Making weld cells smaller and more productive is the aim of FANUC Robotics’ latest welding robot the ArcMate 100iC/10s.  Designed for small weld cells or for densely populated welding systems, the ArcMate has a shorter forearm and a 10Kg payload for special welding guns and advanced sensor technology.  A variant of the ArcMate 100iC welding robot, the new arm retains its slim design and further supports multi-robot requirements with its compact 1,098mm reach.   Mounting options, including base mount, ceiling and angle orientation, fur... continued

 A robot that can be mounted in a variety of orientations without modification and with an unobtrusive smooth exterior is the latest offering from FANUC Robotics. The M-10iA/10S is a 6 axes, 10 Kg payload robot with a hollow arm to completely remove tooling cabling from the work area. The FANUC Robotics M-10iA/10S provides a compact solution for machine builders and system integrators needing to reduce space requirements.  The arm can be mounted in floor, ceiling and angle orientation, for instance overhead or on an inclined plane, to reduce sp... continued

A thriving North East manufacturer of quality washroom cubicle hardware has been able to competitively diversify into subcontract engineering with the help of robotic automation. ALM Products, based in Newton Aycliffe, has installed a FANUC Robotics robot for loading and unloading components to a machine tool. ALM’s cubicle products are used throughout the UK in schools, leisure facilities, offices, hotels and hospitals and it has earned a reputation for quality and flexibility of design to meet customer specific requirements. Using quali... continued

A refurbished parts exchange service is now available from FANUC Robotics in the UK. Only available through the manufacturer, all refurbished FANUC robot parts are supplied with the same full warranty as new parts. Typical parts available as service exchange include electronic components such as motors, encoders, servos, boards and pendants. In addition FANUC Robotics has extended the offering to include selected mechanical assemblies such as wrist joints. Introducing the service Tom Bouchier, Service Manager FANUC Robotics, commented, “Our refur... continued

A recently commissioned manufacturing facility for the machining of 105mm artillery shells has made an early impact on the aims of the MASS contractual partnership between BAE Systems and the UK MoD. MASS (Munitions Acquisition – the Supply Solution) –aims to deliver increased supplies of ammunition to front line troops by modernising and ensuring sustainability of the UK munitions industry.   Although due to be relocated to a brand new £28 million facility in Washington Co Durham, the recently installed manufacturing facility is curr... continued

FANUC Robotics’ latest addition to the M-410i range of palletising robots claims to be the fastest robot in its class performing cycles in less than 2 seconds. The slimmer arm and wrist design make the 140Kg payload M-410iB/140H the most compact robot in the range. Performing a standard industry palletising test - moving 400mm up, 2,000mm horizontally and 400mm down - while handling a 60Kgs payload, the new M-410iB/140H performs 1,900 cycles per hour. The speed and compact design make it ideally suited for high capacity production requir... continued

West Midlands small to medium sized businesses (SMEs) were given the opportunity to see how UK manufacturers are remaining competitive, by investing in robotic automation, during a recent visit to FANUC Robotics’ facility in Coventry. Out of the 13 businesses represented, 11were stimulated to further investigate opportunities at their own sites. The Technology Showcase visit was organised by IME (Inside Manufacturing Enterprise) for the Manufacturing Advisory Service West Midlands (MAS-WM) to familiarise attendees with robotic process solutions that c... continued

A thriving Yorkshire bakery has invested in its first robot system loading and unloading baked products to an oven. Fosters Bakery has increased capacity of a reel oven by 80% and is saving 50% energy costs in the process. Based in Barnsley, Foster’s Bakery has a ‘can do’ attitude when it comes to production processes in its factory. A trip round a fully automated bakery in Holland several years ago illustrated to Directors John Foster and Michael Taylor just what could be done to enhance manufacturing capability.  Identifying an... continued

A furniture component manufacturer has successfully integrated two robots onto an existing processing system at its busy Huddersfield facility. Using compact articulated design robots has saved over 50% of the space that would be taken up by conventional wood industry gantry or portal type handling systems. The Decorative Panels Group (DPG) is Britain's largest paper foil laminator supplying laminated board and furniture panels throughout Europe.   Already using automated systems to cut panels to size, DPG had been investigating the use of robots f... continued

