John Fearing, our Senior Field Technician, has completed the startup of an AGT400 at Grand Steel Products located in Wixom, MI.  This gauge, located on a 72” Loopco Slitter, will be used to measure various steel alloys with a thickness range of .010 to .195”.  It is Grand Steel’s first AGT400.

Worthington Armstrong Venture (WAVE) has placed an order for our recently introduced AGT600 Compact “Plug & Play” Laser Thickness Gauge.  This new gauge will be shipping to WAVE’s facility in North Las Vegas, NV.  It will be located on a Hot Dipped Galvanized Coating line and will measure structural steel with a thickness range of .009” to .030”.

The AGT600 provides continuous real-time thickness measurement using high performance Keyence laser sensors.  It’s rugged design and small footprint make it a perfect fit for narrow width processing applications where space is limited.  It is material insensitive and can measure any material produced in strip, coil or sheet form up to .250” thick.

Delaco Steel (Dearborn, MI), has ordered a new AGT400 to upgrade an obsolete GR200 thickness gauge.  This system will be used to measure various steel alloys on a 72” Pro-Eco Slitting Line.  Shipment is scheduled for early May 2017.

Heidtman Steel has ordered a new AGT400 thickness gauge to upgrade an obsolete GR200 located at their Butler, IN plant.  The upgrade will include all new electronics and A.G.T.’s proprietary thickness measurement and S.P.C. reporting software.  This gauge, currently located on their BUS 1 60” Pro-Eco slitter, will be used to process steel with a thickness range of .050” to .250”.  Shipment is scheduled for December 21, 2016.

Steve Venters and Derrick Baker recently visited the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) at McCormick Center in Chicago.  The purpose of the visit was threefold:

1) See firsthand the new technologies and innovative manufacturing solutions being offered by show exhibitors; 2) Connect with current and possible new vendors; and 3) Investigate joint opportunities with show attendees.

During our visit we were able to observe everything from robotics to process automation, new ERP software to 3-D printing, precision laser cutting to material handling systems.  It is always fascinating to see the advances being made in manufacturing technology from year to year and the 2016 IMTS show was no exception.