Changeover is the single largest driver of OEE loss on a production line, accounting for an estimated 37% of overall OEE decline (Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing, 2020).
Parts feeding is one of the slowest steps inside that category: a robot cell can reload a program in seconds, but a dedicated vibrating feeder must be physically re-tooled for every new part, so the feeder is often what a changeover is waiting on.
Reliance Automation helps Irish manufacturers tackle production losses with FlexiBowl®, the flexible parts feeder from ARS Automation, certified on the Universal Robots marketplace and engineered into complete robotic pick-and-place cells.
One platform, whole part families
FlexiBowl® replaces a full set of dedicated vibrating bowls with a single, tooling-free platform. A rotary disc and flip unit separate, orient parts from 1-250mm and 1-250g, while a vision system locates and feeds live co-ordinates to the robot for picking.
Acceleration, speed, angle and impulse frequency are set in software, so changing between products is measured in seconds, not a retooling job. In a published ARS Automation (study on medical bottle-enclosure packaging), the platform is credited with cutting changeover to almost zero between variants on the same line.
Why it matters to have one partner for component and cell solutions
This is where Reliance Automation is unique. As an authorised partner for both FlexiBowl® and Universal Robots, Reliance supplies certified components and takes ownership of them inside the customer's process.
Every automation cell is engineered and built at Reliance's ISO certified, design and build facility in Dundalk whereby the team will design the cell, integrate the vision system and will commission on-site. This vertical integration is very efficient for a number of reasons:
- Supply chain efficiency – One point of contact covers the feeder, integration and after installation support, so there's no need to chase three separate suppliers.
- Compliance support – Risk assessments and safety documentation is developed alongside the certified component, not pieced together afterwards from multiple suppliers.
- Maintenance and support – The engineers who built the cell also service it: call-outs and troubleshooting run through Reliance Automation, not a manufacturer's overseas helpdesk.
- Design flexibility. Reliance can deploy FlexiBowl® exactly to a specification the customer wants, or work from the customer's parts, cycle-time and layout requirements to adapt the cell around them.
A single call for feeding, integration and support
For manufacturers weighing up investment, the case is straightforward: a certified, field-proven feeding technology, distributed and supported by your local partner that is engineered into a working cell to specification, and supported for the life of the installation by the same team that built it.
Manufacturers looking to cut changeover time, tighten compliance or simplify their supplier list have a straightforward next step solution: email: info@relianceautomation.ie to book your complimentary feasibility review.
Reliance Automation | www.relianceautomation.ie