Rhein-Nadel Automation GmbH (RNA) and American Feeding Systems Inc. (AFS) enter into strategic partnership for USA
Press release
Rhein-Nadel Automation GmbH (RNA) and American Feeding Systems Inc. (AFS) enter into strategic partnership for USA
The two companies Rhein-Nadel Automation GmbH and American Feeding Systems Inc., specialized in feeding systems technology, have signed a cooperation agreement in May 2023 to expand their American business. With this partnership, RNA further expands its international presence.
AACHEN/NOBLESVILLE, INDIANA (USA), June 2023: Rhein-Nadel Automation GmbH (RNA) and American Feeding Systems Inc. have signed a cooperation and distributor agreement on May 22, 2023. Since June 01st, AFS has been an official distributor of RNA for the American market and will thus build its feeding systems based on RNA components in the future. With components from RNA, such as bowl or linear drive units, AFS will have a competitive advantage, due to the excellent performance and running behaviours of the components. The aim of the partnership is to expand the American business and to support with service orders. With the help of digitalization and the possibilities of AI and simulation software, reproducible and simulatable feeding systems are also to be offered in the American market in the long term. AFS will be supported in this effort with solutions from RNA. These include 3D-printed or milled sorting bowls, linear feeding systems or step feeders, and part simulation studies, which are created using the Digital Feeder simulation software. All feeding system solutions are reproducible and fully simulatable. With the help of AI, RNA can search for a suitable feeding system solution based on the CAD file of the part. In the long run, this allows the designed tooling to be made available to AFS as a file and thus manufactured locally in the US. In addition, AFS will receive the Digital Motion simulation software, for digital tuning of RNA drive units, which significantly simplifies and optimizes the handling of RNA drive units and the design of the sorting bowl and linear sorting track. With the introduction and marketing of flexible and reproducible systems, such as linear feeding systems, market shares are to be further expanded and growth in the American market driven forward.
"Our components and the opportunities that arise from digitization will give AFS a clear competitive advantage. The American market is also changing, asking for more performing, smooth running and flexible feeding systems. Reproducible and digital feeding systems do not yet exist in the American market. However, many customers increasingly want such feeding systems. We also see an increasing challenge in attracting skilled workers for traditional sorting bowl construction. In the future, the trend will increasingly be towards
reproducibility. Our goal is to make AFS the market leader in the USA in the long term." explains Christopher Pavel, Managing Partner of RNA.
“AFS has been feeding parts for the automation industry for over four decades. The process of building vibratory feed parts has long been a trade, craft or some would say, an artform. The hand tooled craftsmanship that it takes to build such vibratory bowl feeding systems is slowly dwindling away. Here at AFS, we saw a need to be proactive in looking toward the future and what that may look like, not only for our company but the entire feeding industry. In a fast paced, ever evolving world that is becoming more digitized, trade craftsmen are getting harder to find.” declares Cory Camp, President-Engineer of AFS.
Robert Camp, President and Founder of AFS explains “AFS had long known about RNA. They are the automation feeding industries benchmark. Their pursuit to evolve and rethink what it means to feed parts for automation is second to none. Digital feeding systems solutions and reproducible systems with the help of AI is the cutting edge of parts feeding and can only be found at RNA. Seeing that RNA did not have a strategic partner located in the US, we reached out to them, and after a few conversations, realized we had a lot in common and the same goals. Together we decided that this partnership would be a good fit.”
“Our customers can expect the same high quality and service that AFS has always provided.” adds Matt Camp, President-Sales of AFS. “The need for traditional tooled bowl feeders will still be in high demand and will not go away. As we train the next generation of trade craftsmen, the simulated, reproducible systems and components that RNA has developed will be another tool we can pull from to produce the best feeding systems on the market today. We are excited to see what the future holds.” Through the strategic partnership, AFS and RNA aim to take U.S. feeding system technology to a new level and make AFS the No. 1 supplier in the U.S. market in the long run.
For further information please visit www.americanfeeding.com and www.rna.de.
About RNA
Rhein-Nadel Automation GmbH (RNA), market leader in the field of feeding system technology, is a traditional family-owned company with headquarters in Aachen, Germany and eight production sites worldwide. With over 450 employees and an international dealer network, the RNA Group supports and services its customers worldwide. For many decades, the name RNA has stood for excellence in technology, quality and reliability. RNA's core competence is the correctly aligned feeding of workpieces in the automation process. The two business areas are the development and manufacture of complete, customized feeding systems and their components. At the same time, the continuous improvement and innovation process is always a priority. In this way, RNA can sort and feed even complicated parts to the production process at high speed and in a large number of units.
About American Feeding Systems Inc.
American Feeding Systems, headquartered in Noblesville, Indiana, was founded in 1982 and is a leading supplier of feeding systems for a wide variety of industries, including pharmaceutical, medical, automotive, electrical and consumer products. The company specializes in designing and building customized feeding system solutions. Custom size bowls, linear feeders, hoppers, and related equipment are their specialties based on years of experience and expertise. AFS is also known for its high quality, innovative solutions and excellent service. This makes AFS the ideal partner with RNA for the American market. AFS is excited to enter this new phase of automation evolution with RNA.