Panasonic is no newcomer to robots at its Cardiff microwave oven plant, but the recent trend, with the move to Cell operation, was to concentrate on manual operations. An end-of-line palletising solution installed by Smurfit Kappa Machine Systems has changed this trend with investment in a new FANUC Robotics M410iB palletising robot. Operating at its current location since 1987 Panasonic’s facility was originally long flow lines, but the move towards cell manufacture slowly saw increased levels of manual operation.   With the original automation p... continued

Following closely the introduction of its first lightweight parallel link design robot, the 0.5Kg M-1iA, FANUC Robotics has now launched its larger 6Kg payload version, the M-3iA.  Available in 4 or 6 axes configurations, the design provides a compact handling solution for machine or system integration.  Aimed at assembly and packing operations the parallel link structure allows the compact M-3iA to be located safely in confined areas. Its cylindrical work envelope, 0.5 Mtr deep by 1.350 Mtr diameter, is concentric to the robot mounting base... continued

Pallets made from paper pulp are the innovation of Icelandic business Green Solutions PLC. Claimed to be the first pallets in the world to be made from paper pulp they are manufactured from 100% recycled paper. Designed and developed by Green Solutions, the manufacturing process is automated from the input stage, where the paper is in a slurry form, right through to the output stage where the finished pallet is ready for use.   Central to the process are two FANUC Robotics robots which handle the mould and moulded pallet and also control the system... continued

Investing in six axes robots for its moulding operation has helped Timloc Building Products to reduce its cost base significantly. Five FANUC Robotics robots are removing components from moulding presses and packing them ready for delivery. Timloc, a member company of the Alumasc Group, manufactures a wide range of plastic building products for roof, wall and floor ventilation. “We operate in a competitive mature market which is compounded by the current economic conditions,” explains David Preston, Timloc’s Managing Director, “W... continued

A Grimsby fish processor has successfully implemented robots into its facility to remove the heavy and repetitive load and unloading tasks. Producing dried fish, JHS Fish Products Limited has two FANUC Robotics robots handling palletised fish at both the raw and the dry stages of the process. JHS is strategically located in Grimsby to take fish heads, tails, fins, backbones and lugs from other fish processors in the area. What other processors classify as waste, or offal, has a very specific market in Nigeria where a fish flavoured stock is produced a... continued

Wienerberger UK has successfully engineered an automated system for handling special brick variants in partnership with FANUC Robotics UK. Breaking away from its traditional OEM supply route has allowed Wienerberger UK to directly tap into industry robotics know-how and capitalise from a high efficiency system. A global manufacturer of high quality bricks, Wienerberger produces its standard products using conventional dedicated automation systems. In addition it also produces what it calls ‘special-specials’ – bricks manufactured a... continued

Plastics, end of line packaging and food and drink are just three industry sectors where FANUC Robotics’ Strategic Partners have been very active over the past two years. Introducing robotics know-how into specialist areas of manufacturing industry, and an uptake of usage in less adventurous areas, is proving the success of the Strategic Partner Programme introduced by FANUC only two years ago. Successful robot integration into any manufacturing environment requires a mix of industry ‘know how’ and an understanding of a robot’s capa... continued

Precision engineer and sheet metal fabricator, William A Lewis Engineering Limited of Shrewsbury has illustrated just how versatile a single robot can become once its full potential is realised. A subcontractor predominantly to the defence sector, WA Lewis is using the robot cell to weld, at coded level, the widest range of materials and also for plasma-cutting plate up to two inches thick. The FANUC Robotics System 100 welding cell comprises a six axes FANUC Robotics ArcMate 100iB robot within a self-contained enclosure. Components loaded into jigs on ... continued

A new lightweight and compact, parallel link design robot has been introduced by FANUC Robotics UK Ltd. Designed for high speed electronics assembly and picking and packing of light components, the M-1iA robot is available with 4 or 6 axes options and weighs in at only 14Kgs and 17Kgs respectively. The parallel link structure allows higher speeds and greater accuracy than conventional SCARA type assembly arms. Handling a payload of 500gms the M-1iA will complete the standard pick and place trial of 25mm up, 200mm linear and 25mm down in only 0.3 seconds... continued

