Automation keeps sanitary products ahead of the competition

摘要

A sanitary ware manufacturer is using robots to help automate processes within its factory to help it better compete with both Far East and European competition. Sanitary ware manufacturer, Twyford Bathrooms, has automated a large part of its Alsager, Stoke-on-Trent factory, by installing six cells based on Motoman robots to fettle and spray cast basins, pedestals, cisterns and closets before they are fired, a job that was previously carried out by 20 people. Further capital is also being spent on an automated guided vehicle (AGV) system for unmanned transportation of sprayed products to one of the kilns for firing. This part of the project is due to go live early in 2005. Twyford believes that eliminating manual operations from routine, high volume manufacture and at the same time maintaining product quality was crucial when competing with goods imported from the Far East and other countries, so it set about benchmarking its operations against other European manufacturing sites owned by its parent group, Sanitec. Best practice was identified in the Bromola factory in Sweden and Twyford set about duplicating the operation, where four automated cells robotically spray and fettle four varieties of white closet.