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MetalForming LIVE on the Shop Floor—Automation Case Studies

April 29, 2025 | 2:00-3:30 p.m. ET | Virtual Event

Back for the third year, MetalForming LIVE On the Shop Floor includes interviews with metal forming executives discussing their company’s use of automation technology as well as videos from their shops featuring automation technology in action.

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  • Tuesday

    April 29, 2025

    2:00-3:00 p.m.
    Case Study #1: Pennant, Inc.
    Chris Highfield, President, Pennant, Inc.

    2:00-3:00 p.m.

    Case Study #1: Pennant, Inc.

      Specialty metal former Pennant, Inc. provides integrated solutions for stamped, fabricated, roll formed, welded and decorated assembled components serving the appliance, ConAg, EPC, heavy truck, industrial, powersports and utilities markets. One of its four facilities, in Sabina, OH, has committed to automation and currently utilizes cobots on several of its production lines to economically improve efficiency, accommodate labor shortages and reduce operator fatigue. As a result, the facility has realized numerous improvements—from production and quality to packaging and logistics.

      Joining our automation panel discussion is company president Chris Highfield, who will walk us through the plant’s cobot-tended lines and highlight the improvements achieved with the automation projects. In addition, Highfield will share the company’s approach to automation projects, and some best practices it has adopted along the way.

    Case Study #1: Argon Industries
    Greg Clement, Founder and President, Argon Industries

    2:00-3:00 p.m.

    Case Study #1: Argon Industries

      Argon Industries’ employment of fabrication automation is second to none, including three turret punch presses outfitted with load/unload technology. The trio doubles throughput of three previous standalone machines. The Milwaukee, WI, fabricator has invested mightily to add automation for loading and unloading its stable of laser cutting machines and press brakes, and also has added robotic-welding capacity.

      Joining our conversation: company founder and president Greg Clement. “We once had three standalone turret presses with no automation,” Clement says. “We needed one person per shift hoisting a sheet off of a skid and onto the worktable and then cutting parts off of the sheet all day. The monotony and fatigue were unhealthy. Now, instead of one person per machine per shift, the three machines together only require 1.5 operators per shift. Setup and loading/unloading are entirely automatic.”


    Moderator

    Lou Kren, Senior Editor, MetalForming Magazine
    Brad Kuvin, Editorial Director, MetalForming Magazine


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Gregory Clement

Gregory Clement

President, Argon Industries, Inc.

Bio coming soon.

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Gregory Clement

Gregory Clement

President, Argon Industries, Inc.

Bio coming soon.
Chris Highfield

Chris Highfield

President, Pennant, Inc. Sabina

Chris Highfield joined Pennant, Inc. in May of 2023 serving in the role as presi...

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Chris Highfield

Chris Highfield

President, Pennant, Inc. Sabina

Chris Highfield joined Pennant, Inc. in May of 2023 serving in the role as president. Prior to joining Pennant, Chris served in various C-Suite leadership positions, most recently serving as the executive VP of sales and marketing for Core Molding Technologies. Prior to joining CORE, Highfield worked for American Trim, initially as director of truck and bus products, and held several positions of increasing responsibility, advancing to the senior leader of the sales and marketing organization. Highfield earned his MBA with a concentration in Operations & Finance from Cedarville University and his undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Wittenberg University.
Lou Kren

Lou Kren

Senior Editor, Precision Metalforming Association

Senior Editor Louis Kren has worked as an editor in trade and technical publis...

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Lou Kren

Lou Kren

Senior Editor, Precision Metalforming Association

Senior Editor Louis Kren has worked as an editor in trade and technical publishing since 1988. Before joining MetalForming in April 2000, he served as editor-in-chief of Forging magazine. During his career Lou also served as an editor with Foundry and 33 MetalProducing magazines.
Brad Kuvin

Brad Kuvin

Editorial Director, Precision Metalforming Association

Brad Kuvin began his career in 1984, accumulating nearly 40 years of experience ...

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Brad Kuvin

Brad Kuvin

Editorial Director, Precision Metalforming Association

Brad Kuvin began his career in 1984, accumulating nearly 40 years of experience in covering metal forming and fabricating technologies. Brad served as Editor of Welding Design & Fabrication and Gases & Welding Distributor magazines before joining PMA and MetalForming magazine in 2000.

Registration Info

This virtual event is FREE to attend.

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Please contact Ali Miller at amiller@pma.org or 216-901-8800 with any conference registration questions.