Technical injection moulding specialist, Sovrin Plastics, has equipped its latest dedicated moulding facility with electric moulding machines each fitted with an electric robot arm. Five FANUC ROBOSHOT moulding machines, each equipped with a six axes FANUC Robotics M6iB robot, help to maintain a clean room standard of Class7 (class 10,000).  Sovrin Plastics has earned a reputation in the industry for its ability to turn technically challenging customer projects round quickly from concept through to manufacture and the new facility was no exception. ... continued

Riding the cyclical trends of industrial markets is something that FANUC Robotics UK Ltd has performed well since its entry into to the UK robotics sector in 1982. As it begins 2009, the Coventry based robotics business can celebrate its highest January order book for over ten years. This position, matched against the generally gloomy backdrop of the once buoyant automotive industry, is testimony to FANUC’s successful entry into markets that have increasing needs to automate production. These sectors include food production and aerospace manufactu... continued

A new high-speed robot, designed for the Pharmaceutical industry, has been introduced by FANUC Robotics. Suitable for packing and picking operations the arm has been designed for hygienic process areas where intensive cleaning is routinely carried out. The FANUC Robotics M-430iA/2P is designed for hose down cleaning, the robot is sealed to meet IP 67 standards and double seals on the major axes not only keep fluids out but ensure that grease and contaminants stays within the durable casings. Joints four and five use nylon gears and do not require any l... continued

Marshall Vehicle Engineering, part of Marshall Land Systems, has illustrated just how effective welding robots can be with its first implementation of robots in a production environment.  Two robots mounted on a 24 metre overhead gantry are welding complex truck loading platforms in three and a half hours – a reduction in 17 hours over manual welding times. The specialist vehicle and shelter manufacturer, part of the Marshall Group, has designed and developed cargo beds, or loading platforms, for the new MOD Support Vehicle project. Worki... continued

No newcomer to robots, Marley Eternit Ltd, has recently completed installation of two new robot systems at its Burton-on-Trent tile manufacturing plant. Comprising six FANUC robots in total, the systems were needed to replace older dedicated machinery and to accommodate additional capacity transferred from another facility. Marley Eternit engineers have project managed all robot installations into its plants and take the role of ‘prime contractor’ working with supplier partners. Each new project sees a rigorous tendering process which focu... continued

The Paint Mate 200iA robot is the latest addition to FANUC Robotic’s spray painting robot range. Based on the well proven LR Mate® series, the new Paint Mate 200iA has a small footprint and can be accommodated in confined spaces.  A variety of mounting options, floor, ceiling, wall or angle, are suitable for the Paint Mate and its configuration, dexterity and reach make it ideal for complex shapes. Two options, Paint Mate 200iA and 200iA/5L provide reaches of 704mm and 892mm respectively.   Further enhancing its suitability for c... continued

King Automotive Systems Limited based in Coventry is a successful power train components supplier that has embraced robotics in a structured manner over the past six years. When tendering for new contracts, robots are now seen as an essential resource requirement to allow them to remain competitive against overseas businesses. Part of the global Amtek Group, King Automotive Systems competes against businesses in China and India to produce high quality components for customers including Jaguar, Land Rover, Renault, Ford and BMW. Six years ago the company... continued

Visitors to this year’s EuroBlech sheet metal working exhibition, in Hannover 21st – 25th October, will see the world’s largest and strongest industrial robot capable of handling a 1,200Kg payload. The new FANUC Robotics M-2000iA heavy-duty robot sets new levels for all round capability in the heavy-duty six axes robot sector.   The six axes robot arm is available in 900Kg and 1,200Kg payload variants – M-2000iA/900L and M-2000iA/1200 - and is capable of handling its maximum payload quickly, smoothly and with a high degree of a... continued

New robot provides straight-forward route to high speed 700Kg payload palletising.   FANUC Robotics has launched the latest version of its 410iB series palletising robot with an increased payload capability of 55%. The new FANUC Robotics M410iB/700 arm maintains the high speed capability of the range, 700 cycles per hour, and takes the payload up to 700Kgs. Operating over a standard pick and place test cycle - .4Mtr up x 2Mtr linear x .4Mtr down - the arm performs 700 cycles per hour, at 100% duty cycle, providing a potential palletising through... continued

