One of our donors, Gerrel Fountain (of LaGrange Park, IL) invited us to a tour of Grayhill. The Team passes Grayhill every day since it is located right in our neighborhood. The tour was very educational. Behind the brick exterior we found not only engineering offices, but an entire electronics manufacturing and assembly facility.
I think the fact that we really had no idea that the facility is a manufacturing site is a strong testament to what a "good neighbor" Grayhill has been all these years. The building is attractive and quiet on the outside but a powerhouse on the inside.
We brought our demo robot along to show Mr. Fountain. Next to the industrial versions, our little bot was humbled, but hopes to grow up in the FIRST system to be a real competitor.
Grayhill was started in the 1940's as a manufacturer of dip switches and rotary switches, they've stayed in La Grange and grown to be one of the world's leaders in the manufacture of human interface devices. To quote from their website, the "manufacturers intuitive human interface solutions that make life simpler, safer and more efficient. Standard products include optical encoders, rotary switches, keypads, joysticks and pushbuttons; all with finely tuned haptics." They also manufacture assemblies such as "ergonomic panels and product shells that integrate various interface technologies, including displays, touch technology and motion sensing."
We couldn't take pictures in the manufacturing area, but did find that they use a lot of robotics in the process for repetitive or very exacting work. Much of the assembly was still done by hand. These photos were taken in their product display room, which does an impressive job of showing the evolution of their products as well as the variety of applications, from simple interface devices like switches, to medical, industrial, agricultural and military applications.
I think the fact that we really had no idea that the facility is a manufacturing site is a strong testament to what a "good neighbor" Grayhill has been all these years. The building is attractive and quiet on the outside but a powerhouse on the inside.
We brought our demo robot along to show Mr. Fountain. Next to the industrial versions, our little bot was humbled, but hopes to grow up in the FIRST system to be a real competitor.
Grayhill was started in the 1940's as a manufacturer of dip switches and rotary switches, they've stayed in La Grange and grown to be one of the world's leaders in the manufacture of human interface devices. To quote from their website, the "manufacturers intuitive human interface solutions that make life simpler, safer and more efficient. Standard products include optical encoders, rotary switches, keypads, joysticks and pushbuttons; all with finely tuned haptics." They also manufacture assemblies such as "ergonomic panels and product shells that integrate various interface technologies, including displays, touch technology and motion sensing."
We couldn't take pictures in the manufacturing area, but did find that they use a lot of robotics in the process for repetitive or very exacting work. Much of the assembly was still done by hand. These photos were taken in their product display room, which does an impressive job of showing the evolution of their products as well as the variety of applications, from simple interface devices like switches, to medical, industrial, agricultural and military applications.
We're still trying to snap a picture of the entire team. Jonah had surgery on his knee today, so he couldn't come. Left to right: Denisse, TJ, Nate, Lucas, Mr. Fountain, Noah and William. The blue smocks were required in the manufacturing area. Static electricity is a big concern around the electronics.
Thank you Mr. Fountain for your generous donation and for taking time to provide our Team with a tour of Grayhill. We enjoyed the experience.