Airgas Great Lakes opened an Automation Center in Grand Rapids, Mich., with an educational event designed to help end-users to increase the productivity and lower the costs of their manufacturing processes. The center was developed in partnership with Retro Systems, Hypertherm, Motoman, and Miller Electric, and is said to demonstrate the Airgas commitment to bringing automated welding and cutting solutions to its customers.

Airgas Great Lakes serves customers through over 60 locations in Michigan, Ohio, western Pennsylvania, and northern Indiana.

Its new center is designed as a commercial center with an educational purpose. “We developed this Automation Center based on our belief that the long-term health of American industrial production is going to require increased levels of automation,” explained automation specialist David Clubb. “The companies that we serve need to work smarter in order to compete in a global economy where low-cost production is the norm. Our goal is to educate our customers about the latest technology and help them increase their productivity and lower their costs.”

The Airgas Automation Center will be used for educational events with increasing frequency, and it is open by appointment for customer visits anytime.

The new location — adjoining an Airgas retail store on 28th Street in Grand Rapids — is outfitted with recent developments in automation equipment, including a Retro Systems Hornet HD dual-side drive cutting machine, equipped with a Hypertherm HyPerformance HPR260XD^® plasma system; and a robotic welding cell with a Motoman Arc World II 100.

“In the past, adding automation to a manufacturing process did have a negative connotation,” observed Retro Systems’ Al Holst. “However, today I think we can all agree that our industries must use automation to ensure they are globally competitive,” says Al Holst of Retro Systems.

Reese Madden of Hypertherm adds that, “With the right automated equipment, we can help improve companies’ cost structures, make them more profitable, and put them in a position to grow — and that means hiring more workers.”

The Airgas Automation Center is designed with demonstrations in mind. It will accommodate groups of varying sizes, making it useful for one-on-one discussions with production engineers, as well as technology education sessions for student groups.

“It really is about education,” according Clubb. “Of course, we wouldn’t have made this investment if we didn’t think we could use it to help sell equipment. But, any sale should start with education by helping the customer understand his options and make a decision that fits his needs.”