“We are delighted to welcome Wayne Trail as our 20th Certified Robot Integrator”

(Ann Arbor, MI - July 31, 2014) Wayne Trail, a Lincoln Electric Company, has received the prestigious RIA Certified Robot Integrator designation. In order to become certified, Wayne Trail completed a rigorous process which includes an on-site audit and testing of key personnel among other important criteria.

"We are delighted to welcome Wayne Trail as our 20th Certified Robot Integrator," said Jeff Burnstein, President of RIA. "The Certified Robot Integrator program strengthens the overall integrator channel and allows integrators to benchmark their own processes against best industry practices. Based on industry feedback, we have found that achieving certification has proven to be valuable for integrators looking to showcase their capabilities to both users and suppliers."

"Wayne Trail, a Lincoln Electric Company, is proud to achieve RIAs Certified Integrator Status," said Chad Tester, Vice President of Engineering, Wayne Trail. "All of our Engineered System Market Segments (Press Automation, Tube Bending and Fabricating, Hydroform and Structural Frame Automation, Robotics, Welding, and Fixturing, and Laser Systems) utilize robotics, and its important that we have our engineers, technicians, and processes tested and validated. The Certified Integrator Status, along with our ISO 9001:2008 certification, reflects our commitment to delivering high quality, industry-leading automation solutions to our customers."

RIA requires each certified integrator to be recertified every two years. Detailed information on the certification program and the certified robot integrators can be found on a special section of Robotics Online (www.robotics.org). Integrators interested in becoming certified can contact Jeff Burnstein at 734/994-6088.

Robotics customers, of course, still need to conduct their own due diligence on the suppliers they select," said Burnstein. "RIA cannot guarantee the work of any integrator or recommend which integrators to choose. We have over 60 system integrator members and look forward to having more of them go through the certification process in the near future."

About Robotic Industries Association (RIA)
Founded in 1974, RIA is a not-for-profit trade association dedicated to improving the regional, national and global competitiveness of the North American manufacturing and service sectors through promotion and enhancement of robotics and related automation. RIA represents 335 robot manufacturers, system integrators, component suppliers, end users, consulting firms, research groups, and educational institutions. The association hosts a number of events including the International Collaborative Robots Workshop (September 30, 2014 in San Jose, California), the National Robot Safety Conference (October 14-16, 2014 in Ann Arbor, Michigan), the Robotics Industry Forum (January 21-23, 2015 in Orlando, FL) and the biennial Automate Show & Conference (March 23-26, 2015 in Chicago). RIA also provides quarterly robotics statistics and has a content-rich website, Robotics Online. For more details on RIA, visit Robotics Online or call 734/994-6088.

About Association for Advancing Automation (A3)
The Association for Advancing Automation is THE global advocate for the benefits of automating. A3 promotes automation technologies and ideas that transform the way business is done. A3 is the umbrella group for Robotic Industries Association (RIA), AIA - Advancing Vision + Imaging, and Motion Control Association (MCA). RIA, AIA, and MCA combined represent 775 automation manufacturers, component suppliers, system integrators, end users, research groups and consulting firms from throughout the world that drive automation forward.

For more information, please visit our websites: A3; RIA; AIA; MCA.