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Is automation the key to stability in a turbulent market ?
Tony Palmer , Edgetech Head of Sales , makes the case for automation as a way for IGU manufacturers to modernise their businesses in an uncertain economic climate .
» THE LAST FEW YEARS HAVE BEEN a peculiar time for the glazing industry . On the one hand , the industry has remained strong , with the post-COVID home improvement boom being one of the busiest periods for fenestration in recent memory .
Yet , despite the strong sales , IGU manufacturers have also faced unprecedented challenges .
Companies have been hit by materials shortages , price rises , and inflation . Additionally , the UK continues to grapple with a skills shortage which has made the competition for talent fiercer and recruitment very difficult . These factors , combined with ongoing supply chain disruptions , have resulted in a difficult environment for IGU manufacturers to operate in .
I believe that these challenges explain why Edgetech has noticed a significant surge in interest in automation . Whilst automated spacer application lines have been available for some time , many more IGU manufacturers now consider it a more reliable alternative to the traditional , labour-based model .
THE BENEFITS OF AUTOMATION
Industries of all kinds are now increasingly embracing automation . The World Economic Forum expects that by 2025 only 53 % of work will be done by humans , with 47 % completed by machines , leading to the expectation that the demand by the global market for automation technology will increase by billions of dollars over the course of the decade .
The possible gains IGU manufacturers can expect by automating their processes
are substantial . Automated lines can continuously apply flexible spacer more quickly and efficiently , and to a consistently higher standard than by manually applying rigid spacer bars .
By switching to a fully automated Super Spacer ® application line , manufacturers can save tens of thousands of pounds each year , increasing output by up to 18 % while requiring less than half the number of operators .
CLEARTHERM : EMBRACING THE FUTURE
One IGU manufacturer who has long recognised the huge potential of automation is our valued customer Cleartherm – early adopters of the technology , becoming only the third UK company to acquire an automated Forel Super Spacer ® application line in 2006 .
Now , the innovative company have invested in a modern replacement , ensuring they will continue to offer quality , consistency , and speedy service for years to come .
“ When we first started using Super Spacer , we applied it by hand ,” explains Cleartherm Managing Director David Laing .
“ Then , following a visit to America , we saw an automated line for the first time .
That was a real ‘ wow ’ moment for us . We had seen the future .
“ We knew we had to incorporate automation technology in what we did – and before long , we ’ d acquired only the third automated Super Spacer line in the UK .”
Seventeen years later , having seen the sizable benefits that automation can provide , Cleartherm made the decision to reinvest .
“ With automation , the quality is far superior , unit processing is much faster , and you can make considerable savings on labour .
“ We were reminded just how much automation has improved our lives back in December , when our previous automated line was taken out .
“ For the last week of 2022 and the start of 2023 , we had to process all our IGUs manually – every member of the work force was counting down the days until the new line was up and running .”
We ’ re delighted that Cleartherm have decided to reinvest in Super Spacer automation .
As a thriving IGU manufacturer with a reputation for quality , technical excellence and innovation , they ’ re a perfect example of what automation can achieve .
www . edgetechig . co . uk
74 SEPTEMBER 2023 CLEARVIEW-UK . COM