Robot welding advances at Peugeot's Ryton Plant

Citation

(1999), "Robot welding advances at Peugeot's Ryton Plant", Industrial Robot, Vol. 26 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.1999.04926fab.007

Robot welding advances at Peugeot's Ryton Plant

Robot welding advances at Peugeot's Ryton Plant

Keywords: Robotics, Welding

ABB robots fitted with electrically operated servo spot-welding devices are being used for the production of the new Peugeot 206 (see Plate 3). Athough quite common in European car plants, this is the first application of this system in the UK. Apart from being faster and quieter, they are claimed to be more accurate and less costly to operate than conventional electro-pneumatic spot welding guns.

Plate 3ABB spot welding robots in operation on the Peugeot 206 production line

These benefits are now being fully realised as production of the 206 model moves up a gear with the introduction of a third shift boosting the weekly production output to over 3,400 vehicles.

Peugeot installed 40 new welding robots as part of a £100 million investment to improve and extend production capacity at the company's Ryton plant in Coventry. Most of the robots were integrated within a new production area dedicated to the 206 body construction.

The increase in production is required because of huge pan-European sales success of the 206 range since its launch last year.

For further information contact: Jane Attwood, ABB Flexible Automation Limited, Auriga House, Precedent Drive, Rooksley, Milton Keynes MK13 8PQ. Tel: +44 (0)1908 350300; Fax: +44 (0)1908 350301.