FEATURE ON ROBOTS AND AUTOMATION

Beckoff Outlines The Hidden Cost Of Over-Specification

Sports cars are fun to drive, but that extra performance is probably unnecessary if the main job is the school run. Machine builders face a similar challenge when specifying automation. While some applications demand advanced motion control and high-performance hardware, many do not. Karl Walker, business development manager at Beckhoff Automation UK, explains why right-sizing automation can reduce costs while providing a foundation for future growth.

With nearly half of manufacturers ranking process automation among their top investment priorities over the next two years, according to Deloitte’s 2025 Smart Manufacturing Survey, machine builders must balance performance, flexibility and cost. The challenge is increasingly less about maximising performance and more about choosing automation that keeps machines simple today while remaining adaptable tomorrow.

Over-specifying a machine can increase upfront costs, commissioning times, engineering effort, cabinet space, spare parts inventories and maintenance demands. However, selecting a basic control platform can create problems as requirements evolve, potentially forcing hardware replacement, software migration or control system redesign.

A scalable architecture addresses both challenges. Machine builders can start with a compact controller for straightforward positioning and move to a high-performance industrial PC for advanced motion control without changing the underlying software or communications architecture.

Beckhoff extends this approach to motion hardware with products including the AX1000 economy servo drive, AF1000 variable frequency drive and ASI/AMI integrated stepper and servo drive. These solutions provide optimised performance for applications that do not require the highest levels of precision control, while offering flexible mounting and architecture options. EtherCAT connectivity also helps simplify cabinet design and reduce component count.

By maintaining a consistent engineering environment through TwinCAT, EtherCAT and PC-based control, machine builders can add coordinated motion, enhanced safety or greater data connectivity as requirements develop.

More information

More information www.beckhoff.com/en-gb

Automation System Suits High-Mix, Low-Volume Production

Mills CNC has introduced its T Series compact automation systems, providing machine tool customers with flexible, high-productivity solutions for low-volume, high-mix manufacturing and 24/7 unattended production.

Comprising the T5, T10 and T20, the systems can be integrated with one or more machine tools to create automated cells with different capacities to suit individual production requirements. Each features a six-axis industrial robot, with payload and reach capabilities, end-of-arm tooling and pneumatic or electronic grippers configurable to the application.

A servo-driven vertical lift system provides space-efficient storage, with the T5, T10 and T20 accommodating five, 10 or 20 vertically stacked, two-way bi-directional drawers respectively. Individual trays within each drawer feature configurable grid plates or sockets for storing raw billets and finished components.

An ergonomic load/unload station with a waist-height transfer hatch enables operators to load workpieces and remove finished parts quickly and safely, without interrupting automated operations. Guarding and safety systems, including a responsive light curtain, further protect operators.

At the heart of every T Series cell is Mills CNC’s proprietary SYNERGi V6 software, accessed through a 17-inch touchscreen HMI. The intuitive interface allows users to manage automation tasks with minimal training and supports rapid setup, production planning, scheduling and modification.

Multi-touch functionality and 3D visualisation simplify programming, while real-time monitoring provides an overview of cell operations. Remote assistance functionality can also alert operators when a production process is complete or has been interrupted.

Mills CNC’s chief technical officer Heath Redman says: “With up to 20 levels of vertical storage in a small footprint, T Series systems enable customers to replenish workpieces or safely remove finished parts without interrupting robot and machining operations. They can transform machine shop performance through continuous production.”

More information www.millscnc.co.uk

Automated Cell Produces Medical Parts From Tough Materials

Subcontract machining firm Kirkstall Precision has strengthened its capabilities for the medical sector with two Japanese-built Brother Speedio M200Xd1-5AX five-axis machining centres, automated by a Tezmaksan workpiece loading, unloading and storage system. UK agent Whitehouse Machine Tools installed the cell in two phases.

For seven years, Kirkstall has focused primarily on medical components. It also produces surgical instruments and implants for the veterinary sector. The company is achieving 15-20% year-on-year growth. The first Speedio was installed in stand-alone mode in mid-2025. It was selected for accuracy, versatility and compactness.

“Accuracy in the medical sector is a given,” says managing director Adam Thornton. “Everything has to be completely correct, so we inspect and report all dimensional tolerances. Opting for a top-quality machine tool like the Brother Speedio was an obvious decision for us.”

