Stiles Machinery to represent Fanuc Robotics. (Trends & News).

Stiles Machinery Inc. of Grand Rapids, MI, has added robots to its extensive line of machinery and services.

Stiles announced during the International Woodworking Fair in Atlanta that it has formed an alliance with Fanuc Robotics North America Inc. of Rochester Hills, MI, to distribute robots. Stiles demonstrated a Fanuc robot linking a Northwood CNC router and a Homag BAK CNC contour edgebander at its IWF booth.

Stephan Waltman, vice president of sales and marketing of Stiles, said, "This alliance between the world's leading industrial woodworking machinery supplier and the leading robotics company in North America will create dramatic solutions for improving production efficiency and throughput. Robotic automation can contribute to a number of critical manufacturing improvements including maximized floor space use increased material flow/machine utilization and improved product quality."

Dave Potter, vice president of North American distribution for Fanuc, said, "Robots have been used in plastic and metal industries for many years, but not much in woodworking. Robot manufacturers have not had a real good understanding of the woodworking market. That's why working with an experienced company like Stiles will greatly help."