Top

Navigation

Author Archive | Concept Systems

Concept Systems honored as a Small Business Supplier by Bechtel

By on in Concept in the news, News & Events
Concept Systems Panel team

Concept Systems’ Panel shop team.

Albany, Ore. (May 3, 2016) – Bechtel Group, the largest construction company in the United States, recently recognized 35 companies with its 2015 Small Business Supplier Award for outstanding contribution and commitment. Concept Systems is proud to be among those honored for technical ability and workmanship, as well as knowledge and responsiveness.

Companies were evaluated on overall performance, delivering quality services on time, working collaboratively to reach milestones, and meeting or exceeding project expectations relative to safety, construction, performance, technical expertise, and environmental compliance.

Concept received high praise from Sunnie Scott, a senior expeditor with Bechtel who said, “I’m always impressed with the knowledge, responsiveness and patience your team demonstrates time after time in getting purchase orders executed, documentation submitted, and panels fabricated in a timely manner.”

Hundreds of candidates were considered, and Concept expressed its understanding of the significance of the Small Business Supplier Award. “Bechtel is a leading vendor for both the public and private sectors and works with literally thousands of companies throughout the year,” said Michael Gurney, Concept’s CEO. “Our team takes pride in meeting high standards for quality and exceeding client’s expectations. Their performance helped us garner this recognition.” Continue Reading →

Collision Avoidance Moves into More Dynamic Automation Environments

By on in Concept in the news, News & Events

Manufacturing environments are busy places with multiple machines, bustling workers and numerous machine-human interactions. Avoiding collisions between robots and humans is a high priority. Some solutions require a multilayered approach, integrating a variety of technologies, to create a reliable system. As more manufacturers add robots, there’s an increased interest in ensuring they work safely with each other and with humans.

Manufacturers that deploy robotic painters, such as the one shown here, can use a multilayered approach that integrates a variety of technologies to create a system that reliably reduces the risks of collisions. Courtesy of FANUC.

Manufacturers that deploy robotic painters, such as the one shown here, can use a multilayered approach that integrates a variety of technologies to create a system that reliably reduces the risks of collisions. Courtesy of FANUC.

Leveraging techniques from stacker cranes
Companies that increase their use of robotic automation can learn from collision avoidance techniques used with cranes, which received early attention because a collision with equipment in the work environment or the component itself was unacceptable. This posed a serious safety hazard that could cost thousands of dollars in lost production time and rework or scrap. By using 3D vision and industrial computers, collisions are now largely avoidable.
As technologies advance, dramatic system improvements are possible. That was the case with Boeing, which found its floor-based registration system for painting planes no longer provided the accuracy it needed. As a long-time partner to Boeing, Concept Systems Inc. stepped in to assist the aircraft manufacturer in addressing this issue by deploying a new collision avoidance system.

A key component of the new system adopted by Boeing in one of its paint hangers was the proximity query package (PQP), which can detect imminent collisions between two computer-generated objects. Information about the exact size and shape of the plane is exported from Boeing’s design software and then rendered as a 3D graphic in OpenGL, a widely accepted open graphics standard. It similarly renders the stacker platforms for validation and troubleshooting the system. Continue Reading →

WEBCAST: Linking Controls to the Enterprise in the Internet of Things Era

By on in Blog, News & Events

Join David McKay and Andy Robinson for this free, one-hour educational Webcast hosted Automation World. Thursday, February 18, 2016, at 1pm US Central. Register Now!

Andy Robinson Information Solutions Consultant Avid Solutions

Andy Robinson
Information Solutions Consultant
Avid Solutions

David McKay President Wave7

David McKay
President
Wave7

The idea of connecting control systems to enterprise systems has been widely discussed for more than two decades, with significant momentum building up recently for company-wide rollouts of such linkages. But just as these shop-floor-to-top-floor connections were getting underway in significant numbers, the Internet of Things emerged on the scene and has been garnering the lion’s share of industry attention. Continue Reading →

Concept Systems receives 2016 System Integrator of Year award

By on in Blog, Concept in the news, News & Events

SIYlogo_2016Concept Systems received the 2016 System Integrator of the Year from CFE Media for its accomplishments in developing and installing complex manufacturing automation solutions for companies across a wide range of industries. The award was announced today and was presented at the Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute in Chicago last month.

“We view the 2016 System Integrator of the Year award as a testament to our 80 employees who use state-of-the-art automation technologies to solve manufacturing problems,” said Michael Gurney, Concept Systems’ CEO.

