Can Machine Automation Help us Recover from the Pandemic?

June 2020

How Can Machine Automation Help Us Recover from the Pandemic?

The current situation with regard to Covid-19 has highlighted a number of gaps for UK manufacturing companies in a range of industry sectors relating to disaster recovery plans. The virus has brought with it devastation, the likes of which have not been seen since the world wars.

Traditionally, UK manufacturing has seen a slow uptake in introducing automated systems compared to the rest of Europe. Unfortunately, this has meant that a large number of UK Manufacturing companies will struggle to get back to full production due to having to put in additional measures to ensure Covid-19 provision guidelines are put in place. The unfortunate reality is that some may not recover.

With it being such uncertain times, investing may not be at the top of many company’s agendas. The downside of this is that for manufacturing companies, this may lead to the same outcome should a pandemic or other disaster strike again.

Should I Be Considering Automation?

Automation and Robotics could be the key to helping many UK manufacturing companies plan for the future. This should and probably will be part of many companies’ disaster recovery plans for moving forward, and hopefully, it will help us out of these unprecedented times. SP Automation and Robotics has been helping companies to improve quality and output for many years. The benefits of automation has resulted in increased productivity and reduced labour costs. With the use of robots to automate, full bespoke automated production lines and flexible automation with built-in vision inspection and test equipment, manufacturing processes can be improved to ensure optimum efficiency.

Who is SP Automation & Robotics?

Established in 1984, SP Automation and Robotics has been at the forefront of designing and manufacturing custom-built automation solutions for many industries. Over the years, these industries have included medical devices, defence, food and drink, and automotive, to name but a few.

At the beginning of the year, we rebranded from SP Technology to the new name. There were two main reasons behind this, the first being to give meaning to our name and tell the story of what we do. The second was to align our new division, SP Elements. This division was established to concentrate on the lower cost and quick deployment of automation using collaborative robots. To ensure continuity, the SP (which stands for Special Purpose) was retained and remains as the core of our name and what we do.

What Types of Customers Do We Work With?

Clients ask this quite a lot, and the simple answer is that there is not a single type of customer. Each customer has their own set of unique problems and requirements. There are, however, several common traits that all our customers have. All of them are looking to improve efficiencies, production rates and product quality. The range of systems that we have produced over our 35 years is vast and has included full assembly of multipart assemblies, packaging and palletising, inspection, and material removal, amongst many others.

Our Divisions

At the beginning of 2020, SP Automation and Robotics created another division called SP Elements. The new division was created to concentrate on the sales of collaborative robots. Our core business as SP Automation and Robotics is medium to large fully automated systems, which can range from £30k to £3,000,000 supplied into a myriad of industries from medical devices through to automotive. The idea behind SP Elements is to offer companies a cost-effective and practical entry to automation by offering elements of automation using collaborative robots (cobots).

Cobots are extremely simple to program and are suited to companies that have repetitive and sometimes laborious tasks and want to free up skilled workers to do what they are good at. Working directly next to humans, cobots can (after a risk assessment) operate unguarded. This makes redeploying cobots to carry out other operations within factories a simple process

With regards to costs and return on investment, a cobot can potentially have a payback within eight months on a single shift, therefore providing a very fast return on investment. To minimise outlay costs, new leasing options are available, so effectively, the cobot can pay for itself as you spread the cost. These leasing options can also include any associated tooling. With regards to deliveries, a cobot can be delivered and up and running within three weeks.

“If you need a machine and don’t buy, eventually you will have paid for it but won’t have it” Henry Ford

Over the coming months and years, manufacturers will be looking at ways to ensure they can react to disasters such as the covid-19 situation. Considering automation now can help them in the future. Automation does not have to be big, fixed and expensive. It can also be simple, flexible and affordable by using collaborative robots. SP Automation and Robotics can service and support both ends of the spectrum, help manufacturing companies to become more competitive, and help safeguard their future.

Podcast: SP Elements become Scotland’s sole distributor of Universal Robots collaborative robots…

Learn more about SP Elements and their Collaborative Robots… here.

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