ZEISS’ Wixom Quality Excellence Center earns ACEC/M award

The interconnectivity of quality inspection equipment with the infrastructure of modern smart factory environments is becoming increasingly critical. ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions opened its Wixom, Michigan Quality Excellence Center to demonstrate that interconnectivity with a modern work environment and state-of-the-art setting enhances insight into quality assurance for customers. The new facility has been honored by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Michigan (ACEC/M) with an Engineering Honorable Conceptor Award for the 2021 Engineering & Surveying Excellence Awards Competition.

The Engineering & Surveying Excellence Awards recognize outstanding projects, honor industry leaders, and present scholarships to the next generation of engineering talent while showing firsthand the impact engineering and surveying has on everyday lives. The ACEC recognized ZEISS and its goal for applying holistic engineering disciplines to the design of the building, located in the Detroit metro area.

"Like ZEISS products, the design of this facility is taut and precise. Its sleek silhouette is reflective of the company's strong, collaborative workforce and brand identity, and provides the exacting conditions needed to test and operate ZEISS equipment," shares Bob Varga, AIA, LEED AP, project designer for SmithGroup, the architect and engineering firm responsible for the project.

The result is a new standard in designing sophisticated lab systems while simultaneously using strategies to improve the user experience. During the virtual Engineer & Surveying Excellence Awards Gala on February 26, the building also qualified for the 2021 Grand Conceptor Award. This award signifies the year's best overall engineering achievement and will be announced during the upcoming virtual Engineering Excellence Awards Gala, scheduled for June 17, 2021.

© Zeiss | https://www.zeiss.com/metrology

The new ZEISS Quality Excellence Center contains a customer demonstration area with new technologies and systems. Customers gain access to comprehensive training, support, and metrology services. The center's broad portfolio of dimensional metrology and inspection equipment and services cover a wide variety of industries and applications, including:

• Automotive including car body and powertrain
• New energy vehicles
• Medical
• Aerospace and defense
• Additive manufacturing
• Electronics
• Visual inspection
• General manufacturing

ZEISS measuring specialists can perform proof-of-capability demonstrations for multidimensional measurement equipment, surface form and geometry equipment, and non-destructive testing and surface defect detection equipment.

© Zeiss | https://www.zeiss.com/metrology

Reducing the center's carbon footprint was also a key consideration that went hand in hand with the user experience.

As sustainability is one of our core values, we wanted to make sure that our green spaces adhered to the ZEISS tradition," says Michael Kirchner, president of ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions. "We are utilizing solar power to support our facility and have EUV charging stations for our employees and guests. We also produce large systems and measure very large components for our customers, so access and transport paths had to be optimized."

Kirchner accepted the Engineering Honorable Conceptor Award during a virtual event broadcast on Friday, February 26. "I would like to thank the American Council of Engineering Companies for recognizing our new building project," said Kirchner during his acceptance speech. "This project perfectly reflects our identity and is a great representation of the ZEISS Brand, both leading and precise. It demonstrates exemplary engineering design by the SmithGroup along with inspiring concepts for our staff and customers. The elevated workplace environment encourages creativity, innovation, collaboration and offers comfortable and efficient customer spaces."

ZEISS' goal is to always provide smarter working environments for better results. ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions looks forward to many years of serving and supporting North American customers with the Wixom Quality Excellence Center.

The facility is currently open for essential business including metrology services, training, and product demonstrations. A grand opening event will take place in the late Summer / Fall of 2021 or as soon as COVID-19 safety is assured.