HENDERSON (KTNV) — Assembly lines have come a long way since the production of the Ford Model T. Now a company in Henderson is looking to write the next chapter in automation. 13 Action News Anchor Todd Quinones shows you the amazing engineering at work in this edition of Nevada Built.
RS AUTOMATION
"So we're going to go in here and look at the way we automatically manufacture facial masks," says Tony Wright, CEO of RS Automation USA.
Speed, efficiency and quality. That is the focus for RS Automation. Wright gave me a tour of his demo facility in Henderson. They essentially are building the brains for any type of automation.
"This is kind of the heart of what you guys are about," says Todd.
"This is what we do. This stuff controls the motors. Very fine-tuned motors," says Wright.
USEFUL BYPRODUCT
This automation line is built to show off what they can do, and it has a useful byproduct.
"This is the final version. It comes through. It flips over. As you can see, it's got no ear band at the moment. This machine puts the band on," says Wright.
The finished product, K-N95 masks.
"So this whole process, how long does it take to make a mask?" asks Todd.
"Like I say, we do 70 masks per minute," says Wright.
RS Automation is a Korean company that is developing technology that has all kinds of applications.
USED IN EVERYTHING
"We are producing OLED TVs for LG. We're doing work for Samsung... So our equipment is used in everything from car manufacturing to beer making," says Wright.
In December Wright set up shop in Henderson with the goal of providing high-tech solutions to manufacturing problems and challenges. He is looking to hire more than a dozen engineering design employees while also helping to diversify our local economy.
LOW COST
"So we're not doing gambling. We're not doing gambling machines. We're not doing service industry stuff. We're truly a high-tech company... I'm hoping that more and more manufacturers will move into Henderson and Nevada and will utilize our products and open to manufacturing their products," says Wright.
It's all at a lower cost than you might expect.
"So these small companies that thought this kind of automation, that technology was out of bounds for them, not so much anymore," says Todd.
"No, I mean, it's in the reaches of the small and medium manufacturers... 20 years ago only big manufacturing companies could automate. Put robots in their plants. A unit like that 20 years ago would probably cost about $10,000. That would just be for the hardware. The unit now is about $400," says Wright.
The brains of automation, and it's Nevada Built.
