Event in Dallas, Targeting Manufacturing Labor Shortages Facing North Texas

The free, in-person event is designed for manufacturers in sectors such as metal fabrication, CNC machining, electronics, aerospace, food & beverage, and industrial equipment manufacturing — industries that form the backbone of the DFW manufacturing economy and are among the hardest hit by ongoing labor shortages.

DALLAS-FORT WORTH, Texas, January 20, 2026: With manufacturers across North Texas struggling to hire and retain production workers, OnRobot will host the "Build your Automation Roadmap" event in Dallas on February 19th, bringing practical automation solutions directly to the region's manufacturing community.


The free, in-person event is designed for manufacturers in sectors such as metal fabrication, CNC machining, electronics, aerospace, food & beverage, and industrial equipment manufacturing — industries that form the backbone of the DFW manufacturing economy and are among the hardest hit by ongoing labor shortages.

Event Snapshot:
What:
Build Your Automation Roadmap: Industrial Robots + Tooling
A hands-on event featuring live FANUC robot demonstrations, expert-led workshops, and real-world automation use cases.
When:
February 19th, 2026, 12noon-4pmCT
Where:
The Westin Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas
Why:
Manufacturers across North Texas are facing persistent hiring challenges. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas' Texas Business Outlook Survey, a lack of available applicants and shortages of candidates with the right technical skills remain among the top barriers to hiring for manufacturers, while many firms report increased competition for labor and rising wage pressures. These challenges are forcing manufacturers to rethink how they maintain output, meet customer demand, and scale operations.

"As one of the largest and fastest-growing manufacturing hubs in the country, Dallas-Fort Worth is feeling the strain of today's labor market more than most," said Kristian Hulgard, General Manager, Americas, at OnRobot. "Many manufacturers here are running strong order books but simply can't find enough skilled operators, machinists, or technicians. This roadmap event is about showing practical, proven ways automation can help fill those gaps."

At the event, attendees will see live demonstrations of FANUC robots equipped with OnRobot end-of-arm tooling for common applications such as machine tending, material handling, assembly, packaging, and quality inspection. Automation experts, that help manufacturers move from curiosity to confident implementation, will be on hand to share real-world experience in robotics, tooling, and integration.

Featured Speakers and Sessions:
• Kristian Hulgard, General Manager, Americas, OnRobot - Opening keynote on macrotrends affecting U.S. automation growth, why adoption is accelerating across manufacturing, and what it means for Dallas operations.
• Brent Lindell, District Manager, FANUC America - Live demonstrations of FANUC robots, identifying the practical approach to the automation journey.
• Ruben Lanz, Vice President, Adaptive Vision and Robotics - Learn how the right components, sourcing strategy, and distribution support keep automation projects on track.
• Derrell Guillory, Technical Account Manager, AWC - Why system integration matters, how integrators add value, and how to reduce risk while accelerating deployment.

Registration incl. lunch is free, but space is limited.
To learn more or register, visit:
https://en.onrobot.info/industrial_openhouse

Featured Product

3D Vision: Ensenso B now also available as a mono version!

3D Vision: Ensenso B now also available as a mono version!

This compact 3D camera series combines a very short working distance, a large field of view and a high depth of field - perfect for bin picking applications. With its ability to capture multiple objects over a large area, it can help robots empty containers more efficiently. Now available from IDS Imaging Development Systems. In the color version of the Ensenso B, the stereo system is equipped with two RGB image sensors. This saves additional sensors and reduces installation space and hardware costs. Now, you can also choose your model to be equipped with two 5 MP mono sensors, achieving impressively high spatial precision. With enhanced sharpness and accuracy, you can tackle applications where absolute precision is essential. The great strength of the Ensenso B lies in the very precise detection of objects at close range. It offers a wide field of view and an impressively high depth of field. This means that the area in which an object is in focus is unusually large. At a distance of 30 centimetres between the camera and the object, the Z-accuracy is approx. 0.1 millimetres. The maximum working distance is 2 meters. This 3D camera series complies with protection class IP65/67 and is ideal for use in industrial environments.