Wedgwood to automate cup manufacture

Citation

(1999), "Wedgwood to automate cup manufacture", Industrial Robot, Vol. 26 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.1999.04926eaf.002

Wedgwood to automate cup manufacture

Wedgwood to automate cup manufacture

Keywords Robots, Handling, Ceramics

As part of a £3 million investment in new production plant to automate ceramic cup production at its Barlaston factory, Josiah Wedgwood & Sons Limited has placed an order worth £1 million with Comau UK for the supply of 14 "SMART S2" robots. As part of a turnkey package, Comau will also source turning and sponging machines from other suppliers (see Plate 2).

Plate 2 A robotic handling application being performed by a Comau SMART S2 robot. Fourteen are to be supplied to Wedgwood to automate cup production at Barlaston

Due for delivery this autumn (1998), the Italian-built robots will take over from manual handling operations including loading and unloading of cup blanks in and out of a succession of machines, from the dryer through turning and wet sponging to the kiln batt for firing.

Part of the process includes picking up the handles, applying a clay "slip" and sticking them to the cups fully automatically by robot. Wedgwood claims that when installed, the plant will be in advance of all other ceramic tableware production facilities in the world in terms of the level of automation employed.

Commented group engineering director, Philip Richens, "Comau was chosen for the contract as it was prepared to work with our engineers in the development of the new process and had the commitment to prove to us that it was a practical possibility."