Mainebiz

V O L . X X X I N O. X X I V O C T O B E R 2 0 , 2 0 2 5 24 M A N U FA C T U R I N G / I N T E R N AT I O N A L T R A D E F O C U S with off-the-shelf components, along with custom components designed and built by the center. More recently, Compotech is using the B.O.T. Loft to train computer programmers and engineers in its digital solutions business unit on how to integrate Compotech's inspec- tion software with industry standard robotic capabilities. "AMC has been a long-time partner with us — really, since we started as a company" in 2011, says Melrose. "Even if it's just giving them a call, asking them some advice on a particular equipment purchase or helping us with a project." Updated lathe Two years ago, Neil Gutekunst and his wife Jennifer bought Shaw & Tenney, a maker of traditionally hand- crafted wooden oars, paddles and poles dating back to 1858. Within a week of buying the company, Gutekunst made a call to UMaine to continue a project, begun under Shaw & Tenney's previous owner, to see if a lathe from the mid-1900s could be revamped. e project would include developing new components, adding a variable fre- quency drive and a safety guard. e overhaul, including the addition of a sander in the same operation, would reduce the amount of time it took to produce an oar shaft, with its distinctive » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E At Fisher Phillips, we help employers do business and move their people wherever opportunity leads. Whether you're bringing key talent into the United States, onboarding employees abroad, or managing a growing non-U.S. workforce, our International and Immigration teams deliver practical, end-to-end solutions. From global mobility strategy and immigration compliance to cross-border employment law and immigration litigation, we help your international workforce work smarter, move faster, and stay compliant — so your business and your people can keep moving forward. Business Without Borders Your business doesn't stop at the border – neither do we. Christopher Stief Regional Managing Partner cstief@fisherphillips.com fisherphillips.com | One Monument Square, Suite 201 | Portland, ME 04101 | 207.477.7002 Mariana Baron Partner mbaron@fisherphillips.com Geoffrey Forney Partner gforney@fisherphillips.com They cut the steel to make the pattern, we bring it back, sometimes it just needs tweaks, we test it, they remake it. Now we're turning oars. — Neil Gutekunst Shaw & Tenney Industry 4.0 C ollaborative robots, or "cobots," are part of a robotics and automation train- ing facility that opened this year at the Advanced Manufacturing Center. Called the B.O.T. Loft — "build, optimize train" — the facility is outfitted to address a growing need for skilled workers for "Industry 4.0" manufacturing that uses digitally advanced robotics and automation. "All B.O.T. Loft technology is real-world manufacturing technology," says Denholm. "It's the exact same hardware and software you'll see in industry." Offerings include factory-authorized training, micro-credentials, K-12 programs, hands-on curricula, and credentialing programs to upskill and reskill workers, preparing them for careers in robotics and automation. P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F M A I N E The Advanced Manufacturing Center recently installed a number of collaborative robots for professional and student development. This one, manufactured by Fanuc, would be used in pick-and-place automation.

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