Before Christmas, the University of Sheffield officially opened its Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) Cymru, a £20 million state-of-the-art research and development facility in North Wales.

As a member of the AMRC, Schunk UK played an integral role in the opening ceremony, holding the ribbon with a Schunk gripper for Wales’ First Minister Mark Drakeford to perform the ceremonial cutting.

Described by Welsh government ministers as a ‘game changer’ for the economies of Wales and the northern powerhouse, the AMRC Cymru is a purpose-built research and development facility close to the Airbus wing-manufacturing plant in Broughton.

It was officially opened by First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford and Economy and North Wales Minister Ken Skates, who accompanied Professor Koen Lamberts, president and vice-chancellor at the University of Sheffield, on a tour of the new building to see the new technologies that will be available to manufacturing companies across Wales.

Situated in the Deeside Enterprise Zone, the facility will operate a 2,000m² open access research area focus with a focus on advanced manufacturing sectors such as the aerospace, automotive, nuclear and food. This region has a strong manufacturing base and AMRC Cymru will build on this platform, driving world-class research and expertise across the supply chain. It is predicted the new facility could increase Gross Value Added (GVA) to the Welsh economy by as much as £4 billion over the next 20 years.

Holding the ceremonial ribbon for the First Minister was a Schunk Co-act gripper attached to a KUKA cobot mounted on a KUKA AGV. The new Schunk EGH Co-act gripper is the latest addition to the Schunk Co-act gripper family and is a flexible system for gripping and moving of small to medium-sized workpieces in the areas of handling, assembly and electronics.

The long stroke of the EGH gripper can cover a wide range of workpieces as the fingers are particularly suited for positioning over the entire stroke. Quick and easy to assemble, there is no height compensation required for the robot.

The design of the Schunk EGH Co-act gripper enables the gripper to be attached to the robot quickly and easily. To establish the electrical connection, a starter kit is available for quick and easy installation. Optionally attachable flexible fingers are available for increased flexibility.

AMRC Wales
https://www.amrc.co.uk/facilities/amrc-cymru-wales

Schunk
http://www.gb.schunk.com

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