Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
A Little FRE History…
Flexible Robotic Environment, LLC (FRE) has been driven by its founder’s passion for robotics since its inception almost three decades ago. Dr. Vojislav Kalanovic, a Professor of Control of Dynamic Systems and Robotics, had the vision to tackle some of the most complex automation projects within the most challenging manufacturing processes. Since 1992, FRE has been delighting our clients with the most innovative, productive, robust, and user-friendly solutions available.
While teaching in Rapid City, South Dakota, Dr. Kalanovic focused his interest in advanced manufacturing on a very popular local industry – Black Hills Gold Jewelry. They say that ‘Necessity is the mother of Invention,’ and indeed, Dr. Kalanovic saw an opportunity in the labor intensive and highly manual work of polishing gold rings that are so popular in that region. FRE’s first automated polishing system was developed, and over twenty years later, and after hundreds of updates, iterations, as well as several technology patents, that first polishing system is still the cornerstone solution of FRE’s offering.
Today and Tomorrow
Today, FRE is a global leader in automated jewelry processing systems, and the product offering has expanded to a full-range of both standard and highly customizable solutions. With our headquarters in Buffalo, New York, and with full manufacturing, engineering, and service capability in Europe as well, FRE is focused on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean with our next expansion to Asia in the works.
It is this commitment that has earned FRE the honor of having its solutions within some of the most reputable names and highest volume manufacturers in the jewelry industry. Of course, a company does not need to be a Corporate giant or a multi-national firm to be a good candidate for automated jewelry processing. In fact, some of FRE’s best and longest term customers are regionally-based companies not unlike the ones that launched the company in the Black Hills of South Dakota many years ago.