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The new certified Robotic Integrator Program offers accreditation to integrators to help benchmark their companies in the industry.
The Robotic Industries Association's (RIA) announces that JR Automation, Motion Controls Robotics, Tennessee Rand, and Wolf Robotics are the first four companies to have completed the newly Certified Robotic Integrator program announced in late January of this year.
“We are very excited to announce this first group of Certified Robotic Integrators,” says Jeff Burnstein, President of RIA. “In order to become certified, integrators go through a rigorous process which includes an on-site audit, safety training and hands-on testing of key personnel among other important criteria. Based on feedback from the industry, we believe that achieving certification will be valuable to integrators looking to showcase their capabilities and experience to users and suppliers alike.
Back in January, Jeff Burnstein told AW that "the RIA heard about some system integrators (SIs) losing bids based
on price to other vendors that were not as qualified and then the low-cost integrator didn't do the job correctly. Eventually, the manufacturer went with the more qualified integrator to fix the (first) integration problems. And that's a big reason for the certification."
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Scott Lang, president, Motion Controls Robotics—one of the first four companies certified—says, “At times it can be difficult to convey to a potential customer the depth of experience and qualifications of our organization. Achieving Certified Integrator status from RIA demonstrates our expertise and allows our customers to make a more informed supplier selection based on the findings of an independent third party."
The certification program does not guarantee a robot will work everywhere, but focuses on system integrators being able to benchmark their companies against other SIs. The certification offers a certification logo, feature listings of certified integrators on the RIA site and establishing leadership and visibility in the robotics community.
Burnstein also says several other integrators are in the process of becoming certified, with three already slated for audits in the next several weeks. Each certified integrator will need to be recertified every two years. Detailed information on the certification program and the certified robot integrators can be found on a special section of Robotics Online.
The (certification) process is very extensive and requires integrators to demonstrate that specific areas of capabilities and experience are present and ever-improving. Meaningful certification criteria will assist users in selecting a dependable, experienced and capable integrator to insure a successful robotic integration of their projects,” says Darren Pape, operations manager, Wolf Robotics.
Integrators interested in becoming certified also can contact Jeff Burnstein at 734/994-6088.
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