MATERIAL, HANDLING & CONVEYORS FEATURE Auckland-based plastic injection moulding company automate manufacturing processes with the help of Universal Robots The significant labour costs and geographic isolation of the New Zealand manufacturing industry has meant that in order to compete with international players, local manufacturers must look to innovate with new technologies and automate their production processes. 18 October 2016 storage bins. With a Universal Robot assisting, several key processes in the manufacture of these products have been automated, relieving employees of repetitive assembly processes and ensuring smooth production flow. The UR3 was the first machine implemented by TCI, with the costs of the robot recouped six months after it was first purchased. Satisfied with this return on investment, TCI then decided to purchase the UR5, with the payback period expected to be under 12 months. Finding a solution TCI is one of the largest privately owned plastic injection moulding companies in New Zealand, based in Avondale, Auckland. For more than 20 years, TCI has manufactured a vast array of products, including building products, components used in instrumentation, navigation, rescue and communications, as well as a range of retail products, including homewares, garden products and outdoor furniture for companies across New Zealand and the rest of the world. “Previously we were paying two employees to ROBOTICS PROVIDE AN INNOVATION AND LABOUR INJECTION To compete with global manufacturing hubs, leading Auckland-based injection moulding company, TCI New Zealand (TCI) was looking for an automated solution that would offer a more cost-effective means of producing its customer’s products. TCI found the solution in Universal Robots, a global developer and manufacturer of 6-axis industrial robots. TCI has now deployed two of Universal Robots’ industrial robotic arms, the UR3 and UR5 to perform labelling and assembly tasks for the company’s EasiYo Yoghurt Maker line, as well as its
EN-Oct16
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