In-house PVD investment

etching, forming and assembly of metal parts as a service,” Mike added. “Now, by bringing PVD inhouse we’re able to remove the need for a third-party supplier, which takes another step out of the logistical process, ultimately saving our customers money.”

Alongside this large investment, Vestatec has acquired the company’s first robotic assembly system to offer a more affordable and flexible service for both new and existing clients.

Mike continued: “When building quotes for our customers, dedicated assembly machinery is often required to achieve the end product which can significantly drive up costs. Our new robot cell allows us to automate a large proportion of the assembly process, helping to speed up production, while reducing the need for additional and expensive, dedicated machinery.”

The company recently secured IATF 16949 certification with zero non-compliances, putting the business in the top 3% of suppliers globally and the top 7% of those in the UK.

Founded in 1987, Vestatec specialises in highly complex metal forming, assembly and PVD coating, creating precision components to meet the requirements of high performance and aesthetic applications. In addition to being a leading supplier to the OE market worldwide, Vestatec says its technology and expertise are transferable to any sector where intricacy, design and differentiation matter.

8 vestatec.co.uk

A six-axis robot is helping solve an insert handling problem on a white goods project at Mitre Plastics.

Located in north-east England and boasting a 50-year history, in 2019, Mitre Plastics was invited to quote for producing a highvolume part with a brass insert for a white goods manufacturer, requiring a repeatable, highspeed insert loading solution. To get an idea of how the part could be produced on its existing FANUC ROBOSHOT α-S220iB injection moulding machine, Mitre Plastics asked an unnamed automation supplier to scope out a conceptual solution.

“They suggested using a collaborative robot in conjunction with our existing injection moulding machine and three-axis robot to handle insert loading,” said General Manager Michael Breckon.

“When we took the proposal to FANUC to discuss providing additional hardware and integration work for the solution, it raised questions over how it would work in practice,”

The review highlighted a number of limitations with the proposed solution, with FANUC’s engineers concluding that this application was not wholly suited to a cobot.

As FANUC’s senior integration engineer James Pointer explained: “Firstly, collaborative robots are intended to work unguarded, but in this case, a guard was required, adding cost. Secondly, the proposal was to mount the cobot on the moulding machine at head