pesmedia.com Production Engineering Solutions July 2024 31 AUTOMATION & ROBOTICS Simple•Flexible•Automation • Small batch high mix production • Never reprogram the robot • Reload entire system in 30 minutes • Small footprint requirements • Only 3-5 day installation • No services required to machine table • LANG supply & install automated door Tel: 01296 796576 Email: [email protected] www.lang-technik.co.uk reality viewer that allows the operator to programme the pathway robots use when powder coating different objects. Additionally, the new robotic welding cell at the plant handles and welds large parts such as the machine frames. Its installation has resulted in around 10 hours of welding time being saved per automation tower compared to manual welding and has improved the employees’ working environment. The expansion to the Bennäs site also includes a new logistics centre and offices for the administration and design teams. The extension as a whole is expected to create 100 more jobs over the next five to six years. “We have also expanded our design team as part of the investment in this facility and that will allow us to produce more machines,” Mr Seymour adds. “The modular design of our systems helps us speed our time to market and also means we can respond to specific customer requests quicker.” Demand is increasing for Amada’s technology at the moment. The medical and defence markets are strong and the widespread electrification of transport and the infrastructure required for greener technologies is seeing a growing need for products with sheetmetal components. Throughout Europe there is also a trend of reshoring production which makes automation more in demand for cost conscious and competitive prospective purchasers. Industry 4.0 Innovation and Smart Factory trends are also making lower manned production more viable and compiling data showing automation’s benefit for customers. “Improved efficiency is very apparent with automation; you don’t have to double the investment in equipment to achieve a doubling of output,” Alan Parrott, Amada’s European Regional CEO comments. “We have found with the introduction of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and the data that our machines now collect that it is numerically provable that automated systems are more reliable than standalone variants, and that the quality of the parts they produce is actually better than the quality produced by manually loaded and unloaded systems.” “Events such as the pandemic have opened people’s eyes to the benefits of automation and demonstrated what can be achieved when staff are not readily available,” Mr Seymour adds. “These are the aspects that have accelerated demand in the last few years. Our customers may just want to start with a shuttle table and then advance to more comprehensive automated installations, but the efficiency gains that you get with automation should make it a consideration for all our customers.” There’s no doubt the trend for automation is only going to increase, not only for the reasons already mentioned, but also because it removes the mundane jobs in manufacturing meaning the roles remaining should be more appealing to new entrants into engineering. However, that also means the solutions that Amada provides will have to keep developing, incorporating even smarter data led systems and the benefits of artificial intelligence, while always keeping track with customer needs – especially important for a company whose mantra is ‘Growing together with our customers’. “We aim to be the market leader in supplying automated solutions for sheetmetal processing,” Mr Seymour affirms. “Our core technology comes from Japan, but our role is to take that and apply automation for the European market. That’s why we have our own product development department here at Bennäs. We are very proud of the range of solutions we produce, but we can always do more.” “The main driver for all our customers is how our machinery can produce the lowest cost per part,” comments Mr Parrott. “We innovate our technology to try and achieve that with new products but then we also improve on that after customer feedback. It’s a system of continuous improvement.” Certainly, with its recent expansion, Amada Automation Europe looks set to achieve that for many years to come. “It’s great credit to the Japanese management that they agreed to this investment and continued, even when we were going through the difficulties of the pandemic,” Mr Parrott concludes. “They have ambitious growth plans for the European market; it contributes around 25% of the global Group’s turnover, so it is a good area for growth. We also want to introduce one comprehensive level of service and support across Europe which we see will be another opportunity for progress.” n Amada UK www.amada.eu/uk-en/company/ amada-uk The assembly hall at Amada Automation Europe A VR system is used at the plant to programme robotic powder coating pathways
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