Applied Motion Systems, Inc.

We are fortunate to have a stellar team of interns working this summer here at AMS.    Our goal with our intern program is to provide interns with hands on experience in the context of a variety of engineering and shop tasks that can help inform and influence their academic trajectory going forward. At the same time, we get a firsthand look at potential future employees with a much better understanding of their strengths, weaknesses, and values.   This endeavor also presents some of our own recent engineering hires with the opportunity to see what it is like to manage an internal AMS project and determine best fit for each of the interns as they accomplish a variety of engineering and R&D projects that have been formulated for just this kind of engagement. AMS Engineer Kinsale Sproule is mentoring Ryan Roth who is majoring in Mechanical Engineering at Cal Poly, Nicholas James who is majoring in Mechanical Engineering from OIT, and James Hunter who is double majoring in Physics (Biola) and Mechanical Engineering (OSU) in a drive system upgrade and CNC retrofit on a Butler Planer Mill with a machining envelope of 20ft x 6ft x 6ft deploying a Siemens Sinumerik ONE control. AMS Engineer Daniel Berven is mentoring Joshua Harrison a Computer Science major from Tufts University and Mason Richardson a recent graduate from WSU Vancouver in Mechanical Engineering on a number of projects - most notably a gantry glue spray application system as well as an AI enabled stereo-optic vision system used to guide robotic destacking of randomly oriented recycling bags. AMS team lead Garrett Nackerud is mentoring Isaiah Norwood who is on a vocational track at Cascadia Tech Academy assisting in the assembly of a series of "Servo Cappers" that will put plastic caps into the ends of rolls of commercial paper towel at 45 rolls a minute. No end of opportunities for these budding engineers and technicians to find joy in problem solving, creating solutions, and seeing their projects take shape working as a team within a rapid timeframe. We look forward to seeing more of them in the years to come!

When customers are acquired by new owners, it can create opportunities for new business or result in changes based on the new owners' preferences for control systems that can leave you in the dark.   Recently, we revisited a motion control system we implemented in 2000 at a former Trus-Joist plant. This plant was sold to a private equity firm that immediately ceased communication with us. We were unsure if they had replaced our system or made other changes. More recently, the plant was acquired by a privately-owned company, and we received an invitation to come for a visit.   Here is a photo of the cabinet as it stands today – still producing I-Joists! With the original controller (stand-alone Delta Tau PMAC VME) and drives (UniDrive 2403 Classics) still functioning as designed.  These components are no longer available and replacement parts are typically found only on eBay. We found a photo of the same cabinet from our shop back in 2000, and remarkably, there are almost no apparent changes!   This system operates a servo positioned 2000 lb flying saw in addition to a pair of flange drive rolls and a pull-out roll each of which is powered by a 15HP ACVector motor and drivetrain making I-Joists to 450 FPM. We are amazed at how clean and undisturbed the cabinet looks after 24 years of reliable production.   We now do flying saw systems like this to 1000 fpm and this one will be upgraded in the coming months to bring it up to modern standards using readily available components. We don’t know what depreciation schedule companies use for equipment like this . . . but this motion control panel doesn't owe anyone anything!!!

We had the IF Robotics team in for a visit and it was a lot of fun seeing the creative problem solving they embarked upon to create an award winning robot for their school’s First Robotics club. I think we have a few future AMS engineers coming up through the ranks . . . 🎉 🎉 🎉

It has been a very busy past several weeks in our panel shop in support of a number of AMS machine builds plus retrofits and new applications for our customers. Walking through the shop today it was fun to take photos of a dozen different panels that have gone together and are ready for test / integration into their forever homes! These represent the breadth of our team's competence with a range of technology platforms including: Siemens, Rockwell, Bosch, ABB, and Mitsubishi drive technologies as well as FANUC robotics, and Asyril part orientation, Keyence vision, and Videojet part marking systems. A lot of talent under one roof here at AMS!

Looking for that next PM who finds joy in helping project teams become more efficient and well organized . . .

Behind every good motion system - is a high quality control cabinet!