The Protective Guarding Manufacturers Association (ProGMA) members are the Industry’s leading suppliers of fixed protective guarding products designed to protect personnel, equipment, and inventory in industrial facilities. Mission: ProGMA promotes safety, security, and guarding for people, products, and facilities. ProGMA educates about protective barrier and guarding solutions through industry standards and best practices. Vision Statement: To be the authoritative resource for the best practices, standards, and applications of protective barrier, guarding solutions and associated technologies for industrial facilities. Protective Guarding Manufacturing Association member companies meet regularly to review and discuss industrial safety hazards and to promote specific guarding solutions for people, products, and facilities. ProGMA programs include: Development of educational materials for the promotion of proper protective guarding methods. Development, maintenance, and publishing of industry standards and specifications. Promotion of the features, advantages, and benefits of properly used protective guarding equipment. Development and promotion of standard nomenclature for protective guarding products. Dissemination of information regarding relevant legislation and international trade. Development, review and revision of product standards. Confidential collection and reporting of market statistics for different types of guarding products. Protective Guarding is a fixed barrier or device, used in manufacturing, distribution, and other industrial facilities to protect personnel, equipment, and inventory from hazards present in the workplace. Protective Guarding items range from fixed objects installed around articulating equipment, machinery, or material storage areas such as safety fence, netting, guard rail, and bollards to specialized switches designed to stop machine operation as well as safeguarding through visual or auditory aids.

The Rack Manufacturers Institute, Inc. (RMI) members are the Industry’s leading suppliers of Industrial Steel Storage Racks and Related Structural Systems. They supply industrial rack solutions worldwide and in virtually every major manufacturing and distribution sector. RMI was formed in 1958. Mission: To promote the safe and effective use of industrial steel storage racks and related storage and handling systems. Vision: Every rack system is designed, manufactured, and installed to meet the RMI Standards. Through guidance and education, help to ensure that rack systems are operated and maintained safely. A rack is a single or multi-level structural storage system that is utilized to support high stacking of single items or palletized loads. Racking systems are a fundamental component of any distribution, storage, or material handling operation. The right racks allow rapid access to stored or mounted materials, as well as a dependable, ergonomic product storage solution. Racking systems maximize facility space while simplifying inventory requirements. Pallet racks are among the most widely used type of storage solutions in heavy industry, shipping and manufacturing. Rack decking is manufactured in a variety of styles, from wire mesh to channel-reinforced steel decking. RMI Programs Include: RMI develops American National Standards for industrial steel storage racks and welded wire rack decking. RMI has drafted the American National Standards ANSI MH16.1 (for industrial pallet racks), ANSI MH16.3 (for cantilever racks), and ANSI MH26.2 (for wire rack decking) and certifies compliance with the standards via the R-Mark Certification Program. Product testing and R&D programs funded by RMI over the past 35 years have resulted in virtually all of the technical advances made within the U.S. Codes/Standards Community. RMI members prepare and conduct extensive educational materials and programs to create additional value for you as a user of industrial storage racks and related products. All RMI members are seated on the RMI Engineering Committee. RMI representatives maintain seats on a number of code and fire safety bodies to further assist in advancing the state of the art in rack design/application. RMI collects and disseminates reliable industry statistics. RMI believes that it is important to you that your supplier be committed to the principles of continuous improvement in both product design/application and in the highest Professional and Ethical Standards of Performance as embodied in the mission and work conducted within RMI.

The Robotics Group (TRG) are leading manufacturers, integrators, consultants, and component suppliers of robotic solutions designed specifically for warehousing and distribution applications. Traditionally, industrial robots in material handling applications have been limited to palletizing/depalletizing, conveyor picking, or other highly-repetitive tasks. Technology advancements are creating opportunities for robots and automated machinery in a wider variety of applications, including warehousing and distribution center activities. TRG conducts education and outreach with the goal of fostering technology adoption in this rapidly changing industry sector. Mission Our team of technology leaders inspires user confidence and fosters the adoption of robotic solutions to drive efficiency in supply chain applications. TRG member companies meet regularly to identify methods of promoting adoption of robotic and automated solutions in material handling applications. We identify barriers to adoption and understand the voice of the customer while creating opportunities to encourage the transition of automated technologies to promote supply chain efficiency. TRG programs include: The development of educational and training materials; A voice in the development and maintenance of national and international standards; The communication of the benefits of robotic and automated solutions via trade shows, educational forums, and other national and regional seminars.