Tower storage improves efficiency

Founded in 1995 as a machinery maintenance firm, Mechtop now has over 50 employees designing and building conveyor systems, tanks, pipework and custom steel structures such as railings and staircases. Located in Wangen bei Olten in northern Switzerland, the multi-faceted company needs a high degree of flexibility in its day-to-day manufacturing operations, so has upgraded its materials logistics by installing two tower storage systems and a bandsaw from Kasto.

Dominic Felice, a director of Mechtop, says: “We mainly manufacture small and very small batches down to one-offs. This is often the case when we need spare parts urgently, for instance. To meet these demands, we require systems that are versatile enough to deal with a range of processes, including our internal logistics.”

The company processes sheet metal as well as long stock including bar, tube and profile. In the past, both of these raw material types were stored in manually operated cantilever storage facilities.

Mechtop therefore decided to modernise and automate its storage infrastructure. The company opted for a compact KASTOecostore and a UNITOWER tower storage system, both manufactured by Kasto. UNITOWER is equipped with 108 storage cassettes for holding long stock up to 6 m in length, while the KASTOecostore has 26 pallet storage shelves able to accommodate sheet material up to 3 x 1.5 m.

“Automatic storage offers us a range of advantages,” states Felice. “We’ve gained a lot of valuable space, a better overview of our inventory and more control over stock, so we can work more productively and efficiently.”

Mechtop has also invested in a KASTOmicut A 2.6 automatic bandsaw. With a cutting range of up to 260 mm diameter and infinitely adjustable mitre angles from -45 to +60°, the pivot-bow bandsaw offers enough scope to cut a wide range of different components.

For further information
www.kasto.com

AMRs populate factory of the future

A new first-of-its-kind fully connected factory is applying game-changing technologies – including MiR Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) supplied by RARUK Automation – to help advance the manufacture of the UK’s next-generation combat aircraft system, Tempest. Located at the Warton facility of BAE Systems, the ‘Factory of the Future’ has been designed in such a way that it can flex to manufacture different products within the same area, leveraging the advantages provided by the MiRs and intelligent systems to accommodate changes quickly.

“The MiRs enable a fully autonomous logistics solution for material flow within the facility,” explains Ismail Master, Manufacturing Development Engineer – Manufacturing Technology, at BAE Systems – Air. “We are developing this capability and exploring how it integrates into existing and new production facilities. The robots will work collaboratively alongside operators, distributing material line-side to assembly stations on a just-in-time basis.”

For further information
www.rarukautomation.com

Make UK among speakers at Subcon

Make UK CEO Stephen Phipson CBE will present a state of the industry address at the forthcoming Subcon exhibition (Birmingham NEC, 14-16 September), one of many highlights at this year’s conference programme. The conference also includes sessions on sustainability, electric vehicles, additive manufacturing, industrialising innovation, managing the cost of supply chain disruption and the skills gap, delivered by some of the UK’s leading manufacturing companies and its most innovative disruptors.

Made in Britain CEO John Pearce, another speaker at the conference, says: “I think there’s a lot of optimism around at the moment, despite all the difficult times we’re going through. Made in Britain is part of that relentless optimism about the future of British manufacturing and making things closer to where they’re actually needed rather than from the other side of the planet.” The 2021 Subcon conference is a three-day, two-theatre, 20-session programme showcasing innovation and best practice from the worlds of engineering, manufacturing and supply chain management. It is free to attend for all Subcon visitors.

For further information
www.subconshow.co.uk/sessions-2021

Official launch for DMC

The Digital Manufacturing Centre (DMC) is heralding a new era of UK manufacturing with the launch of its all-new advanced engineering and production facility at Silverstone Park. Built from the ground up to solve complex engineering challenges, the DMC utilises state-of-the-art additive manufacturing (AM) processes, connectivity and pioneering engineering to support companies operating at the forefront of their sectors.

As an end-to-end solutions provider, the facility brings together metal, polymer and silicone additive manufacturing with complementary machining, finishing and inspection services for a fully connected process chain. Partners include Renishaw, DMG Mori, Produmax and the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC). Three local MPs attended the launch – Dame Andrea Leadsom, Andrew Lewer and Greg Smith – alongside representatives from SEMLEP, BTVLEP, Silverstone Technology Cluster and Silverstone UTC.

For further information
www.digitalmanufacturingcentre.com

Registration opens for Subcon 2021

Registration for Subcon 2021, which is co-located with The Engineer Expo and – new for 2021 – Manufacturing Management Show, is now open to visitors. Taking place in-person at Birmingham’s NEC on 14-16 September 2021, Subcon’s headline sponsors are IAMP and SCS Concept Group. Around 200 exhibitors are expected, including Hoffman Group UK, Wilson Process Systems and Oldham Engineering. Manufacturing Management is also curating a three-day conference with panel discussions and keynote addresses from Make UK CEO Stephen Phipson, Made in Britain CEO John Pearce and many more.

Gordon Kirk, Subcon event director, says: “We’re delighted to bring Subcon back and provide a long overdue opportunity for UK manufacturing to meet in person. The show is a timely and unique platform for UK manufacturers looking to source or develop a robust and localised network of UK supply chain partners.”

Register for Subcon at https://bit.ly/3subconreg