R O B O T I C S L E A D
T H E C H A R G E AT
K I W I L O C K M A K E R
Such was the case for Assa Abloy, described
as the global leader in door and window
opening solutions. Looking to increase output
and ensure delivery on its promise of two-day
lead time, as well as solve an employee
health and safety challenge, Assa Abloy NZ
deployed Universal Robots’ UR5 collaborative
robot arm. The UR5 performs repetitive tasks
such as picking, packing and screwing on the
company’s Auckland lock bodies production
line.
The UR5 has automated key manufacturing
processes, such as the picking and placing of
screws, relieving employees of repetitive tasks
and ensuring a smooth production flow. Since
the installation of the UR5, Assa Abloy NZ
says that it has seen improvements in productivity,
quality and most importantly, employee
health and safety.
T R Y B E F O R E Y O U B U Y:
F L E X I B I L I T Y A N D
E A S E - O F - U S E
The New Zealand operation is part of Assa
Abloy’s global business which specialises in
door opening solutions and has been servicing
the market for more than 50 years.
To kick off the industrial robot selection
process, Assa Abloy brought three different
robotic arm suppliers onsite and evaluated
14 March 2018
each one while they performed the same
activities.
“The scalability and easy programming of
the UR5 was unmatched. It also offered
the flexibility to perform the varied tasks we
needed at an affordable price,” says Marc
Simkin, manufacturing engineer manager,
Assa Abloy NZ.
He says ease-of-use is a key benefit delivered
by Universal Robots, with flagship features
such as easy programming. A graphical user
interface with a ‘teach’ function enables
an operator to show the robot arm how
a movement should be performed. The
user-friendly interface allows staff to drag and
drop the routines to automate programming.
This means the UR5 can be reprogrammed
and deployed for different tasks within minutes
without prior knowledge on programming or
robotic engineering.
Assa Abloy engaged Design Energy, a
distributor for Universal Robots, to help
integrate the UR5 and train the manufacturing
team on how to advance the UR5 on the
production line.
“We even decided to have a bit of fun – the
lock bodies team had a naming competition
and we named the UR5 ‘Victoria’. With
this, Victoria becomes one of us – she’s like
another co-worker,” says Simkin.
Relatively high labour costs and
geographic remoteness mean
that to remain competitive on an
international scale, manufacturing
companies in New Zealand
need to deliver products to
market faster, with the highest
level of quality, while keeping
costs down.
CASE STUDY:
KIWI AUTOMATION