In enterprise since 1951, Linatex has seen a number of manufacturing processes and applied sciences come and go. One resolution has confirmed itself for 10 years.
Linatex, a Danish producer of specialised plastic and rubber elements, grew to become Common Robots’ first buyer with the acquisition of a UR5 cobot in 2008. As we rejoice our tenth anniversary, we talked to Linatex once more (you possibly can learn our first case study about them here) about what was—at the moment—a ground-breaking resolution.
“In 2008, we purchased a UR5 robotic arm to automate the feeding of our CNC machine. It ran in a trouble-free operation 5 days per week for 2 years,” explains Linatex CEO Torben Malmros. When the second technology of UR5 was launched by Common Robots, we determined to change it for the brand new mannequin, as a result of we needed the options within the new software program like torque management.”
Linatex nonetheless has that robotic from 2011, which is now greater than seven years previous. The robotic is at the moment in operation 12 to 14 hours a day and the corporate will add a night shift quickly, including one other 5 hours of operation, 5 days per week. Aside from occasional software program updates, the cobot has required no different upkeep or elements replacements.
In explaining why Linatex took an opportunity on a totally new and unproven robotic, Malmros says, “We have all the time been a bit on the « nerdy » aspect. We regularly see ourselves as first adopters of latest know-how.”
But it surely was a enterprise want that drove the preliminary implementation.
“Again 10 years in the past, we had acquired a really massive order from the wind turbine business that we would have liked to automate to meet,” Malmros explains. “We actually appreciated the brand new robotic, and its potential to assist us meet this order was essential. Since we function solely with light-weight supplies corresponding to polymers and rubber, we did not want a robotic with a heavy payload, so the UR5 was an ideal alternative.”