  Over the next three years up to 6,500 people from Peterborough and the surrounding  East of England region will benefit from training at the newly expanded Perkins Learning Centre. Opened by Minister for the East, Barbara Follett on 21st July 2008, the Centre will be available to local businesses, educational establishments and other organisations to help increase productivity of the region’s businesses. Supported by an £825,000 grant from the East of England Development Agency (EEDA), Automation Technology features high at the new... continued

Launched into the European market in 2006, a Mazak e-Bot Cell has now been operating in Mazak’s own UK facility for over a year.  Machining castings destined for assembly into Mazak machine and lathe centres, the e-Bot Cell, a turning centre complete with its own robot loader, has helped to double capacity of large turned components.  Three machines manned by two operators over two 8 hour shifts have now been replaced by two machines, one e-Bot and one manually loaded machine, with one operator over two shifts.  The result is two less operat... continued

By investing in a FANUC Robotics robot welding system, the main objective for Audience Systems was to fill a local skills gap – now 12 months down the road the company can illustrate several other important advantages that have been gained. Based in Westbury, Wiltshire, Audience Systems Ltd is like any other part of the country when it comes to shortages of manufacturing skills.  Owned by the Japanese Kotobuki Corporation, the world’s largest supplier of retractable seating, Audience Systems manufactures, designs, supplies and installs product f... continued

Speeding up production is not something commonly associated with cheese manufacture – its very nature is that it should take time to mature for ultimate flavour.  However, when production output is 350,000 tons per year, maximising the efficiency of packaging becomes a core issue.  This is the case for Friesland Foods Cheese, one of Holland’s longest established producers of cheese. KH de Jong, part of Friesland Foods Cheese, and one of four Friesland packaging facilities in Holland, use FANUC Robotics robots on three packaging lines.  ... continued

Corrugated machine specialist, Smurfit Kappa Machine Systems, has joined forces with FANUC Robotics (UK) Limited by becoming one of its Strategic Systems Partners.  The partnership recognises Smurfit Kappa’s close working relationship with FANUC Robotics in the packaging sector.   Acknowledging the need for specific industry knowledge and the skills offered by system integrators, FANUC Robotics will provide Smurfit with sales and engineering support to provide end users with highly efficient robot systems.  Smurfit has already supplied 10 FA... continued

Injection moulding automation specialist, Hi-Tech Automation has been recognised by FANUC Robotics as its strategic partner for the plastics industry.  The award follows several years of successful installations, involving 40 robots to date, in which the two companies have worked closely together. FANUC Robotic’s Strategic Partnership Programme acknowledges the need for specific industry knowledge and the skills offered by system integrators.  The programme aims to provide customers with cost-effective robotic solutions engineered by FANUC support... continued

Bringing efficient machining processes back in-house at diesel engine manufacturer Perkins has been helped by close partnerships with FANUC Robotics (UK) and Heller Machine Tools. Support and collaboration from OEM suppliers is seen by Perkins as a fundamental to success. Manufacturing Coach is a job title that becomes very obvious after only a few minutes talking to Tony Green of Perkins Engines. Enthusiasm pours from Tony as he explains the shift in working practice that has benefitted the company, and the UK, over the past three years. Teams in the Perkins ma... continued

Faster programming and longer cable life are just two benefits provided by FANUC Robotics’ new ARCMate 100iC Robot. Internal cable management, from the robot’s ‘base to the weld torch’, allows the dress package (wire, gas and power supplies) to accurately and repeatably follow the robots motion avoiding snagged and broken cables. The six axes ARCMate100iC has a new slim design throughout, allowing closer integration of multiple robots and improved access to confined areas. A cantilevered forearm design allows the wire feed unit to be posit... continued

Installing 68 robots to process over 400,000 lettuces a day has helped a Spanish business to maintain continuity of output and control of quality together with reducing labour demands by 80%. Agriculture is big business in the Murcia region of Spain, climatic conditions and soil type allow the production of vast quantities of vegetables that are a major contributor to the Spanish economy. The agricultural industry in the region understands the importance of technology to maintain its competitive position in European markets and actively applies research and d... continued

