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MATERIAL, HANDLING & CONVEYORS FEATURE market, Universal Robots’ small and lightweight robotic arms are able to work safely alongside staff (subject to prior risk assessment). The robots’ stateof the-art force limit safety feature automatically stops the robot from operating when its movement is obstructed. The robot will not exert a force greater than the limit specified in the adjustable safety settings. “One thing I loved about Universal Robots was that we didn’t have to worry about guarding. Whereas a lot of the other robots in the market guarding was an issue because you’d have to use safety barriers for all the machines which just complicates the situation,” says Mr Fowler. The pay-off According to TCI, the company has been able to significantly reduce expenditure by using robots at a time when labour costs can be 10 to 20 times higher that of other overseas markets. “We paid off the UR3 within six months, which means we can reinvest in further product development and innovation. We also saved around 75% on yearly product assembly labour costs for the UR3 and UR5,” adds Mr Fowler. When asked what appealed to him the most about the UR3 and UR5 robots, he pointed to simple programming and consistency. “The robots are easy to set up and reprogramming can take just a few minutes. However one of the biggest selling points for us is having that guarantee that the robots aren’t going to call in sick - production can go on 24/7 without us worrying about human related factors that might stop production.” www.designenergy.co.nz info@designenergy.co.nz 20 October 2016 ABOUT TCI NEW ZEALAND TCI New Zealand was established in 1995 and is one of the largest privately owned injection moulding companies in New Zealand. It operates from a 8400sqm purpose-built facility in Avondale, Auckland and manufactures a wide variety of products, including components used in instrumentation, navigation, rescue and communications, animal health, as well as dispensing equipment, stage lighting systems and drawing instruments as well as a range of homewares, garden products and outdoor furniture. About Design Energy Design Energy is a New Zealand business that specialises in the development and commissioning of equipment solutions to solve problems, deliver productivity gains and enhance its customers’ business. Founded in 2007, it handles everything from process engineering consultation to machine design, to the supply and service of full turn-key systems. It partnered with Universal Robots to deliver quality robotic and automation solutions to some of leading producers and manufacturers. About Universal Robots Universal Robots (UR) is a global developer and manufacturer of flexible and user friendly industrial robots. Headquartered in Odense, Denmark, the company has a global network of about 200 sales partners in 50 countries serving an ever growing list of customers across multiple sectors including automotive, electronics, manufacturing, consumer goods, food & beverage and processing. In January 2015 UR officially opened its APAC (excludes China and India) headquarters in Singapore. UR offers three robotic arm models—the UR3, UR5 and UR10—each of which is designed to suit particular types of tasks and payloads. UR’s robots are modularly designed, hand assembled and can function without the cumbersome safety fencing that most robots require. They are equipped with a state-of-the-art ‘stop-force’ safety feature that hugely minimises the occurrence of serious workplace accidents. Unlike traditional industrial robots, UR’s small and lightweight robotic arms are easily movable and reprogrammable. EN Design Energy Specialists in Industrial Automation Giving local manufacturers a globally competitive edge Robots Turn-key Solution Design Services • Machine Tending • Welding • Product Life Testing • Palletising/Packing • Machining • Labour Replacement • Assembly • Labelling and Marking • Custom Processes High Performance Industrial Robots Production Solutions for SMEs World Leading Collaborative Robots 0508 ROBOTS (0508 762 687) EN111


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