For over 50 years, Vickers Engineering has been a leading producer of
high-quality precision parts for the automotive industry. After decades of
increasing growth, in 2006 Vickers management realized that automation would
be necessary to maintain a competitive edge.
According to Jeff Vickers, Vice President of Engineering Sales, the company
was very fortunate to embrace automation early on. “That first automation
project was really done out of necessity because the task was too physically
demanding for a person to do.”
Initially, Vickers’ management was intimidated by the automation – they
didn’t know how to maintain or program it, and they were not sure how their
employees would react. However, once the FANUC robot arrived, their concerns
quickly vanished due to its ease of use and reliable operation. Most
importantly, the employees were not at all threatened by the automation and
actually fought over who got to run the cell.
After that first robot implementation, Vickers used industrial robots due to
their speed and ability to perform numerous repetitive operations - day in
and day out - 24 hours a day, five days a week for several years.
A New Era - FANUC ROBODRILL Machining Centers + CRX Cobot
Vickers was first introduced to the FANUC ROBODRILL through one of their
customers. Much like the robots, once they had a ROBODRILL on their floor,
they soon realized that the machines are incredibly nimble and useful for a
variety of applications. “Several factors really made a difference,
including the price point of the ROBODRILL, its reliability, and at the end
of the day, our relationship with FANUC,” said Matt Tyler, President and
CEO, Vickers Engineering. Today, Vickers uses over 20 ROBODRILLs and plans
to add more in the future.
“The ROBODRILL is a high-speed machining center in a small package that is
very welcoming to third-party integration,” said Vickers’ Sr. Controls
Engineer, Bobby Rowles. “We're able to adapt the PMC (Programmable Machine
Control) to fit our needs, and FANUC’s service and support have been great
on that front as well.”
Like most manufacturers, Vickers had considered collaborative robots to take
on tasks that would allow people to work in the same space without the need
for fences or guarding. That’s when they decided to automate a ROBODRILL
with a FANUC CRX cobot.
“Our team felt very comfortable with the industrial robots, and then FANUC
introduced their latest technology in the form of the CRX cobot,” added
Tyler. “The CRX provides that next level of efficiency and freedom because
it allows operators to work in and out of the cell alongside the cobot.”
Cell operators comment on how easy it is to run the CRX using a touchscreen
to pick and place parts. They are also impressed that they can simply set
boundaries that make the cobot slow down or stop completely if it encounters
a person or object. This capability eliminates the need for a cage or safety
fencing. In addition, the CRX cobot has increased output while maintaining
efficiency and quality.
“We’re really excited about moving forward utilizing CRX
automation and the ROBODRILL combined - together, there's a lot of synergy
there. And not only the technology that is obvious synergy, but just working
with FANUC as a whole,” said Tyler. “One of the reasons we chose FANUC all
the way back in 2006 is that we wanted to work with the most reliable
partner in the industry, and they've delivered ever since.”
“Without automation in our industry, I don't know how a company can survive
and compete,” added Vickers. “Going forward, we plan to continue our success
using world-class FANUC automation.”