Top Widget Manufacturer Installs New Equipment to Streamline Production

McKechnie Plastic Components, a company with over fifteen years experience in the precision moulding and assembly of “widgets” for the brewing industry, has recently installed a number of new automated assembly cells at their facility at Stamford Bridge in Yorkshire. 

To develop this technology the company chose Modular Automation International Limited, based in Birmingham, as it’s partner owing to the innovative concept put forward during the selection process.

McKechnie’s Technical Director, Nigel Foreman, said: “we chose Modular Automation because of their innovative approach, ‘can do’ attitude, general project management skills and the understanding of our business needs.  When making selections of this nature, the key parameter judged, is the concept, when measured against our CTQs, [Critical To Quality] as this ultimately determines our performance, an ideal grasped and built upon by Modular.”

The system utilises a series of six axis robots to de-mould the individual components. During transfer, a vacuum system on the robot performs a 100% hole presence check before passing the widget halves onto the tooling.

The widget halves are then heated and welded together using a servo driven system, to produce a complete sphere. The use of a servo driven system offers increased benefits in product quality control and product output, and has the added benefit of reduced maintenance, downtime & noise.

Modular Automation has been a longstanding partner to McKechnie over many years and supplies a wide range of bespoke assembly systems to customers throughout manufacturing industry including automotive, electrical, food, pharmaceutical and medical applications.

All business enquiries to:
Mark Hendry
Modular Automation International Ltd.
Talbot Way
Small heath Business Park
Birmingham B10 0HJ

Tel:  0121 766 7979 Fax:  0121 766 6385

Email:  Hendry@modular.co.uk
Web:   www.modular.co.uk

Photo caption:  The production of widgets

High resolution images are available from enquiries@thewordsworkshop.co.uk