Integro Technologies

On Monday students and faculty from Davidson County Community College, Livingstone College, and Rowan-Cabarrus Community College met with Shawn Campion, President of Integro Technologies, and Ron Ledoux, Director of Sales of the East Region for KUKA Robotics, to gain a better understanding of cutting-edge technology, the machine vision and robotics industries, and possible career opportunities following graduation in the fields of engineering and business

Integro Technologies is a machine vision specialist, designing and developing innovation solutions for manufacturing, often utilizing the robotics of KUKA. Campion provided background about Integro and some of the many solutions created for an array of fields including military, aerospace, automotive, and more. From the inspection of labels to tires to grenades to potato chips, Integro Technologies’ experience is unmatched.

Ledoux demonstrated the use of KUKA robots in automotive manufacturing, the entertainment industry, and the medical field. The Blue Man Group has used KUKA robots in their stage productions, and many of the rides at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter use KUKA robotic technology. Ledoux also focused on the use of KUKA robots in the medical field, particularly with a product known as the CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System, which is a non-invasive alternative to surgery for the treatment of both cancerous and non-cancerous tumors anywhere in the body.

Colin Pillay, associate professor of business at Livingstone, said, “The visit to Integro Technologies was important because it enabled the students to get an inside look at the operations of a world class company and to understand how robotics can be used in manufacturing operations. The students were pleased that robots could also be used in cancer treatment.”

KUKA Robotics is very active in the education market locally and throughout the United States.

“As the installed base of industrial robots continues to increase, we recognize that our customers will need well- trained students to support their manufacturing operations. We offer equipment packages, curriculum and certifications designed specifically to train students in high schools, community colleges, technical colleges, and universities. In fact, we will be participating in the Association for Career and Technical Education tradeshow in Nashville later this week that is targeted explicitly for this market segment,” said Ledoux. “It was our pleasure to participate in this event at Integro Technologies, and we look forward to more events like this.”

Campion showed a machine vision solution being built for a client using KUKA robotics from the initial computer-aided design drawings to the actual product on the Integro shop floor.

“We believe that it is vital to reach out to the young people of our community. We want to show them the array of career paths available in their chosen fields of study,” said Campion. “We also want students to know that cutting-edge technology careers are available right here in Rowan County.”