Leader in Metals Manufacturing Enhances Safety with CRG Automation Robotic System

Louisville, Kentucky – October 16, 2025 – When voestalpine Roll Forming Corporation (VRFC) approached CRG Automation with a serious safety challenge, the goal was clear: protect their workforce while maintaining production efficiency.

VRFC’s operations involved manually stacking large, heavy steel parts, a process that created ergonomic strain and safety risk. “The major driving factor for this project was safety,” explained Collin Ruggles, VRFC’s Corporate Environmental Health & Safety Manager. “We had a few safety incidences that unfortunately happened related to this process. We tackled it as a team to come up with ways to reduce the risk and ultimately eliminate the hazard altogether.”

CRG responded with a purpose-built solution. The system uses two coordinated robots to orient, stack and pace heavy parts with precision. Wooden spacers are automatically placed between layers, and completed stacks are conveyed downstream for bundling and storage. The process runs entirely hands-free—operators simply press the green start button to begin.

Beyond the engineering, the collaboration itself stood out. “The project management experience here was fantastic,” said VRFC’s Engineering Manager Chris Cizewski. “We had weekly meetings, and CRG was always open in communicating.”

“This project is a true reflection of how we work with our customers to solve real-world problems,” said Dillon Sego, Vice President of Engineering and Sales at CRG Automation. “Our goal isn’t just to design and sell automation systems; we focus on delivering solutions that make a measurable impact on safety, efficiency and quality.”

With the new stacking system now in place, Voestalpine has eliminated a major source of risk while improving consistency and reliability. The project demonstrates how automation can make manufacturing both safer and smarter.

To see the automation system in action, visit https://youtu.be/mZ5p4MslNDk