How did Joseph Engelberger help bring Unimate to factories?

Joseph Engelberger was instrumental in bringing the Unimate to factories by co-founding Unimation Inc. in 1956 to develop and promote the technology. While George Devol originated the design for the programmable manipulator, Engelberger acted as the businessman who teamed with him to champion the use of robots in industry.12

Engelberger’s efforts were pivotal in transitioning the invention from a concept to a practical factory tool. He facilitated the introduction of a prototype at a General Motors Corporation die-casting facility in 1959. By 1961, following the acquisition of Unimation by Condec Corp., the first production-line robot was delivered to the same factory to perform the hazardous task of removing and stacking hot metal parts. Through these efforts, Engelberger helped establish the foundation for modern robotics by successfully integrating programmable mechanical arms into industrial manufacturing environments.12