Robots Create Safer, More Efficient Process for Advanced Drainage Systems
Advanced Drainage Systems automated pipe strapping and palletizing to improve safety, cut downtime, and boost throughput with FANUC robotics.
Challenges
- Hard-to-handle products introduced employee ergonomics challenges.
- Frequent disruptions led to inefficiency on a 24/7 production line.
- Struggled to find labor to keep these lines continuously operational.
Results
Fully automated process allows for seamless operation.
Significantly reduced risk to employees.
Integrated solution that improves quality and achieves cost savings.
Story
At Advanced Drainage Solutions (ADS), the company’s 10-foot-long septic stack pipes, made of corrugated plastic, were proving hard to handle on a line that operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Not only were personnel facing ergonomic challenges that impeded upon the company’s safety focus, labor was becoming increasingly difficult to find for this cumbersome role.
To prioritize higher-value work for ADS employees, the company sought out FANUC’s Authorized System Integrator, JR Automation, to fully automate this pipe extrusion process and reduce the risk to employees.
Kicking off the project with a full on-site tour of ADS allowed JR Automation a thorough understanding of the upstream process, floor space requirements and overall atmosphere in order to develop the best solution.
In this case, a custom hopper was developed, optimizing the strapping and palletizing of the plastic pipes. Using three vertical magazines, the machine can hold up to 18 pipes, controlled through the whole process without ever losing hold, and therefore minimizing the required touchpoints for ADS. The advanced robotic solution helps keep employees safer, improves quality and contributes to increased production throughput. Each of these benefits play a role in contributing to the success of ADS and have also helped the company realize the valuable role that automation can play in future growth plans.
Having automation processes makes it so much easier to train, reduces risks continuously, and makes (ADS) a great place to work.
Chakeyla Anderson VP of Environmental Health and Safety – ADSFANUC Products Used
R-2000iC/210R
As pedestal mount robot, the FANUC R‑2000iC/210R is a rack-mounted robot that offers enormous flexibility thanks to its huge 3095 mm work envelope.
- Max Payload:
- 210 kg
- Reach:
- 3095 mm
About Advanced Drainage Systems
Advanced Drainage Systems is a leading manufacturer of innovative stormwater and onsite septic wastewater solutions that manages the world’s most precious resource: water. ADS and its subsidiary, Infiltrator Water Technologies, provide superior stormwater drainage and onsite septic wastewater products used in a wide variety of markets and applications including commercial, residential, infrastructure and agriculture, while delivering unparalleled customer service. ADS manages the industry’s largest company-owned fleet, an expansive sales team, and a vast manufacturing network of approximately 70 manufacturing plants and 40 distribution centers. The company is one of the largest plastic recycling companies in North America, ensuring over half a billion pounds of plastic is kept out of landfills every year. Founded in 1966, ADS’ water management solutions are designed to last for decades.
