Ransomes Jacobsen, the Ipswich-based turf equipment manufacturer, are further upgrading their plant and enhancing the quality of product at their manufacturing facility in Ipswich. The commissioning of a new, state-of-the-art robot welding machine is testament to the company’s commitment to their customer base across Europe. Ransomes Jacobsen is a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company.
“Adding value and enhancing the quality of the finished product is the driver behind the installation of this new machine,” said Malcolm Parkinson, Operations Director at Ransomes Jacobsen. “With this robot we have invested in the region of £500,000 and it will enable us to produce over 70% of our component fabrications within this automated welding cell, while achieving significant cost reductions.
“It features a user-friendly operating system and consumes significantly less power, which dovetails with our ISO14001 environmental management policy. There’s minimal weld splatter for safer operation and we also achieve a consistently high quality weld with greater integrity. This is phase one of a two-year investment programme that will eventually enable us to achieve 24-hour operation and weld our large deck structures using this process.”
The new machine has been designed, manufactured and commissioned by Motoman Robotics (UK) Ltd, part of the world-wide Motoman/Yaskawa group with over 25 years experience of robotic automation.
The introduction of the automated welding system follows closely on from the recent commissioning of a new CNC tube bending machine. With its capability to generate multiple bends in one set up, it greatly improves the quality and manufacture of systems such as ROPS frames and lift arms.
“Quality and efficiency is at the forefront of our thinking and these latest investments in advanced technology clearly demonstrate Textron’s commitment to the European market,” concluded Managing Director David Withers.
Ransomes Jacobsen is a subsidiary of Textron Inc., a $11 billion multi-industry company operating in 33 countries with approximately 37,000 employees. The company leverages its global network of aircraft, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO and Greenlee, among others. More information is available at www.textron.com. |
