Relief for Workers and Increased Efficiency
New cobot for the HELUKABEL production facility in Windsbach
The HELUKABEL production facility in the Franconian city of Windsbach was already one of the most modern of its kind. Now, the location is investing further in the automation of their manufacturing processes. As of recent, a cobot (a collaborative robot) has been supporting employees in mounting parts onto the specialised, automated machines.
The screening material, that many cables and wires produced by HELUKABEL are braided with, is delivered on large drums. To further process the material, it must then be rewound onto smaller spools, which are mounted onto the automated braiding machines. The empty spools must be placed into the winding machine and then removed once fully wound. It's monotonous work, which until now has been done by hand. Much to the pleasure of the employees, the robot is now performing these tasks fully automatically. They are now able to focus on more important tasks.
"Manually handling the spools was not only monotonous but made keeping up with increasing production speeds exceptionally difficult," explains Project Lead Peter Bluhm. "With the new cobot, our teams operating the braiding machines can work not just more ergonomically, but also more efficiently." A magazine with 200 spools serves as a buffer to reduce downtimes and thereby increase productivity. The loaded spools are stacked onto a pallet by the robot. From here, the employees can comfortably mount the spools onto the different automatic braiding machines. A safety system allows the use of the cobot without the need for further protective equipment. The system is certified by the TÜV, a group of independent testing organisations.
"By automating this process step, we can save a lot of time and effort," says Bluhm. "This is right in line with our lean management concept." Further investments in automation and digitalisation in Windsbach have already been planned. The HELUKABEL plant will continue in the future to be considered one of the most modern of its kind.