A new high-speed robot, designed specifically for the food industry, has been introduced by FANUC Robotics. Suitable for picking of primary and secondary foods, the M-430iA/2F Robot has a long reach of 900mm and five axes flexibility to accommodate horizontal or vertical product placement positions. FANUC Robotics has used an anthropomorphic arm design to produce a large work envelope that allows the M-430iA/2F to quickly rotate or flip back on itself, if required, to cover an area of up to1.8mtr diameter. The arm can be vertically mounted, providing clear access... continued

High-speed, space-saving robot provides straight-forward handling solution for machine builders A new compact and high-speed robot, ideally suited for integration into special purpose machinery has been introduced by FANUC Robotics. The LR Mate 200iC has a rigidly constructed lightweight arm which enables it to be positioned in confined spaces subject to regular maintenance and product change-overs. Providing a straight-forward alternative to dedicated automation solutions, the six axes LR Mate 200iC will handle a payload of 5Kg. Operating with a 1Kg payload, th... continued

Re-engineering a straight-forward robot palletising cell after only five years might seem excessive but for one manufacturer rethinking this operation, and utilising newer technology, has paid dividends. Myson Radiators based in Gateshead, manufactures over one million steel panel radiators a year. Six years ago it took a major step forward by installing a three robot palletising system. Engineered by a local company the system was capable of palletising 70% of Myson’s extensive range of products – in all over 923 variants of radiator. Robbie Forrest... continued

FANUC Robotics’ has introduced a new vision system which integrates directly with its RJ3iC controller. The FANUC iRVision system is designed to reduce installation time and cost, and to make vision integration with robot systems a straight-forward process. No additional hardware, other than a camera, is required to integrate both 2D and 3D vision with FANUC’s RJ3iC controller. The iRVision system manages all image processing using the robot controller’s CPU - saving the expense and integration of an external PC and associated software. Set-up ... continued

“Our intention is to automate any production process that returns a benefit to our customers and Shimizu,” a clear statement given by Trevor Gaughan, Technical Director of Shimizu Industry UK Limited, as he recently described its three six axes robot installations. By the end of January a further two robot systems will be installed at the Telford Site. Shimizu is a moulding and assembly company supplying automotive tier one companies. Operating from two sites, in Welshpool and Telford, the business is clearly driven by the demand for high quality prod... continued

Robot system integrators and end-users can now make significant reductions in design and programming time by using a new simulation package from FANUC Robotics. ROBOGUIDE is a cost effective solution for engineers to design, prove and programme robot systems either concurrently with new product design or for making modifications to existing equipment and programmes. A FANUC Robotics Virtual Robot Controller and programming capability operates within the 3D feature rich simulation tool. Designers can choose from a wide range of ‘drag and drop’ customis... continued

FANUC Robotics has introduced a new controller which provides enhancements to performance, an increase in the number of robot arms it can control and a fully integrated vision control system. The FANUC R-J3iC controller has improved vibration control which allows its motors to have shorter acceleration and deceleration times resulting in a significant improvement in cycle times. Further control enhancements, including high performance constant path, help to speed up programming significantly for applications such as arc welding. Where vision is required the F... continued

Beatson Clark supplies glass packaging containers to the pharmaceutical, food and drink markets worldwide. Specialising in providing packaging solutions for niche brands, and complete product lines for customers with variable needs, its success depends on flexibility and responsiveness in delivering a high quality product. The company has recently invested in a robot palletizing system, engineered by FANUC Robotics UK, to support its growth in its food and pharmaceutical markets. Beatson Clark’s customers have very specific requirements, for the way their g... continued

Robots have been around for sometime now and have arguably not made any impact on the foundry sector – intelligent control aims to change that position… Expensive, complex, unreliable - these are just three descriptions that in the past have often preceded the word robot when used in the foundry industry. This has certainly been the case in early adventurous applications where unproven technology had been used to attempt to overcome the foundry environment. Although robots are still not being used in large quantities in the foundry, there is now an... continued

FANUC Robotics has introduced a new 50KG intelligent robot to its range aimed at heavy duty cycle applications. The M710 i C series comprises two ruggedly designed arms with short and long reach arm options. The new arm supercedes the 45KG M710 i B and gets upgraded with an increased payload, a slimmer arm, a heavier duty wrist capable of inertias 2.6 times higher, a wider work envelop, IP 67 option pack for aggressive environments and a host of intelligent control options. The short arm version, the M-710 i C/50S is compact with a 1.36 Mtr reach, making it idea... continued

