New Kawasaki robot
MID CORK PALLETS & PACKAGING has two sites, one in Clondrohid to the West of Cork and the other in Dunboyne near Dublin.
Almost two decades ago a new Kawasaki robot was installed at the Cork production line, where it has performed without requiring anything more than routine maintenance.
In mid-2020, mindful of its age, Mid Cork Pallets took the decision to replace the unit with a new robot rather than refurbish the old one. In September of 2020 a brand-new Kawasaki ZX165U robot was commissioned at the plant.
Production rates are high with around 5,400 standard Euro-pallets manufactured each day. The company’s new Kawasaki ZX165U robot is tasked with moving compressed and moulded ‘air blocks’ which are used in the manufacture of these (and other) pallet products. Gripping trays of up to 96 blocks at a time, the robot uses side clamps to take them from a conveyor and then rotates them through more than 180° to deposit the trays direct onto a pallet assembly machine.
As with most factories, Mid Cork Pallets & Packaging can ill-afford unscheduled downtime, and this was identified as a critical element when discussing the replacement robot with Kawasaki Robotics and its approved Integrator on the project, KTM Systems.
Mid Cork’s Martin O’Mahony says: “Our choice of robot was a simple one really, given the excellent service record of the existing Kawasaki robot that had been with us for almost 20 years.”
For more information, visit https://robotics.kawasaki.com
