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Eastman Machine Co. (Buffalo, N.Y., U.S.), cutting machines manufacturer reports that it is the newest technology partner to European research center  (SAM|XL, Delft, Netherlands). Eastman will work alongside SAM|XL to develop and test advanced communication protocol for integrating pick-and-place robots with its automated cutting machinery for composite materials.

SAM|XL is a collaborative research center at the TU Delft campus set up as a non-profit foundation with an innovation community. Its mission is to develop, demonstrate and de-risk smart manufacturing solutions for and with the low-volume, high-variation manufacturing sector.

The first project, set to take place with Eastman’s S125 Static Table, — which has proven itself with a range of difficult-to-cut materials such as polystrand, p-tex and fiberglass-polyester blends — will be an automated layup project with aerospace company GKN Aerospace (Redditch, U.K.).

“We are proud to be one of the latest technology partners to SAM|XL,” says Elizabeth McGruder, Eastman VP of european sales and marketing. “Being able to share resources and collaborate with the innovators at SAM|XL is an exciting advancement for Eastman in the composites industry.”