Systems using multiple robots are nothing new – from small assembly cells to large spot welding production lines in the automotive sector, robots have been efficiently operating for the past 35 years. What is new is multi-robot systems using intelligent control to maximum advantage to reduce tooling costs, reduce set-up times, reduce time to market and a host of other benefits. FANUC Robotics’ Intelligent Robots range offers DualARM Control and ROBOTLink to allow multiple arms, and if required work positioners, to be controlled by one programme. Typic... continued

The Plymouth based robot systems builder, Autotech, is celebrating the installation of its 200 th robot system after only 15 years of operation. Supplied to CHK Engineering, a Crewe based jobbing shop manufacturing parts for trucks, the welding system uses a FANUC robot and a manipulator - the whole system effectively providing a total of 10 axes of movement. Autotech has specialised in welding systems since the business started and bases most systems around both new and warranted second hand FANUC robots. Over 70% of its business is from repeat orders with custo... continued

FANUC Robotics will demonstrate its newly introduced range of integrated sensor systems at this years Mach exhibition. Developed by FANUC for use on its Intelligent Robot range, the sensors have further reduced risk by taking system integration into the world of plug-and-play. Visitors to the exhibition will have the opportunity to randomly load components into a gear assembly system which utilises force sensing and a 3D vision system. A FANUC Robotics M16 i B Intelligent Robot fitted with a V-500iA/3DL laser vision sensor locates the gears and picks them up. Th... continued

Meeting increased demand for robots and automation in Ireland , FANUC Robotics has recently increased its levels of local support for sales and after-sales. Previously providing support from its Coventry base, FANUC now has 'its own man' operating on the ground. John Joe McDermott, already well known to FANUC Robotics' Irish customers, is now based in County Mayo . Ten years experience with FANUC, project engineering robot systems, puts John Joe in a strong position to provide local support and expertise to address challenging manufacturing problems. Sean Murphy... continued

Find a successful and cost effective method of buildings cars and duplicate the production system anywhere in the world - that's the Nissan method and it's a positive way to generate a dynamic production system that's always looking to increase efficiency. Nissan's Sunderland plant is the first European plant to implement the company's new approach to floor pan assembly. The recent installation of a new floor pan assembly line, the first of its kind in Europe at Nissan's Sunderland plant, has effectively removed the need for framing jigs on initial spot welding o... continued

For most manufacturing businesses, deciding to link the latest in robot technology with traditional moulding processes would be a challenging undertaking. But for market leading manufacturer and supplier of circuit protection, cable management and wiring devices, MK Electric, this decision has helped them to deliver a consistently high quality product and simplified manufacturing processes. The use of Robots has given this traditional process a new lease of life and has been fundamental to continued manufacture in the UK . In 1999 MK decided to install its first ... continued

BAW Precision Engineering has installed a second transfer gearbox assembly line into Borg Warner's Margam factory using proven proprietary automation equipment wherever possible. The assembly system further establishes BAW as a supplier of complete manufacturing systems. Operating as a precision engineering company since 1973, BAW has had to adapt to the change in the manufacturing sector. The old business model saw precision engineering companies manufacturing to drawings supplied by customers with in-house design and tool rooms. In the process of going lean mos... continued

Industrial robots, now more than ever before, are playing a critical part in maintaining a manufacturing capability within the UK . Its no longer just about volume production where robots are considered, in fact for many years now its been more about employing robots to assure consistent quality. The migration of manufacturing to Eastern Europe and Asia is without doubt cost driven and to stay competitive must be a major consideration for any business. However, those businesses that have driven manufacturing demands up the technology 'food chain' are reaping the ... continued

A new high-speed 6 axes industrial robot offering increased flexibility and compactness over SCARA type arms is now available from FANUC Robotics UK Limited. The M-6iB/2HS, with a payload capability of 2 kg, can complete the industry recognised pick and place benchmark - motion pattern 25mm x 305mm x 25mm - at a best in class rate of 94 cycles per minute. Aimed firmly at high speed packaging and assembly applications, the M-6 i B/2HS is designed for fast pick and place operations. A derivative of the well proven M-6 i B, the new arm has up rated motors producing ... continued