Given annually by CFE Media, the award recognizes business skills, technical competence, and customer satisfaction. Winners are inducted into the System Integrator Hall of Fame. This is the second time Concept has won the award; the first was in 2007. Only two other companies were honored with the award this year.

“Concept Systems’ submission is the best I have seen in all the years of judging this competition,” said Don Roberts, principal at Exotec, LLC. “I am certain it is a good reflection of how they serve their customers.” Continue Reading →

Concept Systems named Rockwell Automation Machinery Safety Solution Partner

By on in Blog, Concept in the news, News & Events

Microsoft Word - Unofficial Safety Logo[1].docxAlbany, Ore. (Nov. 30, 2015) – Concept Systems, a Rockwell Automation Solution Partner company specializing in manufacturing automation, vision and robotic solutions, and machinery safety, announced that it has demonstrated the requisite expertise and experience to become a Rockwell Automation Machinery Safety Solution Partner. This designation is reserved for an elite group of systems integrators that pass a thorough assessment of their safety application expertise, experience and capabilities, and show a long-term commitment to maintaining excellence in machinery safety applications. All Solution Partners, as part of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork program, have committed to an active, extensive relationship with Rockwell Automation to provide the most productive and cost-effective automation solutions for their customers.

“We are very happy to add Concept Systems as a Machinery Safety Solution Partner,” said Mark Eitzman, manager of safety market development at Rockwell Automation. “The company’s technical expertise and experience has shown that they are capable of delivering systems that improve both safety and productivity, making them a good fit in our program.” Continue Reading →

Concept Systems Celebrates 15 Years!

By on in Blog
The Concept team before the Team Building Regatta. Front Row (from right to left) Donovan Moore, Ed Diehl, Daniel Miller, Kelsea Fowler, Terry Kingry, Kyle Butler, Bob O’Brien, Brent Rutter Second Row: Cory Tomford, Eli Girod, Abram Smith, Jim Erickson, Mark Seymour, Seth Drebick, Ron Schiedler, Jenny Johnston, Jack Gourley, Patrick Cross Third Row: Craig Hartwick, Michael Lindley, Michael Gurney, Joan Rose, Michelle Johnston, Jerry Buthmann, Sey Roomiany, Kristyne Smith, Bob Zapalski, ? Anthony Johnson, Zach Hibberd, Jerry Flynn, Mike Dodds, Tracy Brandt, Maria Zaharko Last row: Goktug Dazkir, Justin Richter, Ben Burton, Megan VanDelinder Sergei Furduy, Scott VanDelinder, Jim Ford, Keith Marler, Doug Taylor, Brian Edwards, David Skidmore, Shun Yamamoto, J.J. Arthur, Michael Maas, LaVonne Walters, Tyler Parmelee, Steve Karter, Chandler Gehlhausen, Chad McDowell, Brian Foster

The Concept team before Front Row (from right to left) Donovan Moore, Ed Diehl, Daniel Miller, Kelsea Fowler, Terry Kingry, Kyle Butler, Bob O’Brien, Brent Rutter
Second Row: Cory Tomford, Eli Girod, Abram Smith, Jim Erickson, Mark Seymour, Seth Drebick, Ron Schiedler, Jenny Johnston, Jack Gourley, Patrick Cross
Third Row: Craig Hartwick, Michael Lindley, Michael Gurney, Joan Rose, Michelle Johnston, Jerry Buthmann, Sey Roomiany, Kristyne Smith, Bob Zapalski, ? Anthony Johnson, Zach Hibberd, Jerry Flynn, Mike Dodds, Tracy Brandt, Maria Zaharko
Last row: Goktug Dazkir, Justin Richter, Ben Burton, Megan VanDelinder Sergei Furduy, Scott VanDelinder, Jim Ford, Keith Marler, Doug Taylor, Brian Edwards, David Skidmore, Shun Yamamoto, J.J. Arthur, Michael Maas, LaVonne Walters, Tyler Parmelee, Steve Karter, Chandler Gehlhausen, Chad McDowell, Brian Foster

“Only one in four start-ups make it to 15 years,” noted Ed Diehl, our president and co-founder. That’s reason to celebrate. So, we did! Concept Systems’ employees and their families spent a weekend in Sunriver–team building, white water rafting, horseback riding, kayaking, biking, and enjoying great food, s’mores, dancing, and a band. What memories we created!

A much anticipated activity was our Team Building Regatta, which challenged us to build boats and sail them. Our team building guides divided us into random teams, so we worked with people we often don’t interact with on the job. Each team received cardboard, duct tape, and a plastic bag. Then, a whole lot of creativity ensued. Continue Reading →