On 10 October 2017, Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence hosted its first HxGN LOCAL Automotive Summit in the Detroit-area of Michigan, an area often referred to as the ‘Automotive Capital of the World’. Hexagon experts were joined by attendees from Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Honda Motor Company and more. Throughout the day, common themes of automation and closed-loop manufacturing were investigated as both Hexagon and industry-speakers explored current automotive industry trends and Hexagon solutions. A major highlight was keynote speaker Jeffrey Krause, Executive Director and CEO of SME, who touched upon the future and current challenges faced by the auto industry, like the need to equip the workforce with the skills necessary to capitalize on innovation possibilities.
In the afternoon, attendees joined Hexagon experts to explore our solutions first-hand. Arguably the most exciting was a live scanning demo with Chris Purdy from General Motors. Purdy and the Hexagon team showcased the functionality of a Leica Absolute Tracker AT960 with the Leica T-Scan to scan a 1981 DeLorean that was one of just 9 020 ever manufactured. Participants were amongst the first in North America to demo the applications of newly launched products, including the Composite Inspection System for the ROMER Absolute Arm with Integrated Scanner and HxGN SMART Quality, our online quality data and measurement resource management software.
Later that week on 12 October, Hexagon partnered with the National Institute of Aviation Research(NIAR) at Wichita State University to host the HxGN LOCAL Aerospace Summit at their new facility opened earlier this year. A key location for aerospace manufacturing, Wichita-based attendees from NASA, Spirit AeroSystems, Bombardier and Hartwig, Inc. (a valued Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence Channel Partner) came to experience manufacturing intelligence in action.
One major highlight was a stellar keynote by Ed Linhart, President of ECBB 3DPLM, and retired VP of Global production at Lockheed Martin. During his time at Lockheed Martin, Linhart played a pivotal role in the conceptualization, design and manufacturing of the famed F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and his presentation gave an in-depth look at the production and challenges associated with manufacturing this next-generation aircraft.
Later that day, attendees were captivated by the innovative demos that took place in Hexagon and NIAR labs throughout the afternoon. Brian Brown, NIAR Director of Robotics and Automation, opened his labs to showcase applications like robotic calibration with RoboDyn, as well as live scanning demonstrations with the Leica Absolute Tracker AT901 with Leica T-Scan on a fuselage. Other solutions showcased included the WLS qFLASH, AICON MoveInspect XR8, GLOBAL S and more.
Attendees expressed their enthusiasm in the weeks following the events, one noting, “I’m impressed with Hexagon and where the company is going”. Another claimed, “The technology presented is exciting and appears to have a lot of potential”. We’re enthusiastic about the direction Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence is heading and are excited to take you along with us. Keep an eye out for future HxGN LOCAL events in your area!