Andy Sargisson , Sales Manager of MITSUI-FANUC, explains why intelligent robot control systems are playing an increasingly important part in meeting 'time to market' demands imposed on moulders. Robots are nothing new to the moulding sector and their importance when estimating manufacturing costs for future projects ranks as high as moulding machines and tooling. The benefits they offer are well understood and documented; and there is an increasing understanding of capabilities of linear robots and the more flexible multi-axes articulated arms. Linear robots off... continued

To those who can compare building 'booms' of old with the current building explosion, one change stands out more than most - building sites are now relatively tidy places. Virtually smoke free zones, the constant rubbish burning fire in the middle of the site, is just a distant memory. Driven by legislation and environmental controls, the impact goes right back to the raw materials manufacturer. For Thermalite, the UK 's leading manufacturer of building blocks and part of Marley Building Materials Limited (MBM), the need to reduce packaging for environmental reas... continued

On the surface, anyone taking a comparative snapshot of the use of robotics in plastics moulding between 1990 and 2004 could be forgiven for thinking not a lots changed. In fact very little in the way mouldings are handled has changed. What has changed dramatically is that much of the work undertaken in the UK during the 90's has either moved 'offshore' or is certainly under threat of going that way. How does the 'offshoring' dilemma relate to handling mouldings? Well its not just about handling mouldings but increasingly in all areas of manufacturing 'moving up ... continued

‘Time to market’ demands present tier one suppliers with increasing challenges. Concurrent manufacture of tooling, often before final design ‘sign off’, has driven intelligent control out of the ‘nice to have’ and into the ‘must have’ category of production equipment. In today’s overtly fashion conscious automotive world, manufacturers ultimately rely on the consumer to apply the final judgment to their products. Focus groups exposed to a product before its launch can provide confirmation that the design team ... continued

Mason and King Limited has addressed the problem of 'offshoring' manufacturing and skill shortages by investing in generic robot welding cells supplied by FANUC Robotics UK. Leicester based sheet metal fabricator, Mason and King Limited prides itself with being progressive and highly responsive to the demands of its customers in the markets it operates in. Like most of its competitors recent years have presented their fair share of challenges - least of all the increase in UK businesses 'offshoring' their manufacturing. Ray Mason , Managing Director of Mason and... continued

A six axis robot capable of handling 600kg payloads quickly, smoothly and with a high degree of accuracy has been introduced by FANUC Robotics. The FANUC Robot M-900 i A/600 allows crane-assisted assembly and handling applications to be undertaken with accuracy, without risk to operators and eliminating damage. Designed for super heavy and large work pieces, the M-900 i A/600 is a development of FANUC's well proven all electric servo-driven M-900 i B. range. The new robot maintains all the flexibility of the lower payload models with a fast joint 4 wrist speed of... continued

Want to improve your golf short game? Take a look at FANUC's M6 i B Robot arm for a few tips on 'lining up' and a smooth follow through. FANUC's latest robot golf demonstrator does have a serious side as it demonstrates the 6Kg payload robot's many benefits including high motion speeds, fast wrist action and its compact design. Initially the robot selects a wedge and chips the ball into a net from which it drops onto the green. The ball's position is then identified relative to the hole using FANUC's V-510 i Vision System. The vision system illustrates its hig... continued

A € 500,000 investment in its customer support system is helping FANUC Robotics to reduce costs and increase the efficiency of its service operation. FANUC's Technical Service Module (TSM) provides an individual record of all FANUC industrial robots operating throughout Europe . Available online, the TSM system provides support engineers with up to date information from any location where the Internet can be accessed. Full specifications of each robot together with service history and current case notes ensure engineers arrive at customer sites fully prepare... continued

FANUC Robotics' System 50 Robot Welding Cell has been updated with the LR Mate 200 i B Robot and RJ3 i B intelligent controller. Offering increased speed, a longer reach and simplified teaching menu, the cell has the potential to increase capacity for the jobbing welder. Designed as a 'ready to go' cell, the well-proven System 50 provides a straightforward introduction to robotic welding for the first time user. With the addition of FANUC's latest intelligent controller the system is now not only easier to programme, but also allows for the addition of more advan... continued

