Company more and more known around the world, AV&R Vision & Robotics is present in the news. Two articles were recently published which talked about AV&R: in the Canadian Industrial Machinery magazine and in La Presse.

You remember AV&R won an innovation award for its High Precision Automated Blade Profiling System? Well Joe Thompson, Editor of the magazine Canadian Industrial Machinery, describes this system and AV&R's Visual Inspection in this article.

In special collaboration, Mr. Stéphane Champagne wrote an article for La Presse on the Aerospace Industry in Montreal to counter the rather negative image of the industry, reinforced by the closure of Aveos. Mr. Champagne based its article on the testimonials of Suzanne Benoit, Aero Montreal's CEO and Eric Beauregard, AV&R's CEO. Read this article*, published in the Portfolio section of La Presse on March 29th.

* Article is in French only.

AV&R Vision & Robotics' profiling system selected as industry game-changer.

Our Automated Blade Profiling System was recently selected by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) as one of the 2012 Innovations That Could Change the Way You Manufacture.

An annual effort of SME's Innovation Watch Committee, this list showcases new and emerging technologies and processes that are already making a difference in manufacturing.

"Our Committee's goal is to scan the vast technology landscape for cutting-edge innovations and to investigate ways they can be utilized," says committee member Christopher Kaye, director of innovative technology, US Endoscopy.

Using robots, AV&R's Automated Blade Leading and Trailing Edges Profiling System has attained precision levels which were never reached before. It increases performance and efficiency with tolerances within 50 microns, reduces the abrasive material consumption up to 75 percent, and allows designers to define more complex shapes on the leading and trailing edges.

Other innovations recognized this year include: biomimicry, 3D transistors, hyper-carbide cutting tools, synthetic organs, green steel technology (polymer injection), model predictive control, and header pressure control.

The Innovations That Could Change the Way You Manufacture will be a featured session track at the SME Annual Conference scheduled June 3-5, 2012, in Cleveland, Ohio. AV&R will be a speaker at this event and will present its rewarded innovation.

For more information, visit www.sme.org/innovations.

AV&R is finalist of the "Innovation Challenge" contest organized by Aviation Week in the category "Power and Propulsion".

This contest recognizes and promotes the groundbreaking work being done by tiered suppliers within the aerospace and defense (A&D) industry. Nominees are judged on technology breakthroughs that provide new or substantially improved performance.

AV&R presented its Automated Blade Leading and Trailing Edge Profiling System in this contest. See the summary of our nomination here.

The winners will be announced during Aviation Week's Gala held in Washington on March 7, 2012.

Marie Lyan, independent journalist for the Journal Les Affaires, interviewed Eric Beauregard, AV&R's CEO, as part of the series "objective : growth". This series discusses the strategies of SMEs who are experiencing strong growth and portrays the actions taken to start and succeed in this growth.

In this article, Mr. Beauregard addresses the strategic alignment, both vertically and horizontally, made by AV&R to become the leader in one area and thus facilitate the penetration of foreign markets. This article was published in the January 28th edition. You can read it by clicking here*.

* Article is in French only.

On December 14, an article on AV&R, written by Marie Tison,* was published in La Presse Affaires. In this article, Mrs. Tison portrays AV&R's "bombed out" offices as well as the owner's future projects to accommodate the business' constant growth.

Mister Dupont, Chief Operating Officer (COO), interviewed for this article, praises the merits of the use of robots for part machining and inspection to improve the employees' life quality. You will also read about the impressive awards AV&R received in 2011.

This article caps off this great year for AV&R who is eager to start the New Year on January 3rd.

*Article in French only.

AV&R Vision & Robotics received the AQA Business of the Year 2011 Award on November 29.

During the gala held at the Delta Hotel, the Honourable Jacques Saada, CEO of the Quebec Aerospace Association (AQA), awarded the Business of the Year 2011 Prize* to AV&R.

For the past 9 years, the AQA has been recognizing outstanding business success and excellence of an SME in the aerospace sector and awards the prize according to the following criteria:

• Strong financial management and strategic planning
• Innovation and continuous improvement
• Leadership and excellence in human resources management
• Dedication to the environment and sustainable development
• Corporate citizenship and involvement with the AQA

This award caps off the excellent year the AV&R team has achieved. Some of the milestones go beyond the development of new markets and new technologies to include other prestigious nominations such as:

- AV&R received the Desjardins 2011 International Commerce Award, given by Mister Poloz, CEO of Export Development Canada (EDC), in October.

- AV&R was named Bike-Friendly Business* by Velo Quebec in the category 100 and less employees.

- AV&R was finalist for the 2011 Innovative SME* of ADRIQ (Quebec's Research and Innovation Development Association).

* Link to a French release only

The 2011 Desjardins Entrepreneur Awards' Gala was held at the Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City yesterday. AV&R Vision & Robotics, finalist in the International Commerce category, was surprised and honoured to win the prestigious trophy.

This prize, presented by Export Development Canada (EDC), rewards a company brilliantly showing the real positive impacts of extending business development efforts to the international market and forming partnerships with companies with attractive development potential outside of Canada.

AV&R was facing Groupe Genacol and Averna who, according to the jury, also had excellent records.

Thank you Desjardins for this award and congratulations to the entire team for planning this tremendous gala.

AV&R Vision & Robotics was named Bike-friendly Business by Vélo Quebec in the category 100 and less employees. This award honours companies doing concrete actions to promote biking-to-work and is awarded annually, downtown Montreal during the Car-free Day!

"By these bike-friendly awards given each year, Vélo Quebec wants to enhance the dynamism and commitment of organizations that encourage their employees and customers to choose an active and sustainable mean of transportation. These employers are reducing their environmental impact and improve the image of their company by putting forward the well-being of their employees and promoting sustainable mobility" says Suzanne Lareau, CEO of Vélo Quebec.

AV&R received this honour during the official press conference held in Montreal last September 22 during the Car-free Day!

For more information on the Bike-friendly businesses, visit Velo Quebec's website.

Welcome on AV&R Vision & Robotics' new website! This website has been redesigned to relate to AV&R's new alignment.

Since its founding in 1994, AV&R's team has offered Robotic Finishing and Automated Visual Inspection systems adapted to several industries. Over the years, AV&R developed solutions for several materials (metal, glass, plastic eyewear, etc.) in several fields (aerospace, energy, automotive, eyewear, medical devices, manufacturing, etc.).

In 2010, AV&R decided to niche itself in gas turbine parts used in aerospace and energy such as blades, variable vanes and blisks / IBRs.

Today, AV&R is proud to present its new website, showing this new alignment. Of course, AV&R still works in other industries, but only as research projects for emerging markets. Do not hesitate to contact AV&R's team to see if your company is part of the markets presently served.

Alex Anderson, Contributing Editor of Automation World, wrote an article on the necessity to automate Quality Control in many industries. AV&R’s automated systems, assuring parts, are a perfect example of a Quality Control process important and essential. Mr. Anderson then dedicated a part of his article to AV&R.

Read the article to see how production of aircraft engine parts, sunglasses and even powered milk is increased with the use of automated systems for Quality Control.