Adept Technology Selected to Provide Robots and Vision Guidance for Automated Fuel Cell Assembly System.Business Editors/High-Tech Writers LIVERMORE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 15, 2004 Asia Pacific Fuel Cell and Lights Out Factory Automation Select Adept Products to Maximize Yields and Product Quality Adept Technology, Inc. (OTCBB OTCBB See OTC Bulletin Board (OTCBB). :ADTK), a leading manufacturer of flexible automation for the automotive, electronics, telecommunications, medical device and life sciences, semiconductor, and fiber optic industries, today announced that Lights Out Factory Automation, of Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. , California, has standardized on Adept robots, vision systems and motion controls for fully automating a fuel cell assembly system developed for Asia Pacific Fuel Cell Technologies, Inc. Lights Out Factory Automation has selected the AdeptSix(TM) 6-axis robot, AdeptVision sAVI(TM) Guidance option, Adept SmartModules(TM), and Adept Servo An electromechanical device that uses feedback to provide precise starts and stops for such functions as the motors on a tape drive or the moving of an access arm on a disk. (TM) kits for Asia Pacific's system. The system will be controlled by a single Adept SmartController(TM) which tightly synchronizes the multiple robots, vision feedback and digital I/O (Input/Output) The transfer of data between the CPU and a peripheral device. Every transfer is an output from one device and an input to another. See PC input/output. I/O - Input/Output using the Adept V+(TM) real-time multi-tasking operating system operating system (OS) Software that controls the operation of a computer, directs the input and output of data, keeps track of files, and controls the processing of computer programs. , to maximize manufacturing yields and product quality. "Often the commercial success of a new technology hinges upon the development of cost-effective manufacturing processes," said John Dulchinos, vice president of sales for Adept Technology, Inc. "We are very excited about Adept's products being selected by Lights Out Factory Automation and Asia Pacific Fuel Cell for integration into their manufacturing platform for the emerging fuel cell market." "We work in partnership with a wide range of technology customers with very individual requirements unique to their industry and products, and deliver some of the most sophisticated automation solutions available," said Duane Davis, president of Lights Out Factory Automation, Inc. "This cutting edge fuel cell application required cost-effective and reliable -- yet flexible and high performance -- automation components, and Adept's products, expertise and service were the ideal fit to help us achieve our customer's agressive manufacturing goals." "One of the major challenges of commercialization of fuel cells is the high production cost. Automation in fuel cell stack fabrication fabrication (fab´rikā´sh  n),n the construction or making of a restoration. will significantly minimize this concern and help in fuel cell early commercialization. Additionally, of equal importance, production automation will result in a higher precision product with increased reliability, uniformity and performance," said Jefferson Yang, chairman of Asia Pacific Fuel Cell Technologies, Ltd. The assembly system for Asia Pacific Fuel Cell will use the AdeptSix(TM) 600 robot to transfer parts between incoming feeders, and assembly and test stations. The Adept SmartModules(TM) position the dispensing heads while Adept Servo(TM) kits precisely control bead application. The AdeptVision sAVI(TM) Guidance machine vision option is essential to the success of the multi-layer assembly process by inspecting and precisely orienting each of the components prior to the bonding process, ensuring error-free sealing. The automated system includes automatic calibration of the dispensing needle used to verify tip location during the assembly process or after needle change out. Lights Out Factory Automation, Inc. is a leading full service systems integrator of automation equipment, with facilities in Los Angeles, California and Shanghai, China. Established in 1994, the company designs, manufactures, installs and supports turnkey automation equipment for their customers in the fuell cell, aerospace, automotive, electronics, medical, fiber optic, food, promotional products and sintered sin·ter n. 1. Geology A chemical sediment or crust, as of porous silica, deposited by a mineral spring. 2. A mass formed by sintering. v. sin·tered, sin·ter·ing, sin·ters v. metal industries among others. Lights Out Factory Automation's systems include general and ultra-high precision, vision inspection, vision guided robotic and hard tooled systems. More information can be found at http://www.lofanet.com. Asia Pacific Fuel Cell Technologies, Ltd. (APFCT), incorporated in March 2000, is headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan with a branch research laboratory in California, USA. Founded by Dr. Jefferson YS Yang together with a core team of experienced fuel cell engineers and business experts the company's primary business goal is the commercialization of Polymer Electrolyte electrolyte (ĭlĕk`trəlīt'), electrical conductor in which current is carried by ions rather than by free electrons (as in a metal). Membrane fuel cells. More information can be found at