Only months after beinginreeipt of an AF SBIR Challenge award, the asets of Autocrib - based in Tustin, CA. - were acquired for $36M by Kenosha, Wis based Snap-on Incorporated (NYSE: SNA) - abased global innovator, manufacturer and marketer of tools, equipment. Structured around providing companies and their personnel control over delivery of the tools and supplies that workers need, where they were needed - effectively, offering a tracking system and designed to enable manufacturers and maintenance operations efficiently to deal with the inventory challenges that they face in their operations, Autocrib has provided over 5,000 automated inventory control systems for manufacturing companies worldwide - saving manufacturers money and time because a lot of expensive tools and supplies sometimes go missing, are accessed by the wrong people or the stock runs out. The firm's AutoCrib EleVend - a tool vending machine - securely dispenses large, bulky, or soft items including gloves, safety glasses, hard hats, Tyvek suits, aprons and more. Autocrib's tool tracking software is the latest technology in automated inventory management: performing, issuing and returning tasks at a traditional tool crib window, while simultaneously managing many different types of point-of-use tool dispensing machines. AutoCrib IntelliPort is a secure unmanned tool crib dispensing any size item with high accuracy and little to no data entry required - having infinite storage space for unlimited SKUs, has a low cost per SKU and RFID tag. IntelliPort's turnkey system of RFID readers scans items to be issued or returned, making check-ins and check-outs fast and easy. Evolving from the basic concept of tool vending into a wide variety of systems assisting companies towards controlling tooling, gages, safety and MRO supplies, as well as other “indirect materials”.