A new heavy payload handling robot, added to FANUC's i series robot range, provides increased opportunity to handle complete pallet layers of product. Handling up to 450Kgs, the M-410 i B is the latest addition to FANUC Robotics extensive i series range. Three versions have been introduced capable of high speeds when handling full payloads; a 160Kgs payload arm - 1500 cycles per hour, a 300Kgs payload arm - 1000 cycles per hour and a 450Kgs payload arm - capable of 700 cycles per hour. The base of the four axes arm is configured to occupy a small footprint of ju... continued

Want to improve your short game? Take a look at FANUC's M6 i B Robot arm for a few tips on 'lining up' and a smooth follow through. FANUC's latest robot golf demonstrator does have a serious side as it demonstrates the welding robot's many benefits including high motion speeds, fast wrist action and its compact design. Coupled with the high speed Vision V-500 system and its HMI the robot could give users more time to perfect their own game of golf! Ref: release no. Fa0009-A Issue date: August 2003 Issued by: David Wickham, Jon Oliver Communications Tel: 019... continued

FANUC Robotics UK Limited has delivered the first of a new generation of 'Ready to go' fully enclosed routing cells. Delivered just eight weeks from the date of order the system has been designed to be 'up and running' and producing 'in tolerance' products within hours of unloading. The design philosophy of the cell is based around the increasingly important need to reduce product 'time to market'. FANUC's customers, particularly in the automotive sector, often need to procure process equipment before tooling or even pre-production samples are made available. Ju... continued

FANUC Robotics (UK) Limited has achieved accreditation to the environmental management system ISO14001 within 6 months of commencing its action programme. Effective implementation of FANUC's Environmental Management System (EMS) is seen by the business as an essential criteria to its future and the environment it operates within. As an established supplier to both automotive and non-automotive sector manufacturers, FANUC is increasingly being measured by its customers against its compliance with environmental standards. Several major automotive suppliers have alr... continued

Aimed at reducing robotic system design time and lengthy re-programming downtimes, FANUC Robotics (UK) Limited has introduced FANUCWorks to its product range. A 3D simulation tool, FANUCWorks enables engineers to design, programme and prove efficient systems using a PC. FANUC uses the popular 3D solid modelling CAD system SolidWorks® as its platform for FANUCWorks, providing it with robot geometry and parameters for its complete range of robots. A Windows® based system, the package is straightforward to use allowing the fast generation of 3D geometry and ... continued

When bearing manufacturer SKF recently moved three independent grinding operations into one purpose built cell it created a justifiable need for a robotic machine unload system. The cell comprises three grinding operations, finish grind the outer ring faces, rough grinding of the outer ring outside diameter, and another centreless grinding operation to finish the outside diameter. Putting the cell together has enabled it to be fully automated from input on the first operation to output of the finish operation. Initially the cell was manually unloaded with the in... continued

The recent installation of two robotic machine cell management systems at specialist automotive parts supplier, Carringworth Limited, is part of a £1 million investment in manufacturing automation made over the past 2 years. The equipment has contributed to Carringworth's continued development in the fiercely competitive automotive sector by increasing operational efficiency. Founded just 25 years ago with four enthusiastic employees and a few machine tools, Carringworth now has a workforce of approximately 300 people employed on three sites - the main site... continued

Meeting customer's fashion requirements in high volume markets presents great demands on manufacturing to be flexible and to be able to adapt quickly. Falling into this category is the roofing tile market where Marley Building Materials (MBM), a major player with eight UK manufacturing sites, understands the need to offer an ever-widening variety of products. When a new 'slate look-a-like' concrete tile was recently introduced into MBM's range it presented the need for a complete review of the packaging area at its Beenham site. Unlike the 'traditional' concrete ... continued

In today's overtly fashion conscious automotive world, manufacturers ultimately rely on the consumer to apply the final judgment to their products. Focus groups exposed to a product before its launch can provide confirmation that the design team got it right - although more often than not, and the main reason for these pre-launch viewings, aesthetic and functional shortcomings are identified. To any manufacturer the implications of product modifications are extensive and in particular in the automotive world the chain of supply affected has costly time repercussi... continued