http://www.apfct.com. Adept Technology designs, manufactures and markets factory automation components and systems for the fiber optic, telecommunications, semiconductor, automotive, food and durable goods durable goods Goods, such as appliances and automobiles, that have a useful life over a number of periods. Firms that produce durable goods are often subject to wide fluctuations in sales and profits. Also called consumer durables. industries throughout the world. Adept's robots, controllers, and software products are used for small parts assembly, material handling and ultra precision process applications. Our intelligent automation product lines include industrial robots, configurable linear modules, flexible feeders, semiconductor process components, nanopositioners, machine controllers for robot mechanisms and other flexible automation equipment, machine vision, systems and software, application software, and simulation software Simulation software is based on the process of imitating a real phenomenon with a set of mathematical formulas. It is, essentially, a program that allows the user to observe an operation through simulation without actually running the program. . Founded in 1983, Adept is America's largest manufacturer of industrial robots. More information is available at www.adept.com. This press release contains certain forward-looking statements forward-looking statement A projected financial statement based on management expectations. A forward-looking statement involves risks with regard to the accuracy of assumptions underlying the projections. including statements regarding liquidity, expenses, revenue and future operating results that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. The company's actual results could differ materially from those expressed in any of the above forward-looking statements for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to its customers ability to pay invoices in a timely manner and lack of unexpected cash obligations, the risk that some of its customers may become insolvent, future economic, competitive and market conditions including those in Europe and Asia and those related to the company's strategic markets; the company's continuing operating losses operating loss The excess of operating expenses over revenue. As with operating income, operating losses exclude revenues and expenses from operations that are not considered a regular part of the business. Also called deficit. Compare operating income. causing the company to need to raise additional financing in the future and the effect of the financing on current stockholders; the cyclicality of capital spending capital spending Spending for long-term assets such as factories, equipment, machinery, and buildings that permits the production of more goods and services in future years. of the company's customers, including in the semiconductor industry and lack of long-term customer contracts; the company's dependence on the continued growth of the intelligent automation market; the company's highly competitive industry; rapid technological change within the intelligent automation industry; the lengthy sales cycles for the company's products; the company's significant fixed costs fixed costs, n.pl the costs that do not change to meet fluctuations in enrollment or in use of services (e.g., salaries, rent, business license fees, and depreciation). which are not easily reduced; the risks associated with sole or single sources of supply and lengthy procurement lead times The interval in months between the initiation of procurement action and receipt into the supply system of the production model (excludes prototypes) purchased as the result of such actions. It is composed of two elements, production lead time and administrative lead time. ; the risks associated with acquisitions, including integration risks associated with our previous acquisitions; the risks associated with product defects; the potential delays associated with the development and introduction of new products or software releases; or decreased acceptance of the company's new or current products in the marketplace. For a discussion of additional risk factors relating to relating to relate prep → concernant relating to relate prep → bezüglich +gen, mit Bezug auf +acc Adept's business, see Adept's annual report on Form 10-K Form 10-K A report required by the SEC from exchange-listed companies that provides for annual disclosure of certain financial information. Form 10-K See 10-K. for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2003, as amended, and its quarterly reports on Forms 10-Q for the fiscal quarters ended September 27, 2003 and December 27, 2003 including the discussion in Management's Discussion and Analysis Management's discussion and analysis (MD&A) A report from management to shareholders that accompanies the firm's financial statements in the annual report. It explains the period's financial results and enables management to discuss topics that may not be apparent in the financial of Financial Condition and Results of Operations contained therein. The Adept logo is a registered trademark of Adept Technology, Inc. Adept, AdeptSix, AdeptVision sAVI, Adept SmartModules, Adept Servo, Adept SmartController and Adept V+ are trademarks of Adept Technology. All other trademarks are owned by their respective companies. |
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