How a versatile cobot is helping take steel firm Katmex into the future
STEEL FABRICATION
Versatile – Katmex engineering technician Craig Weddle manoeuvres the robot arm .
FLEXIBLE FRIEND
How a versatile cobot is helping take steel firm Katmex into the future
PICTURES : STUART BOULTON WORDS : DAVE ROBSON
A
new flexible friend is ensuring humans and machines work in perfect harmony at a steel fabrication powerhouse on Teesside .
After two welding robots became obsolete , precision fabrication and steel plate processing specialist Katmex knew a replacement was urgently needed .
Since 2000 , Katmex – with factories in Stockton and Seaham – has built up a proud record of providing skilfully processed and fabricated parts to heavy industry .
But despite involvement in a traditional industry , Katmex has never been afraid to innovate – and so a cobot was the answer to its welding conundrum .
Cobots – collaborative robots – are lightweight robotic arms that , after being programmed by a person , meticulously and safely handle a wide range of automated tasks to a very high standard . In this particular case , the fabrication of assemblies .
And once the cobot seed was sown ,
Programmed – Engineering technician Craig Weddle types in instructions as he works with the cobot in Katmex ’ s Stockton factory .
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