Sporting a brighter, lighter, cleaner and quieter environment, the new area is perfectly suited to assemble complex systems. As a world-leading manufacturer of linear motion systems and automation components, this was of paramount importance for Hepco. The improved facility is also well served to accommodate future demands in line with Hepco’s continued growth.

The impressively sized 60 square metre assembly area can now accommodate systems up to 30 metres in length – a marked increase from the previous 14 metre capacity.  The bigger space has already been fully utilised by HepcoAutomation, a division of HepcoMotion that offers advanced automation solutions, who recently tested a 20m DLS5 Belt Driven Actuator for a nuclear customer in the new facility.

Designed for quick and high quality production, the new assembly area is located directly next to stores. This location promotes greater efficiency due to a reduction in transportation of components, packaging and shipping.  As there is now less movement of product, there is also a reduction in manual handling of cumbersome systems and consequently a reduced level of risk in terms of accidents. The new location also fosters improved communications across the manufacturing team, resulting in greater efficiency. Fully equipped, the new area has a double crane gantry system to manoeuvre heavy, long and large products.

The facility is flexible in layout so that Hepco can build several projects simultaneously. Hepco can now assemble products, undertake final testing and ship a finished product all within the same area, resulting in greater efficiency. Furthermore, with its quiet and clean environment, the new high quality assembly area provides the perfect platform for Hepco to showcase its world-leading products to customers.

The space for the new assembly hall has become available following the movement of Hepco’s raw materials to a new, purpose built £650K building last year. The new assembly hall has generated a further 200 square metres of available space for future capital investment and growth opportunities.

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Visitors selected a word or image from an HMI screen, and then saw the robot write the word out or follow the image profile with the attached glue head. The robot then performed a sequence of high speed motions before returning to precisely retrace the word with the glue head.

The application demonstrated the Cartesian’s high level of precision, as well as highlighting the capabilities of these integrated systems built around HepcoMotion’s linear axes – PSD80 profile screw driven unit and PDU2M belt driven unit working together in an X-Y-Z axes system.

The drives for these axes come courtesy of Omron’s G5 servos, with the complete robot under the overall control of an Omron Sysmac NJ series PLC, linked over EtherCAT. The HMI also comes from the Omron product range, and is similarly connected to the PLC over EtherCAT. The combination of the Omron control equipment with the HepcoMotion actuators delivers a simple, cost-effective, precise X-Y-Z system with minimal engineering requirement.

HepcoAutomation general manager Mark Bragg says: “Omron has an extensive range of industrial automation products and a worldwide reputation for quality. As a key Omron system integrator partner, HepcoAutomation is able to offer superior application expertise for customers wanting reliable automation to drive down costs.”

The partnership is designed to make automation and robotics expertise available to all end users and machine builders, no matter what level of experience they have.

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KUKA has a wide range of industrial robots and a worldwide reputation for innovation, the range of robots are used extensively in the automotive industry and have now become the default name in many other industries. The partnership agreement with HepcoAutomation will provide users with specialist advice with their automation projects and an integration service that will enable maximum efficiency to be gained from the installation.

Customers will be able to discuss their projects with both engineers from Kuka and HepcoAutomation at Kuka’s Wednesbury headquarters, where they will also be able to see robots in action. HepcoAutomation provide the necessary integration including installation, training and on going customer support in conjunction with KUKA.

HepcoAutomation based in Telford is a division of HepcoMotion, the advanced linear motion manufacturer of the highly reliable V guide system. The HepcoAutomation team is led by General Manager Mark Bragg who can offer many years experience in solving automation problems.

Services include machine upgrades, turnkey machine builds, cartesian gantries, servo and robotic solutions, together with vision systems plus all the necessary tooling. Assembly and testing is carried out at Telford, with additional production support from HepcoMotion’s extensive manufacturing plant in Devon.

“To be involved with a household name like KUKA will benefit our existing and future customers greatly as we will be able to provide and support a much larger range of robot solutions” says HepcoMotion Sales Director Christopher Rees.

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Omron has an extensive range of industrial automation products and a worldwide reputation for high quality. The system integrator partnership with HepcoAutomation is designed to make automation and robotics expertise available to all end users and machine builders no matter what experience they have. To assist in the whole process customers will have the opportunity to use of Omron’s extensive demonstration centre at Milton Keynes.

Here, customers will be able to bring their applications, including components if necessary, and discuss jointly with HepcoAutomation engineers to establish the most efficient solution for their needs.

HepcoAutomation will then provide the complete solution with all the necessary integration including installation, training and on going customer support.

HepcoAutomation based in Telford is a division of HepcoMotion. The HepcoAutomation team is led by general manager Mark Bragg who can offer many years experience in solving automation problems. Services include machine upgrades, turnkey machine builds, cartesian gantries, servo and robotic solutions together with vision systems plus all the necessary tooling.

Assembly and testing is carried out at Telford with additional production support from HepcoMotion’s extensive manufacturing plant in Devon.

“We are particularly excited about the tie up with Omron, our customers will have access to some innovative solutions and will be able to tap into a vast amount of experience,” says HepcoMotion sales director Christopher Rees.

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