A UK specialist in the design and manufacture of cable management solutions has invested in shop-floor automation as it looks to capture further market share and spur even more growth. Unitrunk, which is based in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, says recent investments in automated Amada technology are saving time and introducing greater levels of flexibility at this progressive and ambitious engineering business.

“Our growth over the past decade has been driven through production efficiency on the shop floor, as well as manufacturing automation, without any increase in additional labour,” states process engineer Mark Cartmill.
A recent case in point is the installation of the Amada CS stockyard automation system, linked to two Amada EM series punch presses (one existing and one new) that are fed by LIII loaders and unloaded by TK-3015R part picker/removal units.
“Previously we had stand-alone punch presses with Amada MP load/unload systems, but with the CS stockyard we now have no waiting for material to arrive or leave,” says Cartmill. “In addition, we can process a much wider range of material without any manual intervention whatsoever.”
The system offers full unmanned production, easy stock management, part picking/stacking and, with the addition of the new Amada EM-3612ZR T punch press, full automated tool selection in approximately 10 seconds (in hidden time while the sheet is running), providing high levels of flexibility.
Unitrunk completed a thorough review process, assessing a number of stockyard automation systems before opting for the Amada CS from a final shortlist of two. The company is currently in the process of writing upwards of 15,000 programs for the new system, but is hopeful this task will be complete within 12 months.
For further information www.amada.co.uk

This year, Taiwan was ranked second in terms of the numbers of exhibitors participating at EMO and third in regards to exhibition space; impressive for a country about the size of the Switzerland. Among the principal exhibitors from Taiwan was the Fair Friend Group, which is now the third largest machine-tool group in the world. FFG owns 37 machine-tool brands and 50 production bases worldwide.

At EMO 2019, FFG’s exhibit filled the whole of hall 14, showcasing over 35 machines from 20 brands, and offering smart manufacturing solutions integrated with future 5G networking applications for industries that include automotive, aerospace, rail and mouldmaking.
For further information www.taitra.org.tw

Working together successfully is a key feature of successful inclusion projects for people with and without disabilities. Clamping and gripping technology specialist Röhm, headquartered in Sontheim, Germany, wholeheartedly supports this philosophy.

The Lebenshilfe workshop for disabled people at Heidenheim and Giengen (HWW GmbH) and Röhm have been in close contact for some time now, collaborating on the implementation of a corresponding ‘pioneering project’. Its objective is to create 12 long-term jobs outside the workshop for disabled people who work at HWW GmbH. These positions will be fully integrated into the company’s operations.
But what makes this project so special? Well, Röhm is the first employer, at least in the rural district of Heidenheim, to create a significant number of long-term jobs instead of individual or temporary project-related jobs.
In the future, people with and without disabilities will work alongside each other. Within the scope of an internship, the first participants are already working with Röhm personnel in three assembly teams – fully integrated into operational processes, not in a separate area. Their tasks include the assembly and packaging of Röhm drill chucks.
“This project is very close to my heart and I would like to encourage other companies to integrate people with disabilities into their operations and society in general,” says Röhm CEO Gerhard Glanz.
German companies with 20 or more employees have an obligation to fill at least 5 % of their jobs with disabled people. Companies failing to meet this quota must make compensatory payments.
For further information www.roehm.biz

At the recent EMO 2019 exhibition in Hanover, visitors were able to see the new Erowa Robot Easy 800, an automated system that has been designed to open up new possibilities in machine loading.

With this robot, parts up to 850 mm diameter by 1000 mm long, with a maximum weight of 800 kg, can be reliably delivered to the machine tool’s working envelope. UK availability is via REM Systems.
With a wealth of experience based around this technology, Erowa knows that maintaining the high productivity of an automated system also means that ergonomics need to be taken into account. A central set-up station with a swivel crane assists the operator’s daily work considerably. Here, rotatable magazine plates simplify set-up and preparation, while pre-centring facilitates
pallet positioning with crane and lift gear.
The stable transfer axis of the robot has a large travel of 3200 mm, and can be used to load machine tables between 765 and 1200 mm. As a result, there is sufficient space for an operator to manually set up work at the machine table, if there is a need to ‘break into’ the production run or some special fixturing is required, for example. The magazine has a loading capacity of 6400 kg within a compact 9 sq m footprint.
All of the data required for the production cell is available at a glance, including worklist, magazine loading, tool availability and priorities, via the Erowa process control system.
For further information https://remsystems.co.uk/

GF Machining Solutions’ newly constructed headquarters has opened for business in Biel, Switzerland.

The CHF100m building, which will manufacture 65 machine tools a month, is set to house 450 employees from 29 nationalities, bringing together (under one roof) the nearby facilities of Ipsach (former Competence Centre), Nidau (former milling production site) and Luterbach (a Step-Tec site). Hosted by Swiss sports TV journalist Annette Fetscherin, the opening ceremony was attended by over 300 guests and, in addition to a tour of the facility, included various keynote addresses.
“It’s by far the biggest machine-tool plant in Switzerland,” states Pascal Boillat, president of GF Machining Solutions. “With our new headquarters, we not only have a fantastic, state-of-the-art facility, but one that will help us achieve our long-term growth plans and objectives. From this new site we will be able to consolidate our position as a global powerhouse and offer best-in-class solutions to our customers worldwide, while at the same time underlining our Swiss heritage.”
For further information www.gfms.com