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VICTORIA-based plastic injection moulding company Prysm Industries has deployed a Universal Robots’ UR5 industrial arm to perform labelling tasks for its houseware production line.
According to Prysm Industries, the robotic arm is improving productivity, employee satisfaction, product quality, and cost savings.
Prysm Industries is headquartered in Dandenong, Victoria. It is a family-run contract plastic injection moulding company which manufactures houseware containers such as garden pots and ice cream containers, for companies across Australia.
Prysm Industries was challenged with maintaining high quality, consistent and accurate products while keeping costs down. To face up to the challenge, the company deployed one of Universal Robots’ UR5 industrial robotic arms to perform labelling tasks for the company’s houseware production line.
The use of the robot replaced the need for skilled operators to stand in one spot for hours at a time and apply labels to products every six or seven seconds, says Matthew Murphy, Production Manager at Prysm.
“We decided to automate this repetitive task in order to reduce costs and to free up our staff for more varied and engaging activities,” Mr Murphy explained.
Prysm was introduced to Universal Robots’ technology by Sensorplex, a distributor of Universal Robots in Australia.
“We helped Prysm select the UR5 as the best solution for their production needs and the payload they required,” said Herbert Ho, Director of Operations and Technology at Sensorplex. “We have since provided Prysm staff with basic training and we’re available for any ongoing support they may need.”
According to Murphy, the UR5 was a good balance for the business.
“It has the flexibility to perform the tasks we need without being overly expensive and it has given us a quick return on our investment,” he said.
“Every day the UR5 is in operation Prysm saves $550 in labelling expenses alone. And the payback period for the robot was less than twelve months.”
Other advantages of the robot included its ability to work in confined spaces and to be easily repositioned, the ease of reprogramming for other tasks like moving and stacking products, and its ability to safely work alongside staff.
Prysm Industries now uses the UR5 for all its labelling projects. Positioned at the end of the production line, the UR5 picks up a container and orientates it in front of a labeller. Then, depending on the container’s shape, the UR5 either runs the container across or around the labeller.
With the UR5 now handling Prysm’s labelling needs, employees are able to focus on running several more machines and can engage in more interesting tasks across the factory floor.
“Using the UR5 ensures that labels are consistently applied crease-free and far more accurately than in the past,” Murphy said. “Plus, it can operate for days on end without stopping and our employees feel a sense of pride from having learned how to operate the robot.”