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Germany’s Hahn Group, a provider of factory automation and robotic systems, has expanded its footprint in the U.S. by acquiring in Columbia, S.C. (reiautomation.com). Founded in 1990, REI Automation has 80 employees and $25 million revenue; it designs and builds custom assembly lines, robotic cells, and special-purpose machine systems, focusing on medical, electronics and consumer goods. The purchase gives Hahn a hub in the Southeast.

 

 

Hahn recently established Hahn Plastics Automation in Windsor, Conn. (hahnplasticsautomation.com), to coordinate the U.S. activities of Waldorf Technik, Wemo, and Geku. Hahn also has now established Rethink Robotics GmbH to further develop the Sawyer one-armed collaborative robot (cobot) created by the former Rethink Robotics in Cambridge, Mass., and acquired by Hahn last year. At K 2019, Hahn exhibited the new Sawyer Black Edition (pictured), which boasts more durable hardware, quieter operation, and higher-quality components. Payload capacity has been upgraded to 4 kg, and customers are asking for even more, Hahn says, so it is working on a 10-kg version. Hahn is also offering an upgrade kit with new seals and mechanical components for existing Sawyer units under warranty.