Aaron Williams of KCF Technologies, pictured right, demonstrates IoT monitoring of bearings vibration data at the Manufacturing Industry Day event at the Digital Foundry at New Kensington. KCF Technologies is one of the Digital Foundry's newest Technology Partners.
NEW KENSINGTON, Pa. — The Digital Foundry at New Kensington, an initiative of Penn State New Kensington and the Economic Growth Connection of Westmoreland, has announced the addition of 3 new Technology Partners: ARIN Technologies, KCF Technologies and TRAK Machine Tools – Southwestern Industries Inc.
The additions join the six prior Technology Partners at the Digital Foundry, including Siemens, Advanced Controls and Distribution (ACD), Banner Engineering, Canary Labs, Ectobox and Premier Automation. Each partner has committed to creating value for today's and tomorrow’s manufacturing and industry success, along with supporting the Digital Foundry’s mission to offer future members, guests and students access to innovative technologies and educational opportunities while improving lives and strengthening businesses in the local area.
“We are excited to add our three newest supporters to our Technology Partners roster at the Digital Foundry at New Kensington,” stated Sherri McCleary, executive director. “Each partner brings their own unique expertise in the smart manufacturing field, but also the commitment to see current and future workforce and industry thrive. It’s that commitment that helps make our collective missions and visions converge so that we can make a difference in the lives of individuals and businesses now and in the future.”
ARIN Technologies
With the Digital Foundry’s focus on assisting small to mid-size manufacturing companies in the region, the new partnership with ARIN Technologies is a perfect fit.
“We are very excited to help educate local manufacturers on ways to improve their productivity and safety, making them more competitive globally,” said Vivek Kulkarni, CEO of Arin Technologies.
According to Kulkarni, companies are dealing with a shortage of skilled labor, and solutions from ARIN Tech help manufacturing and distribution customers retain talent by providing a safe and productive environment for their workers. This aids our customers with increased morale and translates into longer tenures for existing workers, as well as increased profitability and reduction in costs since the implementation of our products.
The new partnership with the Digital Foundry will help educate workers and companies on safer equipment protocols through ARINAlert and effective tracking of high-value assets and equipment through ARINTrack.
KCF Technologies
Since its initial establishment in 2000, KCF Technologies has worked to enrich lives and businesses with technology, services and hardware with the goal of implementing digital technologies to create sustainable futures through the elimination of waste, as well as assisting in the industry skills gap and workforce shortages.
“The unprecedented number of skilled labor retiring, the labor shortage and increased demand for output in the industry have reaffirmed the importance of contributing to society, finding manufacturing efficiencies and saving money to reduce operating costs,” explained Sean Buda, vice president of marketing at KCF.
By working with the Digital Foundry, the company, which was founded by three researchers at Penn State, hopes to empower local individuals and businesses through sharing their technology and industry knowledge to show the benefits of data-driven analytics that can assist decision-making processes related to machine health and other operations.
“KCF is proud to be a partner of the Digital Foundry and recognizes the importance of supporting both local and global economic health,” said Buda. “This partnership helps achieve this by making cutting-edge technology accessible. The results deliver a strong economic impact and increased competitiveness in the industry.”
TRAK Machine Tools – Southwestern Industries, Inc.
“With our participation in the Digital Foundry, we expect to collaborate with regional professionals in creating solutions to the challenges faced by our industry,” said Patrick Kalscheuer, marketing and communications manager at TRAK Machine Tools. “TRAK’s long history as a resource for vocational training and development means we are tightly aligned with the goals of the Digital Foundry.”
TRAK has been providing metal-working professionals with innovative products and technology since the 1960s, with a mission to help their clients thrive in an Industry 4.0 environment.
“We look forward to sharing our expertise so that we can help build a workforce able to rise to the needs of today and be capable of utilizing emerging technologies,” added Kalscheuer, whose company will provide access to products and technologies at the Digital Foundry so that current and future workforce members can develop the necessary skills to handle the unique challenges and situations in the manufacturing field.
About The Digital Foundry at New Kensington
The Digital Foundry at New Kensington, located at 855 Fifth Avenue in New Kensington, Pennsylvania, is a 15,044-square-foot innovation and manufacturing lab space aimed at building future-ready awareness and skill sets for the manufacturing industry, K-16 education sector, current and future workforce and community members in Southwestern Pennsylvania.
The lab, which is one of the country’s seven Smart Manufacturing Innovation Centers, received $5.5 million in funding from the Richard King Mellon Foundation, as well as a $1 million matching gift from Penn State through the Economic Development Matching Program, an initiative of “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence.”
A collaborative effort between Penn State New Kensington and the Economic Growth Connection of Westmoreland, the foundry’s mission is to drive the growth of ideas, learning and problem solving through application of digital technologies. Stay up-to-date with the Digital Foundry at DigitalFoundryNK.com.
