Assembly - December 2008 - (Page 12) Assembly Lines Inventions New facilities Mergers The Robotics Industries Association (RIA) has awarded its Engelberger leadership and education awards to Dr. Jin Oh Kim of South Korea’s Kwangwoon University (left) and Dr. Hendrik Van Brussel of Belgium’s Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (center). At right is RIA executive vice president Jeffrey Burnstein. RIA Presents 2008 Engelberger Awards ANN ARBOR, MI—The Robotics Industries Association (RIA) recently honored a pair of industry veterans with its Engelberger Robotics Awards as part of the 39th International Symposium on Robotics in Seoul, South Korea. Dr. Jin Oh Kim of South Korea’s Kwangwoon University was recognized under the award’s leadership category for more than two decades in the field, including a stint as principal engineer of robot research and development at Samsung Electronics in the 1990s. Dr. Hendrik Van Brussel of Belgium’s Katholieke Universiteit Leuven received the Engelberger award for education, in recognition of nearly four decades of work as a researcher and teacher. In this capacity he has been involved in a wide range of application areas, including force feedback, vision-assisted tracking, and the design and control of multi-fingered end effectors. “This year’s winners are outstanding role models for everyone who wishes to pursue robotics as a career,” says RIA executive vice president Jeffrey Burnstein. “They have dedicated themselves to advancing the science of robotics technology as well as helping spread the use of robotics throughout industry and into new nonindustrial application areas.” Named after Joseph F. Engelberger, widely regarded as the “father of robotics,” the award has been presented to 107 industry professions from 16 countries since its creation in 1977. For more on the award or to submit a nomination for next year’s award, visit www.robotics.org. 12 ASSEMBLY / December 2008 www.assemblymag.com IBM High-End Server Plant in Poughkeepsie, NY, at a ceremony attended by approximately 500 people. Company officials reNAGOYA, Japan—Toyota Mo- ceived an engraved crystal award tor Corp. plans to begin exporting and a commemorative banner. “IBM is honored to receive this Indiana-made Sequoia sport utility vehicles and Texas-made Tun- award,” says plant manager Jim dra pickup trucks to the Middle King. “IBM Poughkeepsie has a East and South America later this strong heritage and tradition, and adapts to new requirements while month. achieving high performance standards. Most importantly, our employees take pride in their workmanship, producing systems that represent the flagship of IBM Corp.” ASSEMBLY magazine selected the Poughkeepsie facility because of the way it has combined lean and green Toyota is beginning to export U.S.-made manufacturing initiatives to pickup trucks and SUVs to the Middle stay competitive in today’s East and South America in response to global economy. The factory weakening demand in North America. assembles some of the most The moves come as part of a powerful computers in the world— companywide effort to reorganize complex servers, mainframes global production and supply in- and supercomputers that are used frastructure in response to soften- to process vast amounts of data. ASSEMBLY profiled the people, ing demand in North America. The company expects to export approximately 15,000 Sequoia vehicles to the Middle East and some 1,100 pickups and SUVs to South America annually. Toyota to Export U.S.-made SUVs, Pickups IBM Receives Plant of the Year Award BENSENVILLE, IL—ASSEMBLY magazine recently presented its 2008 Assembly Plant of the Year award to the ASSEMBLY magazine recently honored IBM’s High-End Server Plant in Poughkeepsie, NY, as its 2008 Plant of the Year. Pictured (from left) are ASSEMBLY publisher Tom Esposito, IBM plant manager Jim King and ASSEMBLY senior editor Austin Weber. http://www.robotics.org http://www.assemblymag.com
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