Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence Partners with Wichita State

Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence (North Kingstown, RI) has announced they have formed a technology partnership with Wichita State University (WSU; Wichita, KS) where they will lease 3,000 sq ft of space near the university’s 3DExperience Center in the Experiential Engineering Building on WSU’s Innovation Campus. Educators and students will have access to Hexagon software and precision metrology systems for the collection, analysis and active use of measurement data in industrial sectors such as aerospace, automotive, power generation and medical. Hexagon specializes in metrology and manufacturing solutions that provide actionable information during the entire life cycle of a product from development and design to production, assembly and final inspection.

The new commitment is an extension of a five-year partnership with WSU’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR). NIAR and Hexagon have cooperatively developed an automated scanning solution for customer applications and hosted technology workshops and training events. “Using their equipment, we are able to demonstrate to the aerospace industry how fast parts can be inspected and measured to a very high degree of accuracy,” said Brian Brown, the director of robotics and automation of NAIR.

“This strategic partnership gives us another research platform to take on complex manufacturing issues and pioneer tech-enabled breakthroughs in the aviation industry. The massive product backlog of the aerospace market is driving engineering creativity and the search for more productivity,” added Angus Taylor, the president and chief executive officer of Hexagon MI. “We intend to remain at the forefront of that trend by forging alliances with dedicated innovators like NIAR, who can push the envelope with our extensive portfolio of manufacturing intelligence solutions.”

The company will employ full-time staff at the campus to facilitate research and development and support their local customer base. The company will also introduce an internship program for the Midwestern states. Students will have access to state-of-the-art industrial metrology software and systems, which will help lead to job placement opportunities in manufacturing. Hexagon is the third global partner to join the WSU’s Innovation Campus, following Airbus and Dassault Systemes.

www.hexagonmi.com, www.wichita.edu