Approved to ISO 13485, Kirkstall mainly produces low-volume orthopaedic components from challenging materials including stainless steel, hardened stainless steel, titanium and tough alloys. The M200Xd1-5AX is suited to these applications, while its rotary torque table combines five-axis prismatic machining with turning on a single platform. Compared with larger production centres, the Brother reduces cycle times by 20%.

The first machine proved so successful that Kirkstall installed a second in April 2026 and automated both with a Tezmaksan CubeBOX Blues DR. The system incorporates a six-axis robot and five-level drawer storage, enabling lights-out production and increasing output by up to 50%.

RoboCAM software allows operators to convert 2D CAD drawings into robot instructions without specialist programming knowledge, while operators can load fresh material and unload finished parts as the robot tends both machines.

“Whitehouse Machine Tools has been a collaborative partner throughout,” concludes Thornton. “Investing in top-quality brands like the Brother cell really adds to our strategy.”

More information www.wmtcnc.com

Boosting efficiency with automated robot welding system

Panasonic Factory Solutions has implemented its TAWERS G4 Welding Robot System for Stadler Anlagenbau, helping to automate manual welding processes, significantly reduce cycle times, and increase production efficiency and scalability.

Stadler manufactures specialist systems for turnkey recycling and waste sorting plants, with all systems and components produced in-house. The company already uses Panasonic G3 systems to manage welding across conveyor belt frame systems, pre-assembly and final assembly operations.

The new TAWERS G4 Welding Robot System further improves welding process management by combining control functions into a single system for high-quality arc welding. It features greater controller processing power, faster axis speeds and optimised controller-to-robot communication. In addition, the system includes a high-resolution touchscreen for simplified programming, while enhanced contact tips improve welding quality and reliability.

Before installation, Stadler carried out extensive simulations and test welds at Panasonic’s Robot & Welding Test Centre in Neuss, with employees receiving specialist training to maximise the system’s capabilities.

Bruno Stützle, head of production at Stadler, says: “Panasonic’s robot welding systems are easy to operate and maintain. As a result, the cycle and throughput time for some products, including all preparation, has been reduced to one-third of the original time. Apart from scheduled maintenance cycles, the G4 has exhibited faultless reliability since installation.”

Stadler also uses Panasonic’s Desktop Programming & Simulation (DTPS) software across its production line, providing remote digital access to real-time production and operating data. The system allows simultaneous planning and simulation of manufacturing processes, improving flexibility while saving time and resources.

The addition of a third TAWERS Welding Robot System has significantly increased Stadler’s production efficiency, giving the company greater scalability as it expands internationally and explores new opportunities.

More information www.bit.ly/4tHK6fy

Helping aero plants automate high-mix, large-scale inspection

Hexagon has unveiled new laser-guided solutions that make it possible, in some cases for the first time, to automate inaccessible and large-scale quality inspections in labour-intensive operations such as aircraft assembly, shipbuilding and wind turbine manufacturing.

Large-scale manufacturers are under growing pressure to increase output, but the inspection of safety-critical components often requires workers to check features manually from cherry pickers over multiple shifts, creating delays and interrupting production. Building on its laser tracker technology, Hexagon’s Leica Absolute Tracker ATS800, launched in 2025, introduced high-resolution direct scanning from distances of up to 40 m. The latest development expands its capabilities with a new AI-based computer vision feature called FeatureDetect.

FeatureDetect automatically identifies circular features such as bolt holes and mating points using the tracker’s onboard camera, reducing set-up time before laser scanning begins. This capability is particularly valuable for manufacturers working from CAD files, as well as for contract inspection, MRO and large raw casting measurement.

The ATS800 is a lightweight, battery-powered portable device that can be mounted by one person and used across multiple locations on site. From a single position, it can assess features and surfaces within large structures at high resolution.

Measurement specialist ARGON has also developed semi-automated inspection solutions using the ATS800, integrating it into a forklift-based measurement station for large components, while Geert Creemers, founder and managing partner at ARGON, says: “We call it automation without robots. In most cases, we achieve efficiency gains of 5-10 times.”

Hexagon reports the system can reduce inspection times from multiple days to just hours, while enabling safer, more reliable and even overnight automated inspection processes.

More information www.bit.ly/41Y0rjP