As part of the mission of FIRST, the Infinity Robotechs always jump at the chance to interact with local engineers in our area, so when Kaier Engineering invited us to their Lawrence, PA facility in late May, we quickly made arrangements.
At their office, the fine gentlemen who run the business explained to us their industry. Engineering Manager Brian Wilcox told us that Kaier specializes in making unique, one-of-a-kind machines to perform work in industrial plants and factories. Though they are a local company, Kaier has worked with local, national, and international companies. They have made machines for businesses ranging from locally headquartered Kennametal, to Chicago-based Stericycle, to Roland Murten AG, a Swiss pretzel baking corporation. We then moved to their garage, where the staff demonstrated some of the products Kaier creates. The largest contraption was a machine built for Stericycle. Sealed hazardous waste containers found in doctors offices are inserted into the machine, and a variety of unique robotics components remove each lid, dump the waste, and wash the containers to prepare them for reuse. They also showed us a machine made to automatically sand the handles of paint brushes. We are gracious for Kaier Engineering for inviting us to their facility and allowing us to continue to connect with the local engineering community! |