CRG Automation Weighs In Alongside ABB, Rockwell in OEM Magazine

LOUISVILLE, KY — Jun 15, 2026 — CRG Automation is one of the perspectives shaping the conversation on where industrial robotics is headed next. In OEM Magazine's recent feature, "Thinking Outside the Robotics Cell," Dillon Sego, VP of Engineering and Sales at CRG Automation, weighed in alongside leadership from ABB Robotics, Rockwell Automation, and Econocorp on the technology and thinking pushing robots beyond the traditional cell.

CRG has spent 25-plus years building automation systems for manufacturers who don't have the luxury of theorizing about what robotics could do. They need to know what it will do, on their floor, with their people, starting Monday. That's the vantage point Sego brought to the piece.

On the industry's biggest misconception about automation and jobs, Sego didn't hedge.

"When robotics really kicked off, many people saw it as something that would take jobs away," Sego said. "But we're not seeing that. Most of our customers are struggling to fill the roles they already have open. Automation may reduce a position on paper, but in practice, it shifts people away from repetitive, non-value-added, and physically demanding work into more skilled, higher-value roles."

He also spoke to the shift toward vision-guided systems, which are replacing rigid, fixed fixtures with dynamic automation that can handle mixed-SKU loads and products it's never seen before.

"You can send in new SKUs that the robot hasn't been taught, and it can dynamically adjust to pick and place that specific product," Sego said. "I'm teaching them what they need to do, and to some extent the robot is figuring out the most optimal path."

And on the piece of the equation too many OEMs treat as an afterthought: training.

"If you're going to invest in robotics, you have to invest in your people to be able to maintain it," Sego said. "I can build the best robot on the planet, but if your maintenance staff doesn't know how to interface with it or recover when there are potential issues, it's going to be a significant uphill battle."

Read the full article on OEM Magazine.

About CRG Automation

CRG Automation is a leading innovator in industrial automation, recognized for delivering groundbreaking solutions to complex engineering challenges. Celebrated with Time's Best Invention award in 2023, multiple appearances on the Inc. 5000 list, and a World Changing Idea nomination by Fast Company in 2024, CRG is trusted by industries worldwide for its ability to redefine performance standards and drive operational excellence.