptime guarantee eliminates...

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Tuesday, September 14, 2021

How Robots Can Solve the Labor Crisis in Manufacturing

Although manufacturing’s share of employment in the U.S. has dropped from 33% in 1947 to under 8% in 2019, it is currently the manufacturers who are desperately searching for workers and not the other way around. In fact, according to a study performed by the Workforce Institute at UKG, 54% of U.S. manufacturing firms reported extreme difficulty in hiring and...

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Tuesday, September 7, 2021

The Most Common Tasks of Automation

When questioning whether or not automation is a necessity, the easiest answer is to provide clear examples of how it is the most useful and essential tool. In today’s world, many manufacturers still depend heavily on the working hands of people, even if these tasks may be dangerous or extremely repetitive. Most of these tasks are difficult to hire because...

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Thursday, August 5, 2021

Building and Financing Automation, versus Robotics-as-a-Service ("RaaS") - Which is Right For You?

Building and Financing Automation, versus Robotics-as-a-Service ("RaaS") Automation is practically a requirement for any manufacturing business that expects to compete today. An established company that wants to get automation typically has to pay with cash, take out a loan (e.g. from a bank), or get specific equipment financing to purchase the equipment.  This CAPEX equipment purchase uses money that the...

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Friday, July 23, 2021

Getting Started With Robotic Automation: 9 Questions To Ask

The pervasive feeling in the manufacturing space is, when you need something automated, you need to go out and buy a robot. However, before putting up a huge amount of capital on a new system, manufacturers need to ask themselves: Do I have the right system for the job? Am I getting this system at the best possible price? Do...

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Tuesday, June 22, 2021

Why Some Smaller Manufacturers Never Get Started With Automation

If automation was as simple as getting a loan, buying the system, and making more money, every business in the country would be automated. Unfortunately, there are some large roadblocks standing between small businesses and complete optimization of their production lines. Too Many Options The “too many options” paralysis applies to not only the equipment specifications (which vendor to use...

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Friday, June 11, 2021

What Does the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act Mean for U.S. Manufacturers?

On Tuesday, the Senate passed the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, a bipartisan bill that aims to spend $250 billion on scientific research and development to bolster competitiveness against China. It has not yet passed the House. The bipartisan support for this bill reflects the sense of urgency policymakers feel with regards countering the substantial investments China has made into...

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Thursday, May 27, 2021

Why is Robotics-as-a-Service So Important Right Now?

This Q&A with Misa and I was originally featured on RoboticsTomorrow.com, you can read the original article here. What is Formic, and who are the co-founders? Formic is a robotics-as-a-service company that is fundamentally changing the way industrial robotics are scoped and deployed. We handle all of the logistics of an automation deployment, from scoping and customization to installation and maintenance....

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Tuesday, May 11, 2021

Robots Gone Wrong, Volume 1

Robotic automation has the potential to produce incredible returns for facilities who choose to deploy, but it can also be quite the resource drain when applications do not work out as planned.  Sometimes these issues are easily fixed with basic troubleshooting or reprogramming, other times this downtime can wreak havoc on production processes and cause critical problems for manufacturers. Issues...

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Wednesday, April 28, 2021

How is Formic Different from other Robot-as-a-Service Companies?

Robotics-as-a-service is a hot and growing space, and continues to rise in popularity due to its flexibility, scalability, and low barrier to entry. In fact, ABI Research predicts that there will be 1.3 million installations of RaaS by 2026. This is quite a significant number when you consider that there are only approximately 2.7 million robots at work in factories...

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Monday, April 26, 2021

Which is a Better Deal - Buying or Renting Robots By-The-Hour?

Should Manufacturers Buy Robots or Use Robots-as-a-Service We're often asked by manufacturers whether buying their own automation saves them money in comparison with Formic's "Full-Service Automation" model. The answer is: it depends. In some situations buying makes more sense, and others where Formic's usage-based pricing is better. To help our customers with this comparison, we've put together a framework for...

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Tuesday, April 13, 2021

What is "Robotics-as-a-Service," and How Is It Different From the Traditional Approach?

First, what are “as-a-service” models, and why are they gaining popularity? “As-a-service” models are defined by a good or service being made available “as needed” (this could be monthly pricing or usage based pricing). Upfront costs are usually negligible or non-existent. Contract lengths are flexible, allowing users to take advantage of the good or service only as they need it. The...

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Wednesday, April 7, 2021

Manufacturing CFO Challenges with Automation - Part 2

Recently we published a blog discussing automation for manufacturing CFOs.  We have received some questions on that post and so this is a follow up to that original post to answer those questions. Question:  Should I be concerned if I install Formic’s automation solution that my manufacturing process could be negatively impacted if Formic’s machines break? Answer: Although there is...

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Thursday, April 1, 2021

Manufacturing CFO Challenges with Automation - Part 1

The job of a CFO has grown and evolved over the years. Many CFOs now have responsibilities that go beyond the traditional role of accounting and financial statements—to risk management, financial planning and analysis, expense reduction, treasury, human resources, mergers and acquisitions, technology, legal, etc. For CFOs at manufacturing companies, supporting and growing their business, often with a finite budget,...

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Friday, March 26, 2021

What Types of Tasks Are Good For Automation?

There’s enough buzz around robotic automation in recent years that most manufacturers have at least tossed around the idea of whether it’s right for them. If the idea of growing your bottom line while improving processes and reducing costs excites you, then it’s certainly worth consideration. However, not all tasks can be automated or would benefit from automation.  Once a...

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Friday, March 12, 2021

You Build Things, We Can Help

This nation was founded on the defiant idea that there’s nothing we can’t do. When we don’t see a solution, we roll up our sleeves and make one. A legacy we are proud to live up to. Every day, business is built by hand; reliable hands that don’t know the meaning of the word stop. Hands that do what they’ve always...

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