Freelin-Wade & FIRST: Three Years and Counting
McMinnville, OR - January 11, 2008
This week, student teams around the world began receiving their build kits for the 2008 FIRST Robotics Competition. 2008 marks the third year in a row that Freelin-Wade has provided the plastic tubing for the robot kits.
FIRST, (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is the brainchild of Dean Kamen, the President of DEKA Research & Development and the inventor of the Segway Personal Transporter. The organization's mission is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders. The FIRST Robotics Competition challenges high school teams from around the world to solve a common robotics problem over the span of six weeks. Regional competitions lead to the national finals in Atlanta, Georgia in April. More than 40,000 students are participating in the 2008 challenge.
Most of the robot solutions utilize pneumatics in their final design. Freelin-Wade plastic tubing is a critical component to these robot's pneumatic systems. In the 2008 build kits, Freelin-Wade donated 15 miles of plastic tubing. Freelin-Wade marketing manager, Ron J. Miller said, "We love being a part of FIRST. It's no exaggeration to say that the students amaze us more every year with their ingenuity and skill. It's great to see our plastic tubing having a role in this outstanding program."
Founded in 1980, Freelin-Wade is North America's largest independent manufacturer of plastic tubing and hoses for industries as diverse as pneumatics, dental and promotions. The company employs more than 100 people at its McMinnville, Oregon plant. Freelin-Wade is a subsidiary of Coilhose Pneumatics.
Our tubing is always an exact fit and with a verifiable on-time delivery rate exceeding 98%, our customers know precisely when their order will arrive. Freelin-Wade is well connected.
