Formic has opened a 53,000-sq.-ft. headquarters in Bolingbrook, Illinois — its largest facility and five times the size of its previous location.

The move comes as Formic surpasses 650,000 production hours across its robotic fleet.

"This space exists because the demand is real, the pipeline is growing and we need the room to meet it," says Formic COO Danijel Lolic. "When we started, we had one core application and a clear conviction that the Robots-as-a-Service model could change manufacturing. What you see on this floor today is proof that the conviction was right and the model works. We've expanded from palletizing into case packing, pallet wrapping, and now machine tending, application categories that open up entirely new customers and facilities.”

During a June 11 grand opening event, attendees got a look at Formic's expanding automation lineup:

• Palletizing: Formic built its reputation deploying palletizing solutions for food, beverage and consumer goods manufacturers.
• Case Packing: An expansion of Formic's end-of-line automation footprint, helping manufacturers automate one of the most labor-intensive steps in the packaging process.
• Pallet Wrapping: Debuted publicly for the first time the event, adding another end-of-line capability to the Formic offering.
• Machine Tending: Formic's newest application category opens the door to metal components manufacturers supplying aerospace, automotive and industrial customers.

Formic was founded in 2020 with the goal of making automation accessible to every U.S. manufacturer, regardless of size. The company is also set to open a new facility in Oakland, California on Aug. 19.